Blog Archives
Butterball’s Christmas Surprise
![BUTTERBALL'S Christmas Surprise (Butterball the Poodle Book 3) by [Julia Seaborn]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51wPYBUezQL.jpg)
Butterball’s Christmas Surprise follows the life of an adorable poodle as she prepares for Christmas. Butterball goes shopping, decorates a tree, and goes to the groomer to get ready for the big day. Butterball gets into mischief along the way, but does her best to show her mummy that she’s a good dog and is rewarded with a special visit from Rudolph and Santa.
This is an adorable holiday picture book that is perfect for young readers who are advancing to stories with full sentences and paragraphs. There are no difficult words, but word repetition will help develop reading comprehension and confidence.
Each character is doe eyed and very cute. The illustrations cover each page with a soft color palette and simple yet emotive graphic art. Readers are given a challenge at the beginning of the story to find 12 Christmas Candy Canes throughout the story ensuring that readers will be fully engaged with this entertaining book. The bonus ‘Fun Questions’ section at the back of the book makes this book a full reading comprehension lesson in itself.
Author Julia Seaborn provides elementary readers, parents, and teachers with another beautifully illustrated children’s book that is a prefect fit for the holidays, as a learning tool, or as a delightful bedtime story.
Pages: 32 | ASIN: B08XQ6F32Z
Baku: The Not So Angry Dragon
![Baku: The Not So Angry Dragon by [Lisa Alfrey, Caner Soylu]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ZkGeLNyeL._SX260_.jpg)
Baku is a young dragon who had his first day of school and is nervous to go back. He’s so nervous that he has butterflies in his tummy and all his huffing and puffing is burning up the house. His mother provides Baku with a coping mechanism for his anger and sends him off to school where he uses his new coping skills to get through a second day of school.
Baku: The Not So Angry Dragon is a delightful children’s picture book that provides readers with some very good ways to handle stress and anger in their lives. This wonderful book is filled with charming grainy comic art that has surprising depth in each image and a soft color palate that makes each illustration very appealing. This story takes the standard dragon traits; flying, fire breathing, etc., and maximizes the cute factor. I really enjoyed the detail in each image, which will certainly bring children back to this book again and again.
Author Lisa Alfrey gives parents and teachers a brilliant kids book that teaches mindfulness through a fun and interactive story that any child will be able to relate to. I would recommend this picture book to any family with a child that is going through a lot of change and would like to introduce simple mindfulness techniques that can really improve their lives.
Pages: 18 | ASIN: B08P5Q4HGL
Be Proud to Be Blue
Be Proud to Be Blue follows a blue baby bird that goes out and tries to make friends but is rejected by the other animals because of his color. Baby bird is sad because no one wants to play with him, he doesn’t understand why his color should matter. With self-confidence and pride, he goes back and makes friends anyway, all color differences aside.
In this delightfully illustrated children’s picture book we follow baby bird on a mission to make friends, he’s rejected because of his color, but what I really enjoyed about this book was how baby bird gains the confidence he needs to make friends. He does not need any external force or person to tell him his self-worth, he finds it on his own. I found this to be unique in this marvelous children’s book. This is a great way to teach children to become self-reliant.
Each page has wonderful illustrations that look simple but depict a wide range of emotions in the characters. The frogs were my absolute favorite characters in the book. They were so cute! The illustrations will surely capture children’s attention and keep them coming back to this book again and again. The emotive characters also provide a great learning opportunity for toddlers to point out and talk about what characters might be feeling.
Author Diane Hull provides young readers with an easy-to-read book that helps build reading comprehension with the use of simple words that repeat throughout the story. Be Proud to Be Blue is a fun and educational children’s book that teaches kids about self-confidence, diversity, and inclusivity all in a super fun and adorable way.
Pages: 34 | ISBN: 1643723693
A Letter from a Gorilla
This creative children’s rhyming book explains the perils that gorillas face in the wild. The narration is provided through a letter written by Silverback Jeremy, a mountain gorilla that pens a letter to humans in hopes of educating them on all the man-made challenges that gorillas face.
A Letter from a Gorilla, while cute, tells a very serious story. This story explains, in very simple terms, how gorillas face extinction and shows the different ways that man is endangering them. What I really liked about this story was that it went beyond stating the ways that their species are at peril and provides different ways for people to change and take action to protect these majestic creatures that, as we learn through the story, are much like us.
The beautiful illustrations really drive the points home with some vivid, dramatic, and well-drawn imagery. The language is easy for children to understand, but I think the book should be read with adults as this book provides plenty to talk about afterwards. This picture book provides readers with a sad but very important story that is perfect for teachers to add to their curriculum about primates, endangered animals, and how our actions affect nature.
Pages: 32 | ISBN: 1916184855
A New Social Issue
Let’s Talk! Going to the Zoo educates readers on how fun the zoo is along with what autism is and what that means. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
The inspiration was really my own real life experiences. I have a passion and connection with animals. I thought it would be great to use that in the story and show that little ones do not have to be held back by Autism. If they want to go to the zoo, their family should take them. I felt it would really show how little ones with Autism would be able to enjoy this type of experience.
What were some key ideas you wanted to share in this book that were different from book one?
I wanted to show a new social issue that little ones not just with Autism, but in general face. Also, to show little ones how to overcome that kind of an issue. That is why I wanted to put the idea of a group of bullies in. Then having a little one realize that Harper is right and see the beauty in Autism would add to Autism being something positive. I also wanted to show different cultures and that is why each character is a different ethnicity. I really want my books to focus on diversity not only in disability but in culture and ethnicity. Having different themes represented I think is so important because if you look at the current repertoire of children’s books, which I did recently, each character was a boy. Girls are rarely represented. And the majority of books showcase a Caucasian character. Diversity, culture as well as disability is very under represented and I want to break that pattern.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your book?
Strength. I want little ones to realize they are strong and can stand up to that bully. To see they are strong and do not have to hide their disability but proud of it. To be strong about wanting to go new places and try new things. Determination and strength is so important for our children to see represented. I want children to see themselves in my books and gain determination and strength and confidence. If I can do that, then my series has reached its goal.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I have written a new series actually. I wrote and put it out there first as a short story and changed my mind. I will be starting the publication process in November of this year for the Rascal Cat Brothers part 1. Which is a story of the silly shenanigans my two cats get into. I am not forgetting about the Lets Talk! Series though, book 3 is done and will go into production early next year, stay tuned!!
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Website | Instagram | GoodReads
While enjoying the animals Emma becomes excited and flaps her hands, making noises. A group of children come over and begin to point and stare. What do you think Harper does when she sees this group being not nice to her friend? Come find out when you read the next book in the Lets Talk! Series.
Let’s Talk! Going to the Zoo
![Let's Talk! Going to the Zoo by [Lisa Jacovsky, Blueberry Illustrations]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Trl3eaRWL.jpg)
Let’s Talk! Going to the Zoo is a wonderfully educational children’s picture book that provides several different valuable life lessons all in one lively story. Going to the Zoo follows two friends, Harper and Emma, that take their first trip to the zoo. They are so excited to go that they imagine what it would be like. When they actually go to the zoo, it it is better than they imagined, but there is a group of mean kids there that are making fun of Emma because she has autism. Harper must stand up to the mean kids and educate them, and readers, on autism and what it really means.
Author Lisa Jacovsky provides readers with another wonderful opportunity to learn about autism through a normal activity, like going to the zoo. This book will serve to educate children in two ways; what the zoo is and how fun it can be, and teach them about autism and how autistic people act. Switching between these two topics in the book created a uniquely enlightening experience. Standing up for your friends and being nice to one another are fantastic values that are shown throughout this story, and are accompanied by vibrant pastel graphic art on every other page.
Let’s Talk! Going to the Zoo promotes acceptance, inclusivity and diversity by being very open and honest about what is happening. This children’s book should be read along with an adult as some of the words are advanced, but the beautiful illustrations will surely keep children’s attention while reading.
Pages: 15 | ASIN: B092MXQ1B2 | Blueberry Illustrations
A Unicorn Named Rin
A Unicorn Named Rin is an adventurous children’s story that follows a qilin, a Chinese unicorn, that must help Princess Pingyang find Fan, the royal Phoenix, before the Friendship Concert begins. Rin sets off on a wonderous journey that takes him to many real life locations where he meets many mythical creatures from real Chinese legends.
This is a beautifully illustrated children’s picture book. Every page is covered in bright colors that will surely keep young readers attention. I loved all the creatures that Rin encounters as they were intricately drawn and each helps Rin when he needs it, and lift his spirits when he is down. In the end they all work as a team to find Fan in a clever twist that requires teamwork, a fantastic message for children. This is the most unique children’s book that I’ve read as it combines Chinese culture in every aspect, from myths, to poetry, festivals, and real geographic locations.
This fairy tale is easy to read, with a couple of larger words that will challenge young readers, but with repetition they are sure to pick it up. The message this story delivers is an important one for children to learn, don’t despair, ask for help, and work as a team. I appreciate how all of this is never stated outright, but learned through the story.
A Unicorn Named Rin is a fun and educational picture book that teaches children about Chinese culture as well as building literacy skills. Highly recommended to parents and teachers who are looking to diversity their children’s bookshelf.
Pages: 32 | ISBN: 1913891127
Literary Titan Book Awards May 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
Quick Quirks, A Quick Book by Benjamin Anderson
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
LITERARY TITAN 