Adventures of Jackie

Join Jackie and her friends on a magical adventure to explore all of the enchanted places on the farm. From the Duck Pond to Salamander Rock to the Pine Woods and the Elephant Trees, Jackie and her friends search for their special friends and investigate the natural world all around them. The story follows pigs, goats, horses, a donkey, a cat, chickens, ducks and more, as they explore their range of emotions as they find one another at their special outdoor spots. This great adventure carries them deep into the woods to find a secret, magical place to celebrate their friendship. Come along with us on the journey and discover where this experience takes them!

Adventures of Jackie is a delightful book geared toward preschool-aged children (ages 2-6) based on the adventures of animals on a farm. The inspiration for this book is nestled in the heart of this beautiful farm and Apple Orchard School. Apple Orchard School is a small preschool that has spent 50 years focusing on nature-based education and centered around the importance of social and emotional development. This book playfully uses farm animals to invite parents and children to explore the realm of feelings and emotions experienced throughout their lives. Feelings can be hard to navigate for anyone and for many children, expressing emotions is challenging. Strong emotions often make us uncomfortable. Adventures of Jackie allows children to consider various feelings throughout the story while feeling safe and comfortable. This book is based on a long legacy of animals at the Apple Orchard School and the characters are the real animals that have made a home at the school over the years. All of the special places in the book are actual locations that the children explore each day at Apple Orchard. We hope you enjoy this magical adventure on the farm!

Lee Albright founded The Apple Orchard School in Brookline, MA in 1971. She started the preschool after being frustrated at not being able to find nearby schools for their two daughters. She was renovating an old farmhouse on Allandale Farm and saw the basement as a possible place for a small group of children. Lee had recently completed the Teacher's Program at Shady Hill School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She gathered together a group of other parents, who also wanted to have the farm, animals, trees and fields be the central subjects of their children's education. Lee looked around and saw the apple trees and decided to call the school Apple Orchard. Some passionate teachers came to work with the children, and they moved into a larger space in the barn. The first animals to join the children at the school were a pig, a donkey, a horse and two goats. This started the long legacy of animals at Apple Orchard School, and they are the inspiration for the book, Adventures of Jackie. After 50 years, the school has thrived and continued to delight generations of children with its unique farm-based adventures, hands-on exploration and open-ended learning.

Note from the author: "I believe the best way to learn is to go outside and explore. Fortunately, I had a resource, Allandale Farm. It was the perfect environment to teach children about growing crops, as well as learning about trees, ducks, turtles, frogs and farm animals. This story is based on the animals, special places and magical wonder of Apple Orchard School." – Lee Albright Laura Salafia is a children's book illustrator living in the Boston area who delights in drawing animals, nature and people. Laura is the mother of two boys, a former early childhood professor, art teacher and designer. She grew up catching frogs, riding horses and had every kind of pet you can imagine. A number of years ago, Laura visited Apple Orchard School to look for a preschool for her son. She immediately fell in love. The colors, light, nature, wonder, joy and magic that she felt was overwhelming. Laura and her husband were blessed to send their two boys through Apple Orchard School for many years. Laura's illustrations for Adventures of Jackie came from a deep love for the joy Apple Orchard School brought her family and so many other families. Her illustrations are based on the magical places that her sons visited at Apple Orchard and are a combination of hand-drawn line work and digital illustration.

Laura Salafia's artwork has been recognized by American Illustration, Communication Arts, 3x3, and Creative Quarterly. She is a long-standing member of the New England chapter of the Society of Children's Book Illustrators (SCBWI) and a member of the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles. Laura likes to use bold color, unique textures, strong silhouettes, expressive gestures, and a realistic style to capture the spirit and energy of the subject. Laura received her BFA in Illustration from The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University in and is finishing her MFA in Illustration from the University of Hartford.