Helping Families Be Happy

Story Baskets and Book-Inspired Play

Alicia Godfrey joins host Carla Marie Manly, PhD to discuss story baskets and how she creates activities to further her family's engagement with their favorite books.

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 Alicia Godfrey earned a master's in Early Childhood Education and taught Special Education, kindergarten, and first grade for many years. On Instagram @story.baskets, she pairs children's books with fun, simple activities for busy moms, and she sells Story Basket Activity Kits at www.storybaskets.com. Alicia is a devout Christian, a mother of two, and a resident of sunny Florida.

 

Larissa Honsek: OPPOSITES, LET'S MOVE, and Encouraging Family Creativity

Larissa Honsek, creator of board books Opposites and Let's Move, joins CEO and co-founder of Familius, Christopher Robbins, for a discussion about her journey and how she encourages her family's creativity.

ABOUT LARISSA:

Larissa Honsek is a Berlin-based graphic designer, photographer, and illustrator who loves to explore the intersections of these fields. Her tribe of bright and colorful characters is born out of experiments with a multitude of mixed-media elements: clay sculpting, photography, digital and analogue collaging, painting, drawing, printing, and scanning.

ABOUT Opposites:

https://www.familius.com/book/opposites/

Short and tall. Happy and sad. Hot and cold. Globally famous artist Larissa Honsek's adorable clay figures help little ones identify the difference in these important concepts.

ABOUT Let's Move:

https://www.familius.com/book/lets-move-2/

Colorful clay characters invite children to learn about their bodies through movement. Wave your arms! Lift your legs! Open your hands and cover your eyes! You won’t be able to stay in your seat for this engaging movement primer. From the creator of Opposites comes another colorful board book for children learning what their bodies can do!

The Chameleon's True Colors with Yuliya Pankratova

Yuliya Pankratova, author/illustrator of The Chameleon's True Colors, joins Carla Marie Manly, PhD, to discuss her new release.

https://www.familius.com/book/the-chameleons-true-colors-2/

About the Book:

Chameleon is sad because he doesn’t have a color of his own. He borrows yellow from the sun, pink from an orchid, and orange from a tiger, but will there be enough color for everyone? With gorgeous, colorful illustrations and a message about the power of giving, The Chameleon’s True Colors is the picture book every family needs on their shelf.

About Yuliya:

Moving from Moscow to London at five years old, Yuliya Pankratova went on to graduate with degrees in English literature and illustration, getting her first job in advertising and launching her own diversity and inclusion business. Maybe that's why belonging is such a key theme in her picture books, which she illustrates with a painterly and dynamic style. 

Hugga Loula with Author Nancy Dearborn

Nancy Dearborn, author of Hugga Loula, joins host Carla Marie Manly, PhD, to discuss her book.

https://www.familius.com/book/hugga-loula/

ABOUT THE BOOK:

“If you’re grumpy or sad, frustrated or mad, just give a shout, and hug it out.”

With the healing power of a hug and an act of kindness, little Hugga Loula diffuses all sorts of situations. Featuring colorful illustrations and charming refrain, Hugga Loula gives us an adorable hero offering care, comfort, and love to a world that desperately needs all three. 

ABOUT NANCY:

Nancy A. Dearborn, a former high school English teacher, graduated from UW-Whitewater with a BSE in English. She has had over 250 articles, stories, and poems published in magazines, newspapers, anthologies, and online. 

 

 

The Big Book of Family Games with Author Brad Berger

Author Brad Berger joins Familius co-founder and CEO Christopher Robbins to discuss the power of family game nights and his book The Big Book of Family Games.

https://www.familius.com/book/big-book-of-family-games/

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Bring family and friends together for hours of entertainment and real social interaction. The Big Book of Family Games: 101 Original Group Games That Don't Need Charging brings people together for hours of hilarious, interactive, technology-free fun that requires virtually nothing more than pens and paper. This travel-friendly book guarantees hours of engaging entertainment with 101 original, rigorously tested games that challenge each player's ability to strategize, bluff, read minds, memorize, think quickly, solve puzzles, and more. No texting, tweeting, or web surfing allowed! 
ABOUT BRAD:

Brad Berger grew up in Great Neck, New York. He attended the University of Colorado, where he earned a degree in French, Italian, and German, and he spent several years living and working in Europe. He currently resides on Long Island, where he works as president and publisher of a 130-year-old, family-owned publishing company. Inspired to bring people back together without technological interruption, Brad crafted the ultimate playbook of original games to give people a reason to come together and "unplug" for a while.

 

Literacy with Dylan Teut

Dylan Teut connects with host Carla Marie Manly, Phd, to discuss his work studying and promoting literacy.

 

ABOUT DYLAN:
Dylan Teut currently serves as the executive director of the Plum Creek Literacy Festival, and has served as an instructor for literacy courses for undergraduate students at Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska. Dylan is a former first grade teacher, recognized by the state of IL as the K-5 Reading Teacher of the Year in 2014. He was named to the International Literacy Association's inaugural "30 Under 30" list in 2015. He was recognized by Read Aloud Nebraska with a Reading Spotlight award in 2020 for his advocacy in helping educators and families stay connected to high-quality literacy during the pandemic. He is currently a PhD Candidate studying at Walden University. Since his time in Seward, he has grown the Plum Creek Festival in numerous ways. Dylan serves on the National Board of Supervisors for the Mazza Museum of Children’s Book Art, a part of the University of Findlay in Findlay, OH, and also on the National Mathical Book Award committee. He is a frequent conference presenter and has chaired panels and workshops for the International Literacy Association Annual Conference as well as the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Conference. He is a member of the International Literacy Association and the National Council of Teachers of English. He has also served on the Read Aloud Nebraska board. Dylan is an active member of Christ Lincoln: A Lutheran Ministry in Lincoln, NE where he leads the GriefShare ministry and serves as an organist and a worship elder. In his free time, you can find him buried in a pile of books, playing piano and organ, or enjoying the outdoors. Follow him on Twitter @dylanteut

52 Weeks of Cookies with Maggie McCreath

Maggie McCreath, author of 52 Weeks of Cookies, joins host Carla Marie Manly, PhD, to discuss her family's journey, her book, and how baking and sending cookies helped her express her love and support while her son was deployed.

 

About Maggie McCreath:

Maggie McCreath is a single mom with two grown kids. She received a degree in Computer Science from George Mason University, and has worked in the field for over thirty years. Her life has always revolved around her family. Her kids began as her pride and joy, and have grown into her best friends and confidants.

Her daughter Haley is the oldest. She has a degree in Journalism from Virginia Commonwealth University; however, after working for a national news organization here in Washington, DC, for four years, she determined that way of life was not for her. She currently works for a pub managing the bar and producing local radio commercials in mid-western Virginia.

Her son, Buddy, enlisted in the Army during his senior year of High School and became Airborne directly after boot camp. He has served with the Airborne Corps up until January 2015 when he began Warrant Officer Candidate School. After successfully completing the school work, he will fly helicopters.

Though Maggie's interest in the military strengthened with her son's enlistment, her fondness for the military and those who serve began years earlier. Her father served during World War II, and she has spent a large portion of her adult life in direct support of the military. This includes the fifteen years she worked for the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, with an additional five years working for the Pentagon at an off-site facility. On September 11, 2001, though Maggie was not at the Pentagon, she was at an off-site location working in direct support of its mission. The events of 9/11 not only catapulted her to the position she holds now, but have undoubtedly shaped her family's lives as well.

About 52 Weeks of Cookies :

Single mother Maggie McCreath couldn’t decide which was worse: the fact that her only son (not yet twenty-one) was off to war in Iraq for the second time or the fact that they had only five days to prepare. Even more frightening, she knew that he would be part of the Surge and, as a paratrooper in the 82nd Division of the Army, the tip of the Spear. What she did not know—what she couldn’t even bear to consider—was how this deployment would end, both for her son and for his brothers in arms, whom she had come to know and love as her own. So she turned to the one pastime that had always brought her solace: baking.

Filled with delicious, original cookie recipes, 52 Weeks of Cookies recounts a mom’s unique methods of coping during her son’s deployment. With plenty of sugar cookies but no sugarcoating, 52 Weeks of Cookies is an honest, uplifting story of family love during a crisis, with all the fear, grief, laughter, gratitude, and joy that come with it. 

Grandmothering with Linda Eyre

Linda Eyre, author of Grandmothering, joins Familius CEO and co-founder Christopher Robbins for a conversation about grandparenting and about her book.

https://www.familius.com/book/grandmothering/

ABOUT THE EYRES:

Richard and Linda Eyre are New York Times #1 bestselling authors whose writing career has spanned four decades and whose books have sold in the millions. They have appeared on virtually all major national talk shows, including Oprah and Today, and have seen their books translated into a dozen languages. 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Grandmothers make the best cookies and give the best hugs, but there's so much more to being the kind of grandmother who leaves a legacy that stands the test of time. New York Times #1 bestselling author and grandmother Linda Eyre shares her secret formula for teaching your grandchildren values, building meaningful connections with them, and giving them grit and resilience in an ever-changing world. Broken into short, digestible chapters for quick reading, this guidebook is filled with time-tested advice and stories from a panel of grandmothers, plus an appendix of easy, delicious recipes to feed a crowd at your next family reunion.

Foster Care Wisdom with Dr. John DeGarmo

Dr. John DeGarmo, author of The Little Book of Foster Care Wisdom, joins CEO and co-founder of Familius, Christopher Robbins for a conversation about the book and about foster parenting.

https://www.familius.com/book/the-little-book-of-foster-care-wisdom/

ABOUT DR. JOHN DEGARMO:
Dr. DeGarmo has a BA in history, a masters in media technology, a masters in educational leadership, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Walden University. Dr. DeGarmo wrote his dissertation on responding to the needs foster children face while in rural schools. He is the author of several foster-care books, including the new book The Foster Care Survival Guide, the bestselling book Faith and Foster Care, and the foster-care children's book A Different Home: A New Foster Child's Story. He is the director of The Foster Care Institute and acts as a consultant to foster care agencies and legal agencies across the US. Dr. John is a dynamic speaker and informative trainer on the foster care system, and he travels extensively across the globe, meeting with foster parents, child welfare workers, churches, schools, and organizations. Dr. John has appeared on several TV programs and channels, including CNN HLN, Good Morning America, Freeform, NBC, FOX, CBS, and PBS. He writes regularly for many magazines and is a regular contributor to several publications, both in the United States and overseas.

 

Dr. DeGarmo is married to Dr. Kelly DeGarmo, who hails from Australia, and the two of them have six children, both biological and adoptive. Dr. DeGarmo and his wife are also currently foster parents to three siblings, bringing their household to nine children. Dr. DeGarmo has been a foster parent for dozens of children for over a decade now. He has a passion for helping foster children and is driven to bring education and insight into general society about all things foster care.

 

Dr. DeGarmo and his wife are the recipients of the Good Morning America Ultimate Hero Award, and the Up With People Everyday Hero Award. The two also were honored with their city's Citizens of the Year Award.

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Foster parenting is both a rewarding and a challenging job, a lifestyle of continuous learning and new experiences, and The Little Book of Foster Care Wisdom will be there to support you as you, in turn, support your foster children.

Filled with 365 days' worth of daily tips, inspirational quotes, and motivational short stories from a foster care expert, this book is a must-read for modern child-welfare advocates, adoptive parents, and foster parents. It provides inspirational content every day, including instructions, tips, anecdotes, and more. 

The Parent Fix with Maggie Stevens

Maggie Stevens joins host Carla Marie Manly, PhD to discuss The Parent Fix.

https://www.familius.com/book/the-parent-fix/

ABOUT THE BOOK

Have you ever tried to change another person? If you have, you probably know it is next to impossible. Most parenting books teach parents how to change the child. The Parent Fix focuses on the parents, emphasizing a parent’s need to change to inspire family improvement.

If our greatest joys and sorrows come from family relationships, are we truly happy when we are in control of our loved ones? That deep joy we are searching for comes as we watch those we love learn lessons that change their own lives. To have this change it is the parent who must change.

There is power in parenting—correct parenting. Rather than focusing on the kids, as so many other self-help books do,The Parent Fix stresses that when parents change, kids change. Focusing on key principles like correct judgement, taking time, education and more, Stevens provides concrete ways parents can change their own behavior to improve the behavior of their children. As a mother, Maggie spent years researching and found the answers needed to successfully raise five children. With over thirty years of practical experience, Maggie knows the answers that make a difference. When parents change . . . kids change.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Maggie Stevens graduated with degrees in sociology and youth leadership. Professionally, Maggie works with youth groups, parent groups, and educators offering parenting help to struggling families.

She also volunteers the majority of her time to The Parent Fix Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving family life. She is the proud mother of five children and fourteen grandchildren.