Kickstarter

About the book:Charlie is a smart, athletic crab who just enjoys every day no matter what he is doing. He loves hanging out with his friends and his strong moral character urges him to offer help wherever it is needed. Seeing the happiness that others get from his help makes him feel special inside.

Charlie is going to spend today at the beach just relaxing, swimming, and enjoying time with his friends. However, special events occur with a starfish that gets stuck and an encounter with some bullies. Charlie eagerly handles these challenges. His actions show that he is always willing to lend a hand (or rather a claw) where needed and that he won't tolerate bullying.

Background:This story was originally a short poem in my "Alphabet Animals" children’s poetry series. But my grandkids wanted more. I decided if a poem was going to grow up to be a short book, it was going to have a character that demonstrated good moral values for kids.

Research:This was scary and fun at the same time. Would other kids like the book? I created a short “Market Research Survey” form. Then asked kids ages 6-12 to read the story and fill out the form. These were kids of friends & family, kids of co-workers, kids from church, and kids from Sunnydale Elementary School. Here are some of their comments:

“I liked the rhyming words and the lesson of helping others in need and having fun!” Jibraan, Age 6
“I liked that they told ghost stories.” Aiden, Age 7
“I liked that Charlie saved everyone in the story and scared the bullies away.” Danny, Age 7
“I liked the little crabs making a sand castle.” Naomi, Age 8
“What I liked about the story was that it was funny and descriptive with all of the details.” Eva, Age 9
“It was very creative and I think kids would enjoy reading it.” Shannon, Age 10
“It was really cool. I liked the starfish best.” Hailey, Age 11
“It is a good story/poem. I liked it.” Matthew, Age 12

Funding:Two publishers have expressed interest in this book. I am reviewing both contracts and will make a decision before Memorial Day. Funds raised to support this project will be used to bring the book to life through professional cartoon illustrations (instead of my colored pencils sketches), cover design, e-book conversion, and marketing. Anything that you can contribute is greatly appreciated and please know that I think …YOU ARE AWESOME!