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Ariana and the Magic Frog
Ariana and the Magic Frog by Margot C. Sarratea is a warm, imaginative children’s book about a young girl whose love of dancing is matched by her kindness toward others. Ariana dreams of becoming a great dancer and works hard toward a place in her school’s Starlight Celebration. Her life takes a magical turn when she finds a weak frog near a pond, brings him home, and patiently nurses him back to health. When she finally releases him, the frog leaves Ariana with a mysterious gift that seems to give her dancing an extra spark. What makes the story work is that Ariana’s success never rests on magic alone. Practice, confidence, family support, and compassion remain at the center of her journey.
The story also grows beyond Ariana’s individual dream. After earning a place in the show, she becomes a supportive teammate, helping the other dancers improve and encouraging them to dance from the heart. When the group needs money for costumes, the girls decide to earn it by helping people in their community, doing everything from raking leaves and walking dogs to carrying groceries. That part gives the picture book a satisfying sense of movement from personal ambition to shared accomplishment. The message is clear without being complicated: talent matters, but so do effort, generosity, teamwork, and the way you treat people while you’re pursuing something you love.
The illustrations are vivid. The forest scenes are especially lush, filled with deep greens, colorful flowers, butterflies, birds, and glowing magical details. Ariana’s blue clothing often stands out brightly against the natural settings, while the performance scenes shift into rich reds, sparkling costumes, and theatrical lighting. The pictures do a good job of making Ariana’s dancing feel energetic, with her ponytail, skirts, and body positions giving the scenes a real sense of motion. Later images become quieter and more reflective, including Ariana returning to the pond and the moonlit appearance of the frog. That visual change fits the story’s emotional progression nicely. The hidden-frog activity mentioned at the end also gives young readers something extra to look for as they revisit the pages.
By the end, Ariana understands that the frog may have awakened something in her, but the lasting magic comes from her own compassion, courage, determination, and willingness to lift up others. Her return to the woods brings the story full circle, and the closing suggestion that another adventure may be waiting gives the ending a playful bit of possibility. Ariana and the Magic Frog has the feel of a personal story told with a lot of affection for its heroine. It’s a colorful, encouraging picture book that should connect especially well with children who love dancing, animals, magical adventures, or stories about working toward a dream while staying kind along the way.
Pages: 64
Welcome to our OOL
No Pea in the Pool follows a sweet little pea who is ready for a day of swimming with her friends when she realizes she forgot one very important thing before leaving home: going potty! What was the inspiration for your story?
It took me over a decade to write this book, get it illustrated, publish it, and put it out into the world… and it all started when I was on tour as a songwriter and decided to go swimming at a hotel we were staying at while on the road.
As I was walking toward the chairs to set my towel down, I noticed a sign that read:
“Welcome to our OOL. Please leave the P out of it!”
It’s a good thing no one else was on the pool deck because I burst out laughing. It was hilarious!
Afterward, I was telling my husband about the sign, but just thinking about it cracked me up again, and he couldn’t understand a word I was saying. In between giggles, I finally got it out: “The sign says OOL, so there’s no P in the Pool.”
That’s when it hit me. I saw the character so clearly in my mind.
What if it hadn’t been the letter P… but an adorable little pea who wanted to go swimming? What if there was some reason this pea couldn’t go in the pool?
That was the moment NO PEA IN THE POOL was born.
When I started working on it, I used my songwriting background to create my children’s book in a lyrical, rhyming style.
What do you think makes humor such an effective way to introduce practical lessons to young children?
When stories are fun to read, kids revisit those books again and again… and repetition is an incredible teacher.
When I was little, I re-read my favorite bedtime stories so often that I had them all memorized. Decades later, I can still recite many of them to this day.
But there’s something even deeper than that….
As a reader myself (and as a novelist), I gravitate toward books where the lesson is a natural, inevitable result of the journey the characters went on. Story is my number one focus, always!
For my children’s books, I want the experience to feel like: “Hey, we just had a lot of fun and made new friends… and wow, we learned something, too!”
The illustrations contain jokes and details beyond the words themselves. How did you approach making the pictures another part of the humor?
My illustrator and I had a blast with all the tiny details! One of my favorite moments is when Pea sees the Dalmatian peeing on the hydrant and realizes that isn’t an option for her. Also, the onion crying! I knew I wanted a character to slip and fall with Rule #1: No Running. That background character could have been anything – a banana could have been cute… but the idea of an onion crying felt like the more unique, funny visual choice.
The fun is in the details, quite literally! Look at the sunscreen bottle, it says S-PEA-F! And on the back cover above the barcode, it says MSR-PEA.
One visual joke also solved a practical problem: in a world of fruit and veggie houses, what structure is a public restroom? I knew that making it another fruit or veggie just didn’t feel right. When I came up with the concept for a watering can, I felt that was both funny and perfect for the setting. And my illustrator executed it perfectly!!
It’s not just humor, there’s foreshadowing in the illustrations, too. Notice the picture on the easel in Sweet Pea’s room? She drew a Dalmatian! Then we meet the dog a few pages later. It’s such a tiny detail you could easily miss, but it adds to the richness of the world. The family photos in her living room are another clue: we’ll meet all of those characters in stories to come.
Could Sweet Pea, the Spelling Bee, or the other characters return for another adventure?
Absolutely! My illustrator and I are currently finishing book #2 in the series, THE PRINCESS IS THE PEA, which stars Sweet Pea as Princess Pea. After that, we’ll release PEA-B-J, featuring Sweet Pea’s twin brother, Pete Pea. (Look closely at Sweet Pea’s bedroom in NO PEA IN THE POOL… she drew a picture of her brother there, too!)
Right now on my website, PlanetPea.com, you can meet several of the characters, find out their hobbies, and discover which books each will appear in. And best of all… the experience is interactive!
Play a spelling game with the Spelling Bee. Complete a maze to help Pea, Carrot, and Apple find their way to a pool, or download printable pictures of your favorite characters to color at home. All of it is 100% free and promotes learning and creativity through fun!
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Facebook | Free Coloring Pages | Games | Pea-Mail – Substack | Website
Should Sweet Pea… pee in the pool?
NO PEA IN THE POOL is a rhyming picture book perfect for ages 3 to 6 sure to make a splash at storytime! With cheerful illustrations, lovable characters, and a story made for giggles, NO PEA IN THE POOL is a delightful read-aloud little ones will want to dive into again and again.
Wish Box: A Grumpy Iguana and Green Parrot Adventure
The Wish Box by Susan Marie Chapman is a warm children’s story about friendship, belonging, kindness, and the meaning of family. The story follows Little Mouse, who begins the book frightened and alone as he tries to avoid the Big Black Cat. His loneliness quickly becomes the heart of the story when he admits that he wishes he had a family. Grumpy the Iguana, Green Parrot, and Mr. Squirrel respond by welcoming him into theirs, and Little Mouse’s joy at realizing that he’s loved gives the book an emotional center that young readers can easily understand.
The Wish Box itself gives the story a fun structure. Mr. Squirrel gives Little Mouse a box that’s been in his family for generations, and inside are wishes centered on spending time together, sharing meals, making art, singing, learning something new, and helping someone in need. These wishes turn the idea of family into something active. Family isn’t just a group of characters saying they care about one another. They show it by making plans, sharing experiences, and helping each other. That makes the book’s message feel practical and accessible, especially for children who may enjoy imagining what wishes they’d put in a box of their own.
The story becomes especially engaging when Little Mouse has to face the Big Black Cat, the character he’s feared from the beginning. When the group decides that helping someone in need could mean reaching out to the cat, Little Mouse is understandably terrified, but he trusts his new family enough to go along. The surprise that the intimidating cat is a toothless vegetarian adds some humor, but the scene also develops the book’s larger idea that kindness can change the way people see one another. Little Mouse ends up being the brave one who reaches out, and the cat admits that no one has ever invited him to dinner before. It’s a satisfying turn because Little Mouse moves from feeling small and helpless to making someone else feel included.
Natalia Loseva’s illustrations give the book a lot of personality. The artwork has a soft, hand-drawn look, with bright colors, large expressive eyes, and simple backgrounds that keep the focus on the characters. Little Mouse’s expressions are especially effective, from the tears running down his face when he feels alone to the heart shapes reflected in his eyes after realizing he has a family. The pictures also bring out the humor, such as Little Mouse imagining himself riding a bicycle or the reveal of the Big Black Cat’s dentures in a glass.
By the end, Little Mouse is sitting with the Wish Box and thinking about his family, his new friend, and everything he has to look forward to, which gives the story a cheerful sense of gratitude and possibility. The Wish Box is an affectionate and easy-to-follow children’s book that encourages children to think about family as love, shared experiences, courage, and kindness.
Pages: 38 | ASIN : B093DQYFBX
No Pea in the Pool
No Pea in the Pool by Candice Jarrett is a playful children’s book that turns a basic pool rule into a funny lesson about bathroom habits, safety, and spelling. Sweet Pea is invited to go swimming with her friends, and in her excitement she rushes out with her towel and floaty ring after getting covered in sunscreen. On the walk to the pool, she suddenly realizes she forgot something important: she needed to use the bathroom before leaving home. That small problem gives the story an easy-to-follow plot and creates just enough tension for young readers to wonder whether Sweet Pea will make it in time.
The book has a strong read-aloud quality, with rhymes, repeated sounds, and short lines that keep the story moving. One of its funniest ideas comes from the pool rules. When the lifeguard announces “No pea in the pool,” the Spelling Bee arrives to explain that pea and pee mean very different things. That wordplay gives the story an educational layer without pulling attention away from the action. The book also works in straightforward pool-safety reminders about running and diving, so the humor sits alongside practical information children can actually use.
The pages are packed with bright colors, oversized expressions, and vegetable characters who look cheerful and animated. Sweet Pea’s big eyes and changing expressions make her feelings especially easy to read, from excitement at being invited to swim to panic when she realizes she has to go potty. The settings are imaginative too, with produce-shaped houses, sunny neighborhood paths, and a lively pool full of colorful characters. The illustrations often carry jokes of their own, and details such as the misspelled pool sign and the Spelling Bee’s chalkboards help make the language lesson visual as well as verbal.
By the end, Sweet Pea finds the restroom, makes it to the toilet in time, and gets to enjoy the pool with her friends. The closing message, “A pool is not a toilet. Let’s all keep it that way,” sums up the book’s purpose in language young children can understand. No Pea in the Pool is built around a silly situation children are likely to remember, but it also gives parents and teachers an easy way to talk about bathroom etiquette, pool safety, and simple spelling differences. The combination of rhyme, visual humor, and a very concrete lesson makes it well suited to preschool and early elementary readers, especially as a read-aloud before a trip to the pool.
Page: 35 | ASIN : B0GX378NHD
Grief and Loss
Pablo follows a beloved dog who is separated from his family and embarks on an unexpected journey home, forming an unlikely friendship and discovering the meaning of love, courage, and belonging along the way. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for the setup of Pablo’s story was one that just hit me all at once in a flash! A good friend of mine challenged me to write something, and I had long pondered that conversation – even debating with myself on what I wanted to write. Then the idea for Pablo hit me like a lightning bolt. I literally had the entire story laid out in my head in a flash of creative sorcery. It was remarkable! As I started flushing the idea out further, and being that PABLO is a Mexican dog, I had the idea to write PABLO in English with Spanish words and phrases. So children can learn some Spanish while reading the book. Then, when my mother suddenly passed away, I was grieving and had the idea to incorporate the Five Stages of Grief into the book to help parents and educators openly discuss grief and loss with children. I thought to myself, “If I can help one child deal with what I’m dealing with right now, it will all be worth it”. The response has been amazing. The grief component is really resonating with librarians and parents alike, and I’m very thankful for that.
The story combines comedy, adventure, and moments of grief. How did you balance those very different emotional tones for young readers?
The comedic and adventure components of PABLO can naturally flow while flushing out the story. The grief component was far more challenging. I wanted to subtly weave the Five Stages of grief into the book without forcing the Five Stages down readers’ throats. I wanted to make sure I handled all the stages of grief properly, but subtly, to make sure each stage was easily accessible to children and parents/educators. The lesson plan at the back of the book encourages open discussion about grief and loss with children, and the work Missy did with us on that is invaluable. There are also further lesson plan materials on our website at www.kidstori.com
How did you and illustrator Irvin Walkes work together to develop the visual world of Pablo?
Irvin did a remarkable job with the art on PABLO. It took almost three years to complete, as every page was hand-drawn and painted. Our process was not unlike Disney films of old, with the art. I always wanted to create a 1070’s throwback feel with a modern twist, and Irvin accomplished all that and more! There was Irvin the artist, Jason (Publisher), Rob (designer), and I getting together weekly to review and work on all the art. Some panels magically worked right away, while others took years of revisions. Irvin would board the panel, and we would tweak the art tirelessly to make sure it was perfect before we advanced to color or texture. If we did not like something, even the smallest little detail, Irvin went back to the drawing board, starting the panel from scratch until we all felt it was just right. We have thousands of iterations of the different panels of art in the book.
Do you see more adventures ahead for Pablo and his family?
Well… There may just be an easter egg in PABLO setting up a sequel… See if you can find it. 🙂
OH! – And when you finish reading PABLO, don’t forget to play PABLO: The Video Game! We spent three years working on that as well, and we feel it is a wonderful complement to the book!
Friendships Should Be Treasured
The King and the Ogre follows a kindhearted king and his gentle ogre best friend as they investigate a group of dragons disturbing the villagers and discover things are not what they seem. What attracted you to using familiar fairy-tale characters such as kings, ogres, and dragons?
I think that such fairy-tale characters would resonate best with young readers, as these characters are often friendly, silly, and altogether familiar. Their personalities, too, are light-hearted, good-natured, and easily relatable, not just to young people, but to everyone in general. The combination of the king and the ogre as lifelong friends in particular is an unlikely and unique pairing that is not often found in such settings, one that I hope will set this story apart from others. And in a setting such as this, silly dragons, simply misunderstood, only add to such uniqueness. As an historian, I have always been interested in the medieval period. To tell a light-hearted story in a fairy tale genre that imparts an important message about kindness, caring, and acceptance has proven to be a wonderful writer’s experience.
The story encourages children not to judge someone by appearance. What do you hope children understand about people who seem different from them?
Simply put, children should embrace the beautiful diversity in the world all about them, explore the differences they discover, and not jump to hasty or quick conclusions or assumptions about others, just because someone looks or acts differently than themselves. This can be said of both the ogre Arlo and the silly dragons that frighten the villagers every year. Below the surface both Arlo and the dragons, as clearly illustrated in the book, have only the very best of intentions at heart. Every new person, every new encounter is potentially a wonderful new learning and growing experience.
The book presents friendship as something that can cross very obvious differences. What does friendship mean to you personally?
Friendship is something to be treasured, absolutely. I have met many people in my lifetime and can proudly point to a handful of lifelong friends whom I consider family. These bonds are equally important and have helped to shape my own life in positive ways. These are important connections that have been there in both good times and bad. Friendships are by no means always easy, and do require an honest and sincere effort, especially in a world that continues to become more and more complex. Friendship is a safe place where we can all go, where we can be ourselves, rejoice in old memories and make new ones with those people who mean the most to us.
Would you like to revisit King Liam and Arlo in future stories?
At present I am concentrating on the writing of another series of fantasy action-adventure novels, a trilogy in fact, though I would not completely rule out the possibility of another adventure with King Liam and Arlo in the future. I am certain that there are other important and kindly life lessons that they could both teach us.
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Balu the Paw Traveler
Balu the Paw-Traveler Visits the Seven Modern Wonders by Miry Bejerano is a cheerful travel adventure that turns geography and world culture into an imaginative trip for young readers. Balu, a friendly black puppy, invites children to climb aboard an imaginary airplane, train, and hot-air balloon as he travels to Chichen Itza, Machu Picchu, Christ the Redeemer, the Colosseum, Petra, the Taj Mahal, and the Great Wall of China. At each stop, a local animal friend welcomes Balu and shares a few facts about the landmark, along with greetings, foods, traditions, or activities connected with the country. That repeating structure gives the book an easy rhythm and makes each new destination feel familiar while still offering something different.
One of the book’s strongest features is the way it encourages children to participate instead of simply listening to information. Readers are asked to imagine themselves flying through the clouds, practice samba steps in Brazil, try a yoga pose in India, and wield an imaginary bamboo stick at the Great Wall. The cultural details are presented in small, kid-friendly pieces, such as tacos in Mexico, ceviche and pan flutes in Peru, gelato and pizza in Italy, and hummus and dates in Jordan. There are also simple introductions to words such as hola, ciao, marhaban, and namaste. The result feels part story, part introductory geography lesson, and part activity book, with Balu serving as an enthusiastic guide.
The pages are filled with bright, colorful cartoon scenes showing Balu at each landmark alongside animals such as a jaguar, llama, toucan, camel, tiger, and panda. The landmarks are large and immediately recognizable, while speech bubbles make the encounters feel a little like a comic book. I especially liked the “Balu’s Notes” pages, which mix maps, flags, food illustrations, cultural objects, and short facts into scrapbook-style layouts. The pictures do more than decorate the story because they help young readers connect a place with its landscape, flag, language, food, and traditions. Balu’s expressive face and frequent appearances in tiny planes, trains, and balloons also keep the educational material playful.
The book also extends the adventure well beyond the final destination. After Balu returns home, readers get a family trivia game, thirty questions based on the journey, several “Adventure Snapshot” pages for recording their own trips, and a glossary of words introduced throughout the book. Those extras make the book especially suited to families, classrooms, or children who like to revisit what they’ve learned instead of putting the story away after one reading. Balu the Paw-Traveler Visits the Seven Modern Wonders is an energetic introduction to world travel that combines facts, imagination, movement, language, and colorful illustration in a way that’s accessible for curious young readers. It leaves children with the sense that learning about faraway places can be something they actively take part in.
Pages: 43 | ASIN : B0FRKP8F42
PABLO
Pablo, written by Mar Andersons and illustrated by Irvin Walkes, is a lively children’s adventure about a beach-town dog in Mexico whose life suddenly takes an unexpected turn. Pablo is excited about becoming a father, but a trip to a resort leads to him being mistaken for a stray, taken away, and eventually transported all the way to Seattle. From there, the story becomes a cross-country journey as Pablo tries to get back to Arianna and their new puppies. Along the way, he meets Grandma Joan, a lonely widow traveling in an RV, and their separate stories gradually come together in a way that gives the book more emotional weight than its wild opening might suggest.
The story moves quickly and has a playful sense of humor. Pablo is dramatic, expressive, and constantly reacting to whatever bizarre situation he lands in next, whether he’s wearing a pink dress, escaping through a backyard, flying toward a highway, or helping Joan change a flat tire. The rhyming text keeps the pace energetic, and the Spanish words scattered throughout the story give Pablo a distinctive voice while also introducing young readers to simple vocabulary. A Spanish-to-English glossary near the end helps readers understand words such as amor, familia, gracias, and corazón. The humor and action make the book fun to read aloud, while Pablo’s determination to get home gives all that chaos a clear purpose.
The illustrations are fantastic. Walkes uses bold colors, exaggerated expressions, dramatic perspectives, and almost cinematic scenes to make Pablo’s journey feel big. Some pages are bright and cartoonish, such as the resort scenes with the mischievous twins, while others become darker and more atmospheric when Pablo is frightened or lost. The scene with the enormous cat Buttons feels almost like a suspense movie, while later pages showing Pablo and Joan traveling down the coast become warmer and calmer. The final beach scenes are especially striking, with soft sunset colors and the whole family gathered together by the water. The pictures don’t simply repeat what the text says. They add jokes, emotion, movement, and small visual details that give readers more to notice each time through the book.
What gives Pablo its heart is the way the adventure becomes a story about family, grief, companionship, and finding your way home. Pablo spends most of the book trying to return to Arianna, while Joan is quietly trying to cope with losing her husband. Their friendship helps both of them move forward. By the time they reach Mexico, Pablo is reunited with his family, and Joan finds a new sense of connection with them as well. The book even includes a section for adults about talking to children about grief, connecting Joan’s experiences to the stages of grief shown throughout the story. Pablo packs comedy, action, Spanish vocabulary, and some tender moments into one energetic story, making it a colorful read that can entertain kids while also opening the door to conversations about love, loss, responsibility, and belonging.
Pages: 53 | ISBN : 978-1-7381704-0-1
