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!

NEW RELEASE - The Missing Alphabet

Gregory the Boy: Hi everyone! My name is Gregory.

Sammy the Teddy Bear: *waves* Don't be scared, but I can talk, too. I'm Sammy.

Gregory: Sammy is my best friend in the whole wide world. We go on a lot of adventures together. Don't we, Sammy?

Sammy: Yup! Like the time when Gregory turned green at school.

Gregory: And you came to tell my friends and me about bulling.

Sammy: Someone had to.

Gregory: Then there was the time when you ripped your leg, Sammy, and Mom had to fix you up.

Sammy: *rubs leg* I don't want to talk about that.

Gregory: Let's not forget about what happened on Halloween night!

Sammy: We rode on a broom! *pretends to be an airplane*

Gregory: Now we have a brand new adventure to share with everyone.

Sammy: We do! But maybe we should let Elaine Kaye share the details about the story of The Missing Alphabet.

Elaine Kaye the Author: Thanks, boys!

NEW RELEASE FROM ELAINE KAYE:

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.

General Age Range - Kids 5-8 (Story Picture Book)

EBOOK: Amazon / Nook / Kobo

PRINT: Amazon 

A GREGORY GREEN ADVENTURE SERIES:

“Bullying is not fun and, with colorful illustrations 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." - Readers' Favorite (5-Star Review)

EBOOK: Amazon / Nook / Kobo

PRINT: Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

“Tutors and educators can use it in classrooms and school libraries for read aloud sessions.” – Readers’ Favorite (5-Star Review)

EBOOK: Amazon / Nook / Kobo

PRINT: Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

“This is a perfect story for children and it will make them imagine, dream, and become adventurous. The illustrations are whimsical and they bring out the spookiness and eeriness of the adventure.” – Readers’ Favorite (5-Star Review)

EBOOK: Amazon / Nook / Kobo

PRINT: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

About the Author: 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

Deputy Paws and the Puppy Mill Cause

Title: Deputy Paws and the Puppy Mill Cause

Author: Peggy Race

Illustrator/Editor: Mike Motz

Publication Date: July 31, 2018

BOOK LINKS:

Amazon

Goodreads

REVIEW:

(Reviewed by Elaine Kaye and Chrys Fey)

I love that the author is truly committed to the cause of helping animals by donating a portion of each book’s profits to animal rescues, shelters, and organizations. And I have to say she has an impressive background as well.

Depute Paws is an adorable dog with an important message. Deputy Paws was born in a mill under filthy conditions, kept in a cage where shots cost too much, food and water were scarce, and there was no grass to run on. But…he was adopted after being rescued by National Mill Dog Rescue! Now, he enjoys all the things all dogs should have.

I liked that a page that showed the conditions of a mill with dark, gloomy illustrations was directly opposite a more uplifting page with bright illustrations that showed how much better Deputy Paws’ life is now since adoption.

“I’m one of those puppies

who was born in a mill.

There are many more like me

that need your help still.”

This book raises a great conversation and can push many kids to activism, to stand up for animal rights. Parents and kids can make a difference together by approaching pet stores and asking Senators and congress people to shut down mills, two of the tactics Deputy Paws outlines to help puppies in mills.

“Learn all that you can

before you walk through the door.

It’s the mill dogs who suffer

when you buy from the store.”

I think many kids and even parents will wonder about the animals in pet stores and what will happen to them if they aren’t bought. We need to understand that pets in stores got out of the mills, which is a step up, though living in a pet store isn’t much better. We also need to understand the process of buying a single dog or cat from a pet store (because they need a good home, too) will result in the store replacing that animal with another from a mill, thus continuing the cycle.

But what will happen if no one buys these pets? This is important for us to know. Dogs and cats that get older and are not sold will eventually go to rescue groups/shelters (hopefully not pounds). So, then these animals will be up for adoption. This wasn’t explained in the story and I feel it should have been.

There’s a line in the story that says, “Don’t buy your next pets without seeing the mothers.” But I don’t think this is possible if an animal was born in a mill and rescued from one or put in a shelter after not being sold at a pet store.

A lot of the story was about pet stores being bad, but not all pet stores are bad, which I feel needs to be said, too. According to HumaneSociety.org more than 2,300 pet stores nationwide have signed an HSUS pledge not to sell puppies, showing other pet stores you can be successful without supporting puppy mills.

At the end of the book, we get a a few more details about mills and how breeding dogs are kept in cages their whole lives, and what happens to puppies after they are born in a mill.

What’s so great about this book is the call for action (though I do feel what I highlighted above should've been included to prevent questions/confusion).

Reading Deputy Paws and the Puppy Mill Cause to your kids is a good first step, but we have to continue to find ways to support Deputy’s cause, as he shares in the story.

Although with a powerful message, it’s done in a gentle way with a cute character, great illustrations, and clever rhymes.

RECOMMENDED for all children 6+.

Perfect book for classrooms and libraries.

SAMMY APPROVED

Sammy can't have a dog, so he adopted a dog puppet. :)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Peggy Race, is a Wisconsin-based children’s book author, literary memoir writer, and avid dog lover with a vision to create a better world for our canine companions.

To date, she has completed various dog handling workshops, was an intern in Dog Town at Best Friends Animal Society and has spent her time volunteering for numerous other esteemed organizations. Peggy has dabbled in dog sports, competing in agility and taking nosework classes.

Currently, Peggy serves as a volunteer for Bailing Out Benji, an organization which raises awareness of and educates about puppy mills and their connection to pet stores.

Peggy shares her home with three fun-loving dogs. Desiree, a rescue from Hurricane Katrina, Faith, a ball herding border collie and Deputy, a cocker spaniel mix; the inspiration behind “Deputy Paws and the Puppy Mill Cause.”

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

A is for Alpine: An Alphabet Book for Little Hikers

A is for Alpine: An Alphabet Book for Little Hikers 

by Rebecca Douglass

and Dave Dempsey

Amazon / Smashwords

Goodreads

A is for Alpine: An Alphabet Book for Little Hikers is just that. This is a simple book for young kids who are interested in the outdoors and camping and are learning their ABCs and word associations.

You'll want to bring this ABC book outside with your kids, or just to your backyard, so while you read each page you can point out more outdoorsy things can start with each letter, turning this into an activity book.

At first, I wished there was a bit more than just one small sentence for each letter/page, but the simplicity is part of the charm, along with the images. The images are real photos taken by the author of her children when they were between the ages of about five and eleven. The photos of nature were taken by Dave Dempsey.

At the end of the book it explains how the author got the idea to first create this book and why she decided to publish it.

"B is for boys on a Backpacking adventure."

I imagine many young kids will want to go backpacking after reading this. Even if its just for a short hike and nature hunt.


RECOMMENDED for nature-loving kids ages 3 - 5.

Sammy Approved!

About the Author:

Rebecca Douglass grew up in Idaho, Arizona, and Washington states, and now lives near San Francisco. Her passions include backpacking, hiking, books, and running and biking. She works at the library, volunteers in the schools, and is having a great time writing for kids and adults of all ages.

Blog / Amazon Author Page

Creepy Pair of Underwear / Review

Creepy Pair of Underwear!

Written by Aaron Reynolds

Illustrated by Peter Brown

An enjoyable story that tickles your funny bone. With a humorous storyline, this story teaches children how fear can crop up anything or anywhere and that fear is not a bad thing.

Jasper's mom brings him to the store to buy him plain white underwear, but then Jaspers sees...CREEPY UNDERWEAR that glows in the dark. 

He claims he's a big bunny now, so his mom buys him one pair. That night, he puts on his new underwear and goes to bed, but they're so bright and eerily green that he can't go to sleep. He takes it off and puts on his plain whites. That's when things get really creepy. This scary underwear has a mind of its own and clearly doesn't want to go away. Just when they're gone for good, he realizes he likes the green glow at night. Without it, it's too dark!

The illustrations are amazing. The underwear really does seem to glow, adding to the entire experience.

This story will have you and your kids laughing out loud. 

All kids go through that stage of needing to buy "big kid" underwear and being afraid of the dark, and this tale combines both of those in a cute way.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Juliane's Story #DiverseKidLit

Juliane's Story: A Real-Life Account of Her Journey from Zimbabwe

Written by Andy Glynne

Illustrated by Karl Hammond

(Based on the BAFTA winning animations)

Juliane lived on a farm in Zimbabwe. She was only three and a half when her mom left for her own safety. Church people took Juliane in and raised her.

"I had to learn to be my own mother and father."

But she believed, deep down, her mom was looking for her.

"In the orphanage, there were about 30 children trying to eat from one plate."

Reading about what life was like in the orphanage is heartbreaking. For kids, especially for many kids in America, it'll show them that they have things and privileges that other kids around the world don't have--a full plate of food and clean drinking water. There are things many children take for granted in this generation of iPhones, video games, and YouTube.

"I survived by drinking water, but it wasn't clean."

One day, all the orphan are put on a truck. Juliane's the smallest and the last to get on the truck. All of a sudden, a woman is chasing at it--her mom! They're reunited and leave Zimbabwe, but Juliane struggles to adapt to her new life in her new host country.

She experiences severe panic attacks, something not many kids understand, so this is a great teaching moment for parents to see if their children have ever experienced anxiety.

This is a picture book with few words, but the illustrations are stunning. There are also several lessons for kids today between these pages, such as acceptance.

RECOMMENDED

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: