Lorena Cassady:
If you stood on a cloud and looked out over the Great Southern Sea, there you would find the little jewel of an island where I live, Bijouti.
Lorena Cassady:
Page 2: On the south side of Bijouti is the village where I live, and if you look closely, you can see my yellow house.
Lorena Cassady:
Page 3: After school on Fridays I can hardly wait to see Serafina. I run down the quiet streets of my village as if someone were chasing me.
Lorena Cassady:
Page 4: Pelou carries me high on his back as we ride out of town towards the north country, and my Grandma Serafina's house.
Lorena Cassady:
Page 5: Pelou can gallop as fast as a shooting star when he thinks of the pile of sweet hay that Serafina has waiting for him when we get to her house.
Lorena Cassady:
Page 6: Grandma Serafina is always happy to see me. She carries me in her heart every day, even when I am not by her side.
Lorena Cassady:
Page 7: Serafina's cabin is in the middle of a green valley, guarded by her three cats; Jango, Bobbin and Pearl.
Lorena Cassady:
Page 8: Grandma Serafina made ginger lemon tea and served up sweet spicecakes. Then she spread the map of Bijouti on the kitchen table ...
Lorena Cassady:
Page 9: As Serafina and I departed for our adventure, the air was warm and smelled like sweet jasmine flowers.
Lorena Cassady:
Page 10: Grandma Serafina and I decided to go first to the sea. We waded out into the waves until cool salt water splashed the bottom of our skirts ...
Lorena Cassady:
Page 11: After filling our bellies with fruit, Grandma Serafina and I fell asleep on the beach as the late afternoon sun reddened the sky.
Lorena Cassady:
Page 12: We rolled out our sleeping bags on the ground and Serafina made a fire to keep mother fox and her baby warm.
Lorena Cassady:
Page 13: Grandma Serafina and I danced and sang under the moon.
Lorena Cassady:
Page 14: Suddenly a great blast of fiery smoke came out of Mother Mara's mouth, and I gasped with fear.
Lorena Cassady:
Page 15: I may have forgotten to tell you that Serafina herself was born from the Volcano.
Lorena Cassady:
Page 16: We woke up early the next morning and hiked up to Goat Mountain, the highest place on Bijouti.
Lorena Cassady:
Page 17: But soon Grandma Serafina woke up and pushed me all the way to the top of Goat Mountain.
Lorena Cassady:
Page 18: After breakfast Serafina and I hiked down Goat Mountain into the Valley of Flowers and took a dip in Crystal Pool.
Lorena Cassady:
Page 19, "Grandma Serafina"
Lorena Cassady:
Page 20, "Grandma Serafina"
Lorena Cassady:
Page 21, "Grandma Serafina"
Lorena Cassady:
Page 23, "Grandma Serafina"
Lorena Cassady:
Page 22: We ate quietly together around the crackling fire as crickets started to sing loudly in the grass.
Lorena Cassady:
Page 24, "Grandma Serafina"
Lorena Cassady:
Page 25, "Grandma Serafina"
Lorena Cassady:
Page 26: I fell fast asleep on Grandma Serafina's lap as she held me close under the starry sky.