I wrote the story of Sassafras after a car trip with my family in the woods of New England. We saw a skunk in the wild for the first time, and the reaction of my children lead me to write this tale of a small skunk who thinks that no one likes him because he has a “stink problem.” I emphasize the objective which must be present in order for smooth, effective, and thorough learning to take place: to develop within each child a sense of positive self-esteem.