What Is Cally and Me?
Cally and Me is a children’s picture book that captures the essence of childhood desire (friendship, adventure, and fun) and inspires imagination and creativity, while empowering girls to rely on each other and themselves. In addition, this book was written to support Dolch sight words for grades K-2 and is intended for ages 5-7, though adults and children of all ages will enjoy it!
Join two young girls as they journey through an enchanted garden when their ordinary picnic is transformed and a magical kingdom is revealed. But when their horses lead them into the Forest of Fear, they’ll have to rely on each other (and some bees) to make it back home…
The Creative Process
In 2015, I was studying creative writing in Paris and wrote the first version of Cally and Me. I was amazed to find that kids – and adults! – loved it. So over the next year, the story evolved (countless hours and 28 revisions later) and became what it is today. With the encouragement from friends, family, teachers and other writers, I decided to independently publish the book, allowing me to retain creative freedoms that can sometimes be limited when working with a traditional publisher.
I commissioned Helen Turner, to illustrate the book and with 9 months of collaboration and creativity, the characters came to life on the page. To date, I’ve invested hundreds of hours and over $15,000 on this project – I believe in it that much! But I can’t finish it alone, I need your help to bring the book to market…
Support The Campaign
We launched a kickstarter campaign to bring the full-color, 34 page, hardback book to market. You can view and support the campaign here.
Check out the videos on the campaign page and enjoy a sneak peek of me reading the book in Paris! With your support, we will give children an uplifting book that encourages friendship and that will foster a love of reading, for the next generation of young girls. Together, we can bring a dream to life and share Cally and Me with readers around the world.
Please support Cally and Me by making a pledge today and sharing the campaign with your friends! Thanks for your time, consideration, and THANK YOU for your support!
Rachel
Do You Remember Your Childhood Dreams?
One of mine was to write a children’s picture book and that’s why you’re here today…
As an Oregon native, having a deep appreciation for the outdoors, nature plays a key role in this story. From character names and dresses created to mimic garden flowers, to their adventure through the forest and victory with the bees, you’ll find that Cally and Me inspires the reader to explore the wonders of nature, starting in their own backyard.
Inspired by Monet’s Gardens in Giverny, France and the life-long friendship between my Grandma and her best friend, Zella, Cally and Me is not only an engaging story that invites the reader to come along on an exciting journey, but also one that will inspire young girls to use their imagination, be creative, and rely on themselves.
With your support, we will give children an uplifting book that encourages friendship and that will foster a love of reading, for the next generation of young girls.
Together, we can bring a dream to life and share Cally and Me with readers around the world. Check out the campaign and make a pledge today and share the campaign with your friends! THANK YOU for your support!
Here’s What Readers Are Saying…
- “I love the details! It’s just like me and my best friend!”
- “Cally and Me takes me back to exactly the kind of story I used to love as a child, the stories that seemed to capture my own boredom and longing for adventure, and offer an escape route from mundane daily life.”
- “I can see this as a Disney/Pixar movie!”
- “I love this book! It should be a series.”
- “Cally is friendly, calm, and confident giving a hand [to lift] me up – to go fly and look for my dreams. The message will help a lot of people in the world!”
Rachel O’Brien-Eddy wants young readers to believe in the power of a dream. As a personal transformation expert, author, speaker, and success coach she has spent the majority of her career teaching adults how to get on the fast track to success. Because so many of the building blocks for success are learned at a young age, writing a children’s book about imagination, possibility, and empowerment has been one of her life-long dreams.
Additionally, Rachel has been recognized as one of America’s PremierExperts™ in personal development and has been seen on ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX. She is the host of Infinite Success® Radio and creator of the award-winning Infinite Success® System. Her primary focus is to encourage, inspire, and empower people of all ages to achieve their dreams.
As an adventure seeker and lover of life, Rachel has had the privilege of traveling all over the world and living internationally with her family. With a passion for writing and photography, she finds inspiration in everyday life as well as when she travels. Some of her favorite destinations include France, Ireland, England, Hawaii, South Korea, Scotland, and Thailand.
With an artistic granny, father and uncle, and after a childhood of endless doodling, it seemed inevitable that Helen Turner would seek a career as an illustrator.
After receiving her BA Honors in Graphic Design at Nottingham Trent University, she found her big break creating editorial illustrations for a number of UK magazines. Since then, she has worked with top publishers such as Bloomsbury, Orchard Books, Egmont and Scholastic illustrating a wide range of children’s books. She has drawn everything from mermaids to teen detectives and loves the creative challenges of life as a freelance artist!
In 2013 she set up a stationery business called Rosie & Radish with graphic designer Amy Clarke, creating their own brand of greeting cards and gifts. She regularly goes on drawing adventures around the world, seeking inspiration from places near and far – most recently Hong Kong, New York and Tanzania. When Helen is not busy illustrating quirky little children’s characters she loves to hang out with her two little boys Bertie and Ned, her crazy dog Ralph and her husband Luke exploring the scenic countryside of North East England.
