Book series for children with illustrations; perfectfor bedtime stories or as reading book (ages 4 to 10).

My children's book project is turns out to be more extensive than first anticipated. It is ongoing, however, appearance has been postponed to 2024.

 

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©  Ani Corné and Angelika Schneider | All Rights Reserved

 

 

Content and Educational Aspiration:

The books will cover numerous, funny adventures of two rescued goats extending through their childhood and adolescence to adulthood as fully grown bucks. The books are not only intended to entertain, but to provide a learning experience for each of the targeted age groups.

For the age group 4 to 10, parents may either read from the partially illustrated text books to younger children or those already able to read can use these books as an ideal practice tool allowing them to discover Sputnik's and Billy's adventures for themselves.

Background on Stories and Protagonists:

The idea to the book series is based on a true story. 

Animal rights activist Andrew Gregor saves two malnourished, 8-weeks-old goats from the clutches of an unscrupulous farmer and brings them home to his ranch near San Francisco, California, where he immediately becomes the surrogate mother for the cute little baby goats. Initially, he needs to fight hard for their survival because they had already been near starvation when he found them and are now very weak. Andrew's loving and meticulous care, however, eventually ensures a happy ending; the little goats recover and soon begin to thrive.

Together with various other animals the passionate activist has previously rescued, Sputnik and Billy  are now frolicking on the extensive grounds of his ranch. But, the older the cheeky little goats get, the more adventurous they also become and start to produce a lot of nonsense with their impetuous behaviour, which to their saviour's chagrin more often than not ends in total chaos and destruction.

The animals Andrew saves all appear to have decidedly idiosyncratic personalities. He thus tries to do justice to such individualism by choosing names for his rescued protégés that are equally peculiar, but fit their nature perfectly.

And these are the  members of his motley menagerie, before Sputnik and Billy join them:

> slightly neurotic chicken Isolde, "The Fair"
> vain rooster Don Diego Montalbano di Alvarez, "The  Proud"
> mysterious tomcat Hercules, "The Survival Artist"
> tomcats Pedro, "The Fighter" and Holstein, "The Spotted"
> lovely cat-lady "Ganymede" (from the ancient Greek word for "The Glorious One")
> very shy Border Collie from the shelter, "Rufus"; 14-month-old and yet to find his self-confidence

The amusing interactions of Sputnik and Billy with their playmates on the ranch have a further educational aspect. As entertaining as a story may be, each always ends in a certain moral. For example: All creatures - great and small - need to be respected, the environment must be protected and our planet saved.

Charity and Marketing

It is planned to use synergies with existing children's charities such as UNICEF (the United Nations Children's Fund) as well as environmental organizations like Greenpeace etc. These organizations could lend their logos to the covers of the books, as such endorsing them; in return, they would receive a certain amount from the sales proceeds as a donation.

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