ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED | DE MODE OF LITERATURE JUL-AUG 2023 GLOBAL(VOL VI. ISSUE XXXII)
Article Published on: 23RD AUG 2023 | www.demodemagazine.com
'JUNGLE PARTY' - BY AUTHOR JANINE ANN BOWER
Jungle Party is the first book in Janine Ann Bower’s Read and Grow Series.
Set in a vibrant jungle scene, you are taken on an adventure with a group of whacky jungle animals, who demonstrate that despite being different, you can still be friends and have fun.
Using rhythm, rhyme, and humour the author draws the reader in, inviting them to be a part of the adventure as the animals are summoned to the party, get dressed in their best party gear, and then head off deep into the jungle for a feast and festivities.
The illustrations are colourful and bold, appealing to the age of the audience and easily engaging young children.
The book has been specifically designed to be used by parents, early childhood educators, and speech and occupational therapists to assist children in the early stages of language, communication, fine motor, and social-emotional skills, in the following ways:
The story is shorter than average allowing for use in therapy sessions or with children with short attention spans or additional needs.
The illustrations include many elements that capture a child’s imagination and allow for specific types of questions and dialogue to draw out a child’s receptive and expressive language.
Tips at the start of the book give parents ideas on how to use the book. For example; the types of conversation to have around the story, and to just look through the book the first time and take cues from your child.
The activity at the end, Pop-Stick Puppets, allows the experience to extend beyond the book. The cutting-out and colouring-in help develop a child’s fine motor skills, as well as language skills when discussing colours, or how to do the activity. Using the puppets that have been made, to re-tell the story or make up another story, extends the experience further.
All in all, from the moment you open the book, to beyond the last page this is a book that keeps on giving and will assist in laying down foundational skills for young children, even the most resistant readers.
DIRECT LINK TO BUY 'JUNGLE PARTY' IN INDIA - CLICK HERE
DIRECT LINK TO BUY 'JUNGLE PARTY' IN ALL COUNTRIES - CLICK HERE
THE JOURNEY OF AUTHOR JANINE ANN BOWER
Janine Ann Bower grew up in the United Kingdom and emigrated to Australia in 1987.
Janine has raised two children as a single parent, one of whom has autism. She has worked for over twenty years as a social worker with children and their families.
During this time Janine has developed many programmes aimed at developing the skills of children, parents, and educators. For seven years, she managed State Government funded Child and Parent Centres, where she led allied health teams and worked closely with the Department of Education, and the Western Australian State Library’s Better Beginnings Programme.
During this time, Janine developed pre-kindy programmes, which have been used in both the state and private school systems.
Aside from her professional writing, Janine has always enjoyed reading and creative writing and has many stories waiting to be shared.
It wasn’t until recently though, that Janine decided to start sharing her stories with the world; and using the insight gained through her years of experience as a social worker, and parenting a child with a disability, she developed the Read and Grow series.
At this point, Janine taught herself to illustrate so that she could bring to life the characters in her mind, and include the humour, colours, and additional story elements required to create a fully immersive and therapeutically friendly series of books.
With the addition of parenting tips and activities at the end of the book, Jungle Party, the first of the Read and Grow series was born.
UPCOMING BOOKS OF AUTHOR JANINE ANN BOWER
“Bart and Barny the Barmy Sheep”
FOLLOW THE AUTHOR ON FACEBOOK.
FOLLOW THE AUTHOR ON INSTAGRAM.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW OF AUTHOR JANINE ANN BOWER WITH DE MODE
Q: "Jungle Party," the first book in the Read & Grow series was recently published! Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind this series and your passion for creating interactive children's books?
A. My inspiration behind the Read and Grow series came from working with children and their parents, as well as allied health services and education. I saw an opportunity to create a series of books that could both be an engaging and interactive book for parents, as well as a therapeutic tool that can be used by speech and occupational therapists, and educators.
Q: With over 20 years of experience as a social worker working with children and families, how has your background influenced the themes and messages you incorporate into your children's books?
A. Having worked closely with speech and occupational therapists, as well as the education system, I have gained a great deal of insight into therapeutic practices to assist children struggling with developmental issues surrounding speech, language, fine motor skills, and emotional regulation. I have been able to incorporate the tools for these strategies into my books in a user-friendly way.
Q: "Jungle Party" not only provides an engaging story but also offers valuable notes to caregivers. Could you share some insights into how these notes help parents and educators make the most out of reading time with children?
A. These are based on the concept of ‘book sharing’ used by speech therapists. It is encouraged to look through a book before reading it. This gives giving children an opportunity to talk about what they see, using their imagination and the language they already have. Other tips provide ideas on how to expand children’s receptive, expressive language and comprehension skills.
Q: Your work with State Government-funded Child and Parent Centres has been extensive. How has this experience shaped your understanding of the needs of children and the ways books can be used to support their development?
A. This work provided me the opportunity to work alongside the Education Department and allied health teams focussing solely on the early identification of child developmental issues, prior to kindy age. I was able to see first-hand the interventions used by therapists, and gaps in resources within the industry, as well as hearing the frustrations of parents needing assistance.
Q: You've developed pre-kindy programs used within state and private school systems. How do these programs complement and enrich the learning experiences of young children?
A. The aim of the programmes was to provide an environment where children and parents could play and learn together. Our early childhood specialists would role-model how to appropriately assist the individual child in their learning, so parents could continue strategies at home. These programmes had a marked effect on identifying and correcting/reducing developmental issues, prior to starting full-time school.
Q: The Read & Grow series aims to develop various skills in children, including social, emotional, creative, language, and fine motor skills. Can you provide some examples of how the "Jungle Party" achieves these goals?
A. Social-emotional development is achieved through time spent sharing the whole experience of the book. Language is developed through asking questions such as; what noise does a lion make? What is under the yellow cloth? Having a puppet show with pop-stick puppets. Fine motor skills are developed in the activity at the end by cutting out and colouring in.
Q: "Jungle Party" explores themes of friendship, cooperation, and creativity. How do you believe stories like this can positively influence a child's development and understanding of the world around them?
A. Every child is unique and has their own strengths and weaknesses. I try to teach children that if we were all the same the world would stop working. We need smart people for doctors, creative people to build houses, etc. This worldview is vital for tolerance and respectful relationships and it’s never too early to teach this to our children.
Q: Apart from writing and working with families, do you have any other projects or initiatives related to children's development that you plan to pursue in the future?
A. I plan to produce a book of additional activities to accompany the Read and Grow series. These will enable parents, early childhood educators, and therapists to use several activities for each book. I will focus on using as many recycled materials as possible for three reasons: 1. More economically viable; 2. Environmentally friendly; 3. Educates children to recycle.
Q: Lastly, can you give us a sneak peek into what we can expect from future books in the Read & Grow series? Any exciting themes or adventures you'd like to share?
A. I am currently illustrating the next book, “Bart and Barny the Barmy Sheep”. This is about friendship and that it is okay to be different. The next book will be “My Dad is an Alien”.
AUTHOR JANINE ANN BOWER BOOK 'JUNGLE PARTY' is listed in "Page-Turners Unleashed: 11 Engrossing Books You Can't Put Down IN 2023" in the AUG 2023 issue of DE MODE.
CLICK HERE to read the magazine article.