Our Story
I am a former special education teacher and found myself in the middle of the desert of Iraq in the Anbar Province at the Al Asad Air Base. I had one son finishing college with another about to begin and I could not survive financially on a teacher's income. I am prior military and as a civilian, I saw the opportunity to serve our soldiers and provide for my family.
After the senseless death of a friend, I began to deeply miss my family and students and while reminiscing, I wrote a children's book, Hunka Chunka Monkey Shapes Up. Over the next two years in Iraq, I put every ounce of energy and resource I had available to find an illustrator and to publish my book.
Hunka Chunka Monkey meets Runka Dunka Donkey who loves to run and dunk basketballs. This story teaches children an important lesson about healthy eating and exercise without being heavy-handed or preachy. Children will see, through Hunka Chunka Monkey's eyes, that it's easy to be "fit and trim", because as Runka Dunka Donkey tells his new friend, he only has to cut back - not give up - his favorite snack and it's "fun to run and climb and play basketball." All the illustrations were created by famed illustrator Kid Cardona, the Official Caricature Artist of Texas as named by the State Legislature of Texas. He is originally from San Antonio, Texas and currently lives in China and is working for several animation studios.
I returned home from Iraq the month my book arrived from the publisher. My wife, Christa, and I hit the ground running. We spent the next four months and all our resources building Hunka & Company. It wasn't until the fifth month we found our niche and began having tremendous success. Over the next four months we conducted over 170 presentations to about 7,000 children with rave reviews from the children, parents, teachers, staff and administrators of public and private schools and day care facilities.
If you google or bing my name...Sam E Bromley or the title of my book...Hunka Chunka Monkey Shapes Up, you can view numerous articles about my presentation. Go to this site to view a newspaper article of one of my visits: http://mysoutex.com/view/full_story_landing/164...
The Impact
I have 23 additional books planned to tackle 'social' issues children face. During my time as a special education teacher, I based my instruction on the 'basic life skills' my 'low developmental' students had to learn to cope in the world around them. Each story equips children with a foundation to make the right decisions....of being active.....to chose kindness over bullying....to play fair rather than cheat.....to chose gentleness over anger and so many other scenarios they are sure to face in their developmental years.
Please partner with us and let us provide the foundation for the children of America by encouraging the very young to skip, run and jump their way to a better future as they join Hunka Chunka Monkey and Runka Dunka Donkey on their many Adventures.
What We Need & What You Get
We are ready for the 2nd Printing of Hunka Chunka Monkey Shapes Up. I am working on Bully The Badger and preparing it to send to the publishers. This campaign is to raise the funds to complete the 2nd Printing of Hunka Chunka Monkey Shapes Up and the publishing and 1st Printing of Bully The Badger. We exhausted all our resources during the start-up phase of Hunka & Company. After the campaign, we will have ease maintaining the success we are now enjoying with our presentations currently booked one month in advance. After months of soliciting schools over the phone and with cold visits, we now have them phoning us to schedule a presentation.
Join Christa and I as we create and share our stories with the children of America so they can develop socially in a positive way. I will autograph and write a special note to you on my 'New Friends' photo as a Thank You for your kind gift. Depending on the level of your support, all 24 books and a visit by my wife and I will be available to you. Please check out the 'Perks' section to the right of this page. Perks will be mailed to you three to four weeks after the end of this Campaign, allowing time to get the 2nd Printing completed.
Other Ways You Can Help
Hunka & Company provides a powerful and important message that needs to get out. Please assist us in spreading the word and PASS IT ON to all you know. E-mail, FaceBook and share with your co-workers and family. Even consider sharing my campaign in your employer's newsletter at work. Any ideas or suggestions you might have will be welcome.