Allie loves her home in Kenya. But her dad works for the Animal Jungle Patrol, and he just got orders to move their family to Somalia. She has many questions, and the journey will be long. Will the new place be like what she knows? Will she find friends in her new home? And will she ever see her best friend again? What awaits her in A New Home for Allie?
A New Home for Allie is illustrated by Joanie Bruce.
Endorsements
What a delightful book! The illustrations are beautiful and the story is very relatable to young military kids who have to move and make new friends. Nicely done!
Amy Armstrong, first grade teacher, military wife and mother
As the Director of Children’s Ministry and a mother of two, I have personally experienced the direct impact that relocating can have on military children. A New Home for Allie is a delightful children’s novel that thoughtfully addresses the issues that affect children when moving to a new home. The story and illustrations engage readers in an encouraging tale that gives comfort to little ones that leaving one home can be sad, but new homes can bring new beginnings and friendships.
Annie McVickers, Director of Children’s Ministries, RockFish Church, Raeford, NC
This book is perfect for younger children to understand what it’s like to move to a new place. Military life can be both overwhelming and exciting. This book is the perfect aid for parents of young children to explain why their family must move, military or not.
Cari Schaeffer, Author of The Yellow Ribbon Chronicles
This sweet and heart-touching lovely picture book has a bibliotherapy aspect, too, for children who face relocation. Highly recommend.
Carrie Fancett Pagels, Ph.D., Award-winning and ECPA bestselling author
A New Home for Allie is beautifully written and illustrated. It is perfect for any child who’s moving—whether down the road or far away, once or repeatedly. As a military child, I’ve had the pleasure of moving many times all over the world and I can personally say that A New Home for Allie gently addresses issues children feel over transitioning to a new home. As owner of a school with mostly military children, I am excited to share this book with our parents and read this story each time a child PCS’s in or out of our school. I’m so thankful for this new resource!
Cheryl Allin, Military Brat and owner of Rockfish Country Kids Learning Center
Moving is never easy for a child but it is so much harder for military kids. I live close to an air force base and every spring houses go up for sale and families move. A New Home for Allie is a sweet story that can help a child with the fear of leaving behind everything you know for a new adventure.
Diana Lesire Brandmeyer, CBA best-selling author of Mind of Her Own
Allie walked straight off the pages of Carrie Daws’ delightful children’s book A New Home for Allie – and into my heart!
As a 47-year military spouse, I’m so familiar with the angst of Dad receiving orders to move to another location and the effect this news has on the entire family – including pets! Carrie does a superb job of bringing the reader right into the story by sharing the many questions Allie has for her parents about their new home, and what it’s like in comparison to the only home she’s ever known up to this point. Having lived in Malawi, Africa, I found that the illustrations beautifully depict the region of the world where the story takes place. I also loved the bows & necklaces adorning our new giraffe friends and their many delightful facial expressions throughout!
Indeed our adorable Miss Allie, as well as her friends and family, opened up a magical door in my heart through which I gladly entered into and grew right along with her. From her “trembling lower lip upon receiving news of a pending move, to her new-found friend in Somalia, this book is deep in meaningful life lessons for all of us – young and old alike – about change and the personal growth that occurs when we open our minds and hearts and move outside our comfort zone.
Thank you, Carrie Daws, for writing this story! And Miss Allie, thanks for sharing your heart through your poignant questions. I am now your new best friend, too!
Dr. Dorothy Guy Bonvillain, Founder & CEO, Warrior Wives Academy LLC
Author Carrie Daws has given us a gift with A New Home for Allie. The characters are engaging and the illustrations beautiful. Moving to a new place can be difficult for children, especially those with a parent in the military. This book presents the process in a positive and encouraging manner. Definitely a book I’m adding to resources I recommend.
Edie Melson, award-winning author of While My Soldier Serves: Prayers for Those with a Loved One in the Military
In A New Home for Allie, Carrie Daws tells the heartwarming story of Allie’s transition to a new home. This delightful story addresses the questions and fears children often face in the midst of relocation and transition. With vibrant illustrations to enhance Allie’s story, this book is a great resource for military families. I wish this book had been around when my kids were young.
Ginger Harrington, author of Holy in the Moment, military wife and mother
With lush illustrations and a heartfelt story, A Home for Allie is sure to ease the transitioning child. A wonderful tool for parents and caregivers. Kids and adults alike will savor each beautiful page.
Jocelyn Green, author of Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives
A New Home for Allie is a beautifully illustrated book that reflects the terrain in Africa. The tale shares the ageless message that moving is part of life and often related to a parent’s career, but we can make new friends wherever we live.
Karen Whiting (www.karenwhiting.com), author, international speaker, former television host, and writing consultant.
A New Home for Allie strikes a chord for constantly-relocating military families and is a must-have for any child’s library! Allie works through the process of parting with old friends, embarks on a journey through unfamiliar lands, arrives at her new home with an open mind, and is rewarded with a new friendship. Though it sounds like a simple process, adjusting after a move is an immense emotional strain and impacts the whole family – especially little ones. Carrie Daws is able to capture the fears, concerns, and insecurities children face before and during a move, and offers an identifiable character for them to relate to during their transition. Allie’s acceptance, trust in her parents, and positive outlook are key components to her successful transition. And, if we could only have classrooms full of Maribelles to welcome newcomers, the world would truly be a better place!”
Kellie Artis, Director of Communications, MILLIE – Bringing Military Families Home.
A New Home for Allie is a beautifully illustrated book that military kids can connect with. Follow along on Allie’s journey as her father suddenly receives orders to move and discover her reaction to leaving longtime friends. The book illustrates the fear and trepidation that many military children feel when they have to uproot and move to an unknown area. This book has a happy ending as Allie makes it to their destination, nervous and unknowing how life will be for her, but suddenly she meets an excited new friend who has anxiously been awaiting her arrival. This book serves as an excellent tool to discuss upcoming moves for not only military kids, but civilian children as well.
Kristine Schellhaas, author of 15 Years of War
As always, Joanie Bruce shows brilliant capability in this elegantly painted and beautifully rich pictoral story. A tale of a far away place with waterfalls, rivers that glisten, bursting and warm sunny skies, and gorgeous vistas, so very different from where most of us live. Yet her precious characters’ faces, with kind eyes, make this place feel somehow familiar. Joanie honored this deeply profound story with every paint stroke. All of it put together is…sublime.
Lindy Burnett, Illustrator
What a fun story! I wasn’t ready for it to end. I hope to go on more adventures with Allie and the Animal Patrol in the future.
Patricia Beal, author of A Season to Dance and mom of two Army Brats
A New Home for Allie, by author Carrie Daws, is a delightful picture book for children encountering a big life change. Written with military families in mind, this is a perfect book for little ones facing a big move from one base to another.
Allie, a young female giraffe, lives in Aberdare National Park in Kenya, where her father is a Captain in the Animal Jungle Patrol. The Patrol watches over the Park and it is all Allie has ever known. She has friends there that include a colorful oxpecker bird named Oscar, and a young giraffe friend named Jamie. The Park is filled with beautiful jungle landscape and a gorgeous waterfall. It is lush and wonderful—as is the full-color artwork in the book done by Joanie Bruce. It is a feast for the eyes!
Allie’s father receives orders and they must move to a new home in Somalia. She is nervous about leaving and asks her father many questions about the new location. I can imagine that a child facing such a move would ask similar questions and wonder if there will be new friends in the new home. The book does this well. If I was facing such a move and had young children, this would be a perfect resource to use to help them look forward to the move rather than dread it. The book also includes a geography page with the two countries outlined. It could certainly be the starting point for a geography study of the area.
A New Home for Allie is a lovely book and will make a very nice addition to the library of any family, but particularly well-suited to those in military families.
Kate Kessler, Product Reviews Director, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC
A New Home for Allie is available in ebook, paperback, and hardcover.
About
Over the years, God rewrote Carrie’s dream to include being a stay-at-home mom and a writer. Originally writing devotions to share what she learned with women, Carrie decided to enroll in the Christian Writer’s Guild. While there, seeds were planted and cultivated.
After almost ten years in the military, Carrie’s husband medically retired, and they now live in North Carolina with their children. She stays busy homeschooling, keeping up with family and friends, and working on her next book.