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Daisy Bug kids head to New York City
Third book in fictional day care series benefits UB Child Care Center
By DONNA BUDNIEWSKI
Reporter Assistant Editor
Navigating the world of daycare, with its highly structured schedule, can be difficult for children. They must learn to share, take field trips without the comfort of holding mom or dad's hand and negotiate naptime and lunchtime rituals that are common, but initially intimidating experiences.
"The Daisy Bug Daycare," a fictional series created by author Robert Orrange, fosters a shared identity among children who have or are attending daycare, including his own youngsters, 6-year-old Jesse and 4-year-old Christopher. Both are characters in all three of the Daisy Bug books. Jesse attended UB's Child Care Center, which publishes the books, for three years. Christopher is still a member.
In the third installment in the series, "Hello New York," the children attending the Daisy Bug Daycare take a field trip to New York City, meet a character based on NBC-TV personality Katie Couric and discover what a hero is.
"Along the way they also realize that they can be heroes in their own lives. So there is a slight 'message' in the book, but it doesn't hit them over the head—it slips in for a moment and then is gone. Hopefully it will manifest in the readers' subsequent actions," says Orrange, associate director for career services.
"Jesse and Christopher are very excited to read about themselves in this third book. My daughter, Jesse, appreciates it more now and has lots of questions about what the characters are doing and has mentioned to various people that her character is the one that mentions that she is 'going to college!' Christopher, in the book, has a bit of the comic-relief character in him and the real Chris likes to laugh when his character in the story says something funny," adds Orrange.
The latest book is dedicated to the teachers who have impacted Orrange's life, and to his daughter.
UB art student Fabiola Doubrava, a native of Peru, illustrated book three. Doubrava just completed her undergraduate degree and is a toddler teacher at the UB Child Care Center.
"We had a contest for UB art students through an illustration class in the fall of 2002. Students submitted their work to me. I chose Fabiola as the winner, and in time we became friends. I soon realized her love for children and she began babysitting for me. When there was an opening at the center, I recommended Fabiola and she got the job," says Orrange. Katie Pistner, Orrange's niece and a high school student at the time, illustrated the first two books.
The books, at $5 apiece, have sold several hundred copies so far—mostly through word of mouth—with the proceeds going to the UB center, says Orrange. "We have had to do a few additional 'runs' to keep up with the demand. Hopefully, this third book will strike a similar chord," he says.
Feedback from parents and children is positive, notes Orrange, who believes we are all children at heart. He's been told that few books on the market touch on the daycare-related themes his books do. It's important, he says, to keep in mind that children have feelings and emotions, and they need to be respected.
"I think the children currently in a daycare setting can relate, but more importantly, those about to enter one can benefit from the reassurances that the stories give," says Orrange, who already is at work on book number four. He hopes to find an established publisher for the books.