It’s the most wonderful time of the year… which is now even more magical because of Leea Baltes newest book, A Christmas Star. I LOVE THIS BOOK!! It is clear that Leea is an artist at soul, and inventor of all things unique. In her day to day life Leea collects small things and reinvents them into timeless miniature figurines, quite similar to what you might find in a fairy garden or stroll through the world of Beatrix Potter’s mind. All of her stories carry a common theme of a simple mouse turning what may seem like tragedy into something beautiful, and finding strength to overcome via her faith. In this timely Christmas story, the mama mouse and her two children are headed out into the snow to visit their grandmother on Christmas Eve, and just before they go, the little boy loses the foil star that was meant to go on their Christmas tree. The simple foil star flies out the door and get stuck in the branches of the tree that they live in. With no time to waste they head out to see their grandmother, while the little boy remains upset about his mistake. As with most of Leea’s books, the simple mistake turns into an act of universal fate, reminding us that miracles happen every day, and God has a plan for each and every one of us. On the way home the snow storm becomes too powerful, and the mama mouse is just about to lose faith, and suddenly she sees a star in the distance which guides her home. This just so happens to be the lost star, that the boy was so upset about letting go of. The shiny foil star guides them home, just in time to tuck them into bed on Christmas Eve. In every story this single mama mouse works her tail off to provide for her children; even at the end of the story when she is exhausted, she still finds the strength to decorate the house with evergreen and holly. This story is magical, beautiful and carries so many deep and powerful lessons. Well done Leea!!!
 
 
 
About the Author
Award-winning author and illustrator of Goodnight Wishes! And A Christmas Star. Recipient of the Bronze Medal in 2017 Wishing Shelf Book Awards, Leea Baltes is an award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books that are beautifully illustrated in soft watercolors that reflect her love and appreciation of Beatrix Potter. Each inspirational story is subtly woven around a positive and encouraging message instilling hope, gratitude, and wholesome values into the minds and hearts of little ones. Her desire is not only to provide children with an entertaining story, but to offer the idea of how they, too, can feel connected to the magical and beautiful universe around them.
 
Leea has a passion for all things magical and creative! Her artistic ability began at a young age and is still evident today not only in her children’s stories and illustrations, but with her award-winning fine art paintings, photography, and costume designs. Her 3d miniature creations consist of things like ballerina dresses with tiny sculptured ballet slippers, party dresses with little matching hats, and a stone fairy house with whimsical furniture made from cinnamon sticks and moss. Just like Tinkerbell... Leea can take any found item and use it to fix something… or turn it into a treasure! Her original works of art can be viewed online at Fine Art America and at EBSQ Self Representing Artists, where she is a Juried Member.
Leea lives in Maryland where she also enjoys nature’s creatures, gardening, her two cats, and is currently busy creating her upcoming books.
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Visit her at: https://www.leeabaltes.com

Great Cape O’ Colors / Capa de colores by Karl Beckstrand
 
This magically educational book teaches children about colors, careers and cultures while also easing them in to learning Spanish. I love how the characters represent various cultural backgrounds, and the story itself is well written and easy to follow. I appreciate books that empower children, and reassure them that they have the ability to become whatever they dream to be. Rarely do we see books that teach about careers, so I think it is really wonderful that Karl has created a book that teaches not only about various careers and cultures, but does it in a fun filled, magical way using the concept of a spectacular cape that can transform the child into various characters. I have my favorite pages…they are all beautifully done, but I LOVE the page with the knight and the maiden in the forest, which leads to the ending where they cape allows the child to even disappear. To me, this reminded me of meditation, and being able to mentally escape to a place of peace at any given moment that you choose. This book is wonderful for many reasons, and carries an essence of magic, wonder, and empowerment while encouraging the reader to expand their horizons and learn about other languages and cultures.
The illustrations beautifully match the magic of the story, and each page feels special, as if you are transported with your imagination and intentions to these places that every child is capable of reaching.  
This is Karl’s twentieth book, and fourth in a series of books that teaches children specifically about careers. I am delighted to be sharing this book with you all, and highlighting a wildly successful author who is changing the world and inspiring children with his ideas.
 
About the Author:
Karl Beckstrand is the bestselling and award-winning author/illustrator of 20 multicultural/multilingual books and more than 50 ebook titles (reviews by Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, School Library Journal, The Horn Book’s blog, ForeWord Reviews). Raised in San Jose, CA (he knows the secret to peeling avocados), he has a B.A. in journalism from BYU, an M.A. in international relations from APU, and a broadcast/film certificate from Film A. Academy. Since 2004 he has run Premio Publishing. His survival western, To Swallow the Earth, won a 2016 International Book Award. An ESL and college media instructor, Beckstrand has presented to Taiwan’s Global Leadership for Youth, city and state governments, festivals, and schools. His nationally lauded Y.A. stories, e-book mysteries, nonfiction, ESL/ELL Spanish/bilingual books, wordless and STEM books feature ethnically diverse characters—and usually end with a twist. His work has appeared in: Amazon, Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Costco, Deseret Book, Follett, iBooks, Ingram, Papercrafts Magazine, Target.com, The U.S. Congressional Record, Walmart.com, FB, Twitter, http://KarlBeckstrand.com, https://GozoBooks.com

I believe that artists and writers reflect their souls within their creations. This is apparent with Leea’s book, Goodnight Wishes. The moment I picked up the book I silently exhaled and said, “Awe.” It is a precious little story of a simple mouse and her family, and a mother’s personal journey to create a new home and make the most of an unfortunate situation.
What I love most about this story are the lessons that are subtly woven throughout the tale. The mouse, though she lives with her family in the crumbling baseboards of a rundown home, is completely happy with what she has in the beginning of the story. This teaches us to look for happiness not in material things, but in what we are surrounded with in everyday life, such as family, and reminds us to give thanks for what we have.
When disaster strikes and they are forced to flee their home, she uses the power of faith, love, and determination to quickly find another place to live. Throughout the book the universe provides for her and her family, and answers her “wish” that she faithfully asks the moon, while gazing up to the Heavens. It is beautifully written, and the illustrations are simply magical. I felt like I was right there with the little family, silently cheering every time fate would unfold in their favor. For example, when they are left homeless, the moon illuminates a hollowed tree and she realizes that with hard work she can turn this tree into their new home. She works all night long, building stairs out of popsicle sticks, and using everything she can find to provide for her family. I am sure several mothers out there can relate to using what is around to provide for their family, even if it isn’t exactly what they wanted it to be. Another example of the universe providing for her, is the somewhat unfortunate box that topples off of a moving van filled with dollhouse furniture; perfectly sized for their new mouse-house.
This book teaches us to be thankful for what we have, and reinforces the power of prayer, and faith in the Universal Energy that we are all connected to. The unfortunate situation in the beginning of the book, led to the mice finding the home that they were always meant to be in.  This story reminds us to have faith in God that all will be well, even if we can’t see the purpose of our hardships. I also love that the mother mouse teaches her children to wish upon the moon, but more importantly to ask the creator of the moon for the answer. I highly recommend this beautiful tale!

About the Author
Award-winning author and illustrator of Goodnight Wishes! and A Christmas Star.
Recipient of the Bronze Medal in the 2017 Wishing Shelf Book Awards.
Leea Baltes is an award-winning author & illustrator of children’s books that are beautifully illustrated in soft watercolors that reflect her love and appreciation of Beatrix Potter. Each inspirational story is subtly woven around a positive and encouraging message instilling hope, gratitude, and wholesome values into the minds and hearts of little ones. Her desire is not only to provide the child with an entertaining story, but to offer the idea of how they, too, can feel connected to the magical and beautiful universe around them. 

Leea has a passion for all things magical and creative! Her artistic ability began at a young age and is still evident today not only in her children’s stories and illustrations, but with her award-winning fine art paintings, photography, and costume designs. Her 3d miniature creations consist of things like ballerina dresses with tiny sculptured ballet slippers, party dresses with little matching hats, and a stone fairy house with whimsical furniture made from cinnamon sticks and moss. Just like Tinkerbell... Leea can take any found item and use it to fix something… or turn it into a treasure! Her original works of art can be viewed online at Fine Art America and at EBSQ Self Representing Artists, where she is a Juried Member. 

Leea lives in Maryland where she also enjoys nature’s creatures, gardening, her two cats,
and is currently busy creating her upcoming books.

Visit her at: https://www.leeabaltes.com/
 

About the Book:
This book actually is SUPER FUN! The rhyming scheme of the overall book is perfectly written, and exciting from start to finish! The illustrations are vibrant and fun, and the overall ideas that the writer came up with seems like something you would find in a Dr. Seuss book/film.
The book itself is a fun lighthearted read, and takes you into a magical world where all of the delightful characters living in this elaborately wonderful town seem to be trapped there by an evil queen. Sending the lesson that things are not always what they appear from the outside. The little girl in this story longs to live in Super Fun Town, which is more like the amusement park of your dreams, complete with actual wizards, knights, aliens, ghosts, and any other magical character you can think of. Once on the inside she realizes that things are not what they seem and everyone that is working there is in fact under a spell from an evil queen. I immediately thought of social media, and how people post these perfect videos of their lives for all to see, when in actuality their lives are much different than the perfection that we see.
I could go on and on about the lessons of this story, which I particularly like. The child ends up defeating the queen by exposing her evil ways, but she visits a swami first which provides her with knowledge, proving that knowledge is power and people that do the wrong thing will eventually become exposed for their wrong doings. My favorite page (if I had to pick one) is towards the end of the book, where Mallory is sitting with the evil queen in her jail cell. She chooses to forgive the queen and decides to get to know her, even though she did some very cruel things. The queen says “When I was much younger I never followed rules, I always thought I was smarter and my parents were fools. I didn’t care if they liked it. I didn’t care who I crossed. I never thought about the prices. I never thought about cost. I didn’t care who I taunted, I didn’t care whom I teased. I did whatever I wanted. I just did how I pleased.”  Proving that acting in such a manner develops one’s character into what the queen has become, cruel and unlikable.
She goes on to express how she made up the disguise of the Queen so that she could live forever in Super Fun town, which makes the main character realize that she would end up like the Queen if she continued trying to do the same. She quickly shifts her focus from being obsessed with living in Super Fun town to rescuing everyone who is trapped there, including her own parents. I love the many, many lessons that shine through this story, and the book itself is beautifully written and illustrated!
This is the type of book you could read over and over to your child and it would never get old. 

About the Author

David Disspain is an author and creator of Sci-Fi, Superhero, Kung Fu Fairy Tales.  He
is originally from Phoenix, Arizona, but now lives in the Washington D.C. area. 
 He has written stories for several graphic novel anthologies including "Harbinger" inside the pages of "Twist in the Night: A Horror Anthology" by Torn Comics and "The Unusual Labor of Gus McCray" inside the anthology "Ignition" by 215 Ink.

www.daviddisspain.com
https://twitter.com/DavidDisspain
https://www.facebook.com/daviddisspainauthor/​

https://www.facebook.com/mallorybrownatsuperfuntown/

This heartwarming story is perfect for any parent or child who is trying to understand the experience of being a foster child. For someone who was unfamiliar with the process and feelings associated, this book really helps paint a picture of what it is like to be a foster child.
The symbology of the sweater is beautiful; something that she is given from her birth mother, desperately holds on to, and takes with her like a memory to many other homes. As it unravels she begins to let go of her anger, sadness and fear and learns to love a new family. I LOVE how the author brings it full circle at the end and shows the main character as a grown up, taking the remnants from her old yellow sweater and knitting it into a new colorful sweater for her own child. This really is a story of hope, which is what Speranza means in Italian.
This story is wonderfully written, and I like that the author explained the feelings associated with this experience. For example, she explains the sadness associated with missing birth parents and siblings, the guilt involved with loving another family, confusion of new places and things, and anger towards birth parents for not keeping promises. By explaining why these feelings occurred it reassures the child that it is okay to experience this wide array of feelings.
The book also has a helpful glossary at the end to help explain words that are commonly used around foster children such as adopt, foster care, forever family, foster parents, and social worker. I highly recommend this book, not only for foster children and their caregivers but for others who are would like to learn about experiences and upbringings that may be different than their own. I believe that by having compassion for others and opening our minds to what others experience we grow as human beings.
To Buy Speranza's Sweater  
 
About the Author
Marcy Pusey, CRC, is a clinical counselor, best-selling author, wife, and mommy. Marcy’s writing has appeared in newspapers, magazines, blog posts, children’s books, and books for adults internationally. She has been a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for nearly a decade. Marcy has written books for adults, such as “Reclaiming Hope: Overcoming the Challenges of Parenting Foster and Adopted Children” and books for children, such as “Tercules” “According to Corban” and “Speranza’s Sweater,” and a journal: “Castle Quest.” 
She uses a decade of experience writing and publishing for children to edit, critique, and coach other writers and their work, specializing in children’s literature.
She lives in the Black Forest of Germany with her husband and children. You can learn more about Marcy at www.marcypusey.com.
 

I love this book for SO many reasons!! The simple acts of kindness demonstrated by Ed and those around him speaks volumes to his character, and teaches children that you can never be too busy to help another living being. 

With Easter occurring this weekend, it really makes you wonder… how many of us would stop and rescue two stray dogs, or help another human being for that matter, on a day when we typically have nonstop plans with friends and family?
This TRUE story represents selflessness, humanity coming together for a cause, and really represents the change that we all hope to see in the world. A portion of the proceeds from this book also goes towards the Lost Cat & Dog Foundation, which is a wonderful cause. 

About the Author
Originally from New York, Ed Ehlers has made his home in Northern Virginia since 2000. He lives there with Lisa and their three children. He enjoys the woods and rivers with Max & Tucker, Australian Shepherd brothers. In addition to writing, Ed enjoys making jewelry from local rock and river glass. You can find his work at CliftonStone on Etsy. Lily & Lucy is his first children’s book. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation.

About the Illustrator
Emely Pascual is a Communication Arts student at VCU that keeps busy by drawing and
painting. Born and raised in Northern Virginia, Emely loves to spend time with her family
and friends while exploring her creative abilities. From an early age, Emely has enjoyed
creating narratives with illustrations inspired by the world around her. In addition, Emely
designs jewelry which can be found at Aquiboni on Etsy.