Mr. Buffy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mr. Buffy is the name of a fictional character represented by an 'expat cat' who is C-A-T: Curious, Affable, and Tactful -- the way we all need to be in order to get along well together, according to U.S. author of the Mr. Buffy children's book series, Nancy Collisson.
The character is notable for saying 'Me-WOW!' when excited, and 'Oh me, oh mew,' when sad.
Mr. Buffy Song (Lyrics and Melody by Nancy Collisson): Whenever I see Mr. Buffy is near, I want to sing, I want to cheer! He's oh so friendly, he's oh so kind, he's the kind of friend who's mine all mine. We sing together, we play and laugh, we share by giving more than half. Today Mr. Buffy will play with you, and he has lots he wants to do! And we'll feel so happy, we'll feel so free, and be so glad that we are we!
Mr. Buffy was the name of a real pet cat of and inspiration for the children's book series by Collisson. Collisson is Senior Vice President of Consortium Marketing Consultancy based in Dubai, UAE. The company carries the copyrighted slogan Giving the world something to smile about.
Shortly after 9/11, Collisson and Indian-American business colleague Charlie Desai decided to develop a children's book that could serve as a gentle introduction to the Middle East and Dubai, in particular. Using the engaging illustrations of Philippine artist Czar Bote, the initial book in the series Mr. Buffy Moves to Dubai, An A-to-Z Coloring Book became popular among tourists and residents of the UAE.
Its A-3 size and somewhat complicated illustrations caused Collisson to tout it as a "Coffee-table coloring book for kids 9-to-99." Because of its great width, Collisson believed that children would naturally want to color its pictures while seated beside an adult, who would color with them. As the book features a storyline about various experiences of Mr. Buffy tooling around Dubai, Collisson trusted that conceivably families in the West would start talking about cultural traditions common in the Middle East, such as the use of henna or the veil, the holiday of Ramadan or the Qu'ran. The resultant increase in understanding would mitigate misconceptions and reduce tensions about the region.
The Mr. Buffy book has been praised by President Bill Clinton as "a really cool concept."
The character has been designated a "Citizen Diplomat" by the National Council of International Visitors [1]based in Washington, D.C.
Presently, other books in the Mr. Buffy book series include Mr. Buffy Counts on a Happy Birthday in Dubai and Mr. Buffy Makes Friends in Dubai.
Mr. Buffy books are sold throughout the UAE, though interest has been initiated by Barnes & Noble to bring the series to the U.S. In the past, Mr. Buffy books have been distributed by the Department of Dubai Tourism & Commerce Marketing from their 14 overseas offices.
Links [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] Emirates Today, April 22, 2007 pps. 18-20 [9] Emirates Today, May 9, 2007 pps. 21-22
