Press
For Immediate Release
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When a little boy is hospital-bound, he gets through the scary time with his adventurous spirit and wild imagination.
A hospital turns into a jungle with young Ari battling rhinos and octopuses in this wonderful tale of courage and empowerment.
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Hollywood , Florida, April 1, 2020
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Young Ari was born with lungs that don’t work like everyone else’s. When he is hospitalized so the doctors and nurses can fix them, he finds himself on a wild jungle adventure with a pink miniature cheetah, victoriously battling octopuses and rhinoceroses. This imaginative and rollicking tale is the first in a new social emotional picture book series by author Krystal Wallick, a children’s mental health professional.
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Sometimes childhood can be scary. Nightmares, monsters under the bed, bumps and bruises. At times, events in a child’s life can seem almost insurmountable when viewed from their perspective. With imagination and empowerment, any battle can be won.
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“As Ari explores his new jungle, he suddenly hears a frightening sound. He turns around and…WHAT? A giant rhinoceros with a great big horn shoots a blazing ball of fire out of his nose… Even though Ari is scared, he wants to prove how brave and strong he can be... He yells, “I am brave. I am strong. I can do this! The rhinoceros squeals and runs away. Phew! “One challenge down,” Ari says. “I can do this!”
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During his hospital stay, Ari encounters other unusual creatures on his imaginative expedition, including a giant river dwelling octopus which is very frightening! As Ari navigates past the beast in his canoe, “The octopus swings its tentacles and makes a big, whopping SPLASH! The waves become so rough that Ari can barely hold on any longer. He grabs tight onto Cindy for support. Cindy lets out a great big roar and reminds Ari, “You are brave. You are strong. You can do this.” Before he knew it, Ari is back in the arms of his awaiting mother.
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With a Master’s Degree in Social Work and a background in children’s mental health, Krystal is able to look at a child’s difficult situation from a professional lens to form adventure stories that are therapeutic and aid in navigating scary experiences. By having children think creatively and take fun and silly situations and apply them to real-life difficult events in order to persevere, it empowers kids to feel in control and brave, when so often they feel that others are the ones making the decisions for them and that they have no say.
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Families will delight in reading aloud the masterly written positive message of this inventive story. Wallick’s tale focuses on the important concept of social emotional learning, providing children the tools to use their imagination to confront challenges and dilemmas, and the courage to persist.
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Ari the Brave’s Jungle Journey will be available August 2021 followed by additional books in the series.
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If you would like more information about author Krystal Wallick and Ari the Brave, please contact (954) 608-0803 or krystal.wallick@gmail.com.
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Local Mom Loses Job Due to COVID-19 Chases Dreams of Publishing Children's Books Inspired by Son’s Serious Illness
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In March 2020, Krystal Wallick was working as a Professional Development Manager at a major education company and 7 months pregnant with her third child, when her entire department was laid off due to COVID-19. Like many other moms around the country, she buckled down and started virtual schooling, wondering how their family would continue to make ends meet. Then, in June 2020 she gave birth to their son and within minutes of delivery his lungs collapsed and he was rushed to the NICU for life saving medical treatment.
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At his bedside she decided to start writing, a passion she has had since the fourth grade. Paper, pens, pencils, and laptops weren't allowed in the hospital, so the story began on her phone that was wrapped in a plastic bag due to the COVID restrictions. In order to bring peace of mind, she wrote that he was on a wild imaginary jungle adventure, away from all the bad, scary stuff in the hospital. His adventure included a battle with a fire breathing rhinoceros and a giant river dwelling octopus.
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"A giant rhinoceros with a great big horn shoots a blazing ball of fire out of his nose. “Yikes! Since when do rhinos blow fire?” Ari shouts. He quickly jumps out of the way. Even though Ari is scared, he wants to prove how brave and strong he can be.... Ari reaches for his sword, raises it high above his head and begins swinging. He yells, “I am brave. I am strong. I can do this!”
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Before he knew it, Ari was back in the arms of his awaiting mother. Once Ari got home, after 13 total days in the NICU, Wallick realized how much this story could help other families dealing with tough situations and she knew she had to turn towards publishing.
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While Ari's story begins in the hospital; challenge and bravery comes in many forms, shapes, and sizes. Nightmares, monsters under the bed, bumps and bruises. At times, events in a child’s life can seem almost insurmountable when viewed from their perspective. With imagination and empowerment, any battle can be won. That is the message that you will read with Ari the Brave's Jungle Journey! All children (and adults) can benefit from the messages of bravery, inner strength, and resilience portrayed in the Ari the Brave series.
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With Wallick's background in education and children’s mental health, she is able to look at a child’s difficult situation from a professional lens and a parental lens to form adventure stories that are therapeutic and aid in navigating scary experiences. Families will delight in reading aloud the masterfullly written positive message of this inventive story.
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Wallick has been tirelessly working full time at her new job, writing, editing, and raising her three children in order to bring this dream into reality. She and her family have saved enough money to complete much of the publication process, but still has one final step to the process, the print run. Wallick will be launching a Kickstarter campaign from April 13 to May 7 to fill in the financial gaps. Kickstarter is a preorder crowdfunding campaign specifically for creative projects that allows supporters to preorder the book at special pricing and get exclusive merchandise. The platform requires that the creator set a financial goal for the campaign and the project and preorders will only move forward if the goal is met by May 7th. Supporters are not charged for their preorders unless the goal is met.
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If all goes according to plan, the book will be ready to go to print in early summer 2021 and ready to ship to Kickstarters supporters in August 2021. If you would like to learn about the Ari the Brave series or preorder a book through the Kickstarter campaign, please go to www.AritheBrave.com.