Shay & Ivy: More Than Just a Princess Children’s Book
By Sheena McFeely
In the 1st Children’s Book from the creator of ASL Nook, join Shay & Ivy in discovering what it is like to be more than just a princess by going beyond the kingdom.
WHY THIS BOOK?
Witnessing my two girls growing was definitely the inspiration behind this book. When my first daughter, Shaylee, was born… It got me thinking of role models – women specifically. I saw artists, writers, lawyers, doctors, athletes, and Presidents of companies out there.
I thought long and deep. The moment that hit me profoundly was when I walked down the girl’s aisle in a retail store…In the aisle, you see none of those role models being strongly encouraged. Instantly, I knew I had to do something. Some say the pen is mightier than the sword. That is when I set out to write the first book namely More Than Just a Princess.
This book is about showing women entering male-dominated/non-traditional fields. Think of them as pilots, scientists, and police. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2014 Report), only 4.1% of pilots are women, 15.2% of police officers are women, and 21.5% of chefs are women to name a few. It is time for our children to discover that the possibilities do go beyond the kingdom.
At the end of day if a child wants to be a princess. that’s alright. If a child wants to be more than just a princess, that’s great too. As long you follow your heart, do not give in to society’s pressures in being someone else, and be truly the happiest of all. That’s the goal of this book – to spark girls and even boys’ imaginations to go beyond a kingdom or an aisle to define themselves.
WHAT’S THE FIRST BOOK ABOUT?
The first book is about Shay & Ivy and their friends, at an imaginary ball in their bedroom, dreaming of being princesses. They all dreamt of riding horses, owning closets full of gowns, and dancing in royal castles. All girls, but Shay felt out of place. How was she to royally fit in if she did not want to be a princess anymore?
Determined as ever, Shay was going to find the answer. Shay & Ivy soon find out that their dreams go beyond a kingdom. The sisters began to visualize themselves as fearless pilots riding planes, scientists owning labs to perform experiments, and astronauts dancing among the stars.
WHO ARE SHAY & IVY?
Shay, the oldest sister, is a huge book lover. She is sassy, strong, and has a sweet side to her especially when she gives out handwritten notes to her friends. When you go into her bedroom or follow a trail of clothes, you’ll know it’s all Shay! For as long as her parents can remember, she has loved all things magical, fantastical, and spooky. AND we can’t forget the roller coasters!
Ivy, the baby of the family, is known to be a darling. Her family and friends are obsessed with her cute buck teeth. She is cuddly, silly, and gives out a mean stare when she is unhappy. Do not let her smallness and sweetness deceive you, for she is one brave climber, a whale of a swimmer, and an expert at finding hiding spots! Ivy loves all types of bugs, monsters, and shoes – especially heels!
THE CREATIVE TEAM
Sheena McFeely, Hailing from Hong Kong, this writing momma has years of experience under her belt. After moving to Los Angeles, Sheena got bitten by the acting bug. A few years later, she found herself planning events for various organizations and businesses. Shortly after, Sheena became a mom to two beautiful, goofy, and smart girls. Becoming a mother has led her to being an editor, director, and creator of ASL Nook. Now, she is getting her hands wet with writing a new children’s book series!
Casie Trace is a freelance illustrator from Macon, Ga. She studied Studio Art at Georgia College and State University where she received a BA in 2011 with a concentration in Painting. She works in a variety of media including digital art, watercolor, collage, pastel, and ink. Her main focus is illustrating for children’s books, but she also creates artwork for murals, board games, fantasy books, and her sketch blog!Aside from art-making, Casie loves baking, traveling, collecting anything panda-related, and playing lots of board games!
Manny Johnson, Sheena’s husband and branding expert of Shay & Ivy,is a proud dad of two unique girls that amaze him daily. Manny is also a branding daddy to two brands: the Shay & Ivy Children’s Book Series and ASL Nook. A kid at heart, Manny brings fresh ideas to his budding brands and wacky kids. Becoming a dad made him realize he needed to find and focus on his passions to make a true difference in our world. You can find Manny doing tumbles around the house, hogging the trampoline, and playing numerous characters for his family. Carpe Diem!
Someone once mentioned that you should not use your friends as your critics. Well, we are glad we did not take the advice! After countless of emails and video calls, our friends found ways to enhance the book. Let’s applaud Julie Bourne-Lockhart, Leila Hanaumi, Joshua Josa, and Michelle Nunes for being the most honest and caring critics of our first ever book.
THE REWARDS
YOU WANT IN! WHAT’S NEXT?
* Talk about our campaign: We don’t know everyone and you know people. Let’s get talking!
* Share, Share, and Share: Do you have Facebook? Twitter? Blog? Share, post, and brag with #ShayandIvy so we can thank you!
* Email: Maybe you know of a child named Shay or Ivy? Email them. If they love being more than just a princess, email them, too. Basically, email until your hands fall off.
BOOK DETAILS
The first book, Shay & Ivy: More Than Just a Princess, will be in hardcover, 32 pages, and written for children ages 3-8.
In addition, there will be an eBook coming out the same time as the hardcover book.
APP DETAILS
The Shay & Ivy: More than just a Princess book will converted in an app! The original story will be told in both ASL and English. The app will include exciting features such as:
* rich, interactive video narrative done in ASL and English
* eye captivating illustrations bringing the story to life
* ASL Glossary of words such as princess, dragon, police, dream, and much more
Risks and challenges
As with any publishing and app development projects, there may be challenges to deliver on time. If this does happen, then we will be sure to let you know what is causing the delay. As well as inform you the new estimated date of completion.
WHERE CAN YOU BUY THE BOOK?
Pre-order now via Kickstarter to be the first to get the book! (See link below)
CAN YOU SHARE WITH FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND SCHOOL?
Absolutely, you can share our Kickstarter Project with anyone until April 5th, 2015 when the project ends. After all, you know people we don’t!
HOW CAN YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BOOK?
Via our http://www.ShayandIvy.com Web site
Via our Kickstarter Project
Via Email at [email protected] as we answer questions of all kinds!
Let’s make her story together as March is Women’s History month!
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