NEW RELEASE + Favorite Holiday Memory Blog Hop

Thank you for visiting! I am hosting this blog hop to celebrate the newest addition of A Gregory Green Adventure series: SLEIGH RIDE! 

Read about my favorite holiday and then hop around to read the favorite memories of the other participants!

Blog Hop Question: What is your favorite holiday memory?

(This includes Hanukkah, Kwanza, Yule/Winter Solstice, Christmas, etc.)

My Memory:

OLD TIME CHRISTMAS

Christmas is and always will be a magical time of year, whether you are one year old or 101. For me, the magic started when my parents took me and my younger brother and sister to a huge Christmas tree lot to pick out our tree. Back in those days, a fake tree did not exist. We lived in a tri-level house with the living room ceiling tall enough for a twelve-foot tree. The hard part was tying the tree to the car, take it inside the house, put it in the stand, and lift it up to stand tall. I remember my dad having to climb up a step-ladder to put the lights, ornaments, and tinsel on the top of the tree. But it was the most glorious tree in the world.

The next evening, we would go to town to go shopping, mainly for mom and dad. We split up into groups for about an hour and met again at the Sears, Roebuck, & Co store, which was a block long with every display window fully decorated with holiday animated figures that moved. Crowds of people wandered from window to window in awe.

December 23 was our family Christmas, the only night we could exchange gifts.

December 24 was a full night with the church choir concert where I sang. (I started out in the children’s choir and worked my way up to the adult choir.) After that we celebrated my mom’s birthday, and then we went to my grandparents’ house on my dad’s side.

December 25 was for Santa Claus, and in the evening, we loaded up to go to visit my grandparents on my mom’s side. The women cooked goose, turkey, and ham to serve to the twenty-three relatives!

And I can’t forget December 27, my brother’s birthday when we held a dinner with all the grandparents together.

Whew! But wonderful, wonderful memories!

My New Picture Book Release:

BLURB: On Christmas Eve, Gregory and Sammy get a special visitor—Santa Claus! Santa brings them on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure around the world and to the North Pole. Bundle up and come along for the ride!

General Age Range - Kids 4-8 (Story Picture Book)

Book Links:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Smashwords / Goodreads

About Me:

Elaine Kaye is the author of A Gregory Green Adventure series. She created Gregory Green after her son, who loved her homemade pea soup.                                                                                                    Kaye has worked as a library assistant and teacher's assistant in elementary schools. She currently lives in Florida, but has called Michigan; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Okinawa, Japan home.

Website / Goodreads / Amazon / Instagram / Facebook

QUESTION: What you're favorite holiday memory?


Hop around to the other blogs participating:

Trick-or-Treat Reads FREE PICTURE BOOKS!

Welcome to my Trick-or-Treat Reads post! 

I am offering FREE PICTURE BOOKS as my goodies for you!

Snatch up all of them and tell the parents and grandparents of kids you know, too!

HALLOWEEN RIDE

One Halloween night, Gregory and his teddy bear Sammy go trick-or-treating, hoping for lots and lots of candy. But Sammy is scared of everything and is constantly asking, “What’s that?” Gregory gets annoyed until one of those things turns out to be a flying broomstick. And this broom wants them to go for a ride. Where will it take them?

FREE:

Amazon / Nook / Kobo

PEA SOUP DISASTER

Gregory Green loves his mom’s pea soup, but when he eats it at school, all of his friends make fun of how it looks. He doesn’t think it looks like bugs, and it tastes good! Then at recess, his friends run from him, screaming, “He’s a monster!” Gregory doesn’t know why his friends are being mean until he sees his skin is green. The teasing gets worse until an unlikely friend comes to the rescue—his teddy bear, Sammy. Sammy usually only comes to life for Gregory and his family, but Sammy has an important lesson to teach Gregory and his classmates.

FREE:

Amazon / Nook / Kobo

THE MISSING ALPHABET

The paper alphabet letters in Gregory Green’s classroom have gone missing, and it’s up to him and his friends to find those missing letters. They go on a hunt through the school, hoping to find them. They spot letters next to things that start with those letters, like B for Bananas in the cafeteria. But will they be able to find the entire alphabet?

The Missing Alphabet is a great story for children learning to associate letters with objects, and four activities throughout the book will further help children to get familiar with the alphabet.

FREE:

Amazon / Nook / Kobo

DOCTOR MOM

It’s Saturday, and Gregory Green can’t wait to have fun with his dad on the riding lawnmower, but something is wrong. Sammy, his teddy bear and best friend, won’t get out of bed. Gregory is worried when he sees Sammy’s left leg is torn. This is a case for Doctor Mom! Can they fix Sammy? And just how did Sammy get hurt in the first place?

FREE:

Amazon / Nook / Kobo

Hop around for more reading goodies!




HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Doctor Mom Blog Hop + Picture Book Release

Thank you to everyone participating in the blog hop! 

Prompt: Share a favorite memory you have of your mom. 

Or just share a picture of your mom that you cherish. 

Or you can do both!

The only picture I have of my mom and me.

Growing up in a northern state everyone had to deal with long winters, but Mom also had to deal with us three kids home for days because of a blizzard. Things got boring fast if the snow was too deep or if it was too cold to slide down the snow banks. Of course, there was coloring, puzzles, or games, and we even put on plays for our parents. I remember one play we did called Stone Soup.

Then Mom had the best idea. She invented “Family Night,” which was held every Friday evening when the dishes were done and the newspaper was read. One of the five in our family hosted the event, picking out a board or card game to play and serving a dessert or snack. When it was my turn, I thought about it all week. Sometimes Mom helped me plan a fabulous snack. Naturally, everyone was glad when it was Mom’s Friday. She came up with the best dessert. Dad’s favorite was root beer floats, but Mom topped that with individual banana splits served in clear, crystal “banana split” dishes filled with a fat banana, three scoops of ice cream, whipped cream or chocolate syrup, and a cherry on top. The works!

When my kids were little, I took my mom’s idea and created “party,” a nightly event for my kids to enjoy snacks and soda while watching TV before bed. And my kids, all grown now, still talk about their memories of having their “party” before bedtime.

I still have one of those crystal dishes from the Family Nights from my childhood. Now, I usually fill it with pickles, radishes, or cherry tomatoes for dinner. I guess I should make myself a banana split it in honor of Mom. 😊

Title: Doctor Mom

Author: Elaine Kaye

Genre: Picture Story Book

Ages: 5-8 years

BLURB: It’s Saturday, and Gregory Green can’t wait to have fun with his dad on the riding lawnmower, but something is wrong. Sammy, his teddy bear and best friend, won’t get out of bed. Gregory is worried when he sees Sammy’s left leg is torn. This is a case for Doctor Mom! Can they fix Sammy? And just how did Sammy get hurt in the first place?

PRAISE FOR DOCTOR MOM:

"Doctor Mom is an adorable story that shows how Moms can fix anything—even a torn limb on a beloved teddy bear! Children will enjoy the lovable little bear who needs a stitch or two and his boy who plays dress-up as a doctor." – Wanda Luthman, award-winning author of Little Birdie Grows Up

“A sweet and heartfelt tale kids can easily identify with, and all of that with a wonderful touch of magic.” – Tonja Drecker, reviewer at Bookworm for Kids

BUY LINK:

AMAZON

Green Pea and Potato Soup / Souper Blog Hop

A big thanks to my daughter, Chrys Fey, for hosting this blog hop for me and to EVERYONE who is participating today or just hopping around, gathering recipes.

Twenty years ago, I penned a children's story about a little boy who loves pea soup so much that he ate a few bowls before naptime. It was so good that Gregory dreamt about swimming in a lake made of pea soup. While he swam, he ate all the soup he wanted. When he woke up from his nap, he was green! Even his teddy bear, Sammy, was green. His mother's remedy to get rid of his green was to make tomato soup. And Gregory and Sammy wondered how'd they look all red.

Original illustration of them swimming in pea soup!

That was the original story. I read it to my children and to the children at the elementary schools I worked for.

The idea for this story was inspired by my son Danny, who loved my homemade split pea soup, and his Cabbage Patch Doll...Sammy! In my story, my son's beloved doll became a teddy bear. But when I read my stories to classes in the media center as a librarian assistant, I would act out the stories with the real Sammy. He was a huge hit!

Last year, I rewrote the story for today's generation of kids. And now Pea Soup Disaster is available in print! This time, Gregory eats pea soup for lunch at school and his classmates make fun of how it looks. Ew. Bugs! Just imagine what happens when he turns green in front of them!

In honor of Gregory and Sammy, I am sharing a Green Pea and Potato Soup recipe.

But don't eat too much or you may turn green, too. Hehehe.

Original illustration of Gregory and Sammy
trying to wash away their green.

Green Pea and Potato Soup

1 tablespoon butter

1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped

2 cups of beef broth

2 cans of Campbell's Condensed Green Pea Soup

2 medium-size potatoes, peeled and diced

1/4 teaspoon dried sage

Dash of black pepper

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

2. Pour in beef broth and bring to a boil.

3. Add the two cans of Campbell's Condensed Green Pea Soup.

4. Add the diced potato, dried sage, and black pepper.

5. Lower heat to a gentle bubble, cover, and cook for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

6. Cool and pig out!

**Don't forget to share some with your favorite teddy bear or stuffed animal! ;)

And here it is...

AMAZON

BLURB: Gregory Green loves his mom’s pea soup, but when he eats it at school, all of his friends make fun of how it looks. He doesn’t think it looks like bugs, and it tastes good! Then at recess, his friends run from him, screaming, “He’s a monster!” Gregory doesn’t know why his friends are being mean until he sees his skin is green. The teasing gets worse until an unlikely friend comes to the rescue—his teddy bear, Sammy. Sammy usually only comes to life for Gregory and his family, but Sammy has an important lesson to teach Gregory and his classmates.

PAPERBACK:

AMAZON

Praise for Pea Soup Disaster:

“Bullying is not fun and, with colorful illustration and interesting characters, the author handles the topic in a simple manner, giving a clear message about how the color of one's skin is not important. It is a perfect book for children starting school or joining a new school midway as it will give them the confidence and courage to stand up to bullies in case they run into them.” - Readers' Favorite (5-Star Review)

“A charming and imaginative tale that can help children cope with being bullied.” – Sherry Ellis, author of That Mama is a Grouch

“A beautiful story about a bowl of pea soup and a teddy bear with a secret that shows the kids at school bullying is never fun.” – Beverly Stowe McClure, award-winning author of A Family for Leona

Visit the other Souper Blog Hop participants:

A Turtle is a Boy's Best Friend / Slice of Life

My first Slice of Life post!

Last week, my eleven-year-old grandson's turtle died.

I had found his turtle six years ago on my screened-in porch when I shook out a blanket. And out plopped a turtle about the size of a quarter.

Baby Patio

How did it get there? I would leave the screen door cracked open for a stray mommy cat who would seek shelter for her and her babies at night. I suspect she brought this itty bitty turtle onto my porch.

We named her Patio.

We had her for a year before she got too big, so we gave her a new home with my eldest daughter. Sometime later, Patio found her forever home with my grandkids, and my oldest grandson claimed her as his. My grandsons have a few other turtles and love them all so much. So much, in fact, that the illustrations for my picture book Slow Poke are of my grandsons and their turtles.

Patio portrayed a male turtle named Samson.

Illustration from Slow Poke. Patio is on the right.

My grandson came home from school last Wednesday to find his buddy had passed away. They noticed she had started to show signs of illness two nights prior and ordered medicine, but she wouldn't hold out for it, which would arrive the next day.

My grandson buried Patio in their yard. He tied two pieces from a palm branch together into a cross to mark her grave and wrapped his favorite red and black earbuds around its base. Next to the cross, he set a large, empty container of turtle food in the dirt. And he added a few painted stones he collected from #BrevardRocks, a movement in our county that involves people painting and hiding rocks everywhere and anywhere for others to find.

He drew a picture of Patio that said, "R.I.P. Patio. We love you very, very much." He taped this drawing on the wall then set their other three turtles in front of it as if they were paying their respects. He took a picture of this to have forever on his phone.

They say a dog is a man's best friend, but maybe a turtle is a boy's best friend. Or at least that was the case for this little boy.