Children's book teaches patriotism

By Candace Chase

The Daily Inter Lake

"American Patriotism" is not Republican red or Democrat blue between the lines - but rather red, white and blue from beginning to end.

The new children's book from Bigfork-based Standup America Publishing teaches American values such as civility and peace-making that make people proud to be citizens. A children's book website called it a delightfully illustrated book that takes a view beyond "patriot" as a political label.

"It explains to young readers that being a patriot means being kind, forgiving, compassionate and a good citizen."

Patriotism should never be political, according to Heidi Roedel of Kalispell, the graphic artist who laid out the book. But she said she thinks it's crucial to help children learn our historic values and take pride in their country.

"If you lose patriotism, that's when a country starts to crumble," she said.

Bigfork resident Paul Vallely, a retired Army major general, couldn't agree more. The founder of Standup America Publishing, he has published eight books in five years spanning a variety of subjects from military leadership to western novels.

This represents the first children's book shepherded to publication by Vallely, Roedel and editor Kathleen Hawkins of Bigfork.

"It's a great primary reader," Vallely said. "It's meant for parents or grandparents to read to their children."

He said the idea for the book started with a serendipitous meeting between author Kerry Patton and illustrator Rachel Simmons, a teenage girl in Pennsylvania. Vallely said Patton, a college professor and national security expert, was much impressed by the young girl's artistic talent and patriotic ideals.

From that meeting, the concept of the book emerged.

"They came to me and wanted to do a grade-school to middle-school book on what it means to be an American," Vallely said. "I thought it was a great idea. We may do a more advanced book next."

Vallely said he thinks public schools spend too little time discussing patriotism, the Constitution and founding fathers. He said that inspired him to publish the book for young people.

"We would like all the schools to have them," he said. "We're getting a great reaction to it."

Vallely said work on the book consumed about nine months. It came out in April after a lot of hard work by Roedel and Hawkins.

They have worked as a team on several other Standup America Publishing books such as "Forgotten Peacekeepers," "Leadership - Combat Leaders and Lessons" and "Storm," a Navy SEAL adventure novel.

Roedel said she met Vallely and began doing some projects with him through her business Utmost Graphics when her husband was deployed to Iraq. She designed business cards, the www.standupamericaus.com website and then books through the publishing company.

"He's a good general," she said. "He asks you to do things with such confidence that you just want to live up to it."

Hawkins came to Standup America Publishing through Roedel. Both mothers of three children, the two met at a birthday party just as the editor for the publishing company wanted time off.

"I have a B.A. in English," she said. "I've always loved words. When Heidi approached me about editing, it turned out to be fun and challenging."

Roedel called their first book "Sucker Punch" a real learning experience. She said the next projects progressed smoothly including "American Patriotism."

When Hawkins received the copy from the author, she said she only needed to clean it up a little bit. The text on each page takes inspiration from one of the letters in the title.

"I fine-tuned it," she said. "As far as the text, I didn't change it a lot."

She said they purposely left in larger words that might challenge primary school readers a bit. Hawkins said the author's idea was to trigger a family discussion.

Roedel agreed.

She said she could imagine children reading the book and asking why their father or another family member joined the military and why it was important for them to serve their country.

"We go through a lot of dinners with no conversations of substance," she said.

Part of Patton's inspiration for the book, Roedel said, was the lack of patriotism he observed in his college students. She said both Patton and Vallely have strong feelings on the subject.

"They're very passionate about changing that direction," she said.

Roedel said that the illustrator Simmons was one young person completely in tune with love of country as well as one who lives the American ethic of hard work and responsibility.

"She did some 20 pictures," she said. "We set a deadline of Christmas so she did one every two weeks. I scanned them and put them in the right format for the book."

She added that children love the colorful pictures featuring youngsters like themselves. Roedel said their grandparents love the concept of the book.

"They are really enthusiastic," she said. "When we mention it to them they say, ‘I want to teach them this.' This is very much of that generation - they're very patriotic."

As a former home-schooler, Hawkins said she noticed a need for a book like this. In the fall, she and Roedel plan to work with both public and private schools on an idea to use "American Patriotism" for fundraising.

They think the book promotes ideas and values the most Americans can agree on as they celebrate the Fourth of July. Page one and two set the stage.

"America is the land of the free. Men and women have died for our freedoms; never forget them in your prayers."

Locally, "American Patriotism" is available at The Bookshelf at 101 S. Main St. in Kalispell. On the Internet, readers may buy it from www.standupamerica.com or www.amazon.com.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com .