New children’s picture book inspired by Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A new children's book captures the joyful moments of a military homecoming.
The setting of the book is inspired by Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma.
In an interview with reporter Manoah Tuiasosopo, the author explained why she is shedding light on the unique experiences of military children.
Cortney Cino, a military spouse and author of "Finally Home" shares, "There are 1.6 million kids with parents serving in the military and a lot of families that are not in the military have very little knowledge of what these unique experiences are all about."
The story depicts a young girl's reunion with her military dad after he spends six months overseas.
"The biggest emotion we want people to take away from the book is just joy and this sense of being reunited with someone you've missed so much and love so much," shared Cino.
A focal point in the book is one of the world's most advanced fighter jets, an F-35B, a common sight here at MCAS Yuma.
"The way that MCAS Yuma fits into the story is when we were thinking about the setting for the book and what aircraft to use, we did a lot of research and we selected the F-35b. That is flown out of Yuma, Cherry Point, and Miramar. In the illustrations, it looks like all of those places and that was the idea," Cino shared.
In the world of children's picture books, Cino says military children are often underrepresented and adds there are ideas in her book that everyone can appreciate.
"They're not as visible, right, in these scenarios, and yet they're going through all this stuff. The picture book was, for me, a way to be able to do that, and my hope is that it resonates for military families, but I would love for it to be something that's in schools or in libraries, and it's sort of like I mentioned, is a window. I thought this book could be a window into that for non-military families and a mirror for kids that are actually experiencing these situations," Cino explained.
The official release date of the book is May 6. To pre-order, click here.
Cino says she specifically chose this time of year to release the book as April is the Month of the Military Child and May is Military Appreciation Month.
