Independent & Self-Published Features

Independent and Self-Published Features: Featuring Ganit and Adir Levy, Aurora Whittet, and Jacob A. Boehne

by MaiStoryBook

*Highlighting up and coming illustrators and authors from independent publishing houses and self-publishers*

Please reach out to MaiStoryBook through Instagram, FB, or by commenting on my blog, and *share or tag* books, authors, or illustrators who would fit into this category of independent/self publishing! I’m excited for the wonders we will find!

Now without further ado~

This week’s *interactive* children’s book gift guide:

What Should Danny Do? by Ganit and Adir Levy

Published by Elon Books: Self-Published

MaiStoryBook is all about the *interactive* reading experience~ getting children involved and engaged in the reading by sparking conversation and stoking their imagination. With *What Should Danny Do?” be prepared for the *interactive* reading experience of the year~ where you *aka your little one* has the power to *choose* how the story ends! How is this possible?? Scattered throughout the story are questions asking. *What should Danny do?* each time the tale comes to a crossroads and a decision must be made.   Based upon your child’s answer, flip to the corresponding page number, and continue the story to see how the decision affected the ending. With *nine* different endings to explore, children will delight in making choices for Danny, and, *added bonus,* through the process, will ultimately discover the power their own choices have to shape their own days and lives.

In this interactive book, with the power to *choose,* children take an active role in the creative process, becoming pseudo-authors themselves, as they rewrite the story and its ending based on the decisions they make. They control the ebb and flow of the story. Plus, it’s an engaging way to teach cause and effect to little ones, as each choice they make results in a direct consequence for Danny. Discuss the alternate outcomes with your little ones, to emphasize the notion that actions have consequences. The perfect gift for this upcoming holiday season to inspire in children a love for reading~ Follow Danny, our mini storybook superhero in training, to learn about the most important super power of them all: *The Power to Choose!*

A bit more about the Authors: Ganit and Adir Levy

Ganit is a former teacher and Adir is an internet entrepreneur, aka astrophysicist junkie. He ties on a daily basis for various projects and clients. Ganit and Adir are parents to four amazing children. In their free time, they enjoy writing, painting, and date nights at Target. To learn more about their book, visit their site www.whatshoulddannydo.com, and follow them on Instagram: @whatshoulddannydo.

Use this coupon code for a discount off your book purchase: DANNYROCKS

Check here to find this book for your own home library!

*****

How to Turn Your Mom Into a Monster by Aurora Whittet

Published by Wise Ink Creative Publishing:  Self-publishing company that helps authors identify with their audience, develop a strategy to reach them, and design a tailor-made roadmap of their publishing journey from beginning to end.

The perfect gift for your own *little monsters* at home, delve into this outrageously adorable tale to discover the secret of *How to Turn Your Mom Into a Monster.* Providing a humorous spin on all of the *monstrous* behaviors your little ones may display day to day, this book frames these naughty romps as the secret formula to making *mom’s monster come out and play!* For all of the parents whose own *own-inner monster* threatens to unleash every now and again, *think lunches smeared all over clothes and the table, picking fights with siblings for no apparent reason, more water out of the tub than in it* this tale is sure to charm and delight both you and your little ones. Kiddos will gasp at the *monstrous* actions and directions of these baby monsters ~ and will giggle gleefully as they, and you, realize that they can actually relate to the little monsters behaviors.

Plus, ever have incidents regarding *Time For Bed,*~ well, bedtime is little monsters time to shine! And , provided purely for your little one’s convenience, is a complete, *interactive* Reason Chart, with a fill-in-the- blank sentence frame with an extended word bank, used to craft the ultimate reason why your own little monster cannot go to sleep. “I can’t go to sleep because the ______ ______ my _________” Children will squeal with laughter crafting up outrageous excuses, *think~ the dinosaur chewed my hair, or *a personal favorite*, the unicorn pooped on my nightlight.* Sure to become a bedtime favorite, beware your own inner monster coming out to join the fun~ good thing Mama Monsters are the *cuddly* kind!

A bit more about the Author: Aurora Whittet

A national award-winning graphic designer in her day job, Aurora lives with her family in Minnesota. Today, she has completed her first Young Adult series; the Bloodmark Saga and made her debut as a children’s author with Mama’s Knight: A Cancer Story of Love. She is also a trained birth doula. To learn more, check out her website: www.aurorawhittet.com, follow her on Instagram: @aurorawhittet, and like her on Facebook.

Check here to find this book for your own home library!

*****

 Two Long Ears by Jacob A. Boehne

Published by Schiffer Publishing: A family-owned, independent publisher of high-quality, nonfiction books since 1974

A unique counting book for kids, while teaching children to count from one to ten, *Two Long Ears* also exposes little ones to the many ways people decorate their bodies. Promoting the acceptance of a tattoo and piercing culture that is rarely displayed for kids in other media forms, this counting board book is the perfect tool to start the conversation with young ones about accepting differences in appearances. A great resource for educators and parents to teach the value of diversity, the book is filled with illustrations that depict a wide variety of body art, from knuckle tattoos, to facial piercings. The artwork is inspired by traditional tattoo designs that children may be familiar with seeing, such as roses, and more not-so-traditional styles such as stars along the hairline and bright purple hair.

The bold, colorful, and bright illustrations will surely capture little ones’ attention. Plus, an interactive component is included at the back of the book with an unfolding, colorable wall poster. The poster is covered with the outlines of the ten figures from the book, and children are encouraged to add their own modifications and decorations to the characters. Through this simple and short storybook, children are guided to begin to realize that piercing and tattoos are not modifications meant to hide or change who you are~ but rather to celebrate who you are and what you have that’s already great!

A bit more about the Author: Jacob A. Boehne

Jacob A. Boehne is an artist and early childhood educator. He lives in Cincinnati with his wife and two children. Heavily tattooed himself, Jacob aimed to create a book that portrayed people with body piercing sand tattoos in a good light. His goal is to have the book be used as a tool to begin talking to children about accepting differences and promoting diversity. To learn more, follow Jacob on Instagram @twolongearsbook. 

Check here to find this book for your own home library!

*****

*~Support these independent/self-published authors and illustrators and check out what they’ve been writing and creating.  Please share any books, authors, or illustrators that fit into this category by tagging me on Instagram @MaiStoryBookLibrary,  posting on MaiStoryBook’s FaceBook page, or commenting on the blog below! I’m always looking for new treasures to read, support, and share with all of you!~*

*Plus, checkout out an interactive  read aloud of a winter wonderland tale   here.*

*~Until Next Time, Happy Reading~*