Monthly Archives: March 2017

2 Book Reviews: Super Happy Party Bears: Gnawing Around & Super Happy Party Bears: Knock, Knock on Wood – by Marcie Colleen

Posted on March 16, 2017 | 2 comments

Book: Super Happy Party Bears: Gnawing Around
Author: Marcie Colleen
Illustrator: Steve James
Publisher: Imprint
Date: September 6, 2016
Genre: children's; chapter book for K-3; age 5-8
Pages: 144; paperback
Price: $5.99
My rating: nine chapters of fun reading for young readers

Super Happy Party Bears: Gnawing Around, written by Marcie Colleen, is book one of a chapter book series for young readers.

In Super Happy Party Bears: Gnawing Around we are introduced to the Super Happy Party Bears who live in their own Party Patch in Grumpy Woods. They love all their neighbours but the sentiment is not appreciated nor reciprocated. The bears find a way to party for anything at all, but no one else wants to join them. Why? Because everyone else is working at being grumpy.

Mayor Quill (a porcupine) takes it upon himself to settle the situation, which leads to another problem. He goes home to take a bath when it’s discovered the water is gone. I like Marcie Colleen’s use of humour; for example, when his assistant cautiously speaks to the mayor who’s sitting in shallow water in his bathtub, “”… I just wanted to let you know there seems to be a problem with the water. It is missing, sir.” “You don’t say,” responded Mayor Quill.”

It is soon discovered that the water problem was caused by an uninvited beaver family that recently moved into the neighbourhood. The Super Happy Party Bears are excited and want to have a party but no one else is thrilled. One thing leads to another and misunderstandings and funny situations abound.

Super Happy Party Bears: Gnawing Around is nine chapters of fun, laughs, and happiness trying to overcome grumpiness. Steve James has created great illustrations on every page which makes it even more enjoyable for the young reader.

You can find Super Happy Party Bears: Gnawing Around on my BUY THE BOOK page. I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Chapters.Indigo, and Goodreads.

Book: Super Happy Party Bears: Knock, Knock on Wood
Author: Marcie Colleen
Illustrator: Steve James
Publisher: Imprint
Date: September 6, 2016
Genre: children's; chapter book for K-3; age 5-8
Pages: 144; paperback
Price: $5.99
My rating: nine chapters of fun reading for young readers

Super Happy Party Bears: Knock, Knock on Wood, written by Marcie Colleen, is book two of a chapter book series for young readers.

In Super Happy Party Bears: Knock, Knock on Wood we are re-introduced to the Super Happy Party Bears who live in their own Party Patch in Grumpy Woods.

In this book we meet Wallace the Woodpecker who is enthusiastically noisy. That does not go over well in the Grumpy Woods, but the Super Happy Party Bears find a rhythm in his constant knocking on wood. Of course, that’s reason to have a dance party!

When it is discovered that Wallace doesn’t simply peck holes in things, he creates designs, the Super Happy Party Bears hire him to fix things. Wallace gets so immersed in being creative he is soon doing things that are not appreciated, such as making a sun roof in Opal Owl’s house. Opal screeches, “I’m NOCTURNAL! I like it dark!”

Wallace decides he should leave the Grumpy Woods, but the bears don’t want him to. Of course there are lots more misunderstandings and funny things that happen before a resolution is found.

Super Happy Party Bears: Knock, Knock on Wood is nine chapters of fun, laughs, and attempts at trying to be neighbourly. Steve James has created great illustrations on every page which makes it even more enjoyable for the young reader.

You can find Super Happy Party Bears: Knock, Knock on Wood on my BUY THE BOOK page. I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Chapters.Indigo, and Goodreads.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

2 Comments

Posted in Mostly About Reading, Reviews & Interviews

Tagged children's chapter book, humour in children's books, Knock on Wood, Marcie Colleen, Steve James illustrator, Super Happy Party Bears, Super Happy Party Bears: Gnawing Around, Super Happy Party Bears: Knock

Book Review: Tadeo Turtle – by Janis Cox

Posted on March 14, 2017 | 4 comments

Book: Tadeo Turtle
Author/Illustrator: Janis Cox
Publisher: Word Alive Press
Date: 2012
Genre: Children's picture book; ages 2-6
Pages: 24
Price: $12.25, paperback
My rating: A lovely book encouraging children to 
accept themselves

I won this book and agreed to write my honest review of it.

Tadeo Turtle by Janis Cox (Canadian author and retired school teacher) is an engaging story about a turtle not satisfied with how he was made. He didn’t know the Scripture (quoted at the beginning of the book) from Psalm 139:13-14 that can be applied, in part, to his situation – “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it.” – New Living Translation

Tadeo (pronounced TAD-ay-OH) was a cheerful little painted turtle who loved to play. One day he met a squirrel who could run up trees, and Tadeo became sad because he couldn’t do that. Tadeo wished he didn’t have a shell that he thought was a hindrance to him.

One night he dreamed that he was free of his shell so that he could run and climb, too. Tadeo was happy about that until a cat spied him and thought he was a rat. Poor Tadeo. He tried to hide among the rocks, and then found one that smelled like home. It was his shell that looked like a rock! It was then that Tadeo realized how safe he was inside his shell, just as God intended.

This is a fun story in rhyme. The rhyme doesn’t quite make the cut in some places, but it’s not enough to throw the reader out of the story. Janis Cox illustrated her story beautifully. I especially like the face of the cat, and the colours Janis chose throughout the story are very pleasing to the eye.

Isn’t this beautiful? I’m showing this image by permission of Janis Cox, the author/illustrator.

At the back of the book, the author included an activities section with instructions for children on how to make a paper plate turtle, a dough turtle, a rock turtle, and a felt board with pieces to make a turtle, rocks, and water. The author has not left her teaching experience behind as this book is a great tool in a classroom.

Janis Cox also included a research page with links to how to learn more about different turtles, and other interesting information. Tadeo Turtle is a book children will enjoy.

You can find Tadeo Turtle by Janis Cox on my BUY THE BOOK page. I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Chapters.Indigo, and Goodreads.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

4 Comments

Posted in Mostly About Reading, Reviews & Interviews

Tagged accepting oneself, Book review, Canadian author, children's picture book, God, Janis Cox author, nature, painted turtle, science, Tadeo Turtle

Video: Live and Let Die by 2Cellos & Lang Lang

Posted on March 12, 2017 | 2 comments

Today I don’t have anything “writerly” to share with you, but I do have a creative musical video for you to watch. Does that count? 🙂

You may remember I enjoy 2Cellos. This video is of 2Cellos and Lang Lang performing Live and Let Die. Amazing! I hope you enjoy it.

Have you ever had the delight of attending a concert of 2Cellos or Lang Lang?

Thanks for watching, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

2 Comments

Posted in Miscellanea

Tagged 2Cellos, Lang Lang, Live and Let Die music, Music, music video, piano, video

Update about writing & books; & remember: set your clocks ahead tonight!

Posted on March 11, 2017 | 4 comments

Today I realized that I should say something about the contests I entered recently.

My 50 word story, Magic Rainbows, for Vivian Kirkfield’s #50 Precious Words challenge, did not place. There were 251 entries; 40 were chosen.

You already know my 214 word story, Valentine’s Day Surprises, for Susanna Hill’s Valentiny contest, did not place. There were 117 entries; 10 were chosen as winners and 18 received honourable mention.

I like my stories and felt they had promise, so, I admit, I was quite disappointed they didn’t make the cut when it was hard to put them out there in the first place. Once I got past those gloomy feelings I paid attention to the positive comments and urges to work on my stories to develop them further. I am going to give that a try. There could be picture books hidden in there.

Right now I am involved in reading others’ stories (although I’m still writing) because Reading For Research Month is underway, and a book study (Writing Picture Books), both of which have required reading. I have been borrowing books from the library and keeping our lovely librarians busy. Look at the pile of books I have home right now, plus I have a smaller pile at Dad’s to bring home Sunday.

Isn’t that fabulous? 🙂 Including the ones not shown here I have 73 checked out, and 41 currently on hold to come to me when available. My list keeps growing in either direction because I keep asking for more books.

For the books I borrow I try to write a brief review on Goodreads where I again entered a reading challenge. I set my personal challenge at a total of 150 books to read, which I surpassed by one last year, and I know I can do it again this year with probably even more. Of course, most of them are picture books, but that’s my field of study right now. Picture books. And that’s what I most want to write. Picture books. So most of the books I borrow are … picture books. 🙂

On another note … For those of you who have to change your clocks (early Sunday morning) …

set your clocks ahead one hour tonight!

Do you use the library much? On that other note, do you have trouble adjusting to the time changing by one hour?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

4 Comments

Posted in Mostly About Reading, Preambles to Writing, Writing

Tagged 50 precious words writing challenge, library, picture books, reading, set your clocks ahead, Susanna Hill's Valentiny contest, writing challenge, writing contests

Book Review: I Thought This was a Bear Book – by Tara Lazar

Posted on March 9, 2017 | 4 comments

Book: I Thought This Was a Bear Book
Author: Tara Lazar
Illustrator: Benji Davies
Publisher: Aladdin
Date: August 2015
Genre: children's; picture book; pre-school - 2; age 4-7 yrs
Pages: 32; hardcover
Price: $17.99 (varies)
My rating: a fun, creative change-up of a familiar fairytale

Tara Lazar is a prolific children’s author with an imagination that is intriguing and humorous. I Thought This Was a Bear Book is her second of five books so far, with another one coming out this spring and one in 2018.

In I Thought This Was a Bear Book we meet the bear family – Papa, Mama, and Baby – out berry-picking. Overhead there is an alien spacecraft obviously in trouble and coming in for a landing. Only Baby seems to notice at first.

On those first two pages of the story the words are “Once upon a time there were three bears.” From then on those words are the only ones that are not conversation between the characters in the story, aside from onomatopoeia, such as WHOOSH and THUNK! Also, those two pages are illustrated by Benji Davies to look like the pages of an open book.

Look at what I mean; this is one page, not several.

Isn’t that neat? 🙂

Apparently, the alien somehow fell out of his book and landed in theirs! Such a conundrum. He was quite bewildered and when face-to-face with the bear family he was indignant at being called a martian. “I am Prince Zilch from Planet Zero!” he informed them. They set out to try to find a way to send him back to his own book in time for him to save the planet from giant planet-eating numbers. See what I mean about Tara’s amazing imagination? I would never have come up with an idea like that.

This story is quite funny with the prince saying zark, zoot, zinder when he is feeling overwhelmed. A tour bus stops for tourists to take pictures of the bears and the alien, while Prince Zilch and the bears are trying to find a way to get him back to page 27 in his book. Goldilocks even makes her appearance, much to the bears’ dismay.

There are many ideas they come up with, all the while Baby Bear is trying to get their attention so he can share his idea on how to help. Benji Davies‘ illustrations add so much to the story, some being really funny, and all bright and interesting. As you read you must pay attention to the extra activities going on in the story through the illustrations – just because it’s so much fun.

Tara even includes the reader in helping to solve the prince’s problem, making it an interactive book in that way. I Thought This Was a Bear Book is an entertaining read for which you might want to have a little extra time to enjoy and share with a young reader or pre-reader. There is so much entertainment in the story.

You can find I Thought This Was a Bear Book by Tara Lazar on my BUY THE BOOK page.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

4 Comments

Posted in Mostly About Reading, Reviews & Interviews

Tagged Alladin, Benji Davies illustrator, children's book, fairytale, funny picture book, I Thought This Was a Bear Book, Picture book, Tara Lazar, The Three Bears

Book Review: Without Proof – by Janet Sketchley

Posted on March 7, 2017 | 2 comments

Book: Without Proof: a Redemption's Edge novel
Author: Janet Sketchley
Publisher: Janet Sketchley
Genre: Christian suspense
Date: October 10, 2015
Pages: 308
Price: paperback, $12.99
My rating: a suspenseful story of hope

I won this book from the author and, very late, I’m posting my honest review.

Without Proof is book three of a trilogy by Canadian author Janet Sketchley. Even though it is the third in the series, the author gives enough information so that the first two books are not necessary for the reader to easily follow and enjoy the storyline. This novel can stand on its own. (I read and reviewed the first book, Heaven’s Prey, HERE, if you would like to check it out.) I haven’t read book two, Secrets and Lies, but would like to purchase it and find time to read it later.

In Without Proof a young woman, Amy, is recovering from serious injuries she suffered in a plane crash two years before. Her fiancé, Gilles, did not survive it, so she is left alone and grieving. Her fiancé’s Aunt Bay takes her in, and his best friend, Michael, helps out however he can. Michael also has an art business, so Amy helps manage it while struggling with her memories, physical pain, and emotions, including her growing feelings for Michael.

Janet Sketchley’s writing style is easy to read and enjoy. She pulls the reader right into the story, meaning that once into the story the reader doesn’t want to leave until the end. In this novel, there is suspense and enough going on to keep the reader interested in trying to figure out who is doing what to whom. Someone leads Amy to believe the plane was sabotaged, and in trying to find out the truth Amy places herself in danger. There are threats, break-ins, mysterious people, and enough drama to keep the pages turning in anticipation. And, of course, there are surprises – events that occur to keep up the level of suspense.

God is front and center in Aunt Bay’s life, and yet Amy isn’t sure how God fits in her own life or even if He does. Without Proof is written without profanity, is not preachy or “religious” – although there is a hopeful message – and is a story that leaves the reader satisfied. In the back of the book, there are even discussion questions that are great for a study group or a book club.

Without Proof was a finalist is the Word Awards (Suspense Category).

You can find Without Proof by Janet Sketchley on my BUY THE BOOK page.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

2 Comments

Posted in Mostly About Reading, Reviews & Interviews

Tagged Canadian author, God, hope, Janet Sketchley author, mystery, sabotage, suspense novel, WIthout Proof: a Redemption's Edge novel, Word Awards finalist

Short film: Post-It (R)

Posted on March 5, 2017 | 4 comments

I had posted a funny short film called Piper for you to watch this morning, and then it won an Academy award. Unfortunately, when my post went live this morning the film was no longer available. I apologize for that. In its place I’m posting another video which is called Post-It®. I hope you enjoy it.