Karma The Virtuous Dog, a new children’s book – Brendan Higgins

By Brendan Higgins, contributing writer

     A new children’s book is out in bookstores. The book is entitled Karma The Virtuous Dog. The author of this new book is a retired Rhode Island public school teacher. Her name is Janice Emma.

     I spoke with Janice via telephone at her home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Her story is fascinating, and her sincerity is obvious. The book is not about a fictional dog. Janice is the proud human of a beautiful Doberman Pincer named Karma.

     Janice grew up in Providence during the 1970s. Janice explained, “I grew up right across from Providence College. Huxley Avenue, Ventura Street. That’s considered the Elmhurst section. I went to Saint Pius. Then I went on to Saint Xavier’s Academy. I graduated in 1978. From there I went to CCRI which was called Rhode Island Junior College at the time. In school, I played basketball and ran track. Back then I really didn’t know what I wanted to do in life. I loved sports, but I really wasn’t a good student at that time.”

     Janice was a pioneer of sorts. During the early 1970s, there were no organized sports for girls in Rhode Island or anywhere else. This fact is hard to fathom in 2022, but that was the way it was back then. Thanks to Title IX things began to change. Fortunately, this unfolded while Janice was at Saint Pius. Title IX is the name of the landmark law that banned discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs. It is embarrassing to think prior to that, there were no sports for girls in school. It’s another black eye on history. Janice and her classmates were the first girls to play organized basketball in the state of Rhode Island. In addition, in 1974 they became state champions with Janice taking home the MVP award. Over the course of this interview, Janice provided a detailed walk down memory lane. She recalled a very exciting time for basketball fans in Rhode Island. Back then, Providence College men’s basketball were a perennial threat to win a national title. 

     Janice recalled, “That was when female sports first started. I was in the eighth grade. Back then, I was one of the best female basketball players in the state. Back then, all I wanted to do was play sports. I went to all the PC games when they were at Alumni Hall. The players I looked up to were Marvin Barnes, Ernie DiGregorio, Kevin Stacom, Nehru King and Rick Santos. I actually got to know those guys. I used to go watch them practice. Then after their practice ended, I got to play ball with them. Marvin Barnes was so tall I could walk under his legs standing up straight. That’s how tall he was. Those guys were awesome. They were nice guys. They weren’t pompous. None of them had an attitude. They always signed autographs. They were nice decent people. I was in junior high school, and they let me hang around with them.”

     After high school, Janice was not sure what she wanted to do. She spent one summer painting houses with her father. She worked other odd jobs. Then things began to fall into place. She explained, “I knew something was out there for me. I used to hang out with the nuns and the priests. If it weren’t for the Dominican nuns at Saint Pius and PC, I wouldn’t have had any direction in life. I don’t know where I would be. With their guidance, I started to consider what I could do after my school sports career was over. How could I stay involved and contribute? So, I studied physical education. I graduated from Rhode Island College in 1999.”

     Janice wanted to give back. She grew up in Providence and wanted to teach there. She said, “I subbed for two years all over the city. Then I got hired permanently at Broad Street Elementary School. I loved those kids. I spent the next 20 years of my life there.”

     Janice retired and moved to Florida in 2016. She never lost her desire to get a positive message out to children. Even though she was no longer in the classroom, she knew she could achieve that by writing a children’s book. She explained, “I wanted to write about the virtues. I feel that is what is missing in society today. Even if you are not religious the virtues have meaning. They are simply about doing the right thing. If you are a coach, the virtues help athletes build integrity. When I played sports in school my parents were going through a divorce. I didn’t know what the heck was going on. My family was being torn apart. I could have gone in a good direction or a bad direction. Sports really saved me. The virtues taught me to not take anything for granted. Every day I do the best I can to practice the virtues. Courage, Honesty, Determination, Hope, Perseverance, Faith and Charity, all guide me. I decided I would write this book to get that message out. I miss being with the students. Writing this book is the way I get the message out even though I’m no longer in the classroom.”

     It took Janice a year to write this book. It was released by Archway Publishing on September 22^nd, 2022. The book is for children of all ages, but Janice said children under six might be better served having the book read to them. Janice is not a first-time author. She released a book entitled Karma The Peacemaker Dog several years ago but feels her new book is the one she always wanted to publish.   

    She said, “In this book, I simplify the virtues. It’s hard enough to try and understand as an adult. Logic or philosophy classes aren’t that easy. Reading the bible is not that easy. Interpretation can be difficult. It’s what you can get out of it that counts. It’s like Cinderella or The Wizard of Oz. There is a message in those books and movies. That’s what I’m doing with Karma The Virtuous Dog. I want children to be able to understand better. I talk about Justice. It’s about fairness, give and take and honesty. In my book I encourage children to ask themselves, do you think about what you are doing? Are you being honest? Are you playing fairly? Are you giving someone else a turn? How can I be a better person? This book is not a religious book. You can be agnostic and still receive the message. It’s all about doing the right thing.”

     This book has 19 pages with lots of illustrations. Within the pages of the book Karma is playing with other dogs. He does not focus on the size or the color of the other dogs. Everyone young and old can learn from Karma.

     Janice has been an athlete her whole life. She dedicated her adult life to teaching children. In retirement she continues to keep herself in top physical condition. Her dog Karma is always by her side. They make quite a pair. I asked Janice how it feels to release her second book. She replied, “I’m humbled.” Her answer goes along with the way this woman has always lived her life.

     You can pick up a copy of Karma The Virtuous Dog, on Amazon, and in bookstores.

___

Brendan Higgins, writer and author, RIPTA bus driver, former professional wrestler (Knuckles Nelson), and North Kingstown resident.

We welcome Brendan as a contributing writer to RINewsToday.

To read a story about Brendan, from our sports department, go to: https://rinewstoday.com/knuckles-nelson-waking-up-from-the-wrestling-ring-to-the-yoga-mat-john-cardullo/

To read all stories by Brendan, here, go to: https://rinewstoday.com/brendan-higgins

Higgins is the author of “Waking Up: From the Wrestling Ring to the Yoga Mat

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