Gowri Nat
Little Jessie's Beach Fun
In English, Spanish &American Sign Language (ASL)
Including fun, science facts and Origami instructions to make your own paper crab!
LOOK INSIDE!
WHY ASL?
Ever since I decided to include American Sign Language (ASL) into my book, I've had numerous people ask me a few questions about ASL. What is ASL? Why did you include ASL in your book?
What is ASL?
American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual language. With signing, the brain processes linguistic information through the eyes. The shape, placement, and movement of the hands, as well as facial expressions and body movements, all play important parts in conveying information.
Sign language is not a universal language -- each country has its own sign language, and regions have dialects, much like the many languages spoken all over the world. Like any spoken language, ASL is a language with its own unique rules of grammar and syntax.
Like all languages, ASL is a living language that grows and changes over time. ASL is used predominantly in the United States and in many parts of Canada. ASL is accepted by many high schools, colleges, and universities in fulfillment of modern and “foreign” language academic degree requirements across the United States.
Courtesy: National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
Why did I include ASL in my book?
The "Aha!" moment came when I was at a book seller's conference and that's where I met Barb Blakeslee. Barb is a 15 year veteran special educations teacher. She looked at my book and said, "Wouldn't it be nice if we had books like these in ASL?". It piqued my interest and I asked her more about it. Much to my surprise, most books that included ASL were more along the lines of a "manual" or a "teaching aid" than a story book that used ASL as one of the languages used in the book.
The primary purpose of including Spanish and ASL are to embrace inclusion and diversity. As I spent more time researching ASL, the more I become convicted about including ASL in my book. I hope my book helps those who are deaf, hard of hearing and to people surrounding them and part of their lives.
To moms learning ASL to communicate with their infant child, to parents looking to communicate with their kids, to high school kids learning ASL and get recognized for learning a language and get college credits, this book is dedicated to you all!
BIO
Gowri Nat was born in Chennai - a quiet, peaceful coastal city in the southern part of India. One of her most cherished childhood experiences was the fun walk to the beach with her dad. She remembers many of those visits vividly and this book is a reflection of those memories.
She spent many years in the accounting field, immigrated to the US, and as a mother of two, she found that spending time with children gave her immense joy. Her love for books and reading, along with her passion towards child development led her to become a children's author, and share her experiences with kids from around the world. She currently resides in Bothell, WA with her husband and two children.
EVENTS
Upcoming events:
Oct 8, 12-2 pm - Barnes & Noble, Bellevue Square Mall. Educators Event. Book signing and interactive story time with signing and making your own paper crab!
https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/9780061815297-0
Oct 9, 10.30-11.30 am- Barnes & Noble, Alderwood Mall. Educators Event. Book signing and interactive story time with signing and making your own paper crab!
https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/9780061815757-0
06-25-16 - Barnes and Noble, Alderwood Mall, Lynnwood
Thank you for a great story time!
08-17-16 - University Book Store, Mill Creek - Fantastic turnout here! Standing room only and it was an energetic group of kids and parents. Had so much fun reading, teaching kids how to sign, and a super interactive session making paper crabs, naming them and taking them home! Thank you folks! It was a pleasure seeing you all.
CONTACT
Tel: 123-456-7890 | Fax: 123-456-7890 | info@mysite.com
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REVIEWS
“
Little Jessie's beach fun is an awesome book that brings back memories to me as a reader and a great book to read to my child. My son loved it and he is so looking forward to go to the beach and build sand castle after he finished reading the book. The book is very colorful, very imaginative and shows the innocent happiness of a child who enjoys her time with her father in a beach. :) Love it! Great job Gowri. Looking forward to buy more of your books for my son :)
“
My two year old son doesn't like to sit still to read often, but he is fascinated by this book. He didn't even want to put it down to eat lunch. He loves looking at all of the colorful illustrations. As for my six year old daughter, she adores the book as well. She especially enjoys hearing the story. She loves the part where the little girl builds a sand castle for the crab. It is a delightful book! I'm glad we purchased it!
“
Little Jessie is a colorful book that brings a lot of nostalgia back about our own childhood. Wonderfully written with vibrant illustrations that bring a fresh life to the words. A great book!