P. D. Kline and Shawn Gaines came together again, this time to benefit the boys and girls of the Greater Newark Boys & Girls Club in Newark, Delaware. Leading up to the special event, Club staff read Finding Chloe to their Club members and collected questions they wanted to ask the author and illustrator.
On the day of the big event, nearly 60 Club members took their place in the gymnasium bleachers and were excited to meet the Friends: Rosie, Little Bear, Baby Bear, Cherry Bunny, Big Dog, and, especially, Big Bear (the biggest stuffed animal many of the children had ever seen), all of whom were seated as guests of honor up front on either side of the speaker's podium.
P. D. asked the kids to give a hearty welcome to the Friends as he introduced each one, and the children responded by clapping and shouting their names. Some of the young people wondered where the idea for the story originated, which allowed P. D. to share the inspiration of his beloved granddaughter and the imaginative world she created with her favorite stuffed animals - the Friends.
Mr. Gaines demonstrated his artistic techniques and led the young people in an exercise that helped them create their own Big Bear sketch. Sharing their work generated a great deal of pride and excitement.
Every boy and girl received a gift bag that included a free copy of the book, which was signed by the author and illustrator, as well as a Finding Chloe signature pen and other gifts provided by the author and illustrator. In short, it was a fun-filled, inspirational, and educational experience for all who were there. The author and illustrator may have been the most inspired of all.
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