Max, an ordinary hero
Written by Mandy and Cara Daly
Illustrated by Mandy Daly
Max is an ordinary little mouse, who lives an ordinary life with his ordinary family in an ordinary place.
What is extra-ordinary is the way the little fellow creeps into the hearts of readers, as he ventures forth into a new adventure every day.
Max learns, and we learn with him, the truths that make exceptional characters, and how to turn life’s negatives into personal positives.
This series explores the developmental challenges and crises all young children face, with the aim of promoting a positive learning outcome in each case. Big Heart Ministries aims to build a greater sense of self worth into each reader, and to encourage the formation of positive character traits.
Filled with strong Moral and Christian principles, the series seeks to re-establish a love of reading in young children. Stories remain wonderful worlds in which to explore a wide range of situations and events without being threatened by the attendant emotions as one would in a real life situation. Stories provide a safe environment in which the child can explore not-so-safe situations, emotions, concepts and feelings.
Reading to a child will open the door for discussion and exploration, building empathy and trust and enriching your relationship. Questions at the end of each story stimulate the imagination and strengthen thinking skills, both of which will better prepare a child for life experiences. The way the child answers the questions will give you insight into his world and a better understanding of the particular unique pressures he is experiencing, and so better equip you in assisting him to become an emotionally intelligent and stable individual.
The stories are designed for reading to 4-10 year olds, and the diction is challenging to provide further opportunities for parent/child interaction. Each story deals with a particular life crisis and imparts skills and understanding necessary to successfully overcome and to learn from the experience. Each story is complete and the booklets may be read in any order should you choose to focus on one issue you know your child is currently dealing with.
In the front of each booklet is a section written specially for the parents, outlining the best way to assist their child in succeeding in life, overcoming obstacles and building positive character traits.
The illustrations are designed to be quirky, and to invite exploration of the divide between fantasy and reality.
These soft cover booklets on glossy paper are sold in sets of 6.
The 1st set (books 1 to 6) is available for R150 ordered from us directly, or visit our publisher, Cobble Crab for more information.
            | Forever Family focuses on the importance of family, however small, and introduces us to the hero of the series, Max. The Mouse family draws up a family manifesto, and discusses “things that build strong families’. The importance of belonging and of being rooted and grounded in love is emphasized. Finding a Friend explores Max’s first day at a new school. He learns to deal with new situations, confronts and overcomes his fears and realizes that change can be good. Issues of socialization and the characteristics of popular children are introduced. The Flash Flood lists all the positives that faith in God provides, and sees Max and his friend on an exciting and dangerous mission. The practical application of spiritual truths and values brings them safely home. In Meeting Missy, Max has lived his life as an only child – until now. Find out how he learns to share his parents and his things, and to care about his adopted sister Missy. Here our ordinary Hero learns that the aged are also the wise, and realises the importance of respecting and obeying his elders. Max plays out the story he has heard from Granmouse about the war, and entertains his friends in Love and Honour. Disobedience puts Max in the perfect position for a fall. He learns that the consequence of not listening to his parents is a painful one. Authoritative parenting has proved to be the most effective parenting style, and is outlined in this booklet, Healing Hurts Good stewardship and managing finances are central to Seed Time and Harvest, where Max and his family experience a robbery. What is his reward for solving the mystery of the strange footprints? Building good character traits and habits in your child early on will greatly benefit him in the future. In A Time to Remember Max grieves the loss of his dear Aunt, and experiences all the jumbled emotions bereavement brings. He is comforted by his good memories, and learns to cope with loss. Guidelines are given for grieving parents and children. There is a Bully somewhere in everyone’s life. Find out how to cope with bullying and fear as you take a journey Into the Dark Wood with Max and his sister, Missy. Max learns what a broken home really is, and grows in compassion. Mending Broken Homes offers Help for hurting children who have experienced the pain of separation, and constructive advice for parents undergoing divorce. In Helping Hands Max falls into a bad situation as he succumbs to peer pressure. He learns that he must choose his friends with great care, and must not believe everything he hears. There is also a consequence to be learnt as a result of his bad choices. Not all people are blessed with the same gifts, but all people are special and Max learns that everyone has strengths and weaknesses and their very own Special Gift Labels damage a child’s self concept. This story shows children how to build healthy self esteem. |
