Children's Picture eBook Review: Survivalist Sam Stocks Up, by Kermit Jones, Illustrated by Christy Brill

Storyline: 4.0 Stars
Illustrations: 3.5 Stars 
Total: 4.0 Stars
I've come across children who experience a lot of anxiety for the future. After all, the world seems a scary place, and they are entirely dependent on adults. Something that can help their anxiety is a book about preparations for an uncertain future. 

Children (and adults) can take comfort knowing that unsteady income, job loss, etc., doesn't mean going without basic necessities if they are prepared. 

Although I would emphasize the value of preparing for an uncertain future (rather than a disaster that has us needing primitive skills, or the titles "prepper" or "survivalist"), this book is valuable for teaching children (and adults) a simple way to become more self-sufficient and have more peace of mind for the future.

Starting with food and water (Beans), then to hunting/protection (Bullets), medical/education (Bandages) and having things to trade (Barter) these four illustrated steps make preparations seem less overwhelming. 4 stars

Illustrations: The illustration style is not professional, but colorful and adds interest (especially from the children) to the story. 3 stars

Author Kermit Jones

Author Kermit Jones, Jr. stumbled across the idea of a prepper book for kids when trying to decide how to explain the topic to his four young daughters.  

Having attended high school in a very rural part of Virginia, he later went on to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD.  After spending a few years as a Surface Warfare Officer, he resigned his commission and entered the Navy Chaplain Corps, earning his Masters degree at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX.  A Reservist, he was recently recalled to Active Duty.  

In addition to writing children’s books, he is an instructor for USAPrepares.com and has been a guest on several radio and talkshow broadcasts. Between kids and his career, he has learned that it is important to “be prepared!”

If you are interested in Jones' other children's picture books on preparedness, Click on these covers: "teaching kids gun safety," "resourcefulness" and "how preparation keeps away fear":

  

You can also look at Kermit Jones' website here.

~Review by Valerie Harmon

Author Interview: Theo Lightfoot and his Tiger and Mouse series

Today's Author Interview is with Theo Lightfoot, author of the Tiger and Mouse series: The Gift of Helping Others and The Pebble of Perseverance.

Theo's Biography: Theodore Lightfoot gains inspiration for his books from his two children, Asher, age 6 and Audrey, age 4, and wife Laura, who is an early childhood educator. After years of telling impromptu stories at his kids' request, Theo is thrilled to create stories to be enjoyed by all. His favorite activities with his kids include going to the zoo and aquarium, baseball games, playing at the park, bike rides, and of course reading books (his kids have pretty much exhausted the selection at the local library.) His son Asher is crazy about animals, which is why animals appear in all Theo's books. His daughter Audrey loves everything girly--from princesses to makeup to frilly dresses--so perhaps there's a princess kid's book in his future. Theo grew up and now resides in the Pacific Northwest where it rains a lot. Luckily, he can write no matter what the weather.

The Gift of Helping Others

The Pebble of Perseverance

My children and I really enjoyed these books. You can read my review and rating on my July 2 post.

My interview with Theo Lightfoot:

Valerie: Your books are illustrated by Elizabeth and Phillip Armstrong. How did you connect?
Theo: I met my illustrator at my day job. She and her husband co-illustrated the books. The illustrations are watercolor.

Valerie:  What is your favorite thing about being an author?

Theo: Having a finished product you're proud of, that's out there in the world--is one of the most satisfying feelings in life.

Valerie: What is the toughest part of being an author?

Theo: I'm a perfectionist so I'm always thinking, "Oh I should have done this or that in the story or with that line." The other thing is that I design the layout of my books, which is a real drag when you're not a designer and don't have the right tools to do it efficiently.

Valerie: If you could not be author, what would you do/be?

Theo: Well, I've been in bands and playing music since age 15, so probably a rock star.

Valerie: What is your favorite book of all time?

Theo: My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok. It's about an extremely talented young Jewish artist who struggles to reconcile his art and his faith. When I read it, I knew I had to be an author.

Valerie: Which character from any book are you most like?

Theo: The Who in Horton Hears a Who: Small and insignificant but hopefully can make a difference.

Valerie: What character from your books are you most like?

Theo: Mouse. Overly responsible and a little afraid to have fun.

Valerie: Which book would you love to take a weekend vacation inside of?

Theo: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway or The Bible would be pretty cool too.

Valerie: Are you working on something new?

Theo: Always. I have so many ideas but limited time to put things together. I have ideas for 3 or 4 more children's books, and about 4 novels. Maybe in the next 10 years I can get to them all.

Valerie: Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?

Theo: Thanks for supporting children's book authors. We appreciate it.

Thank you Theo for the interview. You can find out more about Theo on his website, Facebook, and Amazon.

~Valerie Harmon
 .

Author Interview: Mary Lee and her Princess series

Today's Author Interview is with Mary Lee, author of 10 published children's picture e-books. Her illustrated e-books are for pre-school aged children to 8 years old, depending on the book. :

Mary's Bio: "I am a writer, illustrator, graphic designer and a mom. I've lived in various places across the country but currently my heart is in the Bay Area. I have two sweet children, two dogs and a mini-cactus named Spike. In my free time (ha ha ha), I like to read books, jog slowly, cook badly and sleep rarely."

The Little Pup series:

Why? Because I Love You!

Sweet Dreams Little Pup

I Love My ABC's

Valerie: What is your favorite book of all time?

Mary: Oh, that's reeeeallly hard to pick one. Favorite kids book is The Giving Tree. For adults, currently I'm hoping Gone Girl becomes a movie. Crazy cool book. 

Valerie: What would the story of your life be entitled?

Mary: Hmmm, maybe Pickles and Muffins, The story of Mary Lee. Pickles is my replacement word when I want to curse around my kids, and Muffins is the only thing I've ever been able to cook well. 

The Mia series:

Surprise in the Kitchen

Not Just a Princess

Beautiful, Magical, Amazing Ballet

Valerie: What is something funny that happened while promoting your book?

Mary: I got a funny review from a kid once. It was for my book about how great

vegetables are The History of Veggies. He was a seven year old that went on a rant about how much he hates vegetables and because he hates them, this is the worst book of all time. He accidentally gave the book a 5 star rating. 

Ed the Dragon series:

The Fruit & Veggie ABC Book

The History of Veggies

Valerie: Which of your books is where you'd love to take a weekend vacation?

Mary: The Smartest Princess. It's set at a beautiful castle by the sea with a great garden and awesome library. I really needed a vacation when I did that one. 

The Princess series:

Princess ABC

The Smartest Princess

My 8 year old daughter and I enjoyed reading The Smartest Princess together, which I  blogged about here. 

Valerie: What inspires your writing?

Mary: My kids and other parents. I try to think of what other parents would want for their kids, whether it's help getting them to sleep, making them feel loved or getting them excited about ballet.

Thank you for joining me Mary Lee! You can find Mary Lee on her Blog (where she has cute princess coloring pages!), Amazon, GoodReads, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

~Valerie Harmon

http://www.wantstobe.com

Author Interview: Lynda Carter and her Cedric the Shark series

This Author Interview is with Kay Carter who wrote and illustrated two books in the Cedric series: Cedric the Shark Gets A Toothache, and Cedric the Shark Has His First Day At School.

Valerie Harmon interviews Kay Carter:

Valerie:   What is the toughest part of being an author?

Kay: Too many ideas and not enough time.

Valerie:   What is your favorite book ever?

Kay: Very difficult question - probably Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez or We Of The Never-Never by Jeannie Gunn.

Valerie:   Which book would you love to take a weekend vacation inside of?

Kay: The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat by Oliver Sacks

  

Valerie:   What inspired your book cover for Cedric the Shark Has His First Day at School? 

Kay: Children love colour and silly ideas. The idea of riding to school in a seashell, pulled by a seahorse and driven by an octopus tickled me. 

Valerie:  Are you working on anything new?

Kay: All the time. I am in the middle of another Cedric experience (coming very soon) and am attempting my first romance novel.

Valerie:  Anything you want to say to people reading this post?

Kay:  If you have a hankering to write (I believe we all have an unwritten novel within us) do not feel afraid to put pen to paper and express yourself. Amazon Kindle is the ideal platform to test your ability and I still believe today that your cover and title are probably the major items that help sell your book so take some time and choose carefully.  

Click here for the Facebook page for Cedric's books.

Thank you Kay and dear readers. Happy reading and writing,

~Valerie Harmon

(Disclaimer: Valerie Harmon received a free copy of the these books in exchange for a fair and honest review)