WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, PA--(Marketwire - October 14, 2010) - The first major step in an inspirational new project dedicated to encouraging children to communicate with each other regarding the realities of fighting cancer and other serious illnesses will take place at the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia on October 17th.
The Carrie Flower Book Bouquet for Better Days project will kick off on Sunday, with a special event from Noon to 2:00 Eastern Time. The project was conceived by Cynthia Wood Post, a Dallas, Penn. resident and accomplished author of children's books.
Post observed several years ago that one of the most distressing and unexpected effects of a close friend's battle with breast cancer came not from the disease itself, but from the discomfort experienced by family and friends who would shy away and avoid her. Just a few years later, Post herself was diagnosed with breast cancer and regrettably noticed she was having the same issues in her daily interactions with friends and family.
"We can't change the adult perception of sick people, but I believe we have a real chance with children," said Post. "My goal with this project is to show the next generation how to avoid this hurtful exchange in their interactions with sick family members and friends."
To help get her message across, Post created a character named Carrie Flower and wrote three books about her. In the book series, she shares real life problems -- such as how to make healthful choices in everyday life and how to care for a sick friend. Carrie Flower shares these problems and solutions in fun stories that enrich children's understanding and simplifies their grasp of the difficulty of coping with the illness of cancer and other serious illnesses.
The characters are brought to life through the illustrations of Kirby Brislin, an experienced marketing and graphic design professional who just so happens to be Post's daughter.
"The concept of the 'book bouquet' is to combine the books with a Carrie Flower doll, which has been lovingly created by a Pennsylvania Amish family, and provide them to children as a tool for breaking down walls and opening up dialogue," said Post.
The Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia has agreed to host the worldwide launch of the project on October 17th, and they have chosen to dedicate the dolls that are sold at the launch to patients at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Infinity Publishing (www.infinitypublishing.com), a Pennsylvania-based company that is publishing the Carrie Flower book series, will be donating the first 1,000 books to be published as part of the project.
"Each sale of a Carrie Flower Book Bouquet for Better Days generates the gift of a Carrie Flower doll and book to a sick child. The book, Carrie Flower's Book for Brighter Days, includes all three stories," said Art Gutch, chief executive officer of Infinity Publishing. "We're proud to be part of this project and share Cynthia's vision to help spread a little bit of cheer to sick children."
In addition to the book bouquets, Post is working to promote more open interaction between sick and healthy children by connecting them with each other as modern day pen pals, primarily through email. To that end, a Carrie Flower Web site has been developed to promote and blog the stories. For more information, please go to www.carrieflower.com or visit the Carrie Flower Group page on Facebook.
About Infinity Publishing
Founded in 1997, Infinity Publishing's industry leading, author-originated book publishing model puts authors in control of their books. Infinity's authors retain all rights, earn royalties paid monthly, and benefit from an extensive distribution network that is backed up by Infinity's liberal bookstore return policy. The company's unique on demand book publishing system is designed to support all authors with a story to tell, who have ever thought about writing a book, or who have been on an endless journey to find an agent or publisher. For more information, please go to www.infinitypublishing.com.
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