Mom’s Choice Awards is excited to announce another post in our interview series where we chat with the inventors, designers, publishers, and others behind some of our favorite family-friendly products.

Hello, Mom’s Choice readers! We’re back and bringing you another interesting interview with one of our distinguished honorees – we were lucky enough to get some time with M. C. Abushar, Ed.D., author, and illustrator of the MCA award-winning “Tyler, the Rabbit” series! We want to sit down with M.C and see what she has been up to since we last spoke to her back in June 2021! Since last June, M. C. has released Tyler’s Cosmic Vision, the fourth book in the “Tyler, the Rabbit” series. Tyler’s Cosmic Vision is a children’s book that is entertaining while also educating children on safety tactics and healthy play habits. If you’re looking for the perfect children’s book to read to your little ones for the upcoming Easter holiday, Tyler’s Cosmic Vision is a perfect choice! Keep reading to find out more about M.C. and her award-winning book, Tyler’s Cosmic Vision!

MCA: Hi M.C., welcome back, and congratulations on yet another Mom’s Choice Award! It is so nice to be able to get the chance to talk with you about your new book, Tyler’s Cosmic Vision. Can I first start the interview by asking what you have been up to since our last interview?

The MCA Award-Winning book, “Tyler’s Cosmic Vision.”

M. C.: My last interview included the announcement about the publication of the third title in the “Tyler, the Rabbit” series, entitled “Tyler’s Acting Practice”. The plot centers around the presentation of a school play, but the message derived through Tyler’s actions exemplifies how to change the disdain of a bully into admiration. Since then, I have published two books that have also been granted the Mom’s Choice Award. The first is a French retelling of the first title in the series, “Tyler’s Promised Gift,” entitled “Cadeau Promis À Tyler.” I was pleasantly surprised to discover that in addition to its primary purpose of providing reading enrichment to native French-speaking children, it is being used as a fun French lesson to non-native French speakers by placing it side-by-side with its English version. Another book I have completed is “Tyler’s Cosmic Vision,” the fourth book in the series.

MCA: You have certainly been a busy bee since we last spoke! What was your inspiration for writing Tyler’s Cosmic Vision, the fourth book in the “Tyler, the Rabbit” series?

M. C.: The specific reason for writing this story was to offer children a new dimension in helping them to take on the responsibility of being aware of their every move toward a new place or unknown person, and to focus on being prepared to escape if they suspect being in any danger.

MCA: The book description for Tyler’s Cosmic Vision mentions that all four family members return for the fourth installment of the “Tyler, the Rabbit” series. Can you tell us about all of the different characters that can be found within Tyler’s Cosmic Vision?

M. C.: The story recounts the experience of the rabbit family during a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park. Tyler’s toddler sister was walking between their father and mother, who were holding her right and left hands from each side. Tyler was walking next to them. They are the main characters. There are two other characters: One is Tyler’s guardian angel whose voice guides Tyler in finding his sister when she disappears after running ahead of them to pick a flower she liked.
The second character is the kidnapper who abducted Tia after she disappeared from everyone’s view to pick more pretty flowers. Tyler sees him for a brief instant but succeeds in rescuing his sister by following the guardian angel’s advice.

MCA: Thank you for sharing that with us! You talked a little bit about some of the themes that are present throughout Tyler’s Cosmic Vision. Can you elaborate on the key lessons that readers can expect to find while reading your new book?

“It was a warm Sunday afternoon. The whole family was taking a stroll in the park and looking happy. Tia was wearing her favorite blue socks that matched the blue stretch band around her forehead. It was rare for the four of them to be free and able to take part in the same activity together.”

M. C.: For this question, I wish to explain one summary of all the key lessons that can be found in every book of this series.
The primary goal in writing and illustrating the “Tyler, the Rabbit” series is to create in children the innate desire to deliberately seek and spend time following these attractive, entertaining, and exciting stories that develop a life-long habit of enjoying helping others.

The lesson derived is that doing good to others is enriching, satisfying, as well as beneficial to everyone. These stories are aimed to compete with attractive but misleading books or video games that instill in children ingrained habits of committing crimes. Habits established in childhood become the child’s natural responses for a lifetime.

I read in today’s news that a 14-year-old shooter was charged with armed robbery and felony murder. Just recently, a parent voiced approval for allowing children to have fun playing games where they practice to perfection using weapons to injure and kill someone because that child will outgrow playing this specific game at some point. The same parent praised highly the crucial and beneficial message derived from reading the enjoyable and child-friendly stories that portray Tyler, the rabbit hero.

The choice between offering pleasure through committing criminal acts or fun while following exciting tales of exemplary behavior should be made not only by the parent or educator but by the child who wishes to seek it from the heart. It is important to have every child desire to learn safety tactics to focus wholeheartedly on mastering the skill of avoiding being in a vulnerable situation in which abduction might occur. A second lesson mastered by Tyler led to his fearless rescue of his sister while avoiding becoming prey to abduction himself.

MCA: Why is it important to educate children on safety tactics at a young age?

M. C.: I leave the answer to this question to every parent, guardian, or person in charge of a dear child.

MCA: What kind of response from readers have you received?

M. C.: The responses from readers can be summarized as having spent an enjoyable time following a suspenseful plot that had no boring moments, then arriving at a happy ending while feeling satisfied at discovering practical safety tactics.

MCA: If you could ensure readers of your book walk away with one main lesson, what would it be?

M. C.: To lead a child to walk away with an awareness of the danger of being kidnapped and a clear understanding of how to avoid it, an adult must first make the book available to the child. To parents and responsible guardians, I ask the following question: Which habits do you prefer to encourage your child to develop with self-motivation and a heart-felt desire to adopt them?

MCA: Thank you M.C., we look forward to hearing from you and the “Tyler, the Rabbit” series again soon! 

M. C.: Happy Easter reading and sharing from the Rabbit Family to yours!

You can learn more about M. C. Abushar and her award-winning book, Tyler’s Cosmic Vision by visiting their MCA Shop pages. You can also enter for the chance to win THREE award-winning books by M.C. Abushar here! The giveaway ends 4/8/22.