Latest news with #childrensbook
Associated Press
a day ago
- General
- Associated Press
"The Adventure Jar' - A Children's Book Supporting Families Impacted by Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) Receives Two 2025 Bronze Anvil Awards
We're proud to share that 'The Adventure Jar,' a children's book supporting families impacted by metastatic breast cancer (MBC), has received two 2025 Bronze Anvil Awards from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Cancer steals possibility, but at Gilead, we're committed to providing resources for families with the emotional burden of MBC. Download or order a free hard copy of the book: Gilead SciencesGilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet medical need. The company strives to transform and simplify care for people with life-threatening illnesses around the world. Gilead has operations in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California. Originally published by Gilead Sciences Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from Gilead Sciences
CBC
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Summer memories of grandparents, art and a very large turtle inspire Kitchener author's new picture book
Kitchener author Kate Jenks Landry new children's book, A Summer Without Anna, tells the story of young Junie who spends the summer with her grandparents because her older sister is sick. While Junie does miss her family, she also has little adventures, including looking for an elusive giant turtle. Landry joined CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition with host Craig Norris to talk about how she drew inspiration from her own summer experiences. Audio of this interview can be found at the bottom of this story. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Craig Norris: Congratulations on the book! Tell us about Junie? Kate Jenks Landry: Junie is fictional, but the story draws on experiences from my own childhood, so she's sort of an alternate version of me, as I had a similar experience when I was a child. My brother was ill and in the hospital quite a lot and I spent a lot of time with family and friends. My brother was younger than me, not older. So there are differences that drew the character in a slightly different direction. But I think similarly to me, she uses a newfound interest in art. In her case it's photography to kind of make sense of the world around her and the challenges that maybe other kids her age aren't facing. And even though she's being so well cared for and is so loved, she's figuring out all of this stuff that's happening and she's using a camera. For me, it was writing, but I wanted to give her something to help her sort of capture the world around her and tell a story. Norris: And was there a cottage in your past? Jenks Landry: There sure was! Norris: What do you remember when you think of that? What were the sights and smells that you think about? Jenks Landry: My cottage was on Crane Lake, which is near Parry Sound and it belonged to my Nan and Pop, just like Junies Nan and Pop. And it was such a core place in my childhood. It was like a typical kind of Muskoka cottage with the evergreen trees and that black-green water. And there was a turtle, a large ancient turtle. And no one could remember how old, no one remembered it not being there. And once a summer or every few years, you'd see it, there'd be a sighting. In the book, the turtles' name is Edmund. In real life, the turtle didn't have a name, but Edmund was the name of my grandfather who owned the cottage. A really interesting thing I think people don't realize about picture books unless you're the author or illustrator, the illustrator is the one who's comes up with the vision for character design and setting. The illustrator of this book, Risa Hugo, who grew up in Japan and Vancouver. So she has a very different set of references. It wasn't really a Muskoka setting but was her take on a lake cottage. She said she was really inspired by the movie My Neighbor Totoro which was something that when she was Junie's age, she was obsessed with watching over and over again. So she had this kind of idyllic, almost English-looking countryside. So even though it's rooted in those really classic Muskoka cottage memories for me, the kind of alchemy of the illustrator working with my words created something completely different. Kitchener author's new book tells nostalgic story of summers spent in cottage country 4 days ago Duration 1:32 Kitchener author Kate Jenks Landry has a new children's book out. A Summer Without Anna tells the story of a young Junie who spends the summer with her grandparents because her older sister is sick. While Junie misses her family, she also has little adventures — including looking for an elusive giant turtle. Kate Jenks Landry told CBC K-W's Aastha Shetty more about the new book, which was inspired by the author's own life. Norris: Risa Hugo's art is beautiful! Jenks Landry: It really is! Risa has done a lot of really amazing Canadian books. She has another book Metis Like Me that has just been honoured and I'm just so honoured to have worked with her. Norris: What does it do for you to get something out there that's this personal? Jenks Landry: It's really complex. I think I wanted to do something that tapped into an experience that I had that was really challenging, but also very formative for me. I think going through something really challenging when you're young forced me to kind of constantly be in a mode of observing and making sense of the world. That sort of was the origin of my being a writer, and I wanted to tell that story. And I think a lot of kids have similar experiences of having to be away from parents or their bedroom or their home at a time when something difficult is happening in their families. So I wanted it to be personal and drawn those sort of core personal memories. But I also wanted to keep it open enough that kids with maybe similar in some ways, but different versions of that experience could, find something in it. And I, I felt like there wasn't really a ton of stories out there that spoke to what it was to be a sibling or just be a kid who's just kind of off on the side while your parents are off dealing with something else. Norris: That's true. I mean, you think about Junie's trip to the cottage, and in a parent's mind, you're thinking, 'Oh, well, this is beautiful, she's just gonna escape for this summer.' But that doesn't really actually happen. Jenks Landry: No, and I think it's a combination. I really love children's books that are complex and are not just one thing because this experience wasn't just one thing for me. For children, I think that's always the case. So beautiful memories are happening at the same time that really profound challenges are. So for Junie, I think she's having these really poignant memories with her grandfather in their fishing boat. She's being comforted by her grandmother and by the water itself. Swimming in the lake and being submerged in in bodies of water has always been very calming for me. I wanted to kind of think about how immersion in nature and in family is bringing comfort even in the midst of all of these challenges. And for me, I have those memories of the cottage. But also, I had an aunt and uncle that I stayed with that had a backyard pool. And I would just spend eight hours a day in this pool and my aunt would bring me peanut butter sandwiches at the side of the pool because I wouldn't get out.
CBC
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Kitchener author's new book tells nostalgic story of summers spent in cottage country
Kitchener author Kate Jenks Landry has a new children's book out. A Summer Without Anna tells the story of a young Junie who spends the summer with her grandparents because her older sister is sick. While Junie misses her family, she also has little adventures — including looking for an elusive giant turtle. Kate Jenks Landry told CBC K-W's Aastha Shetty more about the new book, which was inspired by the author's own life.
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
Sex shame teacher writes a children's book so kids can learn about 'past mistakes'
A disgraced teacher convicted of having sex with a teenage pupil has penned a children's book to help parents talk about their past mistakes. Eppie Sprung was struck off the teaching register after she was caught half naked with the 17-year-old boy by police patrol officers in 2012. The 39-year-old was spared jail but was placed on the sex offenders' register for six months and given a six-month community payback order after admitting sexual activity with a person under 18 while she was his teacher and in a position of trust. She is now the author of a new book, Here, with you, which she wrote to help parents talk to their children about the life-lasting bad choices they have made. It follows the story of two bears, with the adult bear having to inform the young bear of a mistake that continues to impact their lives today, and features the slogan: 'You and I know that making bad choices doesn't make you a bad person'. The publication of the book, which features a sweet cover of the two animals in a boat holding a glowing lantern while at sea, comes just months after Sprung went on a BBC Radio Scotland phone-in show to complain about the stigma and media attention her conviction brought. During the call on Mornings with Stephen Jardine she said it was 'the most difficult thing I experienced' and complained about how it affected certain aspect of her life including employment and 'not being invited to my daughter's friends' birthday parties'. Now in a blog post titled, 'Not a Monster, a Mum', Sprung explains her reasons behind her book after realising even before her daughter was conceived that she would need to 'handle' talking to her children 'very carefully'. She said: 'Navigating being both a mother and a person who has been convicted of a sexual offence is complex and challenging... the problem is, no matter what I do, I know that just by being their mum, I'm going to cause them pain. 'One day, they're going to learn to type things into internet search engines and they're going see my name emblazoned across tabloids - Eppie Sprung: Sex Offender. 'Their friends are going to talk about them behind their back. 'People are going to ostracise them. 'They'll probably question who I really am and whether the feelings of safety I instil in them are actually some sort of lie. Society will tell them I'm a monster. 'The long, long shadow of the poor choices I made back then will likely continue to impact on my children long into adulthood.' Sprung lost her marriage and job after she drove to a layby with the boy in December 2012 following a school Christmas dance and had sex with the pupil. The pair were discovered by patrolling police officers who became suspicious when they spotted condensation on the car windows and found them in the front seat. Sprung, then aged 26, taught English at St Joseph's College in Dumfries and had agreed to give the dyslexic teenager extra lessons. When she was sentenced in June the following year at Dumfries Sheriff Court, Sheriff George Jamieson told her: 'You were there simply to teach but you have been called into temptation and you have committed adultery. 'Your marriage is gone and your career as a teacher is gone. 'What you have been charged with is a breach of trust and I cannot see that there is anything to be gained by a custodial sentence. 'Had it not been for the fact that you were this young man's teacher, there would have been no criminality.' It later emerged that she ended up living with the boy in her marital home less than two months after being put on the register. At the time he said they were not in a relationship and he later moved out. In the years that followed Sprung also set up Next Chapter Scotland, which works to 'help anyone who has been involved with the criminal justice system to navigate the stigma and discrimination that they can face throughout their lives'. The charity, which has received National Lottery funding, states its 'vision' is of a society that 'no longer judges people based on their worst choices but, instead, sees them as they are today'.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Lorraine viewers fume 'she's appalling at interviewing!' as Kelly 'keeps interrupting' guest in 'more irritating than normal' chat
Lorraine viewers shared their frustration as they watched presenter Lorraine Kelly interview Jordan Stephens on Thursday's instalment of the ITV show. The 33 year old appeared on the programme to chat to the Scottish host about his new children's novel See For Yourself. Jordan - who is one half of hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks with Harley Alexander-Sule - released the book today (Thursday 22 May) after joining forces with illustrator Beth Suzanna. But while some were watching the show at home, they took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to say the same thing - that Lorraine was interrupting her guest while he was speaking. One brutally said: 'She's more irritating than normal today; interrupting etc #Lorraine.' 'This woman is just APPALLING at interviewing! How on earth do her colleagues refer to her as a 'national treasure' I will never know. #lorraine @lorraine.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'Let him speak FFS!!!!' During the chat Lorraine confessed that she loves his second book and asked: 'It's about the ocean specifically isn't it?' Jordan explained: 'The idea came from, what we mentioned in the break, as a species I find we're fascinated with up and out. 'We've studied space, we have all these incredible discoveries outside of the earth. But appears as if we haven't been to the bottom of the ocean...' Lorraine said: 'Not as much. There is vast areas of the ocean that we don't actually know that much about... Finding new species all the time. Jordan replied: 'Right!' Lorraine continued: 'So your wee hero, he goes?' Jordan explains: 'Harry Arlo, it follows this boy who, he comes from a family of pilots, and he wants to be the first in his family to go down, rather than up, because he believes that is where the beauty lies. 'So he goes on a journey, on a mission. 'And also, this is just because I went snorkeling one time as well, a few year ago, and I could not believe what I was seeing under these. It blew my mind! 'There's probably thousands of kids books that explore the ocean because of how many incredible colours and shapes, the lower you go, the weirder it gets. I love it!' The singer went on to explained: 'The Missing Piece, our first book, we chose Sunny to be a black girl, we weren't bothered about the gender to be honest. 'The story was the story, well make Sunny a girl. 'When we were speaking to the libraries we were working with, that there weren't books about boys, well certainly black boys. not that it matters. 'We're in the world of children, that's the beauty of being a kid. It doesn't matter.' Conversation soon turned to his relationship with Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall, 32. The pair have been going strength to strength since May 2020. Lorraine said: 'It's a lovely relationship that you've got. And it just works, doesn't it? You know each other so well. You're from the same sort of, music, because music is a crazy world, right? Jordan said: 'Yes music is.' Lorraine added: 'She's got you doing music again hasn't she?' 'Jade was a big part in encouraging us to do more Rizzle Kicks. She genuinely loves our music. It's really sweet,' Jordan said. 'She's got her Rizzle Kicks merch. Bought the vinyl. She's on the album too.' Rizzle Kicks formed in 2008, but decided to go their separate ways in 2016. The pair reunited in 2024. Some of their best songs include Skip to the Good Bit, Mama Do The Hump, Lost Generation, When I Was A Youngster, Tell Her and Miss Cigarette.
