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Kira The Kookaburra
Kira The Kookaburra, by Sharon White, is a charming children’s book set in the Australian bush. It tells the story of Kira, a kookaburra with a beautiful singing voice and a unique sense of style, marked by her impressive hat collection. The book weaves a story of self-discovery and self-love as Kira navigates her feelings of being different and ultimately finds joy in her own uniqueness.
Sharon White’s writing is both engaging and accessible, particularly for younger readers. White’s ability to create a vivid and colorful world is one thing I truly enjoyed about this story because it made the Australian bush come alive. There are sections where the dialogue appears to be more direct, possibly aiming to clearly communicate its messages to a young audience. While this approach has its educational merits, I feel it might also be observed that integrating these messages more seamlessly into the storyline could enhance the overall narrative flow.
One of the book’s strongest elements is its exploration of themes like self-acceptance, diversity, and the importance of friendship. The way Kira’s journey is portrayed, from feeling sad about being different to celebrating her unique traits, is both heartwarming and empowering. The inclusion of various animals, each with their own personality and opinions, adds to the richness of the narrative.
The illustrations, also by Sharon White, are charming and colorful. The vibrant colors and expressive characters complement the narrative well and capture the essence of Kira’s world and her emotional journey. The easy-to-read text and colorful images are effective in engaging younger readers.
Kira The Kookaburra is a delightful read for children, especially those aged four to eight. It offers an engaging story with important messages about self-love and acceptance. This picture book’s visual appeal and positive themes make it a worthwhile addition to any young reader’s library.
Pages: 92 | ASIN : B0DBM6XGKJ
The Power of Friendship
The Emu Family follows a family of emu who decide to spend the day at the beach and encounter unexpected situations and adventures. What was the inspiration for your story?
I live in Australia and I love animals. I write stories that are easy to connect to and that children will love. As a therapist who knows the importance of nurturing kids with positive outlooks, I write stories that inspire children to live their best lives and live confidently. I want them to know what is truly important in life; friendship, fun, and connection.
Life can be negative sometimes, unlike when I was young. Kids were allowed to be kids and explore in the trees, get dirty, and use their imagination, nowadays kids have a completely different way of living. I want to help children see the world in a fun light. To know there is positivity, and they can always find a good positive outcome from most situations, especially with the right support around them.
As a therapist, I have seen many adults in my therapy room not knowing or understanding the basic values of connection. This could have been taught in childhood so those kids grow into healthy adults. My wish is that my books do this for children.
What made you decide to write this children’s book series around emu? What is about them that makes them perfect for children’s stories?
It starts off with emus but they quickly introduce their friends. Snap the crocodile, Kiki the koala, Kanga Blue, and Rooby Red the kangaroos, and Kira the kookaburra. These animals are not typical animals, they are fun, colourful, wear clothes and hats, and sing and dance. These animals love to express themselves in a fun way. Together they make up a group of (unlikely) friends who support each other through so many of life’s ups and downs. Kids love animals and love to learn, so I thought I would write a fun series while planting some seeds of positivity into their lives too.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Together with their friends, The Emu Family teaches children wonderful concepts like the power of friendship, the importance of community, meditation, self-love, growing food, healthy living, dental hygiene, and so much more. It is important that each book gives a child a good takeaway message so that they can use it in life to make their experience a more positive one.
When will book 2 be available? Can you give us an idea of what adventures readers will go on with the Emu family?
Book 2 will be available in November 2023. This book is about Kira the kookaburra; the story is about her hat collection, but the underlying story is a journey to her finding self-love. Her friends join her and encourage her on her journey. I have written several of the books in the series, and they are all stories to inspire kids to live a healthier, happier life. I have started on the artwork for the second series with more animal characters from London! It’s very exciting!
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Amazon
The Emu Family & Friends series teaches children wonderful things like:
The Importance Of Community
The Power Of Friendship
The Importance Of Family
Growing Food
Healthy Eating
Exercise, etc.
This series of books is designed to bring fun and positivity to the reader and also teach them healthy ways of living in this world.
It is also designed to encourage communication between the parent and the child. And maybe even some fun projects to work on together.
This is the first book in a series of adventures.
LITERARY TITAN 