1. What was the inspiration behind the book?
KEVIN
My inspiration for writing this book came from my oldest son and a childhood toy.
Just before my 8th birthday
I spent over a month in the hospital with a bone infection in my leg.
One morning during that stay, a friend of my father’s woke me.
Hanging-on the curtain rod around my bed was a cute stuffed animal, a
monkey named Kookabuk. My father’s friend went on to tell me a wonderful
story about how Kookabuk was there to help me get better. During that
time, I developed an incredible bond with my new friend. Kookabuk became
a cherished source of friendship and strength. I improved and was
discharged from the hospital not long after. Fast forwarding to
adulthood, I always wanted to create children’s stories using Kookabuk
as the main character, but could not come up with a storyline.
Many
years later I married and started a family. My first born was diagnosed
with Autism at two-years-old. As he grew he began displaying
challenging behaviors. Struggling to figure out how we could understand
what’s was going on with our son, we sought the assistance of many
therapists and professionals. One of his therapist suggested using
social stories. She explained that social stories are tools used to help
children understand and prepare for new situations. Taking her advice, I
began creating social stories for my son. The first one was about a
child going to the doctor to have his blood drawn. We read it together
several times before visiting the doctor’s office. It worked! My son had
his blood drawn without incident. Other social stories followed. While
writing one of them, I realized I finally had the storyline for
Kookabuk!
My
friend Kookabuk helped me through a very difficult time as a child, and
now I am very happy he’s back (47 years later) to help others.
JESSE
As
Kevin described, the inspiration for the book series and the characters
within are really from his personal experiences, as well as his
relationship and journey with his son (my nephew). Kevin discussed the
concept with me years ago and we had always planned on writing the
series. Life as teachers and parents can be very busy, and we finally
had some time to dedicate to Kookabuk over the last year or so.
Personally, my greatest inspiration is to entertain as many children as
possible while simultaneously putting forward the idea that friendships
can develop between all different types of children.
2. Why is it important for kids to approach new experience with a positive attitude?
KEVIN
The
effects of positive thinking have been well chronicled. It has many
benefits linked with health, work, and life. It has been proven that
positive thought broadens ones outlook and empowers individuals to
explore more opportunities. Children who develop and maintain a positive
“can-do” attitude are more likely to engage and participate in new
experiences without fear of failure.
JESSE
Many
children are hesitant or anxious when approaching a new experience for
the first time. That’s normal. However, we as
parents/caregivers/teachers have to do our best in order to help our
children prepare for new experiences. Take for example the first day of
school (or starting a new school). We expect our children to be somewhat
anxious and hesitant for this experience. If we as adults can share
information about the new school (the teachers, the classmates, the
daily schedule, etc.) with our children before that first day, hopefully
our children will feel more prepared and less anxious. This is
extremely important because no one performs at their best while feeling
negative or fearful. Therefore, as adults we have to constantly think of
ways to teach our children to face new challenges with a positive
attitude.
3. How can parents help their kids have a positive, yet realistic, outlook?
KEVIN
I
can best answer that question with the quote: “You miss 100% of the
shots you never take.” Instilling a positive attitude empowers your
child to take the shots; letting them know they’re not going to make
them all is realistic. It is up to parents/caregivers and teachers to be
honest with children by painting a truthful picture and applaud every attempt regardless of the outcome.
JESSE
I
believe that we should tell our children to give the best of themselves
in all situations, and that when they don’t succeed, it is not the end
of the world. No one succeeds all the time, in all arenas. For example,
the best hitters in major league baseball fail at least 70 percent of
the time. I think it’s equally important at a certain age to speak
freely with our children about how all individuals are different.
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. As a teacher, I work hard to
differentiate instruction to tap into each child’s strengths so that
they can feel successful. When things are difficult, I try to take
pressure off the child, and remind him or her that all I expect is
effort, and if they keep working hard they will achieve a level of
success. I have seen a definite increase in anxiety in children over the
last 10 or so years. Our kids must be constantly reminded that they are
awesome, and don’t have to be perfect.
Jesse Howard is
a special education teacher in Westchester County, NY who received his
Masters in Education (Childhood/Early Childhood/Students with
Disabilities) from Manhattanville College. Raised in a family of special
education teachers who embraced their passion to live a life devoted to
the well being of all children, his career has focused mainly on early
childhood and students with disabilities. He made learning creative and
experiential for his students and developed a strong connection with
parents. Realizing the importance of the role of the parent as “First
Teacher,” Jesse encouraged parents that time spent reading with children
was a critical as well as a rewarding experience. From these
experiences, plus his love of writing, grew the foundation of his
philosophy surrounding the Kookabuk series.
Kevin Howard graduated
twice from the University of South Florida, receiving both a Bachelor’s
Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in Education.
He spent the first 14 years of his early professional life in private
industry, and is now approaching his 20th year as a public school
teacher, trainer, and coach. While his resume is packed with a wealth of
experience and education, Kevin confesses that his most rewarding
experience has come from fatherhood and being the parent to a child with
Autism. Kevin created and co-authored The Kooky Adventures of My Friend Kookabuk to share the knowledge he gained raising his son. The Kookabuk series
is a collection of social stories that serve as a source of
information, inspiration, and guidance for parents and children alike.
For more information, connect with Jesse and Kevin on their website, as well as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Kookabuk Shares His Shovel is now available on Amazon and CreateSpace.
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