Does “Pixie the chicken” or “Fenway the cat” sound familiar to you? Then you were probably one of the lucky students treated to a live book reading by author Karen E. Rose!
Ms. Karen recently read her book Pixie & Fenway: Unlikely Friends at Two Mountain Farm, for first and second graders at St. Dominic School, Sr. Marie Laurence students now attending school in that building, St. Joseph School, as well as the second graders at the Seventh Day Adventist School.
Some older students may also have recognised Ms. Karen, who has visited a few of these schools before for the free book readings. She came all the way from her home, a small farm in Vermont, USA.
“This is a true story,
Take it from me.
I am the Farm Mom,
And with my eyes I see.
A chicken and a cat,
Such a mismatched pair.
But though they are different,
A kind friendship they share.
So find a comfy seat,
And lend a keen ear.
A true story of friendship,
Is what you are about to hear”
And so begins the tale of housecat Fenway and Pixie the chicken, who came to live on Fenway’s turf – the screened porch. Ms. Karen decided to move Pixie there, because the poor chicken was being picked on by the others – a victim of the “pecking order.”
She wondered how the two would get along, and was pleasantly surprised to see that they interacted quite well and became friends! Ms. Karen started sharing the story on social media and was encouraged to write a book about the animals.
The story of this unusual friendship highlights the fact that you never know where and how you might meet a great friend, and shows that we can all be friends, even if we are very different.
At the end of the book readings, students asked questions, saw pictures of the animals, and talked about how they are friends with people who are different from them.
How are your friends different from you? Can you name some differences?
When Ms. Karen hosted readings of the book closer to home in Vermont, Pixie even came along to the classroom!
Ms. Karen told KIDS Herald that although she knew some artists, she thought that it would be nicer if school children made the drawings for the book. And so, four children became the illustrators of the story.
Since her first book, Ms Karen has written two more storybooks, as well as one fun activity book. While Pixie was the first chicken to move to the screened porch and had been part of a smaller group of chickens, the farm now counts 52 chickens total, five of which live on the porch.
The second book, A Sweet Lemon Arrives at Two Mountain Farm, tells the story of another addition to the screened porch gang. Lemon arrived as a two-day old chick that was born without eyes! With help from Lemon’s new friends Fenway and Pixie, Lemon managed to overcome her shortcoming and live life as a normal chicken.
When Ms. Karen reads this book to children, she likes to talk about helping others. Have you ever helped someone who needed it?
The third book, Lost and Found Friends at Two Mountain Farm, tells the story of Pixie passing away. The remaining friends, Fenway, Lemon and another chicken Minnie, support each other, share fond memories and tell funny stories.
The moral of the story is that loved ones are never really lost, as you can find them in your heart. In the same book, another friend is introduced and accepted into the group – Luis, the one- eyed rooster. The other new character, Minnie, has difficulties walking. Since the third book was published, another chicken – Keebler, the result of a classroom hatch project, born with clubbed feet – has also joined.
Ms. Karen is of course narrating the stories, which means she’s guessing what the animals would be “saying” to one another; but all of the interactions described are what she can observe in real life.
With such a diverse bunch, there have been a lot of interesting interactions to write about. The second and third books were also illustrated by children.
So what’s next? Ms. Karen may or may not write another book – she’ll have to see what events inspire her. However, this month, she became a licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator and will be handling injured and orphaned animals such as possums, porcupines, squirrels and rabbits.
We have the feeling this won’t be the last we hear about the friendships at Two Mountain Farm.
If you attend St. Dominic, St. Joseph or the Seventh Day Adventist schools, check out your school library for a copy of these books. Students at other schools can also ask an adult to visit www.twomtnfarmbooks.com or to find Two Mountain Farm Books on Facebook to see pictures.
