Author shows children ways to enjoy and appreciate their name

What is a kid to do? How do you deal with a name you don’t like?

In her new children’s book The Girl Who Did Not Like Her Name, author Chloe Jon Paulteaches children how they can find happiness with the name they were given.

Her book is a delightfully told story with beautiful illustrations about a girl who overcomes the problem with her long (Italian of origin) name -- Alessandra Theresa Petrucci. The problems she faced were many.

When she was little, grown-ups would say, “My! My! Such a BIG name for such a little girl.”

In first grade she had trouble she learned to but couldn’t fit her full name across the paper. Her letters were too big and clumsy yet.

“You have a lovely name,” her teacher said. “When your printing gets better, you’ll be able to write smaller. Maybe you could leave out your middle name for now.”

“My name is almost as long as the whole alphabet!” Alessandra Theresa wailed. What was she to do?

With a batch of delicious cookies, and a comforting ear, her grandmother shares with her a captivating story that opens up new vistas of understanding. She learns the remarkable story of how she got her name.

 

It turns out she was named in honor of her great, great grandmother, who immigrated to the United states and overcame many hardships and challenges along the way.

 

Her achievements and success were why Alessandra was alive and able to enjoy life today. She discovers the silver lining to her dark cloud.

The Girl Who Did Not Like Her Name is a unique and special book that helps parents raise children’s appreciation of their family history, and the diversity and wealth of their cultural heritage.

And the book includes the recipes for those incredible cookies, too.

The Girl Who Didn’t Like Her Name

Chloe Jon Paul

Illustrated by Danuta Zamojska Hutchins

List $12.95 

For children 7 to 11. For more information visit www.chloejonpaul.com

The story of Alessandra is based on Chloe Jon Paul’s own life.  Her mother and father named her Clotilde, which was her mother’s name.  Pretty soon they began calling her Clotie and by the time she was five, she didn’t like it at all! At school, they called her Clo, which wasn’t much better. Several years later, she embarked on personal research  and discovered that there had been a Queen Clotilde who was the wife of Clovis, king of the Franks.  After a while, it occurred to her to introduce herself as Chloe instead of Clotie and before long, everyone started calling me by that name. To this day, she only uses her full name when she signs important papers but for everyday purposes, she uses the name Chloe.

About the Author and Illustrator

Chloe Jon Paul is a retired teacher, turned writer, who still loves working with children. This is her fourth book and her first children's book. She lives in Bowie, MD.

Danuta Zamojska Hutchins, having taught foreign languages, cultures and literatures to university kids, now devotes full time to art, writing, and translation of poetry. This is the sixth book she has illustrated, three of which she has also authored are for children.