Did you ever see a huge problem right in front of you? A big, fat problem that you can't get out of your mind! Well, I spend a lot of time working with kids and local schools.  The more time I spent around the kids, the more I realized the next generation, our future, has a huge problem.

•       1 in 5 Australian kids are classified as overweight or obese by the time they start school...
•       5% of Australian kids aged 2-4 are classified as obese...
•       The estimated annual direct costs to the Australian healthcare system are around $17 million...

Staggering statistics from the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Health (2016 and it is only getting worse)

Childhood obesity is rampant! And worse, when I talk to kids, they don't realize it's an issue or don’t know what they could do to make it better. I know everyone blames bad parenting, but, sometimes it's just an education issue. And in my work I've learned often kids are the better teachers!

As an author and illustrator of children’s books. I came up with an idea to plant the seed of better nutrition in kids in a ridiculously fun yet educational way. That’s why I created the book ‘A KILLER WHALE CAN’T EAT KALE’ 

The story centres on Doug, he loves eating kale, there’s only one problem, Doug is a Killer Whale and his friends don’t like him eating all that healthy stuff.  Follow along as Doug tries to save various sea creatures from becoming dinner for his friends, by offering healthy alternatives. The last page in the book is an information sheet on ORCAS (Killer whales) which the kids find fascinating.

The characterisation in these books is both engaging and educational making it appealing to a broad target audience, however the specific target audience would be the K – 3  (0-8) range.

The following video is a reading of the book so you can see how I am engaging with the kids and parents.

THIS IS WHERE I REALLY NEED YOUR HELP.

By pledging to buy a book or a number of books you are generously helping to buy copies of A Killer Whale can’t eat Kale that will then be donated on your behalf to primary schools, kindergartens or early childhood centres right across the country. You can even choose the school/s if you like.

IMPORTANT: You can also buy copies for yourself or other people or organisations if you like. It's entirely up to you. The most important thing is that the message gets out to lots of kids.

HOW TO PLEDGE: When you pledge YOU DON'T PAY ANYTHING UPFRONT. You only pay at the end of the fundraising period which is May 7th.

Everyone who pledges will also receive a free signed copy of A Killer Whale can’t eat Kale as a way of saying thank you for helping to get the message out there.

Here's a few FAQ's about me and the book

• A Killer Whale can’t eat Kale is my 4th children’s picture book
• A Killer Whale can’t eat Kale will be 32 page picture book.
• The story has been written in such a way that its message can be understood by a 3 year old however will also capture the imagination of older kids and even some adults.
• To see what else I have been up to you can check out my website, www.mattblewis.com 

To make a pledge, click on one of the pledge rewards and buy some books today. By doing so you are helping to make a huge difference in a child’s life.

Thanks for sharing this with as many people as you can.

Thanks for your support. I really appreciate it.

Email [email protected] if you would like any more information.

The funds raised will go towards the cost of printing the books and delivering them to the schools free of charge.