Elaine Mitchell Palmore (Masters of Arts in Teaching ‘03) is publishing a series of books, in the tradition of Aesop, under the title Fresh Fables that brings child like whimsy and adult wisdom to the struggles of the human condition. These beautifully illustrated stories teach an important lesson, foster discussion, and give children a better understanding of their world. Fresh Fables present grown-up issues in a relatable way to help anyone adapt and thrive.
The first book in the series to be released is The Dragon Who Lives At Our House. In families were substance abuse is prevalent, family life can be chaotic and unpredictable. Children are often left feeling confused and abandoned. The Dragon Who Lives At Our House addresses the issue of substance abuse within the home.
“My inspiration for the book was teaching in public schools and having far too few resources to help children whose parents were in crisis. Having a picture book with explanations would have been of immeasurable help in explaining why, a dad had to go away to prison, or why mom had to go to treatment, or why a family lost everything to an addiction. The most prevalent question being, ‘Why couldn’t they just stop?’ My book answers those types of questions with words and pictures,” said author Elaine Palmore.
Palmore has 30 years of experience as an educator and administrator. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of Tennessee, a Masters of Arts in Teaching degree from Belmont University, and an American Montessori Society credential in Early Childhood and Elementary Education.
Palmore had two stints as a student at Belmont as she first attended Belmont College as an undergraduate student in 1968. She recalls, “There are some wonderful memories from all of my years at Belmont. I like to tell people that Dr. Gabhart was a young man when I started at Belmont, and he was, I was young too. In those days you couldn’t hold hands and walk around campus, dorms were single sex only, and no smoking or drinking ever. I learned to follow the rules. My tenure at Belmont for graduate school was a completely different atmosphere. Graduate school required so much written and verbal communication that my skills as a writer and public speaker were honed to a new level. I so admired my teachers, especially Dr. James Stamper who guided me through student teaching and Dr. Merrie King who was my instructor and mentor for Human Development.”
Elaine has authored articles for several local and national publications, and facilitated workshops on Montessori philosophy, parent education, and teacher preparation. She is currently Director of the Child Development Center at Middle Tennessee State University.
The Dragon That Lives At our House is published by Rising Star Studios and can be purchased locally many bookstores and Amazon.com.
