Children's Author and Educator Uses Fables to Help Early Readers Develop the Building Blocks of Character in Companion Book Set
'Queen Mariella and the Fable of the Peony' and 'Queen Mariella and the Crow's Message' by Dr. James P. Menconi teach the fundamentals of character education and advance children's awareness of how they relate to peers
CHICAGO, Oct. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Longtime educator and former principal Dr. James P. Menconi understands the importance of comprehensive character education in classrooms, both in preventing the bullying epidemic and nurturing a deeper appreciation for cultural differences. He has released "Queen Mariella and the Fable of the Peony" and "Queen Mariella and the Crow's Message," a delightful and imaginative set of bicultural early reader books designed to help educators and parents teach the building blocks of good character.
Each book is narrated by the gentle and loving Abuelito, who welcomes his grandsons into his garden and tells them stories about the natural world. In "Queen Mariella and the Fable of the Peony," Abuelito reflects on his fondness for peonies and recounts a story about a courageous and selfless ant named Javier, who risked his life to save Queen Mariella from a mysterious illness. Boldly, he makes a dangerous trek across the forest to the garden to retrieve the magical healing wax from peony petals and decides to return to procure enough for the whole colony.
"Queen Mariella and the Crow's Message" revisits the same ant colony, this time focusing on Javier's two sons: athletic and outgoing Dulio and shy and creative Bianco. After Dulio's incessant teasing of Bianco has unintended consequences, Dulio is faced with an important lesson on how to treat others while Bianco learns to see his own value and contributions to his community.
Through adventure-laden plots and captivating illustrations, both books emphasize themes of kindness, compassion and anti-bullying and make a memorable impact on young readers' development. Children will learn the importance of helping and uplifting one another and appreciating their differences rather than reacting to unfamiliar beliefs and characteristics with bullying behaviors. The books also incorporate Spanish names, words and phrases to help advance bilingual and bicultural experiences.
"I published these books to convey the importance of character education and the need to end bullying in our schools and public institutions," said Dr. Menconi. "It's also my goal to advance children's bilingual and bicultural experiences in our bicultural world."
"Queen Mariella and the Crow's Message"
ISBN: 9781665530309 (softcover); 978159781665530316 (electronic)
Available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AuthorHouse
"Queen Mariella and the Fable of the Peony"
ISBN: 9781456739348 (softcover)
Available from Amazon
About the author
Dr. James P. Menconi is an experienced educator who has worked as a teacher, curriculum writer, consultant, principal and adjunct professor. He was the principal of Monroe Elementary School in Chicago for 15 years and taught at Triton College and Malcom X College. After retiring from the principalship, he served as a teacher mentor with Northwestern University's NU Teach Program. He has bachelor's degrees in education and Spanish from Northeastern Illinois University and a master's degree in reading instruction and a doctorate in educational leadership from Loyola University, Chicago. To learn more about Dr. Menconi, connect with him on Facebook and Instagram.
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Leslie Standridge
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