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Amanda Salamander and the Secret of Happily Ever After

by Amy Bunger, Ph.D., Linda Miles, Ph. D., Martin Terrell, ill. by Jerome Pressley

28 pages; saddle stitched; catalogue #03-2059; ISBN 1-4120-1682-7; US$15.50, C$18.00, EUR12.50, £9.00

The real secret of happily ever after is to not be a chameleon who changes to match the people they are around, but stay true to their own colors.

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about the book      about the author      sample excerpts or Table of Contents      catalogue info

About the Book Way down deep in the Murkylurky Goo Animals live like people do Sloshing, slipping and taking a gander. . . TA DA, there appears Amanda Salamander ******* Amanda is her name, she shines like the sun She wants to be friends with everyone This unique salamander changes colors And YOU might too! Just like chameleons do. ******* But Amanda's color starts shedding And Norton wonders what kind of wife he is getting? "WHO ARE YOU?" Norton cries. "Amanda should be at my side." "Don't worry Norton," she sighs. "I'm still the same salamander inside!" ******* You said you'd swim, you said you'd be true. We said happily ever after but now we're both blue." "Before our wedding, in your bright carrot color, you looked like ME but you changed to another" "Sunshine am I. That's all I can be. YOU should be golden And ACT JUST LIKE ME. Your feet are still rotten You smell like a louse. When you walk in the door You stink up the house." ******* "He wants a carrot, should I pretend to be that? I need the shine of the sun on my back. If I can't be orange, And he can't be yellow Then why do my insides jiggle like Jello?" The more she thinks, the more she cries, because she knows how hard she tries So what went wrong? She does not know. Can she ever make her hurt feelings go? She feels as if there is no hope "I wonder if I have been a dope." ******* Amanda, happiness shines from the inside out, and that shows others what YOU are about. It's fun to accept friends just as they are, So everyone shines like their VERY OWN star!" ******* If you visit the Murkylurky Goo take a gander And see if you can spy this sunshiny salamander Amanda decides she will not be blue What color will she choose to be? What color are YOU? FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOOK WHAT WE DO - Help kids learn that the real secret of happily ever after is to not be a chameleon who changes to match the people they are around, but stay true to their own colors - Help kids with problem solving, and teaches them how to have their Best Bad Day - Instead of teaching kids to cope with divorce, we focus on helping kids develop realistic expectations, not myths about Happily Ever After - We build tools for building marriages and relationships WHY WE DO IT - There are tons of kid's books about divorce, and very few books about marriage - Marriage skills can be taught in kid language and kid concepts, not lectures - We have the best chance at giving kids skills when they are little, and can help their brain development and lifetime coping skills HOW WE DO IT - Filled with poetry and imagery - Lots of silly swamp language - Double meanings to keep adults wanting to read it aloud - Vibrant, innovative and magical illustrations

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About the Author Dr. Amy Bunger has a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Law, and specializes in crime, education and parenting. The author of books and articles, she is writing Ask Dr. Mommy with Dr. Linda Miles. She is the mother of five young children. Dr. Linda Miles is a licensed marriage and family therapist of 30 years, with a Ph.D. in counselling psychology. Dr. Miles, and husband Robert Miles, M.D., is the author of the award winning The New Marriage, which has gained national television and radio air time. Martin Terrell, a published author, is the original magician creator of Amanda, with a background in journalism. He works in fund-raising and development at SUNY-Stony Brook. Jerome Pressley, our illustrator, is both an inspiration for Amanda, and an undiscovered talent. Orphaned at two months old, Jerome was raised in foster homes and orphanages. He is the Dad of five children and lives with his wife in Cincinnati.

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Sample Excerpts or Table of Contents

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Catalogue Information

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