Book Review, Whoever Heard of a Fird?

Whoever Heard of a Fird?

Author: Othello Bach

Illustrator: Shann Hurst

Publisher: Othello Bach

Release date: October 10, 2012

ISBN: 978-1-47933318-9
Paperback, 60 pages

From the Back Cover:  If you haven't heard of a fird, part fish, part bird, you don't know that he's looking for a herd of fird. He wants to find out if he's "firding" right. You see, Fird was raised a a nest of Dickens, part dog, part chickens, but they never heard of a fird, and they don't know if he's firding right.

So Fird sets out to find a herd of Fird. Along the way, he meets many two-feature creatures--- whimsical animals like shamels---part sheep, part camels, and bertles---part bear, part turtles. But no one has heard of a fird . . .

When Fird and his best friend,  Snyder Spider, set off to find a herd of firds, they are warned by Lucille Dicken that big, bad boogie monsters loom at the bottom of the mountain. Fird didn't even know that they lived on a mountain.

". . . I must find out where I came from, where I'm going, and what I'm supposed to be." Fird tells the dickens, even though Fird is scared.

Soon Fird and Snyder Spider come across the boogie monsters. But these are no ordinary boogie monsters--they are the kind that . . . well, I don't want to say and give it away.  Somehow, Fird and Snyder do get past the boogie monsters and continue to search for a heard of fird.

Fird and Snyder then meet Hyenant--part hyena, part ant-- who has never heard of a fird. Even his magic coat can't produce a herd of fird.  "There's no such thing, I assure you." Hyenant tells Fird.

Neither have the driders--part dragon, part spider--ever seen a fird.  Nor can the bertles--part bear, part turtle--say that they have ever heard of a fird.

Although most of the two-feature creatures are friendly, there is trouble when Fird and Snyder meet the snoozes--part snake, part mongoose--because the snoozes just aren't very nice. And beside, they've never heard of a fird either.


The woose,  the shamels, the blizzard, the girouse---none of the two-feature creatures can help Fird.  How will Fird ever find his herd of fird and find out where he belongs?

   This is a masterfully written and  creative story that embraces a powerful message for all of us--being what we want to be, without looking outside  of ourselves. An excerpt from one of the story's poems depicts this wonderfully:
         . . .
         This is your time; it is your time to shine
                   But you need to realize:
         Everything you need for you to succeed
         Lies between your ears behind your eyes.
         . . .

    I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing is witty and whimsical, and the whole book has a magical uniqueness. There are several poems laced throughout the story which are delightfully humorous. The poems in the book are actually the lyrics to songs written by the author. You can play the songs here  as you get to that part of the story.

     The illustrations are incredibly funny, colorful, and extremely well done, with a color illustration or spot illustration on every page.  

I did listen to the audio book also, which is very professionally done, and a fun experience in itself. Not only is the story read with pazazz, all the poems in the book break out into toe-tapping, catchy songs.

The book is also an audio book with a Free download for a limited time.
Go here

Author, Othello Bach, website               

Author, Othelo Back, bookstie

Illustrator, Shann Hurst, website

Copyright ©2012 by Othello Bach, used with permission

Illustrations: Copyright ©2012 by Shann Hurst

More Dragon Fan Mail. Sheesh!

Really, my dragon gets more fan mail than I do. Snarls is a secondary character in my, The Pen Pieyu Adventure,  series. To read the first fan letter about Snarls from Miss Anonymous, read the blog of Nov. 11, 2012.

Dear Author Person,

I am miffed. I never thought you would post my last letter for all the world to see. How is this going to make Snarls feel? Okay, he will feel great. Attention is attention to him. But what about me? I don't need the entire world knowing I have a dragon friend? Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? Okay, maybe you don't, but it does. 

Who is that with Snarls in the picture?Some skank character of yours? It is bad enough he hangs with Petra, and now some character named Babblin wants to talk his ear off, and mine too. Why did you send her with Snarls to my house? Do you really think I need a talker on top of a fire breathing snoring dragon?  

I like Snarls, I really do, even the fire he puts everywhere is kind of endearing. Oh,and thanks for the tip about giving Snarls water before bedtime---to cut down on the fires.

Snarls is most welcome, as long as he stops scaring the kitties. As soon as one of them climbs up his tail, by his invitation, Snarls flips his tail and sends the cat flying through the air. Sure they always land on their feet but I always nearly have a heart attack. I got an email from him saying he was quite busy with book two, something about getting the editors to see things his way "or else."

I have never been visited by story book character before yours. I am kind of getting used to it. 

And yes, when Snarls visits me he always brings pajamas and snacks.

P.S. Fire department bill for all the previous havoc Snarls created at my house is in the mail.

Miss Anonymous.

Dear Miss Anonymous,

What can I say. My dragon has a mind of his own and he does play a little rough. We're working on that.

I can't believe he complained about his role in book 2. He seemed fine with it all through the writing and editing. Well, there is a little part about him wearing a pink, tasseled saddle that he complained about, but I thought he was over that.

Sorry for all the havoc he creates. Snarls really likes visiting you and, all the sleep-overs.

The Author.

Visit my website for more information on Snarls and all the characters from book one, Sir Princess Petra - The Pen Pieyu Adventures,  http://www.dragonsbook.com  And read more about my fantasy kids books and dragon books for children.

Snarls,The Celebrity Dragon

Dragons are just cool!

I have always loved dragons in books, movies, or where ever I happen to come across them. Hence, I write adventure/fantasy books for kids that has a dragon in the stories.

Snarls is the dragon. He is a secondary character in my series, The Pen Pieyu Adventure.

Snarls, being good.

When the reader is first introduced to Snarls, the howling dragon in the Forest of Doom, in book one, he is portrayed as many of his kinfolk: a howling, mean, fire-breathing, eye- brow singing menace.

But, alas, he is not really that way. He just got a bad rap due to the reputations of some other bad dragons in some other people’s books.

Once the reader gets to know Snarls and gives him a chance, just as Petra the main character of the series did, I’m pretty sure they will quite like him.

In fact, Petra and Snarls are the best of friends now. Which goes to show, if you treat a dragon right, good things can come of it.

Petra and Snarls go through the series having the best adventures. They do get into some zany, and somewhat scary, situations though. But  they make a great team and together they can get through anything. And Snarls, with his witty comments, makes the adventure stories that much more fun.

Here are some little known facts about Snarls:

1. He loves to cook.

2. His birthday is Oct 23rd.

3.He carries a resume.

4.Snarls lives in the Forest of Doom near Dragon Mountain. It sound scary at first, but you must know all the facts .His last name is Doom. So the Forest of Doom isn’t quite as scary once you know that the forest belongs to the Doom family and is not a forest full of doom.

5. He loves shiny, sliver things. Petra gave him her makeshift pots and pans armour in book one, and he polishes it daily.

6. His fire breathing doesn’t always work properly—when he get’s nervous, he lets out uncontrollable surges of fire, and when he is trying to be scary, he just huffs out wads of something that looks like shredded parchment.

7. He is somewhat of a scaredy-cat of a dragon, but if he feels he must protect Petra (Petra, the Princess Knight, usually never needs protecting), he summons up courage and shows his brave side.

Snarls has become quite the charismatic character in this series, and he has started to receive fan mail. Yes, fan mail to a dragon. I will post his first fan mail letter next week. Very, very interesting, indeed.

If you would like to know more about Snarls and the other characters in this adventure series, go here: http://www.dragonsbook.com/for-kids.html  There is a free coloring book to download also.

The Pen Pieyu Adventures is a four book adventure/fantasy series with zany characters and lots of humor. Book one, Sir Princess Petra was released January, 2012. Book 2, Sir Princess Petra’s Talent is forthcoming January, 2013. I am presently working on book three.

To read the reviews for Sir Princess Petra, go here: http://www.dragonsbook.com/reviews.html

My Favorite Children's Books

This week I am paying tribute to some of my favorite children fiction books and the writers who captivated me with their words.

I have been an avid reader ever since I learned to read by myself at the age of seven. The magic of the story in those first books I read will stay with me forever. And I know that same magic is what compels me to write books for children.

Here are my three favorite childhood books:
                                                                     Black Beauty

Black Beauty, The Autobiography Of A Horse, Anna Sewell, 1877

Black Beauty opens with its main character describing his first memory as that of a "pleasant meadow."  He narrates about his life as a colt, his mother's advice on how to behave as a well-bred horse, and his master's kind care. When Black Beauty is two, he witnesses the brutality of a rabbit hunt and the tragedy of one of the riders being killed in a fall from his horse. At age four, Black Beauty is broken in to the use of the saddle, bridle, and carriage harness. The book is a masterful work of Black Beauty's life, written through the eyes of the wonderful horse that he is.

Sewell's intention in writing the book was to promote the humane treatment of horses.While teaching animal welfare, it also teaches to treat people with respect and kindness. It was written in the last years of her life. She lived several months after its publication to witness the success of her novel.

Black Beauty was the only book that Sewell wrote, and she sold the manuscript for only twenty pounds.
http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-black-beauty/

In my opinion, Black Beauty is the greatest story ever told. I cried and laughed and cried again.

                                                               The Gnome-Mobile

The Gnome-Mobile, retold by Mary Carey, 1967 (originally entitled  The Gnomobile,  writtenby Upton Sinclair, 1936)

The Gnome-Mobile is a delightful story about two children and their uncle who stumble upon a pair of gnomes in the forest. They befriend the "little people" and  protect them from a freak show entrepreneur and a group of unscrupulous land developers that want to destroy the forest. This task becomes even more difficult when the uncle is thrown into a mental institution because he is seeing the gnomes!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gnome-Mobile 

This is one of the great fantasy kids books. A story with humor, friendship and adventure.

Nikki Nikki Tembo

"Nikki Nikki Tembo No So Rembo Oo Ma Moochi Gamma Gamma Goochi" is the name of a little Chinese boy in a story called "Long Name No Can Say" narrated by Paul Wing. It was available as a recording in the mid-1940's. There have been many variations of the same story subsequent to that time period, which is perhaps the origin of the "Tikki Tikki " variety written by Arlene Mosel, 1968.

The story presumes to function as an aetiological myth about why Chinese names are so short today.
For more information of Nikki Nikki Tembo, and to download the recording go to: http://www.visi.com/~tmarx/index.htm

I do not know who originally wrote this story. It is a story that has many different names. I knew the story as Nikki Nikki Tembo. As a child, my family told this story so many times, we have memorized the Chinese boy's name and can say it very fast. His full name is: Nikki Nikki Tembo No So Rembo Oo Ma Moochi Gamma Gamma Goochi. This is one of the best children's books ever.

I have been taken on many adventures, into many fascinating worlds, through the magic of books. Some are funny, some are sad. Others are good and still other are great. Whatever the adventure, whatever the story, it was created out of pure imagination by the author. And for that, I give honor to all writers.. 

What was your favorite book as a child?

Please visit my new web site: http://www.dragonsbook.com