Blog Archives
Pinkie the Baby Bird Goes to School
Pinkie the Baby Bird Goes to School by Rose Andria, and Grace Boda is a beautifully illustrated book about a young bird getting ready to start school for the first time. It’s an excellent book for young, school-aged kids and children preparing for kindergarten, which can be an exciting and sometimes stressful experience. The story begins with inquisitive Pinkie, who is curious about what school will be like when she begins her first day, which allows her to discuss her anticipation with family and friends.
Pinkie expands her social circle throughout the book as she begins school. She meets her teacher and discovers many students and friends in her tree or community. The more Pinkie learned, the more she enjoyed making friends, singing, and expanding her knowledge. I found the book easy to read and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a fantastic story for parents and teachers.
The book is written in a way that captures children’s attention, and it’s a great way to make learning fun and less stressful, as many kids may experience at a new school or on their first day. It’s also an excellent introduction for preschool-aged kids, with bright, pastel-painted pictures, which incorporate the importance of education and diversity, getting acquainted with close friends and neighbors, and making new connections.
Pinkie the Baby Bird Goes to School by Rose Andria, and Grace Boda is a brilliant story that captures kids’ attention with a great storyline and illustrations. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for its creativity and a well-written message about the importance of community, inclusivity, and education. It’s a fantastic read for parents with small children and elementary school teachers. I personally found this book held my kids’ attention, and it makes a great addition to your home library or at a school or daycare.
Pages: 32 | ASIN: B0BJVPRJ3D
Hope’s Broken Snow Globe
Hope’s Broken Snow Globe by Kelly Chang Rickert is a heartfelt and honest story about a young girl named Hope, who is learning to cope with her parent’s divorce. It’s a story about love, family, and how difficult it can be for kids when their parents decide they can no longer live together.
Since Hope is young, she doesn’t fully grasp the full reasoning behind her parents’ divorce and believes the actual reason is because she broke her family’s snow globe last Christmas. With this in mind, Hope sets out on a personal quest to repair the broken snow globe, with the expectation that this will also repair her family.
I really enjoyed this book, and especially loved the physical representation of Hope’s parents’ divorce as “broken,” like the snow globe. The story offers a great comparison for children, so they visually understand the message of the book in the most relatable way. The book’s illustrations were warm and comforting, which I found to reflect the overall spirit of the story.
Hope’s Broken Snow Globe is an exceptional holiday story. It’s an emotional but important read for children and a great way to start the conversation about separating families. This book is a wonderful way of facilitating helpful and healing communication about a difficult topic, and I think it will be a great addition to your home library.
Pages 34 | ASIN 173526184X
Deeper Into The Hawaiian Language
Mahalo Does Not Mean Trash follows a family who shares Hawaii’s culture and traditions with a relative who is visiting from California. What was the inspiration for your story?
Born and raised in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on the island of Oahu, my ancestors go back to the kings and queens of Hawai’i. After moving to California when my children were 1, 3 and 5 years old, I saw that my children weren’t learning their culture, their lineage and their language. As a father I needed to teach my children about their rich culture and the best way was through stories. This was a story I told them when they were still toddlers with each of them as the main characters. Who best to teach them this important cultural word and value than their grandparents who possess so much wisdom and love that needs to be passed down before they pass on.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Although this is a story focused on Mahalo (gratitude), you will find the other two most important Hawaiian words/values weaved throughout: Aloha (love) and Ohana (family). We wanted to take the reader(s) deeper into the Hawaiian language so that people can get a better understanding of what makes Hawaii so special. Understanding the true meaning of gratitude by breaking down the word MAHALO, we hope that you will gain a new appreciation for the power of gratitude. It’s our hope and prayer that this book will bring a new level of kindness and gratitude around the world.
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
We wanted to use Pupu and Papa as the “teacher(s)” because most times parents are busy trying to teach their children reading, writing and arithmatic so they can do well in school, whereas grandparents can be a conduit for the “important” learning and loving that is so needed in this world we live in: be kind, be grateful, be a good person and leave things, people and places better than when you found them or they found you.
Thanks” or “thank you” is one of the most used phrases in our language and often times used out of habit without any thought. Because of this, the typical response to “thanks” is also usually thrown out without thought or consideration with phrases like, “no problem”, “any time” or “it was nothing”. By being haphazard about our response, we diminish the importance of the person’s gratitude. As we see in the book, when someone says “Mahalo” they are acknowledging your divine breath. Knowning the meaning of Mahalo should make you think twice about how you respond next time.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
This is the first of three children’s books in our MAHALOHANA series that talks about the three greatest words in the Hawaiian Language: Mahalo, Aloha and Ohana. As we said earilier, this was one of the stories that I told my children when they were younger and now they feel it’s was time for us to share it with the world. The next book on Aloha (love) will be ready by February and the final children’s book on Ohana (family) will be available right before summer.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Website
Discover the significance of Mahalo, the sacred Hawaiian word for thanks, through the perspectives of three remarkable young authors!
Hiwa and Keao are introduced to their relative from California. Although his interpretation of ‘Mahalo’ is incorrect, it gets them to ponder the word’s meaning, and it will do the same for you!
This award winning children’s book is a heartwarming story about gratitude and the true meaning of this treasured Hawaiian tradition taught by pupu (grandma) to her mo’opuna (grandchildren).
Within this beautiful Hawaii book for kids and above, you will find:
✔Three Adorable Main Characters: Learning about their culture and how to be better human beings
✔Written By: AJ Paki Perkins and his three talented teenage children
✔Inspired by: Author’s Home State of Hawaii and its hospitable Culture
Learn Thankfulness with the Beauty of Aloha Islands
Interesting knowledge, amazing penmanship, and a fun-filled storyline to educate your kids and bond with them at the same time.
The kindness book for kids, ‘Mahalo Does Not Mean Trash,’ is here to be a source of both education and entertainment for your little ones. It is an inspiring story, brimming with the marvels of beautiful Hawaiian culture. In the Aloha state, Mahalo means ‘thank you,’ and using it is a wonderful way to demonstrate to your kids on how to show appreciation towards friends and loved ones.
Kindness, Compassion, and Connection to the Ancestors
‘Mahalo Does Not Mean Trash’ is not just any book for 4-year-olds. It is a recipe for kindness to be instilled upon growing minds.
You don’t even need to have ties to the Hawaiian culture to fall in love with this kid’s book about Hawaii. The uplifting message within, intertwined with a strong connection to ancestors and pure culture, will appeal to readers of every background or age.
Who knows? You could even pick up a few new Hawaiian words too!
A Priceless Literary Treasure and Token of Appreciation
An inspirational book for kids, written with care to distribute affection, with some hidden lessons for both young and old.
Great Birthday, Christmas, and Thanksgiving gifts for kids, if you are looking for something special this holiday season. This gratitude gift will definitely bring some aloha spirit into any home or classroom!
Learn About the Culture of the Gorgeous Aloha Islands
A fantastic opportunity to educate your children more about Hawaii!
This thanksgiving book for children delivers a beautiful narrative while also exposing youngsters to the Hawaiian language. If you’re planning a trip to Hawaii, it is an ideal read on the airplane, hotel room, or beach.
MORE ABOUT THE BOOK
Perks Publishing, LLC, was founded and is owned by the three siblings (ages 13, 15, and 17) who created the book with their father. The foreword is written by Lee Brower of ‘The Secret’ who talks about the Gratitude Rock.
Magician Emu: A magical story of believing in yourself
Magician Emu by R.C. Chizhov is an exciting story about self-discovery. As a young child, finding your way in life can be challenging, especially if you take a unique path that not everyone understands. Magician Emu aspires to be a great magician one day, just like Spikey Spike, so she learns all his magical tricks and reads all of his books to become an extraordinary talent.
When Magician Emu’s plans don’t turn out as expected, the story takes on a fun and surprising twist, which I found delightful and entertaining. The story is brilliantly written in a way that keeps the reader engaged with the character and the importance of the book’s message of perseverance and resilience. It’s also a great way to promote the importance of being comfortable as yourself and finding your own path in life.
I truly enjoyed this book and its whimsical, light-hearted, but crucial message for kids. Magician Emu is the ideal character, who struggles with many of the same challenges that most of us do, and for this reason, the story is easy to relate to and find thoroughly satisfying and inspiring.
Magician Emu is the perfect addition to your child’s library at home, or as a great read at school or daycare. It’s a fantastic book for children learning to read, and an important reminder to celebrate who we are as individuals, while supporting our kids, so they may grow into strong and confident adults.
Pages 31 | ASIN 173795267X
Musical Soul Mates: A Girl Who Hears Music Everywhere
Musical Soul Mates is a beautiful children’s book about a girl and her love for music. The story follows young Eleanora as she dances and sings the day away. Although she’s having fun now, she’s nervous about Show and Tell at school tomorrow. Luckily, her friend Aria is there to help her come up with a solution that will help her show the class who she is and what she is passionate about. The class, and readers, will learn that music is all around us.
Author Cindy B Witty has created an educational children’s book that shows how important music can be to a person. If your child listens to music all the time, just like Eleanora, then they will love this children’s book. This book creatively shows how music can come to life and help us when we need it.
The colorful artwork by illustrator Estelle Corke really brings Eleanora to life. Readers will be able to easily identify her emotions and all of her actions throughout the story, which is important because Eleanora moves with the music.
Musical Soul Mates: A Girl Who Hears Music Everywhere is an educational children’s book that will show young readers how to handle stress with music and will show all children that music is in everything. Highly recommended to anyone who has a passion for music, or parents with kids that need help overcoming their anxiety.
Pages: 32 | ASIN: B0BFG1C86Z
Am I Brave Enough To Conquer It?
Marky the Magnificent Fairy follows a young fairy who is teased for looking different and teaches the other fairies about acceptance and compassion. What was the inspiration for your story?
Writing Marky has been a very emotional journey. The book has always been about a Fairy who could not fly because she had a small wing, but she could still do so many other things. However, it began to evolve into much more as I started talking to teachers, doctors, families, and others who work with and/or live with special needs children.
I am so blessed and fortunate to have partnered with Linda Radke and the Story Monsters team on this book. The entire team fell in love with Marky as I did. It has been a passion project for all of us.
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
Marky the Magnificent Fairy is written with the intent of eliciting back and forth discussions with children at home or in the classroom. This book is about diversity, inclusion, bullying, disabilities, kindness, believing in yourself, self-love, confidence, acceptance, positivity, and compassion. No matter what age you are.
The art in this book is fantastic. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Jeff Yesh?
I always had a firm vision of Marky in my head, and I could not move on to any other illustrations until she was created. I knew once we captured the essence of Marky everything else would fall into place. During a phone call I gave Jeff the “backstory” of who Marky was and how she came to be. That was helpful to him in understanding her background and importance.
As a surprise Jeff added in the small yellow Japanese Caterpillar which you see throughout the story. I have since named that caterpillar “Tomo” which is short for Tomodachi which means friend in Japanese.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
We are still busy rolling out Marky the Magnificent Fairy which is currently in Pre-Order. Tomo plushies are on the way and will be available for sale soon. We are currently updating my website to accommodate it all… However, there is a dystopian novel I started outlining a year ago, the question is, am I brave enough to conquer it?
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Read and Read and Read Some More
A Splash of Colour is a wonderful picture book introducing colours to children. What made you write a story about this topic? Did you pull anything from your life experiences?
For many years, I was a classroom teacher. I started writing in December of 2021.
My motivation in writing A Splash of Colour was the same as for all of my books.
Thus far, I’ve published two children’s picture books using a conventional format.
So, with a narrative structure and characters and with illustrations that reinforce and complement the written text.
I will write many more of these however thus far most of my picture books have had less a conventional narrative structure. They are much more an educational aid explicitly teaching maths and language concepts. These are aimed at early childhood albeit with the written text and the illustrations complementing and reinforcing each other and aimed to be read by children or to children.
There are many educational workbooks for younger children but these serve a completely different function to children’s picture books.
I feel passionately about the importance of having children arrive in a classroom setting for the first time, feeling confident and comfortable around words and numbers. Word and number intelligence are the bedrock of our educational system and its curriculum. Without feeling at ease in this environment, children start their formal schooling on the back foot.
And it’s so easy to make a difference in the life of a child. If as an adult you feel comfortable with words, then read and read and read some more to the children in your life. Some children will find the journey of learning to read harder than others. With support and strategies they will learn to read. For them to live in a
home environment where words and reading are a comfortable part of the atmosphere will be powerful. And I have never met a child who didn’t adore being read to.
What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing or illustrating?
I was gardening and the rhyming verses flew through my mind and the illustrations of colourful birds began to form. I enjoyed creating every page. I love the effect of water colour as a medium and I loved being able to have an entire book using watercolour elements to build up the illustrations. And I also so enjoyed writing in rhyme. If you can get the tempo right, then this style just flows from the mouth of the reader. It’s born to be read out loud and for young children, this is a very effective tool for learning.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I next published Numbers Come In Pairs and that’s up on my Amazon bookshelf. The explicit teaching focus of this book is that numbers can be written as words or as digits. Again, its written in a picture book style but without an explicit story narrative. There are characters however. Meet the ones, meet the twos, meet the threes and so on and we discover something that each of the pairs loves to do.
I’m almost ready to publish an educational workbook that fits hand in glove with the picture book. It’s tentative title is Numbers are Never Alone.
What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?
I next published Numbers Come In Pairs and that’s up on my Amazon bookshelf. The explicit teaching focus of this book is that numbers can be written as words or as digits. Again, its written in a picture book style but without an explicit story narrative. There are characters however. Meet the ones, meet the twos, meet the threes and so on and we discover something that each of the pairs loves to do. I’m almost ready to publish an educational workbook that fits hand in glove with the picture book. It’s tentative title is Numbers are Never Alone.
I have just begun a book for primary aged children. The focus is on feelings, naming them up, describing their physicality and their impact. Having a language to speak about feelings is a powerful means of building emotional literacy and a strong sense of self. Books aimed for earlier school aged children and very young children will follow
What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book? First of all, for it to effectively help colour recognition in young children. And for it to be enjoyed a book that children will want to revisit again and again. And then for the book to be the best that it could be. I felt very positive building up the book in my mind before putting ideas on paper. I wanted it to be as good as I my imagination had it. And I was really proud of A Splash of Colour. While I feel comfortable with words and can create stories on the fly, I’m new to creating and publishing books and I feel they are getting better each time. It’s so important for us humans to feel proud of what we do and if we can enjoy what we do to earn a crust, how blessed is that!
A goal that I have and I’ve had some limited success with, is using tools to get my books under people’s radars. I struggle with this, I’d happily not have to do it. I have a Shopify store, an Amazon author page and a Facebook page and they will mature with age. I’m excited about blogging because I can add so much more of interest and that’s useful for others and to learn from them.
The issue is that all of it is a tiger in the bushes. In the last two years, I’ve discovered that I’m autistic. This has been a profound and very positive paradigm shift. The downside of such a late diagnosis (Ive just turned 54) is that, as for so many others with late diagnosis is that anxiety and depression are my housemates. This interview took three weeks to sit down and write to as the thought of it brings on anxiety. So, blogging and promotion are tigers in the bushes. But they are tigers that need to be tamed somewhat if my books are ever going to be found by readers and listeners.
Author Links: Website | Amazon
With its rhyming text and engaging illustrations, ‘A Splash of Colour’ is a must for young children learning to recognise colour.
