Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Free Book: The Snake Who Wanted To Be A Horse, by Valerie Harmon and Carol Stevens

My first book in the WantsToBe children's picture eBook series, The Snake Who Wanted To Be  A Horse, is FREE from October 30 until midnight November 2.

Pick up your free copy here!


Has hit #1 Best Seller in Category and rated 4.6 STARS with over 40 reviews!
This is the first fully-illustrated children's book in the Wants To Be series.

Book Summary: Snake has a tender belly. When he sees Horse galloping by, he decides his solution is to become a horse. This idea sends him on a quest of difficulty and a surprising new friendship. This is not a typical "Be content with who you are" book, but rather "Working hard toward a goal changes you into something more." Which is why in the end (don't spoil the surprise for your child!) Snake turns into a SNORSE! This is a metaphorical example of how we all change after accomplishing hard things.



Tapping or swiping the stars within this app can tie Snake's tongue in a knot, send a herd of horses galloping, stick on bandages, and much more. The icons on the left release a variety of sounds effects, including galloping hooves, horses neighing or even snakes laughing. The Snake Wants To Be A Horse app teaches children to work hard toward a goal no matter what, with 71 animations, 35 sound effects, music, and dramatized narration.


Saturday, October 25, 2014

Free Book: The Peacock Who Wanted To Be A Pig, by Valerie Harmon and Carol Stevens

My fourth book in the WantsToBe children's picture eBook series, The Peacock Who Wanted To Be A Pig, is FREE from October 26 until midnight October 29.

Pick up your free copy here!


Rated 5 STARS and has hit #1 Best Seller in Category!

Book Summary: Peacock's tail is so heavy his back hurts. When he see's Pig's tiny curly tail he decides becoming a pig will solve his problems. This idea sends him wading through mud, falling into slop, and a surprising new friendship. This is not a typical "Be content with who you are" book, but rather "Working hard toward a goal changes you into something more." Which is why in the end (don't spoil the surprise for your child!) Peacock turns into a PEAGLET! A metaphorical example of how we all change after accomplishing hard things.


Tapping or swiping the stars within the app can launch Peacock into a mudhole, help him swallow an apple core, balance on a ball, and much more. The icons on the left release a variety of sound effects, including cows mooing or even Pig slurping from a trough. This app teaches children to work hard toward a goal no matter what, with 68 animations, 35 sound effects, music, and dramatized narration.


Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Free Books: The Crab Who Wanted To Be a Dolphin and The Alligator Who Wanted To Be A Dog

My seventh book in the WantsToBe children's picture eBook series, The Crab Who Wanted To Be A Dolphin, AND my third  book, The Alligator Who Wanted To Be A Dog are FREE from October 23 until midnight October 26.

Pick up your free copy here!


Book Summary: Everyone annoys Crab! Lonely and friendless (because she's cranky), she decides she needs to become a dolphin to solve her problems. Struggling on this quest, she discovers that finding friends requires changes on the inside, not the outside. As she experiences gratitude, and the friendship that follows, she unexpectedly transforms into a mixture of her old self and a new self. Not only an educational story encouraging gratitude, this tale is also a metaphor for how we all transform after accomplishing difficult things. 

This title will be available soon as an animated app for iPad (in the App Store℠) and as a full-color softcover book. 


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Pick up your free copy of The Alligator Who Wanted To Be A Dog here!

Rated 5 STARS and has hit #1 Best Seller in Category!

This is the third fully-illustrated children's book in the Wants To Be series.

Book Summary: Alligator's sharp-toothed smiles scares away all the other animals, and he feels so lonely. Since dogs are friends with everyone, he decides that he needs to become a dog. This decision sends him on a quest of difficulty and a surprising new friendship. This is not a typical "Be content with who you are" book, but rather "Working hard toward a goal changes you into something more." Which is why, in the end (don't spoil the surprise for your child!) Alligator turns into a ALLIDOG. This is pure imaginative fun, but is also a metaphorical example of how we all change after accomplishing hard things.


Saturday, October 18, 2014

Free Book: The Elephant Who Wanted To Be A Bee, by Valerie Harmon and Carol Stevens

My second book in the WantsToBe children's picture eBook series, The Elephant Who Wanted To Be A Bee, is FREE from October 19 until midnight October 22.

Pick up your free copy here!

Rated 4.6 STARS and has hit #1 Best Seller in Category!

Book Summary: Elephant is allergic to the flowers she loves to eat. What can she do? She decides becoming a bee will solve her allergies. This decision sends her on a quest of difficulty and a surprising new friendship. This is not a typical "Be content with who you are" book, but rather "Working hard toward a goal changes you into something more." Which is why, in the end (don't spoil the surprise for your child!) Elephant turns into an ELLABEE. This is pure imaginative fun, but is also a metaphorical example of how we all change after accomplishing hard things.


Tapping or swiping the stars within the app can start a hive of bees swarming, cause a zebra to rear, send a meerkat scampering away, and much more. The icons on the left release a variety of sound effect, including a trumpeting elephant, a tree crashing to the ground or even a barking meerkat. This app teaches children to work hard toward a goal no matter what, with 73 animations, 36 sound effects, music, and dramatized narration.



Thursday, October 16, 2014

Children's eBook Review: Chickens In Birthday Suits by Nancy Mauerman

Illustrations: 5 Stars 
Cover: 4.5 Stars
Storyline: 4.5 Stars

Total: 5 Stars


What a unique book! Told from the point of view of a chicken who is celebrating her birthday--I mean Hatch Day.

If you haven't uploaded the updated version, I recommend you do so. Mauerman has made some significant improvements, and this review is based on the most recent version.

Storyline: A hen, who loves banana moons and tasty worms, is celebrating her hatch day with her person and a couple chicken friends. They head to the park to parade around, eat cake, and open presents. People gather round the unexpected spectacle, and the chickens are surprised at the silly questions the people ask. The birthday chicken opens present after present and watches as her fellow hens STEAL (and eat!) her presents. Will she get what she wants for her birthday? Will she get to enjoy it?
4.5 Stars for an enjoyable children's picture book

Illustrations: I found these illustrations very unusual. They were brightly colored and angled in amusing ways. I very much enjoyed the style and felt they added even more creativity to a unique story.
5 stars for an artist who likes closeups

Before this post published, Mauerman let me know that one of her books, Old MacDonald Had A Haunted House   is free from today, October 16, until October 20, 2014. I have not read this particular book yet myself, but I enjoyed Mauerman's Chicken's In Birthday Suits book.

Unusually, Nancy Mauerman is both the author and the illustrator of her 12 published books, I interviewed her and this is what she said:





VH: It's unusual to write and illustrate. Why do you choose to do both?


NM: Initially I only wanted to illustrate but decided to take writing classes simply to appreciate that process.  My supervisor encouraged me to apply myself seriously to writing also, not knowing how miserably poor I was at writing.

I remember one day at Cal. State Long Beach when in the morning my illustration teacher said, ”You’d better stick to writing.” That afternoon my writing teacher said, “You’d better focus on drawing.” “But,” I told myself, “what would happen if you don’t quit. You can do it wrong but you can do it twice.” From that point made two to seven drawing instead of one for every assignment art given. 


VH: What's the most difficult part of creating a children's book?

NM: I scrape my innards out and put them in book form not to please others but when it’s done another person inside offers my books to others. It’s discouraging to not have them used.


VH: What advice to you have for other children's book authors?

NM: I suggest to others to discipline your time, dig down deep, and don’t give up.

VH: You've written/illustrated more than one book. How many have you published, and why do you keep writing?


NM: Amy runs the computer part of my business, together we’ve published twelve books (I have two ready for Amy to start on and three more close to being ready, and four are a series).

I keep writing because I’m clinically depressed.  Writing distracts me from nasty feelings and thoughts and I feel driven by God to use my energy in this direction.

VH: What are your favorite books ever (children's book or not)?


NM: I love the scriptures, C. S. Lewis’s non- fiction and Narnia series, Joey Pigza series by Jack Gantos and Zen Koans.

VH: What illustrators and artists influenced your style?


NM: The brilliant artists in my life are M. Angelo, Hildegard of Bingum, Paul Jean and Herman Limbourg, Durer, Dali, Edvard Munch, Mataisse, N. C. Wyeth, O’Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, Mark Rothko and George Tooker.

VH: Your characters who are children actually speak like children. How do you get the cadence and vocabulary so right?


NM: In an education class my teacher recommended the book Ira Sleeps Over because the characters speak like real children.  When an adult reads this out loud he automatically drops the artificial cute voice. I set this as my goal. Plus I was first attracted to my husband when he was near tears because two of his frogs died. We try to find joy in small things. Plus I have multiple personality disorder with some kids inside me. This last made it hard to get through school but makes it better when making Art Brut pictures.

VH: What is your advice to children who want to create books?


NM: I ask many questions about their ideas to help them crystalize their thoughts. Then I suggest they start right away. I show them how to make their own hard bound covers so they can envision the finished product. 

If you want to learn more about Nancy Maurerman and her books, go to her website, her blog, and her Amazon Author page.

~Valerie Harmon
WantsToBe Books

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Free Book: The T-Rex Who Wanted To Be A Long Neck, by Valerie Harmon and illustrated by Carol Stevens

My sixth book in the WantsToBe children's picture eBook series, The T-Rex Who Wanted To Be A Long Neck, is FREE from October 16 until midnight October 18.

Pick up your free copy here!

Rated 5 stars and has hit #1 Best Seller in Category!

Book Summary: T-Rex is ashamed of his terrible temper and when he sees a peaceful herd of long neck dinosaurs, he decides he needs to be a long neck too. Struggling on this quest, he discovers that keeping his temper requires changes on the inside, not the outside. As he figures out how to control his temper, he unexpectedly transforms into a mixture of his old self (Tyrannosaurus Rex) and a new self (a long neck Diplodicus). Not only an educational story about overcoming anger, this tale is also a metaphor for how we all transform after accomplishing difficult things.


Tapping or swiping the stars within the app can knock down a tree with T-Rex's tail, send a pterodactyl soaring in the sky, hatch a baby dinosaur egg, and much more. The icons on the left release a variety of sounds effects, including a volcano erupting, T-Rex roaring or even the boom from Long Neck whipping his tail. Like the book, this app teaches children to work hard toward a goal, no matter what, with 70 animations, 35 sound effects, music, and dramatized narration.