Blog Archives
Charlotte’s Snowman
![Charlotte's Snowman by [Lainey Dee, Sarah-Leigh Willis]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5187B6OW5VL.jpg)
Charlotte’s Snowman, by Lainey Dee, is an exciting and touching children’s story of a little girl that builds a snowman for Winter. She expects her snowman to be normal when suddenly, he starts talking! He begins to complain of the cold and she does her best to keep him warm. But, the next morning, Charlotte finds a surprise that she never expected.
Charlotte’s Snowman has an adorable storyline that is easy for children to follow. Charlotte is an incredibly empathetic and generous young girl. She’s a perfect role model for anyone to follow, with a great fashion sense too. This is a great story for parents to read with their children, as it provides topics of conversation on helping others and being empathetic. The art is very detailed with a soft color palette that shows emotion and movement well. The illustrations allow the reader to better understand how Charlotte and the snowman feel throughout the whole book. It was an art style that was reminiscent of Charlie Brown and I truly enjoyed it.
Charlotte’s Snowman is a cute and imaginative story perfect for children and parents to read together during the holidays. It teaches a valuable lesson with an easy to follow storyline along with cute artwork.
Pages: 25 | ASIN: B08P1P97F1
Who’s Jerry? (The Seen and Not Heard Series)
![Who's Jerry? (The Seen and Not Heard Series) by [T. M. Jackson]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41ytlnRHTYL.jpg)
Who’s Jerry?, by T.M. Jackson is a heartwarming children’s story of little Imani’s experiences with her Schizophrenic mother. It shows her struggles of not understanding her mother’s behavior, and how it affected her. We get a look at Imani’s life at school and her many jumbled emotions. Then, as Imani learns about her mother’s mental illness, she begins to understand why her mother behaved in such a harsh and hurtful way. Finally, little Imani gets to spend time with her mom again, and do all the things they love.
T.M Jackson succeeded in writing about a sensitive topic like Schizophrenia without it being frightening or uncomfortable. The story was told from Imani’s perspective which allowed us to relate to her feelings and understand what she’s going through. The art all throughout the story was a great visualization of the character’s actions and emotions, it was definitely the strongest component of the book.
I am giving Who’s Jerry?, by T.M Jackson 5 out of 5 stars for its inspiring and heartfelt storyline accompanied by gorgeous artwork. The story is easy for children to understand and is a great tool for kids who may have family members with a mental illness. T.M Jackson was able to show that even if someone in your family has a mental illness, it’s not a bad thing and you can still have a great time together.
Pages: 36 | ASIN : B08N5F5PT7
My Own Mermaid Story…
Milli Mermaid’s PEARL OF WISDOM is a fun children’s book about a girl who goes on an undersea adventure and learns a valuable lesson. What was the inspiration for the setup to this exciting story?
I lived by the beach when I was a very young girl, and was mesmerised by the mysteries of the ocean.
I dreamed of being a mermaid, hoping for the day a mermaid’s tail would magically appear in place of my legs!
It was such a FUN fantasy, that was perpetuated by any book, movie, or tv show I saw on the subject… This inspired me to create my own Mermaid story…
I enjoyed the moral at the heart of this story. What were some themes you wanted to explore in this book?
Thank you.
Some of the themes explored in my book include: Empowerment, Individuality, Bravery, and Friendship… just to name a few.
What was the funnest scene for you to draw?
That is a really hard question to answer. Each and every page was so much fun to draw!
I loved drawing every colourful scene, with Milli Mermaid, Sammi Seahorse, and the colourful fish, and shells. I also really had fun drawing the scary sea creature scene…
You may have noticed, I drew everything by hand, then experimented with mixed media, drawing the bubbles and pearl on the computer, just for fun… I realise now, I can’t say for sure which scene was the most fun to draw, because they were all so much fun to draw!
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I don’t want to give too much away just yet, however, I can tell you the next book is part of the “Milli’s Musings” series, and is in the process of being written and drawn. It will be out this year, in 2021!
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
Seahorse Schoolhouse teaches her a thing or two, but is it what Sammi Seahorse intended to do?
Be the best you that you can be…
There is only one you, and only one me!
Clean Your Plate! Thirteen Things Good Parents Say That Ruin Kids’ Lives
Preparing our children for their inevitable independence as self-sufficient adults is a full-time job that begins long before our kids ever realize the complexities that lie ahead of them. From managing money to teaching them how to treat others, parents have a never-ending list of skills on which to instruct children and numerous opportunities throughout each day to do so. Parenting never gets easier, but listening to and learning from others who are living the same struggles helps.
Clean Your Plate! 13 Things Good Parents Say that Ruin Kids’ Lives, by Liz Bayardelle, lays out the most commonly uttered phrases we, as parents, say to our children as they grow. Bayardelle provides sound advice for how to make some of life’s most challenging struggles go more smoothly. Many times, just stating the phrases we have been told by our parents is far from sufficient. The author gives readers wonderful how-tos in order to meet the changing needs of their children.
My own two children are grown, but I can say I would have greatly appreciated the advice on chore charts. I haven’t been as on top of chores over the years as I should have–of that I am well aware. Bayardelle’s common sense approach to the chore chart is an excellent take-away parents can put to immediate use.
I love the breakdown the author gives in each chapter. She doesn’t simply tell us the bit of advice; she analyzes the psychology behind why we say what we do to our children. In addition, Bayardelle explains what the research reveals our kids actually hear when we utter those famous words over and over. It’s a fantastic approach to parental reading. One of the most spot-on aspects of Bayardelle’s writing is the parenting-versus-reality tone she takes. Both the writing and scenarios are incredibly relatable and will be appreciated by readers in all stages of parenting.
I highly recommend Clean Your Plate! 13 Things Good Parents Say that Ruin Kids’ Lives, by Liz Bayardelle to any parent interested in stepping up their game or to anyone interested in understanding the science behind our kids’ reasoning–it’s a fascinating read, indeed. Peppered with humor any parent will appreciate, Bayardelle’s book is a must-have.
Pages: 160 | ISBN: 1950328791
Voyage To Bravery
Sam is tired of the hospital and tired of treatments. Wishing for the life he considers normal, Sam tries to reacclimate himself to his life at home and away from the life to which he has grown accustomed in the hospital. When Sam’s mother brings him home, he is greeted by a most wonderful display of love and support. Even the amazing show of generosity by a local running group isn’t enough to fully lift Sam’s spirits. He yearns to feel normal and he wants, more than anything, to know his purpose. Will he recognize it when it presents itself to him?
Voyage to Bravery, written by Jeremiah Shelton and illustrated by Sarah Hameed, is the beautifully woven tale of Sam, a young boy seeking his purpose in life. When he decides to follow the signs he is being given and push himself to overcome his feelings of despair, things begin to turn around for Sam and in a big way.
As I read, I couldn’t help but think what a wonderful companion book Shelton has written. Each year, my third graders complete a unit study on Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Sam’s story is a fantastic paired reading for Sadako’s story. There are some great parallels between Sadako’s real-life experience and Sam’s. The focus on strength, bravery, and power is an important one for readers of all ages.
I am giving Voyage to Bravery, written by Jeremiah Shelton and illustrated by Sarah Hameed, an enthusiastic 5 out of 5 stars. Hameed’s intricate and breathtaking illustrations are beyond stunning and pull readers even further into Sam’s adventure. I intend to use the story of Sam and his fantastic voyage in a theme unit on strength of character with my students. I highly recommend Shelton’s work–a definite must-read for young readers.
Pages: 72 | ISBN: 1649531060
www.VoyageToBravery.com
The Doing of Good Deeds
Tiny Tim and The Ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge is the children’s edition to your previous award winning book. What motivated you to turn your story into a book for kids?
Hello! Thank you so much for inviting me here. To answer, the adult edition of the book had several themes and lessons and was too complicated for younger children, but I felt children could learn a valuable lesson from a children’s edition. I selected one of the major themes of the book that children understand and can relate with readily.
What were some parts of the story you absolutely had to keep when condensing this for kids?
1) Kindness to others. Something we ALL can do that can change the world, in my opinion. 2) The lesson that WE continue the goodness that is in this world that we inherit from those who came before us. Life goes on and so must also the doing of good deeds from generation to generation. Of course, all the main characters are there: Tiny Tim, Ebenezer Scrooge, Becky, and Jimmy!
The art in this book is stunning. What was the art collaboration process like with Voxillustrations?
Voxillustrations was such a great partner in capturing the essence of each page of story text in their art! I gave them detailed ideas of what I was looking for such as character actions, expressions, backgrounds, and the little details of Victorian life, and they worked hard to get each illustration just right for the story. This art style they call ‘Fantasy’. Love them!
What part of the classic Charles Dickens story speaks to you the most?
That we are all redeemable, no matter what the situation we are in, how hopeless things feel, or how far down we are. Thank you for letting me speak with our readers! It is such an honor!
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
In the continuation to Charles Dickens’ beloved classic, ‘A Christmas Carol’, a troubled Tiny Tim, now grown-up, has ghosts of his own and is gently reminded what Christmas is all about.
Beautifully illustrated and told in verse, narration with audio Christmas Carols and print music editions add to the Christmas charm of this classic holiday sequel. (Christmas, Holiday, Children, Classics, Gift Book, Narrated, Christmas Carols, Picture Book)
Harrison Waits
Harrison Waits follows a boy who is waiting. Who is he waiting for? You’ll have to wait and see. This book will help children understand the sometimes nebulous idea of waiting. What are you supposed to do while you wait? Just sit there? No way! Author Missy Hagen, teaches children how taking up different activities can help the time go by.
Harrison Waits is quite simply the cutest book I have read in quite some time. Each page has a cute picture, illustrated in a soft color scheme, that is reminiscent of the classic cartoons in newspapers. I know that I have told my young child plenty of times to ‘wait’, and I just expected them to know what I was talking about. This book gives parents and care givers the perfect opportunity, and resource, to talk about the idea of waiting. It also helps give children the tools they’ll need to wait, by showing them different activates they could be doing while waiting.
Author Missy Hagen has written a wonderfully charming book, with rhymes and cute images, that will keep children’s attention and educate them as well. This is perfect for parents or teachers that are caring for young children that find themselves waiting.
Pages: 30 | ISBN: 0988904888
Tiny Tim and The Ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge *Children’s Edition*
![Tiny Tim and The Ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge: The sequel to A Christmas Carol (Children's Edition - Narrated with Audio Christmas Carols) by [Norman Whaler, Voxillustrations, Esther Randell, David Deighton (UK)]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51caYJjd-nL.jpg)
Tiny Tim and the Ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge: The sequel to A Christmas Carol (Children’s Edition) by Norman Whaler, with illustrations by Voxillustrations, is a picture book intended for children aged 4 through 10. Set in London, Tiny Tim is now grown up. He loves Becky, but her parents will not allow a marriage between the two of them. After many years pass, Tim has started to forget the lessons he learned from Ebenezer Scrooge. He forgets the hardships of his childhood–and appreciating the simple joys of life. After Mr. Scrooge passes away seven days before Christmas, Tim is visited by Scrooge’s ghost. Will Tim finally remember the true spirit of Christmas?
I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a perfect story for parents to share with their children this holiday season. It has a good lesson about generosity and kindness, and a message of faith through trials and struggles. Quotes about kindness at the beginning of the book, including from scripture and literature, reinforce the message of the story. This book can be enjoyed even if a reader is not familiar with the classic Charles Dickens’ story, since there is a quick overview of A Christmas Carol in the first page of verses. The rhyming verses are fun and young children will enjoy looking at the pictures as the story is read to them. I liked the change in font to indicate strong emotion in the dialogue, and I enjoyed the happy ending. I wanted to know more about Becky and her son, Jimmy.
I loved all the vividly colored pictures with bright pinks and greens and beautiful scenery and landscapes. My two favorite pictures were the scenes of the bedroom at night and in the morning. The glow from the candle was very realistic. It actually appeared as though light was shining out of the book in this picture, and also the one where the sun was shining through the bedroom window the next day. The illustrator’s use of perspective was very good and many pictures had an impressive three dimensional look.
There are nine Christmas carols at the end of the story with lyrics and sheet music, which are a wonderful addition to this book.
Pages: 95 | ASIN: B08MKJT2YH
LITERARY TITAN 