Sand Art Secret

Last Summer at http://whisperingwally.blogspot.com/ I reviewed a book for kids about Whispering Wally, the whale who only speaks in a tiny, soft voice. Now Kevin Collier, who is both the author and illustrator, has released a new book, The Sand Art Secret.

Like the first one in the series, this book is charming. I loved the colorful ocean and cute depictions of the creatures that live in it.

The simple story is appropriate for little kids and the lesson it teaches is something that may influence their lives. Since, like his character, Torrie the tiny sea turtle, Collier is an illustrator himself, perhaps he had to learn that same lesson at some time.

Besides being available in hard copy, this book is also available on Kindle for those who have newer models that can show colors at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AFLFFHM

Magical Matthew

Penelope Anne Cole has written a book based on a creative concept. Magical Matthew is about a boy who has a magic power, but it's unlike any magical power I've ever heard of before. He can fix broken things by simply wishing them whole.

One thing Matthew can't fix is his friend, Lily, who uses a wheelchair because she can't walk. But that doesn't keep them from being friends, and Lily eventually learns about Matthew's secret power.

Unfortunately something happens to destroy Matthew's magic. His friendship with Lily lasts and he realizes he may be able to fix things without using magic, but that's not the happy ending of the book. I don't want to spoil it, so you'll have to read the book to find out what that is.

The colorful illustrations by Kevin Collier capture the cheerful mood of the story perfectly and lots of kids will enjoy reading Magical Matthew or having it read to them. Maybe some of them will even be inspired to find ways to help others.

R.O.V.-R the Undersea Explorer

R.O.V.-R the Undersea Explorer is a picture book that will appeal to parents, teachers, and kids. Lots of young boys will especially enjoy it because many of them tend to love mechanical things and science.

The story is told by a Remote Operated Vehicle (R.O.V.) who goes under seas to explore things and send information back to his human on a ship. In this book he gets to examine the Bimini Road under the Atlantic Ocean near Florida.

Kids will learn a lot about that fascinating site and how scientists study it, and they won't find the information boring since it's told by a life-like character. Okay, I'll admit it; I'm a grown-up but I learned some new information from the book and enjoyed reading it myself.

Of course Kevin Collier's illustrations portray the story perfectly since he both wrote and illustrated it.

Joy the Jellyfish

Joy the Jellyfish is a cute picture book written by Kristen Collier and illustrated by Kevin Collier.

It's about a transparent jellyfish who is unseen or unnoticed by all the other sea creatures. Joy is lonely and wants a friend more than anything. But what can she do to get one when she's almost invisible?

At last Joy travels far from the Great Barrier Reef and meets someone who not only befriends her, but teaches her how to make other friends by offering her friendship to them. I won't give away the plot by telling you who it is that helps her.

The wise knowledge that you have to be a friend to make a friend will be helpful to young readers and those who hear this book read aloud to them.

Kids are often caught up in attempts to be popular and I hope learning the wise words in the book from Joy's adviser that a true friend sees you from the inside out will help them focus on what really matters as they grow older.

Of course Kevin Colliers illustrations are perfect expressions of the story. I have a feeling the Colliers are good examples of friends as well as being husband and wife.

One Nutty Family

Since I used to be a foster parent (the kids are all grown now) I wanted to read One Nutty Family by James Byers. It's a cute picture book with charming illustrations by Kevin Collier.

I'm a bit confused by the use of acorns to represent the foster children, and would have preferred that he use an animal or bird. Otherwise I think the book does a great job of portraying the relationships in a good foster family. Unfortunately, not all of them are good and many foster kids don't get to stay in the same home permanently as a forever family. I hope families who share this book will be inspired to become like the one portrayed in it.

The questions for discussion at the end would be great to share in families or classrooms, and some of them apply to traditional or step families as well as to foster ones.

There aren't enough books for kids about foster families and I'm delighted that James Byers has written this one.

Stop That Pudding!

My internet friend, Andi Houdek sent me a PDF of her new picture book, Stop That Pudding!

The book is about a boy who tries to defy his mother by eating chocolate pudding instead of a healthy snack, but the pudding comes to life and gets away, leading him on a merry chase through town.

In some ways the book reminds me of the classic tale of the Gingerbread Man, but it's quite original and different from the familiar story in many ways. Of course I won't give away the ending.

Kids will enjoy the amusing chase and I hope parents don't spoil the fun by using the book to lecture children about the importance of healthy eating and obedience. As with many classical tales, the moral is clear enough in the story without being preachy.

My only complaint is that sometimes the meter of the rhymes spoken by the pudding is slightly off unless read with certain emphasis, but those things are few and far between. Besides, who expects chocolate pudding to create classical poetry?

The illustrations by Kevin Collier are as energetic and funny as the text. Since the boy in the story is also named Kevin I wonder if he'll grow up to be an artist. I hope Houdek writes more books about him in the future because I have a feeling a mischievous kid like Kevin will have plenty of adventures.