Red Ribbons - Breathe is part 1 of 3. The Red Ribbons book series follows protagonist Noelle Rose as she battles the evil Alexander by dancing and using her magical Red Ribbons to share love-joy, a secret power and gift. In this volume Noelle Rose learns to turn the tragedy of the loss of her mother into a beautiful quest for knowledge and truth. She discovers her powers of the Red Ribbons and unveils mysteries about her past. She overcomes adversity by turning "tragedy to triumph".
This allegorical tale is based on real life dancer and Emmy nominated writer Noelle Rose Andressen. It teaches children about creativity, how to stand up to bullies, speak up against all forms of abuse or wrongdoings, and celebrates the indomitable human spirit that demands to not only survive but thrive.
The Red Ribbons book series has several editions written for varoius ages. This edition is appropriate for those between 6-9 and contains simple line drawings that can be colored or used for children to add more to the original drawings.
The author's goal is to bring light and love to those that may never have experienced it and give hope that they too can achieve greatness and "triumph over tragedy"(TM).
For you the parent: Please know that while these tales are based on the author's true life stories and trials, it's been written and turned into a fanciful children's version that can be seen as allegorical fairy tale or a "True Fairy-Tale" symbolically told.
The "Chapter Book" versions are abridged versions of the complete tale and geared for younger children still learning about words and meanings. The language is fairly basic but also some challenging words are used to help develop vocabulary. The text is larger and spaced wider to make it easier for developing brains and eyes to absorb.
The "Young Readers" versions and "Young Adult" versions of this book series goes deeper into the complexity of the drama, characters, and narrative of the same stories. Even the drawings are more detailed versus the simplified hand sketched line drawings. The vocabulary is elevated and also challenges the readers to develop more comprehension skills as well as be entertained, spark the imagination, and help create a strong female role model. The beauty about these books is that the young boy will also be drawn to these stories as there are several male characters that help drive the story and can cause the youth to appreciate sharing leadership roles.
The different versions were intended to be geared towards various age groups from children to adults. This method of story-telling can be seen as a form of education as children and their parents can love these stories and enjoy them together as they develop as human beings. As your children grow and mature they can read the other versions of the same story and enjoy more details and drama.
About the Red Ribbons tradition: It has been a tradition within the author's family to tie red ribbons on theirr Christmas tree. From those red ribbons photos of her loved ones would hang to help her remember them. The symbol of the red ribbons is also a reminder to the author of what she overcame. She's not saddened by them, but encouraged by them. They are a sign of victory.
Victory is exactly what Noelle Rose Andressen wants to impress upon the youth so they too can "triumph over tragedy"(TM).