Blog Archives
Stella and the Magic Stone
Stella and the Magic Stone, written by Tuula Pere, is an enchanting story of young Stella, her beloved Grandfather, and a miraculous Magic Stone. During the summer, one of the activities Stella and her Grandfather do together is searching through the quarry to find interesting rocks. But then, her Grandfather is sent to the hospital after falling off his bike and injuring his head, leaving him unconscious for many days. Missing him so badly, Stella comes up with a plan to find a ‘magic stone’ that will wake her grandpa up. Grandpa said they exist; could she find one in time?
This is such a sweet story of love, persistence, and resilience. Stella is such an endearingly lovely character that the reader cannot help but fall in love with her. She is curious, loving, and above all else, brave. She takes it upon herself to search for a ‘magic stone’ that she knows can help her grandpa. The author does a fabulous job in creating this magical world where we are enraptured with every page and rooting for Stella to find her ‘magic stone.’
I absolutely adored the relationship Stella had with her Grandfather. I would highly recommend this book; it is the perfect book for any young reader, as it is easy to follow and keeps readers engaged in the story’s outcome. In addition, the whimsical illustrations by Sanna Pelliccioni add to the charm and mystical nature of the story. Young readers and adults will love watching Stella and her relationship with her Grandfather in this charming children’s book.
Pages: 36 | ISBN : 9527107911
Educate In Fun And Exciting Ways
Captain Fantastic and the Chocolate Planet follows the Captain and his hound onto a planet filled with sweets, but they learn that filling up on treats has consequences. Why is the subject of healthy eating important to you?
As someone who fluctuates in weight, having tried most diets at some point (which in turn has created an unhealthy relationship with food), I know first hand the importance of creating good eating habits early on. From energy levels, weight and general health, it’s so important to have a good diet. After all, you are what you eat! I always aim to educate in fun and exciting ways, which hopefully this book does.
What is your process for creating the vivid art in your books?
Hire an illustrator… I’m only half-joking because Daniel does all the amazing drawings. From an author’s point of view, it’s about having a clear vision of what you want the pictures to look like.
How did the idea for Captain Fantastic begin? Did you play around with any other ideas or characters before settling on him for your series?
I trained as an actor and I stumbled across children’s entertainment whilst looking for a side hustle. After a few years of working for other people‘s companies, I decided to take the plunge and set up my own party business. I wanted the parties to be superhero themed, so I messed around with lots of alter ego names and it was my dad who suggested ‘Captain Fantastic’, thanks Gary! Fast forward 10 years and we have been voted the UK’s no.1 children’s entertainment company, which I’m extremely proud of!
What can readers expect in the next book in the Captain Fantastic series?
Captain Fantastic and the Undersea Monster is my next masterpiece (I hope)! Captain Fantastic wants to explore the depths of the ocean but gets a little too excited and forgets to listen to people’s warnings.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
They explore everywhere from Cookie Dough Cove to Mount Honeycomb, but it’s not long before they find out what happens when you eat too many treats. What will our space voyagers need to do before they can board spaceship Zippity-Zap for their next exciting adventure?
“Parents reading this to their children can use it to start a conversation about healthy eating in a non-judgemental, accessible way that children will respond to.” Dr Gummer, Good Play Guide
Second in the exciting series of intergalactic adventures, based on the awesome and educational Captain Fantastic parties.
The Fortieth Thief
In the long ago, there was a boy named Henry. His greatest love was his little sister, and his greatest desire was to be a thief. It was a passion as misguided as it was pure.
In the coming of age story The Fortieth Thief, author Ruth Finnegan tells the lively story of Henry as he grows up and tries to pursue his dream of learning to be a proper thief. Finnegan packs a lot of literary dazzle in a short and charming story. This fantastic tale gives a new and unique perspective to Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves story. A folk tale of the natural world, and a morality story about selflessness and love. Henry can be forgiven for his ill-advised goals because of his innocence and youth, while at the same time we can all learn a little something from his passion and exuberance.
The Fortieth Thief is an adorable story that is a great addition to an age old tale that contains a great message for young children where adventures like this may be in short supply in the real world but never in our imagination, and Ruth Finnegan sets readers imagination on fire.
Pages: 43 | ASIN: B086SDJ9KT
Imaginative Solutions
Yossi Lapid Author Interview
Christmas with Snowman Paul is a heartwarming story showing empathy and helping others. What were some important themes you wanted to capture in this book?
I wanted my story to resonate with themes that address the true meaning of the holiday season such as friendship, inclusion, and family. The appeal of these values is in many ways near universal. My hope was that the story will raise questions such as: What does it mean to be a best friend? How does it feel to be excluded on a major holiday? Should we try harder to come up with imaginative solutions to problems of exclusion which seem, at first sight, insoluble? At the same time, I tried to address these themes with a fresh perspective and in a gentle, engaging and humorous way.
Ultimately, this is a simple story that encourages children of all ages to be sensitive to the needs of those who feel lonely and have no one to celebrate with.
The illustrations in this book are fantastic and serve to compliment the story. What was the art collaboration like with Joanna Pasek?
Collaborating with Joanna Pasek has been sheer joy from the very beginning. What I admire most in Joanna’s work is her unmatched ability to capture the emotional core of our key characters. The dog, for instance, is a key character that did not appear in my original text and was entirely Joanna’s creation. As an author, I always know that Joanna will find the best ways to match the narrative with compelling images which do not only illustrate the stories but also compliment them in new exciting ways. This holds true even in cases where text requires her to perform very difficult, and sometimes seemingly impossible, illustrations. Click this link http://bit.ly/2ARLuE7 to see Joanna’s magic in action.
The story is told in rhyme. Do you find kids learn language easier with rhymes?
Most definitely! Rhyme is one of the most effective ways to install the love of reading at an early age. It helps keep attention, enhance retention and enrich vocabularies. Children love rhymes because they are musical and amusing and because they help them anticipate what is coming next. The timeless appeal of nursery rhymes, for instance, can be explained by these attributes. The instinct to rhyme was with me from a very early age but, I think, it comes naturally to most children.
What is the next Snowman Paul story you have in the works?
First, I would like to encourage Snowman Paul friends to check out the other nine volumes already published in the Snowman Paul series (https://author.amazon.com/books). But there are many other new adventures in store for Snowman Paul some of which are already written and eagerly awaiting their turn to be published. In addition, Joanna and I are just about to come out with a new picture books series titled “Yara, the Jungle Girl”. If you like Snowman Paul, you are likely to fall in love with Yara!
Author Links: Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Website
![Christmas with Snowman Paul by [Lapid, Yossi]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51T4EUbW8RL.jpg)
Join Snowman Paul on this heart-warming and humorous Christmas Eve adventure!
What would you do if your beloved snowman told you that he feels sad about being left out in the cold while you and your entire family are celebrating a joyous Christmas Eve inside? Can Dan figure out a way to make Snowman Paul’s Christmas just as unique as his? Read this heartwarming and humorous Christmas story to find out
The Grumpface
One of the joys of childhood is sitting with someone and reading a favorite story over and over again. The kind of story that sticks with you, and works it’s way into your heart. The Grumpface is that kind of story. It is about a grumpy old man that is cursed and lives in the forest of Ho. He captures unsuspecting travelers that get lost in the forest and they must complete a challenge to earn their freedom. If they cannot complete any of the three challenges they are trapped in the forest forever. In this story an inventor named Daffy Dan is looking for a rose to win the love of a girl named Bella. Bella sells flowers in the village but longs for a rose that she cannot grow. Dan thinks that if he can bring Bella a rose, he will have the courage to finally speak to her and win her heart. As he searches the forest of Ho, he gets caught by Grumpface and must find a way to escape or he will never have the chance to see Bella and tell her how he feels.
The first thing that grabbed me about this book, was the amazing illustrations. Grumpface at his worst is still funny enough to not frighten my four-year-old daughter. She fell in love with this book the first time she saw me reading it and saw the bright pink bird in the first challenge. The images throughout are all done with detail and colors that draw you into the story more. They complement the text in an artistic way as well as helping convey the emotions. The rhythm of the rhyming makes the story entertaining and flow smoothly. It is perfect for young readers, but not too silly that it will make parents want to hide the book after a week. One of the great morals of the story is to find the humor in life even when things don’t go your way. Daffy Dan is clumsy and riddled with bad luck it seems, it makes him relatable to young readers that are often clumsy themselves. Dan’s creative inventions all sound like great ideas and spark the imagination of readers as well. Grumpface is like the teacher or parent that just stares in disbelief at the crazy things Dan does. Together the pair make a memorable story that will leave you laughing.
B.C.R. Fegan and D. Frongia have created a beautiful and enchanting tale with The Grumpface. They manage to convey the fear and concern of Dan throughout the story, the disappointment he feels as things don’t go his way, and the joy he feels as he thinks he finally got it. The story touches the hearts of adults and keeps children entertained. It the teaches morals of persistence, compassion, and friendship. This is a book you will want to keep on hand to read for years to come.
Pages: 34 | ASIN: B06XFFK7VZ
LITERARY TITAN 