REXBURG — People all have that favorite book they loved to read, or have read to them, as a kid. Michael Anderson, a licensed Associate Family and Marriage Therapist and author, hopes to add another book to the list of stories kids can draw from.
Anderson says the idea for the book series “Jungle Tails” sprang from story time with his own kids.
“As we were reading books, I just kind of noticed that there was an absence of books that really taught really awesome messages to kids,” Anderson said. “And especially like, mental health principles. These books started as me just telling stories to my kids, just bedtime stories,” Anderson said.
Anderson wondered if other children would enjoy these stories as much as his kids did. Not only that, but he wondered if these stories could serve as a foundation for the next generation to use as they encountered the challenges that come with growing up. For this reason, the books are geared toward children three to six years old.
“My dream is that there's a nine-year-old or a 10-year-old who is working, struggling on a math problem or whatever, and one line from one of these books pops into their mind,” Anderson said. “It's like, ‘Oh, yeah, those ‘Jungle Tales’ books I read as a little kid, this is how I view failure, this is how I view resilience.’”
In hopes of bringing the main characters, Rocky the Rhino and Manny the Monkey, as well as all of their friends to life, Anderson has enlisted the help of illustrator, Becky Fawson.
“Her work is just incredible,” Anderson said. “She's created these wonderful, cute illustrations that are fun for kids to look at. And then on top of that, I try and incorporate just like humor, goofy, kind of slapstick humor that kids will enjoy. But also, I try and incorporate subtle humor that parents will enjoy reading.”
Along with the subtle humor for parents, Anderson hopes that parents can learn alongside their children.
“I just hope it allows parents to change the way they view themselves,” Anderson said. “I would love for parents to be reading a book with their kids and in their mind, for the parents to be like, ‘Oh, yeah, dang, that's, how I've got to view this thing at work that's happening.’”
The first book in the “Jungle Tails” series is called “No More Mistakes” and explores the way that Rocky the Rhino learns that making mistakes are a part of life and that mistakes can be learned from.
To learn more about the “Jungle Tails” series, when the book will be released, the latest news and to find more about Michael Anderson, go to www.jungletailsbooks.com.