A new Andy and Spirit adventure for kids to enjoy comes to you from Mary Jean Kelso. In Search and Rescue, Andy and Spirit assist in searching through the woods around Joe’s home for a dumped dog Tully is caring for.
What a fun adventure. Tracy’s father-in-law, Tully, is looking for a younger dog to help him around the farm. When his cowboy friend, Joe, calls to tell him about a dumped dog, Tully agrees to stop by. The men find a mother and her mixed-breed pups. Tully takes all of them to his farm, but the mother keeps running off and they don’t know why. They enlist the help of Andy and Spirit to find the mother dog after an escape.
What I’ve enjoyed about this series is that Andy and Spirit are always in the midst of the action. Whether at the fair or the rodeo or rescuing bullies or run away dogs, they are in the thick of things. In Search and Rescue, they actually come into the story a bit later, but it is Andy’s keen hearing and Spirit’s animal sense that saves the day. This is another wonderful addition to Kelso’s Andy and Spirit series.
I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the beautiful artwork by K.C. Snider. After this many years, Snider’s work is easily recognizable to me. I love everything of hers that I’ve seen. In this book, it’s the warm colors, the stunning beauty of nature, and the expressive faces on the characters that catch my eye.
At the end of the book, readers find information on rescue groups and suggestions for interacting with cats and dogs: education and entertainment in one lovely book.
Rating: 
Paperback: 28 pages
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc (July 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616334088
ISBN-13: 978-1616334086
I received a free digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
Just in the time for the Christmas season! Do you have a young girl on your Christmas list? Give the gift of a charming children's book today.
About Birds in a Flower Basket: Abbi’s mother struggles to keep her flowering plant alive while birds raise their family in it. This gives Abbi a valuable lesson on how birds create a nest and raise their young. It is a learning experience from identifying the birds through watching the young hatchlings grow and take wing.
Suggested age for readers: 2-8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDineAward-winning Children's Author
Connect with
Donna McDine on Google+The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist
As a child I loved to read about animals (Bambi, White Fang, My Friend Flicka), and mysteries (The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew). I also loved to read about real people (Little House on the Prairie books). I even read Tom Sawyer. I find my taste in books hasn't changed much. I read books for adults of course, but I still love cozy mysteries, autobiographies, and sometimes, books about animals. I even read the Harry Potter books.....all of them.
Mary Jean Kelso wrote:
I don't remember having favorites until I was probably in fourth or fifth grade. Then, Nancy Drew became collectible to me. I still have some of the original books. Not many as I didn't have much disposable money. However, I thought so highly of them I shellacked the bindings of some.
You can see the influence in my Goodbye Is Forever YA mystery novel.
My latest Children's PB was One Family's Christmas but the 3rd Andy book is due to release this winter. Andy and Spirit in the Big Rescue. http://www.amazon.com/Familys-Christmas-Mary-Jean-Kelso/dp/1935137050/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231525191&sr=1-1
Ronica Stromberg, Author of The Time-for-bed Angel wrote:
My favorite book as a child was The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, followed by The Borrowers. These were pre-Harry Potter days, and there didn't seem to be much fantasy . . . or maybe I just wasn't able to find it as a child.
The Time-for-bed Angel follows the adventures of a guardian angel of a rambunctious little boy who refuses to go to bed. The story can be comforting and reassuring for small children that they are loved and watched over at all times--even in the dark.
http://www.amazon.com/Time-Bed-Angel-Ronica-Stromberg/dp/0825478154/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231520358&sr=1-1
I'm hoping Ronica will tell me what she enjoys reading today. When I hear from her I will add it to this post.
In the meantime....What did you like to read as a child? Have your tastes changed?
Today, artist and illustrator, K.C. Snider, shares her story in this interview by Mayra Calvani, author and book reviewer. Do you consider yourself to be a born illustrator?
Yes! I’ve been drawing since I was 10 years old. I can’t remember wanting to do anything else but to be an artist. I greatly admired the work of Norman Rockwell, America’s most famous illustrator; his work had a great influence on me. As a young adult, I attended commercial art school and graduated with honors. I intended on becoming a commercial illustrator, but marriage and family came first. With encouragement from many people including my husband, I began to paint again and became more of a fine artist. Now through my association with Mary Jean Kelso and then
Guardian Angel Publishing, I have been able to add illustration to my portfolio.Did you always want to be an illustrator?
I would say that I have always been an illustrator because even when I am painting a piece that is just for my own enjoyment, I am telling a story.
What do you do for inspiration and unleashing your creativity?
When I was illustrating Mayra’s picture book, “
The Magic Violin,” I played classical music. It was a great inspiration to me. Usually, it is not hard for me to get inspiration. Because I love my work so much, sometimes my fingers just itch to pick up the brush or pencil.
Describe your working environment.
I have a studio with lots of windows in my home that is devoted to my work. Right now, we are doing a little remodeling and I’ll have a new wood floor and a cabinet with a glass door to display my ribbons and awards for my art. My studio is my sanctuary. My husband, Fred, has a separate studio for his framing which we built this past year. That has given me a lot more space in my own studio which I needed because I may have a number of pieces in progress at any given time.
Are you a disciplined illustrator?What is your working style?
Yes, I am very disciplined. As a trained commercial artist, I know that I have to complete my work in a timely manor. And I love my work; I love the sense of accomplishment when a piece is finished and I get kudos from my family and friends. Although I work at all times of the day, I do a lot of my work in the evening. At times I will get so engrossed in my work that it will be 2 am before I put down the brush or pencil. When I’m illustrating, I typically have a work of fine art in progress that I switch to from time to time just to give me a break. Right now my work in progress is a painting of some pioneer children, their teacher and a one-room school house in the late 1800’s.
Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your works?
What are you working on now?
I’m illustrating the second in the series of ‘Andy and Spirit’ books written by
Mary Jean Kelso, titled “Andy and Spirit Go to the Fair.” The first in the series, “Andy and the Albino Horse,” [was] published by Guardian Angel Publishing in April 2008. This has been a very challenging series for me because the subject is much more complicated. Andy is a young boy in a wheelchair, so I have a new dimension to think about. And Spirit is an albino mustang, a very unusual horse. This series promises to be a wonderful story line for children and parents as it teaches about tolerance and compassion.
Where are your books available?
Guardian Angel Publishing, B&N, Amazon or order in person at Barnes and Noble or Borders book store.What was your experience in working with a writer? The first book I illustrated was
“The Christmas Angel” written by Mary Jean Kelso who happens to be a personal friend. During the process of illustrating that book, Mary had very little input. Then I was given the opportunity to illustrate
“The Magic Violin” written by Mayra Calvani. Mayra wanted more input and I want to thank her for all of her assistance during the process. I learned so much about working with a writer as the emails flew back and forth from Oregon to Belgium. It was a great experience. Now that I am illustrating another book for Mary, we are communicating constantly about the illustrations and I feel that my work is better because of this collaboration.
Andy and Spirit now have a blog you can visit to learn more about the series, as well as its illustrator--
K.C. Snider, and its author--
Mary Jean Kelso.
For information on Mayra Calvani, here are additional links:
Mary Jean Kelso is a journalist and a multi-genre author of adult, young adult, and children's books. In this interview she talks about her latest picture books, illustrated by renowned Oregon artist K.C. Snider.
Thanks for joining us today, Mary Jean. Do you consider yourself to be a born writer?
Yes. From the time I was able to pick up a piece of paper and a pencil. I spent a lot of years not knowing that was the direction I was going so I trained as an administrative assistant and fortunately became a very fast typist!
Tell us about your recent release. What was your inspiration for it?
The Christmas Angel was a piece I made into "mini" books about 1 inch by 3 inches and totally "hand made." I did it because kids were wanting to buy books when I did a signing and the parents didn't want to spend $6.95 for a book. So, I sold
"mini" books for $1 just so the kids could get them. Then I found, since it was Christmas time, adults were buying 24 at a time. They wanted to include them in their Christmas cards. So, I knew the story was a hit. Tell us about your children's books.
K.C. Snider illustrated the first, The Christmas Angel. She is also illustrating the sequel (One Family's Christmas) and the Andy and the Albino Horse series. We are both very excited about our work with Guardian Angel Publishing.
Have you ever suffered from writer's block? If yes, how did you "cure" it?
Yes! How I cured it was to stop listening to all the people that were telling me "how" to write. I was looking at hard and fast rules I was afraid to break and until I became honest and wrote what I wanted to the way I wanted to write it I wasted a lot of time worrying if I was doing it right.
Are you a disciplined writer? What is your working style? Do you like to outline and plot ahead, or are you more of a stream-of-consciousness writer?
I'm a steam-of-consciousness writer. I like the surprise when the story takes a turn. I like getting the excitement the first time like the reader does. I will go through the rough draft and list the chapters and put down a sentence that describes what it is basically about just to make sure I'm tracking properly. I tend to do a lot of rewrites and have fun with the things that "pop" up to add.
Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your works?
What are you working on now?
I am a multi-genre writer. I write for a newspaper, write for adults and YA as well as for children. Right now I am working on my Homesteader series — #4. #3 is due out in May so the editing starts in a couple of months. I am working with K.C. Snider in the sense that we teleconference on the illustrations for the next several books for GAP and trying to keep up with the newspaper as well as doing signings as often as possible.
Where are your books available?
What advice would you offer aspiring writers?
Listen to your own voice. Only you know how you want to write the book and what works for you.
.jpg?picon=993)
That sounds so sweet! Hope all is well with you, Donna.
Looks like a story just right for young readers. Congratulations, Mary Jean. Best of luck.
What a lovely story for the little ones. Thanks for the review Donna, and Mary Jean, I wish you great success. Happy writing all.
The little girls on your Christmas list will surely love this. It sounds adorable and the cover is too!
Delightful picture book, with lovely illustrations. Congrats to both Mary Jean and Julie. Birds in the Flower Basket will make a wonderful holiday gift.
I added this to my Pinterest REVIEW board.
Books for Kids + FREE Book Catalog
http://tinyurl.com/d8ppylg
Lovely book! The review is terrific. So glad I visited.
I love the cover. SO CUTE!