Corpus Christi Youngsters Get Special Visit from 'Casey and Bella' Author

Jane Lovascio, author of the popular Casey and Bella children’s books series, paid a visit to the students of l on Thursday.

The Casey and Bella books are based on Lovascio’s pet dogs: Casey is a Jack Russell Terrier, Bella is a Yorkie.

In each of the six stories, which are geared for readers ages 2-8, the dogs sneak out of the house, make new friends, learn lessons and have some interesting adventures before returning home.

So far, Casey and Bella explored New York City, Hollywood, Hawaii and Boston. They’ve “Gone Green” and have faced “their first bully,” which was the featured theme during Lovascio’s presentation at Corpus Christi.

“The book about anti-bullying is very important for the children because it coincides with what we’re teaching the children here,” said third-grade teacher Josephine Paladino, who organized the presentation.

Lovascio does not charge a fee for visiting schools or other organizations, and donates a percentage of her proceeds from book sales to various children’s charities, Paladino said.

“I love doing this, and as a gift to each school, I donate a set of books and Casey and Bella [stuffed] dolls to keep in the library,” said Lovascio.

Her presentation included a video presentation - the children viewed
photos of the real Casey and Bella, the animated versions and a sample of an interactive video game designed specially to go hand-in-hand with the books.

Last year, Locascio initiated a student-participation program which allows “young authors” to submit story ideas for the upcoming Casey and Bella adventures. The writing contest is open to children grades 3 through 5. Every child who enters is awarded a certificate and the grand prize winner receives a monetary award and has his or her book idea published.

“The winner attends a book signing event with me and the real Casey and Bella,” said Lovascio. “It’s a great way to teach children that they can do anything if they believe in themselves.”

Information can be found on Lovascio’s Web site at CaseyandBella.com,
or on CuddlyBooks.com.