Announcements, Book Announcements, children's books

ANNOUNCEMENT! It’s Book Release Day for Ellen Kolman’s “Crabby Abby the Decorator Crab’s Big Heart”

We are excited to share this new release of Crabby Abby the Decorator Crab’s Big Heart!

Crabby Abby is a decorator crab who literally looks like a sparkly boutique on ten legs! Abby’s clothing choices are unusual but so is Abby. Decorator crabs use whatever materials are nearby to camouflage themselves from predators. Abby is not worried about her safety; she just wants to pile on all the clothing and accessories she can because she loves them all!

Get yours now!

What Reviewers Say:

Crabby Abby the Decorator Crab’s Big Heart by Ellen Kolman is a colorful story about friendship, forgiveness and God’s love. When Abby the Crab starts a new school she struggles to fit in because she’s different and many of her classmates make fun of her. But there is one kind sea animal who comes alongside her and teaches Abby an important lesson from John 3:16 that helps her to forgive those who have hurt her. In the end, Abby shows kindness to her classmates even when it’s hard and she makes many new friends! This book delivers an important message that will make an eternal impact on young readers! 

Karen Ferguson, author of the Questions for Kids series and Podcast Host of 5-Minute Parenting

This story was lovely. We enjoyed the different characters and how well you described them. We loved the journey Crabby Abby went on and the lovely message the book had – I personally loved the way it pointed to Jesus.

Kayley Bernhardt, Durban, South Africa

Mom of two girls ages 5 &; 7

I really liked this story! I liked how Abby had first day of school jitters, because it reminded me of my first day of school and how I was nervous. I also love how the characters are sea creatures, because those are my favorite animals. Lastly, I liked how Abby forgives Gabby by giving her a tiara. Friendship and forgiveness are a great thing.I rate this book 5 stars!

Logan Kish, Madison, Ohio

Age 11


Check out this interview with Ellen Kolman. We had a lot of fun!

About Ellen Kolman, Author:

Ohio native, Ellen Kolman is an award winning author driven by a passion to teach children the love of Jesus. She has been teaching and entertaining children in the church and Christian school settings for more than 35 years. Her young students inspired her to write stories to help them understand kindness, forgiveness, empathy, and friendship. Seeds of Sunshine, (2024 Firebird Book Award Winner), is her first published book. The vision for Ellen’s books is to provide Christian families with sweet engaging stories about sharing Jesus’ love and forgiveness with those around usEllen and her husband Andy have five adult children and three grandchildren. Learn more at EllenKolman.com

About Kaelen Felix, Illustrator:

Kaelen Felix is a children’s book illustrator, graphic artist, and poet from the Saint Louis, Missouri area, where she also currently resides as a freelancer who has been specializing in this field since 2018. Ms. Felix is a graduate of Memphis College of Art where she obtained her BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in Illustration and has been professionally creating children’s books for clients that can be seen on Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Books-A-Million, Bookshop, Booktopia, Goodreads, Walmart, plus more. Learn ore at KaelenFelix.com

How would you like a Coloring Book with Crabby Abby? Here you go!

Enjoy the fun of coloring the characters from Crabby Abby, the Decorator Crab. A lovely companion or standalone book, this coloring and activity book offers opportunotes to encourage imagination and creativity. There are several pages with characters from the Crabby Abby story plus challenges to draw and color the characters. Have fun with your child and become their coloring companion. You can even read Crabby Abby the Decorator Crab’s Big Heart while children color. What great family fun!

By now, you surely want to get copies of this sweet book and companion coloring book…

Here’s the link to get yours! And, take a gander at the discount when you buy direct.

Crabby Abby Purchase Links and More

Short Fiction, short story

Zoned Out and In – Six Sentence Story

brown wooden desk table
Photo by Stephen Paris on Pexels.com

Clarence Charleston zoned out when the teacher told the class they would have to place their pencils on their desks as time was up.
Taking up the test papers, the teacher looked at Clarence’s blank paper, other than his name, and sighed.
Clancy Charleston looked at his son and shrugged his shoulders, “he takes after me, I s’pose,” he said to Mrs. Darling, Clarence’s teacher, who observed both Mr. Charleston and his son were shifting in their seats and blushing.
Mrs. Darling looked at father and son and spoke of their resemblance, how their features were so much alike and it’s only natural that they would have some of the same styles, so, “why don’t we look at some programs to put the two of you together so Clarence can learn more about writing, Mr. Charleston, and I would love to see the two of you come back in, let’s say, six weeks.”
Looking up at Mrs. Darling, Mr. Charleston nudged Clarence with his elbow, “hey, son, let’s think about this one, okay, ‘cause Mrs. Darling believes in you, so what do you have to say about it?”
“Sounds to me like we could get in the right zone for sure, pop, let’s do this and thanks Mrs. Darling.”
…..
There you have it! This is my Six Sentence Story for the week. Want to join? Go to this LINK

Rules of the hop:
Write 6 Sentences. No more. No less.
Use the current week’s prompt word.
Come back here on Thursday, link your post…
Spread the word and put in a good one to your fellow writers 🙂

PROMPT WORD:  ZONE

Book Announcements, poetry

Simplicity Beckons

My Post (2)

Loyal followers, I am now ready to share the secret news I have mentioned in some prior posts. Aruna Gurumurthy, Author of several books of poetry has released, as of May 1, 2019, her latest book of poems: Simplicity Beckons.
As quoted from the Amazon page about this book:

“Simplicity Beckons is a book of poems. It expresses the author’s journey through life’s special moments, with a touch of creativity and blossoming of passion. The poems weave through tales of travel, the joys of infancy and the subtlety of human emotion as the reader walks through life and love, and jumps over unseen realms of imagination. Come, watch these small wonders and big emotions carry you away, as you bathe in a potpourri of divinity and delight.”

As one who has read this book of poetry, discussing the poems in this book with the author and enjoying the content, I found this to be a pleasant book of poetry that beckons us all to look at the day to day simple things in life and to celebrate these experiences.

I hope you will look at this book of poetry and find the joy that only you can feel as what you read resonates with your own lives.

Aruna Gurumurthy has now penned six books of poetry. I interviewed Aruna and here’s a little share of that:

Without further ado, I introduce you to Simplicity Beckons:

Congratulations Aruna! It’s beautiful!

Uncategorized

The Golden Mean – I think I got an A

man standing on rock during sunset
Photo by Mathew Thomas on Pexels.com

Taking notes in his class
was much like drawing pictures
diagramming the thoughts Father Figge expressed
was the best way of understanding
in my opinion
or so I think it was
Why do they give tests in philosophy?
Think about it
if you dare
Somehow
I managed to explain the Golden Mean
and passed his class
but
I heard that the best learning
was in the after class gatherings
at the local pub
Not one to imbibe and shy of wheels
sadly
I had to learn another way
to make the Golden Mean
uh
mean something

…..

This weeks prompt was to write a philosophical poem. Here’s the Monday Poetry Prompt

Of course, I had to look up what exactly was meant so I looked up what a philosophical poem is. Here is what I found: What is a philosophical poem?