Siblings In Franconia Area Publish Children's Book

FRANCONIA, VA — What are the best memories you remember with your siblings? For three siblings from the Franconia area, the memory of publishing a book together will surely be one to remember.

Rising fourth grader Marco Montero-Butler joined his older sisters Nalani and Leila Butler to publish "Sprinkles," a children's book focuses on adapting to the changes in life. Marco attends Island Creek Elementary School, Leila just graduated from Hayfield Secondary School and will attend Georgetown in the fall, and Nalani graduated from Hayfield in 2020 and completed her first year at the University of Virginia.

The illustrated book follows the story of puppy named Sprinkles who was rescued from an animal shelter. Readers follow Sprinkles on her first day in her new home and the pup's range of emotions to help understand the feelings behind new changes. Children can also relate the story of Sprinkles to their own experiences. The book is recommended to beginner reading levels and parents reading to toddlers and young children. It includes free activity sheets and lesson plans from the BookButler Publishing Company's website.

The book seeks to be a tool for parents and teachers who have conversations with young children about life's changes.

"Today’s climate is filled with constant shifts and changes that even adults are having a hard time navigating, and our children are often stuck in the middle of it all," states a news release on the book. "With every new adjustment, kids are more and more affected without the support and comfort of necessary outlets to process their feelings and discuss what’s going on."

While this is the first book for all three siblings, Nalani and Leila have collaborated on two other children's books. "Sprinkles" was published by BookButler Publishing Company and is available at TheBookButler.com, Amazon, most online retailers, and select retail stores.