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Franklin is Lost

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Franklin is Lost
By Paulette Bourgeois
Illustrated by  Brenda Clark

“Franklin could slide down a river bank. He could count forwards and backwards. He could zip zippers and button buttons. He could walk to Bear’s house all by himself. But Franklin was not allowed to go into the woods alone.”

It’s not often that a book and televised series can consistently deliver relevant stories that engage children. Franklin the Turtle series is an exception. In over twenty picture books, Franklin encounters situations that most young children experience – going to school, riding a bike, getting a pet, and various friendship conflicts. The beautiful illustrations draw children into Franklin’s world.

In Franklin is Lost, he gets caught up in playing Hide and Seek with his friends and ventures into the woods alone, which is against his family rules. It turns out that his parents had this rule for a good reason, Franklin gets lost! The story continues demonstrating how breaking this simple rule impacts Franklin, his parents, and his friends.

Franklin is Lost shows natural consequences for behavior as well as unconditional love and forgiveness. Through Franklin’s experiences, children see that making mistakes or experiencing doubt or fear is a normal part of growing up. Franklin models how to ask forgiveness and learn from difficult situations. The Franklin series, both picture books and animated televised programs, are appealing in every way!

The Umbrella

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The Umbrella
Written & illustrated by Jan Brett
“Hey, little Carlos, where are you going with that umbrella?”

The Umbrella is a story about Carlos’ walk into the cloud forest of Costa Rica with his umbrella made from banana tree leaves. He is in search of the beautiful animals who live in this tropical rainforest – the toucan, jaguar, kinkajou, tapir, and the quetzal, one of the world’s most beautiful birds. He doesn’t readily see animal near the ground so he decides to go for a climb. Perhaps, he should have stayed on the ground!

The Umbrella transports us to the Costa Rican Rain Forest. In the beautiful illustrations, our eyes behold the magnificent colors of both plant and animal life. With the story itself, we “hear” the animals talk and the occasional use of a Spanish word introduces young children to this Latin American language and culture.  

Jan Brett has over forty-one million books in print. She is one of my favorite author-illustrators because her illustrations are exquisite and a feast for the eyes. Additionally, she places small border pictures which give clues to what will happen when the page turns. These hints spark a child’s imagination and interaction with the book. Often her stories are humorous and demonstrate the struggles of human interactions with animals, who have a mind and nature of their own. While many of Jan Brett’s books focus on European fairy tales or stories in far away snowy lands, The Umbrella was her first book set in Central America.  Visit the Jan Brett website to find fun games and printables related to her books.

Remember, when you enter Amazon through this link and make a purchase, a portion of the sales will be donated to Book Drive for Kids. Thank you for your support.

The Quiltmaker’s Gift

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The Quiltmaker’s Gift
Written by Jeff Brumbeau
Illustrated by Gail de Marcken

“Some said there was magic in her fingers. Some whispered that her needles and cloth were gifts of the bewitched. And still others said the quilts really fell to earth from the shoulders of passing angels.”

The Quiltmaker’s Gift is a modern day fable extolling the virtue of generosity and demonstrating how a greedy heart can be transformed. The quiltmaker only sews her beautiful quilts for the poor and needy. When a greedy king demands one of these exquisite quilts, a showdown ensues. Watch how a commitment to purpose transforms a kingdom.

The Quiltmaker’s Gift is both a delight to the eyes and ears! The beautiful illustrations feature various quilt patterns, outdoor scenes, as well as expressive characters. In addition to reading this book, readers could play “I Spy” throughout because of number of beautiful objects used to communicate the story. The illustrations only enhance the written words, which utilize strong describing words like “swoop”, “pierce”, and “muttered”. Children will find themselves amazed at the extravagance of the king and the determination of the quiltmaker.

The Quiltmaker’s Gift is one of my favorite picture books because it has the perfect trifecta: an engaging story,  beautiful illustrations, and an underlying character lesson communicated in a non-preachy way. Enjoy the same beautiful illustrations and writing in the prequel, The Quiltmaker’s Journey.  

Remember, when you enter Amazon through this link and make a purchase, a portion of the sales will be donated to Book Drive for Kids. Thank you for your support.

Introducing the Book Nook!

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Here at Book Drive for Kids we LOVE books! We want to share our favorites with you and hopefully, you will share your favorites with us!

For our official launch of the Book Nook, we have a special treat!

Anna LeBaron, the author of The Polygamist’s Daughter, is here to share some thoughts about what books can mean in the lives of disadvantaged children. She has a very personal perspective on this topic because she grew up in a poor family which moved often due to the chaotic decisions made by her parents. She carried the same labels that many of the children we serve at Book Drive for Kids carry: economically disadvantaged, high mobility rate (move around so academically behind in school), stressful home life due to a parent with mental illness, and absent father. When you read about Anna’s childhood in her book, The Polygamist’s Daughter, your heart will be overwhelmed and you will wonder, “How can any child survive this kind of trauma?”

The good news is Anna has survived and thrived! She is an author, a book launcher, and an author’s coach and most of proud of her five grown children. She is a profoundly happy and productive individual who is sharing a message of hope, redemption, and forgiveness in her books and public speaking engagements.

Join Anna and me in this chat to learn the role books played in her childhood. Watch now!

When you enter Amazon through this link and make a purchase, a portion of your sale is donated to Book Drive for Kids.