All children are born into an ancestral heritage, rich with tragedy, joy, and a touch of magic. No two stories are alike, yet encouraging an appreciation for cultural diversity, creative problem solving, and ecological respect as well as protecting the timely development of the contemporary child are daily challenges faced by parents and educators. These concerns, among others, inspired me to write a trilogy of independent stories entitled I AM A CHILD.
In FEETSPEAK, a young child, traumatically mute after her parents are killed during a rainstorm, communicates by selecting different shoes to wear. Living near a pond and its creatures on the Midwest Plains with her maternal grandmother provides Cinnamon with comfort and understanding. However, when an engaging French family with a young girl her age moves into the house down the road, Cinnamon must learn other ways to share her thoughts and express her feelings with her new friends. Soon to enter First Grade, will she be ready to participate and learn in this totally new environment?
