BARKLAY & EVE BOOK RAISES CANCER AWARENESS - What IS Cancer Anyway? teaches children about cancer -

BARKLAY & EVE BOOK RAISES CANCER AWARENESS
- What IS Cancer Anyway? teaches children about cancer -

Wethersfield, CT - (Oct. 18, 2002) – Dragonfly Publishing's Barklay & Eve books, a series of stories by Karen Carney featuring two dog characters, promotes cancer awareness for children and their families in, What IS Cancer Anyway?: Explaining Cancer To Children Of All Ages.

As October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and for women everywhere who are afflicted with this disease, there might not ever be a good time to inform children in their lives of their illness. However, the awareness month and What IS Cancer Anyway? can help aid mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and sisters in speaking to children about cancer.

Recently, Hurricane Voices, a breast cancer awareness foundation, selected What IS Cancer Anyway? to be included as a part of its Family Reading List catalog. The list was created by Hurricane Voices as a means for parents and other adults to obtain reading material on the implications breast cancer has on the family. The list can be viewed on the foundation website at www.hurricanevoices.org.
Karen L. Carney, writer and illustrator of the Barklay & Eve book series, said, "I feel honored that one of my books was chosen by Hurricane Voices. It is a great organization with a positive message and useful resources for cancer patients and their families. The Barklay & Eve book, What IS Cancer Anyway? ties in well with Hurricane Voices because it is not simply a children's book. As all of books in the Barklay & Eve series, it is a tool that all family members and friends can benefit from."

Cancer touches the lives of many people, and children often have difficulty understanding the disease and its effect on the people in their lives. Written in kid-friendly language, What IS Cancer Anyway?, teaches children basic information about cancer, so they may understand diagnosis, the effects cancer has on the body, methods of treatment, and that everyone's cancer is different. The book explains surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy as well as why some treatments cause hair-loss. The book encourages children to ask questions, share their emotions, and to always offer their love and support to family and friends.

"The characters, Barklay and Eve emphasize the importance of having the love and support of family and friends during difficult times. I believe that's the most important and beneficial message in the series," said Carney.
What IS Cancer Anyway? does not address one specific type of cancer, rather it discusses cancer in general; therefore it is advantageous for all types of cancer diagnoses. The book can be used to raise cancer awareness throughout the year for times dedicated to the disease:

·    January - Cervical Cancer
·    March - Colorectal Cancer
·    April - Cancer Control Month
·    May- Skin Cancer
·    September - Leukemia & Lymphoma, Prostate Cancer & Ovarian Cancer
·    October – Breast Cancer

The Barklay and Eve books are oversized laminated paperbacks that carry a retail price of $7.95 each with all of the proceeds going to the D'Esopo Resource Center, which helps support children and adults of all ages through the grieving process.

All books in the series are written in child-friendly terms, so that children have a better understanding of perplexing life subjects. Adults are encouraged to read along with children, making the books an aid when talking to children about sensitive subjects. Some of the books include: Together We’ll Get Through This, recognizes and validates all kinds of losses that children may have, including divorce, moving, illness or death of pets and other loved ones; Honoring Our Loved Ones: Going to a Funeral, guides children through the death, calling hours and funeral of a loved one. It addresses common questions like “What does the word dead mean” and “Why does the body look and feel different.” In addition other Barklay and Eve books concern cremation, the Jewish tradition of burial and mourning with an explanation of the term, “Sit Shiva,” organ and tissue donation, and others.

Barklay and Eve, the inspiration for the series, are Portuguese Water Dogs, the actual pets of author and illustrator, Karen L. Carney, a Registered Nurse and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. As a recipient of the American Cancer Society's Lane W. Adams Award, Carney has earned national recognition for clinical excellence. She has been an adjunct professor at Central Connecticut State University and Southern Connecticut State University for over 10 years, teaching courses in Death and Dying, Bereavement and Aging.
In addition to the books, Dragonfly Publishing currently offers plush Barklay & Eve products, and the company is open to expansion on its plush manufacturing, as well as all other licensed product categories. For more information on Dragonfly Publishing, Barklay & Eve and The D'Esopo Resource Center, visit the company website at www.barklayandeve.com





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