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I grew up in Carmel, California, and have been working these past 25 years as an elementary teacher in international schools throughout the world.
Born in Korea to an American father and a German mother, I consider myself to be a true “Third Culture” kid. Not only later in life, but also as a youngster, my family moved a lot. My parents always stressed the value of getting to know other cultures, which my wife and I have tried to pass on to our two daughters.
Books For Benjamin, about to be released, is my first book for children. It tells the story of a worm who is different from his family and sets off to pursue his dream of finding "real" books. I was inspired by a visit to the largest library in the world, the Library of Congress and thought it would be great to create a character who loved libraries and reading. Like Benjamin, I can’t live without books!
Reviewed by Melanie Kennedy for Readers' Favorite
Books for Benjamin by R.G. de Rouen is a delightful children’s book about Benjamin, a unique little worm, and his quest to find knowledge. Benjamin isn’t like other worms that love to eat fruit and mulch – he wants to read! He bravely sets out to find more books to satisfy his real appetite for words. On his journey, he encounters some scary predicaments and is ultimately saved by an amazing librarian. She introduces him to libraries and their essential place in society. Before they know it, Benjamin has read all the books, some even twice, and the librarian and Benjamin go on an exciting trip to the largest library in the world. Benjamin and his escapades are illustrated by Uliana Barabash and she brings the littlest worm and his great dream to life with soft and pleasant pastels.
Books for Benjamin is a heartwarming tale of following your dreams despite the obstacles in the way. As an avid reader, and a constant consumer of library books in my youth, I’ve felt like I’ve been little Benjamin myself. R.G. de Rouen does a wonderful job of making Benjamin’s story exciting and educational at the same time. The author provides the reader with some interesting facts about libraries at the end of the book and even includes a little game for children to play each time they see a new book – ensuring they never forget Benjamin and his quest. Uliana Barabash’s illustrations are pleasing to the eye and any child will love the evocative pictures and colorful scenes. I know I did.
