Picture Books for Kids 4-10 Years Old
Hello and welcome! It is very nice to meet you.
My name is Meredith Bezak and I wrote the Bunny & Carrot friendship series.
Let me tell you a little bit about my inspiration...
My Inspiration
Being a mom is the best job I have ever had—and I have had many different jobs over the years. I have cleaned houses, answered phones as a receptionist, processed payroll taxes, written complex technical manuals, designed software, and worked on really big websites for really big companies. I suppose I can now add author of children's books to the list.
But, oh, to be a mother... a dream come true for me. My daughter, Eleanor, was the little "Bunny" I had dreamed of having for years, and I call her "Bunny" because she was due at Eastertime. When she finally came along, I sang her short songs to bring a smile to her little face—often the words and tune were made up on a whim—and one in particular began with, "Bunny and Carrot are best friends..."
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As my daughter grew, I worried that we would forget the songs we sang, so I jotted down the words in my journal. It was at that time the idea came to me to turn each line of the Bunny and Carrot song into a book, and the friendship series was born.
I thank God for my daughter, for the inspiration to sing that little song to her back when, and for placing the desire to write these stories so that we might share them with others.
What the Bunny and Carrot Friendship Series Is Truly About
A MESSAGE TO PARENTS
On the surface, "Bunny and Carrot Are Best Friends" might seem like another book about acceptance. It is, in part, about that—but acceptance only comes after Bunny and Carrot spend some time getting to know each other. In fact, they felt quite trepidatious about each other at first, but soon enough a friendship did blossom. This by itself is a very sweet lesson to share with our children and grandchildren, but there's so much more for us to learn and share.
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As adults, we come to realize that meaningful and lasting relationships require a commitment of our time, patience, grace and forgiveness. This isn't something we often talk to our children about because, well, it might seem complicated. But our kids are living in a world where relationships break down all around them all the time—not to mention that statistically speaking, many young children will witness their parents get a divorce or breakup.
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We must ask ourselves: As a society, are we modeling to children that close relationships are worth the commitment of time, patience, grace and forgiveness? Do we consistently exhibit that other people deserve to be treated kindly and have value? Do we ever discuss how kindly feelings toward another person are precious, and worth protecting and preserving?
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Like many others, I have let some of my friendships fade away due to time and distance, or difference of opinion. While an end to some of those relationships was the only healthy outcome, I learned (perhaps thanks to hindsight) that a few of those relationships were worth working on—and that is what I want to relay to our precious little children—that many relationships are worthy of our time, patience, grace and forgiveness.
The Bunny & Carrot friendship series addresses the following friendship subjects in a simple, humorous and age-appropriate manner: How to make friends, how to become close friends, how to make up after a disagreement, and how to remain friends... for life!
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I hope you agree that these lessons are exactly what our children need today.