OCEAN CITY — A pet poodle named Rocky has come to the rescue again, this time to help children deal with stress in a book about a puppy getting lost at the Jersey shore.
Ocean City author Deirdre Palm Adams will be signing copies of her new children’s book, “Don’t Worry Rocky,” in the downtown during Market Days this Thursday. It is the second in her “Adventures of Rocky” series that debuted in 2021 with “Don’t Be Afraid Rocky.” The first book is meant to help children overcome their fears.
The new children’s book has Rocky being the one who needs rescuing after getting lost on the beach and getting overcome with worry. Rocky meets a new crew of characters — Jiggly the Jellyfish, Clara the Clam and Dede the Dolphin — who befriend the puppy and teach him lessons about friendship, the power of gratitude and courage.
The story is meant to encourage children to believe in themselves. The author thinks it is timely because it offers children tools to cope with the added stresses they have been feeling since the COVID-19 pandemic.
As with her first book, Adams was inspired by her own beloved poodle, Rocky. As the lifelong poodle lover told the Sentinel before a summer 2021 book signing, “After I got this dog, I always knew there was something special about her. It was love at first sight. Her love for the beach was immediate. It was a treat every day that I could get out and take a walk in the mornings and watch the sun rise. She would fetch her ball and do all sorts of fun stuff.”
The now best-selling children’s author, whose work has been featured on national media outlets, has always found Ocean City a peaceful respite from 40 years of work as a corporate executive in New York City that entailed extensive travel.
“I always valued the peace and quiet this beach gave me,” she wrote. “The sea gulls, the sound of the ocean, the salt air. As soon as I would come over the bridge, I would relax. It is the ultimate stress reliever.”
Adams’ niece, multi-media artist Lindsay Morano, illustrated this book just as she did the first.
Adams said the past few years have been challenging for children, creating anxiety and feelings of worry.
“I wanted children to know that the things that seem scary may not be so scary after all,” she wrote. “Encouraging children to rely on gratitude when they are worried and to stay focused on all the good things around them will help them stay in a positive mindset. I’m going to keep going with these books to teach children to be happy, to enjoy life, to not be afraid — all those messages the law of attraction teaches.”
Adams will be at Sun Rose Words and Music, 756 Asbury Ave., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, July 6, to sign copies of her new book.
Market Days on Thursdays in the summer feature music and other attractions, including face-painting from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., a great time to walk the avenue and peruse the 100 businesses downtown.
Book Series
Adams has planned four books in the series. Books two and three will be about experiencing joy in life and dreaming big.
To learn more about the author and her book series, go online to deirdrepalmadams.com. Her books are available at Sun Rose and online including Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff