Blog Archives
Leo, the Little Wanderer
Leo, the Little Wanderer by Tuula Pere is a children’s book that follows a young boy named Leo who hears whispers in the wind which tell him to venture out into the world and experience what life has to offer. Leo listens to the wind and is taken on an enchanting and enriching journey through towns and mountains where he meets an array of people that teach him about life.
I have never read a children’s story with such a powerful message until this book. The writing was beautifully illustrative all on its own. The full page illustrations by Andrea Alemanno gave a delightful charm to the adventure and made the reading experience simply enchanting. The moments when Leo met people throughout the story were relatable and filled with introspection and meaning. He was able to connect with many different people from diverse places on basic levels such as music. This shows that we all have so much in common and this story effectively sends that message to young readers.
My favorite line from the story, and one that I truly connected with, was “…the building was like life itself- a big dream full of details and always in the making.” This one poetic line gives just a small taste of the soulful reflection that this picture book offers. Author Tuula Pere shows life’s possibilities in this bewitching children’s book, if we just take the time to listen and to live.
Pages: 46 | ISBN: 978-952-357-337-6
The Swishing Shower
Young Sam has a difficult time transitioning from taking a bath to taking a shower. He does not like when the water gets into his eyes while he bathes. Good thing Sam has his big brother Niles to help lead the way and show him how to enjoy taking a shower. Niles knows just what to do and all he needs is his old umbrella and a little help from his mom.
In this sweet story poor Sam is having a hard time getting used to taking showers and wonders why he can’t take a bath in the tub like he used to. Thankfully he has Niles, his older brother, who experienced the same issue when he was getting older. Taking on his big brother role he shows Sam a different way of going about taking a shower and more importantly shows that he is there to care for and protect Sam.
This cute picture book shows the importance of family, teamwork, and ingenuity in writing this story. It shows young readers that having strong family values is important and to have trust and rely on the people we love. Niles found common ground with Sam and made sure to keep him safe, supported and understood to aid in his growth along with their mother. Young readers will enjoy this story and the whimsical illustrations by Catty Flores.
I enjoyed the life lesson shared in this story because I found it unique. I have never come across a children’s book that tackles this topic. It’s a challenge many parents face and this book provides a great story that will help children make the transition. The Swishing Shower tells an adorable tale that’s the perfect vehicle for an important life lesson.
Pages: 34 | ISBN: 952325457X
Colin the Crab Gets Married
It’s time for Colin the handyman and Clara, who works at the museum, to get married. Oh! and did I mention that they’re crabs! This is a delightful children’s story about two crabs who are madly in love and the only thing they want to do is be married to one another. The news of the wedding starts a frenzy and their dear friends’ good intentions ultimately impede on their very special day. Will Colin and Clara have the wedding they envision? Or will it be total chaos?
Colin the Crab Gets Married by Tuula Pere offers a lesson for young children to be aware of the needs of others. It offers a teaching moment to learn to respect people’s boundaries and wishes, especially when it comes to matters of personal moments in one’s life. Even as adults this is a hard lesson to follow through with. When the people in our lives mean so much to us, we want to do whatever it takes to show that love and sometimes the actions can overshadow that love.
The writing style in this charming children’s book is clear enough for a young readers and even toddlers to understand. The illustrations by Roksolana Panchyshyn are so utterly adorable that even as an adult reader I couldn’t help but enjoy and spend time looking through each scene. It was colorful, rich with life and set the tone of the story perfectly. I felt the author and illustrator had great cohesion when it came to the layout and formatting. Although this is nothing a child would notice, as a parent I appreciate it because it does truly help tell the story visually to children who may be too young to read. The words used in the book were suitable for elementary school children, but can be read out loud to younger children and wouldn’t be lost on them.
Pages: 48 | ASIN: 9523570811
Terrific Teeth (Little Fears)
Terrific Teeth is another wonderous children’s book written by Tuula Pere and whimsically illustrated by Catty Flores. This is a story about young Emma who is in the midst of losing her first baby tooth and the scariness that comes along with it. Her family helps her through the loss of the tooth by explaining how normal and natural it is.
Tuula Pere has yet again cleverly written a book that covers an important life milestone, which is the way our bodies change as we grow up. This could be a particularly difficult and frightening time for kids. Not understanding how or why their bodies are changing. This book sheds light on some of those issues and helps children recognize that these changes are normal and should be celebrated. These types of conversations should definitely be started at a young age for kids to grasp that growing up and evolving is a good thing. This is an easy and simple story that gets the point across without making the conversation awkward and could help parents with future discussions.
This would be a great addition to any young readers library because it can help with gaining some knowledge on how our bodies change, but also to learn how to cope with them. The illustrations by Catty Flores absolutely help with the sweetness of the story and was a spot on choice for each scene that really helped immerse the reader into this tender moment in little Emma’s life.
Pages: 32 | ISBN: 9523572938
Superhero’s In Their Homes
My Mom has Superpowers follows a young girl who believes her mom has superpowers; once she realizes her power is prayer, she too wants to become a superhero. What was the inspiration for your story?
The inspiration for writing this book was so many kids look for superstars (football players, rappers, singers, etc., etc.) as superhero’s and they have superhero’s in their homes. I wanted children to just look to their mom or dad or even older relatives and they will see that they can be inspired from people in their own personal lives.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Ishika Sharma?
My illustrator is very talented and she worked with me to bring my story to life with her awesome work. I have recommended her to other authors since our collaboration.
Are there any emotions or memories from your own life that you put into your characters?
I saw myself in the main characters because I always looked up to my own Mother because she was so awesome! And she had much faith and belief.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The next book that I am currently working on is a Children’s Christmas book. This will be my first Christmas book. I have a great message to share in that book. I am working for its release in a couple of months. More to follow…
Author Links: Facebook | Instagram | Website | Twitter
Tegan Finds Her Tribe
Tegan is a charming and unique cat who has big dreams. But those dreams are dashed when she’s abandoned in the woods. She survives one terrible night and decides to take it upon herself to seek safety and a new home. What she finds instead is a band of friends that make her feel better and let her be who she is.
Tegan Finds Her Tribe is a heartwarming and uplifting children’s book that teaches young readers to persevere in the face of adversity, and that a home is really a place where people accept you for who you are, not just a place. Throughout the story Tegan is wonderfully emotive, ensuring that readers can see her emotion in every situation, which speaks to the fantastic illustrations throughout the story. Tegan’s nose looks like a little balloon and was one thing I looked forward to in every scene. This picture book is filled with beautiful watercolor art that is vibrant, has depth and reminded me of the artwork in The Lorax by Dr. Seuss.
The story starts off with Tegan being abandoned, which is hard to see, but the story then takes readers on an inspiring adventure that is filled with lots of creative and cute imagery. I loved the scene where Tegan lists all the animals she heard in the woods. They were all so cute. Tegan’s imagination is also a source of inspiration for her and provides her with the motivation she needs to keep going. I really enjoyed this idea and I think it makes this book unique because there are not many kids books that show kids how to find inspiration from within. It’s usually an external force that motivates the character. In this book, Tegan motivates herself to find something better, imagines what that could be, and then goes out to find it.
Author Melinda Booth has created an inspirational children’s book that takes young readers on poignant journey to find a place where an abandoned cat can feel like herself. This is the perfect book for parents and teachers to educate kids on acceptance and empathy and show them how to find the strength from within to overcome obstacles.
Pages: 32 | ASIN: B0B57ZH86Z
Enjoy the Things of this World
M.J. And The Big Kitchen Window follows a curious dog who watches animals outside her window and wants to go outside to meet them. What was the inspiration for your story?
The inspiration for writing this book actually came from my dog, name M.J. (short for Mary Jane). She loves to look outside at what’s going on in the world from the big kitchen window. The window faces the front of the house so she can see people, squirrels, birds, and other animals in the yard and on passing by the house.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Tania Ramirez Cuevas?
I enjoyed working with my illustrator. She is outstanding at her craft. I sent pictures of what I wanted M.J. to look as well as what the mother to look like and she did her magic! She is awesome!
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
The ideas that I wanted to show to my readers were simple but I hope effective. I wanted to show how it is so easy to enjoy the things of this world. All of the animals mentioned in the book brought happiness to M.J. which is why she would bark so loud. This world is full of people, places, things, even animals that brings us joy.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The last book that I just completed was released July 28, 2022. It is a Children’s Inspiration Book. I am very proud of this book. It has been receiving favorable reviews since its released. And I am working on a Christmas book to be released for the upcoming Christmas holiday.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
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