Blog Archives
To Give Reader’s a Laugh
My Aunt the Vampire is a fun collection of short stories following the humorous events in one boys life. What inspires you to write short stories?
I’m inspired by wanting to give reader’s a laugh – a simple story without a heavy handed message.
What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Learning from experience, forgiveness, righting wrongs and remembering to have fun in the process!
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Trusting your friends, the importance of honesty, life is not always fair, we must play the cards we are given.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The Destiny Shoes – time travel shoes take a young girl on the most exciting adventures!
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
Pixie Van Dimple and the Wrong Kind of Artificial Intelligence
![Pixie Van Dimple and the Wrong Kind of Artificial Intelligence by [Lynn McAllister]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51t1fWHXo8L.jpg)
Pixie Van Dimple and the Wrong Kind of Artificial Intelligence is an educational picture book warning kids, in hilarious fashion, about the dangers of spending too much time on their phone.
After spending too much time on her phone Pixie Van Dimple suffers from AI Infiltration. Someone must save her, and they better do it soon, or else Pixie will certainly be doomed.
This fun children’s book is told in rhyme and every other page has brightly colored comic art that serves as fantastic eye candy while reading the book. I think this book is more for higher grade elementary students, but in either case, the lesson taught here is a valuable one for todays youth. I loved the fun rhymes and the beautiful art and the story was very detailed. I would love to have seen this story as a kids chapter book for middle grade readers because I feel like there are some hints at a larger world that would be fun to explore.
Pixie Van Dimple and the Wrong Kind of Artificial Intelligence is wonderfully representative of todays kids and provides a good lesson in a fun story that will surely keep children laughing as they eagerly flip the pages of the this whimsical picture book.
Pages: 28 | ASIN: B087BPDK11
Twin Adventures: Backyard Safari
Twin Adventures: Backyard Safari is a fun children’s book following young twins Kate and Tate as they go on a Safari adventure powered by their imagination. This is a charming children’s book that shows kids the power of imagination.
When Kate and Tate are introduced the meaning of their names are explained to the reader. Which I thought was wonderful because this provides a great opportunity for young readers to think about what their names mean. The story then show Kate and Tate brushing their teeth before they head out because ‘no adventure starts until these tasks are complete’. This is another great example of the great lessons this book teaches kids. It seems like every page of this book has a great lesson to learn.
The art in the book is bright and captures the readers attention with a vivid cartoon style. I loved the image of Kate and Tate brushing their teeth as it was funny, but the wonderful images of the Safari were also magnificent. I would have liked to have seen a scene where it shows reality vs. imagination so kids could understand the difference, but this is still a story that is fun and entertaining.
Twin Adventures: Backyard Safari is an educational and enjoyable adventure that takes readers on a journey powered by creativity and imagination. This is a lively kids book that I highly recommend.
Pages: 30 | ASIN: B09CHGKNQN
Cleon’s
Cleon’s by author’s April Pulliam and Amy Grantham is a feel-good read that will give you a nostalgic feeling. The book follows a little girl and her story of growing up in her historic house. The images that accompany the descriptions are captivating and bring the short story to life. As I read this heartfelt book I began to think about the house I grew up in as a child, although not nearly as historic or important, it reminded me of all the small things that you recall about your house, not the grand things everyone hears about, the minor things that effect you personally. I appreciated that the pictures were in black and white and had a rustic touch to it as it shows the age of the house and how time has passed as the little girl grew up. There’s little details to the pictures that tell a story all on their own. I felt as though I was looking through the family’s scrapbook. The descriptions, as brief as they are, are so powerful that you are taken back in time and you can imagine the smells and sounds in Cleon’s house. You can feel the love, happiness, and safety that the little girl felt growing up in her home and how she hoped those same feelings would be passed on to the next generation.
In just thirty six pages the reader is taken on an emotional and reminiscent journey to Cleon’s house. Cleon’s is a short and sweet mini-family-saga, mini-memoir, mini-tribute to something that has affected an entire family, and generations past, and Amy shares her personal story in an evocative and charming way.
Pages: 36 | ASIN: B099BYLKWQ
I Loved That Cat’s Tenacity
Birds Fly, A Cat Tries is a wordless picture book that follows an adventurous tabby who tries to take flight. What was the inspiration for the wordless idea behind your story?
I enjoy finding ways to help children understand the importance of working together and never giving up in many of my stories – to keep trying no matter the obstacles that are placed in front of us. As a child, our family had a pet cat named Buttercotton. He was an orange Tabby, and this cat loved to hide behind furniture and jump out and try and scare us. He always found a different hiding spot and was forever improving on his scare tactics. I loved that cat’s tenacity.
I find this book to be wonderfully educational for children to insert their own dialogue. Was that the intention or was there a different educational aspect your aimed for?
Wordless picture books are my favorite to work on because I know that children can find many different educational aspects within the story without even knowing that the author has designed the plot with specific educational elements. With their unique ability to imagine the world in so many different ways, children can sense and feel so much within the story of a wordless picture book. And even though my intention, for all my wordless and near wordless picture books, is for children to insert their own dialogue into the story and use their imagination, I always design my picture books to have some kind of positive influence.
I loved the art in this book. What was the funniest scene for you to draw, and what were some sources of inspiration?
That is a difficult question for me to answer. There really isn’t any particular scene that wasn’t fun to draw. I did however enjoy creating the elephant at the end of the story. She went through many variations in order for me to find the right look on her face. As for my source of inspiration, well, I was no different than most children when growing up and wanted to jump off the roof of our house holding an umbrella and float down to the ground. Did I try taking the great plunge? No. But I did think about doing it.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I am working on two new picture books right now. The Lost and Lonely Tumbleweed, which will be published in June 2022. It is another story about never giving up and to keep on trying, no matter what. Although, The Lost and Lonely Tumbleweed has a lot of words in it. The other book I am working on is titled, Never Was A Grump Grumpier. It will be available in June of 2023, and it is a story about the choices we make in life, particularly the not-so-good choices where we have to accept the consequences that come with the choices we make.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
Literary Titan Book Awards September 2021
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 imagination of these talented authors.
Gold Award Winners
Silver Award Winners
La Florida by James D. Snyder
My Hidden Fear by Luan Nguyen
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Birds Fly, A Cat Tries
As children, we are taught to believe in ourselves, have faith, and never give up. All of those mantras come from parents, teachers, and caregivers. It’s during the early years of elementary school that we begin to build our self-confidence. Great picture books with engaging plots are just one way to help young children imagine the possibilities and find relatable characters who can give them the confidence boost they need.
Birds Can Fly, A Cat Tries is the adorable wordless picture book by author, T.C. Bartlett. Conveying an engaging and well-developed plot with illustrations alone is incredibly difficult, but Bartlett has more than managed to hand young readers a fantastic story for the ages. A cat who desires to fly–there is nothing more engaging than watching him give it his all. Bartlett’s story teaches readers to never give up and does so through humor, strategically placed nuances in illustrations, and a fun main character who is bursting with attitude.
As a third grade teacher currently in the middle of a unit on central messages, I am excited to incorporate Bartlett’s work into my reading block. Wordless picture books are a great resource for teachers, and watching Bartlett’s birds as they taunt the determined cat will provide my students with the perfect opportunity to brainstorm and write their own dialogue. I am confident that my students will fall as much in love with Barlett’s feline protagonist as I have.
I am giving Birds Can Fly, A Cat Tries by T.C. Bartlett a resounding 5 out of 5 stars. The sweet illustrations and expressive faces of the characters make this book a must have for elementary classrooms. I encourage any teacher or homeschooling parent who wants to teach dialogue to his/her students to include this book in their bag of tricks.
Pages: 50 | ISBN: 1733908668
The Witch’s Cookbook
![The Witch's Cookbook: A Faerie Tale by [Vee James, Nikita Nel, Hannibal Hills]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51cOGsO0IBS.jpg)
The Witch’s Cook Book by Vee James is a whimsical tale of faerie that follows our main character, Tardnattle. Tardnattle is of the Sgahm people, who believes in friendship, cooking, and being good people. He lives happily in his cottage, until the day the storm rolls in. Then his journey unfolds as he and his friends are tasked with returning a cookbook to a spooky witch—and while this seems impossible and frightening, they are Sgahm, and the Sgahm will always do the right thing even when that seems to be overwhelmingly intimidating.
The Witch’s Cook Book is a heartwarming adventure tale full of the fairytales we all love from our childhoods with James’ own inventive storytelling intertwined. Throughout the story, the reader is treated to themes of friendship, love, and the goodness of one’s heart. While this is a book geared toward younger readers, I think anyone of any age could enjoy it, especially when it comes to the loveliness of fairytale nostalgia.
I loved the creative world built in The Witch’s Cook Book. James takes care in inventing wonderful and intriguing fantastical creatures among those known in lore. I especially loved the descriptions of the Sgahm people, and how their innocent desires for joy were manifested in the good deeds that they did for others. The magic that fills this book shows that first impressions are not everything, and I found each character so heartwarming as we learned more about them.
While I loved the lore that James invented, I simultaneously found myself wanting more of it. There are many creatures mentioned with fun names and beautiful descriptions, and I would have loved to learn about everyone that James mentions throughout the story. However, the inventive characters that we do get to meet with in depth histories are exciting and make this story a memorable one.
The Witch’s Cook Book by Vee James is a sweet read that promises a cozy night. It’s a beautiful tale of working together and forming lasting bonds that is sure to remind you that even in the darkest times, a dear friend can be found.
Pages: 237 | ASIN: B095J3VWPH
LITERARY TITAN 