About the Book
Dragonfly Surprise is a touching story for children that delivers an inspirational message about courage and happiness through the eyes of a young girl’s beautiful soul.
‘The Story Behind the Story’ of Dragonfly Surprise
My Dream Come True!
Claire is my first daughter. She is brain-injured from two brain tumor surgeries during infancy. Throughout her life Claire has been unable to speak, yet we knew she had a lot going on in her mind. Our family and friends share a deep desire to help Claire communicate.
The impetus to write this story stemmed from my heart’s desire to give Claire a voice; to explore her thoughts, feelings, and beautiful soul. Throughout the writing of this story I checked in with Claire on whether she liked the story about her. She tapped my hand for “yes” for every sentence in this book and has given me huge smiles.
A dragonfly experience similar to the one in the story happened to us and my sister’s family at a lake property in north central Minnesota.
This story has many levels of meaning. The hero/heroine’s journey is one of them.
• Begins with Claire’s ordinary day
• Claire is confronted with a difficult experience
• Claire is tested and is reluctant to go through the tests
• A gift is given to help Claire – the gift of courage from her guardian angel
• The gift of courage helps Claire to make the choice to overcome her fear
• Claire is successful in overcoming her fear of bugs
• Claire receives the reward of happiness and courage
• Claire learns the value of listening with her heart which allows her to see clearly
I hope you enjoy hearing Claire’s voice through Dragonfly Surprise, which features the story of Claire who becomes an everyday heroine. Read an excerpt below.
An Excerpt
Description: A child with special needs becomes an everyday heroine. Claire hates bugs more than anything in the world. One day while sitting by a lake, a monstrous beetle crawls on her leg and a swarm of dragonflies buzz around her face. Claire wants to yell for help, but she cannot speak words. As she creeps toward her candy-purple wheelchair, Claire is suddenly surrounded by a bright light. Claire’s shimmering guardian angel appears and offers her the gift of courage. While facing her fears, Claire soon discovers that by being brave and listening with her heart, she can clearly see beauty beyond her wildest imagination. Dragonfly Surprise is a touching story for children that delivers an inspirational message about courage and happiness through the eyes of a young girl’s beautiful soul. Illustrated by Tamara R. Sayre.
Publisher: Wild Blueberry Press
Copyright Year: © 2017
Language: English
Country: United States
Keywords: special needs, girl, dragonfly, dragonfly life cycle, guardian angel, fear of bugs, overcoming fear, courage, bravery, Minnesota, lake, happiness, joy, nature, listen with heart, spirituality, vision-impaired, mobility impaired, non-verbal, heroine