DISCOVER THE MAGIC OF RAINBOWS…A CHILDREN’S BOOK ABOUT EATING A RAINBOW DIET OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Are you looking for a great way to encourage young children to eat Fruits and Vegetables?  This book might be your answer.

Discover the MAGIC of Rainbows: Annie Oxidant finds the path to Healthy Foods is a new book that tells the story of a little girl,  ANNIE OXIDANT and her dog, PHYTO.  They love rainbows and follow one looking for treasure.  They are disappointed when it ends at a produce stand.  Friendly farmer, BROCK O’ LEE, assures them they are actually looking at the treasure because “You can eat a Rainbow”.

RUDY BAGA, Annie’s neighbor, doesn’t think that is possible.  To explain what he means, BROCK O’LEE takes them to the garden and orchard.  He has them pick fruit and vegetables representing each of the colors in the rainbow and in the process  explains, from a child’s perspective, what’s in it for them to eat the rainbow.

When I got the idea for the book, I needed nutritional information that would resonate with children. I’m not a nutritionist, so I contacted a good friend with a Masters Degree in Nutrition, Dr. Jane Oelke, ND, PhD .  She outlined the reasons why kids, from their perspective, would want to eat fruit and vegetables.  Additional valuable input was provided by Sandi McArthur, Education and Outreach Coordinator for Oryana Natural Foods Market, a Community Cooperative in Traverse City, Michigan.

My goal in writing and illustrating the book was to provide parents and educators with a resource that not only would provide accurate information but be interesting to kids.  Educators say most of the materials for teaching nutrition to young children are “dumbed-down text books”… boring to most children.  Discover the MAGIC of Rainbows has an engaging story line designed to teach the basic concepts of whole food and where food comes from… in the format of a treasure hunt.

After reading the book, parents say children become more interested in what they are eating and why .  Conversations about the book have created a means for parents or educators to address issues related to diet and attitudes about food.  To order the book, go to my website: www.BearClausePublications.com or email me at: bearclausebooks@gmail.com.

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FLY FISHERMAN’S DILEMMA

English is an interesting language.  The multitude of inherent double meanings  provide unlimited cartoon ideas.

I got this idea when  I saw an ad for the opening of Trout Season in Northern Michigan.  The ad suggested the business had everything a fly fisherman would need.  Prior to that, I hadn’t thought about what it would be like if flies fished.  The idea of flies fishing raises the same questions that people have who fish: “What are the size restrictions?… When do you have to catch and release?  Are they in season?”  Fishing is complicated!

Often, after a cartoon is drawn, I realize there is more than one way to interpret it.  Another possible interpretation for this cartoon:  Is the fly fisherman checking to see if the bait is still on the line?  If people use flies for bait, wouldn’t flies use people for bait?  If that’s the case…. What are the flies fishing for?

6OO MILES ON A TANK OF GAS… Be careful what you wish for!

Advertising  is like politics… It’s all about the spin.  Like the car ads that talk about how many miles you can drive on a tank of gas.  I drew this cartoon after listening to one of those ads.  I’m learning that when listening to ads and political speakers, it’s more important to pay attention to what they DON’T say, than what they do…

Take the car ad… First, it was an electric hybrid car and they were talking how far you could drive on a tank OF GAS… if you lived near where you work.  Think about it.  Most electric hybrids use the electric at low speeds and the gas power kicks in at highway speeds.  The announcer was claiming you could get 600 miles on a tank of gas.  He didn’t mention the part you couldn’t drive more than 30 miles from your house or over 40 mph.  Is that spin…or what?

I tried to envision what a gas-powered, “600 miles per tank” vehicle would look like.  I realized they weren’t talking about gas mileage… They were talking about Gas STORAGE!  It doesn’t matter how many mpg you get… if you have a big enough tank!  Take that way of thinking to the next level and soon they’ll be talking about vehicles that can go 1,000 miles on a tank of gas.

I only have one question… Where are you going to be able to park it?

IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME…

Now that Apple and Verizon have joined forces for the iPhone network, I figure it’s only a matter of time before they go after the Senior Citizen market with a cell phone designed specifically for Seniors.

The slogan (“Can you see it now?) will be a natural fit! After all, the phone will have a touch screen with large print format.  What do you think they’ll call it?  How about the “Ver-eye-zone”?

Don’t forget… You heard it here first!

STRESS MANAGEMENT-101

Stress is the one thing all humans have to deal with.  There’s a lot of money being spent on stress management techniques when, in reality, we were born knowing what to do.

I drew this cartoon back in the 60’s when I was enrolled in a Psychology class in college.  It pretty much says it all.  We don’t need to spend a lot of money on seminars, tapes, videos and the like.  All we need is to find our thumb to suck and drag out the time-tested security blankie…

WHOA!! I can hear it now… What about the germs and bacteria?  Shouldn’t your thumb and blankie be sterilized before use?  What if you sneezed into it when you were two… are the germs still there?  And, mold?  What about that?  How do you know the blankie wasn’t made by a Third World manufacturer that used lead in the dye?  Oh boy!  I’m getting all stressed out just thinking about it!

See what’s happened to us?  We worry too much about things that MIGHT HAPPEN.  What’s the saying?… “Paralysis by Analysis?”  The next thing will be stressing over who to sue because we’re stressed out about being stressed out!

Let me make a suggestion…  We need to find ways to reduce our stress by sharing the load in ways that benefit us all.  For example, when I had decided to produce my first book, a coloring book: “UP NORTH WITH TC BEAR“, I got all stressed-out trying to wade through the maze of information about self-publishing.  The more I got involved, the more I realized I didn’t know.  Fortunately for me, I happened to be illustrating another book: “ADVENTURES OF MR. BILL”, for BILL PARRISH.  Bill was struggling with the same issues but he is smarter than me and sought help.  Long story short… He was referred to an expert in self-publishing, MARY JO ZAZUETA, who proved to be a Godsend… the best form of stress relief.

We are surrounded by talented people who can reduce our stress by helping us achieve our dreams.  Mentors and consultants are stress relievers… we don’t have to know it all!  If we network and find the expert or person that already knows the answer, we all gain.  Look around you. Reach out and let someone help you!

NOTE: If you have an interest in the process of writing and publishing a book, you’re in luck!  The MICHIGAN WRITERS Organization is sponsoring a class at the University Center (Boardman Campus) at Northwestern Michigan College on February 24th, 2011.  Mary Jo’s Class should help you understand what is needed to write and produce your own book.  If you decide to sign-up, tell her you heard about it here.  I’d like to know if anyone is reading this! THANKS!!… Help is on it’s way.