"EmBARK" on Rudy's big adventure and get a dog's-eye view of Washington, DC in this second book in the award-winning "Roaming with Rudy" kids' travel guide series. Each city guide (Paris, Washington, DC and soon-to-be-released London) features photos, illustrations, maps, fun facts and activity pages and is appropriate for children ages 6-13. Each city guide is also available in an animated, audio e-book version through iBooks.
Written and illustrated by Corinne Humphrey, an international flight attendant and the author/illustrator of six multiple award-winning children's books.
This book was really good, I have been to Washington DC myself twice and even I found this book as an adult to be interesting so I can only imagine the fun that a child will have! The content is spot on, its easy to follow and has a lot of fun facts and good information too. Highly recommended.
This is a very cool book! Written for children, it also is a great beginner's guide to D.C. for adults, including those who live in the D.C. metropolitan area but still did not know a bunch of stuff in the book (like me). For example, I did not know that White House pets "have included cats, dogs, racoons, snakes, ponies and goats." Or that the Library of Congress was the first building in Washington, D.C. to have electricity, or that the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights "are lowered into a deep vault for safe-keeping" every night." I bet you did not know that the National Bureau of Engraving "prints about 1 BILLION dollars a day" or that "95% of the money replaces damaged bills" and "5% increases the current supply."
From the White House to the war memorials to the Martin Luther King Memorial to the Smithsonian museums, Humphrey knows D.C. and its history and she ably presents it with a kid's eye view. (Her co-author, Rudy, also has a lesson of his own to impart to children, rescue dogs are loving, wonderful companions.)
Park City artist and writer Corinne Humphrey has seen the world as a flight attendant.
And, to date, she's shared Paris and Washington, D.C., with children through her
"Roaming with Rudy" books.
These books, which feature her rescue dog Rudy, were designed to educate children about different places and cultures in an easy to understand way.
The books have also captured the eye and imagination of the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards, which recognizes excellence in independent press and self-published authors.
"Roaming for Rudy" won the 2016 Silver Moonbeam Children's Book Award for Best Series and "Roaming for Rudy: Washington, D.C.!," won the Bronze Moonbeam Award for Best Enhanced E-Book.
"I was able to fly to Traverse City, Michigan, for the award," Humphrey told The Park Record. "It was a fun and exciting experience and they had a book festival and it was great seeing the other authors."
In addition, Humphrey learned last month that "Roaming with Rudy, Washington DC!" was named a Finalist in Foreword's Indies Best Book Awards, which honors the best books from independent publishers.
The finalists are selected from more than 2,250 entries and are judged by librarians and booksellers from all over the country, according to the website, awards.forewordreviews.com.
"That's a pretty big deal for me because Foreword has been around a long time," Humphrey said. "The books are paired with these judges specialties."
The winners will be announced on June 24.
In the meantime, Humphrey will do a book signing from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2, at Dolly's Bookstore, 510 Main St.
"Dolly's has been awesome," Humphrey said. "They've hosted book-launch parties for me and have given me advice about pricing, sizing and things like that.
"I've been to other independent bookstores, but they don't support independent authors."
The signing coincides with Children's Book Week that runs from May 1-7.
Children's Book Week, which was established in 1919, is an annual celebration of children's books and reading, said Sue Fassett, manager of Dolly's Bookstore.
"We've known Corinne for at least seven years on her journey of self-publishing and creating these wonderful children's books," Fassett said. "These books are lovely. I applaud her for her success and perseverance as a self-published author."
Not only did Humphrey write the stories, she did the paintings, took the photos and put the books together, Fassett said.
"I think her desire to be serious about her work is evident in her books," Fassett said. "The world of self-publishing is not an easy route to take. It requires a lot of time and energy.
"There are a lot of authors who think writing a children's book would be fun, but it's difficult to have them come to fruition and to distribute."
Humphrey said she is amazed at all that has happened since she started writing the books.
"It's just been amazing," she said. "The whole thing has snowballed and rolled along on its own."
Just after the Moonbeam Awards, however, Humphrey faced the trial of her life: Rudy's passing at the age of 14 at the end of November.
"He had cancer of the spleen a couple of years ago and underwent surgery to remove it," Humphrey said. "I didn't want to do chemo therapy after that, and the doctors said he would only last a couple of months."
Rudy lived another two-and-a-half years, which Humphrey saw as a gift.
"He went down to southern Utah with me four times after that in my little camper van in September, October and November," she said, her voice filled with emotion. "Just two weeks before he died, I took him to Coral Pink Sand Dunes with my parents to celebrate my mom's 80th birthday. Rudy was running and dragging me all over as he chased these chipmunks."
A week-and-a-half later, Rudy, who was rescued by Humphrey 11 years prior, was gone.
"He stopped eating and didn't want to go for walks," she said. "I guess that's good in a way. I could have prolonged his life, but that wouldn't have been fair to him.
"I joke and say I hope someone is as good to me when I'm 98 years old and lets me go when I'm ready to go."
After Rudy passed, Humphrey took some time off.
"I also got sick and really didn't do anything for three months," she said.
Humphrey's email inbox, however, got busy.
"I received more than 300 emails from kids who lived all over the world — Switzerland, England, Paris — from people who have purchased the books or read about them," she said. "That was really cool."
Also, a neighbor's dog became Humphrey's default therapy dog.
"He is a very needy animal and after Rudy died, I just wanted to keep this little dog close to me," she said.
Last month, Humphrey was introduced to a new and bigger furry friend named Sarge though Canines with a Cause, a nonprofit that rescues adoptable dogs from local shelters, trains them and and places them with disabled veterans as companions and assistance dogs.
"Cathy King, the director of Canines with a Cause did a Facebook post last month and said they needed a foster for this Lab that is basically 75 pounds of love," Humphrey said. "It's been a great way to get back to having a furry friend around."
Fostering Sarge is also a way for Humphrey to get back into volunteering.
In the past she has taught for Arts-Kids, a local nonprofit that uses art to help at-risk students develop strong self-esteem and life skills, and she is looking forward to working with the organization again.
Between that and road trips to southern Utah and working on "Roaming with Rudy: London," Humphrey created a series of journals that were released in mid-November.
"I'm a little behind schedule with the London book, but I'm going to get it out there for summer vacation," she said. "The journals, however, have been really popular."
Park City-based writer and artist Corinne Humphrey, author of the "Roaming with Rudy" children's travel books series, will do a book signing from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2, at Dolly's Bookstore, 510 Main St. The event is free and open to the public. For information, visit http://www.dolllysbookstore.com. For information about "Roaming with Rudy" and Humphrey's journals, visit http://www.thetaoofrudy.com.
Roaming with Rudy, Washington, DC!, the second book in Corinne Humphrey's award-winning kids' travel guide series is a Finalist in Foreword Review's 2016 INDIES Best Book Awards. Roaming with Rudy, Paris! and Roaming with Rudy, Washington, DC! were awarded the Silver 2016 Moonbeam Children's Book Award for "Best Series."
