Read an Excerpt
Andy’s Adventures Started as Bedtime Stories:
Larry created Andy Ant and his adventures with Joey in the mid 1970s as a result of his daughter asking him to tell her a bedtime story. He responded to her that evening as she was about to go to sleep by saying, “Once upon a time, there was an ant….” His young daughter interrupted him by asking a simple question: “Daddy, what was his name?” The first name that came to Larry’s mind that rhymed with ant was Andy. That night, in the darkness of his daughter’s bedroom, a nightly bedtime story tradition began that lasted for years with both of his daughters.
A decade later Larry and his brother, Jerry, decided join hands together and move the nighttime verbal adventures they were both telling their daughters into print so children throughout the world could begin to learn from Andy and his friends. Thus, they formed Andy Ant Productions, Inc., which today holds the rights to Andy Ant and manages the production and distribution of Andy Ant books
and products worldwide.
The Adventures of Andy Ant books series currently includes eight different fun adventures with classic illustrations created by an artist who began his illustrating carrier working for Walt Disney for over 20 years and later illustrated for Hanna-Barbera Productions and Warner Brothers. These adventurepacked books are full of exceptional illustrations designed for young readers. This series is currently available for children in eight languages.
The Creator’s Background:
Larry is a 1966 graduate of the University of Colorado where he received his degree from the School of Education with an emphasis in English, Speech, and Theater Arts. Rather than pursuing a teaching vocation, he decided to use his creative skills as a staff member of Campus Crusade for Christ International. Between 1966 and 1984, he served in a number of leadership roles with this international nonprofit, helping others achieve their dreams. In September 1984, Larry joined the staff of Management Development Associates as Vice President of Stewardship Strategies.
While developing Andy Ant’s adventures as the dad of two girls, Larry focused his professional carrier on coaching and advising nonprofit leaders in proven principles of fund development. He has been privileged to see over $250 million in funds raised through his training of nonprofit staff, coaching leadership in fund development principles, and providing practical guidance to nonprofits in how to overcome barriers to reaching funding objectives. He has consulted with and trained indigenous leaders from over 50 countries throughout his career that has spanned almost 40 years.
Larry is also the author of a lifestyle stewardship book, Giving Yourself Away. He has used his writing skills to develop over 200 funding proposals for his clients. He is also the co-author of four assessment tools: the Church Stewardship Inventory, the Organization Stewardship Inventory, the Personal Stewardship Inventory and the Success Probability Inventory.
Larry is actively involved in nonprofit board governance. He serves on four nonprofit boards and currently serves as chairman of three of these boards. He continues to consult with a limited number of nonprofits in the fund development disciplines in the U.S. and overseas.
Larry and his wife, Pat, reside in California. They have been married since 1970 and are blessed with two married daughters, two sons-in-law, and five grandchildren.
Larry Says:
Andy and his adventures are all about helping young children learn life principles and values that help equip them to be outstanding leaders later in life. The key to helping kids is helping parents instill values that are critical to success. Children learn best when they engage their imaginations and are having fun. Andy’s adventures and the outstanding illustrations help kids learn from an ant and dream dreams of their own.
Introduction of Larry O’Nan
Larry O’Nan has spent his career helping people achieve their dreams. As a creator, writer, development coach, instructor, and consultant, he has a unique perspective on what it takes to overcome barriers and achieve both personal and nonprofit success.
He likes to partner with people facing challenging situations and help them find simple paths to overcoming barriers and succeeding in their objective. And Larry is especially passionate about helping parents wisely guide their children’s thinking by instilling lifestyle principles and values that are foundational to personal success.
Larry is the president of Andy Ant Productions, Inc. and the creator of Andy Ant.
• Andy Ant is a fun-loving fourth grade ant that experiences life and consequences with his best human friend, Joey. They embark on adventures together.
• Each Andy Ant story helps children learn valuable life lessons while experiencing an exciting adventure.
• Andy’s Adventures and Joey’s Journal at andyant.com help parents engage their children in effective problem solving and in learning values that are foundational to a life of success. Larry has a successful track record of helping people achieve their goals.
• He is committed to helping parents concerned about their children’s development use their imagination and daily adventures to learn principles that will help the children have a healthy respect for authority, appreciate boundaries, and understand the consequences of their actions.
• Larry is known worldwide by over 100 nonprofit organizations as an insightful, seasoned and trusted consultant, a teacher, a mentor and a coach to those tasked with realizing growth outcomes for nonprofits.
• He has been instrumental in seeing in excess of $250 million raised for nonprofit work through his behind-the-scenes consulting efforts.
• Larry continues to serve on four nonprofit boards, serving as chairman for three of these boards.
Most importantly, Larry is a devoted family man.
• He has been married to his wife, Pat, since 1970, and they reside in California. Besides being Larry’s wife, Pat is also his administrative assistant in business affairs.
• Larry and Pat have two adult married daughters, two dedicated sons-in-law, and five grandchildren.
• Larry created Andy Ant when his oldest daughter was about three years old. He was telling her a bedtime story about a little ant, and his daughter asked him, “What’s the ant’s name?”
And that’s how Andy Ant came into being.
