Longtime Zachary resident Deana Meaux Murray recently published her first children’s book, I Just Want to Be Me, Says Achoo the Bee.
Deana works full-time in marketing, and amid the coronavirus pandemic found herself working from home with more time available to pursue her dream of publishing a children’s book.
“This has been a dream of mine for quite some time,” she said. With illustrator Cat Elliott, Deana brought the story of a little honeybee, who doesn’t quite fit in with the other bees in the hive, to life.
The main character of Deana’s book is Achoo. She is a spunky honeybee with a problem – she can’t stop sneezing every time she gets near a flower, blowing away all the pollen that her friends have collected from the fields during the day.
One morning, before the other bees are awake, Achoo races to the meadow to practice not sneezing around the flowers. She’s suddenly startled by a loud, buzzing noise and realizes that Clarence, a mean old hornet, is heading toward the hive to destroy it and everyone inside!
With a little encouragement from a shy honeybee named Bit, Achoo uses the one thing that makes her different to try to save the hive from Clarence. But can she save the Queen and her family?
Achoo The Bee will inspire children to learn to love the things that make them unique. They will be motivated to turn their individuality into their own superpower and happily exclaim, “I just want to be me!”
Learn more about Deana and Achoo the Bee at https://www.achoothebee.com/. Books are also available for purchase online, and you may request an autographed copy of the book and even add a personalized message!
