This book is part of a heartwarming series that inspires and encourages young minds. Young readers will be delighted through the magic in these adventures as they learn lessons that support and strengthen their confidence and independence. In the Big Red Balloon, Daisy-May Duck and her forest friends, especially Riley Raccoon, learn a lesson about friendship and the value of friends. Life Lesson Projects are included! My goal in writing this series of books is to address the concerns and situations that children face each day. I hope to give them the tools and skills to address their questions and challenges with optimism and confidence. Barbara McMynn Hegy, author and illustrator, wrote the The Adventures of Daisy-May Duck to encourage children and give them the skills to strengthen their confidence and independence. After completing her BS and MS degrees at the University of Colorado she continued her education in Psychology and child development. She spent much of her life as an advocate for children. She knew firsthand the importance of helping children imagine and internalize valuable life lessons and skills. After working in social services, as a foster parent, and later operating a group home for children, she learned how to give them the tools and life skills that would ignite and spark a useful happy life for each child. She chose baby animal characters for their innocence and their ability to appeal to children. The anthropomorphic characteristics in the animals help a child relate to them and empathize with their thoughts and feelings. Simple childlike drawings were used in a consistent recognizable place where a familiar character can become a child's friend. Lessons at the end of each story plant seeds of confidence that will sprout and grow as the child grows, letting them know that they are valuable and ready to take on the world.