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Gracie’s Got A Secret
SUNSHINE COAST, B.C. - Using the adventures of a feisty goldfish, the new picture book Gracie's Got a Secret encourages children to go with the flow and find their inner stillness, especially when they're pushing for a result.
Roberts Creek author Heather Conn got the idea for the book, published by MW Books of Garden Bay, BC, while on her own journey of self-discovery in India. She thought that if children learned the concept of "letting go,"; they could save themselves a lot of anguish as adults.
In the book, main character Gracie, a goldfish, gets out of her fishbowl and meets an alligator and an elephant, sharing her "secret"; to help them solve their individual dilemmas. The book, Conn's first for kids, is targeted at children ages seven to nine, but younger ones will also enjoy the delightful illustrations by Vancouver artist Lillian Lai.
This uplifting story, which comes with engaging questions to prompt discussion, invites children to believe in themselves, support others, and find peace in chaos. This perspective echoes the Taoist notion of wu wei or "action through inaction."; (Taoism is a philosophy that supports working in harmony with nature and life itself, rather than resisting people or events. It promotes compassion and moderation.)
Dennis Lee, author of the popular children's book Alligator Pie, says of the book: "There's a spunky energy in the writing that goes along with the central motif.";
(Editors: There's a strong B.C. and Sunshine Coast angle to this story. Several years ago, the author took a workshop on writing children's books hosted by the Sunshine Coast School of Writing. She contacted children's author Dennis Lee after seeing him at the Festival of the Written Arts in Sechelt. She met the publisher, who's based on the Coast, at a literary reading in Gibsons, hosted by the local group Read Locally, Act Globally.)
The book is available at select bookstores, through amazon.com and from the author or publisher MW Books. For more information, see graciesgotasecret.com or contact the author, Heather Conn, at 604-886-6520 and heatherconn@dccnet.com.
Roberts Creek author Heather Conn got the idea for the book, published by MW Books of Garden Bay, BC, while on her own journey of self-discovery in India. She thought that if children learned the concept of "letting go,"; they could save themselves a lot of anguish as adults.
In the book, main character Gracie, a goldfish, gets out of her fishbowl and meets an alligator and an elephant, sharing her "secret"; to help them solve their individual dilemmas. The book, Conn's first for kids, is targeted at children ages seven to nine, but younger ones will also enjoy the delightful illustrations by Vancouver artist Lillian Lai.
This uplifting story, which comes with engaging questions to prompt discussion, invites children to believe in themselves, support others, and find peace in chaos. This perspective echoes the Taoist notion of wu wei or "action through inaction."; (Taoism is a philosophy that supports working in harmony with nature and life itself, rather than resisting people or events. It promotes compassion and moderation.)
Dennis Lee, author of the popular children's book Alligator Pie, says of the book: "There's a spunky energy in the writing that goes along with the central motif.";
(Editors: There's a strong B.C. and Sunshine Coast angle to this story. Several years ago, the author took a workshop on writing children's books hosted by the Sunshine Coast School of Writing. She contacted children's author Dennis Lee after seeing him at the Festival of the Written Arts in Sechelt. She met the publisher, who's based on the Coast, at a literary reading in Gibsons, hosted by the local group Read Locally, Act Globally.)
The book is available at select bookstores, through amazon.com and from the author or publisher MW Books. For more information, see graciesgotasecret.com or contact the author, Heather Conn, at 604-886-6520 and heatherconn@dccnet.com.
Submitted on October 17, 2011 in By David.
