Thursday, May 9, 2019

Review, Guest Posts, and Giveaway: Isaac's Ice Cream Tree by Angela Henderson and When God Made Color by Sheri Carmon


About the Books


WhiteSpark Publishing is thrilled to bring readers young and old two delightful stories all about color!

Isaac’s Ice Cream Tree
Isaac loves the sugar maple in his yard, and he can’t help but feel bad for it when its branches are winter-bare. He decides to give it a gift…and is surprised when the tree returns the favor in the new morning snow, presenting him with balls of…ice cream!
But how long can this magic last with spring on the horizon? A magical exploration through the colors of the rainbow, the days of the week, and some of our favorite fruits that is sure to delight.

When God Made Color
The wonders of creation spread out before us in all the glories of the rainbow…the deep purples and blues of night, the bright yellows of day, the pinks and oranges of flowers. And of course, the colors of all the creatures…including us! These sumptuous fine art illustrations will thrill parent and child alike!

Click here to purchase Isaac’s Ice Cream Tree.
Click here to purchase When God Made Color

My Thoughts:

on Isaac's Ice Cream Tree

Isaac’s Ice Cream Tree is a magical story that really focuses on a child’s imagination with a favorite tree of his.  In this story Isaac goes through the days of the week bringing different fruits to his tree and finds that each day the fruit has changed to different flavors and colors of ice cream. Not only that but there is a little bit of science taught as well as the seasons change from winter to spring and his ice cream begins to evaporate. This was a cute book with bright and colorful illustrations that kids will enjoy.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

on When God Made Color

When God Made Color is a children’s book about colors wrapped around the creation of the world. This was a beautifully illustrated book, which to me looked like water colors that takes the Genesis story and tells it for kids in a way I had not read before. I really liked this book and its creative take on colors, especially from the beginning. And certainly since God is the creator of everything, that includes colors as well, from all the colors of the rainbow to all the colors of the world and people. This is a nice book for teaching moments with kids.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Authors


Angela Henderson resides in Dallas, Texas, where she teaches middle school English Language Arts & Reading and is a mother of three. Exploring children’s books for twelve years with her own children during numerous “story times” at the local library and reading hundreds of books to her children, her passion for quality children’s literature led her to write her own work. After creating her blog and Facebook page, Kidsbook Friends, and her Instagram, Instabooks, she’s been able to share her love of literature with over a thousand followers by featuring authors and books. She’s thrilled to introduce her own creative story where magical moments lead to positive perspectives.


 
Sheri Carmon seeks to incorporate the beauty of the Lord’s heart, His ways and His love in her writing for children. As an author, her goal is to shine His light through stories. In the past she has published poetry and inspirational compositions with both Blue Mountain Arts and The Group Publishing. Sheri has always cared for the individual needs of families and spent fifteen marvelous, fast-paced years in real estate, specializing in family friendly homes. She and her husband have helped facilitate whole church Bible-reading programs in Colorado, Nebraska and South Dakota. They make their home in Colorado, on the front range of the Rocky Mountains, where they’re surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation every day.

More from Angela


Why children’s books? After all, I teach young teens. Well, my reasons:
  1. I love art, and reading children’s books is like looking at an artist’s showcase of creativity! * Shout out to my amazing illustrator, Rachael Koppendrayer!
  2. I love to dream up the impossible, and you can make anything happen in a children’s book!
  3. I love togetherness and nothing brings a family together like a good book.
As I read picture books with my kiddos, the teacher in me wanted to instruct too. I created a blog (www.kidsbookfriends.com) so teachers, librarians and parents could have little lessons to help them “make friends” with the characters in the stories I featured. Surrounded by such inspiration from these books and my kiddos, I started writing my own manuscripts when my kids were all under age five, mainly sketches of thoughts until I had segments of time where I could construct stories. 

After several years of attending SCBWI conferences; connecting with writers; creating manuscripts & editing and revising, editing and revising (you see a pattern?!); and submitting them to publishers, Isaac’s Ice Cream Tree was accepted for publication and was released January 15, 2019, by Whitefire Publishing! (It’s a process!!!) 

The message embedded in this colorful, magical story expresses a very real part of my heart as it’s our family motto: “Always remember to look for the rainbow.” My kids and I both literally and figuratively practice this principle, rushing out after every rain to see if the sky is painted with a bow as well as trying to find the good that comes through the storms of life. 

Through my journey, I’ve experienced much loss through moving many times, caring for my mother during her dying days, and losing my husband through divorce. Yet in it all, God redeems and uses each pain and joy like brush strokes on a canvass, reminding us of His unfailing promises while creating a masterpiece. 

Creativity, imagination, inspiration . . . make magical moments. Gather together. Dream the impossible. Embrace the colors. . . as I introduce you to a new friend, Isaac! Excited to share this story with you. . . and my next one . . . and the one after that. . . until we have many new kindred spirits . . .together.

Click here for a fee printable coloring page.

Click here to learn the story behind the story.

More from Sheri


A child asks, “Who am I?”

Creation Vs. Evolution – The big battle. Many public schools are presenting Evolution as fact and not theory. They leave no room for the concept of Creation. Our little ones are not creatures descended from animals, they are Children of God, created in His image. This is our identity and our children’s Identity and it makes all the difference in how we see ourselves, how we see others and how we engage in the world. Our identity is made clear in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:26-27 NIV. As Christian parents and grandparents, we are charged with teaching, encouraging and bringing forth our family line for the LORD. The new picture book When God Made Color, with its awe inspiring illustrations, is about our true identity and about the joyful, loving God who created us and the whole universe – a universe that is still expanding – Isn’t He just amazing?

Click here to view a special video


Blog Stops


By The Book, May 2
Mary Hake, May 5

Giveaway




To celebrate their tour, Angela and Sheri is giving away a grand prize of The Great Color Giveaway Package that includes a$25 gift card from Amazon, Rainbow ice-cream cups with colored spoons, a paperback copy of Issacs’s Ice Cream Tree, a $25 gift card from Barnes and Noble, Crayola Washable Kids’ Paint – 12 count original and glitter paint (see attached image), and a paperback copy of When God Made Color!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/e2a9/the-great-color-celebration-tour-giveaway
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2 comments:

  1. Rita WrayMay 9, 2019 at 10:57 AM

    I enjoyed the post thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMay 9, 2019 at 11:58 AM

    Thank you for reviewing my children's book, "Isaac's Ice Cream Tree"... I appreciate your thoughts and am excited to follow your blog!

    ReplyDelete