Lulu Junior Author of the Month - Hailee Breuer
Our March Author of the Month is Hailee Breuer, and in her book Bear’s Balloon, the main character Bear turns an unlucky situation into a lucky one with a little help from his friends.
On one particularly blustery day, Bear decides to visit the carnival. While there, he buys a red balloon. Much like her main character, Hailee enjoys the carnival, and she drew on this when choosing the setting of her story. Sure, Bear didn’t drink lemonade or ride the dragon roller coaster like Hailee might have, but that just goes to show how many fun activities the carnival has to offer!
Alright, let’s get back to the plot. Remember that pesky wind? Well, it blew Bear’s red balloon right out of his hands and into a tree. Fortunately, Bear’s friends arrived at the carnival in the nick of time.
The first to lend Bear a helping hand – or, paw – was Tiger. Tiger meant well, but his claws and fangs threatened to pop the balloon before he could even think about getting it from the tree. Despite this, Bear was understanding and thanked Tiger for his help.
Next to lend a helping, um, wing was Bear’s friend, Penguin. Surely Penguin could just fly to the balloon and retrieve it for Bear, right? He was a bird, after all. But the funny thing about penguins is that although they may be birds, they can’t fly. This didn’t stop Penguin from flapping his wings to give flying an honest try, but he just couldn’t get off the ground. Even still, Bear was grateful for Penguin’s help.
Finally, Bear’s friend Elephant showed up and proved the third time’s a charm! He was able to stretch his trunk up to the tree and grab Bear’s balloon. Bear made sure to thank Elephant and to hold onto his balloon as tightly as he could. Then, all four friends were able to happily return to the carnival. Even the sun was smiling!
Hailee told us that the moral of this story is to “never give up when you’re trying to figure out a problem.” There is nothing wrong with a little trial-and-error, and just think about how lucky Bear was to have a diverse enough group of friends to try so many things in the first place.
We all have special talents. That’s what makes us unique! Who knows? Maybe in the future, Bear will need Tiger’s claws or Penguin’s swimming ability. Bear may even have the opportunity to return the favor one day. Hey, what are friends for?
It is always OK to ask for help, and Hailee’s story teaches us this, as well as the importance of persevering when things don’t work out as planned. Hailee's story also encourages us to embrace our differences. We can always use our individuality to build closer relationships and communities.
Thank you for sharing your story with us, Hailee!
If you would like to know more about our Author of the Month and her passion for writing, you can read our full interview with Hailee Breuer below. You might even get a sneak peek of her next Lulu Junior story!
Read the Full Interview:
My mom and dad gave me the kit as a Christmas present.
Yes, I have always enjoyed writing and creating books. It's one of my favorite things to do.
This story came from my imagination. I had the idea about a bear who went to the carnival and lost his balloon. I thought about the different ways he could try to get it back with the help of his friends.
The Tiger is my favorite because he has claws.
I like to get lemonade at the carnival and go on the rides. My favorite ride is the dragon roller coaster.
My favorite part about writing the book was drawing and coloring the pictures.
It felt very good and I was proud of myself.
I want people to remember to never give up when you're trying to figure out a problem.
My advice is to keep practicing drawing and look at other pictures for ideas.
My next book will be about a jump roper who has a contest with his friends. The title of the book will be "The Famous Jumper."
