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Gratitude canBenefit Children
Honeycake: Counting All My Blessings teaches children about the importance of gratitude and how to focus on what matters most. Why is this an important lesson for kids to learn?
Firstly, I would like to say thank you for conducting this author interview. I’m so honoured and grateful to be given this platform to discuss the importance and the valuable lessons my books will give families around the world.
After reading Honeycake: Counting All My Blessings, I hope my readers come away with incorporating gratitude in their everyday lives. Most parents have taught their kids the importance of saying thank you by grade school, if not sooner. But how many have truly instructed them in the art of being grateful? You can be grateful for a wide range of “gifts,” everything from nature and good food to good luck or a wonderful opportunity for the people in your life. A sense of gratitude can benefit children (and adults) in a variety of ways. It can decrease stress and has other important emotional health benefits. A person who is grateful tends to spend less time comparing him or herself with others and feeling envious. I also feel that it’s important to showcase that we need to be grateful when things don’t go our way, or when we make a mistake. It’s through those challenges we have to overcome, that we learn our greatest lessons in life. Ultimately gratitude can help adults and children alike, and the best thing parents can do is be a good role model for their children. So, the next time something good — or even not so good — happens, express your appreciation out loud, start a gratitude journal, and start and end your day with what you are grateful for. Everyone will benefit from it.
Nala has to deal with feelings of jealousy when a new baby arrives. Is this something inspired from your own life?
Yes, this was inspired by my own daughter Shanaz’s reaction when her little brother Jean-Diar (JD) was born. She was only 15 months old at the time but I made sure we taught her the importance of gratitude and how to count all her blessings even at that age.
Where did the idea for the ‘green eyed monster’ come from?
Jealousy can lead even the nicest people to become angry or green with envy. That’s why it’s often referred to as the ‘green-eyed monster’. Because it’s so universal in human nature, jealousy is a common theme in storytelling, so I thought it would be a good metaphor for children to relate too.
What plans do you have to continue the Honeycake series?
I will be taking a break after this book, to focus on a bigger project. I have partnered up with a production company and my Co-Creator Lanette Ware-Bushfield CEO of AWWB Production Inc. is helping me take the Honeycake Book Series and adapting it into a tv series, which is being pitched to major television and animation studios.
I do plan to come back with another 5 books in the Honeycake series, with our heroine Nala and her little brother Luka when they are a little older with books that are geared for middle graders.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Amazon
This book teaches children the importance of gratitude and how to focus on what matters most in life. Showing gratitude is a great way to find balance in the materialistic culture we live in today.
With the help of her grandmother, Nala learns the importance of gratitude and how being thankful for all the wonderful things she has in her life equips her with a powerful tool to make those icky feelings of jealousy from the “Green-Eyed Monster” disappear.
The Addicted Child
![The Addicted Child: A Parent's Guide to Adolescent Substance Abuse by [Richard Capriola]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/414Z3pYO8BL.jpg)
During these difficult times of rampant substance abuse, all parents must be vigilant. Behavioral changes can be a big indicator of substance abuse. How do you differentiate between simply using drugs and being addicted to said drugs? How do such drugs change the physiological and neurological structures of a child? How many types of addiction are there? How do you, as a parent, get out in front of it? The Addicted Child by Richard Capriola is an excellent educational book that will be immensely beneficial to anyone seeking answers to these questions. It’s a succinct information resource on different types of drugs, the effects those drugs have on the brain and substance abuse in adolescence.
It is so much easier now for children to access drugs. With parents getting busier trying to make ends meet, it is also harder to keep track of the kids. This guide is therefore not only relevant but also written by an expert with vast experience and a world of knowledge on the subject. Richard Capriola’s knowledge on the subject is evident and I felt comfortable with the knowledge presented. It’s broken down into easily digestible bits of information, with easy to understand headings for each topic followed by a concise summarizeation of the topic. This makes the book handy as a reference guide as well as a primer on the subject.
This book hooks you right from the acknowledgment. The author tells a poignant story describing why he decided to write this book and goes on to share stories of parents who were surprised by underlying mental illnesses. This personal touch gives the book a human quality that puts the rest of the information into perspective.
The Addicted Child by Richard Capriola is a book that goes as far as touching on the common and most popular drugs available to the adolescent and teen population. This book bravely tackles such a sensitive and often swept under the rug issue. I really appreciated the impeccable presentation of the message as well as its simplicity. Any parent would benefit from this book. Curbing this scourge is a collective responsibility and being well informed is key, and The Addicted Child gives you that key.
Pages: 125 | ASIN: B08KJHJYBY
Don’t Step on the Spider
Don’t Step on the Spider is a charming children’s picture book that educates readers on the importance of life and how every insect benefits mother nature and brings balance to the ecosystem. Kirk Raeber accomplishes this with very easy language and a cute comic art style.
Young Tim is at his grandparent’s house when he decides to go out and play and encounters a spider. He’s about to step on it, like I think most people would do, but is stopped by his grandfather. His grandfather tells him that every creature has a right to live, and to prove his point he takes Tim on a jaunt through the forest to meet many more insect friends.
Every insect they meet along the way is adorable and friendly, and each one explains how they contribute to the ecosystem. There is plenty to learn in this book, even I learned about the importance of ants! This is a great book for early readers or for parents and teachers to read to children. This book provides many opportunities to discuss nature and how everyone has a role. Don’t Step on the Spider skillfully informs and entertains young readers and is one book I can see reading several times.
Pages: 35 | ASIN: B0842DJSWV
Crossing The Digital Faultline
Crossing the Digital Faultline is an informative and engaging book. Anyone working in an upstart company or established business organization needs to read this book. The author digs deep into the corporate culture, change in digital trends, and why companies need to move with the times. The author’s tone when addressing missteps companies partake in is both firm and calm. When reading through the discussions, one gets to understand where the author comes from and why he makes the points that are written in the book. Sri Manchala tries to make his book as compelling to read as possible. The paragraphs are not long and the sentences easy to comprehend. Whenever the author fuses in a story, he ensures that he gives the reader a back story to avoid confusion.
Sri Manchala brings the future to the present. By talking about ways in which a company can win in the age of digitalization, the author gives solutions to businesses that perhaps are not familiar with the digitalization process. The advice given is solid and the examples given are real. Sri Manchala tries to be practical with all the examples he gives in the book. He modestly illustrates different aspects of digitalization and gives the reader a clear picture of how businesses are supposed to be run. A single example given in the book is enough to open one’s eyes regarding the subjects discussed. The author also suggests methods that companies can apply as they embrace digitalization patterns.
Sri Manchala is not just a great narrator, but also an amazing instructor. While reading the book, one gets the impression of attending a master class as the author particularly arranged related topics, and how modern trends impact the development of businesses. To understand the concepts in the book, one has to read keenly as sometimes the author uses technical words that may not be understood by the average reader who is not familiar with digitalization and related trends. The explanation the author gives is however enough to make a newbie master the jargon and key lessons. Some of the most impactful discussions in the book talked about customer behavior and disruptive technologies, global markets, a leader’s role in handling a crisis, digital transformation and evolution, and encroachment by the tech industry.
The author is insightful, unbiased, and informed. The beauty of reading a book whose author is neutral in the subject matter is that you are able to form your own unbiased opinion. The author focused on informing people about the importance of digitalization and the rules to follow for a company to advance. There are immense lessons that leaders can take from the book and share with their subordinates and fellow leaders in similar positions.
Pages: 331 | ASIN: B089D9DLSS
Mattie Boombalatty
Mattie Boombalatty by Wayne Gerard Trotman is a children’s illustrated short story that follows Mattie Boombalatty as she moves to a new town and falls victim to bullying by her new schoolmates. Trotman’s simple yet profound lesson about morality, combined with the book’s vivid and lively illustrations makes this a fantastic book for children.
Nhat Hao Nguyen, the illustrator of the book, is a skilled artist who makes each scene and character come to life. He uses vivid colors that pop, and his life-like yet cherub-like character illustrations add just the right amount of magic and realism to this children’s picture book. His attention to detail on each page is fantastic.
Trotman’s message about treating others who treat us lesser than we deserve is, as aforementioned, simple yet poignant. Mattie faces many anxieties that are understandable and normal for a school-aged girl. Some of her schoolmates decide for no reason that they do not like her and, as mean schoolchildren do, they make their feelings known. As distraught as she is over being taunted by her peers, she displays strength in refusing to wish them ill will, even when she comes across a glowing opportunity to get revenge. Mattie is ultimately rewarded for choosing the high road, and she reaches her happy ending in the story. While we as humans are not always rewarded for rising above our circumstances, Trotman makes it clear that the reward is not what matters – rather, the peace of mind that comes with choosing the right path is what ultimately matters.
Pages: 50 | ISBN-10: 1916184839
Honeycake: Counting All My Blessings
When there’s a new baby in your home, it’s easy for a child to feel jealous or forgotten because the baby will need lots of attention and care. But having the right people there for you can change everything. You can learn to be thankful for all the things in your life instead of focusing on the bad things.
Honeycake: Counting All My Blessings, by Medea Kalantar is a touching story about a little girl named Nala that has to deal with all the attention being placed on her newborn brother. She begins to wonder why her brother is getting gifts and why he’s, seemingly, more important than her. Lucky for her, Nala has a wonderful family member to talk her through it and teach her to count her blessings. She learns all about the Green-Eyed Monster and its negative effects on her. She learns to be thankful for everything in her life and to accept this new change as the blessing that it is.
The way the author is able to send a message to young readers about the importance of being thankful is amazing. She is able to write in a way that would capture any child’s attention. I enjoyed the cute and emotive drawings that do a great job of showing how Nala is feeling. This makes it easy for any reader to relate to Nala. Not only do children get an eye-catching story but they learn an important life lesson.
Honeycake: Counting All My Blessings is definitely one of the most educational books for a child to read. It teaches thing not often taught in school. Young readers will learn about gratitude and thankfulness towards things in their lives.
Pages: 37 | ASIN: B08FPK3Q53
Enterprise Agility
Sunil Mundra’s Enterprise Agility was written for people in the technology field or executives who want to grow their business and enterprises fast. Sunil Mundra focuses on subjects that would help any enterprise that yearns to expand and swiftly adapt to change. The author’s tone is professional and gives the reader an insight into how to manage an enterprise. His style of explaining is praiseworthy as the author uses easily comprehensible terms. Sunil Mundra selected crucial topics in the book, concentrating on specific areas when expounding on a topic. Through the text, you can tell that the author is an expert in this field and understands both the basics and technical sections when talking about enterprise agility.
Any company that gets into business aims to expand after a while. In his book, Sunil Mundra lists several reasons why companies and organizations fail to grow as expected, and offers suggestions on how to improve the growth rate of a business. Chapter two of the book carries some of the heaviest thoughts in Enterprise Agility. The author writes on everything from values and principles of agile, to the characteristics of enterprises with high agility. Some of the important components of agility that are discussed in the book include responsiveness, versatility, flexibility, resilience, innovativeness, and adaptability. The author gives practical examples that readers can relate to, which I felt improved my understanding.
Besides agility, one can also read Enterprise Agility as a leadership book. The author shares the qualities of good leadership and gives examples of how leaders can create a friendly environment that involves every stakeholder in the enterprise. Enterprise Agility is a great book for chief executives and everyone in management or parties that want to get the highest seat at the table. One of the many things I learned from the book is that people with an agility-oriented mindset willingly share knowledge with others and do not treat knowledge as a source of power.
Reading this book will open your mind and enlighten you on issues that you had perhaps ignored. The author knows how to deliver his points well. After reading this book, the reader will learn how to focus on the areas to improve, adapting to changes, and how to use the best techniques to achieve the most in whatever one does. Sunil Mundra has the best words for you if you want to enhance enterprise agility. All the valuable lessons are in the book. Change begins from within and by progressing in one’s area of expertise. I recommend this book to readers that have an entrepreneurial spirit and want to build their agile mindset.
Pages: 492 | ASIN: B0788T1PSN
Captain Fantastic
I’ve Got You is a fun space adventure that explores fear and helping friends overcome it. Why was this an important theme for this book?
For me, it was super important to get this book out during Covid-19 as I wanted to help any children feeling lonely and to make sure they never felt alone! It times of trouble we must stay together and look after those in need the most.
This is book one in your Captain Fantastic series. What can readers expect in book two?
The next book is ‘Captain Fantastic and the Chocolate Planet’ and will be ready for Christmas 2020:
“Good grief,” cried the captain “we’re space monster stew!
Or perhaps it’s an ogre, a witch or some new
Strange kind of monster, a space ghoul or mummy.”
“Captain,” said Winston, “I think it’s my tummy!”
Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Winston is one of the bravest dogs in the universe. He’s travelled through space and battled monsters with his best friend, Captain Fantastic, but there’s one thing that still scares him.
Come along on this adventure to find out what makes Winston tremble, and discover how Captain Fantastic comforts his loyal space dog so he’s once again a happy, waggy-tailed space hero.
First in the exciting new series of intergalactic adventures, based on the awesome and educational Captain Fantastic parties.
“In this lovely story about friendship and fears is an important message about being there for each other and being able to face our fears when we have someone to face them with. Now more than ever, this is an important message for children – I’ve Got You is like having a hug delivered in the form of a storybook.” Dr Gummer, Good Play Guide
LITERARY TITAN 