A children's story about a balloon with an inflated ego.

Hope, the Pink Balloon! is a sweet and delightful children's story that seeks to follow the main character, Hope, as she floats about to visit with each of her six balloon friends. Daisy, Nifty, Bounce, Patrick, Holly-Kathryn, and Grace each share with Hope their excitement and adventures for the day. The colors and faces of each balloon parallel their individual adventure and offer insight as to the joy their duty brings to them. Hope offers kind and supportive words along the way to each balloon as a boost of daily encouragement. She is the main character in this first of seven books and perhaps the balloon of hope and wisdom--note her initial lack of hair and string of pearls. The dialogue between Hope and her friends is meant to demonstrate the importance of kindness and respect we should all show towards one another. Near the end, Hope meets the final balloon, Grace, who eventually suffers an untimely fate, the outcome of which seeks to symbolize the amazing love and grace offered to each of us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This story was inspired by true events. The real Katie was 41 years old with three young children when she was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart that was all too familiar to her family. Her father has the same condition. When the shock of the diagnosis had passed, she decided to do what she could to fight back. She wanted to make a difference. She started a fundraising campaign to assist with funding research into the condition. Her logo included a pink balloon. Dr. Heather in the story is based on the real Dr. Heather Ross, a world-renowned Cardiologist. The author of the story is Katie’s mom, Nancy Shea; a retired nurse with experience in both pediatrics and cardiology. The story is illustrated by Katie’s aunt Elizabeth Halka, who herself suffered a tragic loss in the weeks following Katie’s diagnosis. For the family, this is a symbolic story of a journey of hoping, helping and healing. Proceeds from the sale of this book will be directed to: The Katie Shea Cardiomyopathy Research Fund To read more about Katie’s story; and about Dr. Heather Ross, the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre and the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research at Toronto General Hospital, please visit her website at: www.katiehearttoheart.ca

“Samantha King explains how, beyond being an all-too-frequent and still-too-lethal disease for many women, breast cancer is a corporate dream come true.” —Herizons “Fascinating. King’s deft and thoughtful interpretation of the pink ribbon phenomenon is an important wake-up call. Going against the grain, she takes a clear-eyed look at a trend that often seems to outshine the disease that put it on the map.” —Women’s Review of Books “King’s criticisms of breast-cancer philanthropy provide a new means of looking at one of our culture’s most celebrated causes. For anyone who has ever squirreled away yogurt lids for the cause, Pink Ribbons, Inc. is food for thought.” —Bitch “A fascinating read for anyone whose life has been touched by breast cancer.” —Curve “Breast cancer advocacy is being transformed from meaningful civic participation into purchasing products. To understand the personal, social, and political costs, read this book.” —Barbara Brenner, Executive Director of Breast Cancer Action In Pink Ribbons, Inc., Samantha King traces how breast cancer has been transformed from a stigmatized disease and individual tragedy to a market-driven industry of survivorship. Here, for the first time, King questions the effectiveness and legitimacy of privately funded efforts to stop the epidemic among American women. Highly revelatory-at times shocking-Pink Ribbons, Inc. challenges the commercialization of the breast cancer movement. Samantha King is associate professor of physical and health education and women’s studies at Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontario

In thirty essays on the joys and heartaches of motherhood--from longing for a newborn to waiting for a teen to arrive home late at night--Kathryn E. Livingston, who has written for national magazines on parenting topics for two decades, explores the universal feelings and experiences all mothers share. The perfect gift book for new as well as "seasoned" moms, "All About Motherhood" charts the interior journey women make when they give birth and take on the most demanding and dynamic role of their lives. With poignancy and candor, this mother of three captures the essence of motherhood, probing the conflicting emotions a woman feels in her heart as she watches her babies grow up. "Kathryn E. Livingston's essays distill all that we mothers know to be true about ourselves. Her witty, reassuring pieces are islands of calm in our hectic parenting world."--Abigail Gary, editor, mother