New Children’s Book Covers Bermuda Adventure
Elizabeth Mulderig, also known by her pen name, Betsy Bermuda, has released a new children’s book that is set in Bermuda, seeing a host of colourful characters traverse the island in search of a naughty cat’s lost manners.
Entitled “Bum Bum Bananas – Oh, Do Mind Your Manners!,” the book combines an interesting, easy to follow story with educational and interactive elements intended to help children to improve their observation skills.
The star of the book, Bum Bum Bananas, is a very naughty, very rude wild cat who has lost her manners. She and her friend Do-Boy the dog go on an island-wide search for Bananas’ manners.
They search and scout and hunt for a good manner or two, until they decide that “polite’s inside of you.” Subsequently, a friendlier new world opens up for Bum Bum Bananas as she becomes a polite and well-mannered cat.
“This book is interactive,” said the author. “There is a question pertaining to the illustration on each page. Questions asking things like, ‘how many wheels are on Do-Boy’s scooter?’ and ‘what color is the sand in Bermuda?’ and ‘what time does the clock say?’. I am trying to include the child in the story in an educational and fun way.”
Ms. Mulderig has also added a chorus in this book, similar to the one found in ‘Do-Boy Digs Bermuda’, the author’s first book about Do-Boy. The chorus reads, ’Tup, Tup and Tally Ho miss Bum Bum Bananas – off off away you go, oh do mind your manners!’
The child repeats the chorus when the story is read, which is also a very inclusive device. It serves to keep the child’s attention by making him or her feel like they are a part of the story in a sing song way.
Finally, the last page of the book teaches children to say ‘please and thank you’ in six different languages, including cat, dog, and Bermudian.
My husband Hubert and I very much wanted to relay the importance of having manners to children,” said Ms. Mulderig. “But we also wanted to make this book teach a thing or two along the way, as well. If a child walks away from this book learning just one thing, we will be happy. And we tip our hats to teachers and parents who are trying to teach children daily. In fact, we say ‘merci and grazie’.”
Bum Bum Bananas can be purchased at the Bermuda Book Store, Brown and Co, The Irish Linen Shop, Coopers, and other local stores around Bermuda.
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