I BELIEVE: I Can Learn to Draw and Paint, Just Like Sara, the Golden Mare by Suzanne Mondoux

A wonderful interactive colouring and activity book for children.

I think we should always encourage creativity, and build self-esteem in our children and grandchildren, and this is why I love the ‘I Believe’ series of children’s books.

In this the third book in the series, two brave horses, Teddy and Carlo, decide to go on an adventure and visit the desert. When they arrive they are amazed at its size and beauty. However, they are even more surprised when the most beautiful horse which has golden hair and a silver mane comes over to say hello, with her friends the Mustangs.

The horse is called Sara and she’s very friendly. As they talk together Sara tells them about her life when she ran wild, before she met the Mustangs. She explains that now they all look after the desert, and the rich diversity of wildlife which live in it.

When she discovers that Teddy and Carlo don’t know how to draw or paint she offers to teach them, explaining that when she arrived she didn’t know either, but that with encouragement and practice it is easy to get better, and have great fun doing so.

At this stage the wonderful interactive part of this book really comes to life. It starts with a follow the numbers dot to dot to complete of a desert bird, which can then be coloured in, and then the author encourages children experiment with mixing colours and doing finger painting. This really appealed to my granddaughter, we had great fun discovering what colours different combinations made, and inventing a few of our own.

Then children are encouraged to first draw a Mountain Lion, colour it in, and then use their imagination to draw an animal a day for 30 days, and create scenes with people helping them. This is a lovely way for children to learn about animals, be creative, but also to think about animals, their needs, and how we can help them.

The author, in this interactive book has, by showing children simple skills, and inspiring, them through a lovely story, used positive reinforcement to empower them to have confidence in their own ability to draw and paint.

About the Author:

Suzanne Mondoux: A Voice For Animals
Explorer, Environmental Professional, Author.
French Canadian-born author and environmentally-conscious mining manager Suzanne Mondoux is dedicated to the protection of wildlife and the environment. “I am passionate about the well-being of animals.” In the Republic of Congo she wrote about her work with elephants. “The title of my first book ‘How I Became a Dragon’ refers to the tusks of elephants killed for the ivory that arrives in China, where the dragon is synonymous with Chinese culture.”
Mondoux wrote her second novel while working the Rep of Guinea –
Her second novel ‘Tragedy of the Moth’. Since then she has published The Adventures of Anuk: the first leap, and Anuk: book of words, and children series colouring and activity books (10) – I Believe series. She continues to work in Africa doing Biodiversity work.

About the Book:

The series I Believe is a journey of discovery and gratitude with amazing animal beings. 1. I Believe: I Am Courageous and an Explorer, Just Like Carlo and Teddy, Two Amazing Horses. 2. I Believe: I Am a Great Reader and Writer, Just Like Jojo, the Talented Horse. 3. I Believe: I Can Learn to Draw and Paint, Just Like Sara, the Golden Mare. 4. I Believe: It Is Okay to Be Afraid and Talk about My Fears, Just Like Sparky, the Amazing Dog. 5. I Believe: I Can Learn Something New, Just Like Cody, The Best Dog Swimmer. 6. I Believe: It Is Easy to Be Kind and Good to One Another and to Animals, Just Like Baxter, the Magnificent Dog. 7. I Believe: I Have Confidence in Myself, Just Like Rocky, the Musical Dog. 8. I Believe: I Can Find Solutions to Any Challenge or Adversity, Just Like Max, the Cat. 9. I Believe: It Is Fun Discovering the World Around Me, Just Like Sara, Carlo, and Teddy, the Curious Horses. 10. I Believe: I Can Be Thankful and Grateful Every Day for One Thing in My Life, Just Like Carlo and Teddy and All Their Friends at the Ranch. Suzanne Mondoux—A Voice for Animals (http://suzannemondoux.com). Suzanne Mondoux is the author of the series The Adventures of Anuk: The First Leap, an ecological story of a young girl on a quest to save the world.

Available in Paperback and eBook format from Balboa Press https://www.balboapress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/792846-i-believe

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Believe-Learn-Draw-Paint-Golden/dp/198222253...

and Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-believe-suzanne-mondoux/11314456...