Blog Archives
Books For Benjamin
Once, a little purple worm wanted more out of life than to eat rotting trash. This worm’s name is Benjamin, and his only desire in life is to read as many books as he can. So one day, he comes up with a plan to sneak away from the grocery store where he lives and go home with someone to read their books. Unfortunately, things do not go as planned, and Benjamin almost ends up as a tasty treat for a cat and bird. Thankfully he escapes and, with the help of some new friends, makes his way to a library where his life is forever changed. Benjamin starts a new page in his life and soon has all the books his heart could ever desire to read.
Children’s author R.G. de Rouen has written an entertaining and educational picture book called Books for Benjamin. The loveable worm Benjamin has a passion for reading that is contagious. It shows as he introduces stories to his new friends, and children reading this story will feel the excitement of finding new things to read and learn. Illustrator Uliana Barabash brings the story to life with fun drawings that will entice children to follow along in the story.
I love that there is an explanation of the Library of Congress and a simple overview of copyright included in this children’s book. The characters show the importance of libraries and the job of librarians to children in an approachable way. Children learn that libraries are so much more than just a building with books in them. This would make a great book to read to kindergarteners as they prepare to visit the school library.
Books for Benjamin is a whimsical picture book about a bookworm and his journey to find more things to read. It is light-hearted and funny but provides an important message on the importance of libraries and the services they provide to people. This amazing children’s book is perfect for preschool and lower elementary kids to help instill a love of reading at an early age.
Pages: 34 | ASIN : B0BK4VW73G
Teachable Tales
Doc, Willie, and the Pack: Secrets, Gifts, Family (A Hickory Doc’s Tale) follows a crow that has a secret he’s keeping from his dog pack family and is worried about what will happen when they find out. What was the inspiration for your story?
A friend told his true story to my husband and myself of a crow that befriend his family.
What was your inspiration for the characters and their relationship?
Many days were spent on our twenty acres in Oklahoma watching Patch and our other hunting dogs find birds including crows. The trainer said Patch had “a lot of energy” and would “never stop hunting”. She was a very determined hunting dog.
What are some of your inspirations as a writer?
To present teachable tales to elementary school children on the lives of hunting dogs, other animals in nature, their habitats, and life lessons involving—family, friendships, bravery, diversity, and problem solving.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Desert Friends: Travels with the Pack (Archway Publishing)
It will be available in the Spring of 2022.
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Website
Doc and the pack discover that Willie, the crow with bad eyesight, has a big secret. Can Willie convince the pack he is part of their family? Will the pack discover what Willie’s big secret is? How does Zeke accept Willie’s gift? The adventure continues at the Lazy Dog Hacienda with Doc, Willie, and the pack.
The Remarkable Story of Willie the Crow
When a young hunting dog and a crow decide to be friends, the dog pack does not know what to think. They hunt birds, yet a crow wants to hang out and be friends with them. Willie, the crow, is undeterred by the gruff hunting dogs and enjoys playing with the puppy Patch. While playing, Willie flies over the pool, and Patch, not paying attention, falls in. Turns out Patch does not know how to swim. None of the dogs know how to swim. They run to find the Labrador Newt thinking he can swim, but he is terrified of the water. Finally, through some encouragement from family and friends, he jumps in to save Patch.
The Remarkable Story of Willie the Crow: A Hickory Doc’s Tale, written by Linda Harkey, is a creative picture book about the friendship between two unlikely animals. The pack of dogs is concerned that a puppy hanging out with a crow is wrong, and they try to convince their senior dog Doc to put an end to the friendship. Doc, however, is a thinker; he looks at the situation and, rather than jump to conclusions, evaluates the benefits. He backs up his decision by pointing out that Willie the crow has worked with them to save Patch rather than just flying off and leaving her to drown. The message of inclusion and acceptance makes this children’s book a great addition to any book collection.
Illustrator Mike Minick has done an excellent job capturing the emotions of the dogs and Willie. Each page is vibrant and engaging. Even without the text, the story is clear from the marvelous drawings. Children will laugh as they learn a valuable lesson about friendship and family.
The Remarkable Story of Willie the Crow: A Hickory Doc’s Tale is a captivating tale about friends, family, acceptance, working together, and believing in yourself. Parents and educators will love having this picture book to read to children in and out of the classroom.
Pages: 38 | ASIN : B07LCKSXSW
Secrets, Gifts, Family
Willie the crow wants to eat the pack’s dog chow. The problem is he promised to not eat it from the kennel, and the other bowls are in the house with the Food Giver. To get to the bowels he must enter through the dog door, and this turns out to be harder than expected. Willie nearly drowns and gets stuck in a plant. After being rescued by Patch twice he makes it inside. There he taps on the refrigerator door and the Food Givers arrives and give him a small packet of walnuts and he flies out the window before the pack gets in and sees him. Willie keeps his special treats a secret from the pack
Doc, Willie, and the Pack: Secrets, Gifts, Family written by Linda Harkey returns readers to the Lazy Dog Hacienda. Willie the crow is part of the family that lives here. Willie however has a secret, he gets special treats from the Food Giver and is afraid to tell the pack about them. Instead, he brings the empty wrappers to Zeke as gifts making up stories about where he found them. Eventually, the truth comes out thanks to a newspaper article that was done on Willie that the pack saw.
This entertaining picture book talks about family, keeping secrets, and friendships. Young elementary-age children will love the colorful illustrations of Mike Minick and the expression all the dogs have. This light-hearted story has a great message about friendship and family that they will be able to relate to. The adventures of Willie trying to get into the house will have children and adults laughing and asking, can crows get glasses, because clearly, poor Willie needs them.
Doc, Willie, and the Pack: Secrets, Gifts, Family: (A Hickory Doc’s Tale) is an engaging read for classrooms, libraries, and parents to read to children. It will make a great early reader for children learning to read with the vibrant artwork to help tell the story.
Pages: 52 | ASIN: B07XLHR2SZ
LITERARY TITAN 