A is for AdoraPet, B is for Business, C is for Children

Dear Patient Readers,

My apologies for falling off the face of the planet for the past few months. Looking back, it’s amazing how many big things have just flown by over the past 3.5 months: Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s, Chinese New Year, my birthday, Valentine’s Day.

I hope you had a wonderful time with family and friends over the holidays and celebrating the new year. I spent New Year’s Eve on a cruise ship with my husband in the Caribbean Sea, watching 4 or 5 different sets of fireworks explode over various cities of the Bahamas. The air was warm, the music was loud, and people were happy and dancing. It was a magical time.

So, other than being busy with my book launch in November 2011, which kept me going from store to store, holiday fair to holiday fair, talking to parents, sharing the books with kids, and hearing such lovely and wonderful feedback from parents, kids and teachers, the other reason I have been away from this blog is because I found out I was…pregnant!

All of a sudden, all the things I had to do felt a little overwhelming, and I decided to focus my energy on getting my books out there instead of indulging in writing out my thoughts. Also, since I was still in my first trimester, it was hard for me to write a blog without revealing I was pregnant yet, so I just didn’t. Not saying it’s okay, but that’s how I was feeling.

Separately, but related, I started a new, personal blog: www.yishaun.com. “Started” is the operative word here. Once I started it, I also failed to do anything with it, like write blog posts. I’m still trying to figure out how to juggle these two blogs, or whether or not to just combine the two of them. I’m not sure yet, but hopefully the answer will come to me. In the meantime, I’m going to try to write more at yishaun.com, so I hope to see you there! ~YiShaun

P.S. And this is a big P.S. for me: people have been so wonderful and have purchased over 2000 copies of my books since the book launch! Thank you so much!

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by YiShaun on February 21, 2012 · 2 comments | in A is for AdoraPet, B is for Business, C is for Children, Hi, I'm YiShaun

It is raining here in Manhattan, and I really wish it wouldn’t!  Especially this Saturday, when I’m supposed to share my new books at my first outdoor street fair along Amsterdam Avenue in the Upper West Side.

When I signed up for the booth originally, the weather forecast said it would be sunny and temperate.  Now, as we get closer and closer to the weekend, the forecast is saying it’ll be cold, rainy and windy,  which is not a good mix for boxes of books!

To help see rain as a more benign visitor, I thought this cute bag from Sewn Natural and this art print from Laura Di Francesco would be sweet and cheerful for a child to carry and to display in a child’s room… ~YiShaun

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by YiShaun on October 27, 2011 · 0 comments | in A is for AdoraPet, B is for Business, C is for Children, Hi, I'm YiShaun

M.A. Leslie, a husband and wife writing team, wanted to have a good, ol’ fashioned book fair… on the internet, and they corralled a bunch of writers, including me, to give a synopsis of our books.

I am thrilled to share with you that I received an email last night saying the books are arriving at the end of this week!  So for all the folks that pre-ordered books, you’ll be receiving them sooner than expected.  On to the books…

Astronaut Adventure: I love this book because it shows kids what it’s like to be an astronaut, from walking down the tarmac, to preparing for take off, to floating in space.  There are beautiful water color illustrations of the planets in our solar system based on NASA photos, along with an amazing spread that compares the size of the planets to each other. I think that’s my favorite part in the book.

Ballerina: When I wrote this book, I wanted to show kids what it was like leading up to a dance performance.  We can all imagine what it’s like to actually be on stage, but what about before that, when you’re still getting ready to go on stage?  So I included all the little parts of actually getting ready for the performance and how it would feel, along with the actual performance all the way to the ending bow in front of the audience.  And, I included the 5 basic ballet positions as well as additional ballet movements and positions for all the aspiring little dancers out there.

Chef: One of the things I love most about getting kids involved in cooking is how tactile it can be.  Also, getting them involved makes them more interested in eating the food on the table since they’ve had active participation in making it.  In this book, I include a child-friendly dessert recipe that allows kids to use their hands to pat the dough, sprinkle ingredients, use a rolling pin, etc. And the best part is, they get to each the fruits of their labor afterward.

Visit The Dentist: What actually happens at the dentist?  And how can we make it fun?  Those were the main questions I asked myself when I was writing this book.  This book shows kids that a visit to the dentist can actually be pretty simple and that there are benefits to following your dentist’s orders.

On The Farm: Where does orange juice come from?  From the super market.  Yes, and no.  This book shows your child where the oranges for orange juice come from, where milk and eggs come from, and what wheat looks like before it’s baked into a loaf of bread.

Firefighter Adventure: We know that firefighters ride firetrucks and fight fires.  But does your child know that sometimes firefighters are woken up in the middle of the night to go fight a fire?  This book gives your child a look at what firefighters have to go through, from being woken up by a loud ringing bell to sliding down a pole to fighting a fire.

Mermaid Adventure: I love scuba diving.  If you’ve never had the chance to go, I highly recommend getting certified and going to Cancun or some other beautiful tropical place to see how amazing the underwater world can be.  In the Mermaid Adventure book, I included illustrations based on beautiful underwater photography so kids can see what it looks like under that giant mass of water we call the ocean.  There is so much diversity underwater, and the mermaids in this book also learn a very important lesson on being true to your own unique self.

Pirate Adventure: I wanted kids to be able to be involved in the stories as much as possible.  With this book, I thought it would be so much fun if the kids could get involved in helping figure out the clues during the treasure hunt, so I included Rebus puzzles, which are word picture puzzles, that kids can figure out as they’re reading along in the book.  I also love how Rebus puzzles give you a chance to think and look at the world differently than usual.

Oh, and by the way, did I mention that the books are mainly written in iambic quadrameter and they rhyme?  My books were written to help you nourish your child’s happy mind, nurture your child’s dreams, and inspire a love of reading and discovery.   Parents have been telling me over and over again how much they love the books because the books are both fun and educational, and super portable for their families when they’re on-the-go.  Thank you for sharing them with your children… ~YiShaun

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by YiShaun on October 25, 2011 · 0 comments | in A is for AdoraPet, B is for Business, C is for Children, Hi, I'm YiShaun

This is my first foray into creating a video narrating my entire book and uploading it onto Youtube to share with the interweb world.  Writing 8 rhyming children’s books has been an amazing creative journey, and I’ve learned so much over the past year!

Do you have any questions I can help with? It can be on writing a children’s book, entrepreneurship, how to make a simple video…

The book I’m narrating in this video is the AdoraPet’s Pima Puppy and Pico Puppy On The Farm book.  Living in Manhattan, I know how rare of a chance it is to be able to go visit a farm if you don’t live anywhere near one.  I grew up in Southern California, where we’d drive by farms just driving down the 101 Freeway.  Actually seeing the food you eat coming out of the ground is a pretty amazing sight, and I hope this book is a nice introduction for your little ones on where some of the foods they eat come from…  ~YiShaun

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by YiShaun on October 11, 2011 · 0 comments | in A is for AdoraPet, B is for Business, C is for Children, Hi, I'm YiShaun

When I decided to leave the law and start my own business, AdoraPet, and write children’s books, I had a multitude of reasons, but most of them were personal.  Chief among them was the desire to contribute to the world in my own way.

I don’t have children yet, even though Dr. J and I have recently begun trying to start a family, but I’ve always known I wanted to have kids and be a mother.  More specifically, I’ve been thinking for the past 10 years (yeah, a decade!) about how best to teach my children to be excited about all there is to learn and discover in the world, and to believe in and act on their own great potential.

It turned out my hope to teach my children to lead fulfilling lives was bigger than just me and my children.  Over the past couple of years as I’ve worked on AdoraPet and refined my vision for it, I’ve discovered that my mission and unique contribution to the world is to inspire as many children as possible, bringing them joy and helping them discover a world of possibility and their own great potential.  How wonderful and exciting is that?

I would love for you to share in the comments section below what your mission and unique contribution is.  If you don’t know yet, what are you currently considering and playing around with?

I really believe we all have our own unique contribution to share with the world, but sometimes, like it did for me, it will take a lot of time and energy and thought to figure out what that unique contribution and mission is.  If you don’t know it yet, stick in there and enjoy the process of discovering what fulfills you…  ~YiShaun

{Amazing photography by Joe Philipson.}

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by YiShaun on September 13, 2011 · 0 comments | in A is for AdoraPet, B is for Business, C is for Children, Hi, I'm YiShaun

For as long as I can remember, one of my favorite inspirational quotes has been, “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” by Robert H. Schuller.  When I was still a child or teenager living at home with my parents, I had gone to a pottery painting shop and painted a mug with that quote on the outside.  It represented to me all the hope and possibility in the world, and served as a reminder to me of all that we can accomplish in our lives if we don’t let the fear of failure take hold of us.

Even to this day, just reading that inspiring quote makes me take excited breaths, my heart beat a little faster, and my mind start racing with hope and optimism.

I’ve always had that quote and belief of amazing possibility tucked into a little corner of my subconscious, so it’s not surprising to me that three years ago I decided to completely leave the law and start my own business, AdoraPet, and write children’s books.  It was a hard decision on my mother, who wanted safety and stability for her daughter, but I knew it was the right decision for me.

What are your favorite inspirational quotes?  Share them with us in the comments section.

Starting a business has had its fair share of ups and downs, and it’s quite the emotional roller coaster, but that’s a story for another day…  ~YiShaun

{Photo from Heim Binas Fiction, although the bottom right says Kris Kan.  Enamel sign from Sanctuary.}

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by YiShaun on September 9, 2011 · 1 comment | in A is for AdoraPet, B is for Business, C is for Children, Hi, I'm YiShaun

So the last few weeks have been very busy and really exciting.  I approved the proofs of the books, so they are being printed at this very moment!

I’ve been so lucky to have wonderful mom friends in the city introduce me to other mom friends and organize storytimes with their children.  I love sharing my books with kids and seeing their reactions.  My first storytime was at the JCC.  My second storytime was with a group of 3 year old children who sat through all 8 of the picture books, which took almost an hour!  The moms told me afterwards they were really surprised I was able to hold the young kids’ attention for so long and that the kids were engaged the whole time.

I would love to hear your thoughts!  In the comments below, tell me which AdoraPet book you’re most interested in.  Bonus points if you say why you like that book and the child you want to share it with.

Here is 3 and a half year old Zachary sharing his thoughts on the books and on Pima Puppy and Pico Puppy… ~YiShaun

{The book Zachary references is the AdoraPet’s Pima Puppy and Pico Puppy’s Firefighter Adventure, due out in November 2011.  Pre-order the book on the AdoraPet website or on Amazon.}

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by YiShaun on August 26, 2011 · 1 comment | in A is for AdoraPet, B is for Business, C is for Children, Hi, I'm YiShaun

I had so much fun today reading at my first Story Time!  I’ve informally read to kids before in Barnes & Noble, while waiting at the passport office, etc., but never for a scheduled Story Time event.

I read 2 books today: Meet Pico Puppy and Pima Puppy & Pico Puppy’s Firefighter Adventure.  The kids were adorable, especially when they started making fire truck sounds!  ~YiShaun

{Special thanks to Ewa Asmar of Bionée for taking the picture}

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by YiShaun on June 2, 2011 · 1 comment | in A is for AdoraPet, B is for Business, C is for Children, Hi, I'm YiShaun