[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7MSGLsZi2o[/youtube]
About this Project
Using a twist on an old concept called The Golden Rule, The Davy Rule is a picture book for early readers ages 4 – 6. Filled with vibrant drawings and fun language for children, and supported by hands-on teaching tools for parents and teachers, The Davy Rule helps children identify bullying and shows them what to do in unique and helpful ways.
Featuring the real life Frisbee Catch World Champion and 2-time Guinness World Record holder Davy Whippet, The Davy Rule teaches tolerance and helps children understand the problem of bullying. In the pages of this book, Davy Whippet is bullied by other dogs. He’s a great runner, so he runs away. When that doesn’t help, he tries other things. Children follow along as he teaches them how to handle the bullying by reaching out, not running away.
This book, filled with delightful images of dozens of different sizes and colours and breeds of dogs, is about being unique. It’s about embracing differences. It helps both the bullies and the bullied accept diversity. The Davy Rule is about doing what you love and about supporting others no matter how different they are. Even if you don’t understand their unique passion. It helps children stop and think before they bully. It provides helpful tools for kids who are being bullied.
The Davy Rule embraces an old idea about how to treat others and then turns it on its head. The result is something that is vibrant, beautiful, and full of funny dog sounds that are fun for adults and children to read together. Parents and educators will appreciate the instructional section, filled with practice exercises, discussion topics and games for children. Designed by our early childhood expert, it will help them navigate early relationship building and bully issues.
About Davy
Davy is a six-year-old, 29 pound, male whippet dog, called Davy Whippet. He holds 2 Guinness World Records and 4 World Championships. He is owned and trained by Lara Sorensen and Brent Bard. Because he is smaller than many dogs, Davy can find himself being picked on by other dogs. But because whippets are the second fastest dog in the world, Davy is always able to run away. He doesn’t like it when other dogs are mean to him.
Our Story
The idea of doing a children’s book came from Frisbee Hall of Famer Ken Westerfield. He suggested to Rob McLeod that the many records he and Davy have set were accomplishments that could inspire children and would make a good book.
Rob McLeod, known as Frisbee Rob, holds 6 Guinness World Records (2 of them with Davy), 8 Frisbee World Championships (4 of them with Davy) and is the exclusive thrower to Davy. Rob and Davy are best friends.
With Davy often at his side, Rob McLeod has spoken to thousands of children and teachers in schools across the country. He has worked hard to develop a theme that children understand and which is helpful to teachers and parents.
Rob approached Olyn Ozbick with the idea of creating this children’s book. A widely published writer of fiction and non-fiction, Olyn has won numerous awards for editing and publishing. She and Rob met through dog disc. Olyn has a crazy blue-eyed border collie who, like Davy, loves Frisbee. Olyn also has two children and understands the importance of children’s books and positive messages.
Rob and Olyn spent a lot of time talking about this book, working to figure out the best way they could help children solve problems with bullies and form healthy friendships. They read books and papers, attended talks, met with parents, teachers and principals. Rob spent hours in schools, from elementary up to high school. He talked at assemblies and spoke to kids.
They wanted to get it right. It’s a hard problem. They wondered: How can we start making a change?
The word ‘start’ was a key. So they decided their book should be written for younger children. Kids just starting out in school and learning new concepts.
When Lais Rumel joined the team, she brought her knowledge of how to help children with bully issues through her training in education and experience as an elementary school teacher. Lais talked about solutions educators were using in early education. One of these used an idea called The Golden Rule: to treat others the way you want to be treated. It’s a good rule. They all liked it. But was it really helping?
Then Rob got an exciting idea. “We need to change it,” he said. “Turn it around and make it a new rule that works in our new world.” And The Davy Rule was born.
Simply put, The Davy Rule is: treat others the way that they want to be treated. It’s about getting to know the other person. Even if they are different. It’s important to embrace those differences.
So Olyn started to write. Davy became the main character and lots of other dogs were added to the story. Fun sounds were created for kids to make as they read.
With all of that crazy dog stuff going on, Rob suggested the team ask Shannon Darch to illustrate. Shannon is well known for her exceptional and delightful dog illustrations which are commissioned internationally. Shannon is a super busy Illustrator, they hoped she would have time to work with them. When she said yes, they were elated.
The team was complete.
The result is a children’s book that is beautiful, fun to read and helpful to parents, children and educators.
We can’t wait to bring this book to the world. To help inspire and teach kids how to treat others with respect, love and kindness.
Help us Publish this Book
We decided to put this project on Kickstarter because it is the fastest and best way to get the word out about what we are doing. We truly believe that Davy’s story and our message will help children learn about kindness and empathy. And we need your help.
If a world full of kids who understand how to be kind and supportive to others is a world you want to live in, please back this project and help us bring this book to the world.
With love and wet dog noses,
The Davy Whippet team
Rob McLeod, Olyn Ozbick, Shannon Darch, Lais Rumel, Lara Sorensen, Brent Bard