Sorry I’ve been on a bit of an impromptu blogging break.  Finishing up two summer grad classes have cut out of my writing time.  Academic work and blogging don’t always mix, either, and neither do the really fun creative writing projects on which I’ve been hoping to work.  Thanks for reading the trickle of posts on education I’ve managed.  Look for more on philosophy and some poems and stories soon!

I do have one writing project to share, though.  A while ago, I posted about the best books for baby on my fatherhood blog, and that lead to a project idea.  A local artist, Marissa Dziedzic, and I wrote and illustrated a children’s book all about Shohei-Ryu karate last year, and we’re in the process of ushering it through to self publication.  (Look for reflections on the process on this blog.)

Click through for a preview scan of the title page.

Martial arts are a big part of my life, and I can’t wait to share them with my almost-two-year-old son.  Teaching complex movements and concepts to little kids isn’t easy, and I found from my experience that teaching through games and stories is very effective.  And so the idea for this book was born.

This book is more than a teaching tool, though.  We promise the book is fun as well as educational–even for kids not interested in the martial arts.  The title is Cranky Kenny Learns Karate, and, if you couldn’t guess, it’s all about how karate helps a young boy to control his temper and to treat others peacefully and with fairness.  The moral and character-building aspects of the story are great, and we hope you’ll visit our sister site, Moai Martial Arts for more information.

Do you have experience with self-publication in digital or print media?  It’s a learning process for us, and we’d love to find out more.  Please share your experience in the comments or by e-mail!

PS – If you’d like to receive updates about the  book, you can join the Cranky Kenny Learns Karate E-mail List.  There may even be a special offer or two!