It is with pleasure that we welcome author, Robin Fuson to Word Salt today!
Word Salt, thank you for giving me the opportunity to communicate about my new book, Rosita Valdez and the Giant Sea Turtle. I hope and pray your readers will enjoy my answers to your questions. I look forward to hearing from your readers.
What was y
our inspiration for “Rosita Valdez and the Giant Sea Turtle”?
My inspiration behind this book is my love for storytelling. This book is an out flow of that passion. I have been telling stories or teaching for over 30 years.
One night while praying for more direction in my life this story came to me. I had her name and basic outline of the story. I truly believe it was a gift from the Lord, an answer to prayer.
I hope and pray that this book will enrich lives. This fiction book has God’s truths and a Biblical character lesson; telling the truth. Rosita my main character learns through lying and the consequences of that lie that it is better to tell the truth. Another aspect of the book is the importance of basic family unit. We need each other and this book shows this. Rosita’s family takes the challenge of rearing a family to heart and teaches in everyday experiences.
Who is this book written for?
This book is written as a chapter book for grades 3-6. I have had the opportunity to read this book to older and younger children and they have enjoyed it. I have a way of writing that younger children will enjoy being read to and teens can also get into it. I was reading it to a group of Junior Highers and one of the girls leaned over and said to her friend, “I want to get this book!” That was a big encouragement.
Do you have a life verse that you have claimed?
People ask me if I have a “life verse.” I don’t have a particular life verse but my favorite passage is Psalm 91:1-10. It is a comfort and I have heard many stories about individuals or groups that quoted this Psalm and went THROUGH danger. God promises to get us through. This passage is one of those reminders.
Who is your greatest encourager and why?
My greatest encourager is my new husband. He has made it possible for me to have the time to do this. He reads my work and gives input. My children also have encouraged me along the way. My daughter Cindy is my editor and I bounce things off her. My parents also have encouraged me from the start. My mother is the illustrator. Our family is close so anytime I need to talk about my projects they are willing and open.
I love to share my stories to my grandchildren. They also encourage me because they ask for them and remember them long after. One of my eight year olds sometimes reads them beforehand just so I know if I’m explaining a hard concept properly and she can understand. Some have asked me to write a story on a certain animal or subject and it is a blast to do it for them. One of my greatest thrills is to take my book and share it by reading to a group of children. I like to come in costume and get very animated when I read or teach. I take my time with children seriously but we have a lot of fun!
What is the overall theme of this book and why do you find story-telling so important?
This book’s overall theme is telling the truth. When we teach children it is far easier if they don’t know they are being taught. If I teach a child in a story they will remember and receive the message better. The book entertains; that is the draw but it teaches; that is the reason.
I think parents need to take time to sit together and share a book. It makes for good “together” time and closeness. When you read a story together you are on that journey and experiencing it together. The parent can stop and ask questions that can strengthen what they are learning or take them in a different direction. The child can ask questions so to understand better or other topics may spring up. Parents are never too old to go on an adventure and it makes for a good excuse to read something totally fun that has nothing to do with work and other distractions.
Storytelling is a great way to engage a child to help them comprehend any truth. The Bible is full of stories of people. God used people’s life stories to convey His message. So, I feel we can learn from Him and do the same. Like I said earlier, it is easier to teach a truth when the child doesn’t know they are being taught. Say for instance, in my book Rosie lies to her parents. She has consequences to that deed. She learns that it is better to tell the truth and she also tells everyone she lied to she is sorry. We as parents tell our children not to lie. We remind, reprimand, and punish the child for lying. Sometimes the best way for them to learn is for them to read or hear a story about someone else who lied. Hearing what happened and what that person learned through the experience is more subtle but can be more powerful.
Rosita or Rosie my main character is a good example. She is fun, loving, and obedient. She interacts well with others, works hard, has a great imagination, and yet still needs to learn and strengthen the Christian values that her parents are trying to instill in her young life. There are no perfect children. We are all learning and growing in our Christian walk. Rosita has ups and downs like most children. What she teaches is that she learns the right thing to do. She doesn’t change her fun loving self, imagination, or her spirit. She changes her actions and her thoughts about what is right and wrong and she has a repentant heart.
Readers may connect with Robin: http://www.robindensmorefuson.com/ and http://www.kidbiblelessons.com/ and http://www.rositavaldezbook.com/ or on Twitter: @RobinFuson and Facebook/AuthorRobinDensmoreFuson
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