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Nickerbacher, The Funniest Dragon

Written by Terry John Barto
Illustrated by Kim Sponaugle
AuthorHouse                 3/23/2015
978-1-4969-5454-1
34 pages             Age 5—8
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“Nickerbacher is a sweet-tempered, bushy-browed beast who spends his days guarding Princess Gwendolyn and dreaming of being a stand-up comic—not exactly a profession for a dragon! He’s true to his duty as dragon—as dictated by his Papa—but wants only to make the world laugh. Gwendolyn is supportive and encouraging, telling his he needs to do what makes him happy. It isn’t until the dashing Prince Happenstance comes along, ready for a fight, that they realize that instead of battling each other, they should do what’s in their hearts and pursue their true desires (the Prince wants to e a baseball pitchwer). With a winning set at The Comedy Castle and his family’s newfound support and pride, it’s all laughter, happiness, and dreams come true for the good-natured dragon!” [press release]
Review
The sign by Nickerbacher’s station below Princess Gwendolyn’s tower window states,

“BEWARE OF DRAGON”

Maybe at one time, but Nickerbacher is no threat to any Prince or enemy. The softhearted dragon loves the princess, but he would rather be doing something else—telling jokes—on stage, on the road, or just about any place he might land. Nickerbacher’s papa is not one for tomfoolery. The gigantic orange and red-spotted dragon strictly obeys one commandment,

“Every dragon has a duty to guard princesses.”

Nickerbacher is to be no exception and quickly stands guard—fearfully—whenever Papa checks up on him. Poor Nickerbacher, he tries to explain, but Papa will not budge. Nickerbacher may display his angst but will not disobey Papa. Kids will feel for him, but they will identify more with Prince Happenstance, who would rather be a baseball pitcher than a knight. (Did baseball exist at the time of knights and dragons?) The story is cute and the illustrations are captivating, nicely enhancing Barto’s story. I love the spread where Prince Happenstance flips a coin, which bounces off Nickerbacher’s nose.

Though he looks young for a knight (maybe eleven or twelve), Prince Happenstance is a tad full of himself, which fits his knightly role. Once the prince decides to follow his dream his attitudes takes a major shift. Nickerbacher’s family finally accepts his true self, encouraging him to pursue his comedic dreams. The story does not end there. We see Nickerbacher signing his book How to be Funny with modern appearing people waiting in a long line for his signature. Nickerbacher no longer looks like a dragon as he dons a red hat and an Hawaiian-styled shirt.

Being a tad fussy,]]] I notice out-of-place details: baseball, Hawaiian shirts, and modern looking people in the era of knights and dragons. I doubt kids will care and may appreciate the reference to a game most have played. Those details side, Nickerbacher is a good story about standing up for your true self. Barto gets his message across without hammering them by using kid humor. It is a shame the book is in paperback (eBook is available). Kids may well wear out the pages with repeat readings. They will love the goofy jokes. Parents who like read using different voices will have loads of fun with Nickerbacher, the Funniest Dragon. Barto’s first foray into children’s book was Gollywood (review here).

NICKERBACHER. Text copyright © 2015 by Terry John Barto. Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Kim Sponaugle. Reproduced by permission of the AuthorHouse, Bloomington, IN.

Purchase Nickerbacher at Amazon—Book Depository—AuthorHouse.

Learn more about Nickerbacher HERE.

Book’s website:  http://www.nickerbacher.com/
Meet the author, Terry John Barto, at his website:  http://www.tjbkids.com/
Meet the illustrator, Kim Sponaugle, at her website:  http://www.picturekitchenstudio.com/
Find more picture books at the AuthorHouse website:  http://www.authorhouse.com/

AWARDS
2015 Beverly Hills Book Awards Finalist: Picture Books
Mom’s Choice Award Gold

 Copyright © 2015 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews

Hey, if you want to pay someone to publish your book, for just $3,499, you can get the “Hollywood Connection Publishing and Marketing” package from AuthorHouse, which includes such exciting items as a “personalized back cover.”

The website says:
“The Hollywood Connection publishing package features premium AuthorHouse publishing and marketing services and includes:
- Hollywood Coverage service – a concise synopsis of the book that is the industry-standard tool for identifying viable new material.
- Placement in AuthorHouse’s Hollywood Database, which is accessible to movie and television writers, agents, directors, actors and producers.”

Yeah, I bet that “accessible” database is used a TON by all those producers and directors.

But wait, there’s more. For just, $6,199, there’s “Hollywood Rainmaker Publishing and Marketing.”
And this has all of the above, plus:
“- A professional Hollywood treatment of the book written by a professional screenwriter.
- All rights to ownership of the treatment.”

I can picture the “professional screenwriter” right now. He or she is muttering under his breath that he never thought he would end up doing this.

The press release says: ““Several AuthorHouse books have made it to the big screen, including ‘Legally Blonde’ and ‘September Dawn,’ and we’re pleased to provide authors with these exclusive opportunities to be discovered,” said Keith Ogorek, senior vice president of marketing for Author Solutions, Inc.—AuthorHouse’s parent company.”

But I think this is disingenuous. The movie Legally Blonde, was filmed October-December 2000, and released June, 2001. The AuthorHouse edition of Legally Blonde was published in 2001, after the movie was already in the can. And September Dawn? It was filmed in early 2006, and the book came out in 2007. The author herself says, “A prolific producer of many major motion pictures once told me that the story of how my first screenplay, September Dawn became a movie was a miracle. It began when I brought the first draft of September Dawn to my very dear friend, Christopher Cain of Young Guns fame.”

So I think AuthorHouse is twisting the truth. But hey, if you can make some money....

Remember folks - money should flow to the writer. Not away.