More about Day's End Lullaby

Here is Stories for Children's Magazine review of Karen Cioffi’s and Robyn Feltman’s book. Read and enjoy. The next step is to read the book itself to your favorite little one.

BOOK REVIEW by Wayne Walker

STORIES FOR CHILDREN MAGAZINE
BOOK: Day's End Lullaby
AUTHORS: Karen Cioffi and Robyn Feltman
ILLUSTRATOR: Karen Cioffi
PUBLISHER: Book Surge (2008)
ISBN-13: 978-1-4196-9157-7
ISBN-10: 1-4196-9157-0
READING LEVEL: Infancy to age 4
RATING: 5 stars

A child has his favorite teddy bear. The sun has set. The moon is out. The day is over. The child is tired. Now it is time for him to close his eyes and go to sleep.

This lovely little book, with its lilting, lyrical poetry and its soothing message, is intended for just such a time. One of the best things that parents may do for their children is to read aloud to them. It can be both fun and educational. Our family has tried to have two read aloud periods each day. One is after lunch, when
we have generally chosen historical fiction, and the other is right before bed, when we have used other books which relate to our children's interests.

Reading aloud before bedtime serves several purposes. First, it is an opportunity for personal interaction between parent and child. Second, it is helpful in getting settled down for children who have been playing for a while to have a period of transition between the activities of the day and the need to rest at night. This picture book is perfect for that purpose. It has the additional benefit that the text has been set to music, and the lullaby is included. Author Karen Cioffi says that she wrote the lullaby to the story over 30 years ago for her firstborn who
didn't like sleeping. This is one of those books that wee ones will probably want read over and over to them.

Related websites:
http://www.childrensbooksbykarenandrobyn.com (book),
http://karenandrobyn.blogspott.com (author)
http://www.booksurge.com (publisher)


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Angeline Jellybean - a book for the little ones

Title: Angeline Jellybean

Author: Crystalee Calderwood

Publisher: 4RV Publishing

ISBN: 978-0-9797513-8-7

Purchasing information: Amazon.com

4RV Publishing

Angeline liked to eat jellybeans, especially jellybeans, only jellybeans. The one thing she wanted for a gift or a treat -- jellybeans. She wouldn't take anyone's advice to add to her menu. She knew what she liked, jellybeans.

Crystalee Calderwood wrote a story that delights children, and Stephen Macquignon provided colorful illustrations to bring it all alive.

The lesson found in the book, too much of a good thing is much too much, is one that children can understand yet not feel overwhelmed with moralizing.

Join us in the virtual book tour for Angeline this week. Tomorrow, the tour starts on Ransom Noble's blog. Monday's stop is on Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap.

The full schedule is found here.

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A Must Read for Writers

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, the frugal editor and author of the Frugal series, wrote one book that every writer or person who wants to be a writer should read. In fact, they should have the book as a reference, as I do. The following review covers The Frugal Editor, a must have for any writer.

Title: The Frugal Editor
Author: Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Publisher: Red Engine Press
ISBN 13:978-0-9785158-7-4
Copyright: 2007

No one knows everything about anything, and certainly no one knows all there is know about writing, or can remember everything learned. Even after teaching writing for twenty-seven years and studying it for over forty, I’m still learning.

The Frugal Editor by Carolyn Howard-Johnson is an excellent reference book for those who have studied composition and know much about it, maybe even have been published multiple times by a valid publishing company. It is a must have help and learning aid for those who want to write and need to know how to edit their work. It is a refresher course for editors who try to remember all there is to know and find in writings.

The approximately 170 page book, counting the introductory material, should be read from cover to cover. Each section contains information to aid in editing (or for revisions while writing). The author refers to gremlins in the introductory pages, and those gremlins cause enough trouble when the author and editors search and search for errors, typos, and other uh-ohs. Writers and editors then need to take extreme care in avoiding as many problems as possible.

Using Howard-Johnson’s book as a guide will help eliminate many common and not so common errors in writing. Of course, a person has to read it first and then apply the lessons she provides.

When experienced writers can find overlooked mistakes, then new authors certainly can. We won’t talk about wrong files being sent to printers or other really drastic mistakes, but the ones often overlooked through carelessness, ignorance, or accident.

The section about using the MS Word functions, use not allow them to dictate, is a helpful guide for everyone. Another point Howard-Johnson makes is to tackle one type of editing at a time, which allows editing to be more manageable. I could write a book about all the helpful hints and information in this book, but she already wrote it.

The only area in the book with which I personally disagree is the section stating that using italics for internal thoughts isn’t correct or professional, but the practice is a sign of self-publishing, subsidy published, or put together by marginally qualified editors, or no editor at all. Experts I’ve read or heard say to use italics for thoughts (internal dialogue) in third person point of view writing so that the reader knows what is a thought and what is spoken.

The Frugal Editor makes an excellent gift for one’s self or for a favorite author. My copy will remain beside my computer where I can reach, read, and use it.

Review by Vivian Zabel, December, 2008

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