I say I can. I make a plan. I get right to it. And then I do it! -The Can Do Duck
I say I can. I make a plan. I get right to it. And then I do it! -The Can Do Duck
Tampa, Florida: Recently a mother told us about a Can Do Book Club she had formed with the Can Do Duck as its mascot. The children in the club started by reading Can Do and Friends to the Rescue: A Story About Getting Along and Working Together. The idea behind the book club is that each week the children read books with positive messages about helping others. After they read each book, they do a community service project that relates to that book. Also, each week two children take home a duck pillow and have to keep track of the good things they do to make the world a better place (holding doors, picking up trash, being polite, etc).The book club is part of a homeschool co-op group called THINK-day - Tampa Homeschoolers Instructing and Nurturing Kids. They meet in Tampa, Florida and there are 12 kids in the club. "We had our first meeting and everyone LOVED your book," wrote JoAnn Slay. "Two of my own boys are in the club. I have had several emails from parents who love the idea and what a difference it has made with their little Can Do ducks helping out around the house." Among the books they have read has been a book about peace called, What Does Peace Feel Like? and then they participated in the Pinwheels for Peace project. They also read Sam and the Lucky Money and made change purses to collect loose, found change to be donated to a worthy cause. One week the lesson was to make someone smile. They passed out notes to people who seemed lonely. They read the book Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch for that week. When the group meets they say the Can Do Duck "pledge", "We say we can. We make a plan. We get right to it. And then we do it!" They can earn tickets for unsolicited, good deeds. "The kids returned this week with full lists of things they had done in the name of Can Do," wrote Ms. Slay. "I am even witnessing my own two sons doing good deeds and asking "Was that what Can Do would have done?" We would like to congratulate THINK for coming up with such a great idea and for truly making the world a better place with their Can Do kids. You are truly taking Can Do to new heights!
Miss Kingsport, Tennessee 2010 offered hope and encouragement to children
Kingsport, Tennessee - Brittany Davis used her life experiences to offer hope and encouragement to local children. As Miss Kingsport 2010, Davis took her platform — “Believe to Achieve: Inspiring Children to Believe in Themselves to Reach Their Dreams” — into local elementary schools. Davis said she wanted to use education as a way to inspire children. “I would read stories such as ‘The Little Engine That Could’ and ‘The Can Do Duck: A Story About Believing in Yourself,’” she said. She emphasized the importance of having dreams and setting goals. Her biggest aspiration was to give an award at the end of each school year to a child in each city school who had shown educational improvements due to self-belief. “This is my dream, and I really want to implement my platform and make Kingsport a better place,” she said. Davis competed in the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Competition in June 2010 in Jackson, Tenn. **This article appeared in the Kingsport Tennessee Times News
Orlando, Florida --- Dr. Phillips Elementary School is using the Can Do Duck books in all of its classes for grades K through 5 for the 2007-2008 school year to help teach positive attitudes! They used the books for the 2006-2007 year for the first time and decided to continue the program again the next year. This is a picture of the principal and vice principal with a banner they created. If you look carefully, you can see the Can Do capes on some of the ducks!
"I finally made the time to read your books. I loved them. The message is SOOO empowering."
- Deanne Gruenberg www.selfesteemshop.com
"Thank you so very much for your response to us. The books were just the tool for our meeting to get the simple "Can Do" point across we have a very young and inspiring team that really works with positive attitudes on every project. Your books now have a new venue- the business world - seems we are always young at heart. I loved the new book too - it really reaches more than just Katrina - "any" crisis can be a new beginning with love, support and hope. Thanks for your new words of inspiration."
-Tina McGarvey, Gallagher Benefit Services
"Overall, I loved the book. I think it is a fun teaching tool and I would recommend it. I have worked with kids at a crisis center for 5 years, and we were always looking for ways to teach the children good social and coping skills in a way that they could relate to the lessons and have fun learning them. This book is good for that goal. However, I did not buy the book for a child. My sister is in her first year of college and is struggling "learning to fly." I was given "Oh the Places You'll Go." by Dr. Seuss when I was in my first year of college, and I loved it. Your book is a gift for my little sister to help her learn what I learned from Dr. Seuss' book. Thank you for writing this book."
- K. A. from Wyoming
"The hurricane book is great. Kids who went through the fear and insecurity will see their experience confirmed, but the book brings out the positive elements, reassuring all of us that people take care of each other. You're doing the work of the angels, Morty. Keep it up!" - Kathy Fackler, www.kids-can-do.org
SAMHSA - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recommends Can Do and the Storm on its disaster relief and preparedness website. "The story uses endearing animals to cover the often traumatic events that are experienced during and following a natural disaster. The story depicts a range of possible hardships, such as evacuation, being separated from family and friends, living in a shelter, and dealing with the physical damage caused by a storm. It also explores topics with which recent hurricane survivors have had to deal, such as the process of rebuilding a community, leaving a community, making a home in a new area, or returning home when others do not. Presenting these upsetting issues to children is made less difficult through the rhyming story and color - in illustrations that make up this book. It will be comforting for children to see the characters overcome some of the same problems that they are currently facing. Not only does this book provide an entertaining story for a child, but it also gives parents/caregivers, teachers, and therapists an opportunity to begin talking, in a non-threatening way, about the feelings a child is experiencing. This book will help build a sense of hope in children who have faced hurricanes and will hopefully be a fun and beneficial way for kids to think about, talk about, and grow from their experiences."
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