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Hayward, CA - During the 1990s, while circumnavigating the globe onboard KC-135 refueling tankers, Graciela Tiscareño-Sato was among the few women serving as aircrew members in the U.S. Air Force. As Veterans Day is November 11th, the timing is perfect to celebrate and recognize women veterans, mothers currently serving in the military, and all women who don a military uniform each day to keep us all safe.
It is critical to address the curiosity of young children about the military at a young age, both girls and boys. This children’s book does just that. Good Night Captain Mama is a multicultural, early picture book of approximately 850 words. The main character is a young boy in pajamas. As he passes Mama’s bedroom, he sees her in her olive-green Air Force-issued flight suit. The child is curious about the colorful patches on the uniform and asks questions. The patches’ symbolism helps aviator Mama explain what it means to serve in the U.S. Air Force. This sweet, reassuring story was inspired by a conversation between the author and her preschool-aged son.
“Children have a natural curiosity about military uniforms and insignia. My son’s questions, as he pulled the Velcro patches off my flight suit, provided the perfect opportunity to explain why I served. I wanted to share that child-inspired conversation with preschools, families (both military and non-military), to address that curiosity; the book idea was born that night,” says author Tiscareño-Sato.
Ron Nixon, owner of the Omaha, Nebraska veteran-owned bookstore RWR Innovations LLC, connected with Graciela through an Air Force veterans group on LinkedIn. Ron served in the Air Force, as did all four of his children. He endorsed the book saying, “American preschools and families need this book to show young children why people wear the uniform every day. By guiding the conversation in the book as the child explores his mother’s colorful uniform patches, the child learns and feels a sense of pride about his mother’s service. I am happy that Graciela has made this effort in this simple, creative way.”
“During a recent vacation, we traveled to Spokane, Washington where I was stationed,” continues TiscareñoSato. “We visited one of the units I used to fly with, the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron (ARS). A young female pilot escorted us to a hangar where a KC-135R tanker was available for my family to explore. I went first up the ladder into the cockpit as I’d done so many times before. This time however, I was able to take a picture of each of my children coming up the ladder; they were all ecstatic!”
The author is visiting Omaha, Nebraska Nov 8 – 11th to deliver a keynote at a leadership conference pertaining to her first award-winning book, Latinnovating, Green American Jobs and the Latinos Creating Them. Following that appearance, Tiscareño-Sato will be previewing her upcoming children’s book, Good Night Captain Mama for the first time anywhere. She will be at the Ralston Baright Library, on Saturday and the Durham Museum on Sunday. Event details are here. Families can also connect with Captain Mama on Facebook by searching on book’s title.
Good Night Captain Mama can now be pre-ordered at a discount off the cover price, for delivery in mid-2013. All who purchase at least two copies of this unique book will receive an embroidered military-style patch of the book’s cover art. Pre-order at http://www.captainmama.com. Cover art by illustrator Linda Lens can be seen at www.capitalwirepr.com.
About the author: Captain Graciela Tiscareño-Sato served in the U.S. Air Force for over 9 years. She was an aircrew member and instructor navigator onboard KC-135 refueling tankers. Originally from Colorado, she’s a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. She was an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Program scholarship cadet and completed the Aerospace Studies program as a Distinguished Graduate. During her active duty military career, she lived on four continents, led an airlift command center for NATO, managed a multi-service team at the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador and more. She is a speaker and blogger living in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three curious children. Graciela is the founder of award-winning niche publishing firm Gracefully Global Group LLC. Contact Graciela at www.captainmama.com.
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