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Colin the Crab’s Friends
What is the purpose of life if there is no one to enjoy it with? In Colin the Crab’s Friends by Tuula Pere Colin knows that working hard and savoring the beautiful moments in life is a well-balanced diet. Colin is a hardworking builder that keeps himself fully busy.
He helps Ms. Catfish with a loose roof beam on her home but then spends time listening to her stories and enriching their friendship. The Next family needs help washing their windows which Colin is more than willing to help, knowing Mrs. Newt has so many children to look after and would much prefer her spending time looking after them than worrying about her silly windows that need cleaning. Sally the Starfish is incredibly sad about how glum her fence is looking, and Colin knows his friend well enough to do just the right thing to cheer her up. He embellishes her fence with decorative ornaments, which instantly brightens her mood but reminds her to be thankful that she has a strong-standing home keeping her perspective of what is important in check as a good friend should do. After working hard all week, Colin decides to throw his friends a party in the blue pavilion he built for just such occasions. He knows life is about working hard and taking the time to enjoy life’s splendors with friends.
I loved how simple the story is, but it permeated with such significance. I feel everyone is told to always work hard to get the things they want in life. But this story does an exquisite job of clarifying exactly how to do so and then, in the same breath showing you how to have meaningful relationships and enjoy life. This is exactly the kind of story young readers should have at their disposal to become what I think are well-rounded individuals.
The illustrations by Roksolana Panchyshyn give life to the characters and convey the sweetness and charm the story possesses. I enjoyed how the author has given Colin the crab such humanity-like quality to him. He empathizes and sympathizes with his friends and their situations. He knows just what everyone needs to feel loved and appreciated, and this is also a shining mark shown countless times throughout the story by the author’s remarkable writing skills.
Colin the Crab’s Friends is a heartwarming picture book that children and adults will be able to find meaning within its pages. This children’s book is perfect for classrooms and libraries to help young children understand what friendship is and how to be a good friend to those around them.
Pages: 34 | ISBN : 9523573225
The Magical Bag for a Plastic-Free Earth
Have you ever noticed how much waste we create? How much just one person can create in a single day? The Magical Bag for a Plastic Free Earth, written and illustrated by Pranamee Nath, follows a young girl named Ollie who loves animals and comes to realize the answers to those questions. Ollie goes for a visit at her Uncle John’s house where the main attraction is the beach. When the beach is closed her cousin Tanya takes her to enjoy the day at a fair where there is a variety of delicious foods and treats to indulge in. Tanya has a magic bag that lets her carry alternative containers that allow her to live waste and single-use plastic free. Ollie doesn’t see the importance of these items until she is confronted with why the beach was closed in the first place.
The message of doing our part in keeping our planet free of single-use plastic was done in such an impactful way by the author’s emotionally evocative writing skills. I enjoyed that the author also gives readers examples along the way that show how to make small changes when we are going about our everyday lives. These changes can make a huge difference and are easy to implement. I felt like I was being educated on every page rather than preached to or being shamed for my lack of action. This enlightening children’s book is a gentle guide that illuminates the steps that are necessary and easy to take. Ollie realizes how her actions throughout the day have contributed to a destructive situation for us, the world we live in, and the animals she loves. I felt her shame and sadness all at once and again that speaks to the author’s fantastic writing.
The Magical Bag for a Plastic-free Earth is an educational picture book that is a wonderful resource parents can use to introduce environmental issues and sustainability to young readers. This informative book will help parents and teachers start a conversation about the environment in a way that young kids will easily understand.
Pages: 40 | ASIN: B0BCSMD4ZF
Colin the Crab Feels Tired
It is difficult to say no to friends when they ask for your help. In Colin the Crab Feels Tired by Tuula Pere we get to see the struggle Colin feels when he is asked by numerous friends’ for his help with many different tasks. He simply cannot say no to his friends and does his best to prioritize his jobs but is too tired from working hard all day to move another muscle.
The fish family’s home was destroyed by waves, and has asked Colin for his help in building them a new home. This being an emergency, he gets to work on it straight away. He then receives a call from Eddie the eel to get his help in making him a new and bigger garage for his new moto copter, which Colin knows is nothing urgent and can wait but begins to feel the slightest pressure building within him. Still working hard at the construction site for the fish family, Sally, the starfish, calls him, needing his help in putting up her new mirror on the wall of her home. Colin cannot decline her request but decides to put her next on his fast-growing list of friends to help. At the end of the day, Colin feels exhausted and needs a good night’s rest that seems to last long into the morning. In the morning, his friends are all looking for him needing his help, and realize they he is overworked and must be desperately tired if he is still asleep. They decide to take on his task of building the fish family’s new home so he can rest up.
I love that this story shows young children not only the significance of helping others but also the weight it can bear on us if we take on too much. We must look after ourselves in order to help others in the end, and that also having good friends who are more than willing to bare the weight is what true friendships are made of.
Colin the Crab Feels Tired is a well-written picture book that teaches children the value of self-care and looking out for your friends. Teachers and parents will love the important message this book shares, while children will be drawn to the beautiful illustrations and entertaining characters.
Pages: 32 | ISBN: 9523573160
A Bluebird’s Memories
Life can be an exquisite or boring journey depending on your perspective. In A Bluebird’s Memories by Tuula Pere, a grandmother bluebird exemplifies to her grandchildren how even being a small bird, they can live impactful, meaningful, and beautiful lives.
Near a summer cottage, the owner built a nesting box in which the grandmother bluebird lives. She is cleaning and readying her home for her grandchildren’s visit. She reminisces of the days when she was with her mate and all the beautiful memories she cherishes. She isn’t lonely, though, and has many friends and events keeping her busy. She has lived a long full life, and the little curious chicks want to hear stories from her past. She tells them of moments when she helped others without receiving praise or recognition and moments of overcoming terror.
The lovely illustrations by Outi Rautkallio fully encompass the wholesome naturalness of the characters and the environment with a waterlike soft look that brings the reader into the world. The stories the grandmother bluebird told were so heartfelt and perfectly encased with symbolization that it is easy for young readers to understand. She sheds light on how significant everyone’s life is and to be a good person. To live life fully and appreciate every moment, even when they are scary or hard. To find what truly matters in life which is the people we keep around us and that we love to no end. To see life as an opportunity and all its possibilities. I loved the story and how sweet the relationship she had with her grandchildren was.
A Bluebird’s Memories is a heartwarming children’s book that teaches children the value of kindness and how even small things can make a big impact on someone. This story is inspiring and will help kids realize that they do have an important role in life, even though they are small.
Pages: 18 | ASIN : B07HY9JNH6
So, I Decided To Write One
Kittens Learn About Holidays follows a group of kittens that are adopted and need to learn about the different holidays in society to embrace their new lives. What was the inspiration for your story?
As a homeschooling mom, I remember searching for a book like this for my son when he was younger…one that encompasses an overview of a variety of holidays. I couldn’t find one. So, I decided to write one.
What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?
I wanted it to be engaging for children, understandable, and have a nice flow. I also wanted to ensure that different cultures were represented.
Did you find anything in your research of this story that surprised you?
Oh yes! I was not as knowledgeable as I had thought about several of the holidays I included. I learned quite a bit while researching.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am currently working on a pet loss book for children. It’s called “I’ll Remind You” and will be available by the end of November.
Author Links: Facebook | Website
Find A Forever Home
Clara and Mr. Milo’s Adventures follows a five-year-old girl who wants her pet and takes the time to ensure she gets the right pet and takes care of it correctly. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
My husband and I adopted Mr. Milo from a shelter in central Florida. We walked by so many sweet pets needing a loving home that it broke my heart. I wanted to find a way to encourage others to adopt shelter pets. A few days after adopting Mr. Milo, my niece Adelyn came to visit and meet Mr. Milo. She was very interested in learning about shelter pet adoption. Adelyn was only six years old, and her sweet and caring questions inspired me to write about the process we underwent to adopt Mr. Milo. Adelyn reminded me that children are eager to learn and that their innocence and selflessness can encourage the kindness and compassion needed to help shelter pets find a forever home.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Lana Lee?
Thank you! I enjoyed working with Lana Lee. I initially submitted a picture of Mr. Milo as a kitten and a picture of me as a child to different illustrators at Upwork. When Lana sent me her initial illustrations, I knew she was the right illustrator for my series. Lana allowed me to give her my vision, page by page. We worked together, going back and forth during the dates scheduled and at different hours of the day. Lana would send me a draft of the illustrations, and if needed, I would request changes. We worked hard on refining the images to capture my vision. Sometimes, it was a simple color change or changing the details of the expression of a character. She amazingly created every page as I imagined and finalized every episode on the scheduled dates. We worked together for almost a year, and she was easy to work with. I’m thrilled with her work. Lana Lee is a very talented illustrator, and I look forward to continuing our partnership.
What educational aspects were important for you to include in this children’s book?
My goal is to educate children about the process of shelter pet adoption and the responsibility involved in caring for a pet. As well as to highlight the rewards and joy pets give us in return. I hope to inspire kindness, compassion, patience, and love toward shelter pets.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
We recently completed seven episodes of this series. It has been an incredible experience and an absolute joy to create. I’m currently focusing on using this series to spread the valuable message of shelter pet adoption and hope to expand on Clara & Mr. Milo’s Adventures very soon…
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Believe In Positive Change
Building High Trust CommUNITY examines the contributing factors that have led to mistrust in America’s leaders and the growing divide between the people of the nation and proposes what must be done to resolve the situation. Why was this an important book for you to write?
We have observed the widespread mistrust and divides, which are all around us and so frequently described in the media. We talk about those divides in the book. It was important for us to write about specific approaches to making progress, to rebuilding trust, to bridging divides whether at an individual level or working on larger problems. We have evidence trust can be built with intentional efforts and we want to broadly share this good news.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
The first important idea is that it is a myth that there is nothing we can do to build trust. In fact, everything we do contributes to trust or distrust. We can intentionally move from a distrusting to a trusting environment. It takes work but it brings out the best in all of us.
Did you find anything in your research of this book that surprised you?
We were surprised and pleased by the number of people who want to change and contribute to building a more trusting environment—more trusting socially, more trusting politically. Individuals we interviewed for the book, regardless of their backgrounds or political preferences, expressed genuine interest in bridging the divides that have led to negative polarization and the lack of problem-solving so characteristic of our present times.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
We hope readers will believe in possibilities; we hope they will believe they can make personal differences in their lives and the lives of the individuals around them. We hope they will believe in positive change and that trust is the bedrock of that change.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
A Literary Study of the Book of Genesis
A Literary Study of the Book of Genesis by Wilma Brown-Foreman is an educational course that will help teachers and students gain and test their knowledge of the Hebrew Bible. The author opens the text with a pre-assessment so that the reader can measure their understanding of the Hebrew Bible. The author also provides the website links for the reader to go online and take the assessment. After the pre-assessment author Brown-Foreman dives right into the lesson about teaching the Bible in public schools. With around 35 lessons the author covers several topics in the Book of Genesis.
This is an enlightening and informative book that will help readers learn in a way that is comfortable for them. The information in this illuminating book is delivered in a straight-forward manner, as if in a classroom with a wise professor. The author successfully provides readers with the tools needed to learn and test their knowledge of the Hebrew Bible.
The teachings in the book may be controversial to some, but I think this book would be beneficial for those who are curious about how teaching the Bible in school can be beneficial. I appreciated that the author provides factual evidence rather than her personal opinion and she does not try to persuade the reader to convert or change their beliefs. I can see this book being used in Bible school as the author provides the reader with the information they need to learn, grow, and better understand their strengths and the subjects they need to focus more on. This can also be an interactive learning experience for readers that are serious about the subject because the author provides her contact information to reach out to her for clarification or more information.
I would recommend this book to students who want to learn more about the Hebrew Bible and to teachers who want to provide their students with an easy to use study guide.
Pages: 266 | ISBN: 1915165172
LITERARY TITAN 