Blog Archives
Hoppin’ Hankaroo: Zoo Adventure
There is no place better to have an adventure than the zoo, and Hoppin’ Hankaroo is about to find out exactly how interesting it can be. When Kathy and Hoppin’ Hankaroo head off to the zoo, they meet up with animals both big and small. From a monkey to an elephant, Kathy and Hankaroo see everything the zoo has to offer before they head back to their bus. What they don’t know is that their next adventure is already getting started thanks to someone special who is following them home.
Hoppin’ Hankaroo, written by Janet Earnest Jenkins and illustrated by Terri L. Earnest, is a children’s book featuring Hankaroo, the dog, and his owner Kathy (with a K). Jenkins and Earnest have created a fun rhyming story geared toward younger readers featuring eye-catching illustrations of everyone’s favorite zoo animals. This easy-to-read book is perfect for both emerging readers and beginning readers in grades Pre-K to 2nd grade.
I highly recommend Jenkins and Earnest’s work to parents and teachers who are interested in incorporating rhyme into their read-aloud sessions. The author/illustrator team leaves readers in anticipation of a fun sequel–the perfect way to end a children’s story!
Pages: 32 | ASIN: B0BHFFKXH5
Encouraged Kids to Dream
Dream Big… even when you’re small, follows a Sea Star who wants to travel and see different parts of the world; what he learns is traveling is fun but home is best. What was the inspiration for your story?
I was inspired to write a children’s story that encouraged kids to dream using their imagination and creativity. I hoped that the colorful illustrations would not only entertain but also, foster their ability to dream with a plan. I chose a sea star as the main character because like children, they are: beautiful, resilient and curious!
What came first when creating this picture book, the illustration or the story?
The script of the story came first but, was quickly followed by the Sea Star character along with his many quirky friends.
What educational aspects were important for you to include in this children’s book?
Children benefit from positive encouragement to use their creativity and think innovatively. Our ability to learn bravery, resiliency and self confidence develop from trying new activities and embracing new experiences. Children flourish and mature when they learn to appreciate the wonderful blessings that already exist in their life – such as family, friends and “home” .
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
A new book staring Sea Star and his friends is well underway! In this new book – Book One of a new Sea Star Series – our little star realizes he is “different” from his sea creature friends because he is not a fish. The story highlights how our differences make us each unique, special, and likable. The cheerful illustrations with rhyming and repeating verse demonstrate how positive words and actions build self confidence and a positive inner voice.
The publishing date for the new book is anticipated in early 2023.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
” Dream Big…even when your small ” is a whimsical picture book that children and adults can enjoy reading together. The colorful artworks gives the readers lots to talk about and point out, making the reading experience active for even toddlers. This is a perfect picture book for the pre school and kindergarten classrooms.
Literary Titan Gold Book Awards November 2022
The Literary Titan Book Awards are awarded to books that have astounded and amazed us with unique writing styles, vivid worlds, complex characters, and original ideas. These books deserve extraordinary praise and we are proud to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and writing talent of these brilliant authors.
Gold Award Recipients
Bugles In The Dust – Civil War Veterans On The Chicago Fire Department by George Levy
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Literary Titan Silver Book Award November 2022
The Literary Titan Book Awards are awarded to books that have astounded and amazed us with unique writing styles, vivid worlds, complex characters, and original ideas. These books deserve extraordinary praise and we are proud to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and writing talent of these brilliant authors.
Silver Award Recipients
ZONT-2 and Beyond by Blair Wylie
The Parables of Chance by John Nicholson
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Imperfections Are What Make You Unique
Hooray for Heidi! follows a young turtle who makes a new friend on her way to see the animal games; once there, she learns the value of teamwork and that everyone has different strengths. What was the inspiration for your story?
I am very aware that we live in an age where children are becoming increasingly self-conscious in terms of their appearance, physique and abilities. I was therefore inspired to write an entertaining story that ultimately teaches children that it is okay to be good at some things and not so good at others. Nobody can be good at everything, and in fact your imperfections are what make you unique.
Are there any emotions or memories from your own life that you put into your character’s life?
Due to adverse experiences in my childhood, I had a habit (and still do) of being self-critical, for example, comparing my abilities to other children, what I was good at and not so good at etc. I wanted to refer to this with characters in the book as it’s important for everyone, especially children, to realise their strengths and weaknesses, how to learn from them, how to accept yourself and others and to be kind and show compassion to people no matter how similar or different they are.
What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?
I wanted to make sure that this book had more excitement in it with it being the final book in the Sumatran Trilogy, and I hope I have achieved that. It was important to me to have the book flow well and for the theme to remain as close to the first two books, The Problem with Poppy and What’s Troubling Tawny?, as possible. I also wanted to make it funny and a little more light-hearted than the first two books but still with meaningful messages that would help children handle their emotions and feelings.
What is the next book or series you will be writing, and when can your readers look for it to be out?
Hooray for Heidi! is the final book in the Sumatran Trilogy, but I do have plans for more books in the future. I am co-writing one with another author at the moment, but I can’t reveal any details yet. Watch this space!
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Instagram | Website
Will José be able to cheer Heidi up, and can the two animals find a way to join in the fun?
Empower Future Generations
1 2 3 Count with Me on Granddad’s Farm follows a family who visit the family farm for the day and learn about different activities that go on there. What was the inspiration for your story?
My passion and purpose is to inspire, teach, and empower future generations. This story was inspired by summers on my grandfather’s farm and pays tribute to the special bond between children and their grandfathers. The concept of the book is based on my work with young mathematicians in grades K-6 as an Elementary Mathematics Specialist (and former classroom teacher). And, I dedicated this book to my Aunt Katherine Johnson, NASA Mathematician and Hidden Figure, because she loved to count.
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
I want everyone to love math, so I’m writing math-themed children’s books to help ignite a love for math in all children.
The two important educational aspects included in this book—teach math and empower parents to support learning at home with tips, tools, and hands-on tasks. Parental involvement helps to increase student engagement and academic achievement. Parents can also help make learning less scary by practicing math at home. Learning to count is more than just memorizing and calling out numbers. The book’s back matter helps little ones develop (and reinforce) a strong foundation in counting and quantity by engaging in meaningful learning experiences (i.e. practicing the counting sequence, counting a collection, matching the number words with the objects being counted, exploring the idea of more or less, etc.) with visual supports.
The Discussion Starters, questions in the back of the book, help young readers comprehend and analyze the story for deeper meaning. The visual models (counting dots, fingers, animals, etc.) on the following pages help little ones to dive deeper into counting and reasoning mathematically.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Cee Biscoe?
Illustrating my picture book went through a lot of stages and took many months to complete.
First, I sent my manuscript to Cee Biscoe along with other background information so that she could start imagining how everything would look. Over the next several weeks, we collaborated on character development. Then, she drew pencil sketches of the characters and animals. Next, she planned what to show on each page of the story (to determine if there would be single or double-page spreads). Then, she created the thumbnail sketches, rough sketches, and full-size sketches. Revisions also occurred during that time. Once the page layouts (text placement and illustrations) were finalized, she painted the final artwork on large sheets of watercolor paper using gouache paint.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I love fractions and sweet potato pie. And, I’m using both to ignite a love of fractions with a heartwarming story about friendship, sharing, and grandparents — which was inspired by the classic book The Doorbell Rang. This picture book will introduce young readers to basic fraction concepts. I hope to have my next picture book available next year.
Author Links: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Welcome to our farm! It is a place to learn about farm life and animals on a farm, and to celebrate family, especially grandparents.
Children will love counting their way through Granddad’s farm. Pigs and chickens, cows and horses, apples, tomatoes, and plums-so many things to see and count on the farm. Follow an adventurous young girl as she spends the day with her grandfather helping with chores, riding the tractor, and enjoying a big family dinner to celebrate the farm’s bounty and the love of her family.
Learn to Count Build your little ones’ counting knowledge while reading together. Count up to 10. Count the farm animals, tractors, apples, flowers, and anything that can be counted. Read it again! Count down to 1.
Count to Learn Engage in meaningful math moments. Find and count the number of animals on each page, count how many animals there are all together, ask how many would be left if some were taken away, and talk about more and less.
Count in the Real World Help your little ones develop a love of numbers and math. Explore your home, neighborhood, and school. Count everyday objects forward up to any number and backward from any number.
A perfect book for little readers. Have fun counting from 1 to 10 and back again as you learn about farm life, farm animals, and family! Grab your copy of 1 2 3 Count with Me on Granddad’s Farm.
Next steps: Register at westoaklanekids dot com for awesome coloring sheets
Share it with others and provide a review, if you love the story
Share your thoughts and stories @wolkidsllc
Scoochie & Skiddles: Scoochie’s Adoption Story
If you are looking for an inclusive and educational first introduction to a blended family book for young children, this is absolutely a great start. Scoochie & Skiddles: Scoochie’s Adoption Story by Tom Tracy follows a young girl named Scoochie who is playing at the park with her friends and tells them her story of why her family looks different.
The author is able to capture to perfection the spirit of curious young children when they ask Scoochie the innocent question of why she has two dads. The character of Scoochie was incredibly well developed, and I connected with her emotionally; this is due to the exquisite writing skills of the author.
This story is such an important conversation starter and easy enough to follow for young readers. It gives lots of education on how adoption works and how different families look. It also shows how important it is to show love and respect to our children, whether it is biological or not, because all children and people deserve love and family.
I definitely would recommend this book to anyone thinking of adopting or who has adopted. I love that this story really displays positive attention to adoption and its process, and I hope it opens people’s minds and their hearts.
Scoochie & Skiddles: Scoochie’s Adoption Story is a beautifully written picture book that teaches children all about the adoption process in a language that young children can understand. It also sheds light on how all families look different, and that is okay and a good thing. This is an amazing story for families and schools to share about diversity and acceptance.
Pages: 33 | ASIN : B09RN18H11
No Dog in my Yard
What is the one question parents dread to hear the most? The answer is, can we get a dog? No Dog in my Yard by Tricia DellAnno follows a young boy on his quest to prove to his parents he is deserving of a dog.
It begins with him showing how much love and attention he spends on the neighbor’s dogs, dropping hints left and right to his parents about how awesome they are in hopes that his parents will come to the realization that getting a dog is a perfect idea. His insistence is shut down in one failed swoop leaving the boy with no other choice; he knows what he must do. That is to begin by cleaning his room.
This is a sweet rhyming story about this young boy who goes above and beyond to get his parent’s approval to finally own a dog. I felt his desperation with every turn of the page. I love how the author was able to encapsulate the feeling of the time when we were all children and the longing for a furry companion. At first, I was worried the main character would only clean his room once, and his parents would get the dog, but in fact, they had him prove himself time and time again to show true consistency, maturity, and responsibility. All the key ingredients to a good dog owner.
No Dog in my Yard is a beautifully written children’s picture book that teaches kids about responsibility and honoring their promises. This is the perfect book for any family going through this phase to educate children on what animals require to live happy and healthy lives.
Pages: 40 | ASIN : B09XTMY77Y
LITERARY TITAN 