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Find him at luckytheleprechaun.com |
There is a smell of spring in the air and the twinkle of leprechaun magic happening
all around Alpharetta, GA these days.
And it's
all thanks to a little, pointy eared leprechaun in a green coat and his creators,
Samantha Strum Brown and Risa Rae Ramji, who released their first book titled, “Lucky
The Leprechaun” in early January.
The
fun is just beginning for the local co-authors as “Lucky” has been out and
about creating lots of St. Patrick’s Day fun for children of all ages!
It was over a quick cup of coffee at a local
Starbuck’s recently that I was thrilled to meet the two authors who shared a
little bit about themselves and how “Lucky” came to be.
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Samantha Strum Brown and Risa Rae Ramji |
Brown and Ramji have been friends for quite a while and met at a local
fitness center.
In addition to raising
young children, both share a passion for writing and also come from Irish
backgrounds.
One year ago while on a
girl’s trip together, they talked about co-writing a book.
Eleven months later, on December 23, 2011,
they contracted with local illustrator, David Bride and “Lucky The Leprechaun” was
born.
The book was self published and
became available to the public in early 2012.
The main character in their book is Lucky.
He is a leprechaun who Ramji described as, “fun, mischievous, quick, and
clever.”
And while he may be mischievous, Lucky's message to the children is to be respectful and kind
to one another, “behave and listen well” because like other fairy tale characters, he is
magical and always watching.
Lucky is a lot of fun
and can leave traces of where he’s been via “footprints on the ceiling,”
and by leaving “shamrock confetti trails." “He may even turn your toilet water green,” Ramji
said.
What’s even more fun for young readers is he rewards
all well-behaved children with little gifts of dough and treats such as candy
coins, rainbow lollipops, and crayons.
And, since Lucky is the only character in this
first book, they hope to make it a series and may perhaps introduce additional
characters and storylines.
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Leprechaun Trap Craft |
While developing the book’s concept, a couple of factors determine its uniqueness
and attraction.
Brown said St. Patrick’s
Day is a niche market and unlike Christmas
and Valentine’s Day, it gives the benefit of marketing in a less competitive
environment.
In addition, the
illustration of a buck tooth, red-headed leprechaun with turned-up toes on his
shoes adds to its uniqueness.
Three to eight years old are their target reader group and they wanted to provide a visual element that would foster creativity and imagination. So they
came up with the idea of including a “leprechaun trap” craft with each book
purchase.
Each craft packet contains all
the necessary materials for a child to create a unique “trap” that can be used
to try to catch Lucky.
They offer a package deal that includes the book, one trap craft, and a
CD with two
read-a-longs narrated by the authors, music/movement activities and printables
such as crossword puzzles, connect the dots, and coloring pages. The CD is mp3 and PC compatible.
All items can be purchased from their website at
luckytheleprechaun.com. "Like" them on
Facebook at “The Lucky Leprechaun” and follow them on Twitter
@follow1lucky.
Fun and clever, this book is very entertaining and an enjoyable read for the
whole family.
Let me know what “Lucky”
has been up to at your home and what treats he's left behind!
Don’t forget to email pictures of your
child’s craft to info@luckytheleprechaun.com.