First Ever Book Review From My Dog, Sammy!

First Ever Book Review From My Dog, Sammy!

Storybook: Teddy & Stanley's Tall Tell

I came across this story as I was combing the Internet and updating myself on the latest news. Apparently some British experts have created a storybook, Teddy & Stanley's Tall Tell, just for dogs to help keep them calm and relaxed. How clever and cute, right?! I thought I'd try it out on my dog Sammy, the video clip that is, to see if he'd have any response to the sounds the gentleman in the video was making.

As the video played, to my surprise Sammy started making whining sounds. I thought this really couldn't be happening...was my dog actually responding to the sounds being told in this story?? NO WAY!! 

The story continued and Sammy let out yet another whining sound. WTH!!? He then proceeded to get up from his slumbered position, walk over to me, and placed his two front paws on my legs. Turns out Sammy just wanted to go outside to relieve himself. LOL!

So was Sammy's reaction just a coincidence?? Did the sounds of this book really trigger a response? Perhaps, perhaps not. LOL. After all, he had not moved from his position for a couple of hours until the sounds of the video started playing. Uhmmmm, very interesting! So I concluded the following FIRST EVER book review from my dog Sammy; based on his behavior of course:

Sammy's Review of Teddy & Stanley's Tall Tell: "The book was good enough, or bad enough depending on how you look at it, to make me want to leave the room to relieve myself!" HaHa!! ;-)

God Bless!
T Denise Clary

How To Write A Children's Picture Book

In lieu of 'NaNoWriMo' going on this month, coupled with the fact that I have written several children's books (although they lack illustrations at the present moment), I thought I'd post an article I found on the internet regarding how to write a children's picture book. The article is written by author Jacqui Robbins. Please click on the link titled, How to Write a Children's Picture Book, to be re-directed to the author's blog site to get an in-depth explanation for each point below numbered from one to eleven. I am not certain if my current books follow all the rules the article lays out, but I think they come pretty close!  Happy writing! :-)

God Bless!

T Denise Clary

HOW TO WRITE A CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK   

by Jacqui Robbins
(Author of “The New Girl…and Me” & “Two of a Kind”)

1. Read 100 first.

2. Picture books have 500-700 words. Or fewer.

3. Picture books are 32 pages long.

4. Each page much have something newly illustratable.

5. The text of your story must stand alone.

6. Don't talk down to children or moralize to them.

7. Your story must have a beginning, a middle, and an end.

8. Your story must have a conflict or a problem, and that problem must be solved by the kid.

9. Show, don't tell.

10. If you write in rhyme, your rhyme and meter must be perfect.

11. Forget numbers 2-10 until your story is written. Just start writing. Worry about the rules later.

Just have fun!