I Wonder . . . Do You?

 

I Wonder

by Essea White

Illustrated by Lois Dahl

Recommended for ages 2 - 6

I wonder . . . if you love to use your imagination. I wonder . . . if you sometimes think silly things. I wonder . . . if considering new ideas leads you to more creative thinking. Here's a book that encourages young readers to giggle, grin, laugh, start reading, and imagine.

Such wonderful, lively animals populate this whole world of wonder. What if, you could giggle and tell your own story suggested from an idea? What fun to share your new ideas with people you're reading your book with. Now you're sharing ideas and fun. This book doubles as both a picture book and a first reader too.

The talented author has suggested such delightful scenarios that truly appeal to the young, and the young at heart. The gifted illustrator matches wits, delivering such clever and eye-popping pictures with amazing detail. Each time you look through this book you'll notice new features that add to the joy of the story telling. Beyond the visual, these illustrations suggest the other senses as well, including the sounds of nature, the smells, the touch of objects animals are handling, even the taste of some of the foods.

This book is made for sharing but is also engaging for children to busily look through over and over again on their own.

Author Essea White has a passion for writing, photography, puppetry and birding. I Wonder is her debut children's book. “We each carry memories, special moments with children that leave deep impressions. The ones I carry are often related to my children's creativity, thoughts, joys and perspectives at various ages. I write books that touch a child's imagination and at the same time create conversations with the adults in their lives.'

Illustrator Lois Dahl discovered early the exhilaration of the creative process with the encouragement of her mother and an elementary school teacher. She is a signature member of the Northwest Watercolor Society.

Animal Potluck - Rhymes, Pictures, and Fun

 

Animal Potluck

Board Book/Picture Book

by Brandi & Mike Konopinski

Illustrated by Kelly Kincaid

Recommended for ages 1 year and up

The animals are having a party. It promises to be a delightful gathering of friends. The animal kingdom echoes with excitement as each animal decides what they will bring to the potluck to share with everyone. This story shows with catchy rhyming the fun of sharing, and the happiness when friends are together. Beautiful pictures feature each of the different animals along with foods so readers can learn what they are.

Invitations are sent by snail mail to a wild variety of guests. Those invited include bear, bunny, mice, duck, parrot, poodles, bees and more. They each put some thought into what they choose to share at the potluck, because they want to bring something special they believe their friends will enjoy. After all they all receive their mail and decide what to bring, there is great anticipation as the date of the party approaches.

As a sturdy, board book, this story adds a tactile dimension for small hands that like to explore. The bright color illustrations by Kelly Kincaid are pure entertainment too. The pictures alone tell the story and are so expressive of emotions. You can see on the animals' faces their excitement, joy, and satisfaction once their tummies are full. The rhyming text of the animals' adventure brings great enthusiasm in the reader, and begs to be read out loud. The poetry leaps off the page.

Animal Potluck is a treat cooked up by husband and wife authors to share with the youngster in your family, or give as a gift. Brandi and Mike Konopinski are avid readers who enjoy a great plot and fun character connections. They've always enjoyed reading for fun and education, but after their son was born in 2014 they fell in love with children's literature. They invite you to watch a child's face as they follow along with illustrations, laugh with dialogue, and memorize their favorite parts. Read it again! The authors remind us all that books can open entire worlds of imagination to children, and they want to be part of that journey.

Illustrator Kelly Kincaid is a local Seattle artist, cartoonist, and author. She provides individuals and businesses with illustration and creative design solutions. Come join the Animal Potluck.

Buck Academy Fun

 

Buck Making Cents

Baby Buck How Much Am I

by Dustin Goss

Illustrated by Febyolla Goss

Recommended for ages Toddlers to 10

Here's a great starting point for learning all about money. The Buck Academy takes readers on a fun journey to learn about the value of our friend Buck, and his friends Coins. You'll learn so much about the value, the history, and the artistry. These books show the benefits of using money wisely to make a more playful and fun life.

Not only is there lots of great information about the money, there's questions and games on the pages for you to test your own knowledge as you read along. The illustrations on every page are amazing. The Coins show off their brightest shines. Even the youngest reader can see and even feel what makes money.

The Buck Academy is committed to education about the smart use of money, with some history thrown in. They teach about savings goals, from piggy banks to first teen job, smart spending, money management, and smart gifting. Readers learn to be intentional about their money and their spending habits. Here's a fun resource for filling in a gap in education.

These books and others are available from Buck Academy. You can visit their resourceful site at buckacademy.org which is filled with even more information for young kids, teens, their parents and other adults in their lives. The inspiration for this husband and wife team to create this online academy came when they wanted to teach their young son about money. Surprised at the lack of children's learning tools on the topic, they created their own.

As author Dustin Goss said, “Like it or not, money is at the center of modern lifestyles. How many of us wish we had been smarter with finances starting at a young age? All of us! We want our children to be a little wiser and have less financial stress in their lives. BUCK has been created to make money approachable and foster appreciation of saving for the future.”

The Antidote Is A Breathtaking Adventure

 

The Antidote

by Susan McCormick

Recommended for Middle Grade & Older

This adventure book is further proof of how fun STEM information can be, and how important to have that knowledge when you wage battle against an evil paranormal being. Alex discovers that he's different than the other kids at school. He has powers that he doesn't completely understand. One thing appears certain, he has a growing sense of imminent danger, and it's a threat greater than Alex or those around him have ever known. These are scientific ills the world hasn't seen in some time. What Alex faces threatens the world's population. Will The Antidote deliver what it promises? Can Alex use his knowledge and savvy instincts to stop this dark force in time, or will evil win?

Alex can literally see the ills of the people of the world. He sees sickness. He is the son and grandson and great grandson of doctors who have taught him a lot about good health and about the science of sickness, disease, and injury. Sometimes this puts him in a position to save lives. Sometimes he cannot. He watches people face everyday decisions that affect their health. Alex's unwelcome power compels him to see the sad, stealthy sickness within a person, in all its horrifying despair.

Sometimes friendship and love arrive at the most unexpected times and in the most unexpected shapes, like a four pawed, wet nosed, tail wagging, dear dog. Just about at that time a mysterious girl strikes up a friendship with Alex. In the meantime, he is meeting other fascinating characters at school and around the town, including a stranger with the darkest, evil within. It's beyond imagination. The creator of disease of global proportion. He must be stopped, somehow. Alex investigates and finds out his own family has kept a deep and ancient secret from him. When they tell all, it changes his life.

With her unique perspective as a doctor, mother, and author, Susan McCormick combines her knowledge of medicine and her storytelling skills to craft a one-of-a-kind adventure about disease, darkness, and deception. Can Alex use The Antidote for good? Will it overcome an ancient being determined to destroy life on this planet? The tension and the adventure are ongoing throughout, building to a breathtaking confrontation between good and evil that is more than worthy of a final battle to save the world's population from annihilation. Readers won't be able to put this down.

Amira's Picture Day Turns Perfectly Delightful

 

Amira's Picture Day

by Reem Faruqi

Illustrated by Fahmida Azim

Recommended for ages 4 - 8

Have you ever wanted to be in two places at the same time? Amira thinks that she's caught between celebrating a beloved holiday, or joining her classmates for class picture day at school. She doesn't want to miss being in Ms. Bailey's class' picture, but how could she ever miss the joy and tradition of Eid. Is there a way Amira can do both?

From this delightful young readers' story, it's noted that Muslims celebrate Eid two times a year. The first Eid of the year is known as Eid al-Fitr. It occurs at the end of the month of Ramadan, the month in which Muslims fast from before sunrise to sunset. The second Eid of the year is called Eid al-Adha. It celebrates the completion of the Hajj pilgrimage. Although only pilgrims in Makkah participate in Hajj, Muslims around the world join them in celebrating Eid al-Adha.

Amira is in a dilemma. She's so excited to celebrate Eid. She shares in her story all the fun traditions and the warm joys of getting together with friends and family for the events at the mosjid, the mosque or place of worship. As much as she likes school and her friends there, it's fun to have a special holiday away for a day. But Amira will also miss her friends at school for this very special day when they all take a picture together that they'll treasure for years to come. Can she find a way to participate in both? Maybe she can even find a way to share a part of her Eid joy with her classmates.

Amira's Picture Day is a story that shows a happy family that is exciting to learn more about. It's always fun to meet new people and learn about them, whether in books or in person. Through Amira you'll also get to meet her friends too.

The author brings these families to life in a way that jumps off the page. It's such a great mix of storytelling that's intermingled information of true life. Working together in telling the story are vivid, colorful, and memorable illustrations. Young readers will certainly enjoy these attention-getting pictures on every page that capture details and tone and the heart of the text.

Award winning author Reem Faruqi enjoys writing lyrical stories that reflect her own experiences. She has taught second grade, and her favorite time was Read Aloud Time. She also enjoys reading with her daughters at home. She moved to Georgia from Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates when she was thirteen years old. You can see her photoblog at www.reemfaruqi.com.

Fahmida Azim is an illustrator and storyteller. She and her art have been seen in The New York Times, NPR, Glamour, and more. She has illustrated a number of books including her own Muslim Women Are Everything. She enjoys drawing real people living extraordinary lives and fictional people living beautifully ordinary lives. Originally from Bangladesh, Fahmida now lives and creates in Seattle, Washington.

Daisy Delights!

 

Daisy

by Jessixa Bagley

Recommended for ages 4 - 8

Wouldn't it be lovely to be named after a pretty flower? Dear little Daisy is named after her mother's favorite flower. She's sad when she starts school and discovers that some of the other students don't like her name, and even laugh at her. That makes her feel sad. Then she wants to go find things that make her feel happier.

When Daisy takes the time to look around her, she's surprised to find so much beauty in the world. She begins to collect some of the delightful things discarded by others who never took the time to appreciate their hidden value.

Daisy begins a fun collection of misfit items that make her happy. Then there's a mystery. Someone begins to leave her little gifts to add to her items, and to her enjoyment. Who could that be? Does someone else like to play this way? Does someone else know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder? Could this be a friend? Daisy is excited to find out.

The characters in this story are the cutest little woodland creatures who all attend school together. The raccoon, the bunny, the fox, the bear, and so on are shown in such clever illustrations. The setting is their community of forest land and flower fields. The pictures are captivating. The story is sweet and written for early readers to enjoy reading themselves, or to be read together with others.

Award winning author and illustrator Jessixa Bagley grew up in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon, dreaming of becoming a cartoonist and picture book author. Her love of picture books has been a constant goal through her life. Today, among her other accomplishments, she has a wonderful array of picture books. Learn more about the author at her website jessixa.com

Planet Ocean - To Read, View, and Experience

 

Planet Ocean
by Patricia Newman
Photography by Annie Crawley
Recommended Grades 4 - 8 & older

Here's a fun, fact filled, fascinating book that fully immerses you in waves and waves of information about oceans and the people who depend on them and love them, like you. This is your invitation to plunge into the unique experience of Planet Ocean. Get ready for a collection of stories that center around three specific areas: the Coral Triangle, Salish Sea, and the Arctic. Yes, the Salish Sea right in our backyard. The stories are read in the book text, shown in stunning photos, and shared in dynamic QR bar coded videos that are so easily accessible.

The writing captures exciting facts about how oceans sustain life and fill our souls with inspiration and creativity. This book includes motivating stories of action people are taking, especially young people, and how they're making a difference in saving our planet. Our planet is more than 70 percent ocean, why are we calling it Planet Earth when it's Planet Ocean?

The photography is breathtaking. These photos provide an added dimension to viewing the beauty of the ocean, and the plants and creatures in it. They also record the damage that's been done to the ocean, accompanied by very helpful text that explains the science behind what's happening. It's written to be well understood, very straightforward, helpful information.

And what an added bonus. Diver Annie Crawley invites readers along with her on diving adventures, through videos readers can easily access with the bar codes on the book pages. These videos are incredible opportunities to travel through the wonders of the Coral Triangle, the Salish Sea, and the Arctic, with narration by the diver herself. Have you ever seen the Edmonds Underwater Park from underwater? One of these videos will take you there.

People are the problem for our ocean, but we are also the solution. We can all learn. Actions that young people are taking now are showcased in this book, demonstrating how they are making a difference in the fight to preserve the ocean and its plants and animals. The book also includes ideas for what we all can do, and encourages the readers to each think about their own unique talents and interests and decide what they will do. The more we all learn, the better we understand. This book/photo/video resource makes that learning fun and exciting.

Award winning Author Patricia Newman's books empower young readers to act, because as she has seen, small actions make ripples around the world. She has written a large number of non-fiction and fiction children's books. Find out more about this energetic author at her website patriciamnewman.com

Award winning producer, underwater photographer, author, and motivational speaker, Annie Crawley, founded Dive Into Your Imagination creating a
series of Books, eBooks, DVDs, lesson plans, prints, posters, cartoon characters and more products to entertain, educate, and awe you about life within our ocean. She is a member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame. Traveling as a scuba diving instructor around the world with a camera in hand, she shares the ocean with you. Find out more about her at her website anniecrawley.com

Patricia Newman and Annie Crawley have been friends for a long time. They like working on books together. They are a great example of what wonderful things friends can do together.