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My dear friend, Peter H. Reynolds, has a great blog called The Stellar Cafe. He recently wrote a very inspiring article, Stories Wanted, on his blog encouraging, almost daring, people to take the plunge and write that story they've always been meaning to write, or wanted to write but weren't sure if they could, or weren't sure if anyone would be interested (I'm sure the excuses could be lengthy). I posted a comment in response to Peter's "Stories Wanted" article, and after I was done decided my response would be a fitting blog article for CanDoozle, so here it is:
They say that invention is born from necessity, and I think children's books are born that way sometimes as well! About 5 or 6 years ago I was working with three first grade girls who were deeply entwined a friendship triangle - two girls unable to share the third. I searched and couldn't find a children's book on the topic, so I fired up my trusty Wacom tablet and Flash program, and created (wrote and illustrated) my own story! I made a print copy with my printer, but also created an online version that my students could read at home with their parents. However, as it turns out, many educators found the online version of my story over the past five years, and many emailed me to ask if there was a print version of the book available for purchase. I started sending my manuscript around to "traditional" publishers for a couple of years, without any luck, while still receiving emails from very eager and interested educators. At some point not long ago, Peter mentioned Lulu.com to me, so I investigated, and publishing my story, Sharing Friends, via Lulu.com was my summer project this year... in other words, it's "What I did this summer." I have to say, it's was a mighty exiting moment to hold the first copy of my book in my hands! So, yes, not only should you take the plunge and write that story, but there are many ways to "publish" these days - from online versions that you can post on a Web site yourself, to self publishing via a "Print On Demand" (POD) company like Lulu.com, for one.
My advice? Go for it!p.s. My story, Sharing Friends, is at http://www.lulu.com/sharingfriends, if anyone wants to take a peek. And/or you can check out the original online version at http://www.falmouthschools.org/k2counseling/SharingFriends.html (I did revise/polish the story a bit before publishing the printed version - fine tuned, tweaked, etc... but it's very much the same story).
This week I had the pleasure of reading a new book, Wings of Epoh, written by Holocaust survivor, Gerda Weissmann Klein, and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. I also reviewed the film version of Wings of Epoh, a creative adaption by Peter H. Reynolds and his twin brother, Paul A. Reynolds. Wings of Epoh is about a boy named Matthew who has autism and his friendship with a butterfly named Epoh ("hope" spelled backward). In the story, Matthew relates to Epoh, feeling a special connection as the butterfly tells his story - especially when Epoh explains feeling isolated and alone when encased in a cocoon. Peter H. Reynolds' gentle but colorful illustrations wonderfully complement the story. Wings of Epoh eloquently teaches acceptance, tolerance and empathy, and would be especially helpful for educators, care givers, family members, or anyone who works or interacts with an individual with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, or any child with special needs.
To learn more about Wings of Epoh, click here.
I meant to mention in my last post that Peter H. Reynolds' book The Dot is also available in braille through BrailleInk. What's great about BrailleInk.'s books is they include the original printed text and illustrations, along with the braille text. This allows for the book to be simultaneously enjoyed by both sighted readers, and braille readers.
I added an ongoing book list to the right side of this blog... books that embrace, embody, encourage, inspire a can-do attitude and spirit. Actually, I'll probably have two lists - children's books, and books for adults - though most of the children's books will be for adults too.
The first on the list are the children's books The Dot and Ish, written and illustrated by my very good friend, Peter H. Reynolds. Peter and I have collaborated on many projects, and he even created the art for the Can Do! Web site. His books, The Dot and Ish, are about overcoming the "can'ts" - "I can't draw" or "I can't draw well." While both stories focus on creativity and art, they are inspiration for overcoming any type of "can't." They're stories about daring to do it anyway - doing it because you want to, no matter what anyone else thinks, no matter how well (or not well) you can do it, but because it's something you enjoy, and want to do, and can do. By the way, if you want to add The Dot or Ish (or any of Peter H. Reynolds' books) to your own collection, I'd recommend ordering them from Peter's family's book store, The Blue Bunny. If you order any of Peter's books from The Blue Bunny, they'll arrive signed by Peter! Pretty cool, eh?
