|
We were pleasantly surprised when local author Andrew Kranichfeld contacted us about his children’s book, Karen’s Garden. The book was written as a tribute in his mother’s memory, and as a way to pass her love of gardening onto a new generation of young readers. Karen was well known in the community of Rye, New York for her beautiful garden. She shared space in her greenhouses, as well as an assortment of fresh vegetables, with family, friends, and even some local businesses.
In addition to the book, Andrew has quite an inspirational story to tell. Just a few weeks after Karen’s death in March of 2010, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The tumor, and several subsequent misdiagnoses, would eventually leave Andrew blind. But it was in his darkest moment that he remembered his mother and how she bravely fought leukemia for over eight years. It took him a while to adjust to blindness and learn about the adaptive technology that he now uses everyday on his iPhone, iMac, and other devices. It was this very technology that allowed him to write and edit his first children’s book. Since writing Karen’s Garden, Andrew has visited over fifty schools all over the Northeast, many in Westchester County and the Bronx. He shares the book and it’s themes of gardening, family, generosity, and growth. In addition, he tells the students that just about anything is possible, despite personal limitations and disabilities. For example, Andrew has learned to play the piano, a favorite past time of his mother Karen. |
|
|
In December, 2016, Andrew completed his second children’s book, Oliver Saves the Nature Center. Andrew hopes that the new book will help instill a love of nature and the environment in his young readers. The “Oliver” in his book is based on his real life brother, who was an environmental educator at the Rye Nature Center for over five years. The new book features beautiful water color paintings done by his friend and local artist Sally Tobin. It also has a crossword puzzle, word search, glossary, and an I-spy for Oliver’s childhood imaginary friend, Jake the leprechaun.
|
|
If you are interested in purchasing either book, or would like to inquire about Andrew visiting your child’s school, please visit www.andrewkranichfeld.com. Learn more about Andrew and his books by watching the videos below.
RSS Feed