Author Description

Welcome to The Adventures of Big Ollie, Armor of Courage. Ollie is a shy purple elephant. He is also very kind and likes to have fun. Ollie discovers that he sometimes gets scared and nervous to try new experiences. After talking to his Dad one day about his fears Ollie gets some great advice and receives a magical coin from his Dad. This coin gives Ollie a special magical armor and confidence that helps him face his fears. Join Ollie as he sets out on new adventures with his friend Patience, to conquer his fears by using his magical armor of courage! Michael was born weighing 3 pounds, 14 ounces with several health issues that were eventually diagnosed as Russell Silver Syndrome. This very specific growth disorder had many characteristics. Most significantly, the disorder made Michael, throughout his life, smaller and slighter than most children or adults. These characteristics led Michael to looking "different." Throughout Michael's life, there were many experiences where Michael was judged, teased, and bullied because he was small. Children and adults said cruel and inappropriate things to Michael. Stares and rejections were a constant part of Michael's life. As this situation had the potential of being very defeating to Michael, he now uses his experiences to shape how he can help others become resilient. Michael focuses on developing stories to help stop bullying and harassment, just like two of his biggest heroes in his life has, his mom and dad, Laura and Jim Jelinske. Michael felt the need to educate students, parents, and teachers about the effects of bullying on children. "The Adventures of Big Ollie" is a resource for children and anyone who works with children.