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Seasons of Joy: Every Day Is for Outdoor Play by Claudia Marie Lenart

June 28, 2017 by

I had the pleasure of working with Claudia Marie Lenart to edit her children’s poetry book, Seasons of Joy: Every Day is for Outdoor Play, which was published by Loving Healing Press in April 2017.

Her needle-felted wool paintings are incredibly detailed and depict children at play in all kinds of weather.  Multi-cultural and joyous, these children become life-like characters that children will want to see and touch.  Each poem calls to mind the carefree days of childhood.  The games played and the imaginations running wild as the children romp and play with bunnies, birds, and in trees.

These pages are full of bright colors and fun games that kids can take with them into their own communities and neighborhoods.  Not only do the poems show children enjoying the company of others who look different from themselves, but it also shows how much fun sharing can be.

Pick up a copy and share with your kids, grandkids, and others in the community.  Get out there and play.

Filed Under: announcements, children's fiction, poetry, Read in 2017 Tagged With: , ,

Mailbox Monday #424

April 24, 2017 by

Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia at To Be Continued, formerly The Printed Page, has a permanent home at its own blog.

To check out what everyone has received over the last week, visit the blog and check out the links. Leave yours too.

Also, each week, Leslie, Martha, and I will share the Books that Caught Our Eye from everyone’s weekly links.

Here’s what I received:

National Geographic Kids: 125 Pet Rescues for review.

This is a collection of hilarious and heartwarming stories of dogs, cats, and all types of pets given a second chance, and the human animal lovers who rescued them.

From the dog who saved her owner from a fire, to the cat that plays the piano, to the cow that thinks it’s a dog, discover incredible stories of animals in need who went on to become beloved pets.

These uplifting tales are paired with amazing photos and loads of animal facts. Kids learn all about how to be kind to our animals friends and the importance of being a responsible pet owner. There’s tons of furry, fluffy, feathery fun on every page, including tips on how to help save animals in need!

Cat Tales: True Stories of Kindness and Companionship with Kitties by Aline Alexander Newman with a foreword by Mieshelle Nagelschneider for review.

We humans love our cats and these surprising true stories will prove our cats love us back! This collection of tales of playfulness, friendship, heroism, and inspiration is sure to touch the soul, tickle the funny bone, and inspire animal lovers everywhere to be the best kitty caretakers and companions they can be. There’s Bambi, whose owners taught her to respond to commands in American Sign Language; Millie, who loves exploring the outdoors and goes rock climbing with her owner; Leo, a rescued lion who changed the life of one South African family forever, and more.

Seasons of Joy: Every Day Is for Outdoor Play by Claudia Marie Lenart, a kids poetry book that I edited.

The pure and simple delight of children playing outside is captured in needle-felted wool paintings created by Claudia Marie Lenart in Seasons of Joy: Everyday is for Outdoor Play. The picture book pairs dreamy images of multi-cultural children, animals, flowers and trees with verse that expresses the joy young children experience in nature’s seasons. Children can see themselves in the diverse characters and can be inspired to spend more time playing outdoors and connecting to nature.

Illusion of an Overwhelm by John Amen for review from the poet.

Poetry. John Amen’s ILLUSION OF AN OVERWHELM offers four distinct series: Hallelujah Anima, in which the poet explores desire, self- inquiry, and ambivalence, as well as the torturous journey of inner healing; The American Myths, highlighting the intersections between politics, religion, and archetypal dynamics, inspired in part by Black Lives Matter and other progressive forms of populism; My Gallery Days, which focuses on multiple characters and overlapping narratives, offering poetic commentaries on art and the fleeting nature of life; and Portrait of Us, the poet’s celebration of enduring love and romance, presented from multiple viewpoints and timeframes. While covering wide ground thematically and imagistically, Amen makes use of searing language, the book resounding on conceptual and aesthetic levels long after the final line is read.

What did you receive?

Filed Under: mailbox monday, meme Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Jenny & Her Dog Both Fight Cancer by Jewel Kats, illustrated by Claudia Marie Lenart

June 30, 2016 by

Source: Claudia Marie Lenart
Paperback, 38 pgs.
I am an Amazon Affiliate

Jenny & Her Dog Both Fight Cancer by Jewel Kats, illustrated by Claudia Marie Lenart, may not have the happiest of endings, but the story is about compassion, strength, and comfort.  Dolly and Jenny share a bond as strong as the bond she has with her parents.  When her dog is diagnosed with cancer, just as she is, they embark on a difficult journey together.  Through comfort and support, each holds the other up.

Kats’ stories are always about lifting the spirits of those in need; children facing cancer and chemotherapy need strength from others when theirs begins to flag.  She understands this need and the strength that each of us has inside, even as children.  Lenart’s fabric dolls provide a soft background to the story and ensure that young readers are not downcast too much by the heartbreak that is sure to follow.

Jenny & Her Dog Both Fight Cancer by Jewel Kats, illustrated by Claudia Marie Lenart, demonstrates the compassionate person Kats was in real life and her dedication to helping others reach their full potential, whether they are sick, disabled, or just having a bad day.  The world will sorely miss this shining light.

***

Jewel Kats, who inspired the Archie comic book character Harper Lodge and dedicated her life to helping those with disabilities, passed away in January.  In a recent article, her publisher Victor Volkman said, “Even reading the manuscripts could bring tears to my eyes — the sheer pluck of the hero or heroine and nobility of spirit, starting from a situation where most of us would just give up.  One of Jewel’s core beliefs is that all girls can be a princess. Why not? It doesn’t matter what shape you are, what you can or can’t do, what color your skin is or how well you speak. Every girl was a princess in her eyes.”

RATING: Quatrain

****If this story touches you, please consider making a donation in Jewel Kats’ honor at Sick Kids.****

Other Books by This Author Reviewed Here:

About the Author:

Once a teen runaway, Jewel Kats is now a two-time Mom’s Choice Award winner. For six years, Jewel penned a syndicated teen advice column for Scripps Howard News Service (USA) and The Halifax Chronicle Herald. She gained this position through The Young People’s Press. She’s won $20,000 in scholarships from Global Television Network, and women’s book publisher: Harlequin Enterprises. Jewel also interned in the TV studio of Entertainment Tonight Canada. Her books have been featured in Ability Magazine (USA) twice. She’s authored eight books-five are about disabilities. The Museum of disABILITY History celebrated her work with a two-day event. Jewel has appeared as an international magazine cover story four times! Recently, her work was featured in an in-depth article published in “The Toronto Star”. Jewel’s work has also appeared as an evening news segment on WKBW-TV and on the pages of “The Buffalo News”.

Filed Under: challenges, children's fiction, Read in 2016, review copy, reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Mailbox Monday #377

May 29, 2016 by

Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia at To Be Continued, formerly The Printed Page, has a permanent home at its own blog.

To check out what everyone has received over the last week, visit the blog and check out the links.  Leave yours too.

Also, each week, Leslie, Vicki, and I will share the Books that Caught Our Eye from everyone’s weekly links.

Here’s what I received:

Jenny & Her Dog Both Fight Cancer by Jewel Kats, illustrated by Claudia Marie Lenart for review.

Jenny, a young girl undergoing treatment for cancer, discovers that her best friend, Dolly, also has cancer. Dolly is the family’s dog, who has always been at Jenny’s side through trying times, and Jenny vows to support Dolly as well. This bittersweet tale is a story of mutual devotion and loyalty. While the prognosis is not good for dogs with cancer, Dolly’s love provides enduring hope and support for Jenny on her healing journey.

Love & Friendship: In Which Jane Austen’s Lady Susan Vernon Is Entirely Vindicated by Whit Stillman for review.

Jane Austen’s funniest novel is also her least known-until now. A sharp comedy of manners set in the 1790s, LOVE & FRIENDSHIP centers on Lady Susan Vernon: impossibly beautiful, charming, witty, and completely self-absorbed. Recently widowed, Lady Susan arrives, unannounced, at her brother-in-law’s estate to wait out colorful rumors about her dalliances circulating through polite society. While there, she becomes determined to secure a new husband for herself, and one for her reluctant debutante daughter, Frederica, too. As Lady Susan embarks on a controversial relationship with a married man, seduction, deception, broken hearts, and gossip all ensue. With a pitch-perfect Austenian sensibility, Stillman breathes new life into Austen’s work, making it his own by adding original narration from a character comically loyal to the story’s fiendishly manipulative heroine, Lady Susan.

What did you receive?

Filed Under: mailbox monday, meme Tagged With: , , , , ,

Hansel & Gretel: A Fairy Tale With a Down Syndrome Twist by Jewel Kats, illustrated by Claudia Marie Lenart

February 18, 2015 by

Source: Loving Healing Press Inc.
Hardcover, 44 pgs
I am an Amazon Affiliate

Hansel & Gretel: A Fairy Tale With a Down Syndrome Twist by Jewel Kats, illustrated by Claudia Marie Lenart, is a revised Grimm fairy tale in which Hansel has Down’s Syndrome.  Like most families with a disabled child, there is one parent that is overly protective and another who is eager to let the child explore their abilities and take on more responsibility.  The mother is the protective parent here, as many would expect, and the father is willing to allow his son some freedom from parental supervision, at least on an outing with his sister, Gretel.  Like the pastel image of the cover, each picture is depicted with a similar softness.

In this dark tale, Hansel is made fun of by the witch and her toad, but he’s smarter than they expect.  He grabs her broom so she cannot fly away, and she has little choice but to hear out his demands.  In this twisted tale, the witch learns that there are some things she has not experienced in her long life.  The family is surprised by Hansel’s resourcefulness and the witch is surprised by his kindness.

Kats has created a tale that touches upon the prejudices inside and outside the family home of the disabled and seeks to teach children that opportunities are endless no matter what challenges they face.  Moreover, Hansel & Gretel: A Fairy Tale With a Down Syndrome Twist by Jewel Kats, illustrated by Claudia Marie Lenart, illustrates how one act of pure kindness can benefit all, even a witch.  Another great teaching tool from this children’s author.

About the Author:

Once a teen runaway, Jewel Kats is now a two-time Mom’s Choice Award winner. For six years, Jewel penned a syndicated teen advice column for Scripps Howard News Service (USA) and The Halifax Chronicle Herald. She gained this position through The Young People’s Press. She’s won $20,000 in scholarships from Global Television Network, and women’s book publisher: Harlequin Enterprises. Jewel also interned in the TV studio of Entertainment Tonight Canada. Her books have been featured in Ability Magazine (USA) twice. She’s authored eight books-five are about disabilities. The Museum of disABILITY History celebrated her work with a two-day event. Jewel has appeared as an international magazine cover story four times! Recently, her work was featured in an in-depth article published in “The Toronto Star”. Jewel’s work has also appeared as an evening news segment on WKBW-TV and on the pages of “The Buffalo News”.

Filed Under: children's fiction, Read in 2015, review copy, reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Mailbox Monday #305

January 12, 2015 by

Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia at To Be Continued, formerly The Printed Page, has a permanent home at its own blog.

To check out what everyone has received over the last week, visit the blog and check out the links.  Leave yours too.

Also, each week, Leslie, Vicki, and I will share the Books that Caught Our Eye from everyone’s weekly links.

Here’s what I received:

1.  Enzo Races in the Rain! by Garth Stein, which we purchased for our daughter over the holidays.

Enzo the puppy’s action-packed adventure begins when he makes the journey from the farm to the city (bark twice for faster!), discovers just how big the world is, and finds the family that was meant to be his.

Life on the farm is pretty quiet—except when he races the cars that come down the barn road. Because Enzo is fast. He knows he’s different from other dogs. But people never understand Enzo when he barks, and it drives him crazy! Then one day Enzo meets a little girl named Zoë and her father, Denny, and everything changes. R. W. Alley’s fantastic illustrations bring the beloved Enzo to life as he learns to adapt to life in his new home and discovers just what it means to become a family.

2. Texts from Jane Eyre: And Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters by Mallory Ortberg, illustrated by Madeline Gobbo from Anna.

Mallory Ortberg, the co-creator of the cult-favorite website The Toast, presents this whimsical collection of hysterical text conversations from your favorite literary characters. Everyone knows that if Scarlett O’Hara had an unlimited text-and-data plan, she’d constantly try to tempt Ashley away from Melanie with suggestive messages. If Mr. Rochester could text Jane Eyre, his ardent missives would obviously be in all-caps. And Daisy Buchanan would not only text while driving, she’d text you to pick her up after she totaled her car. Based on the popular web-feature, Texts from Jane Eyre is a witty, irreverent mashup that brings the characters from your favorite books into the twenty-first century.

3. Hansel and Gretel: A Fairy Tale with a Down Syndrome Twist by Jewel Kats, illustrated by Claudia Marie Lenart from Loving Healing Press.

Hansel & Gretel: A Fairy Tale with a Down Syndrome Twist is an enchanting tale about how kindness overcomes callousness and leads to a wondrous reward. This adaptation of the classic Grimms’ tale includes the wicked witch and the poor siblings in search of food, but in this case, five-year-old Hansel is a mischievous, yet courageous, boy with Down syndrome.

4. The Princess Panda Tea Party: A Cerebral Palsy Fairy Tale by Jewel Kats, illustrated by Richa Kinra, from Loving Healing Press for review.

An enchanting story which shows girls that grace and courage come from within. Michelle, age eight, has cerebral palsy and lives at an all-girls orphanage. She is often openly mocked by the other girls because of her need to use a walker for mobility. One day, she spends her hard-earned change for a toy stuffed panda at the local Salvation Army store. When opportunity strikes for the orphanage girls to compete, in manners and deportment, for the privilege of tea with the Queen of England, Michelle’s enchanted panda comes to life and her world will never be the same!

5.  Cinderella’s Magical Wheelchair: An Empowering Fairy Tale by Jewel Kats, illustrated by Richa Kinra for review from Loving Healing Press.

In a Kingdom far, far away lives Cinderella. As expected, she slaves away for her cranky sisters and step-mother. She would dearly love to attend the Royal costume ball and meet the Prince, but her family is totally dead set against it. In fact, they have gone so far as to trash her wheelchair! An unexpected magical endowment to her wheelchair begins a truly enchanted evening and a dance with the Prince. Can true love be far behind?

6. Lives of Crime and Other Stories by L. Shapley Bassen for review.

These are great noir stories, with a very intelligent self-awareness that makes them existentially perplexing and entertaining at the same time. Kind of a guilty pleasure. Love the wry darkness.” -Susan Smith Nash, author of “The Adventures of Tinguely Querer.”

7. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency #6) by Alexander McCall Smith from the library sale for 50 cents.

In the newest addition to the universally beloved No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, the charming and ever-resourceful Precious Ramotswe finds herself overly beset by problems. She is already busier than usual at the detective agency when added to her concerns are a strange intruder in her house on Zebra Drive and the baffling appearance of a pumpkin. And then there is Mma Makutsi, who decides to treat herself to dance lessons, only to be partnered with a man who seems to have two left feet. Nor are things running quite as smoothly as they usually do at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. Mma Ramotswe’s husband, the estimable Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, is overburdened with work even before one of his apprentices runs off with a wealthy woman. But what finally rattles Mma Ramotswe’s normally unshakable composure is a visitor who forces her to confront a secret from her past.

8. Silent Flowers: A New Collection of Japanese Haiku Poems edited by Dorothy Price, illustrated by Nanae Ito from the library sale for $1.

 

 

 

 

 

9. The English Roses by Madonna, illustrated by Jeffrey Fulvimari from the library sale for 50 cents.

This is a story about slumber parties, jealousy, fairy godmothers, and friendship; about feeling green with envy, blue with loneliness, pink with embarrassment, purple with rage, and how to find true-blue friends.

10.  Elmo’s World Music! by John E. Barrett, Mary Beth Nelson from library sale for 50 cents.

La! La! La! Toot! Toot! Toot! Elmo loves to make music! Toddlers will love lifting the flaps and discovering all the fun Elmo has when he plays different instruments and sings his favorite songs.

11.  Pepper (Waggy Tales) by Stewart Cowley from library sale for 50 cents.

Pepper, who comes complete with a springy tail, expressive googly eyes, is the purrrr-fect name for this bubbly, bouncing cat tale. Children will love following this furball through silly adventures. Full-color illustrations. Consumable.

 

12. Dora’s Desert Friends by Robin Chaplik from the library sale for 50 cents.

Help Dora and Boots cross the SUnny Desert to visit their lizard friends! Listen to star sparkles and other fun sounds on the way!

What did you receive?

Filed Under: mailbox monday, meme Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,