Kickstarter

   BREAKING THE RULES 

They say the rule is to never write about your pet. And definitely DO NOT write a book series about your pet…but everywhere we were, we heard: “Why, that’s a lizard on a leash! How…cool!" Or sometimes, “How, uh, weird! Is that your PET?!”

It never failed. What usually took half an hour, would take hours with Pudgy in tow.

So Pudgy and I broke the rules...    

 HOW IT ALL GOT STARTED   

Walking Pudgy through San Diego's Balboa Park, I often received comments, stares and long lines of passers by to take photographs of, to meet and to hold Pudgy. People from all walks of life; young and old, stopped to chat about this "different" and unique creature. An idea was born: Through Pudgy, I could create a children's book series encouraging kids to read and at the same time show them "different" is a positive word.

It is my belief all children should be encouraged to read, think outside the box, explore outside of their communities and learn about the extremely important topic of diversity. I am pleased to give them the tools to do this through some pretty awesome books. 

THE GOAL 

Our goal is our mission: To provide an adventure based vehicle that inspires literacy and motivates cognitive development through exploring the positive topics of diversity and open-mindedness.

We will publish a quality children's books series based on suggestions put forth by our fans (kids!), while using valid and reliable learning principals delivered through our main character, Pudgy and Pudgy's many diverse pals.

AN INTRO

At Pudgy and Pals, we decided to walk to the beat of our own drum (there's that rule-breaking again) and work a little backwards. Yes, we’ve been hard at work writing our books. At the same time, we also decided to let kids in on our plans before we publish each of our creations. This includes the stories in our books and the design of our logo. We need their green light before we pass go!

We have begun with a coloring contest (open to children ten and under). The winner will create the color palette used for our logo. Kids ARE the adventure, and they should be part of every stage in our development, even the logo.

In our first book, the reader is introduced to Pudgy and some of the fun and fascinating differences and similarities Pudgy has with children; human and otherwise. In our second book, this very special lizard embarks upon a cross-country journey (which Pudgy and I actually took together) learning from others while also teaching them that being different can be very special. From there, our readers will help develop our stories through their own adventures and experiences.

TIDBITS

The Pudgy and Pals adventure book series is geared toward chidlren 0-8 (hey, books make great baby shower gifts).

Take a look at us in Pacific San Diego Magazine and San Diego Pets Magazine:

                                             Hit CTRL and Click here for article (pages 16 & 17)

                         


From its conception, Pudgy and Pals was designed with a commitment to keep the treasured and sometimes sidesplitting input and opinions of children in mind. This is a non-negotiable mainstay and will always be a very important part of our business development. By definition, we are a children's book company. For us, this means book company for children. After all, what is children's literature without their contributions and participation?

From the research that has been done thus far, there is no other diversity learning series on the market that offers such an interactive experience while promoting literacy using a real-life creature to lead the adventures. Pudgy has been a hit everywhere! There are now waiting lists at libraries, book stores and in schools for the first book. I just have to get to print!
 HOW WILL WE DELIVER?

Pudgy and Pals  will provide an interactive format for children by encouraging them to submit their story ideas via our website, snail mail and in-person submission forms to be presented during appearances which both involves children in the creative process and emphasizes the importance of their opinions and ideas. 

We will leverage our two competitive edges (education and play) to produce an educational diversity learning series that is fun and at the same time successful at building important and cognitive skills for children through proven learning methods.


FUNDING

In order to maintain the integrity of Pudgy and Pals, I will self-publish.

Funds will be used for costs such as, but not limited to, website development, book editing, illustration development, printing press set-up and printing costs.

THANK YOU

This is more than just a project. This is such a part of my life now. My utmost thanks for your consideration and support.

Please feel free to visit www.PudgyandPals.com for more information.

FAQ's:

Yes, Pudgy really did walk on a leash. :)
Pudgy was an Australian Bearded Dragon Lizard (not an iguana)
Pudgy really did have other animal pals to include cats, rabbits, dogs and even a bird!

            

In loving memory of Pudgy...the inspiration for our series.