Blog Archives
The Mouse of the Opera
The Mouse of the Opera by Tuula Pere is a story of a tiny and curious tiny wood mouse. It is a story of adventure and wonderment. It brings to light that even the smallest creatures can have passion and interest and demonstrates how important it is to not be afraid to be a trailblazer despite your limitations, such as being a mouse in Maurice’s case.
A small wood mouse named Maurice and his family lives under a rosebush next to the opera house. They become entranced with the gleaming opera house that plays beautiful music every night. Never actually being inside the place, he is desperate to see what happens inside the dazzling opera house with its luring music. With his eagerness to find out, he hitches a plan to get inside and explore, even though his mother forbids him. Once doing so, he causes such a stir on his tour through the place but gets to see everything it offers, filling him with incredible wonder and awe. He snatches some pastries from the restaurant, marvels at the fabric and gemstones in the wardrobe department, and finally gets to see the show in all its glory up close. All the while making a few friends who deliver safely back home.
I loved this sweet story with all the cute illustrations by Outi Rautkallio. I feel I have never read a children’s book involving the Opera and didn’t realize how interesting and exciting it could be. I would read this to my children to get their curiosities about it sparked and possibly create an outing because of it.
The Mouse of the Opera is a beautifully written children’s book filled with adventure. Children will learn about the Opera as they follow the little mouse on his journey of exploration. This would make a great story for music classes.
Pages: 40 | ASIN : B07H9F2VTQ
It’s So Cute
What A Muck follows a young child who encounters several mishaps while trying to be helpful and learns a valuable lesson in the process. What was the inspiration for your story?
Actually, this book is based on 2 true events. The roll away car happened over 35 years ago and my father really did run like lightning. Everyone was fine in that story too. The other incident happen pretty much how it reads in the book, just the timing and setting are different. Every time my grandson hears this part of the book he says, “Do you remember when that happened to us Nana?” It’s so cute. I was inspired to retell the story to help children learn car safety in an entertaining way.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Katrina Sachs?
Thank you! Katrina and I had a lot of back and forth. My book took many revisions to finish. Even my character name changed from Max to Drew, because it was easier to find words to rhyme with Drew, and it’s gender neutral. Since I wanted Drew to be gender neutral I asked Katrina to make the character that way too. We also decided to bring the car and truck to ‘life’ to add some humour to the serious storyline. Beyond that, I let Katrina have freedom to create. She has a fine eye for detail and perfectly captures the essence of a story. My daughter is patient and great to work with.
What educational aspects were important for you to include in this children’s book?
This was my first attempt to write in rhythm and rhyme. It was important for me to see this through, because when a book is entertaining and easy to read it helps build confidence and develop a love for books. I think the message in this book is as much for children as it is for care givers. Vehicles are not a toy and children need to know that it’s important to ask questions when unsure how something works. Adults need to take precautions to keep everyone safe.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
My next book is called, No More Stuff. In this book, hopefully children will think about their personal space and see how they can help reduce their foot print in the world when it comes to celebration time. There’s a catchy verse that goes to the tune of, How much wood can a wood chuck chuck, if a wood chuck could chuck wood. I think children will have fun repeating it. The main character will take us on their journey to learn a new way of thinking, and in the end take the lead to help their family reduce their foot print too. I plan to publish No More Stuff in April 2023.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
In this children’s picture book, young Drew has good intentions of helping. The day begins with thoughts of having fun, but quickly things are turned upside down. Drew has been watching Papa and Mom, and now a CLICK and a CLUNK have them all in a muck.
Can watching big people help fix a problem too? Can Drew know what to do in time to save Papa’s truck?
Find out in this fun to read a rhyming story. Filled with wonderful and expressive illustrations featuring a comical car and truck. If they could talk, Drew’s day may have turned out much differently.
Learn from Drew what not to do before it happens to you!
Attentive Children
This book showcases the obvious, that children watch our every move. Children learn to speak from listening – every right and wrong word we say. They learn about the world around them through instruction and from watching you.
Drew observes Mom and knows what one button inside her car can do. Maybe? The first attempt to be helpful begins the day’s troublesome journey. We learn lessons through trial and error, but Drew hopes your child will learn from the mistakes made in What a Muck.
One reader wrote: “This book is great for sparking a conversation even when we have good intentions, things can go the wrong way. It touches on how we can all make mistakes in life, which is ok because it allows us to learn and grow. “What a Muck” is a sweet rhyming colourful picture book that takes you on a day in life of a young boy named Drew who has a series of unfortunate events happen when all he wants to do is be a good helper.”
Rhyming
A good book doesn’t have to rhyme, but a good rhyming book serves an important purpose. Rhyme helps aid in a child’s language and reading development. It teaches verbal and memory skills. When a child hears pitch and rhythm, they are developing listening and attention skills. When a book is easy and fun, a child builds confidence in the ability to recite it. This leads to more reading. When reading is fun to hear or listen to, your child develops important academic skills, all the while being entertained.
Gender Identity
Drew is gender neutral. The author intentionally does not refer to Drew as he or she so the reader can relate to the character as they like.
About the Author
Linda Sachs writes books children and caregivers can relate to and will want to read often. She understands the importance of reading to children and developing books that children can read themselves. Some times it just takes one good book to spark the love for reading, and your child is off to a world of imagination and growth.
Linda thanks a school librarian and her intuitiveness to know how to spark the love of reading. She has been writing for many years, and recently entered the publishing world with her debut children’s picture book No More Pets. You can follow Linda on social media, her website, https://lindasachs.com and join her VIP newsletter. She would love to hear from you.
She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and dreams of writing more fun books for children.
Worries About Visiting The Dentist
Ellie Visits the Dentist follows a little girl on her first visit to the dentist where she learns how to take care of her teeth and finds that the dentist’s office isn’t scary. What was the inspiration for the idea behind this children’s book?
This story is based on my own daughter, who went through a similar experience when she visited the dentist for the first time. She was, understandably, nervous enough about her first dentist visit and then finding out she had cavities only added to her anxiety. Thanks to her wonderful and patient dentist, her experience turned out very positive, and she has since grown to love her dentist. I knew that other kids were probably experiencing similar fears regarding visiting the dentist, and I wanted to write a book that they could read and relate to that would help them understand that the dentist does not have to be a scary place, but rather it can be interesting and even fun.
The art in the book is vibrant and cute. What scene in the book did you have the most fun creating?
I would have to say that the first spread, which depicts Ellie playing with her three brothers, was my favorite scene to create. I love this scene because the kids in it are based on my own children, and I tried to make each of their own personalities really show in their character. It is also just a fun, loving picture, showing siblings getting along and playing nicely together, which doesn’t always happen in real life!
What were some ideas that were important for you to include in this book?
I wanted to show that Ellie’s fears and worries about visiting the dentist were completely valid and justified, and that it was important for her mother and her dentist not to minimize them. However, at the same time, I wanted her mother and her dentist to clearly explain and also demonstrate that it is important not to let her fears take over, but rather to understand that the dentist is a person who provides a service to her that helps her and that nothing bad will happen at the dentist’s office.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next book, which is still in its early stages, is going to be based on my oldest son, and the topic is going to be practicing good sportsmanship by being part of a baseball team while dealing with both winning and losing. Since I’m still working on drafting the story, I don’t have an expected release date yet, but I’m hopeful for sometime next year.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Visiting the dentist for the first time is often frightening for many children since they do not know what to expect. Receiving the unwelcome news that the child may require dental work will likely amplify this fear. Ellie Visits the Dentist is the heartwarming story of a little girl who experienced these same fears. Though she is scared when it is discovered that she has cavities, her kind dentist helps her through the process and Ellie realizes that the dentist’s office is not a place to fear.
Empower Young Children
Sharing is the New Cool follows a little boy who loves to share and shows readers that a little bit of kindness can go a long way. What was the inspiration for the setup to your children’s book?
I was inspired to write this story by my two wonderful boys, whom I’ve always taught to lead with kindness. I love that they have compassion and consideration for others. Their actions are infectious and I hope writing a book that would empower young children with a simple message of sharing will inspire their hearts and minds.
The art in this book is very cute. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Abira Das?
Abira Das, is my illustrator and friend, that makes the process so much easier. From the moment she sent her first idea of my vision I knew this would be a good start to a great working relationship. Abira and I communicate regularly, comparing thoughts and exchanging ideas.
I start by submitting my storyboard. Then she begins her sketching process. We collaborate and then the magic begins creating diverse characters that every child can relate to.
What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?
I had the most fun writing the scene where Morgan’s mom and dad pick him up after his first day of school. I wrote this scene from my own personal experience with my son, Morgan. I can still hear his teacher’s voice enthusiastically praising Morgan’s kindness towards others and how much he loved to share.
There is also a scene at the end of the story where Morgan realizes how much the old man appreciates his kindness. That scene is special to me, because I believe it’s important to teach children that SHARING IS COOL!
Do you have more books planned featuring Morgan?
You may see Morgan featured from time to time, however, my plan is to introduce new, fun and exciting characters throughout my Cool series.
I will be releasing my new book Honesty Is The New Cool by the end of 2022.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook
Near And Dear To Me
Lets talk! Learning to bowl follows two friends to the bowling alley where they learn about the importance of wearing a mask and how people with autism communicate differently. What inspired the idea to have this story take place in a bowling alley?
Each book has a different setting and activity that is near and dear to me. I grew up bowling and had even worked at the local bowling alley. In doing that I got to see a lot of children begin to bowl and fall in love with it. I thought it would be great to showcase that in a book. Not many books show bowling and I loved the idea of it being something different that can also inspire kids to want to try a bowling league too.
Was there anything that you pulled from your own experience and used in the book?
Oh absolutely I did! All of my books have things in them that are from my experience in the field. This book in particular though is special and near and dear to me because I did work at the local bowling alley and volunteer coached. In this book I bring back the idea of using the index cards for Emma to understand and communicate. That is a technique I use a lot in my current career in applied behavior analysis.
I modeled the bowling alley and coach after what I knew growing up. The bowling alley is similar to the one I worked in. I decided to use a coach because I had coached as a volunteer too. I had worked with children and seen little ones with disabilities try to bowl. I pulled from my own memories and experiences to shape the character of the coach. It also influenced the front desk and the types of shoes the characters are wearing. I made sure those were all authentic when I wrote out how I wanted the illustrations to look. I loved that I could put my experiences in and be super authentic when It came to the communication device and the activity this time.
What scene in the book did you have the most fun creating?
Most fun creating, I would have to say it was figuring out how to address Emma wanting to take the mask off and helping her to understand why it needs to stay on. Emma taking the mask off is very real and similar to experiences I had in my own career once we were able to go back to in person therapy. I think that was the most fun to actually write and pull from my own experiences. I really loved writing in the character of Coach Phil too. So many people do not realize how fun bowling is or that a little one with a disability can do it too. I loved that I was able to show people that with a little effort and a few questions, our teenage or adult coaches can understand how to work with our littles ones with disabilities too. Also, one last fun part, was making the character of Coach Phil Native American. Diversity is so important to me and being able to showcase that in a main character was really amazing.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Currently, I have a few things in the works. I have some books written that under contract. The first book in a new series with the illustrators being amazing individuals with autism. Then there is a third series that was actually picked up by a traditional publisher. That first book in the series is actually written from Emma’s point of view. There will be more information and teases coming up! Also, there is book 4 in the Lets Talk! series which is called Lets talk! celebrating the holidays. This will be available by April 2023. Lots to come! I am very excited for everything that is moving forward!
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Website
Broken: The Young Hellions Series
Broken follows the adventures of Keesa Donovan, a woman of an Establishment settlement outside of Savannah in a post-apocalyptic world. In the aftermath of the Great Drop, when nuclear bombs were dropped all over the world, survivors are forced to create a new world. One of the big players is the Establishment, who have enslaved many people of the world, among them Keesa, her brother Kiran, and their Uncle, who live with meager hope for escape. Keesa has accepted, and welcomes, the fact that she’s going to die, especially after failing to make the yearly sacrifice for the third time, but fate intervenes in the form of a new friend who brings new hope. Dobbs Saunders, a fellow slave, who has managed the impossible and escaped on numerous occasions. He speaks of the Resistance, who are liberating people and spreading their anti-Establishment message. With Dobbs’ know-how, the gang of friends band together to hatch a plan to escape.
The author creates a dreary setting in this gritty post-apocalyptic story. I could really feel the despair and hopelessness of the characters’ lives. I find this emotional depth often lacking in other young adult books, but I really enjoyed how this story embraces that darkness and colors the world in austere shades that make the story feel authentic, if bleak. This is a dark and disturbing dystopian world that is enthralling. There were several intriguing details that made my skin crawl. The author does an excellent job of conveying this in the writing, and I enjoyed every bit of it.
Although dark, the story shows how love and perseverance can be used to push through any obstacle. This creates moments of great humanity in a world that feels as if its lost theirs. I really liked the fantastic contrast within the story and I found it compelling, but I wish there was more light to balance out the dark. The book also contains tender moments as well that I would have liked to have seen expanded on further.
Broken shows readers a dark vision of what the world could be after a nuclear fallout. This is an enthralling cautionary tale that will inspire readers to choose love and use determination to push through the darkness. This is a thought-provoking and entertaining post-apocalyptic adventure novel that will appeal to fans looking for a story that, while dark, provides great lessons in finding strength in dark times.
Pages: 369 | ASIN: B0B2MZDKBQ
LITERARY TITAN 