The sight of children of many cultures playing and joyfully cooperating brings instantly to view an understanding that America is great because of the contributions of the
diverse many. Melbern’s Journey – Developing an understanding, appreciation and respect for cultural diversity
WHAT A GROUP…WHAT A MISSION
What happens if you put a teenage, male moose; a teenage, female moose; a teenage girl; a techno-geek wolf; an Irish sheep in a wheelchair and a mockingbird, at a
dinner table in charge of planning and executing a surprise, holiday party? Well, after a few adjustments…they succeed!
“Holiday Surprise”, is the first book in our cultural diversity series of children’s books entitled, “Melbern’s Journey”. The “Melbern’s Journey” series will be designed for children
in kindergarten through fourth-grades with editions specifically designed for each grade and reading level. Kindergarten through second grade adventures will be primarily picture books while adventures for third and fourth-grades will contain more text and
will center on mysteries and travel adventures.
WHAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH
Through the engaging and often humorous adventures of Melbern D. Moose and his group (please view our “Meet the Moose Group" film
below), our readers will be exposed to cultural diversity of not only immigrant cultures but also the cultural diversity between urban, suburban and rural cultures. They will witness the conflicts and experience the difficulty of accepting and interacting
with people of different cultural heritages.
OUR FIRST BOOK – HOLIDAY SURPRISE
In our first book, “Holiday Surprise”, prepared for kindergarten through second-grade readers, Melbern and the group, in attempting to secretly pull-off a surprise party, become
exposed to traditions of several cultures along with unique, personal skills. While at first these traditions and skills provide an uneasy atmosphere, the group soon discovers the importance of these traditions and how tolerance and working together can produce
an even greater event as well as new and valued friendships. Each of Melbern’s group’s diverse abilities is put to a challenge. A challenge they successfully and joyfully conquer.
OUR INTERNATIONALLY CELEBRATED ARTIST
We are very pleased to announce that Dave Titus, a national and internationally celebrated children’s digital artist, has agreed to be our character artist. In addition, Dave has
also agreed to become a part of our team throughout Melbern’s entire journey.
Dave has given our characters a contemporary, exciting and unique multi-dimensional design. A design that we believe will attract, entertain and engage our modern, digitally-oriented
readers. Dave’s expertise and experience will also allow us to immediately offer Melbern’s Journey in digital versions.
PUBLISHING AND DISTRIBUTING COMPLEMENTARY COPIES
We are going to self-publish this first book so we can control and maintain the quality and integrity of both the art and text. We will have this edition published in September
of this year in multilingual versions. The funds received from the Startsomegood project will permit us to complete the drawings, complete creative and pay for the printing. In addition, in order to help foster cultural diversity and increase awareness of
the Melbern’s Journey series, we will send 250 complementary copies to elementary school and public libraries across the US.
We would like to take this opportunity to extend the invitation to you and the Startsomegood family to join our family in developing this exciting project. Our entire family of
Melbern’s creators includes a language arts teacher with over forty years experience in teaching first through fourth grades, a published writer and documentary filmmaker, an accomplished screenwriter and award-winning director, a children’s character designer
and a digital character director.