Children and Young People Making Sense of Disasters
Published 2025 | ISBN 978-1-991412-03-4 | NZ$45.00
Digital editions available from 15 December
The Oceania Comparative and International Education Society (OCIES) is delighted to celebrate the release of River of Emotions, the newest book by long-standing OCIES scholar and member, Emeritus Professor Carol Mutch. Drawing on decades of internationally recognised research in disaster response, education, and youth wellbeing, Mutch offers a powerful, compassionate, and timely exploration of how children and young people make sense of crisis.
Anchored by a child’s evocative metaphor of “sailing on a river of emotions” during the 2010–2011 Canterbury earthquakes, the book traces young people’s experiences across a wide arc of disaster contexts—from Aotearoa New Zealand to the wider Asia–Pacific region, and through to the Covid-19 pandemic. With clarity and care, Mutch illuminates the emotional worlds of young people in the midst of upheaval, revealing not only their vulnerability but also their strength, humour, creativity, and profound capacity for care.
Two key strands thread through River of Emotions.
The first speaks directly to parents, teachers, school leaders, youth workers, and community organisations. Mutch presents vivid accounts of how children and young people describe what they see, feel, and remember when “the unimaginable happens.” These narratives remind us of the layered impacts disasters have on younger generations—but also show how courage, compassion, and connection take shape amid uncertainty. The book concludes with practical insights and guidance for adults supporting children through trauma, offering hopeful and grounded pathways forward.
The second strand will resonate strongly with researchers, postgraduate students, and emerging scholars—particularly those in OCIES who work in, with, or for communities navigating crises. Mutch demystifies the complexities of conducting research in disaster zones, detailing the ethical, methodological, and relational dimensions of gathering stories, drawings, artefacts, and emotions from young participants. She presents a rich set of analytical approaches and sense-making frameworks that open up new possibilities for researching with children in both extraordinary and everyday times.
A West Coaster by upbringing and now Emeritus Professor in the Faculty of Arts and Education at the University of Auckland, Carol Mutch has spent her career at the intersection of education, research, policy, and community engagement. She is the author of six books and numerous influential publications, and her work on schools’ roles in disaster recovery has earned national awards and international recognition.
River of Emotions is a significant contribution to scholarship in Oceania and beyond—timely, insightful, empathetic, and deeply grounded in the lives of young people. It will undoubtedly become an essential resource for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers committed to understanding and supporting children through times of crisis.