Children’s Books by Ali Pfautz

Smiles and WigglesSmiles and Wiggles
By Ali Pfautz
Illustrated by Sara Grier

BLURB

Need some brain break ideas for the classroom? Want your kids to be active, but spend some time reading, as well? In SMILES AND WIGGLES: A YEAR OF IMAGINATIVE FUN, Ali Pfautz – The Story Lady shares some of her best poems and songs that encourage kids to use their imaginations. They might pretend to be falling leaves, firefighters going to a rescue call, or baby birds in spring. It’s a book for kids, teachers and parents, anyone looking for get up and move, creative, rhyming fun.

MY REVIEW

Smiles and Wiggles is a delightful book of poetry divided into five chapters of the four seasons and anytime.  The poems are accompanied by suggestions and movement.  The suggestions include activities that relate to and enhance the meaning of each poem. Movement explains optional motions to accompany the poems. This book has fun written all over it.

Author Ali Pfautz has a winner with Smiles and Wiggles. Parents and educators are encouraged to bring the poems to life by initiating play based on the suggestions and movements. Planning a party or playdate of any size with groups of young children?  Smiles and Wiggles will keep children entertained while learning.

Do I recommend Smiles and Wiggles?  Absolutely!

BOOK TYPE – Print – Paperback

PUBLISHER – Artistic Endeavors Press  (2015)

PAGES – 42

GENRE – Children’s Poetry Book/Teacher Resource Book

 

 

No More Slooping, Sara Sue!No More Slooping, Sara Sue!
By Ali Pfautz
Illustrated by Carolyn Schallmo

 

BLURB

Sara Sue’s favorite food is soup. She eats it every day and she makes a loud slurping noise with every bite. The sound bothers her friends and family so much that they make up a word to describe it, slooping! Can Sara Sue solve her slurpy slooping problem? Find out in this playful story that mixes a dash of silly words with a pinch or two of tongue twisters. Plus, inside this Special Edition, you’ll find two of Sara Sue’s favorite soup recipes that you can make at home.

MY REVIEW

Sara Sue loves soup, any kind of soup, but her slooping is getting on everyone’s nerves.  One day Sara Sue’s mother and father told her it had to stop! Sara Sue’s mother told her she had five days to learn to eat soup without slooping or her mother would never make soup for her again.  How will she ever learn to eat her soup quietly!

Ali Pfautz knows how to keep a child’s attention and uses this silly made-up word as she tells the story. Sloop! Slooping! Just the sound of it will set off the giggles.

I highly recommend this five-star book.

BOOK TYPE – Print – Hardcover Edition

PUBLISHER – Artistic Endeavors Press (2014 original printing – 2015 hardcover printing)

PAGES – 40

GENRE – Children’s Picture Book

 

ABOUT THE AUTHORAli Pfautz

Ali Pfautz is a storyteller, teacher, and author known as The Story Lady. When she tells a tale everyone gets involved, becoming characters or providing sound effects. Ali encourages kids of all ages to move around and explore their imaginations. NO MORE SLOOPING, SARA SUE! her first picture book, now has a hardcover, special edition with soup recipes in the back. Ali also has a poetry compilation, SMILES AND WIGGLES: A YEAR OF IMAGINATIVE FUN, that is a great resource for teachers and parents. The book has 30 poems to encourage imaginative play in the classroom and at home. Ali’s latest project is a picture book celebrating the bravery of her little buddy, Ella, who suffers from a rare skin disease called Epidermolysis Bullosa, or EB. Watch for BUTTERFLIES KEEP FLYING in late winter 2016.

WEBSITEthestoryladyva.com

SOCIAL MEDIAfacebook.com/AliPfautzTheStoryLady and pinterest.com/thestoryladyva/

More Children’s Books by Janice Spina

Children’s Books by Janice Spina

I love reading children’s books, and these two books by children’s author Janice Spina are superb.  If you have little ones in your life, or beginning readers, these books are the perfect stories to attract their interest, and yours. While about cute little animals, Spina weaves important lessons into her stories.

I can’t talk about her books without mentioning Janice Spina’s husband John Spina, who so beautifully illustrates the books with colorful drawings that tell her stories through delightful artwork.

 

Jesse The Precocious Polar Bear

Jesse the Precocious Polar BearSynopsis from the Book

Jesse is a precocious and very intelligent polar bear. He likes to learn about everything except what polar bears are supposed to know. Jesse has some surprising adventures and learns an import lesson.

My Review

Jesse wants a friend. Jesse doesn’t do what little polar bears are supposed to do.  While not minding his mother, Jesse gets into trouble and is saved by an unlikely friend.  This adorable story emphasizes not only the need to follow instructions, but also how to be a loyal friend.  The author’s husband delightfully illustrated this adorable storybook. It is sure to keep any young child entertained while teaching valuable lessons.

 

Lamby The Lonely Lamb

Synopsis from the BookLamby the Lonely Lamb

Lamby is a very different lamb because of his color. He is lonely and only wants to be accepted by the other lambs. Find out what lesson Lamby learns when a little girl, Leah, comes to the farm where Lamby lives.

Lamby the Lonely Lamb received the Silver Award for excellence in Children’s Picture Books from Mom’s Choice Awards.

My Review

Lamby fell into a vat of purple dye and was purple from head to toe.  The other lambs didn’t want to play with Lamby because he was different.  Lamby gets his wish to be accepted for who he is, not for the way he looks, a valuable message for young children.

Lamby the Lonely Lamb is a delightfully written and illustrated picture book for the young reader.  The author wrote it for her granddaughter Leah who has her own Lamby.

Janice SpinaAbout the Author

Janice Spina is an award-winning author with eight children’s books and one novel. She has been writing since a young child of nine and always dreamed of being an author. Her dream was realized once she retired from an administrative secretarial position in a school. Her goal is to encourage children to read by writing stories that are fun, entertaining and that reinforce life lessons. Her motto is Reading Gives Your Wings to Fly! Her slogan is Jemsbooks for All Ages!

 

Visit Janice Spina

Website – Jemsbooks

Blog

Goodreads

Facebook Author Page

Twitter

Google+

Buy Books

 Janice’s Amazon Page

 Barnes & Noble 

To read my review of Janice Spina’s Louey the Lazy Elephant click here.

 

Thanks for reading! To return to the FICTION WRITERS BLOG HOP on Julie Valerie’s Book Blog, click here: http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-june-2015/

Real Moms of the Metro— Children’s Author Mariana Llanos

This is a fantastic article in MetroFamily Magazine about one of my favorite children’s author, Mariana Llanos.Mariana Llanos

Real Moms of the Metro—Mariana Llanos – MetroFamily Magazine – December 2014 – Oklahoma City, OK.

Cute Books for Little Ones

Little BunnyLittle Bunny

by Giovanni Caviezel

Ages 1-4

A cute story about what a baby bunny does all day.

The size and shape of this board book is just right for little hands; however, I felt the story was better suited to older preschoolers.

 

Llama Llama wakey - wakeLlama llama wakey-wake

by Anna Dewdney

Best suited for ages 1-3

Llama llama has a lot to do to get ready for his brand new day.

Llama, Llama is perfect for little ones to sit and listen to the short sentences and admire the colorful pictures.

 

I’m not Sleepy!

by Jonathan AllenI'm Not Sleepy

Ages 1-3

Baby Owl stayed up all night and was very grumpy the next day when everyone told him he looked sleepy. “I’m not sleepy!”

This delightful story is sure to have the little ones laughing.

 

Duck & GooseDuck and Goose

Goose Needs a HUG

by Tad Hills

Ages 1-3

Goose needs a hug, but no one is listening. They offer to play games with him and splash in puddles, but that isn’t what he needs.

A really cute little story that will delight young children who are sure to memorize and read it back to you.

Hi, Koo! A Year of Seasons by Jon J. Muth

Hi Koo

Hi, Koo! A Year of Seasons by Jon J. Muth is an enchanting picture book featuring a darling panda, Koo. The story is told through a series of Haiku. Each Haiku highlights a letter of the alphabet by capitalizing a word within the Haiku, and so from page one A = Autumn to the last Z = Zero.  Beautifully illustrated by the author with colorful story pictures, Hi, Koo! is sure to delight young children (and their parents).

I absolutely loved this book. It is positively one of the best books I’ve read for young children. The innovative way of introducing the alphabet was a break from the traditional ABC book.

I fell in love with the panda Koo from the very first time I saw him on the cover of this book. Check it out.

Learn more about Jon J. Muth and his books:  Website     Facebook     LibraryThing

Buy his books:  Amazon     Barnes & Noble