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Flower Sketches
Alphabet of Flowers is a fun children’s book that teaches young readers about different flowers. What was the inspiration for the idea behind this book?
I love flowers, especially wild ones. I began drawing using wax crayons with our toddler about a year ago. As a painting medium, crayons are readily available and not messy for quick sketching and painting. Sometimes, we draw together, or I do it alone as a relaxing activity during the short breaks between motherhood responsibilities. I shared the flower sketches on my Instagram stories. A Tanzanian author and literacy specialist advised me to write an alphabet book. So, I wrote this book with a Tanzanian child in mind. I was already working on a bilingual book project on a similar topic. It seemed fitting to branch off from that original project and complete the suggested small one first.
My favourite picture from the book is the Poppy. Do you have a favourite flower from this book?
I love all of them and intended to avoid the popular flowers appearing in the A-to-Z lists of flowers. However, letters such as the X were challenging as there is not much variety of commonly known flowers. As I was writing with a Tanzanian child in mind, I focused on what is possibly available in their tropical environments like the African violet, bougainvillea, or okra flowers. Nevertheless, the African violet would be close to my heart because it originates from the Usambaras where I grew up. Unfortunately, found only in East Africa, the African violet is in danger because of its habitat shrinking.
What do you find that children most love about flowers?
From the observation I made with my son, it’s the different colours and shapes. They are also available to touch and smell, which is great for their sensory development. Flowers can also be used as a painting colour. On touching, one has to be well informed to know which are poisonous in case of ingestion.
Do you have plans to write more educational books on flowers or other things in nature?
This book was a smaller version of another bilingual children’s project that I am working on.
Most of my children’s stories use nature as the story background. For example, the Lamellia series as fables also offer a lesson and curiosity on mycology.
Author Links: Facebook | GoodReads | Website | Instagram
Auntie Glo invites you to have fun with this book. You can learn to read or enjoy looking at the pictures, and you can also learn to draw a flower yourself using wax crayons, just as she did.
Literary Titan Book Awards June 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
Spirit by James Murdock
Small Town Spirit
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Literary Titan Book Awards June 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
Lure Of The Praying Mantis by David Gaston
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Literary Titan Book Awards May 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
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Literary Titan Book Awards May 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
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Twin Adventures: Farmhouse Visit
Twin Adventures: Farmhouse Visit takes Kate and Tate, and readers, on a fun-filled adventure to grandma and grandpa’s house out on the farm. While grandma and grandpa show Kate and Tate their daily activities on the farm their imaginations run away from them and they end up making friends with two adorable bunnies.
Book two in Pat Henry’s Twin Adventure series has readers imaging all the fantastic things one can do on a farm. I found this to be a lovely diversion for young readers who are consumed with their electronics. This genial children’s book shows how much fun it can be on a farm and, staying true to the series theme, it shows just how much fun using your imagination can be.
I appreciate how consistent that bright graphic art is throughout the whole Twin Adventures series. Illustrator Bryant Albert is able to capture Kate and Tate’s emotions throughout the book and is able to make every scene vibrant.
Twin Adventures: Farmhouse Visit takes readers on a simple but fun adventure that will inspire your child to use their imagination. This is an upbeat and cheerful kids book that shows a family having fun on a farm.
Pages: 31 | ASIN: B09SDLVPG4
Twin Adventures: Rainy Day
Rainy days often keep children inside where they are forced to play with their same old indoor games. When Kate and Tate’s plans get ruined by a rain day, they set their imagination loose and end up on a hunt for a dragon. Yet another spectacular adventure awaits those with an active imagination.
Rainy Day by Pat Henry and Paul Henry IV, is my favorite book of the Twin Adventure series because I feel like there is so much more happening in this story. Tate and Kate are stuck inside because of the rain. Their adventure begins when they find toy keys, which lead them to their cubby under the stairs, which leads them to a toy chest, and the toys inside ignited their imagination. I enjoyed reading through these fun series of events, which continues well into their imaginative adventure, as it gave it a storybook feel. Whereas in other books Kate and Tate just had a bit of fun, here Tate is put to the test when he must save his sister from danger, and then then tables are turned and Kate must save her brother. So much fun!
Kate and Tate take readers on a very imaginative adventure, and illustrator Bryant Albert is up to the task of bringing all their wild imaginings to life on the page. From a Fruit Palace to hunting a dragon through strawberry hills, all of the fantastic imagery conveys the same whimsy and wonder of the story.
Twin Adventures: Rainy Day is a fun adventure story for children that shows how imagination can be the key to a thrilling adventure, even when rain keeps you inside.
Pages: 29 | ASIN: B09SXWWQCM
A Fun, Entertaining Book with a Positive Role-Model
Dance Stance, Beginning Ballet for Young Dancers teaches readers, children, and adults, how to improve their posture with tips from an actual ballerina. Why was this an important book to write?
We’re making the books I wished for as a dance teacher and mom. I loved watching things click for my daughter when she’d have a new teacher describe things differently, so giving kids more ways to think about technique as well as a fun, entertaining book with a positive role-model was important. As a teacher with decades’ experience teaching all ages, these highlight some of the most effective descriptions that have helped my students. Weaved in are helpful lessons and tips from a ballerina that we wanted to share.
I love Prisilla the cat, where did the idea to include her come from?
My illustrator added the kitty cat sidekick – it makes the book so special. We actually did a social media vote for the kitty’s name and got many great ideas—in the final draft, the cat’s name is Ballerina Kittina.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The first book I wrote for this age group was actually all about falling, but I went back and created Dance Stance, thinking that was a better starting point. So Falling into Dance is next up, and then we want to deep dive into turning after that.
One of the messages from Dance Stance is that ballet doesn’t have to be life-consuming. I quit cold turkey when I was fourteen because I didn’t know how to take just a few classes – it felt like it had to be all (40 hours a week) or nothing, and I’ve talked to so many people who had similar experiences, some who returned to dance years later wishing they never stopped.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Eka and the Elephants arrives in a few weeks. It’s part of the Dance-It-Out! series for kids ages 4-7.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website
Brought to you by the mother-daugther team of Once Upon a Dance, with over 20 awards for their Dance-It-Out! and Dancing Shapes series for younger audiences. Dance Stance debuts their trilogy for kids ages 8+.
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