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Bubbles
Anibabs is a little girl who, when she turns four, discovers she has a unique and amazing talent. She can blow bubbles! Now, these are not your ordinary soap bubbles or bubble gum bubbles; no Anibabs can blow bubbles in all shapes, colors, and sizes. What was even more impressive is that she didn’t just blow bubbles with her mouth. Instead, they came out of her nose and ears and even her bum! So what fun will Anibabs have now that she has discovered her special talent?
Bubbles, written by Sarah Vizzard and illustrated by Lynsey Hilton, is an entertaining picture book with children and adults laughing page after page. While enjoying the fun story and beautiful color illustrations, children will be able to learn shapes, colors, animals, fruits, and different vehicles as Anibabs makes bubbles in all kinds of shapes. The animal bubbles were my favorite. Children will love looking at these pictures.
The author points out to readers that everyone has extraordinary and unique talents. This message is essential for children to hear and see. Presented in a silly and fun rhyming manner, this children’s book will be delightful to read out loud in a classroom or as a bedtime story.
Seeing all the different ways that Anibabs can blow bubbles is unexpected and defiantly not something I have seen before in a children’s book. I love the originality that Sarah Vizzard has displayed with this story, and I know kids will love it too. Lynsey Hilton’s illustrations bring the tale to life; each page has so much to see and enjoy. This is a beautiful picture book for preschoolers to young elementary grade kids to enjoy reading.
Bubbles is a whimsical picture book that children, teachers, and families can all enjoy reading. Each page gives readers a chance to learn new shapes, animals, colors, or numbers and an all-around superb educational book.
Pages: 35 | ASIN : B0B2VTP3BG
I Have a Passion for Rhyme
Wonderful Wishes is an imaginative tale of some of the crazy ideas children have, often when getting ready for bed. What was the inspiration for your story?
I am a very blessed mother of four children and 11 nieces and nephews. Over the years they have all had their little obsessions with certain toys. My oldest son loved trains, the middle one would always gravitate towards the monkey exhibit at the zoo. Knowing what kids love really helped me bring Wonderful Wishes to life.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Rosy Sale?
I knew what I wanted I just had to relay that through my own very basic drawings and references. She was spot on in articulating my vision for the book.
What was the hardest part of creating this children’s book for you?
Getting the rhyme to work while not losing the feel and story. Kids are very visual so I wanted the words to work with the characters. I had three editors look through the book before it was finalized.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next book is at the printer’s ready to come to life. Hopefully by the start of May 2022. This one is not my usual rhyming work. It’s a tribute to my sister who passed away from cancer as a young mother. It’s about two sisters that go on a magical journey through the sky. They get to sip tea from a cup made out of the golden sun, and have a tea party with a pink fairy. It’s a book I wish I could of read to my kids when we were going through this hard time. I have been so busy writing I also have a third on the way.
Back to my passion for rhyme. The illustrations are coming along perfectly, that one will be out mid-July titled I Just Want Some Cheese On Toast.
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website
“I hope your children enjoy Wonderful Wishes just as mush as I loved writing it.”
Kelly Louise Jarris
Wonderful Wishes
Wonderful Wishes is a sweet bedtime story for preschoolers. This magical tale is filled with all sorts of things a little kid could dream about and is told in a fun rhyming style. There are rubber cars, a big red train, waterslides, a trip to the moon and down into the ocean, a dinosaur that loves strawberry cake, a cleaning robot, and even a monkey to keep in the bath. Each page has beautiful artwork done by illustrator Rosy Sale that will transport parents and kids into the imaginative world the narrator has created for readers.
This beautifully written and illustrated picture book will captivate children as they go page by page. The rhyming phrases are fun and silly, making them a joy to read aloud. I love the last lines in the book “I think of all the things I wish / and picture them in my head. / I wonder what your dreams will / bring when it’s time for bed!” It makes me smile looking at the illustrations of all the things the little child has wished for stacked up around their bed.
This delightful story reminds readers of the innocence of childhood and the magic that comes from having an active imagination. Children come up with some fantastic imagery, and the author has captured that trait beautifully. I am reminded of my own children coming up with crazy ‘what if’ questions and turning these thoughts into elaborate stories. This playful book takes that idea and turns it into a memorable bedtime story.
Wonderful Wishes is a lighthearted bedtime story that young preschoolers and kindergarteners can enjoy. Parents will enjoy reading this whimsical bedtime tale as it is not repetitive. The combination of silly situations and incredible artwork will make reading this a joy each night.
Pages: 24 | ASIN : B09T76M8MH
Weepy The Dragon
![Weepy the Dragon by [Hebert, J. J.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51YVFFseW5L.jpg)
Weepy the Dragon has proven to be a big hit in my household. I bought this book as a bedtime storybook for my two children, and having read this book (several times), I have nothing but good things to say about it. This book is full of illuminating pictures and cute dragon images which creates a very interesting plot line. J.J. Hebert does an exceptional job at captivating a young reader.
The characters were well drawn and my children loved them. I thought the plot about the dragon world was solid and teaches children about the importance of not judging a book by its cover.
The only negative thing I have to say, which is more constructive than negative, is that the writing could have been written in a larger font. Trying to get my two children to read along was a bit of a struggle due to the small font. But, other than that, the writing itself was clear and intriguing. I highly recommend this book to anyone with young children who love a good story! “Weepy the Dragon: the happiest, friendliest, and kindest dragon in the world” – a story for every child!
Pages: 36 | ASIN: B008CRVNKE
Quite a Character
Werner Stejskal Author Interview
Oliver and Jumpy is book 4 in your children’s series that follows playful characters as they go on various adventures. Why was it important for you to create a children’s story that focused on kindness, friendship and helping others?
Many picture books have lessons to tell, but can be very obvious. Children don’t really like to be told what to do. A good example is always better and Oliver, although he is quite a character, shows that you can have fun and adventure, and at the same time do good.
The art in this book is wonderful. What was the collaboration like with the illustrators?
I thought a long time about which quality of illustrations I should pursue. I did not want to go cheap with dots for eyes figures. I would have loved to follow the very complex pictures of the fairy-tales books of 100 years ago. Unfortunately, being self-financed, this option would have been far too expensive. I grew up with Walt Disney and decided to follow that style, which is easy enough for most illustrators to create, but with facial expressions possible. I tried out six illustrators. The first one, Marvin Alonso, was outstanding. He did illustrations to about eleven of the stories before finding greener pastures. Then I found Maycee Ann Reyes who works together with her husband. The rest is history. This team was simply fabulous. They needed a minimum of supervision and created the scenes of the stories totally by themselves. I just provided the story and simple instructions. Maycee turned out a picture every 3-4 days. These series has about 500 illustrations. Oliver and Jumpy began 4 years ago and it was a herculean task which is now finished. This is a triumph of self-publishing. No run-of-the-mill publisher would have been able to produce such an elaborate work in that time.
My favorite story is Butterfly Trouble. What is your favorite story in this book and in the series?
I like the Dog story. I wrote this story because every time we have our daily walk through the neighborhood, there is a bored dog barking and my wife is saying that we should knock on the door and see if we can take him for a walk with us. My favorite story of the series is Story 18 called Moon Crystal. Oliver travels to the moon to bring healing crystals back to Sillandia. This book won the Readers Favorite Book Award Gold Medal.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will that be available?
I have been working and finished the Chinese and Spanish version of the series. I am now working on the German one and other languages will follow. My final goal will be to find a company who is willing to invest in a TV series. I would like to see children all around the world to benefit of the marvelous work of my illustrators.
Author Links: Facebook | Twitter | Google | Website | LinkedIn | Amazon
![Oliver and Jumpy - the Cat Series, Stories 10-12, Book 4: Bedtime stories for children in illustrated picture book with short stories for early readers. (Oliver and Jumpy, the cat Series) by [Stejskal, Werner]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/511A6DxxQfL.jpg)
Picture book: A cat series book for kids riddled with mystery and fantasy.
Oliver is an elegant tuxedo cat, who is full of himself. As a matter of fact he says: “I love myself!”, quite often. Naughty, isn’t he? But his best friend Jumpy, a kangaroo lady, is aware that he has a soft heart and will always want to help others. The great thing is Jumpy’s pouch, which Oliver loves to ride in! He calls her his kangaroo taxi! These little bedtime stories with their lovely illustrations are great for small kids. A parent can read the text and tell the child in his own words. These animal stories have sufficient text to keep early readers happy and provide some educational value. Love you all! Meow! Story 10: Unhappy Dog – The friends help an unhappy dog to escape his boredom. Story 11: Kite High – Flying high is everybody’s dream, but how to get down? Story 12: Butterfly Trouble – Butterflies don’t like to be caught.
Oliver and Jumpy
Oliver and Jumpy: Stories 10 – 12 is a collection of children’s stories featuring Oliver the cat and Jumpy and Joey, the kangaroos. Written by Werner Stejskal and illustrated by Maycee Ann Reyes and Marvin Alonso, the stories are geared toward young children and early readers. There are three stories in this collection: “Unhappy Dog,” “Kite High,” and “Butterfly Trouble.”
In “Unhappy Dog,” Oliver meets a dog who barks all the time. Instead of being angry, Oliver strikes up a conversation and learns that Barky is lonely and bored, and he can’t get out of his yard to play. Oliver enlists Jumpy and her son Joey to help Barky get over the fence, and they play games to help Barky feel less lonely.
“Kite High” is another adventure where the three friends get swept up into the sky while riding a cart with a parasail attached. They talk to seagulls, and meet some pelicans, too. There’s danger ahead for Joey, but the friendly pelicans help them land their craft.
“Butterfly Trouble” starts when Oliver meets a butterfly named Bluey. Bluey needs Oliver’s help because a boy with a butterfly net is trying to catch him. Jumpy and Oliver stop the butterfly hunt, save the day, and free Bluey’s friends from captivity.
I shared these stories with a three-year-old girl, and she declared that her favorite story was “Butterfly Trouble.” The illustrations are vibrant and full of expression, inspiring her to take the time to point out the little details as we read. The book looked wonderful on the tablet computer – the colors and images were perfect, and it was easy to read.
All the stories emphasize friendship, helping others, and they include a bit of mischief. There is one potentially scary scene in “Kite High” prompting my young friend to exclaim, “Uh oh!” she also pointed at the pelicans helping our heroes. Every story ends happily, and no one is hurt.
One thing I noticed is that the author is clearly aiming for a global audience. Readers in the U.S. may notice a difference in words or usage, but they aren’t incorrect. It’s just the subtle difference between US and European English.
If you’re a parent, you can’t go wrong with this delightful book. It’s perfect for reading aloud to toddlers or a fun addition to your early reader’s digital library. All the Oliver and Jumpy stories are available on Amazon and several are on YouTube, narrated by the author.
Pages: 25 | ISBN: 9781625174079
LITERARY TITAN 