The Bison and the Firefly is Making an Impact!
At Shodair Children’s Hospital, our mission has always been to heal, help, and inspire hope for Montana’s kids. We know that mental wellness can be a hard topic for children to understand, so we set out to create a tool that would open the conversation in a way that is fun, engaging, and relatable. The Bison and the Firefly is more than a story, it’s a bridge. Through the adventures of Thunder the Bison and Hope the Firefly, children learn about resilience, friendship, and finding light in dark times, all in language and imagery they can connect with!
It’s More Than a Book!
It’s Also the Introduction of Shodair’s
First-Ever Mascots!
The Bison and the Firefly introduced something brand-new to Shodair Children’s Hospital: our first mascots, Hope the Firefly and Thunder the Bison. In our 130+ year history, we’ve never had mascots and now, kids across Montana are falling in love with them.
Hope and Thunder aren’t just in the pages of a book. They’re out in the community handing out trading cards, hats, shirts, and more. They pose for photos, lead cheers at basketball camps, and best of all, make surprise visits to elementary schools across the state.
As part of our upcoming book tour, Hope and Thunder will join us for live readings at schools, spreading joy and starting meaningful conversations about mental wellness. They’ve already been spotted at baseball games, Helena’s Hometown Helena Meeting, the Governor’s Cup race, and many other events! The best part of it all? They’re just getting started!
