DRAGONFLY CAPITALIZES ON BOOK EVENTS TO SHARE SERIES FOR KIDS FACING TOUGH TIMES

Wethersfield, CT - (April 12, 2004) – As book lovers gather to celebrate the art of the written word during the Book Expo and National Poetry Month, Dragonfly Publishing looks to smaller, more personal gatherings of children and adults as they face tough times. The company's Barklay & Eve book series uses the written word as a means to help children dealing with difficult life issues.

Dragonfly Publishing believes that as an important and integral learning tool in our society, books bring parents and children together, bridging generation gaps through educational and fun stories. The Barklay & Eve book series, written and illustrated by Karen Carney, takes this relationship a step further by offering children and adults a medium in which to comfortably discuss difficult life subjects such as: moving, divorce, loss, and diseases such as cancer.

"Children need to be validated and informed. They have questions they may find difficult to ask or phrase," said Carney. "As a nurse, social worker, and mother, I saw a great need for a means to assist adults in explaining difficult subjects to children. The Barklay & Eve series explains facts to children, but importantly, it also opens a dialogue for children to discuss topics with the adults in their lives."

The rise in popularity of chain bookstores, events such as the Book Expo, and the increasing number of children's publications, parents can become even more involved in book selections for their children as they become increasingly aware of the variety of choices offered by both large and small publishers. Carney says, "Although it is wonderful that there is a rise in the volume of children's books choices, yet very few of them deal with difficult life subjects that, unfortunately, many children have to encounter.'

"The limited number of books that are out there on these topics often don't include activities, ask questions, or stimulate communication. I created the Barklay & Eve book series to change that," Carney explained. "There may never be an easy way to talk to children about subjects such as cancer. The books in the series are informative and thought provoking, without being overbearing. I designed the books to deliver their topics of discussion with caring and ease, taking into account the myriad of emotions people feel during tough times.'

The Barklay & Eve collection, currently a series of eight different books, stars two dog characters, based on Carney's real life pets, and offers adults a means to educate children about many different tough topics that nearly all children will encounter in some way. Carney, a registered nurse, licensed clinical social worker, and director of one of the only solely dedicated programs for grief and bereavement counseling, The D'Esopo Resource Center in Wethersfield, CT, continues to gather information for future books in the series.

"The characters, Barklay and Eve emphasize the importance of having the love and support of family and friends during difficult times. I believe that's the most important and beneficial message in the series," said Carney.

The Barklay and Eve books are oversized laminated coloring-books that carry a retail price of $7.95 each with all of the proceeds going to the D'Esopo Resource Center, which helps support children and adults of all ages through the grieving process.

All books in the series are written in child-friendly terms, so that children have a better understanding of perplexing life subjects. Adults are encouraged to read along with children, making the books an aid when talking to children about sensitive subjects. Some of the books include: Together We'll Get Through This, recognizes and validates all kinds of losses that children may have, including divorce, moving, illness or death of pets and other loved ones; They're Part of the Family: Barklay and Eve Talk to Children about Pet Loss, helps children through the painful process of losing a pet. In addition other Barklay and Eve books concern cremation, the Jewish tradition of burial and mourning with an explanation of the term, "Sit Shiva,' organ and tissue donation, and others.

As a recipient of the American Cancer Society's Lane W. Adams Award, Carney has earned national recognition for clinical excellence. She has been an adjunct professor at Central Connecticut State University and Southern Connecticut State University for over 10 years, teaching courses in Death and Dying, Bereavement and Aging.

In addition to the books, Dragonfly Publishing currently offers plush Barklay & Eve products, and the company is open to expansion on its plush manufacturing, as well as all other licensed product categories. For more information on Dragonfly Publishing, Barklay & Eve, and The D'Esopo Resource Center, visit the company website at www.barklayandeve.com