Welcome to Myrtle and Ray: A Brand-New Children's Book About Bravery, Kindness, and the First Day of Camp
Meet the Sea Stars of Stingray Cay, catch the W.A.V.E. of Excitement, and join the family behind the friendliest first-day book on the shelf. We are so glad you’re here.
If you’ve ever held a nervous kindergartener’s hand on the morning of the first day, packed a tear-soaked backpack for the bus, or sat in the camp drop-off line wondering if your child was going to be okay, this website was built for you. And honestly, it was built for them too.
Welcome to MyrtleAndRay.com, the official home of Myrtle and Ray and the First Day of Camp, a brand-new picture book for ages 3 to 8 about a turtle and a manta ray who discover the most important truth of any first day: being brave doesn’t mean being fearless. It means trying anyway.
This post is your full tour. We’ll walk you through the book, meet the 13 Sea Stars of Stingray Cay Summer Camp, show you the free downloads, share the curriculum and parent guides, point you toward the merch shop, and explain how to join the mailing list (with a free gift waiting when you do). Grab a coffee. Or a juice box. Let’s dive in.
The Story Behind the Book
Myrtle and Ray and the First Day of Camp was written by Marissa Allaben and Alison Rothenberg, two second-generation camp directors who grew up at Rolling River Day Camp in East Rockaway, New York. Between them, they’ve watched tens of thousands of first days. They’ve seen the trembling lips at the gate, the white-knuckled grip on the backpack strap, the parent in the parking lot trying not to cry. They wrote this book for every one of those kids and every one of those parents.
The story follows two new campers, Myrtle the Turtle and Ray the Manta Ray, as they show up at Stingray Cay Summer Camp on their very first day. Myrtle wants to hide in her shell. Ray hopes someone will be nice. Both are nervous in different ways, and both discover something remarkable through a framework their camp director, Ms Bluegill, calls the W.A.V.E. of Excitement.
The story is told in soft, rhyming verse that reads aloud beautifully. The art is warm, vibrant, and full of detail kids will keep finding. And the message is simple enough for a 3-year-old to understand and big enough to follow them through every first day for the rest of their life.
You can find the book on Amazon or order signed copies right here on the site. Bulk pricing is available for classrooms, camps, and schools. Just email [email protected].
What Is the W.A.V.E. of Excitement?
The W.A.V.E. is the heart of the book and the framework woven through every page, every download, and every product on this site. It stands for:
W is for Welcome Curiosity. Ask questions. Try new things. Learn out loud. Don’t apologize for not knowing yet.
A is for Act with Kindness. Notice the kids who are quieter than usual. Save a seat. Use kind words on purpose, even to yourself.
V is for Value Teamwork. Listen first. Take turns leading. Trust a friend with the brave part when you can’t carry it alone.
E is for Encourage Others. Cheer for the kids around you, with specific, effort-focused words. Celebrate trying, not just winning.
It’s four simple ideas. It’s also the most powerful social-emotional learning framework we’ve ever seen a kid actually internalize in 4 weeks. The whole book is a love letter to these four values.
Meet the 13 Sea Stars
Every camper at Stingray Cay Summer Camp is called a Sea Star. The book introduces 13 of them, each with their own personality, camp job, and place in the W.A.V.E. Get ready to fall in love with all of them.
Ray the Manta Ray is the star of the Surfing Squad, a brave manta who paddles out to catch the biggest curls. Myrtle the Turtle is the camp’s Nature Scout, on the hunt for the prettiest seashells. Ms Bluegill runs the whole show with warmth, organizing the daily W.A.V.E. of Excitement pep rallies. Ollie the Octopus is the determined king of Arts and Crafts, using all eight arms at once. Sally the Seahorse is an inspired Master Painter who brushes colorful reef murals onto the canyon walls.
Jessie the Jellyfish is the calm leader who teaches everyone how to relax and shine. Casey the Crab is the energetic champion of Sand Castle Engineering. Dani the Dolphin is the joyful captain of the High-Dive Team, famous for triple flips. Sami the Shark is a friendly star on the sports field who cheers on every player on both teams. Izzy the Iguana is the adventurous Rock Climber who finds secret paths up the tallest palm trees.
Louie the Lobster is the silly lead drummer in the Camp Band, snapping out funky beats with his claws. Billy the Beluga is the focused expert at Maze Navigation, zipping through coral paths. And Frankie the Flamingo is the graceful Ballet Instructor who balances on one leg while teaching campers to twirl elegantly in the sand.
Free Downloads for Parents, Teachers, and Camp Directors
This is the part we are most proud of. The book is just the doorway. The free downloads are where the W.A.V.E. actually starts living in your home, classroom, or camp.
Visit our Downloads page and you’ll find:
The First Day Parent Guide. A 13-page guide for parents and grandparents on everything from first-day jitters by age to what to say (and not say) before a big day, plus 14 bedtime “brave talks” prompts and an emotional pre-camp checklist. This one captures the whole feeling of the night before a big day and gives you the words.
The Classroom W.A.V.E. Lesson. A 38-page, 4-week K-2 social-emotional learning unit aligned to Common Core ELA and CASEL standards. Includes 20 daily lesson plans, a comprehension worksheet with answer key, differentiated writing prompts, a vocabulary list, 20 morning meeting discussion cards, and a printable classroom pledge with student signature lines.
The Camp Director Orientation Packet. An 18-page playbook for camp directors and staff, with a full Day 1 director’s welcome script, staff training role-plays, a homesickness conversation cheat sheet, a 5-day opening-week activity plan, four themed Color War teams, a parent welcome letter template, and a staff W.A.V.E. pledge.
All three are free with email signup. You’ll get the full PDF instantly and you’ll be the first to know about new releases, free printables, and special events.
Activities for Kids (and Big Kids)
The Activities page is where the kids hang out on this website. It’s loaded with interactive, screen-friendly play designed around the Sea Stars and the world of Stingray Cay.
You’ll find a Sea Star Memory Match, a Spot the Difference beach scene, printable coloring pages of all 13 characters, a Word Search with character names and W.A.V.E. terms, a maze with Billy the Beluga, a “Rhyme Time” game built around the book’s rhyming pairs, the “Which Sea Star Are You?” personality quiz, and a digital Sticker Beach for kids to decorate their own scene.
It’s the kind of page that earns a spot in the bookmark bar. Free, no signup required, no ads, no sketchy redirects. Just the Sea Stars and your kid.
The Shop
The Shop is where the Sea Stars come home with you. We launched with:
The book itself, in paperback and hardcover, with bulk pricing for classrooms and camps. Sea Star stuffies, individual plush of each of the 13 characters, perfect for first-day-of-camp gifts. Toddler and youth tees featuring the Stingray Cay Summer Camp crew badge. Mugs, tote bags, and stickers for the grown-up Sea Stars. Coming soon: a hardcover gift bundle, a classroom 5-pack, and seasonal designs for back-to-school.
Every product is on-brand, kid-tested, and ready to ship. We add new merch every few weeks. The mailing list always sees it first.
For Camps and Schools
If you run a camp, school, or after-school program, the For Camps page is your stop. We offer:
Wholesale book pricing for orders of 25 or more copies, perfect for opening-day welcome bags.
The free Camp Director Orientation Packet, with a full Day 1 script, staff training, and a 5-day activity plan.
The free Classroom W.A.V.E. Lesson, a 4-week SEL unit aligned to Common Core ELA and CASEL.
Author visits and read-alouds with Marissa and Alison, available virtually or (locally) in person.
We’ve designed every resource on this site to scale from a single classroom to a 500-camper summer program. Reach out at [email protected] and we’ll get back to you within 1 business day.
Why This Book Right Now
You’re probably aware that social-emotional learning has gone from a buzzword to a permanent fixture in K-2 education. Schools and parents are looking for SEL resources that don’t feel like worksheets. Kids are starved for stories that make them feel SEEN in their nervousness, not lectured at.
Myrtle and Ray and the First Day of Camp sits exactly where books like The Kissing Hand, Jabari Jumps, and The Bad Seed live in classroom libraries. But it adds one thing the others don’t: a clear, memorable framework (the W.A.V.E.) that kids carry from the page into their actual day. Teachers and camp directors love it because it gives them a vocabulary they can use all year. Parents love it because it gives them a script for the hardest 5 minutes of any first day.
This book belongs on every K-2 classroom shelf, in every camp welcome bag, and on every nervous parent’s bedside table. Catch the W.A.V.E. with us.
Join the Sea Star Mailing List
If you read nothing else on this page, do this: Join the mailing list. We promise: no spam, no flooded inboxes, just thoughtful monthly notes from Marissa and Alison about new releases, free printables, first-day-of-camp survival tips, and special announcements. Plus you’ll get a free Catch the W.A.V.E. printable coloring page bundle the moment you sign up.
Welcome aboard, Sea Star. We can’t wait to walk this first day with you.
