The 5 Things Kids Can Learn By Reading the Orangey-Tan
These are especially challenging times – and for parents of young children, it can be hard to watch the news (or browse social media!) and not have the gut-punch realization that we’re going to have to explain to our kids just how the world got so turned around: that they really shouldn’t follow the examples of the people entrusted to lead us, and maybe shouldn’t question basic scientific principles simply because they heard grown-ups doing so on TV!
I’m not saying that there’s only one person responsible for the current state of our topsy-turvy world (well, not solely) –– just that it may be time to be reminded of the basic lessons we learned as kids, to help our own little ones navigate this period of time. Conveniently, there’s a book for that!
I originally wrote the Orangey-Tan as a story that I would use to explain the past four years to my own child – but do so in a way that talks about the underlying values and why they are important. (For those who question whether we should be exposing our kids to these sorts of issues, I wrote a blog about that). As a result, the Orangey-Tan has lots of lessons you can share with your kids (aside from the sheer satisfaction of reading along as the Manimals oust their own reality-distorting, preening, orange ape and his hateful ideology from their kingdom!). And since it’s personalized, your child becomes the hero of the story and can really “live” the lessons!
1. All creatures are equal
It’s sad that we even need to remind people of this, but as His Roli-Poliness the Dally Llama says, “All creatures are born equal”. When we ignore that fundamental truth by, say, enabling the Orangey-Tan to cage or deport someone at whim (“No more bad hombres!”), we’re just making things worse for everyone. As your child says in a stirring speech (with liberal borrowings from Martin Luther King):
2. A lie, no matter how often told, is still a lie
We’ve been ensconced within a world where alternate facts have ruled and destroyed reality, but weren’t we always taught to never tell lies? Despite the sheer volume and repetition of lies coming from the mouths of our leader(ship), we can’t lose sight of that simple lesson: lying is never a good policy. Don’t be like the Orangey-Tan and live in an alternate reality, like a “Mad King George” sequestered out of view, “muttering, ‘I won. I won. I won.’ ”
3. Ask for help when you don’t know what to do
There’s always someone smarter and wiser who can help you. Don’t feel shy to ask for help when you feel like you need it. Even a king like DandyLion gets stumped from time to time, and when he did, he didn’t hesitate to consult with your child for some answers.
4. Never be afraid to stand up and say: “No, this is not OK”
The Orangey-Tan may have had a remarkable power to electrify his followers and fill seats at his rallies, but if he hoped that all Manimals would simply fall in line behind his cruel rhetoric, he got a big surprise. Inspired by your child, the Manimals resisted his cruel moves, and eventually managed to get him out.
This is a powerful lesson for children – and adults too, and one I passionately believe to be true: that large change happens by lots of small acts of personal courage.
As DandyLion says in the end:
5. Non-violence is the best form of civil resistance
To the extent you are resisting, the most effective way of doing so is through peaceful protest, just like the Manimals did when repudiating the Orangey-Tan’s efforts to sow division amongst them. As your child says in the book:
Civil disobedience and peaceful protest are tried and tested means of effecting change, and nothing is more powerful than seeing hundreds and thousands of people gathered together, united in a cause they all believe in.
It can also be a fun family activity! ☺
Manimal Tales is a publisher of beautifully illustrated personalized books. We have personalized books for children and adults. From birthday books to new baby tales, and from bedtime stories to ABC books, we have custom books for all occasions!
We even offer PhotoStories, our personalized picture books with photos.
At Manimal Tales, we fervently believe every child should be the hero of their own story!
Personalized books (or custom books as they are sometimes referred to) allow the reader to become the hero of the story - literally.
The main character in the story is the reader / receiver of the book, and is represented by an avatar that looks like them. There are usually lots of additional personalized details printed in the stories, including the receiver's name, age, family members and more.
Our PhotoStories offer a whole new level of personalization by allowing you to add your own photos into the story and have them printed out with the book.
Browse through our collection of custom books to see which ones work for your loved ones!
It's super easy to personalize your own book!
Browse through our collection of personalized stories and select the titles you want. On the product page, add the details required to personalize the book (name, age, family members, photos etc.). You can then preview the entire book before you buy, so you know exactly what you're going to get!
Once you're satisfied, add the book to your cart, enter your payment details and your unique, one-of-a-kind personalized book will arrive on your doorstep in 6 to 9 days!
The short answer is that it depends on the personalized book title in question!
All books will have your loved one as the main protagonist and their name will be printed on the book cover as well as in the story.
In some of our books like Dreamland and What Will I Be? the (the An ABC Story) your loved one's name is printed on every page.
In our Manimal Tales series, in addition to your child's name, you can select an avatar that looks like your child.
In our custom baby tales, Your Baby's Story and Your Baby's Story (Sibling version), you have to enter names and select avatars for the parents and the siblings as well.
And for our PhotoStories, you can further customize the books by uploading and adding your own photos directly into the book. The stories have been written to incorporate the photos as part of the story itself.
Whichever personalized book you do choose, we guarantee your loved one's will love our custom tales just as much as we do!
We have books for all ages and occasions! On the menu bar at the top of the page you can filter through our collections of personalized books by a variety of different criteria.
We have personalized books for:
We also offer custom books with engaging stories about:
- Standing up for your beliefs
We have personalized books across all ages:
Lastly we have our PhotoStories, which allow users to upload photos and have them become part of the story!
Nothing beats getting a book with your name on it!
Personalized books are treasured and loved by all, and make great keepsakes.
We offer custom books for all occasions, ensuring you will always find a book to meet your needs.
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