We need to teach our children that they can be bold, courageous, and lead, according to award-winning children’s book author Casey Rislov.
Her new book, The Rowdy Randy Wild West Show, is about a bold and courageous young horse fly proving herself to be a brave cowgirl, despite a lurking shadow ready to take credit for all Rowdy Randy’s hard work. The Rowdy Randy Wild West Show is the follow-up to her first big adventure in Rowdy Randy [Book Bridge Press, 2019].
I had a chance to interview Casey to learn more,
Why did you create this book series? This book's idea was first based on my love of western wildlife. Many people from all over the world come to visit the Western US regions for this reason, especially Yellowstone National Park. I also wanted to add a surprising element of chaos each time you turn the page, where the book gets crazier and sillier. This is pretty easy to do with animals of any kind, but I wanted the problem to be from something small, as it adds that extra humor. So that's where the main character, a horsefly, comes in. A horsefly bite is not something you forget. They do cause chaos, especially around the animals. The character, Rowdy Randy, was so well loved and won many awards that we had to bring another story back to our audiences. Awards won are the Wyoming "Great Read" for the National Book Festival 2021, Wyoming Buckaroo nominee 2021, SPUR award 2020, Ben Franklin award 2020 and more.
How can books help kids learn about history? Books are great ways to make history fun and fascinating, especially with today's new picture books. Book creators are getting original with ways to introduce history in a captivating way. If the book only touches the history slightly, this is where the classroom or family can dig deeper into learning more after reading. Whether it is heading to a museum to view and touch real history, to researching more content through other books and internet sites, to acting out that period in history to fully understand how people dressed, what they ate, where they lived, and more; it is all a memorable experience. It brings history to life.
How can families use stories to enrich activities like family discussions, spending time outside, and more? There are many approaches. One that comes to mind is researching and reading about an area before visiting it. This way the family gets more out of the trip. For people who have never been to the West, this could be reading about the animals in the area. From there the family will learn what the landscapes look like, what is growing around there that they eat, and where the animal sleeps. The knowledge leads to endless conversation. Also, adventure stories of any kind- pirate treasure hunting, dinosaurs, ocean life- can lead to simple adventures in your own backyard. Whether it is planned or not. There can be a map made ahead of time to look for possible treasure, or spontaneous by digging for 'dinosaur bones' in the sandbox. All activities are much more memorable and joyful when done together.
What are some other benefits of having a strong family emphasis on literature and reading? The top reasons that come to mind are: 1. Built in bonding time everyday when you read at a scheduled time 2. Adventures of many kinds- from seasonal to pretending you are somewhere you are not near (the ocean comes to my mind coming from Wyoming) to playing I spy for animals and bugs in the book and then outside. 3. Memories 4. Learning Together- it is a big world, we can learn our whole life 5. Trying new things together, which can mean being brave together 6. It builds empathy to understand someone else's point of view 7. Many life lessons can be learned through books before the child may experience it themselves 8. Books can build confidence- both through becoming a good reader and their well rounded knowledge of the world.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CASEY RISLOV is a 7x award-winning children’s book author. She holds a master’s degree in elementary education from Montana State University and is endorsed in early childhood and special needs. Rislov has taught for many years. The last eleven years have been devoted to writing, reading, and sharing the love of these arts with children of all ages during her popular story times, school visits, and workshops. She lives in Wyoming with her three greatest loves, her husband and their two children.
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