Anchorage, AK -- (ReleaseWire) -- 11/01/2016 --Reading to children has been proven as vital to the development of a child's mind. The National Education Association even reports that children are more likely to be able to write and count when they are read to. * In turn, parents are caught in a long and often fruitless search for the perfect books to read to their children. The ideal book would both keep children interested and convey something of moral or factual value. Unfortunately, the vast majority of children's books fall short on one mark or another. This is where Alaska Animals Far and Wide fills its niche. Written and illustrated by Kim Sherry as part of the Raven's Friends series, the book works to teach and entertain with artistic beauty.

On the educational side, the book teaches the appearances, traits, and names of a variety of animals in Alaska, paying homage to the ecological diversity of Sherry's residence in Alaska. To achieve this educational goal, each page has a elegant, silhouette-like depiction of an animal. With the resources of Alaska's Department of Fish and Game by her side, Sherry made sure to make the images accurate. Additionally, the book is written in prose, incorporating powerful vocabulary to describe each animal, providing a deeper understanding of the animal's characteristics, far beyond 'the cow goes moo'. As a side benefit, definitions for the more difficult words are included within Alaska Animals Far and Wide.

But these visual and literary tools work to do more than just educate, they entertain. Each image has a gorgeous, sunset-like, gradient background, wowing little readers. The prose-style of the writing also works to keep readers interested. By writing to both entertain and inform, Sherry's books are able to teach with greater effectiveness. Because of the quality of the work, Raven's Friends: Alaska Animals Far and Wide has already sold over one thousand softcover copies, and Sherry is working to produce hardcover copies. Unfortunately, this is an expensive task, so she has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Patrons will be rewarded with anything from an exclusive set of coloring pages to a collection of the Raven's Friends series books. With the help of readers, Kim Sherry hopes to help young ones through art and prose.

About Kim Sherry
Kim Sherry is a fourth-generation Alaskan artist with two young children of her own. Since her early years, Sherry has been fascinated by the majesty of Alaska animals. Naturally, these animals appeared in her artwork. Today she aims to share her love of animals with others through literature.

To learn more or support the hardcover edition of the book visit the Kickstarter campaign page.