Guest post from Sharon C. Williams, author of 'Jasper the Amazon Parrot'

Hello readers! We hope you're staying healthy and sane during these crazy times. If not, pick up a book. It usually helps. (:

Today, we have a guest post from author Sharon C. Williams. She's here to talk about what it's like living with the main character of her book (hint: he's a parrot).

I live with my main character: The ride of a lifetime

Compared to the writers in my area, I come to the writing game late in life. I only started to write when my husband told a family friend that he felt I wrote well. She passed that on to me. I mulled that over for a few months.

Having two surgeries coming up soon I knew I would have a lot of down time. So, I looked around my house for ideas on something I could write about. Something that I could write a book around.

My eyes landed on Jasper, our Yellow Cheek Amazon parrot.  We rescued and adopted him in 1999 at the age of five. This was just a year after I started to rescue birds of any kind. At that point he had been with us for 10 years. 

Wanting to learn as much as possible about him, I started to research his home and what he would see. I wanted to better understand this amazing animal who was now with us. What I came across was the issues that plague this region. The more research I did the more I got a better understanding of what he could lose if he was still there.

That got me thinking. It lead me to want to write a book that was educational and entertaining for this age group. A book that would make them appreciate, learn and perhaps become advocates of the animals and what they face. Being an avid reader, since forever it seems, I was fortunate to come across books by wonderful authors who made my love for reading just grow. If I could accomplish that for children I would be very happy.

Inspired to try my hand at a children’s book for any future grandchildren, I made the leap and started with volume one to my Jasper, Amazon parrot series.

I had an advantage from the start. Being around Jasper as long as I have, and at this point it is 21 years, we have seen how intelligent and adaptable he is. But not only that, his ability to learn and grow is remarkable. I would not have known this prior to rescuing him. Also, I could not have possibly imagined how to write it.

Fortunately, inside my series are scenes that have actually played out with us. One certain situation in one volume has ants on Jasper. He has to figure out how to get rid of them without getting bit.

One day an ant crawled onto Jasper’s beak. First, he called for help. Then, he tried to figure it out. Watching him go through that gave me the perfect way to describe it to the tee.

Another example is how Jasper is around my other birds. While he is not a fan of some of them, if anyone or anything tries to mess with them he is all into your business. His mannerisms, time and time again, have given me insight into writing how Jasper takes care of his brother Willie in the series.

It’s little things like this that make this series special. I have actual insight into his mood and how he works things out. All I have to do is observe and pay attention. 

Living with my main character is a joy. Not many people can say this. It has given me an invaluable information that I could not possibly understand or view if he was not right by my side. 

It is only fitting that my book and series is wrapped around him. I could not ask for a better companion to help me write my books.

Want to learn more about Jasper the Amazon Parrot? 

Get the book on Amazon!

Listen to it on Audible! or iTunes!

Lastly, check out the author's website.

Happy reading,

Erin & Anna

Grandpas are magic: B.C.R. Fegan's Don't Drink the Pink

Title: Don't Drink the Pink

Author: B.C.R. Fegan

Illustrator: Lenny Wen

Buy on Amazon

Review:

As soon as I opened this book to the first illustration—of an empty inventor’s workshop giving off strong steampunk vibes—I knew it was exactly my kind of children’s picture book.

As I flipped through the next couple pages, my suspicions were confirmed. Early 1900s costumes? An adorable little girl with billowy dark hair? I could eat this book for dessert.

But before I get carried away and start requesting an edition of Little Women illustrated by Lenny Wen, I should get back to, you know, B.C.R. Fegan’s actual story.

Every year on her birthday, Grandpa Gilderberry brings Madeline a box of brightly colored potions. “Happy birthday, Madeline,” he says. “Take a potion, take a brew. Just don’t drink the pink.”

Dutifully, Madeline picks a different color (never pink) every time. And when she does, marvelous things happen.

She breathes fire, turns invisible, runs faster than a train, and creates money with her bare hands. (That last trick wins Grandpa Gilderberry big points with Madeline’s father, I suspect.)

But a month before her 15th birthday, Madeline’s grandpa dies. Heartbroken, she goes to his workshop on her birthday and cries. When she lifts her head, Madeline sees a single pink bottle behind a note that reads: “Happy birthday.”

Clearly, it’s time to drink the pink.

While the story may feel a bit repetitive, it’s wonderfully charming and imaginative. And though after a few pages, the book’s pattern is established, there’s still an element of surprise as we wonder which potion Madeline will choose this time and what will happen when she does.

Of course, below the surface level story is a message about grandfathers and the curious delight they bring their granddaughters. I found myself thinking about my grandpa who passed away a few years ago and how, like Grandpa Gilderberry, he was always surprising and delighting his grandchildren and gifting them with strength, power, and perhaps best of all, memories.

I’ll admit that, while I found the ending beautiful and quite moving, it left me with a few questions. This could be because I’ve watched too much Doctor Who and am taking this simple children’s picture book to complicated places where it doesn’t need to go. (Time loop?)

But whatever my questions, I heartily approve of B.C.R. Fegan’s Don’t Drink the Pink, its whimsical illustrations, and its story about a grandfather with an infinite capacity for giving. Drink the pink, Madeline.

Until tomorrow.

When the alphabet goes rogue: Review of B.C.R. Fegan's 'The Day that A Ran Away'

Title: The Day that A Ran Away

Author: B.C.R. Fegan

Illustrator: Lenny Wen

Buy on Amazon

After their adorable Henry and the Hidden Treasure, author and illustrator B.C.R. Fegan and Lenny Wen are at it again--serving up an imaginative, quirky little adventure sure to delight both children and parents. It delighted me, and I'm a fully functioning adult (maybe).

On the story's first page, young Jet faces a common dilemma: he hasn't completed his homework assignment. 

Or wait--he has! But no sooner had he finished writing out the alphabet in his school notebook then (gasp) the letter A ran away!

From there we launch into Jet's high-flown (and fully rhyming, naturally) explanation of what happened to all the letters he wrote down in his notebook. One can only imagine his teacher, Mrs. May, listening with increasing incredulity, but Jet, not one to be deterred, gets through the whole alphabet before Mrs. May gives her verdict.

I got about halfway through this delightful picture book before I realized that each page features a number of objects starting with that particular letter. Also, each letter resembles something that starts with it, so to give you an idea: V is a volcano, K is a king, and M is an adorable furry monster. Then, of course, I had to start over from the beginning and find all the Easter eggs on each page. 

As a kid, I loved books like that (and apparently I still do), so I can only imagine how much fun younger readers will have searching for all the hidden objects on each page--and I'm sure they'll laugh at the whimsical appearances of Jet's rogue letters.

I'll let you find out for yourself whether or not Jet's incredible story wins points with Mrs. May, but this simple, quirky story definitely won points with me. If Jet can just manage to keep his letters on the page for once, I think he's got a promising future as a writer.




Until tomorrow.

Henry and the Hidden Treasure by B.C.R. Fegan

Title: Henry and the Hidden Treasure

Author: B.C.R. Fegan

Illustrator: Lenny Wen

"Henry has a lot of treasure and he keeps it very well hidden."

So well hidden, in fact, that there's no way in heck anyone is getting to that treasure. 'Cause Henry's got a slew of incredibly strong, incredibly scary creatures guarding it, including but not limited to a fire-breathing dragon, gigantic robot, several superheros, and a giant and ferocious pink pig. (I don't know about you, but that pig looks more ferocious than the superheros, dragon, and robot combined). 

Not content to leave it to these guys, Henry has also hidden his treasure in the darkest part of a secret cave and surrounded it with booby traps. If some brave soul succeeds in making it past all of Henry's defenses, they'll still have to get past Henry himself: a swashbuckling kid with a powerful laser gun that's almost as big as his imagination (but not quite).

But, against all odds, it looks like Henry's little sister Lucy (secretly a ninja) may have found a way to break through all of Henry's defenses and reach his secret treasure!

On second thought, it looks like Lucy's not interested in Henry's treasure at all. In fact, she may have something much more drastic in mind....

Henry and the Hidden Treasure is a charming story told with creativity and heart. I loved Henry's wild imagination and all his painstaking precautions in guarding his treasure. The various layers of security (monstrous guards, a huge maze, booby traps, etc.) are sure to appeal to kids with big imaginations. 

Likewise, the sweetness (literally and figuratively) of the story's ending will hit home for brothers and sisters (or maybe mostly just for parents who wish their kids got along a little better). 

To top it all off, Lenny Wen's delightful, fun illustrations complement the story beautifully: seamlessly mingling the world of Henry's imagination with the "real" world and things as they actually are (a.k.a., the secret cave is his bedroom). 

All in all, this is a delightful little story sure to make you grin, awake your imagination, and finally make you go "awwww" because it's just so darn cute.

Until tomorrow.

Martha the Blue Sheep by Gabrielle Yetter

Title: Martha the Blue Sheep

Author: Gabrielle Yetter

Illustrator:  Daro Sam

Design: Monnyreak Ket

You might remember an adorable little children's book I reviewed last December for this blog, called Ogden, the Fish Who Couldn't Swim Straight. Well, Gabrielle Yetter, the author of Ogden, is at it again: this time with a book about a little blue sheep named Martha.

Martha is a shy young sheep who doesn't like to be the center of attention. So imagine her dismay when a tragic accident with some cans of paint turns her wool completely blue! All her attempts to wash the color out and return her wool to its natural white fail; it looks like Martha is stuck living in a bright shade of blue forever.

But just when it seems like Martha's life may be totally ruined, something happens that changes her whole outlook - and maybe even the way she feels about her blue coat.

While I'm not a blue sheep, I sympathize with Martha on many levels. For one thing, I'm pretty sure most of us know how it feels to make an incredibly stupid mistake like tripping over a can of blue paint. It literally takes two seconds to make the stupid mistake, but then it feels like you're stuck with the results for eternity. And I bet most of us have also had times, like Martha, when we've just wanted to hide under a bush and wait for darkness.

Luckily, Martha is a hopeful, inspiring children's book destined to help readers of all ages find the silver lining in their personal cloud. Complemented by Daro Sam's sweet, lively illustrations, Martha the Blue Sheep is a timely story about diversity, kindness, and standing out in a good way. Most of all, it's a much needed reminder that sometimes, what makes us blue may be just the thing that makes us special.




Until tomorrow.

The Grumpface by BCR Fegan

Author: BCR Fegan
Illustrator: Daniela Frongia
Publication Date: May 1 2017
Publishing Company: TaleBlade
Number of Pages: 32
Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes
Title: The Grumpface

What Goodreads has to say:

The Grumpface is a poetic fairy-tale that tells the story of Dan, an inventor who ventures into a forest looking for a rose. Instead he finds the mysterious Grumpface who threatens to hold him captive unless he passes some difficult challenges. What follows is a humorous adventure that neither Dan nor the Grumpface could have anticipated.

The Grumpface is a tale in the spirit of any grand adventure. It is about a clumsy young inventor's quest for love and the challenges he must face to find it. It is also a tale of bravery, absurdity and happiness, and the power of these qualities over negativity and sheer grumpiness.

Every parent will be acquainted with their own little 'grumpface' now and then. This story stands as a small piece of hope - that no matter how ingrained the grump, there will always remain in every one of us a smile or a laugh just waiting to come out.

What I have to say:

We've all had those days where it seems like we can't do anything right. At least, I've had them, and I'm guessing you have too. In the picture book The Grumpface, Dan is having one of those days. Actually, he's always having one of those days. Dan is an inventor, but he just can't seem to get any of his inventions to work. He also can't work up the courage to talk to Bella, the beautiful girl he sees selling flowers every day outside his window.

When Dan gets captured by the Grumpface - a cranky creature who will only release Dan if he can achieve one out of three tasks - it seems like Dan is destined to remain a prisoner forever. Because how could he possibly succeed at the Grumpface's impossible tasks when he can't do anything right ever?

What Dan doesn't realize is that sometimes getting it wrong is even better than getting it right.

The Grumpface is a fun little story, in the vein of Dr. Seuss, about a hapless young inventor and an old grump under a curse. The illustrations are fun, the story is whimsical, and the ending is a bit of a surprise. 

I'm guessing we've also all had days when we're more like the Grumpface (or maybe days when we start out as Dan and end up as the Grumpface).

Whether you're a well-meaning optimist whose ventures keep failing, or a hardened pessimist who just can't shake that layer of grumpiness, The Grumpface is a story for you.

Rating:

Until tomorrow.

Ogden, The Fish Who Couldn't Swim Straight

Title: Ogden, The Fish Who Couldn't Swim Straight

Author: Gabrielle Yetter

Illustrator:  Daro Sam

Design: Monnyreak Ket

Pages: 36

Recommended for children aged 2 to 8

While Anna and I have reviewed plenty of graphic novels on this blog, we've never reviewed a picture book before. But when the author of the picture book Ogden, The Fish Who Couldn't Swim Straight asked me if I'd be interested in doing a review, the book looked so delightful that I couldn't say no. 

Ogden is a contented little fish who lives in a plastic bag at the fair and swims in circles all day long. When he accidentally gets dropped in the river, Ogden's world is in complete upheaval. He doesn't know how to do anything but swim in circles all day long, so that's what he does.

Eventually, a friendly eel tries to get Ogden to swim outside of his comfort zone. Though poor Ogden is terrified, he decides to take a risk, and when he does he discovers a glorious new world that he never knew existed.

Ogden, The Fish Who Couldn't Swim Straight is a charming little story sure to bring a smile to the face of everyone who reads it - no matter their age: I was literally smiling the whole time I read it. The story's colorful, bright illustrations perfectly balance its sweet, playful tone and uplifting ending. Best of all, parents can use Ogden's story as a starting point to talk to their children about having the courage to step outside their own comfort zones. 

Overall, Ogden, The Fish Who Couldn't Swim Straight is a delightful read with an important message sure to inspire readers of all ages.

Until tomorrow.