Posts Tagged ‘children’s books’

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Welcome to The Kid’s Korner!

I’m still working on my banner and should have it ready soon.

I have a couple of fun children’s books to share today. Both are from A.J. Cosmos Monsters A To Z series, based on characters he created, and written by two different authors. I really enjoyed them.

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M Is For Me-Me

Monsters A To Z #3

Written by Rusty Fischer

Based upon characters created A.J. Cosmos

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My Review

Another hit for the series. And, per usual, there are some fun, exciting illustrations.

A little creepier than some of the other books in the series. I liked how the boys handled the selfish monster. A lesson to all.

I especially like the cover for this book. When I was young, I hunted the library shelves looking for ones like this. And such a clever title too.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Not all monsters are sweet; some are scary, or worse, selfish! For weeks, Jerry had noticed things missing, but it wasn’t until his best friend Chuck lost the T.V. remote that they met the monster stealing their stuff. Do the boys have what it takes to stop the most selfish monster of them all?

The Monsters A to Z series gets scary in the third book that’s not for the feint of heart.

Amazon

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C Is For Closet Creep

Monsters A To Z Book #7

Written by S.L. Mayne

Based upon character’s created by A.J. Cosmos

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My Review

A fun story to read along with or out loud to your young ones. It has the cutest illustrations of the monsters too.

Ever wonder what your kid imagines is in their closet when they cry out to you. This is a delightful story that may dampen those fears in your child. Have them imaging quirky friends in there instead of something scary.

I had no problem connecting with this one. I remember one night, I was in bed with the lights out and heard a noise coming from my walk in closet. My older brother jumped out screaming and scared me into my teens. LOL I still sleep with my closet doors closed. This book would have come in handy after that incident.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Is something keeping you awake? Maybe there’s a monster in your closet!

Malcolm is just trying to get some sleep, but noises from the closet are keeping him awake. Does the creature want to eat him? Maybe. Or does the monster just want a friend?

The fifth book in the Monsters A to Z series is a story about making an unusual friend in a familiar place.

For emergent readers ages 5-8 (2nd grade) Six full color illustrations. 1,500 words.

Amazon

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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I believe I enjoy children’s books as much now as I did when I was a young girl.

Check out these fun stories.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

lets-hug

Book Description for Let’s Hug: 15 Hugs for Beginners:

There must be over a millions ways to say “I love you” or “I care about you”, but with a single hug, even without words, you can simply feel it. This book is for toddlers, and encourages children and adults alike to try out all possible types of hugs. It’s everyone’s gain.

It took seconds for the sweet testers who accompanied the writing of this book to adopt these 15 ways of showing love, to give and receive it. And our testers are not alone. Recent studies reveal that Oxitocin, the most fun hormone available, also known as the Love Hormone, is released into our bodies when we hug.

Hugs are proven to have a generally positive healing and relaxing effect, since they increase calm and happiness, reinforce our self esteem, and support our sense of connection to those who are close to us. If you’d like to validate these studies, go ahead and hug.

This book was beautifully illustrated by Yuval Israeli, and it’s the second creative collaboration between Yuval Israeli and Efrat Shoham.

Buy the Book: Amazon

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the-unusualasauras

Book Description for The Unusualasauruses:

Ages and ages ago, many different kinds of dinosaurs roamed our planet. Some were as large as whales, while others were the size of small dogs. Some were plant-eaters, while some ate other animals. Some had very long necks and tails, while others were tiny. Some had horns. Some had wings and could fly.

Despite all of these many variations, they were all part of the dinosaur family. And, as is often the case with family, they shared many common features.

No one has ever never whatsoever seen a live dinosaur or spoken to one of them. So, what if dinosaurs could really talk, or smile, cry, dream, dance, play and joke?

To answer all of these questions, all you have to do is become an Imaginesaurus, and meet the Unusualasauruses.

This book is aimed at children aged 4 to 120. It introduces the readers to different types of personalities, characters, and skills and thus helps us to spot them at a glance.

This book was beautifully illustrated by Lilach Ramati.

Buy the Book:  Amazon

About the Author:

efrat-shoham

Efrat Shoham is an Israeli writer and independent publisher (The Pink Camel).

Shoham grew up in a small agricultural village in Israel. Her father was a farmer and her mother – a teacher and librarian. She lives with her family in Tel Aviv, on a small street lined with eucalyptus, mulberry and loquat trees, where 3 rabbits from the nearby kindergarten run wild.

She thinks and believes that curiosity, imagination, humor, green fields, fresh mango or avocado and pink camels are some of the keys to a good and happy life.

Connect with the author:  Website  ~ Facebook

About the Illustrator of Let’s Hug

Yuval Israeli 

yuval-israeli


“I grew up in a kibbutz in the north of Israel and for years I live in Tel Aviv with Roy and our cat “tsimuki”. I studied design and illustration at “Vital” the school of visual arts, which reunited later with “Shenkar”.I also learned classical painting in the “station studio”.I always paint pop icons and characters which affected me, and I also always paint portraits of friends. Besides, I always enjoyed painting all kinds of creatures from my imagination”.

About the Illustrator of The Unusualasauruses

Lilach Ramati

lilach-ramati

“I majored in visual communication in Holon Institute of Technology. I studied Interactive, but eventually my final project was an illustrated book. Today I work as a designer in games company”.

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Win one of two copies of Let’s Hug or one of two copies of The Unusualasaurases (4 winners, open internationally)
Ends Jan 28

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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Welcome to My Monday Minis Reviews where I share short reviews of books I’ve read. For today I’ll be sharing two children’s books.

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Wally the Warm Weather Penguin

by Stephanie M. Ward

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My Review

A penguin who’s always cold? Find out how Wally gets warm.

Wally, an Emperor Penguin from Antarctica, hears about the Galapagos Islands. He knows he can get warm there, so off he goes on a grand adventure.

Wally is such a sweetie. And he makes some quirky new friends in the warm tropics of Galapagos.

The colorful pictures, the cute characters, and the fun facts about the inhabitants of the Galapagos Islands at the end of the book make this one I’d recommend for all parents and children.

The rhymes are fun to read aloud and what could be better than your child learning and laughing at the same time.

“Wally was shocked when he opened his eyes,

and saw a strange penguin half of his size.”

The rhymes roll right off the tongue.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Wally is an Emperor Penguin from Antarctica who isn’t exactly like the other penguins. Wally is always cold. When he learns about the Galapagos Islands, he immediately sets sail in search of warm weather and discovers an amazing world of tap-dancing crabs, racing hundred-year-old tortoises and diving birds with bright blue feet.

Wally the Warm-Weather Penguin is a delightful rhyming picture book for children aged 2 – 5. Children love the bright and colorful illustrations of the unique wildlife in the Galapagos Islands while the simple, rhyming text brings these curious animals to life.

Come along with Wally and visit this very special place!

***A portion of proceeds from sales of Wally the Warm-Weather Penguin is donated to the Galapagos Conservancy (galapagos.org) to support conservation efforts in the area.***

AMAZON

Author Stephanie M. Ward

Stephanie M. Ward is the author of the children’s book, Wally the Warm-Weather Penguin.

Stephanie has been writing in various forms over the last 20 years. She was a contributor to Tana’s Habitat: The Ultimate Guide to Finding and Affording Your First Place and has written articles for a number of travel blogs.

Stephanie’s wanderlust finally got the best of her and she spent a year traveling across all seven continents. It was then that she decided to focus on writing stories for children about amazing places around the world.

Wally the Warm-Weather Penguin is her first children’s book. The paperback edition was released in November 2014.

www.stephaniemward.com www.facebook.com/wallythewarmweatherp…
www.twitter.com/stephmward

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The Palace Buzz

A Gracie Book: Volume #2

by Linda Lee Schell

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My Review

Gracie, the wee kangaroo, is off on another adventure. And this time she’s bringing her friend, Gibson, a Maine Coon cat. They became close when Gracie’s trip to St. Petersburg, Russia went awry and she ended up on a farm in Pennsylvania.

Their arrival in Russia creates quite the stir when Empress Catherine spies Gibson and takes him home. Now the fun truly begins.

As with the first book, there are plenty of characters to meet. Some nice. Some not so nice. Intrigue abounds. And Gracie and Gibson’s friendship becomes stronger as they claw there way out of some sticky situations.

I enjoyed this book even more than the first one. I’m thinking it’s because I’m familiar with the authors writing and she gives such colorful descriptions of the places you’ll visit. She puts you there.

It’s been fun following Gracie as she travels the universe, making friends, and I can’t help but wonder where she’ll take us next.

Along with the first book, while this is recommended for kids 8 to 12, I’d recommend it for those closer to 12.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Here she goes again! Gracie, a dwarf kangaroo from the thirty-sixth universe, is skipping across the cosmos to her dream destination: St. Petersburg, Russia. She’s traveling with Gibson, a Maine coon cat whose life she saved when he was unceremoniously dumped in front of a Pennsylvania corn field. Expectations and reality quickly collide. What she expected to find was a city of wintery white nights, a city dotted with a hundred islands linked by dozens of imposing bridges, all book-ended by majestic sculptures cast in bronze. She expected to feast her eyes on historic buildings splashed with pink, yellow and blue pastels. Instead, she finds herself back in the 18th century, in Russia’s Imperial Golden Age. This is not the city I expected, she laments as she stands bewildered near the entrance to the city’s center of activity, the perpetually busy post office. Then, when Empress Catherine arrives in her royal carriage and points a bejeweled finger at the ever-so-handsome Gibson, and declares: I want that cat…the fun begins.

AMAZON

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I earlier read and reviewed the first book in this series too.

Come Along With Me

A Gracie Book: Volume #1

by Linda Lee Schell

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In case you’d like to read my review for the first book, I’m sharing it again.

Gracie is a wee kangaroo from the thirty-sixth universe. And she’s so excited. She’s finally going to visit St. Petersburg, Russia.

When something goes wrong, she winds up on a farm in St. Clair, Pennsylvania. Not quite what she planned.

Once you meet Gracie, you’ll see why her travel plans went haywire. She’s a precocious little roo, plus she’s clumsy and absent minded.

She’s also very brave and arrives in time to save a rather bedraggled city cat from the ferocious farm dogs.

From then on, Gracie and the cat, Gibson, are in cahoots. Each trying to help the other. Gracie wants to go home. Gibson is trying to make the best of it and make the farm his new home.

This was very wordy in the beginning. The prose felt strange yet familiar. Then I got it. It felt like in Willa Wonka or Alice in Wonderland. Otherworldly and zany. I began to suspect much of this was coming from Gracie, the kangaroo from somewhere else. She is a bit rattle-brained and silly.

The last third of the book flowed more easily. And the plot came forward. There’s several other animals that help or hinder the two pals, and one little girl who teaches Gibson how to earn his keep.

I’d say because of the sometimes peculiar use of words, this would be better suited to the upper range of young children. But, I may be wrong. Kids now a days learn to read before starting school, so they may follow the context better than I give them credit for. But there is a rather dark scene on the farm, something that even shocked me. This book is suggested for kids 8 to 12 and I’d recommend it to those closer to 12.

As I read this adventure I was sure it would be a 3 star rating. But that last third of the book sucked me in and by the time I reached the end, I wanted more.  I felt that connection to the characters and wanted to know what kind of pickle they would land in next. I don’t give half star ratings and that’s why it went up to 4 stars.

4 Stars

Synopsis

Come Along With Me will transport eight-to twelve-year old children, their parents, and their grandparents to another world when they read Come Along With Me, an adventure about friendship and caring, the unfortunate consequences of jealousy, and the power of hope.

Meet Gracie, a ditzy dwarf kangaroo from the Thirty-sixth Universe–a creature who lives in a perfect realm. Because she is bored, Gracie longs for an adventure to St. Petersburg, Russia, a place she imagines is filled with beauty and enchantment. Much to the tiny ‘roo’s surprise, her ability to transport herself to the land of the czars has failed. She ends up at a dairy farm in St. Clair, Pennsylvania, where she saves the life of Gibson, an abandoned Maine coon cat.

The unlikely pair become fast friends. While Gracie tries to find her way back home, Gibson carves a life for himself on a farm with his newly adopted mistress, the farmer’s young daughter. There’s one hitch: The overworked farmer demands that Gibson earn his keep. Gibson’s task is thwarted somewhat when he experiences strange visions. But are these visions the result of a thrashing he received from the farmer’s two dogs? Or, maybe Gibson sees parallel universes?

As outsiders the little kangaroo and the cat from the city negotiate the perils of farm life. They meet two malicious rats who hate anyone who is happy. The two devoted friends must contend with stampeding cows and a barnyard of critters that have little use for newcomers.

Will Gibson keep his sanity and become the little girl’s pet? Will Gracie ever see the splendor of the Russian Versailles? Will the farmer survive the evil machinations of the rats, Bratwold and Eastman? Drift back to the days of Barbie dolls, hula hoops, and Sputnik to find out.

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Author Linda Lee Schell


Linda’s favorite genre is fantasy/adventure, and her goal is to expand the imaginations of children while simultaneously exposing them to a variety of cultures and histories.

Combining childhood innocence with historical verisimilitude and a dash of magical fantasy–that was Linda’s impulse behind writing her first book, Come Along With Me.

Linda was born in Youngstown, Ohio and moved in 1977 to St. Clairsville, Ohio. Her husband of forty-four years and one son now live in Venice, Florida.

Linda is the daughter of an Ohio dairy farmer and an elementary school teacher. Her working years were in a competitive sales and business environment.

Active in Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce, she is a Paul Harris Fellow.

Entering the work force at age sixteen Linda is now retired, and is seriously devoting her attention to writing children’s books.

You can find her on Goodreads HERE.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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Derek The Dragon Banner
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About The Childrens Book Collection

 

Derek The Dragon (Book 1)

TitleDerek The Dragon 

Author: Leela Hope
Publisher: Independent Self Publishing
Publication Date: January 26, 2015
Pages: 22
ASIN:  B00SSFWFEI
Genre: Childrens Books
Format: eBook (.mobi – Kindle) / PDF

Purchase The Book – Amazon

Derek The Dragon

Do your kids ever feel sad?

Do they have trouble making friends?

An amazing story for all ages to enjoy, aimed at children 0-5 years of age. Watch as Derek the Dragon learns about the meaning of happiness in this tale. Come and meet an adventurous dormouse who decides that he can change his lot in life and through caring about others he ends up saving his village. The story is told through rhyming verse and vivid illustration. Derek the Dragon contains a great message about caring and friendship for parents to share with their children.

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Derek The Dragon (Book 2)

TitleDerek The Dragon And The Missing Socks 

Author: Leela Hope
Publisher: Independent Self Publishing
Publication Date: January 25, 2015
Pages: 22
ASIN: B00SRWHITY
Genre: Childrens Books
Format: eBook (.mobi – Kindle) / PDF

Purchase The Book – Amazon

Derek The Dragon And The Missing Socks

Do your kids forget to clean up their rooms?

Have they ever asked you to find things for them?

This story is pure family entertainment. It is great for kids 2-82 but it is aimed at the 0-5 age group. The book covers a very important life skill, cleaning. Derek the dragon does not like to clean, but he learns that he needs to get his house clean if he is ever going to find his lucky socks. Devin the dormouse comes to help his friend and shows him the way to get his house clean. The friends clean the cave and find the lucky socks. The story is brought to life through vivid illustrations and is told in rhyming verse.

 

  ****Derek The Dragon (Book 3)
TitleDerek The Dragon and Princess Dayna 

Author: Leela Hope

Publisher: Independent Self Publishing
Publication Date: January 25, 2015
Pages: 22
ASIN: B00SRVFCI4
Genre: Childrens Books
Format: eBook (.mobi – Kindle) / PDF
Purchase The Book – Amazon
Derek The Dragon and Princess Dayna
Do you or your kids have trouble with people who are different?
Do your kids have trouble making friends?
This is a terrific story aimed at kids 0-5, and yet, it is fun for the whole family to read and enjoy. Derek the Dragon, the dormouse, Devin and Princess Dayna all learn a lot about friendship. The book deals with misunderstandings and stereotypes, but in a way that is very palatable for little children to understand. The villagers are worried about a dragon flying around their village. They send their princess off to deal with the situation. The story is told in rhyming verse and featuring dynamic illustrations. It is a story for the whole family to enjoy.
Purchase The Book Collection
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Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE.

Meet Author Leela Hope
 
Leela Hope is a writer with over 22 years of experience in writing endearing children’s fiction. Her lively characters have entranced and captivated her audience, and she has taken great joy in writing the three series of books, each beautifully illustrated with love and care. Her stories concentrate on the adventures of floppy eared bunnies and wide-eyed children learning lessons in life, before returning home wiser and eager for sleep. leela hope writes her stories to entertain the very young, but also to educate. Her vision is always of a parent sitting on a child’s bed, reciting the stories each night, while the young one drifts off to sleep, lulled into a dream world full of fun and adventure.From her very earliest years of childhood, Leela made up stories in her head, telling them to her younger brother and sister. The stories flowed easily from her mind, and it wasn’t long before she realized she had a gift for writing. By the age of 14, she had already written a small book of short stories for her own entertainment, and by the age of 22, she had published her first full-fledged children’s fiction in several magazines. Leela hope was destined to be an author and she knew exactly what genre of fiction she wanted to dedicate her life too.Born in San Diego, California, and still residing in the area, Leela studied English Literature at Berkeley, earning a degree in 1989. Her writing covers a span of several genres, but she always returns to her first love, children’s fiction. She enjoys scuba diving and visiting wildlife parks, seeking new inspiration for cuddly characters for her stories. leela hope lives in an urban area of San Diego and is presently at work on a new book.
Connect with Leela:Amazon ~ Facebook ~ TwitterGoodreads

Check out the Derek The Dragon Childrens Book Collection Tour Page Here

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

Do you ever wish you could be young again? Go back in time, even for a little while? Of course you do!

Every now and then I pull a much-loved book down from my bookshelf. Something all tattered and worn from so many readings. Revisiting these stories I loved as a young reader keeps me young. I relive those youthful thoughts and just have a blast!

I do have to remember I’m not that young anymore though. I wouldn’t want to end up in the hospital after trying to do a cart-wheel, or God forbid, the splits!

Goddess Girls #10 – Pheme the Gossip

Get to know Goddess Girl Pheme…the original “gossip girl”!

As the goddess girl of rumor and gossip, Pheme prides herself on being “in the know” and having the most up-to-date info on anyone and everyone at Mount Olympus Academy. To make sure that people really get her VIP messages, her words tend to linger in cloud letters above her head—just in case people don’t catch what she says!

But not everyone is thrilled with Pheme’s insider knowledge on everything MOA—including the Goddess Girls. Can Pheme ever be trusted? Or will this “gossip girl” find herself on the other end of the rumors?

Purchase
Praise for The Goddess Girls

“…a clever take on Greek deities…”

~ Booklist

“Readers familiar with Greek myths should get a kick out of this plucky restaging.”

~Publisher’s Weekly

“…an enchanting mythological world with middle-school woes compounded by life as a deity…”

~ School Library Journal

The Goddess Girls Series

The Goddess Girls series, by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths. Follow the ins and outs of divine social life where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.

  • Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!
  • Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.
  • Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.
  • Artemis the Brave She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.
  • Athena the Wise Zeus says Heracles has to do twelve tasks or he’ll get kicked out of MOA! Although she’s not sure it’s wise, Athena agrees to help out.
  • Aphrodite the Diva Isis claims she’s the goddess of love? Ha! But to keep the title all to herself, Aphrodite has to find the perfect match for Pygmalion, the most annoying boy ever.
  • Artemis the Loyal It’s time for the annual Olympic Games, and Artemis and her friends are not happy. It’s boys only. Not fair!
  • Medusa the Mean Medusa wants to be more like her two sisters and the other kids at Mount Olympus Academy — immortal. Is that too much to ask?
  • The Girl Games (Goddess Girls Super Special) Listen in on what all four goddess girls are thinking as Mount Olympus Academy hosts visitors from many lands–including an adorable kitten!The first-ever standalone superspecial in the Goddess Girls series!
  • Pandora the Curious Pandora is one of the few mortals at Mount Olympus Academy—and probably the most curious of all the students in school.

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Book Blast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 4/21/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

To enter, click on the rafflecopter link below.

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Author Suzanne Williams

Suzanne Williams is the award-winning author of nearly 40 books for children, from picture books and easy readers to chapter books and middle grade fiction series. A former elementary school librarian, she lives near Seattle. Her picture book Library Lil (illustrated by Steven Kellogg) won the New Mexico children’s choice award in 2000 and was on several other state award lists. She is co-author (with Joan Holub) of the popular Goddess Girls series(for ages 8 – 12) and Heroes in Training (ages 6 – 11). Other series include Fairy Blossoms and Princess Power.

Author Joan Holub

I graduated from college in Texas with a fine arts degree, and then freelanced as an art director at a graphic design firm for eight years. I dreamed of working in children’s books, so I moved to New York City and became associate art director in Scholastic trade books, where I designed books for children and worked with editors and illustrators. It was a great job.

I illustrated my first published children’s book in 1992 and soon began illustrating full time. I began completing manuscripts and mailing them out to publishers in the early 1990s. In 1996, I sold my first two manuscripts — Boo Who? A Spooky Lift-the-Flap Book (Scholastic) and Pen Pals (Grosset & Dunlap). Yippee!

Now I write full time and have written and/or illustrated over 130 children’s books. Creating books that entertain, inform, and interest children (and me) is a fabulous job that I truly love.