Kirby's Ocean Friend is a touching story about a young ocean liner named Kirby whose mother dies and leaves Kirby wondering if he can finish growing up by himself. Kirby is very upset by the loss of his mother and sails around the North Atlantic Ocean aimlessly until Pearl, an albatross, comes to his rescue. Pearl helps Kirby remember all of the life lessons that his mother taught him and Pearl also helps Kirby with his 'journey of grief' by talking to him about how he feels about his mother's death. With Pearl's help and friendship, Kirby finishes growing up without his mother and becomes a fine young ocean liner, just like his mother wanted him to become. About the Author: Diane L.M. Cook has been a freelance magazine writer since 1999 and has had over 130 articles published in more than ten different publications. She wrote her first children's picture book, Kirby's Ocean Friend, based on the emotions she felt after the loss of her mother to cancer. About the Illustrator: A native of Alberta, Cathy J. Checora currently attends the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary to pursue her lifelong interest in the arts. Checora's first undertaking as a children's picture book illustrator is Kirby's Ocean Friend. Checora also lost her mother to cancer and she hopes that her illustrations in Kirby's Ocean Friend will provide comfort to young children that have lost a parent. | 
