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Colin the Crab’s Friends
What is the purpose of life if there is no one to enjoy it with? In Colin the Crab’s Friends by Tuula Pere Colin knows that working hard and savoring the beautiful moments in life is a well-balanced diet. Colin is a hardworking builder that keeps himself fully busy.
He helps Ms. Catfish with a loose roof beam on her home but then spends time listening to her stories and enriching their friendship. The Next family needs help washing their windows which Colin is more than willing to help, knowing Mrs. Newt has so many children to look after and would much prefer her spending time looking after them than worrying about her silly windows that need cleaning. Sally the Starfish is incredibly sad about how glum her fence is looking, and Colin knows his friend well enough to do just the right thing to cheer her up. He embellishes her fence with decorative ornaments, which instantly brightens her mood but reminds her to be thankful that she has a strong-standing home keeping her perspective of what is important in check as a good friend should do. After working hard all week, Colin decides to throw his friends a party in the blue pavilion he built for just such occasions. He knows life is about working hard and taking the time to enjoy life’s splendors with friends.
I loved how simple the story is, but it permeated with such significance. I feel everyone is told to always work hard to get the things they want in life. But this story does an exquisite job of clarifying exactly how to do so and then, in the same breath showing you how to have meaningful relationships and enjoy life. This is exactly the kind of story young readers should have at their disposal to become what I think are well-rounded individuals.
The illustrations by Roksolana Panchyshyn give life to the characters and convey the sweetness and charm the story possesses. I enjoyed how the author has given Colin the crab such humanity-like quality to him. He empathizes and sympathizes with his friends and their situations. He knows just what everyone needs to feel loved and appreciated, and this is also a shining mark shown countless times throughout the story by the author’s remarkable writing skills.
Colin the Crab’s Friends is a heartwarming picture book that children and adults will be able to find meaning within its pages. This children’s book is perfect for classrooms and libraries to help young children understand what friendship is and how to be a good friend to those around them.
Pages: 34 | ISBN : 9523573225
The Magical Bag for a Plastic-Free Earth
Have you ever noticed how much waste we create? How much just one person can create in a single day? The Magical Bag for a Plastic Free Earth, written and illustrated by Pranamee Nath, follows a young girl named Ollie who loves animals and comes to realize the answers to those questions. Ollie goes for a visit at her Uncle John’s house where the main attraction is the beach. When the beach is closed her cousin Tanya takes her to enjoy the day at a fair where there is a variety of delicious foods and treats to indulge in. Tanya has a magic bag that lets her carry alternative containers that allow her to live waste and single-use plastic free. Ollie doesn’t see the importance of these items until she is confronted with why the beach was closed in the first place.
The message of doing our part in keeping our planet free of single-use plastic was done in such an impactful way by the author’s emotionally evocative writing skills. I enjoyed that the author also gives readers examples along the way that show how to make small changes when we are going about our everyday lives. These changes can make a huge difference and are easy to implement. I felt like I was being educated on every page rather than preached to or being shamed for my lack of action. This enlightening children’s book is a gentle guide that illuminates the steps that are necessary and easy to take. Ollie realizes how her actions throughout the day have contributed to a destructive situation for us, the world we live in, and the animals she loves. I felt her shame and sadness all at once and again that speaks to the author’s fantastic writing.
The Magical Bag for a Plastic-free Earth is an educational picture book that is a wonderful resource parents can use to introduce environmental issues and sustainability to young readers. This informative book will help parents and teachers start a conversation about the environment in a way that young kids will easily understand.
Pages: 40 | ASIN: B0BCSMD4ZF
Colin the Crab Feels Tired
It is difficult to say no to friends when they ask for your help. In Colin the Crab Feels Tired by Tuula Pere we get to see the struggle Colin feels when he is asked by numerous friends’ for his help with many different tasks. He simply cannot say no to his friends and does his best to prioritize his jobs but is too tired from working hard all day to move another muscle.
The fish family’s home was destroyed by waves, and has asked Colin for his help in building them a new home. This being an emergency, he gets to work on it straight away. He then receives a call from Eddie the eel to get his help in making him a new and bigger garage for his new moto copter, which Colin knows is nothing urgent and can wait but begins to feel the slightest pressure building within him. Still working hard at the construction site for the fish family, Sally, the starfish, calls him, needing his help in putting up her new mirror on the wall of her home. Colin cannot decline her request but decides to put her next on his fast-growing list of friends to help. At the end of the day, Colin feels exhausted and needs a good night’s rest that seems to last long into the morning. In the morning, his friends are all looking for him needing his help, and realize they he is overworked and must be desperately tired if he is still asleep. They decide to take on his task of building the fish family’s new home so he can rest up.
I love that this story shows young children not only the significance of helping others but also the weight it can bear on us if we take on too much. We must look after ourselves in order to help others in the end, and that also having good friends who are more than willing to bare the weight is what true friendships are made of.
Colin the Crab Feels Tired is a well-written picture book that teaches children the value of self-care and looking out for your friends. Teachers and parents will love the important message this book shares, while children will be drawn to the beautiful illustrations and entertaining characters.
Pages: 32 | ISBN: 9523573160
Find A Forever Home
Clara and Mr. Milo’s Adventures follows a five-year-old girl who wants her pet and takes the time to ensure she gets the right pet and takes care of it correctly. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
My husband and I adopted Mr. Milo from a shelter in central Florida. We walked by so many sweet pets needing a loving home that it broke my heart. I wanted to find a way to encourage others to adopt shelter pets. A few days after adopting Mr. Milo, my niece Adelyn came to visit and meet Mr. Milo. She was very interested in learning about shelter pet adoption. Adelyn was only six years old, and her sweet and caring questions inspired me to write about the process we underwent to adopt Mr. Milo. Adelyn reminded me that children are eager to learn and that their innocence and selflessness can encourage the kindness and compassion needed to help shelter pets find a forever home.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Lana Lee?
Thank you! I enjoyed working with Lana Lee. I initially submitted a picture of Mr. Milo as a kitten and a picture of me as a child to different illustrators at Upwork. When Lana sent me her initial illustrations, I knew she was the right illustrator for my series. Lana allowed me to give her my vision, page by page. We worked together, going back and forth during the dates scheduled and at different hours of the day. Lana would send me a draft of the illustrations, and if needed, I would request changes. We worked hard on refining the images to capture my vision. Sometimes, it was a simple color change or changing the details of the expression of a character. She amazingly created every page as I imagined and finalized every episode on the scheduled dates. We worked together for almost a year, and she was easy to work with. I’m thrilled with her work. Lana Lee is a very talented illustrator, and I look forward to continuing our partnership.
What educational aspects were important for you to include in this children’s book?
My goal is to educate children about the process of shelter pet adoption and the responsibility involved in caring for a pet. As well as to highlight the rewards and joy pets give us in return. I hope to inspire kindness, compassion, patience, and love toward shelter pets.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
We recently completed seven episodes of this series. It has been an incredible experience and an absolute joy to create. I’m currently focusing on using this series to spread the valuable message of shelter pet adoption and hope to expand on Clara & Mr. Milo’s Adventures very soon…
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
A Fun-filled Fantasy
Winston’s Big Wind is a children’s story following a little boy who learned to embrace his intestinal issues and becomes a hero in the process. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
My five grandchildren—none of them can stop themselves from laughing when someone passes gas. I constantly remind my grandkids that flatulence isn’t polite but when they were little, they told me they couldn’t help it. As they got older, they learned to control their intestinal gas but they still thought ‘farts’ were funny! So, I decided to write a story about a little boy who really couldn’t control his gas but who eventually was able to turn his big wind into a big win.
The art in this book is charming. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Sarah Gledhill?
My publisher, Atmosphere Press, connected me with Sarah Gledhill in Great Britain. I emailed her a copy of the manuscript and talked with her about the pictures I had in my head for the characters and the actions. Winston was designed after my red-headed, fun-filled grandson, and the little girl in the pit was designed after my one and only, at this point, three-year old granddaughter. Without ever seeing my little ones, Sarah created them incredibly like my descriptions. She was a joy to work with and is so talented. We still keep in touch in case Windy Winston rides again!
This seemed like a fun book to write. What scene in the book did you have the most fun creating?
I had a lot of fun writing this book. Coming up with synonyms for flatulence was a gas and creating alliteration was a fun-filled fantasy! My favorite scene is the little girl in the pit when Winston is holding the girl and her puppy in his arms. I like this scene because Sarah’s illustration looks so much like my grandson holding his little sister. I find it charming and I think child readers would like the idea of a little boy rescuing a little girl while also saving her puppy.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am working on two very different books right now. I plan to write a sequel to Winston’s Big Wind now that he is a hero. Winston loves helping others and since he can’t seem to stop his flatulence, he wants to use his gas for good! First, however, he has to learn how to control the gaseous gusts so that they come at propitious times. At the same time, I’m working on a sequel to my novel Dying to Live. Dying to Live is about a baby who is born with a full recollection of her past life as a Nobel Laureate medical scientist. During her new life she builds on her past medical advances combining new knowledge with her past excellence. Her cure for cancer wins her another Nobel Prize. In the new novel she will be born anew with two past lives’ worth of scientific knowledge. I’m still working on the research for this novel in which my protagonist will be born to a family living in a scientific enclave on the moon.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Winston was a breezy baby who became a tooty tot, and finally…a very gassy guy.
When he started school, his tremendous toots echoed through the classrooms and hallways. On the playground, his gusts of gas could be heard for miles in every direction. Though the other children and teachers came to love Winston for his kindness and sense of humor, they still called him ‘Windy Winston.’ For years he was full of embarrassment and shame over his flatulence faux pas—but one day, things changed for Winston.
Winston’s Big Wind is the story of how one little boy learned to embrace his intestinal issues and turn his wind into a win!
Worries About Visiting The Dentist
Ellie Visits the Dentist follows a little girl on her first visit to the dentist where she learns how to take care of her teeth and finds that the dentist’s office isn’t scary. What was the inspiration for the idea behind this children’s book?
This story is based on my own daughter, who went through a similar experience when she visited the dentist for the first time. She was, understandably, nervous enough about her first dentist visit and then finding out she had cavities only added to her anxiety. Thanks to her wonderful and patient dentist, her experience turned out very positive, and she has since grown to love her dentist. I knew that other kids were probably experiencing similar fears regarding visiting the dentist, and I wanted to write a book that they could read and relate to that would help them understand that the dentist does not have to be a scary place, but rather it can be interesting and even fun.
The art in the book is vibrant and cute. What scene in the book did you have the most fun creating?
I would have to say that the first spread, which depicts Ellie playing with her three brothers, was my favorite scene to create. I love this scene because the kids in it are based on my own children, and I tried to make each of their own personalities really show in their character. It is also just a fun, loving picture, showing siblings getting along and playing nicely together, which doesn’t always happen in real life!
What were some ideas that were important for you to include in this book?
I wanted to show that Ellie’s fears and worries about visiting the dentist were completely valid and justified, and that it was important for her mother and her dentist not to minimize them. However, at the same time, I wanted her mother and her dentist to clearly explain and also demonstrate that it is important not to let her fears take over, but rather to understand that the dentist is a person who provides a service to her that helps her and that nothing bad will happen at the dentist’s office.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next book, which is still in its early stages, is going to be based on my oldest son, and the topic is going to be practicing good sportsmanship by being part of a baseball team while dealing with both winning and losing. Since I’m still working on drafting the story, I don’t have an expected release date yet, but I’m hopeful for sometime next year.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Visiting the dentist for the first time is often frightening for many children since they do not know what to expect. Receiving the unwelcome news that the child may require dental work will likely amplify this fear. Ellie Visits the Dentist is the heartwarming story of a little girl who experienced these same fears. Though she is scared when it is discovered that she has cavities, her kind dentist helps her through the process and Ellie realizes that the dentist’s office is not a place to fear.
LITERARY TITAN 