Pura Vida Mae!: An Original Story for Children

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Pura

Vida literally translates to Pure Life.

Mae is Costa Rican slang for friend or pal .

Pura Vida Mae is the story of a serene and mellow young iguana by the name of Daniel who enjoys living his life and relaxing in the sunshine. As he goes about his day, he learns that a great many other animals in the jungle do not share his fondness for a laid-back life. Some of these animals question him, and others simply go about their business. Daniel does have some very nice friends, though, and they share his love for an uncomplicated life of peace. His friends do not all look like he does, but they do have a great deal in common. Daniel can be himself with his friends, and they love each other for that. The message of this story is to love yourself and each other for who you are. I intend for this story to teach that gentle lesson.

I began to write Pura Vida Mae after my first visit to Costa Rica, where I fell in love with everything about this amazing country. This place made a huge impression on me as a nature and wildlife enthusiast and conservationist as well as an artist; the love of life in all of its forms so apparent here.

"Pura Vida" is the national greeting of the Costa Rican people. It means everything from "hello" and "nice day" to "good-bye" and "safe trip."

Buffie Biddle is an artist, a writer, a lover of nature and wildlife, a conservationist, an educator and an aunt . She graduated with a degree in fine arts, minoring in special education. All of these things are contributing factors to her writing as well as her artwork.

Buffie gets her greatest delight from being around wildlife. She enjoys watching animal behavior and loves all things that make each aspect of the natural world unique-each texture, shape, and color. From the very first experience Buffie had of Costa Rica , she felt constant joy at the presence of life there: flora, fauna, culture, life, warmth , sights and sounds, even smells. She was inspired as an artist, and as a lover of the natural world and of people.

Buffie worked with children for nearly twelve years. She addressed behavior needs, often focusing on socialization, specializing in children with autism and their siblings as well as potential friends. At times, Buffie's work with these students involved the use of stories and scripts tailor made to fit the individual child, focusing not only on his or her needs but also on his or her areas of interest. Making a lesson more interesting made treatment more enjoyable, successful and therapeutic for the student in the long run. Buffie applies this idea to her stories, of which Pura Vida Mae is the first completed.