*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! You can see my Book Review Policy Here. I’m excited for the wonders we will find!

Now without further ado~

Featuring this week’s bilingual and interactive reads about our earth its animals:

New World Girls: First Mission-Landing on Earth by Carolyn Wagner

Illustrated by Alice Wong

Published by Wolf dog Media LLC

Introducing the New World Girls (NWG), a group of five female heroines, each of whom uses their unique talents and powers rooted from their heritage, cultures, and traditions, to complete intergalactic missions. Although these *super girls* come from a community of diverse planets in a far away galaxy, their great grandmothers come rom planet Earth. Sent on a mission from Transform U, their school in the sky, the NWG return to their original homeland to help create a more sustainable and peaceful world. In this first book of the series, the NWG arrive on planet Earth amidst a meteor shower of shooting stars, and set off on their first mission to rescue their companion, Elipup (part elephant, part puppy), who was lost upon landing on Earth. With the help of the Earthling, Stella, the NWG explore the planet and use their unique talents and abilities to work together to help their friends, each other, and the world around them.

Author Carolyn Wagner has created a story that teaches littles to value differences, embrace traditions and cultures, and to work together to help make the world a better place. The New World Girls are exemplary of how to live in harmony with each other and the planet. Plus, her attention to detail in outlining each character’s special abilities and heritage draw in readers wanting to learn more about these gifted characters, and how their special talents will be used on their future missions. Additionally, this is a bilingual adventure~ written in both English and Spanish, and thus further promoting literacy and reading across languages and cultures. While the book is heavier in text than a traditional picture book format, the story and length is perfect for an adult and child read aloud~ and for anyone ready for a mystical reading adventure!

A bit more about the Author: Carolyn Wagner

Carolyn Wagner is a first-generation American who has lived and worked around the world, making friends abroad and learning about different countries, cultures, and traditions. She runs her own creative consulting firm that focuses on authenticity and treating one another with kindness. Carolyn in passionate about kids and empowering young girls. She is excited to share the value of different cultures through storytelling and her new book series New World Girls. Motivated in part by a recent NYU study that found that girls as young as age six believe that brilliance is a male trait, Carolyn builds strong multicultural female characters in her New World Girls books, who have diverse skills and special powers they employ in their fun adventures. To learn more, check out her website, newworldgirls.com, like her Facebook page New World Girls, and follow her on Instagram: @newworldgirls, and Twitter, and Pinterest.

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

*****

Sloths Are Slow: An Interactive Children’s Book by Kimberly Marino

Illustrated by Mariya Stoyanova

Published by Bowker: providing tools and resources to help authors promote and sell their books

*Mai* goal with MaiStoryBook is to help bring stories to life~ whether it be through engaging littles in conversation about the story~ so that they are talking about the main themes and ideas and relating to them throughout a reading~ creating a craft that extends the story beyond the book, or even encouraging them to use their body to physically move along with the characters, mimicking actions or facial expressions. ~*Interactive* read alouds are *mai* jam~* So when an interactive read aloud comes along, one where interactions with the text are written into the narrative, it’s a must-read and share for me.

This featured children’s book “Sloths are Slow” will have littles counting, up and moving, crawling, and flapping, and waving and acting. Through explicit directions throughout the narrative, littles will join Lento, the young 3-toed sloth, by literally interacting with the forest-setting alongside him. In this reading adventure, littles will explore a day in the life of a sloth, taking an active part as they transform into forest critters, copying different animal movements and motions, while also making forest friends through their interaction with the text and the main character Lento.

This reading adventure, perfect for littles as young as 1 and up, is brought to life through full page, vibrant illustrations depicting sweet animals, lush forestry, and dreamy skies. The text is lively and simple, with playful rhyme, making it pleasing to the ears of younger littles. Each page has an interactive element, encouraging readers to take an active part in the story with each turn go the page. Young ones will be anticipating the turn of each page, eagerly awaiting their next bookish activity.

A bit more about the Author: Kimberly Marino

Kimberly is a practicing speech-language pathologist on Long Island. She lives in New York with her husband, four children, two dogs, and a cat. She is the co-developer of Descripto Dinos, a speech and language game for pre-schoolers. To learn more, like her Facebook page Sloths are Slow, and follow her on Instagram: @mamas4rugrats / @eatspeakplay

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! Read more about my Book Review Policy here. I’m always looking for new treasures to read, support, and share with all of you!~*

*Plus, checkout a *Sweet* interactive read aloud about the snowball effect of love and kindness here. *

*~Until Next Time, Happy Reading~*