Hey Mom and Dad-- Pencil Some Silliness into Your Schedule!

El Segundo, CA - We all enjoy having fun with our children. So why when we finally get home at the end of a grueling day, do we suddenly transform into the stern and dour ‘eat your vegetables’ and ‘get ready for bath time’ toddler police? Sure, it’s easy to get bogged down in the stress of adulthood; but is it wholly unrealistic to pencil in a little time for silliness with our children every day?



The answer is a resounding “no” and here’s why: even when you feel as though your brain is reduced to little more than a quivering, overworked blob of mush, you can still spark your silly cells. All you need is a little encouragement…and the crew from Flippy and Friends might be just the right helpers. This new children’s book series places giggles galore at your fingertips. Flippy and Friends provide the story, the vivid pictures, and the sing-song rhymes that toddlers love so much. You? Well, you provide the voice. The rest of the silliness just kind of unfolds with the story.



Brooke Shields, award winning actress & mother agrees. She said, "Flippy books are the only books my oldest daughter makes me put on her bedside table when she goes to sleep. She just loves her Flippy books...and I had to get two copies because the girls don't want to share them! Now I read my book...and Flippy to my youngest daughter every night...and keep copies on my bedside table in case they come into our bed!"

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“Flippy is an amazing tadpole who can literally become anything he wants to be…And that’s the message of our books,” says Dawn Kelsey, Communication Studies Instructor at California State University and co-author of the new book Flippy Goes on a Road Trippy. “When my husband and I wrote the first Flippy book, we were just being silly—and having so much fun!



Kelsey’s husband, professional actor John Mese, explains that Flippy was actually created during a cross-country road trip. “And it was on that same road trip home that I introduced Dawn to our partner and illustrator Chanler Holden who has added even more levels of laughter and silliness to the books,” said, Mese.



Mese points to his teaching improvisation classes in college while earning his masters degree, as a valuable lesson for not being too serious. “I would recommend taking an improvisation class to every adult,” says Mese. “It teaches adults to loosen up, and to play. Kids aren’t afraid to be silly, but grown-ups; sometimes we need a little help.”



Illustrator Holden, mother of three, goes on to add, “Getting silly with your kids shouldn’t be hard work. What I like most about the books is they bring you back to your own child-like sense of playfulness.”



That sense of fun and playfulness is the driving factor behind all of the adventures in Flippy Goes on a Road Trippy, (Moss Covered Gumbo Barn, www.flippyandfriends.com).



The title is your first hint that the book is full of rhyming text that’s irresistible to toddlers. The pictures are vibrant and children will surely spot some wonderful new detail with each subsequent reading. Best of all, in just a matter of minutes, the stress of your day will melt away as you and your child giggle and laugh your way through Flippy’s happy-go-lucky adventure. And after all…isn’t laughing with your child pretty much the best part…of any day?

About the Author

About Dawn Kelsey - Dawn Kelsey earned her BA and MA in Communication Studies at California State University, Long Beach where she currently teaches courses in communication studies, including storytelling. She also serves as the supervising undergraduate academic advisor in the communication studies department. Kelsey’s academic work has been published in Communication Education, a top scholarly academic journal. Kelsey and her husband, actor John Mese, are co-authors of the Flippy and Friends series of children’s books.

About John Mese - John Mese has been a professional actor for more than 18 years. He has appeared in many films and television shows including Monk, Law & Order, Weeds, Sex and the City, Without a Trace, Profiler, Pizza My Heart, Bones, From the Earth to the Moon, Ghost Whisperer, and The X-files to name a few. He has also produced, written and directed three short films including “Perfect Day” which recently screened at the New Orleans Film Festival. Mese believes a love of reading and imagination plays a tremendous role in allowing children to follow their dreams

About Chanler Holden - Chanler Holden was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. She grew up and lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where she is a graphic designer and a stay at home mother of three boys: Holden, Wiley and Sawyer. Chanler has dreamed of illustrating children’s books ever since she was a child herself. While Chanler was working on Flippy and Toadpole, her second son, Wiley was born with Down syndrome. We decided to dedicate the book to him…Chanler knows that Wiley truly “can be anything.” She loved helping bring Flippy’s fun spirit and joy for life into the world.

Author Profile: Dawn Kelsey

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