By Theresa-Marie Wilson
What can an owl, a hedgehog, a rabbit and other forest creatures teach children? They just might provide some lessons about ignorance, gossip, and the spreading of misinformation.
Jennifer Bull Mizrahi penned the children’s book Terrible, Terrible Things, illustrated by Sarah D. Thomas, in the hopes that it would provide a talking point for what can sometimes be tough topics such as fear, the force of nature, trust and the value of knowledge.
“I wrote the book so that parents and their children can talk about feelings, about difficult subjects, and they can open the lines of communication through reading and literacy,” said Mizrahi.
The book is set in the forest where a bird delivers news that portends terrible, terrible things are going to happen to the land and the creatures that live there.
The end is not near for the animals; it is merely the changing of the seasons as explained by the owl.
Mizrahi wrote the book about 10 years ago, but it wasn’t until a friend and mentor convinced her to do something with the story that she decided to publish.
“She encouraged me,” said Mizrahi. “She said, ‘you can’t let this sit in a drawer anymore. This is beautiful, and it has to be out in the world.’ Being encouraged by someone I looked up to and respected gave me the courage and tenacity to move forward.”
Mizrahi began a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for printing her new book with the goal of donating 500 books to local schools, libraries, and children’s centers. For a $25 donation a book will be donated in your name to a daycare, preschool, kindergarten or library.
The campaign comes to a close on Jan. 31, and Mizrahi is nearing her goal of raising the $3,635 needed to cover printing costs, but more help is needed.
To join the campaign, logon to Kickstarter.com and type in Terrible, Terrible Things under project search.
The book sells for $10 and can be found under her full name, Jennifer Bull Mizrahi on Amazon.com. Contact Mizrahi directly at: [email protected] and she will bring a copy to people who live locally.
For now, Mizrahi is working on another book.
