Showing posts with label children’s books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children’s books. Show all posts

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Plants, Birds, and Beavers Grow and Change


Daddy, why is Fido getting old?

Mommy, why can’t I stay a kid forever?

Sometimes kids ask questions that can catch you off guard. Having a talk about the necessity of change and the circle of life can be difficult. That’s why I’ve written my Changes duet, to help open up little minds to understanding the nature of change.

Meant for educational purposes, but still, an enjoyable light and colorful read, Plants and Animals Change Over Time, explains the circle of life in the simplest terms. It follows the life of a seedling and an unhatched egg to full maturity and beyond. You may also want to check out, Land Changes Over Time, to learn how the world is reshaped around us.

Daddy, what is change anyway?

Mommy, does change have to happen to me?

Sometimes kids ask questions that can catch you off guard. Having a talk about the necessity and inevitability of change can be difficult. That’s why I’ve written my Changes duet, to help open up little minds to understanding the nature of change.

Meant for educational purposes, but still an enjoyable light and colorful read, Land Changes Over Time, explores how the world is reshaped around us. It chronicles the results of beavers, worms, and birds moving into an empty meadow. You may also want to check out, Plants and Animals Change Over Time, to learn about the circle of life. 

 Plants and Animals Change Over Time

Purchase Book Here
Land Changes Over Time
Purchase Book Here

Find out more about me, my work, and my inspiration at the following links:
Amazon | Goodreads The ToiBox of Words | YouTube | See a list of my other posts here.

Friday, March 8, 2019

Chip, Skip, and Joe learn about Needs and Wants


Writing is not something I ever thought I'd pursue as a career growing up. While I always loved to read and write, I also enjoyed technology and learning how to use it. That's why I got my college degree in a tech field. Still, as a working adult, things began to come into perspective. I soon realized that writing was part of me and needed to be an area of focus in my life; the decision the publish was simply based on a desire to share my work. Even without publication, writing became part of my daily life.

As with changes in my perspective on writing, my career goals soon shifted. As much as I still love and appreciate learning about new technology, even today, I was not content as a coder and was miserable in Corporate America. When I discovered the joys of working with children who have special needs, everything shifted. I worked in education for 10 years and endured the highs and lows of the educational system because I loved the children and making a difference in their lives. Now, working as a behavioral therapist, I'm still able to draw from my classroom experiences to help and support the kids I encounter every day.

More than just experience came out of that time in the classroom. I also wrote, illustrated, and self-published two series of educational fiction books, catered to the needs of my class. The children enjoyed the stories so much and were able to gain a better understanding of some broad concepts, that I decided to share them with the world. Chip and Skip Need Each Other and What Does Joe Need?, helps young children or any age child with special needs begin to gain a better understanding of how needs and wants relate to them.

Learn more about all my children's books by visiting my website

 Watch What Does Joe Need? Trailer
Purchase Book Here
What Chip and Skip... Trailer
Purchase Book Here

Find out more about me, my work, and my inspiration at the following links:
Amazon | Goodreads The ToiBox of Words | YouTube | See a list of my other posts here.

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Sunday, March 3, 2019

I Don't Speak Spanish

But I Write Spanish



Nah, I don't dance Spanish either..
I never learned to speak Spanish and I know only a few words I picked up working as a nurse, but I love a sound and rhythm of this melodious, dynamic language.
And, of course, I love watching the Spanish dance as well.

You might ask how could I publish books in Spanish if I don't speak the language. Well, I met Carmen, an English teacher in Spain, on Facebook, and she mentioned that she needs to refine her English skills. So I asked her if she would translate some of my books. She agreed, and, of course, I paid for the translation because I value the work of others. 

First she translated two of my children's books and later my fantasy series.

A storybook for children 4-12
A little girl teaches her family and her friends how to relate to someone who is hearing impaired.

When Grandma Rosa lost her hearing, Sandra and her parents became frustrated and sad. They didn’t know what to do and how to learn to communicate better with Grandma Rosa.

They tried shouting, changing the tone of their voices or leaning closer to her ear when they talked, to no avail. Rosa could hear some sounds clearly, but certain sounds she couldn’t hear well.

It became an everyday struggle for the family, and they missed the comforting family conversations at dinner time.
Sandra finds a website for hearing impaired people that explains how deaf people communicate. They start learning sign language and to “talk” with their fingers. Sandra and Grandma Rosa find realize that with compassion, love, and hard work, they can overcome the obstacles of disability.
Sandra enseña a su familia y amigos a comunicarse con personas con discapacidad auditiva.
Este divertido libro ilustrado  lleva un importante mensaje para los niños, como aprender a no juzgar o burlarse de alguien sólo porque es diferente.  La vida de algunas personas con discapacidad no es divertida y vivir con una discapacidad conlleva muchos retos, pero nosotros podemos hacer sus vidas más fáciles en vez de más difíciles.
Cuando la abuela Rosa perdió la audición, Los padres de Sandra se sintieron frustrados y tristes. No sabían qué hacer  y cómo aprender a comunicarse mejor con ella. Ellos intentaban gritar, cambiar el tono de voz o acercarse a su oído cuando se dirigían a ella, pero no servía de nada. Rosa podía oír algunos sonidos claramente, pero otros no podía escucharlos bien. Para ellos se convirtió en una lucha diaria poder comunicarse y empezaron a echar de menos las reconfortantes conversaciones de sobremesa.
Bilingual storybook for children 4-12
Sarah, Emma’s mom, promised to bird-sit Pico for two weeks but soon regrets her decision because the noisy parrot keeps screeching and squawking all day, annoying her family and the neighbors. When Pico makes a mess of Emma’s room, Emma gets very angry, but her friends help her. Charlotte notices that Pico seems sad, and Pedro finds out why Pico is shrieking so loudly all the time. The parrot is frustrated because nobody pays attention to him, and nobody understands what he wants.
The purpose of this English and Spanish bilingual book is to show children the beauty of another language and that learning a new language doesn’t have to be boring, it could be fun. The story also delivers a message that when we don’t take the time to listen to each other, we tend to judge others quickly before we get to know them
Sarah, la mamá de Emma, prometió cuidar de Pico durante dos semanas pero pronto se arrepiente de su decisión porque el ruidoso loro se pasa todo el día parloteando y chillando, molestando a su familia y vecinos. Cuando Pico desordena la habitación de Emma, ella se enfada mucho pero sus amigos la ayudan. Charlotte se da cuenta de que Pico parece triste y Pedro averigua porqué Pico está chillando tan alto todo el tiempo. El pájaro está frustrado porque nadie sabe lo que quiere ni le presta atención.
 La propuesta de este libro bilingüe inglés y español es mostrar a los niños la belleza de otra lengua y que aprender un nuevo idioma no tiene que ser aburrido, y puede ser divertido. La historia también transmite el mensaje de que cuando no nos tomamos tiempo para escucharnos los unos a los otros, tendemos a juzgar rápidamente antes de llegar a conocernos.


Alternate history fantasy
Durante siglos, Morana esperó el momento adecuado para reunirse con su amado Joland y conseguir el poder necesario para gobernar el clan ancestral, que aún persiste oculto entre nosotros, con su estricta jerarquía, reglas mortales y tradiciones. Ilona no sabe que ha sido elegida para detener el malévolo plan de Morana. Tampoco sabe nada acerca de su legado personal ni de leyendas o rituales, cuando comienza a recordar las instrucciones de su madre, ocultas entre rimas. No es consciente de que su tranquila vida como doctora está a punto de cambiar y que se verá arrastrada a un peligroso mundo lleno de secretos. El descubrimiento de su poder de sanación y su capacidad de detener el tiempo son a la vez, emocionantes y aterradores. Aparece un hombre siniestro e Ilona relaciona su presencia con una serie de misteriosas muertes a su alrededor. Por otro lado, habiendo estado enamorada en secreto de su mejor amigo, de repente, se siente atraída por el extraño que aparece en su sueño, sintiéndose muy confundida por el fuerte sentimiento de atracción.

The series is also available in English

available as box set or 3 separate eBook and paperback on AMAZON

 When a young doctor, Ilona, starts to develop unusual powers, her life and her beliefs change. Thrown into a world of clan mysteries, traditions and secrets, she begins remembering her mother’s instructions concealed as rhymes.
Punished by the ancestors long ago, Mora has waited centuries for the chance to reunite with her beloved Joland. Now, she seeks to gain the power to rule the ancient clan with a strict hierarchy and deadly laws that still exist hidden among us.
Ilona has been chosen by the ancestors to stop Mora and save the future of the clan.
She has been in love with her best friend but is also drawn to the stranger who appears in a peculiar dream.
Does she have the strength to fight evil?

En el libro 1, “Protegida por el Halcón”, Ilona ve como le es arrebatada su tranquila vida y se ve obligada a enfrentarse a lo desconocido, lo cual la lleva a descubrir secretos ancestrales de los hunos. En el libro 2, adquiere poderes inimaginables para proteger a su familia y el futuro de su pueblo. Ella puede usar sus poderes para el bien o el mal absoluto, la elección sólo depende de ella. El derecho de Ilona a ejercer como curandera se entremezcla con sus deseos de mujer y eso la lleva a tener que aclarar sus sentimientos acerca de los dos hombres de su vida. Viaja con Ilona desde los tiempos en que su pueblo era nómada, pasando por castillos del siglo 14 hasta la actualidad, mientras lucha por superar los obstáculos en su camino.
My books

Tuesday, February 5, 2019

YouTube Adventures #2 – Story Time

By Toi Thomas










In my last YouTube adventure, I talked about my ToiBox of Words, but today I’m sharing something from my Lit Carnivale channel.

Today, I share a little project I’ve been working on for a while. I finally got fed up with people not knowing about my children’s books, so I decided to share them with the world. Yes, I’d love to be able to make money off my writing (and hopefully a few people will support my work) but right now, I want to share it. I’ll be sharing it directly with all my old teacher friends as well as any parents I know.

These are not book trailers. This is a playlist of story time, read aloud videos of my 5 current children’s books. They are really short and really cute. I hope you will give them a look and will share them with your friends and family.



It is my hope to offer this type of video to other authors who like the idea of it and would like to see their books turned into story time videos. We’ll see what happens.
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Find out more about me, my work, and my inspiration at the following links:

Amazon | Goodreads The ToiBox of Words | YouTube | See a list of my other posts here.

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