GiftBooks for Young Readers

Rhonda Erb — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 13:26:00 +0000

Author Daniel Boris based Dozi The Alligator on a comic strip
that he had previously created called Hoxwinder Hall. In 2010, Hoxwinder Hall
became a top five finalist in the Washington Post’s America’s Next Great
Cartoonist contest, thanks to the votes of Washington Post readers.

Daniel Boris: The premise of my comic was that
a little boy brings a baby alligator home with him after a family vacation to
Florida. Since alligators are the single iconic animal indigenous to Florida, it
just seemed natural. The name “Dozi” is the word “Izod” spelled
backward.

My book tells one of the
oldest stories that live in all of us; going on an adventure, taking those first few
steps towards the greater world and finding answers to your questions. You
see–Dozi the alligator lives in a swamp in Florida. His world is small and he’s
just a little guy. But far away, just over the horizon is a beautiful castle
that lights up each night with color. Dozi is fascinated by the wonder of it
all. One day Dozi goes from daydreaming to exploring and he’s out in the world.
It’s a huge confusing place but he’s ready to do more than watch. The message
for kids is to always be curious of the world in which we live.

I initially thought that I
would both write AND illustrate the book myself, but ultimately, I made the
decision to sort of pull a Walt Disney. What I mean by that is that Walt Disney
was a decent artist
himself, but also smart enough to not let his own ego get in the way of having
his ideas brought to life by more capable artists. For me, the single most
important thing was the idea of Dozi the Alligator. The concept and story. I
wanted to introduce Dozi to kids everywhere and since I wanted Dozi to also be
visually appealing, I knew that I needed a specific illustration style to bring
him to life in the way that I envisioned. I eventually found Nicola Sammarco. I
reached out to him through e-mail, introduced myself, told him about my project,
and asked if he was interested in being my Illustrator. He said “yes”, and we
started working on illustrations for my book several weeks later. I’m extremely
proud of the artwork we created for this book. Nicola’s artwork perfectly
captures the essence of my characters!

Available at: http://www.amazon.com/Alligator-Finds-Family-Daniel-Boris/dp/1941437567/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450060250&sr=1-1&keywords=dozi+the+alligator
$16.95

The Attack of the Giant Stink Bugs: The Adventures of Ru-lan
by Larry Bennett, Illustrated by Basia Tov

The Ru-lan series takes place in a fairytale world in which the
forces of good are at odds with the forces of evil. Ru-lan is a kind,
compassionate individual who consistently remains at peace with himself. For
his kindness and compassion he is ultimately rewarded. In addition to teaching
these fundamental values, the series also introduces the reader to various
aspects of Chinese culture. Illustrator Basia Tov sought to conceptualize these
ancient Chinese influences in choosing the style and medium of her
illustrations.

Basia Tov: The choice of medium and style
for this project is tightly linked to the theme and setting of the books. My
goal was to enrich the young reader’s aesthetic experience by translating some
of the ancient Chinese art sensibilities into a modern child-centric version.
The watercolors, the painted fans, the embroideries had significant influence on
the style I had developed for this series of books. The inspiration is evident
in simplification of the figures and the patterned rendering of the landscapes.
There is a lot of geometry and abstract designs in my treatment of mountains,
rocks, trees…

Regarding
the medium, I felt the watercolor style would further carry over the character
of my inspiration into my work. Yet, I decided to use Copic markers to achieve
it instead of paints. The markers in many ways give the same effect as the
watercolor paints with their brush tips and excellent color blending. The
advantage of using the markers is the consistency of color that can be easily
and efficiently preserved throughout the multiple books. I also used colored
pencils for rendering finer details.

Available at: http://www.amazon.com/Attack-Giant-Stink-Bugs-Adventures/dp/1940242738/ref=la_B00MI4N5GM_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450066838&sr=1-2
$10.95

Pug on Wheels by Linda Simon,
Illustrated by Jay Jacoby

Avid pug
lover and author, Linda Simon, was inspired to write this tale of the
adoption of a physically challenged dog, by a real life pug, named Sadie,that
enjoyed life to the age of fifteen in spite of her disabilities. She adheres to
the belief that “if it isn’t a pug, it’s just a dog.”

Linda
Simon: Sadie served as an inspiration to all those who
knew her and I have always wanted to share her story. The objective is twofold:
One is to make children aware of the homeless dog crisis and to learn although
the adoption of a puppy is often the first choice just as much love and fun
comes with a physically challenged dog. Second, Josh, the young boy in the story
learns acceptance of a situation he initially perceives as different. He soon
realizes Sadie is no different from any other dog. Josh learns about adoption,
compassion, responsibility and caregiving through his love of a little homeless
pug.

The relationship that evolves
between Josh and Sadie teaches Josh qualities he will apply to life in general.
Sadie and Josh make it a fun way to absorb how love and kindness play a role in the encouragement
and self worth of dogs and humans.

Sadie also has the power to
reach out to children in wheelchairs proving nothing sets them apart as being
different. Seeing the world through the soft eyes of a pug proves all

things are
equal and possible.

Available at: http://www.amazon.com/Pug-Wheels-Linda-Simon/dp/194143794X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450070218&sr=1-1&keywords=pug+on+wheels
$8.32

Dinosaurs Living in My Hair! By Jayne M. Rose-Vallee,
Illustrated by Anni Matsick

Jayne M. Rose-Vallee makes her debut as a children’s book author
with this tale of whimsical rhymes about a curly haired six year old whose
mother jokingly tells her she must have dinosaurs living in her hair. Through
the book and the accompanying product line, Rose-Vallee hopes to encourage
children “to embrace their hair’s individual beauty whether it is straight,
curly, thick or thin.”

Jayne M. Rose-Vallee: This story is inspired by my
daughter, Lauren Danielle. As a child, she had a tumble of lovely blonde curls
that she never wanted me to comb. So I told her that there must be ‘dinosaurs
living in there’ and she just smiled and took it in her stride. If you teach
your children to embrace their natural beauty at an early age they will surely,
like my daughter Lauren, blossom into wonderful and confident adults.

When the
second and third book in the series are published, their broader appeal and
subject matter, will increase the target audience and allow continued growth for
the “Dinosaurs Living In My Hair!” movement.

Available at: http://www.amazon.com/Dinosaurs-Living-Hair-Jayne-Rose-Vallee/dp/0986192201/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450100829&sr=1-1&keywords=dinosaurs+living+in+my+hair
$17.99

For young
adult readers:

Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee

Harper
Lee’s recently published novel, Go Set a Watchman (the name derives from a
biblical passage), is a manuscript that was unknown for 58 years until it
came to light this year. The book has stirred quite a bit of controversy. Is
it the sequel to Lee’s first book, To Kill a Mockingbird, or is it just a first
draft of that timeless classic? In a comparison of the two novels you will
indeed find that they share quite a few passages nearly word for word. However,
regardless of the controversy, Lee’s self-described “race novel” is a worthy
read. We find the main character, Jean Louise (Scout) Finch in her twenties,
having moved away to New York City. She returns to the fictional Maycomb,
Alabama for her annual two week visit with her family. The events of To Kill a
Mockingbird are actively referenced, but ultimately this story is less about
action and dramatic events and more about soul searching.

Available at: http://www.amazon.com/Go-Set-Watchman-Harper-Lee/dp/0062409859/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450103406&sr=1-1&keywords=go+set+a+watchman
$16.46

For more Better Bets visit: http://betterbetsny.tumblr.com/

The post GiftBooks for Young Readers appeared first on lookonline.

Better Bets: Gift Books for Young Readers Archives - lookonline

GiftBooks for Young Readers