Kids, Pets, and Books

If you ask any kid in the world what he wants for his or her birthday there is probably a 90% chance they will say A PUPPY!

Or a kitten, bird, fish, hamster, gerbil, ferret, mouse, or pot bellied pig. 

Even if there are pets in the house--they will want more pets. Especially the young version of any animal they may choose. It seems kids just know they are on the same level. (CLICK HERE to see a few pix that drive that point home just a bit ;) ).

Kids and puppies just go together. If you have one or the other you are already stuck feeding them and keeping them clean--so why not just get the other?

They also like being around each other. They both have endless energy to play and can help with your already greatly diminished energy level. 

I think this is also the reason kids love books with animals. They have a natural love for the outdoors and nature, and animals in books, whether anthropomorphic or real capture their attention. Even the Cat in the Hat, who bears only the most faint resemblance to a feline, (I think he kind of looks like Jack Benny), grabs their attention. 

It's a mutual admiration society, kids love animals and animals love kids.

They truly love animals, and love the books they are in. From Clifford the Big Red Puppy to Peter Rabbit, kids feel warm, safe, and familiar when they read about animals.

Even my favorite book as a child, Where the Wild Things Are, has animals in it--kind of...

Some scientists warn that kids could get confused if reading about animals that have human traits. I think

(I'm not a doctor) that we do not give kids enough credit. I do not think Winnie the Pooh, Dory the fish, or Snoopy did me or any other kid any harm.

Has it been done already? Yep. But kids love it, and it will be done again. I'll do it in my next book in fact. And I'm pretty certain all the kids will be fine even after they see the main character in the book is a mouse, and he wears a vest.

I think they will be just fine. :)

Favorite Children's Books

This isn' going to be a long post, just wanted to share that I recently took a poll and asked what people loved to read when they were children.

They told me about their favorite books, series, and comics.

Although I was not surprised by the likes of Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, or Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, and A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, I did get some answers that threw me for a loop. 

For instance, many people said they loved Edgar Allen Poe, even as a child. Now I was raised watching Frankenstein and Dracula so that was not a big deal for ME, but I had no idea that it was so commonplace across the board. 

A few other faves were Winnie the Pooh, The Giving Tree, anything by Roald Dahl, and the Bunnicula series. 

Here are some other's that were mentioned:

~ Nate the Great
~ Babar
~ The Diary of Anne Frank
~ Harold and the Purple Crayon
~ Pat the Bunny
~ Narnia
~ Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys
~ Stuart Little

There were plenty more, but rather than list them all, I'd rather hear what YOU loved as a child, and why.

Looking forward to hearing!! xo

Charlotte's Web and Other Books Adults Love--But Do Kids?

I remember being in school and waiting with bated breath to find out the next book we would read.

Would it be Judy Blume?  Roald Dahl?

Nope.  It was E.B.White.  Our teacher told us about this special book, and it was SO special that we would not only read it, but we would go to Radio City Music Hall and see a movie about it.

I could not WAIT.  I was bursting at the seams. 

Charlotte's Web sounded fascinating!  We had never read a book about a spider in school.  We read about bad storms, fishing, sports, and war.  This was new, sounded a bit creepy, and had the potential to be fun.

I cried for a month.

It was not fun.

It was written to appeal to adults.

Beautifully written, the story tells of a clever spider who keeps her new friend Wilbur from the slaughter house.  And of course the spider dies at the end.

Why?

I am not saying every kids book needs to be filled with balloons, smiley-faces, and cookies, but they do not have to be like the early Disney movies where every child is an orphan, becomes an orphan, knows someone who becomes an orphan, experiences death, or is alone in the world.

I am also a bit befuddled why children's books are given more attention if they involve diseases, captivity against one's will, war, pain, or anything else that makes it exactly what a kid does not want to read.

I also think many of the so called "children's books" are not written with children in mind, but for adults to read who might be able to get them noticed for an award.

Gimme a break...

We stress that our children grow up too fast, yet we inundate them with endless situations in books that are flat-out depressing and harsh.

The librarian in my town recently told me that kids over five or six would think a book about a girl who believes in the Easter bunny is silly because they all know by this age that it is a fairy tale and they would not be interested.

Is this true?

If it is I feel a bit sad.

Maurice Sendack managed to take us to a dark and scary place filled with monsters, sharp pointy teeth, and moms that just don't understand in the book Where the Wild Things Are.  No one died or came close to dying.  The hero was not an orphan, and we did not weep at any point in the book.  Roald Dahl entranced us with his beautiful tale of a candy-filled world of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.  He even had a family facing hard times, stress, and aging, but the reader is never engulfed in a misty fog of gloom that so many kid's book leave us wrapped in.

There is a wild one is us all.

Childhood is a time of wonder, when a dark summer evening chasing lightning bugs can transport a child to a fairy tale world of an enchanted forest and magic. 

Kids DO grow up so fast--I think we need more books that make kids smile and give them a sense of hope.

They will learn all about the dark stuff soon enough.

Francine and the Super Pet Spy Bunny--Available Today on Amazon!!

I am thrilled to announce that my first book with Ted E. Beans Press is availabe in digital and book form through Amazon.  Just in time for Easter!!

Will Francine figure out where the six foot chocolate bunny in her room came from?

Is the Easter bunny running around in Lemon County?

Does Francine's crabby older sister actually like Hello Puppy! lip gloss?

All this and more in Francine and the Super Pet Spy Bunny!!

Out of This World Tales

Is your Easter basket from the Easter bunny--or a Super Spy Bunny that escaped from the Robots and Technology lab?

Can a spell be cast on a witch--by Merlin?

Where has Santa been--and why is he coated with glowing dust?

All these questions can be answered in OUT OF THIS WORLD TALES, a slightly supernatural, sometimes holiday themed, and always fun series of books for kids.  They are perfect for children who are six to nine years old and reading--but not quite ready for chapter books. 

Although not picture books, Out of This World Tales are sprinkled with whimsical drawings to enhance the interest of the story.

These books will take your child into space, into haunted houses, to the moon, and more.  Written to grab kid's attention and never let go, Out of This World Tales are fun, silly, and filled with adventure.

FRANCINE AND THE SUPER PET SPY BUNNY available at Amazon through Ted E. Beans Press on March 20.

Already on Amazon:  THE MOON IS NO PLACE FOR A GHOST--A story about ghostly friends who are looking for a home that is not haunted by people, and at the same time being chased by goblins who are trying to throw them in Otherworld Jail.  Read if their friend Penelope can help--or if they will spend eternity behind bars!

http://www.amazon.com/Place-Ghost-World-Tales-ebook/dp/B005XT33FW