Livinglovingandexploring!

If you haven’t met Freeda yet, now is the time! Freeda is a momma frog who has gone through several compelling and very well-explained circumstances that help children with topics you, as their parent, may not know how to address! The particular book I’m referencing here is, ‘Freeda the Frog and the Two Mommas Next Door,’ written by Nadine Haruni.

I received an invite from Joerenz Tabanda-Bolina with Mouth Digital PR to read this book ahead of its’ official release date (June 2nd, 2020) that coincides with Gay Pride Month. Written in a fast-paced and super colorful way, Freeda’s children meet their new neighbor, Jessica, and quickly discover that she has two moms! Of course, they’re filled with questions, as any child might be, such as where is Jessica’s dad? Why does she have two moms, and more!

The breakdown:

Freeda and her family invite Jessica and her family over for dinner. Next, Freeda explains to her children that there are all sorts of different types of families out there. Some have only two moms, some with two dads, some with only one parent, and some with a mom and a dad! Amongst other varieties as well.

The book does a fantastic job of breaking the topic down to understand a bit better! Nadine has several other Freeda books already published. I imagine having the same colorful central characters and thought-provoking insights into tough topics!

More info:

A list of her other books includes ‘Freeda the Frog and Her New Blue Family,’ ‘Freeda the Frog Gets a Divorce,’ ‘Freeda the Frog is on the Move,’ and finally, ‘Freeda the Frog says Farewell to Her Fish.’ As you can see, each book deals with a tough topic. They can be super useful for all parents with little kids who have inquiring minds! You can take a look at everything on her site, Freeda the Frog!

After I read the book, I reached out to Nadine Haruni for some questions about the book and herself. She was super sweet and got back to me fairly quickly! Next up, our Q&A that was conducted via email!

Interview:

Me: What made you decide to begin writing stories like these to help explain “adult” issues to kids?

Nadine: After I personally went through all of the situations I wrote about in my books and struggled myself with how to get the conversation going with my own children, I realized that these books would probably help so many others who were struggling as well.  The books are meant to open up a conversation in a very light-hearted way into real-life ‘stuff,’ or make kids aware about the many different types of families out there.

Me: How long, from beginning to end, did it take you to get the book together and get it published? Is it different for each installment you’ve created? 

Nadine: Each book has taken about 10 months– from the time when I wrote my first draft, until it was actually released.

Me: What are you looking to accomplish in the next five years?

Nadine: I am hoping to churn out about one book / year for the series–and each book will continue to have its own separate focus.  By the time I am done, I hope that every family will be able to personally relate to at least one of the topics in my books.  I would love it if the books became required reading in most schools, so as to make other kids more aware and accepting of situations or families that look different than their own.  

I am also working on a young adult novel, that I hope will be completed in the next year or so as well.

Me: What is your favorite quote? Why? 

Nadine: That’s a tough one, as there are so many quotes that I love.    One standout I loved is from Wayne Dyer: “You cannot always control what goes on outside, but you can always control what goes on inside.”  Just looking at what’s going on now with this whole COVID19 craziness–it illustrates the point that we cannot control what goes on outside us.  But in my opinion, how we react to a given situation, how we respond to something that someone says to us, and what we project on the outside to others is all within our control–and can often affect the outcome.   

Me: I was fortunate to be sent this book to review, so I know what it’s about, and I LOVE IT! What are the other few books in your Freeda the Frog series about?

Nadine: So while each book has its own separate focus, each story picks up where the last one left off– so that the kids can really get to know the characters.

I have a total of 5 books, with the most recent one being “Freeda the Frog & The Two Mommas Next Door.”  The first 4 books follow a frog family along as they get divorced (“Freeda the Frog Gets A Divorce”), become a blended family (“Freeda the Frog & Her New Blue Family”), move to a new town & change schools (“Freeda the Frog is On the Move”), and lose their beloved pet fish (“Freeda the Frog Says Farewell to Her Fish”).

Me: Do you ever have any input from your kids about the topics you’re addressing in your stories? Do they love the books and show them off to their friends?   

Nadine: Most definitely.   I run all the topic ideas by them first, and they have had some great suggestions that I’ve incorporated.  LOL-yes, I think (hope) they do.

Me: Who is your favorite author? I’m an avid reader, and I am always looking for suggestions on what to read next!

Nadine: I have a bunch of authors that I love.  I’ve recently read a few books by Christina Baker Klein, and couldn’t put them down.  I also like Stieg Larsson, Sara Gruen, Nicholas Sparks, Lisa See, Elizabeth Gilbert, Jhumpa Lahiri, and many others. 

Me: Were you thrilled to be featured in 201 Magazine? How did that come about? Did they reach out to you?! Congrats, by the way!

Nadine: Thanks so much! Yes, I was very thrilled. A friend had mentioned me to their fabulous Editor & Creative Director, John Flynn, and then made an introduction.  He loved the series, and it went from there. John and the rest of his team were fabulous to work with, and I really love the article that Cindy Schweich Handler wrote for them.  Soon after the article came out, I also did a Freeda the Frog storytime that was featured on their Instagram and Facebook pages.  

Me: Do you know how long you wish to continue with the Freeda series? I’d imagine there are hundreds of topics you could cover!

Nadine: Yes- if I covered every topic that I wanted to, I would be about 150 years old by the time I finished with the series.  😉 So for now, I have much smaller goals—and am aiming to do about one book/ year, with at least a dozen books by the time I’m done. 

So, now that you’ve got the low-down on this adorable book and insight into Nadine’s other titles, are you going to go out and buy it?! I’d love it if you did, as you’d be supporting Nadine, as well as other super important things we need to support during this time! Please leave me a comment, thought, or suggestion! I’d appreciate it!

Places to purchase this amazing book are direct from Mascot Books and Amazon!

I’ve reviewed several other books for children that deal with tough issues recently as well. Including, ‘Stress Stinks,’ ‘Think Big,’ & ‘1, 2, 3 – Who’s Cleaning the Sea?‘ In addition, I also viewed ‘Autism – the Sequel,’ and wrote a post about that fantastic TV show/series!

Love ya,

Kelly Ann

Relevant hashtags if you choose to share: #pride #freedathefrog #lgbtq #parenting #teachers #gayparents #goldmomschoiceaward #awardwinning #201magazine