Polls now indicate the vast majority of Americans believe the country is off track. Remember when classic TV icons instilled basic American virtues -- and every ending was a happy one?

"The Little Lessons. Big Results." book series hearkens back to those times, while motivating and educating young children to be kind and caring.

As communities across the nation wrestle with growing uncertainty, Shady Pines is thriving. The small Southern town bustles with lively animation-style cartoon characters and acts as the backdrop for the Boomer and Halley stories.

"Boomer and Halley fits perfectly into the national conversation parents and grandparents are having," says Boomer and Halley creator Mary Jane McKittrick, an Aberdeen resident. "Each Boomer and Halley story, for children 4-8, revives a bygone era to help children learn little lessons that can have big results in a complicated world."

Human-like Boomerang, an Australian Shepherd dog, and Halley's Comet, that silver streak of a cat, playfully embark on unforgettable adventures (and misadventures) guided by their adoptive "parents," Harold and Edna Sanders.

Each installment of the 10-book series includes embedded lessons marked by a "PAWS" button, allowing parents an opportunity to pause and teach a message.

An enclosed bookmark with prompting questions helps underscore lessons like manners, personal responsibility, teamwork and respect for others.

"There's an urgency to the multiple lessons provided in each Boomer and Halley book," McKittrick says. "It's my hope we can help young children learn these vitally important basics now in a time when classic American values are needed most."

The first book in the series, "Boomer and Halley -- Scavenger Hunt," shows teamwork, manners, sportsmanship and cleaning up messes.

In book two, "Boomer and Halley -- Lost and Found," readers discover the importance of family, acts of kindness, obeying parents and respecting property.

Book three, "Boomer and Halley -- Election Day," which was due in mid-November, encourages youngsters to engage their communities in "pawsitive" ways. The Boomer and Halley book series is available now on Amazon and at www.boomerandhalley.com.

The Boomer and Halley stories are intended to stand alone as a viable "edutainment" resource. The use of the "PAWS" button as a tool for instruction offers parents and grandparents a useful way to highlight their own twists on the embedded lessons.

In addition to being a potential teaching tool, the stories are fun-filled without resorting to violence, anger or bad language.

The nostalgic illustrations by nationally known talent Bob Ostrum bring the town of Shady Pines and its colorful characters to life. Ostrum's illustrations differentiate Boomer and Halley from the too-common graphic, violent and futuristic animations seen on the market today.

Instead, the Boomer and Halley brand, as developed by McKittrick and Ostrum, gives consumers many reasons to take the Little Lessons. Big Results. series seriously. The combination of classic illustration, voice and content infuse Boomer and Halley with an authentic sense of something familiar, yet new. It's a rare combination few animated brand properties achieve.

McKittrick sums it up this way: "Boomer and Halley is really 'Leave it to Beaver' meets 'Lassie' in the town of Mayberry. We believe it offers a substantive, entertaining way to address some of the concerns in our country right now."

Tuxedo Cat Productions Inc., which produces and publishes the series of Boomer and Halley books, just may be introducing consumers to the next enduring children's classic.

For more information about the Boomer & Halley Book Series, visit www.boomerandhalley.com.