Author Christine Burk got the idea for her first book ‘Prudence Parker and A Sign of Friendship? five years ago. She was watching her daughter try to talk to a hearing impaired girl while on a family vacation.
Burk, an Oxford resident, said she knew she wanted to save the memory at the time, so she typed it up in her computer.
‘The book is based on a true story,? she told students during a recent visit to Paint Creek Elementary School. ‘But I was scared (to write a book). I was used to writing facts and reports.?
That’s because Burk; the mother of two Paint Creek students and also a daughter at Oakview (who the story is based on); was working at the time as a newspaper writer.
Last fall, she began volunteering with special needs children at Paint Creek which gave her the idea to finally try to get her book published.
‘When I got to the school, I saw the most wonderful thing,? she said. ‘Paint Creek students treating their friends with special needs with kindness and respect.?
Burk told the students that ‘our friends with special needs are our friends first.?
In the book, Prudence, based on Burk’s daughter, meets a little girl while at the beach and tries to talk to her. When the little girl doesn’t respond, Prudence becomes annoyed and complains to her mother.
Prudence’s mother tells her the girl isn’t talking to her because she can’t hear her. Prudence uses sign language she knows to finally communicate with her new friend.
Burk said she wanted everyone to know what the Paint Creek students were doing so she wrote the book.
‘I had this great book, but Mrs. Burk draws stick people,? she told the students. ‘But I had a friend who was an artist.?
Lora Riethmeier of Lake Orion, a former neighbor of Burk’s, was commissioned to illustrate the book and she helped craft personalities for the characters, including Prudence and her brother Peter.
Riethmeier helped the students draw some characters of their own, and said she likes to paint hers in watercolor like she did for the Prudence book.
Riethmeier has been an artist all her life, earning a degree at the University of Michigan and working as a graphic designer.
‘But I had never illustrated before,? she said. ‘I had done watercolors and more fine art stuff.?
Riethmeier also has children, one at home, two going to school at Good Shepherd Lutheran in Lake Orion, and one going to school at Living Word in Rochester.
Burk and Riethmeier plan to create a total of five Prudence books, and the next in the series is set to come out in the spring, called ‘Prudence Parker and the Secret Code.?
In that book Prudence befriends a blind child and learns to read braille.
‘The third book will be about Prudence meeting a friend in a wheelchair,? said Burk. ‘After that she will meet a friend who lives in a homeless shelter.?
To purchase Prudence Parker and A Sign of Friendship, visit amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, or email chrislora4@aol.com.
The book is also available for purchase at the A+ Teacher’s Store in Clarkston.