Join Elvis and his friends as they land themselves into one, hot mess after another on his madcap adventures to become as famous as his namesake, Elvis Presley! Elvis the Penguin is a delightfully illustrated romp that will amuse and entertain adults and children alike. Fast-paced and full of happy penguins, panicked flamingoes and a bevy of beautiful showgirls, it's a reminder that dreams, and dreamers, come in all shapes and sizes.
Baton Rouge, LA - Last year Baton Rouge author Kara Casanova licensed her children’s storybook, Elvis the Penguin, to ICARE, a non-profit in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, to develop anti-bullying and social tolerance curricula. The Elvis the Penguin curricula will be rolled out to elementary schools served by ICARE beginning March 9, 2015.
The curricula comprises three grade-appropriate lesson plans and activities for Pre-K through fifth grade students. ICARE specialists, school guidance counselors and teachers will use the book and materials to engage students in a variety of discussions on bullying and social tolerance.
The lesson plans use the story and images of Elvis the Penguin to help children define bullying and social diversity by identifying with the characters who are bullied in the story, and discussing appropriate actions students can take to address bullying whenever they encounter it.
Soon after publication, the author realized the book’s potential as a tool for addressing bullying and social tolerance, and approached ICARE Director, Gwynn Shamlin, about partnering to use the book in EBRP schools. Shamlin immediately recognized that using Elvis the Penguin would be an effective and innovative way for ICARE to address the ever-present problem of bullying. He tasked ICARE Specialist, Tanya Griffin, to begin developing impactful lesson plans and activities based on the story and illustrations.
“I’m very proud that my little penguin will be used for such an important purpose. I didn’t set out to write an anti-bullying story,” stated Casanova. “My primary goal was to write a funny and entertaining story for kids. The fact that Elvis the Penguin gets teased about his hair, and because he’s different from the other penguins, was just an organic part of story telling. But as I spoke to children after readings, it became obvious that the book could be used by adults to springboard into discussions with children about bullying.”
According to StopBullying.gov, 28% of all US children have experienced bullying. Verbal and social bullying are the most prevalent forms. Although rare, if left unchecked, bullying can escalate into violence; of the school shootings that took place in the 1990s, StopBullying.gov reports that in 12 of the 15 incidents, the shooters had a history of being bullied.
“Bullying has such a horrendous emotional impact on people. We must have discussions with kids on recognizing it and stopping it. And we must have discussions with them about why it’s important to be kind to and tolerant of others who are different from ourselves,” Casanova continued.
Individuals, groups and organizations can obtain the materials and purchase copies of the book by contacting Kara Casanova on the Elvis the Penguin website.
BATON ROUGE, LA - Elvis the Penguin gave a stellar performance in its first year of publication. It saw record sales and reached multiple milestones, making it a hit among self-published books.
The children’s storybook entered the top 1% of self-published book sales within its first thirty days of publication, and has remained a top seller throughout its first year. Eight hundred twenty-one books have been sold, more than eight times the norm. Most self-published books are considered successful if they sell one hundred books in the first year, with no sales in the second year.
“I’m really thrilled with Elvis the Penguin’s first year. People love the story and illustrations, and once they see it, they just have to have at least one copy,” stated author Kara Casanova.
“Elvis the Penguin has set multiple, other milestones,” continued Casanova, “and despite the second year odds, I don’t see sales going anywhere but up from here. I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface, and year two is gearing up to be just as incredible as the first year.”
A second book in the Elvis the Penguin series is expected to be released in 2015.
Baton Rouge, LA - Several Orlando area elementary schools are taking proactive measures to address bullying. Millennia Elementary school principal, Anne Lynaugh, and school guidance counselor, Patti Gordon, have coordinated a week of events May 04-08, 2015, for school visits from Baton Rouge author Kara Casanova. Casanova’s hit children’s book, Elvis the Penguin, is being used in elementary schools as an innovative platform for anti-bullying and social tolerance lessons.
Last year Casanova licensed her children’s storybook, Elvis the Penguin, to ICARE, a non-profit in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, to develop anti-bullying and social tolerance curricula. The Elvis the Penguin curricula was rolled out in March 2015. After the author’s visits, the Orlando area school counselors will follow up in the classroom using the ICARE curricula.
The curricula comprises three grade-appropriate lesson plans and activities for Pre-K through fifth grade students. The lesson plans use the story and images of Elvis the Penguin to help children define bullying and social diversity by identifying with the characters who are bullied in the story, and discussing appropriate actions students can take to address bullying whenever they encounter it.
At the Orlando schools, Casanova will read the story to students and then open the floor for discussion and students’ questions. Millennia Elementary’s Gordon and Lynaugh spearheaded the week long events, and four other elementary schools are participating in the program: Citrus, Arbor Ridge, East Lake and Lovell. Contact information for each school is listed below.
“I’m very proud that my little penguin will be used for such an important purpose. I didn’t set out to write an anti-bullying story,” stated Casanova. “My primary goal was to write a funny and entertaining story for kids. The fact that Elvis the Penguin gets teased about his hair, and because he’s different from the other penguins, was just an organic part of story telling. But as I spoke to children after readings, it became obvious that the book could be used by adults to springboard discussions about bullying with children.”
