Two Classic Christmas Stories
for
Children of ALL Ages
________________
Cynthia Ann Powers
Powerful Message for Children
Razzle is dreaming about dazzling the world by learning to fly and leading Santa’s Sleigh with her Green-Nose. Everyone tells her ‘No’ including Santa Claus because girl reindeers don’t fly……..but she doesn’t give up!
Razzle Dazzle, The Green-Nosed Reindeer was written to show children, especially young girls, that they are powerful and can achieve anything that boys can. Young boys learn to respect girls, treating them as their equal. It’s a story of courage & determination, despite the odds, to live your dreams.
It’s a fun and light story with dazzling illustrations that enhance the experience for young readers.
Razzle Dazzle is a magical story that allows the legacy of 'The Night before Christmas' to be carried on for generations to come with male and female reindeers collaborating to help Santa and Mrs. Claus continue the tradition of Christmas. The power of the feminine combined with the masculine is a formidable force - love!
Razzle has restored hope to the world with Christmas Magic!
Inspiration
Once upon a time there was a little girl with brown curls that loved fairy tales. This is me. I love reading, movies, and storytelling. In high school I wrote sonnets, poetry and even wrote a Christmas play for the senior class. I had one college professor keep me after to class to question me about I paper I had written. He questioned me to make sure it hadn’t been plagiarized and when he felt satisfied that I was the writer he marked A plus on my paper. Writing is my creative outlet. Stories bounce in my head daily and my desk is filled with picture book stories, young adult novels and screenplays.
Razzle Dazzle, The Green-Nosed Reindeer was conceived during the holiday season of 2019. My granddaughter Sophia was staying with me, and I purchased a Christmas apron with an antler headband so we could make Christmas cookies together and decorate a gingerbread house. Looking at her with the antlers I got inspired. “Sophia, I think we need to create a new Christmas story. I can write the story and you can do the artwork.” Suddenly I started to tell the tale of Razzle who was the granddaughter of a famous reindeer. She had a heart shaped green nose and wanted to learn to fly and lead Santa’s sleigh; but Santa said “NO “to her. One day while Razzle was playing with her reindeer girl friends magic snow sparkled all over her that made her dazzle. My husband Chet was in the kitchen listening and was wowed by the story coming out of me. “This is wonderful.” He exclaimed.
During the lockdown of 2020, I completed writing the story and was fortunate that my daughter Alison shared
Nandi’s illustrations. Collaborating with Nandi on the illustrations started in December of 2020 and was finally completed in June of 2021. Nandi brought my vision to life with her exceptional talent. This story also combines my work as a shaman healer and teacher. Nature, animals, and all living life is interconnected to all of us. The divine feminine and her love for humanity is essential for the earth and all living life like the story of Moana depicts.
I discovered after writing the story, that female reindeers are stronger than the males and keep their antlers longer. I also found that there were legends that women were the ones that brought gifts to children during the winter solstice. My gift to all of you is this book. My hope is that the world will come back into balance. Men and women will be true partners and the world will return to harmony, joy, and merriment. Our hearts will be on the tip of our nose leading us to true peace.
Love is the true magic of Christmas!
Hannah Teter, Olympic Gold Snowboarding Champion
...this is an amazing story that I relate to as a Professional and Olympic Snowboard Champion, who always broke the barriers that girls could do anything that boys could do!”
La Chanze, Tony Award Winning Actress
”Cynthia has captured the power of the feminine in this fun and dazzling Christmas story.......I could see this story on Broadway!”
Sandy Ferguson Fuller, Editor & Literary Agent
"Do you suppose where the cold wind blows that there might be a reindeer with a green nose? Living with her famous grandfather, meet Razzle and enjoy her tale of how she came to the rescue for Santa and Mrs. Claus, saving Christmas, and returning joy and merriment to the North Pole. Stunning, sparkling illustrations will wow an audience of all ages in this delightful holiday story, poised to become a traditional classic."
The First Gift Of Christmas
Inspiration for the Story
Cynthia wrote The First Gift of Christmas for her children when they were young; it was inspired by her own fear of the dark when she was a child…a fear that most children have today. This fear is always less at Christmas time when everything is full of light.
Cynthia hopes to inspire the children of the world to eliminate their fears and look to the light for strength, especially with an angel’s help during this magical time!
The Author
Cynthia Powers is a former elementary school teacher who now makes her living as a Shamanic teacher and healer. She is the mother of four adult children - two boys and two girls - and a grandmother (GG) to five. She created Razzle Dazzle, The Green-Nosed Reindeer with her granddaughter Sophia while making Christmas cookies. Cynthia believes in the magic of Christmas and the equality of boys and girls. Like Razzle Dazzle…….she believes in herself & loves to fly!
Cynthia wrote The First Gift of Christmas for her children when they were young; it was inspired by her own fear of the dark when she was a child…a fear that most children have today. This fear is always less at Christmas time when everything was full of light.
The Illustrator
Nandi L. Fernandez is an illustrator, Concept Artist and Animator. A Ugandan born in the United Kingdom, grew up in Uganda, Zambia and Liberia. Her first published painting was completed at the age of fourteen for the Imango Mundi Luciano Benetton Collection. Nandi has a Diploma in Concept Art from Vancouver Animation School and a Bachelor’s degree in Animation from SAE Dubai. She has since worked as a concept artist at Lionheart Studio in Singapore; illustrates educational materials for the United Nations Children’s Fund ( UNICEF), as well as children’s books.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0605/1695/8414/files/cynthia-powers-barnard-cropped-compressed.png?v=1694973194
The Author
Cynthia Powers is a former elementary school teacher who now makes her living as a Shamanic teacher and healer. She is the mother of four adult children - two boys and two girls - and a grandmother (GG) to five. She created Razzle Dazzle, The Green-Nosed Reindeer with her granddaughter Sophia while making Christmas cookies. Cynthia believes in the magic of Christmas and the equality of boys and girls. Like Razzle Dazzle…….she believes in herself & loves to fly!
Cynthia wrote The First Gift of Christmas for her children when they were young; it was inspired by her own fear of the dark when she was a child…a fear that most children have today. This fear is always less at Christmas time when everything is full of light.
Cynthia and her husband, Chet have been married for 49 years and live in Boxford MA.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0605/1695/8414/files/cynthia-powers-barnard-cropped-compressed.png?v=1694973194
The Illustrator
Nandi L. Fernandez is an illustrator, Concept Artist and Animator. A Ugandan born in the United Kingdom, grew up in Uganda, Zambia and Liberia. Her first published painting was completed at the age of fourteen for the Imango Mundi Luciano Benetton Collection. Nandi has a Diploma in Concept Art from Vancouver Animation School and a Bachelor’s degree in Animation from SAE Dubai.
She has since worked as a concept artist at Lionheart Studio in Singapore; illustrates educational materials for the United Nations Children’s Fund ( UNICEF), as well as children’s books.
Razzle Dazzle, The Green-Nosed Reindeer
The First Gift Of Christmas