八年前女儿Carol高中Gap year时，曾和一位阿根廷裔美国人Sol一起，合伙创办了一个专为老外孩子举办生日派对的 "Party Smarty"。
【注：Gap year，中文译为"间隔年"，即在升学、毕业、工作前，或旅行、或工作，了解并融入社会的一种体验式学习方式】
在她们举办的几十多场生日派对上，给孩子们讲英文故事是其中的重头戏。
每次派对前，Carol都要亲手绘制一本又大又宽的故事书，加起来共画了几十多本故事书。
Carol 亲手画的英文故事书
(部分)
这是一个有关妈妈、孩子和爱的故事!
《你笑起来可爱极了》
【中英文双语对照】
It was a lovely summer morning, but Roo was feeling grumpy and he didn't know why. He was feeling so grumpy that he didn't even want to play.
这是一个美好的夏日早晨，但是小袋鼠却正在闹脾气，而且他自己也不知道这是为什么。他觉得真是太烦了，甚至玩耍也没什么意思。
"What's wrong with you this morning" asked his mother "Nothing" said Roo. "You should smile" his mother said. "Everybody feels better when they smile" But little Roo wasn't in a smiling mood today, not even when his mother tickled him gently. "Did I see a tiny smile" she asked. "Just one" "No!" said Roo. "You didn't"
"今天早上你是怎么了" 妈妈问。"没什么" 小袋鼠说。"你应该笑一个" 妈妈说，"笑一笑的话，心情就会好起来的" 但是，今天小袋鼠根本不想笑，就是妈妈轻轻地胳肢他，他也没有笑。"让我看到你的一丝笑容好吗？" 妈妈问，"就笑一下？" "不！"小袋鼠说，"不可能的"
His Mum reached out and flipped him up head over heels. It was the kind of game that little kangaroos love to play! But would it work this grumpy morning?
妈妈把他抛起来，他的脚后跟比妈妈的头还高。这是小袋鼠非常喜欢玩儿的一个游戏。但是，在这个心情不好的早晨，这个游戏还管用吗？
No. little Roo did not smile. Not even a teeny-weeny one.His mother skipped into a hollow tree where they liked to play. She popped her head through a hole in the trunk."Smile!" "I still don't want to," said little Roo.
是的，小袋鼠还是没有笑。哪怕一丁点儿的笑意也没有。妈妈跳进了一个树洞，那是他们平时喜欢的地方。她从一个树洞探出头来，"来，笑一个！" "我还是一点儿都不想笑" 小袋鼠说。
"Oh dear" said his mum. So she gathered up some dry leaves tossed them into the air and all the leaves came down on little Roo. He looked so funny! " I think I can see a smile this time" Laughed his mum. "Just a bit of a one....?"
"哦，亲爱的" 妈妈说。她捧起一些干树叶，抛向空中。树叶纷纷飘落到小袋鼠的身上。小袋鼠的样子看起来太有趣了！"我觉得这次我能看到一点儿笑容了" 妈妈大笑着说，" 就一点点……"
"You don't" said Roo. "I'm not smiling." Oh well" sighed his mother. It was time for breakfast. Little Roo's mum lifted him up. "Let's go down the hill together and find something to eat" "I'm not hungry" said Roo grumpily, "But" I'm hungry" said his mum. "Come on"
"不可能"小袋鼠说，"我偏不笑" "哦，好吧" 妈妈叹了口气说。早饭时间到了。妈妈举起小袋鼠，说："我们一起下山去找些吃的吧" "我不饿" 小袋鼠粗暴地说。"但是我饿了" 妈妈说，"走吧"
"Hold on tight!" and off they went.
"抓紧我！" 他们出发了。
Halfway down the hill there was a hole. It wasn't deep hole, but it was a wide hole, and a muddy -at-the-bottom hole. "Look out!" cried Roo. but his mum was doing silly hops from side to side instead of looking where she was going, AND....
半山腰上有一个土坑。坑并不深，但是很宽，坑底积满了淤泥。"当心！"小袋鼠大叫。妈妈可不管那一套，她看都不看，就朝着泥坑的方向跳去。结果……
...Slippity ...Slippity ...Slide and... slop! Right into the hole. What a mess. What A MESS!
…扑哧 …啪嚓 …刺溜 …噗，正好落在了泥坑中间。什么乱七八糟的！什么呀！
Roo himself was muddy all over. Then he looked at his mother, who was soaking wet and slimy from the tops of her ears to the tips of her toes.
小袋鼠成了个泥人。他看了看妈妈，妈妈浑身上下沾满了黏糊糊的泥水，从耳朵尖湿到了尾巴尖。
And little Roo couldn't do anything else. He just had to...Smile!
小袋鼠实在忍不住了，他忍不住地笑了!
"It's lovely when you smile！" "你笑起来可爱极了！"
-- 文化发展出版社
《你笑起来可爱极了》
