Review of Karen Porter’s COUNTDOWN TO NAVIDAD

The excitement and anticipation of Christmas is both enhanced and made confusing for ten-year-old Karen by her being transported to a country with different customs than those she is used to back home in Columbus, Ohio. This year, as her family visits old friends in Mexico and El Salvador for most of December, Karen counts down to Christmas (Navidad, in Spanish).

Although she is intrigued by most of her new experiences, her thoughts keep returning to the question: “How will Santa Claus find me and will I get any presents?”

In Mexico, Karen climbs an ancient Aztec pyramid, feels a slight earthquake, eats delicious bananas in cream, and learns that she does not like hot, spicy food. She appreciates the beauty of Mexico and El Salvador and makes a life-long friend, the cute little Marguerite. But witnessing extreme poverty in El Salvador changes her life.

On Christmas Eve, Karen is asked to play a part in the Nativity Scene. It is her honor to place the Baby Jesus in the manger. She comes to realize that the best Christmas presents are not things, but are spiritual.  

Uncommon Scents by Elaine B. Robinson

 

Elaine Beem Robinson, author of Uncommon Scents, does not disappoint; this book is full of her usual “uncommon” rhymes, made-up words, and other fun word usages. She tells us the lion’s lineage is “full of noble familious scions,” but Marvin’s family tree “was limp as phlox is, Not strong and sturdy like the ox’s.” The story of a bullied individual out-witting his tormentors is cleverly told. Marvin is a poor and lowly muskrat but keeps rebuilding his nest by the bank of the lake even though the other animals keep stomping on it and messing it up. Marvin needs a good dose of self esteem.

This lowliest and poorest of animals finally makes a sensible friend. The skunk praises Marvin for his ability to swim and build and suggests Marvin move his home to the island in the lake. As the skunk says:

“It’s just common sense to do What you do best. Though sense isn’t as common As you might have guessed.”

So Marvin rebuilds on the island. No longer will the bullies be able to stomp on Marvin’s nest. This book has an excellent story, message of friendship and perseverance, and expressive illustrations.

There is great humor in the illustrations. I especially like the metaphorical one of Marvin being shown on the bottom of the totem pole, though as he gains confidence, he moves up a little. Elaine mixes natural elements with fantasy ones, as in the picture of Marvin’s new home with cosy furniture and blazing fireplace.

What Elaine says about being poor takes this book beyond a children’s story to a universal truth.

Mrs. Betsy Fieldmouse Borrows an Egg

 

 

Mrs. Betsy Fieldmouse Borrows an Egg is my book published by Guardian Angel Publishing. The delightful illustrations by Elexis King show how Mrs. Betsy goes about getting an egg for a birthday cake for her friend, Mrs. Tillie Beaver. This is a wind-up/wind-down story in the vein of Nonny Hogrogian’s One Fine Day. Each of Mrs. Betsy’s neighbors wants to help, but where will they find an egg? The egg finally gets to Mrs. Betsy and she bakes her cake. All the grownups and kids on Buttercup Crescent enjoyed a smidgen of the wonderful cake.

 

Review of Judy Nill’s middle grade, TOO BIG

 

 

Fifth grade can be hard on a kid,  and I don’t mean the school work. Judy Nill’s middle-grade novel, TOO BIG, covers:  making difficult decisions, accepting responsibility, family relationships, school friendships and school enemyships, and crime.

The protagonist of this story, Shelby, is a smart fifth grader who faces some serious problems. For one thing, she is larger than the average fifth grader. For another, she has to wear glasses, which she considers ugly. These problems make her the butt of jokes by the obnoxious kids. The smart alecs might think it’s funny but it hurts Shelby’s feelings. A possible saving grace might be for her to move up to the sixth grade at mid-year. It’s a decision Shelby vacillates about.

Shelby has one dear friend, Zoe. Zoe is a peace-maker type and welcomes the new boy, Deke, into her circle, realizing that he likes Shelby. Zoe also tames Kenny, the worst of the taunters. But Shelby is jealous and wants Zoe all to herself. In a kind of revenge, Shelby allows herself to be flattered into a false friendship with Marissa, a sixth grader with a mysterious past. Shelby sees Marissa slip some makeup into her pocket at the drug store, but at the counter, Marissa pays for the item. Was it because she knew Shelby saw her take it?

Shelby is very sweet to her little sister, Lindy; she gave her her old stuffed bear, BeeGee, and Lindy really loves him. She even talks in his voice. Their mom works and their dad has an electrical shop next to the house, so he is close by when the girls come home from school. The parents use big words when talking to the girls and the dad always says, “Look it up in the dictionary.”

As Shelby and Zoe draw apart, Shelby becomes involved in the deceitful dealings of Marissa and her friends. She manages to extricate herself from Marissa, or at least she tries to, but Marissa threatens to implicate Shelby if her gang is caught selling stolen goods. Shelby is afraid to tell her family or her teacher the truth.

Shelby’s reactions to her problems and relationships are authentic. She vacillates, she gets angry, she tries to act grown-up, she fakes being sick, and acts normal in other immature ways. There is much here for young readers to relate to.

n Halloween. Although Shelby and Zoe have always gone trick-or-treating together in the past, this year, Shelby decides not to go with Zoe. While hiding in the bushes near Zoe’s house, Shelby and Lindy are kid-napped by Marissa and her gang. They are taken into the woods where Lindy gets her arm fractured. Shelby and Lindy escape, but BeeGee is lost.

Zoe, Deke, and Kenny rescue Shelby and Lindy and find the missing BeeGee. Now Shelby must admit that Zoe was right to include Deke and Kenny in her circle. Shelby takes responsibility for all her mistakes, but Marissa never takes responsibility for her wrong-doings. Her mother lies for her and sends her off to her grandma’s. Feeling secure in a circle of friends, Shelby makes the decision to stay in the fifth grade.

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This book was published by Guardian Angel Publishing. You can find more information about the book and ordering information here: http://guardianangelpublishing.com/too-big.htm

As a licensed mental health counselor, Judy Dearborn Nill endows the characters in her books with real psychology and real human problems. It helps that she remembers her youth vividly, so that her young characters think and feel like REAL people. And her readers can believe in them the same way a youngster like Lindy can believe that the Velveteen Rabbit (and her own stuffy) is REAL.

I enjoyed reading TOO BIG, and I think it will be of help to young readers who have differences that make them the butt of jokes. Nobody is alone in what seems to be an unfriendly environment.

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Review of Susan J. Berger’s Mom, Is There a Santa Claus?

Is there really a Santa Claus? This is an important question for many children. Oftentimes, information comes to a child through a skeptic, as it was to Lucas—who is dismayed by what his friend Clay says as they get off the school bus. Clay scoffs and says, “Like there is really a Santa Claus.”

So Lucas goes to his mom to ask her if there is really a Santa Claus, hoping her answer will reinforce his shaky belief. It seems that Mom also asked the same question of her parents. They explained that it’s the Spirit of Santa Claus that is important and will “enter the hearts and minds of people willing to listen.”

They made her a “Dream Keeper,” and gave her a pendant consisting of a moon and a silver star.

Dream Keepers are those who keep the dream of the Spirit of Santa Claus alive. So it doesn’t matter if the answer is “yes” or “no.”

Lucas carries the necklace in his pocket because now he is a Dream Keeper.

This story is very touching as it goes to the heart of a child’s fears and hopes, and makes him become aware that he is growing out of childish ideas and beliefs and must take on a responsibility that he may not feel ready to accept—but unlike Peter Pan, he must grow up. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. Susan has tackled a subject that is very large and couched it in the familiar and loving framework of Christmas.

Kudos to KC Snider for her beautiful depiction of the necklace as well as the North Pole, the snow-covered roof (is that Santa and his sleigh up there?), and other illustrations that give the reader the feeling of winter and Christmas.

Susan J. Berger is an actress in addition to being a writer. She has appeared on “Hannah Montana” and numerous other tv shows.

Link to the book at Guardian Angel Publishing: http://guardianangelpublishing.com/is-santa-claus.htm

I enjoy Susan’s blog posts, as well as those of her fellow-bloggers on The Pen and Ink Blog.

Link to Susan’s blog, http://thepenandinkblog.blogspot.com/

This is Susan’s fourth book with Guardian Angel Publishing.

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Han and the Mysterious Pearl

You’ve probably heard of the fishing cormorants on the Li River in China. I included one in my re-telling of this fable as a sort of Kiplinger “just so” explanation.

HAN AND THE MYSTERIOUS PEARL is my fifth picture book with Guardian Angel Publishing. I am very pleased with the illustrations by Carl Kocich, who also illustrated my friend, Jayne Moraski’s, HOW ALLIGTOR GOT HIS SMILE BACK. These pictures will take you right to Ancient China to meet Han, his mother, and his pet cormorant. Also an enigmatic figure.

The story is about a Chinese boy, Han, who goes on his first solo fishing expedition—with his faithful companion—his cormorant, after his father has died. Han inherited his father’s knife with which he hacks down the bamboo poles to build his own raft. His mother provides him with a simple lunch. But before the day is over, Han has the adventure of his life.

On that first evening, Han spies a glow from a cave on the river, and goes to discover what causes it. There he finds a wonderful pearl. He takes  the pearl, but there will be consequences!

Watch out for those river monsters!

The book is available at Guardian Angel Publishing:http://guardianangelpublishing.com/han-pearl.htm

as well as Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, and Goodreads.

 

Susan J. Berger’s Earthquake

 

Though earthquakes are something we don’t want to experience, Susan J. Berger’s book, EARTHQUAKE! (2nd edition) is infused with enough humor to keep the reader from being terrified while gaining information and safety precautions about the subject.

Eugene Ruble’s charts and graphs are easy to read and understand and help to clarify the many facts. In addition, he includes funny illustrations that take the scare out of the topic, for instance, the fellow “quaking” in his bed during a large earthquake.

Susan goes into the causes (faults in the earth’s crust) and what a quake feels like, from quick and jerky to a roller coaster ride. The places on earth that are most likely to experience quakes surround the Pacific Ocean, in what is called the Ring of Fire.

Besides naturally occurring earthquakes, some have been caused by the building of large dams and reservoirs and FRAKING (the forcing of oil from rocks).

Two types of scales are used to measure quakes: the Richter scale that we are familiar with, measures the intensity of a quake, and the Mercalli scale which measures the level of damage after the quake. There is a picture of the very first seismometer, built in China by Chang Heng in 132 A.D.

Interesting statistics are provided about individual quakes. The largest quake in the United States occurred in Prince William Sound in Alaska. It measured 9.2 on the Richter Scale. Susan tells about experiencing the Northridge, CA, quake of 1994, which measured 6.7 on the Richter scale of intensity. (This reviewer was in an earthquake in Japan in 1965 that rippled and made me nauseous). The safety precautions and preparedness guides for both children and adults are thoroughly itemized and explained.

EARTHQUAKE! is nicely broken up with sidebar FACTOIDS and science experiments for children ages 7-12. The rice experiment is especially fascinating. And kids will love sloshing water out of the bathtub in an experiment called Seiche (saysh).

I enjoyed reading the pdf of this book which Susan sent me for review.

2/2016 UPDATED SECOND EDITION NOW RELEASED! in softcover, ebook and hardcover. Available at Guardian Angel Publishing,

http://guardianangelpublishing.com/earthquake.htm

and other outlets.

 

 

 

 

 

Review of LITTLE BUG by Karin Larson

Karin Larson’s first Guardian Angel Publishing picture book, LITTLE BUG, develops the concepts of “where” and “when” using a little critter’s search for home and comforts. 

            Persistence is the name of the game here. If Little Bug can’t find what he’s looking for in one place and one way, he continues in another place and another way. Fortunately, there are lots of prepositions, cum adverbs, to help him in his searches. For instance:

            “Little Bug crawled and crawled to find a hill to tunnel through.

He looked beyond. He looked beneath. He looked toward. He looked among. He looked about and past. He was too small.”

            Young students learning to use the English language will be astounded at the ways in which a verb can be controlled to show time and place. And teachers will be delighted to have a book they can use to teach grammar in a fun and simple way with lots of good examples. 

This little rhyming verse will have readers rooting for Little Bug to find a snug place to rest.

“Little Bug crawled and crawled to find a place to rest. He looked high. He looked low. He looked above. He looked below. He got tired and slow. He needed a break.”

Good luck, Little Bug!          

            Illustrator, Eugene Ruble, has in some cases, made Little Bug’s movements seem animated.

Karin Larson is a freelance writer living in Mitchell, SD, with her husband and three children. She has enjoyed publishing success in both children and adult markets. Karin is a member of SCBWI and a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature.

Visit Karin at http://www.karin-larson.blogspot.com  or   http://karinlarson.com

 

 

 

 

Review of Jill Dana’s HER BROWN HAIR and HER PINK HAIR

It’s hard not to feel sad when reading these companion books, HER BROWN HAIR and HER PINK HAIR, by writer/illustrator Jill Dana. Until you get to the end.

These two books, HER BROWN HAIR and HER PINK HAIR,  are about Stephanie, a little girl who has cancer. The narrator is a friend who visit Stephanie at home and in the hospital and plays with Stephanie when she is well enough. Other friends visit and bring her books to enjoy.

Stephanie’s illness worsens to the point that her hair falls out after chemo. The narrator explains that her friend goes from having long, curly brown hair, to being bald, to regrowing her hair. To bring some happiness and cheer into Stephanie’s life, her mother dyes her hair PINK.

The unusual aspect of these books is that author/illustrator Jill Dana has illustrated the characters in clay figures. Every page is bright and cheerful, created in vivid colors. The rainbow over the bed in the hospital brings a touch of hope and optimism.

Now, when the narrator thinks of her friend, she closes her eyes and sees a beautiful picture of Stephanie under an arch of flowers against a joyful cloud-studded blue sky.

This touching story has a very personal feel to it. Many children five to nine are mature enough to handle the illness aspect of the book, but it is a decision for the parents to make. They will definately love the illustrations.

Ms. Dana’s background in psychology is evident in her spare prose. She’s talented in several areas: she’s an artist, a sculptress, and a filmmaker.

She would be pleased if you would visit her at www.jilldanabooks.com

Cogratulations, Jill, on the launch of your first two Guardian Angel books!

The books are available at:

http://guardianangelpublishing.com/brown-hair.htm

http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pink-hair.htm

Today begins 2015 PiBoIdMo. Eh?

Today is the first day of PiBoIdMo, 2015. If you’re a picture book writer you probably already know what that stands for: Picture Book Idea Month. Think of a new idea for a picture book every day for thirty days–it’s that easy. This is Tara Lazar’s brain child for people who don’t use the month of November to write a novel in. Or you can do both. This is my first year to join in the challenge. I have started my list–but I ‘m not telling. Maybe some of my ideas will materalize into books.

In the meantime, check out my two latest picture books from Guardian Angel Publishing:

BonBon

BonBon is a plush toy French Poodle dog. She lives, for the time being, at the Twice-Loved Toy Shop in Paris, France. She longs for a nice child to take her to a loving home. While she practices being patient, she and the other toys look out the window and see the Eiffel Tower. They talk about other beautiful and famous places in Paris. But, oh, no! BonBon is hidden by another toy, a large bear. Will BonBon ever be seen by tourists walking up and down the Champs Elysees Boulevard? A series of fortunate events is about to happen. Eugene Ruble used photographs of the real BonBon to share the pup’s story with readers.

http://guardianangelpublishing.com/bonbon.htm

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Colby Mouse’s Christmas Gift

Colby Mouse thinks of a way to take part in the Christmas festivities in the people house where he lives. The little girl, Becky, realizes that the gift left on Santa’s plate is from the clever little mouse.

http://guardianangelpublishing.com/colby-mouse.htm

And here is an announcement from Lynda S. Burch: More new books from Guardian Angel Publishing:

100 Pecans for Tabitha
Academic Wings
Author: Tracey M. Cox; Illustrator: Eugene Ruble
Tabitha is on the search for 100 pecans. Help her count by 5s to reach her goal and have her favorite treats. Recipes and Pecan info included.
http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/tabitha.htm

America Bless God,  a Children’s Musical
Angelic Harmony
Authors: Dixie Phillips, Sharon Phillips
Light up your 4th of July with this simple easy-to-perform patriotic children’s musical.
http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/america-bless-god.htm

Papillon and the Magic Lamp
Chapbooks for Tweens
Author: Osa Kauffman; Illustrator: Aumi Kauffman Perry
A talking butterfly and a boy embark on an adventure in the desert. They encounter a talking camel, a wily salesman, and a magical lamp.
http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/papillon-magic-lamp.htm