Best Buddies: What's in a Name? by Mother Melania Salem - Children's Picture Book - What happens when a homeless dog befriends a homeless teen? Join them and find out!
Book Details:
Book Title: Best Buddies: What's in a Name? by Mother Melania SalemCategory: Children's Fictions (ages 3-7), 32 pages
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publisher: Holy Assumption Monastery
Release date: December, 2022
Content Rating: G - This is a children's picture book. It does deal with homelessness, but in a way that is appropriate for young children. There is nothing graphic and no bad language.
What happens when a homeless dog befriends a homeless teen? Join them and find out!
Interview with Mother Melania Salem
Interviewer: Your book Best Buddies: What’s in a Name? deals
with a homeless teen and the dog that befriends him. How did you come to write a children’s book
on such a challenging topic?
Mother
Melania: It started with our homeless friends Michael and Angie. Michael is an amazing artist, and we wanted
to collaborate on a project. Two
compelling themes quickly came to mind. First, the remarkable bond between
homeless individuals and their canine companions, which beautifully illustrates
the depth of love and connection even in the most difficult circumstances.
Second, the importance of acknowledging the humanity of homeless individuals
simply by asking their names—a small yet powerful gesture often ignored by
passersby.
Interviewer:
Could you share a bit about the challenges you faced when attempting to illustrate
the book?
Mother
Melania: Michael did attempt to illustrate the story, but he wasn't satisfied
with his pictures due to his perfectionist nature. However, his illustrations
were actually quite impressive. As I am not an artist myself, I turned to the internet
and googled “How to illustrate a book with absolutely no talent”! Embracing my imperfections, I experimented
and the present book is the result—a blend of simple story and simple
illustrations.
Interviewer:
Addressing a topic such as homelessness can be controversial, especially when
discussing it with children. How did you navigate this aspect?
Mother
Melania: When I shared a draft of the book with a few friends, I realized the
need to address the controversial aspects of the topic, especially when
developing discussion questions for the worksheets. It brought to light the
challenge of discussing with children the reasons people become homeless and
balancing the importance of cultivating love and compassion for the
marginalized with acknowledging the presence of scary individuals on the
streets. However, I quickly realized that I could not possibly tell parents how
to achieve such a balance, but the parents themselves have the power to do this
by reaching out to the homeless firsthand and involving their children in those
experiences.
Interviewer:
What are your hopes for this book? How do you envision it making an impact on
readers and their understanding of homelessness?
Mother Melania: My great hope is that this book will inspire parents to take their children to places such as soup kitchens, church ministries, or homeless shelters, where they can personally connect with and get to know homeless individuals who, like us, are made in the image of God. I anticipate that they will have challenging moments, but, from my own experience, I firmly believe that they will receive far more than they can ever give. By encouraging parents and children to engage with the homeless and recognize their shared humanity, I hope this book fosters empathy, understanding, and a desire to make a positive impact in the lives of the marginalized.
Meet the Author:
Mother Melania is the Abbess of Holy Assumption Monastery in Calistoga, CA. She grew up in a house that always had tons of children around, her poor parents had to read to her till they were hoarse, and from the moment she learned to read, she always had her nose in a book. So, it was only natural for her to grow up to write children's books.
She has written three series of specifically Orthodox children's books - all in verse - which celebrate the high points of God's work of salvation in the Person of Christ. Her remaining series teach children the virtues in a fun, non-preachy way.
Fearless and Friends chronicles the lives of Fearless the Fireduck (think 'fireman,' except that he's a DUCK) and Charity the Church Mouse and their friends, who get in and out of trouble based on the wisdom (or lack thereof) of their actions.
The Adventures of Kenny and Scooter is a minimal-word series featuring six-year-old Kenny and his irrepressible Boston Terrier Scooter, who take turns getting into trouble and rescuing each other from their foolish antics.
teachesWith all her books, Mother Melania is trying to celebrate virtue and God's saving work in our lives.
connect with the author: website
Looks like a great kids book.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a wonderful book!
ReplyDeleteBest Buddies: What's in a Name? sounds like a wonderful story to read with my grandchildren. Thank you for sharing your interview and book details
ReplyDeleteThis was a great interview, thank you for sharing it and the book sounds good
ReplyDelete