Anyone who truly knows me might tell you, if cornered, that I’m definitely anti touchy feely ushy-gushy stuff. So, I make it a point to write books for kids with a good balance of love AND strength. And I believe that’s the example you can see in the bestselling life manual of all time.
Yeah, God overflows with both love and strength.
And I’m confident I’ll be at my best when I’m following the example you can easily see in Jesus. Plus, I think that’s fairly easy to see in my writing. If you think I’m wrong about that, feel free to show me why you think that way.
Anyway…
I shared all that because of a summary I found of one of my most recent books for kids. The book is called “The Lonely Lilypad.” And, as I said, I believe it shows that nice balance of love and strength. But the summary mentions a bunch of touchy feely ushy-gushy stuff. Here’s what it says:
“The Lonely Lilypad” by Tony Funderburk explores several themes, including:
- Loneliness: The central theme revolves around the feeling of being alone or isolated, as depicted by the lonely lilypad’s initial state in the story.
- Friendship: The narrative progresses to show how relationships and companionship can transform loneliness into joy, emphasizing the importance of friendship and connection.
- Hope: The story conveys a message of hope, demonstrating that even in solitude, there’s potential for change and happiness through new relationships or unexpected friendships.
- Kindness: There’s an underlying theme of kindness where characters help each other, suggesting that acts of kindness can lead to meaningful connections.
- Community: The story might also touch on the idea of community, where individuals come together, illustrating how a community can support its members, making everyone feel included.
- Nature: As the setting is in a natural environment, there’s an appreciation for nature and its creatures, subtly teaching about the ecosystem and the beauty of the natural world.
And the summary ended with this:
“These themes are woven into a narrative that aims to teach children about emotional resilience, the value of friendship, and the beauty of life’s surprises through a simple yet engaging story.”
So, how ’bout that?
Evidently I wrote a book that emphasized feelings, transformations, more feelings, acts of kindness, community, inclusivity, more feelings, and even lessons about our ecosystem and “natural world.”
Wow. I didn’t realize I could be so progressive. But there you have it. In red and yellow (and black and white, so we can keep it inclusive). Now, I’m not even sure I can recommend you to my own book. And maybe I shouldn’t share the link, to get this crazy coloring and drawing book, with my email subscribers. But what the hey. I will. Because I think they’ll understand and forgive me.
Now, how did those first lines go…?
So, once there was a lilypad that no frog ever used.
You wouldn’t think a lilypad could get its feelings bruised.
But sure enough, this lilypad cried to itself each night
And each day did its very best to stay out of plain sight.
Do you have kids, grandkids, or know someone who does? Well, if you’re the forgiving (and inclusive) type, too, maybe you should subscribe to my FunderFlash Journal so you can grab the link to “The Lonely Lilypad.” But, remember I warned you about the ushy-gushy stuff.
Stay tuned…
