Books for School Libraries: Bestselling Nature Book With Fun Fantasy Stories, Big Ears Jack And Friends, Brings The Magic Of The Sonoran Desert To Life

'Big Ears Jack and Friends' is a collection of tall tales featuring extraordinary animals and plants from the Sonoran Desert of Baja California that can bring young people's love for nature to life, generate interest in wildlife and foster respect for environmental issues.

Books that present stories about animals hold significant value in education. These types of books engage children in myriad ways and can foster deep emotional connections. When kids read about a brave dog or a loyal feline, they can engage with themes of bravery, loyalty, and friendship without the emotional complexities that come with human characters. This emotional detachment makes it easier for them to explore and understand challenging topics like friendship, loss, and identity.

Animal books stimulate creativity and imaginative thinking and have always been important in the lives of kids and favorite books for children of any age, from newborns to teens (even adults!). 'Big Ears Jack and Friends', by award-winning author Earl Vincent de Berge is a best-selling collection of charming tales featuring animals and plants from the Sonoran desert of Baja California. Coyotes, foxes, boojum trees and bobcats are among the main characters in these enchanting fables, creating a rare book that is both entertaining and educational, and would make a valuable addition to school libraries.

This new young reader fantasy book is an enchanting collection of 15 imaginative short stories celebrating the wild animals and plants that live in the hottest desert in the Americas, on the narrowest peninsula in the world, Baja California, Mexico.

The main character in these delightful stories is Big Ears Jack: a very big jackrabbit with huge ears -- and magical powers to use for good! Jack is the king of desert kindness, a good friend to all desert critters.

Among Jack’s friends readers will meet Nosey and Wag, mischievous coyote brothers; Blue Dasher, a racing dragonfly; the Kangaroo Rat Chorus; tree-lizard Boris; Giro the dust devil; Hawk Conchita and the red ants; Lady Treble Clef, a watchful cactus; Paulina, the puma poet; Diana the musical tarantula; Lady Chrona, a sea lion who dreams of flying; a scheming sea gull named Swindler; the beautiful bobcat Miss Mucha Purrs; Mr. Shellie, the chatterbox tortoise; and Young Red Fox and his sweet love, the lovely rabbit Adorna -- along with many others.

In a review of 'Big Ears Jack,' an AWA reviewer said, "One of the book’s greatest strengths is its world-building. De Berge weaves the flora and fauna of Baja California into the narrative, making the setting feel like a character itself. Talking cacti, dust devils playing tag, and wise desert tortoises enrich the stories, placing readers in an enchanting ecosystem where the line between reality and fantasy blurs.

"The themes of community, creativity, and environmental respect run throughout the collection. Young readers will enjoy the magical adventures and witty dialogue, while adults will appreciate the underlying messages about cooperation, individuality, and harmony with nature."

In his review on Amazon Mark Winheld stated, "If you're up for more fantasy fun, you'll be tempted by chapter titles like 'Sheriff Diamondback and the Egg-Thieving Coyotes,' or 'Dianna the Musical Tarantula,' or 'Swindler (a thieving seagull) and Big Umpo the Sea Lion,' or 'Lady Treble Clef and Dust Devils Rescue a Javelina Family,' and many more."

Reviewer Essien Asian said, "The author presents educational information in detail while using the dialogue between the characters to stimulate young readers' imaginations. The mix of strategically placed pictures, an engaging narrative style, and thought-provoking subplots regarding these animals ensures that young readers will learn vital lessons in diplomacy and survival from 'Big Ears Jack and Friends' while enjoying a captivating adventure.

‘Big Ears Jack and Friends' is available in print and ebook form on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Earl-Vincent-de-Berge/author/B09R6M1G4Y?.

De Berge is also the author of a dramatic and exciting travel memoir, 'A Finger Of Land On An Old Man's Hand'. In this book, readers are immersed with four explorers in a transformative journey through Baja California in 1962 and 1964, inspired by 'The Forgotten Peninsula' by Joseph Wood Krutch. The book received a 5-star review from ReaderViews, and another reviewer called the book, ". . . a beautifully written, fabulous tale of an incredibly brave and daring journey."

Earl has published three collections of his poems, “Allegro to Life,” “Swans to Carry Me,” and “Wind in the Elephant Tree,” which touch on nature, human nature, love, desert silence, and life in Guatemala.

All of de Berge's books are available at Amazon and other online book retailers. More information, including an excerpt from the “Baja book” and a pdf of selected photos with insider details revealing Baja in the 1960s, is available at https://www.earldeberge.com.

About Earl Vincent de Berge:

Author Earl Vincent de Berge is an Arizona native, writer, photographer, and poet. With a master’s degree in political science from the University of Arizona, he founded Behavior Research Center, Inc., and created the respected and widely published Rocky Mountain Poll (RMP), of which he was Editor for 35 years. Earl’s photographs, logbooks, and essays reflecting on life experiences serve as foundations for his prose and poetry. He has recently published three collections of his poems, “Allegro to Life,” “Swans to Carry Me,” and “Wind in the Elephant Tree,” which touch on nature, human nature, love, desert silence, and life in Guatemala. He is currently assembling “The Man Who Ate His Dreams,” a biography of a rags-to-riches businessman, artist, and poet.

Earl and his wife Suzanne split their time between Arizona and Guatemala where they founded the nonprofit Seeds for a Future to help impoverished rural women improve their families’ access to adequate food and nutrition (www.seedsforafuture.org).

Contact:

Earl Vincent de Berge
https://www.earldeberge.com/
edb1326@hotmail.com 

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Award Winning Author Christina M. Pagès Takes Eloquent Quill Award For Children’s Novel, 'Lucy In Her Secret Wood'

Inspired by Wordsworth’s Wild Child, Lucy Gray, Pagès’s book is also the recipient of Children’s Literary Classics Gold Award, Readers' Favorite Silver Award, Literary Classics Seal of Approval, and the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award

Award winning author Christina  Pagès has announced her new children's novel 'Lucy in Her Secret Wood' has taken the Eloquent Quill Book Award from Children’s Literary Classics. Inspired by Wordsworth's wild child, Lucy Gray, the book addresses a number of vitally important issues faced by young people today, among them the loss of connection with nature, and bullying.

The Eloquent Quill Book Award  was created to honor one work of extraordinary youth fiction annually. Judging is based upon the criteria set forth by a highly selective committee which seeks to honor books promoting character, vision, creativity and learning, through content which possesses the key elements found in well-crafted literature (e.g. plot, climax, etc.) in books where such components are applicable. The judging committee consists of experts with backgrounds in publishing, writing, editing, design, illustration, and book reviewing.

Social media and technology have impacted children in a number of ways, some of them unexpected and many of them negative. Children as young as 8 have committed suicide due to bullying. For many young people the natural landscape has been replaced by the digital landscape. This unprecedented trend toward technology causes young people to lose touch with their natural environment. This is a subject that Pagès is passionate about. She manages to weave a tale that seamlessly presents the beauty of the natural world and the connection with Mother Nature with another subject that negatively impacts youth - bullying.

In the storyline of the book, Lucy’s step-father takes her from the tiny room where he has locked her away for years, and drives her out to a remote wood where he leaves her with a bag of food, and her only life-long companion, a stuffed bunny. When Lucy’s fear of her stepfather dies away with his footsteps, and her tiny room world opens up to trees and bluebells, she is in awe of the shapes and colors around her. She recognizes her friends and family in the sentinels of trees, the woodland life and no longer feels lost and alone. She felt more lost inside walls, separated from outdoor life. Lucy needs only a few days in the woods to realize that this is her true home. Through 9-year old Will, who brings her food, two live chickens, and a recorder to copy woodland music, she experiences her first human friendship, and a way to make music that enchants all who hear it.

She is now part of the magical world of woodland animals, birds and butterflies, not locked away from it. Through Lucy, children recognize they are more “alive” when surrounded by the sounds, colors, and music of outdoors, unlike the world of their computers and phone screens which is always ‘on the other side,’ at a distance from them.

Pages acknowledges the fascination young people have for electronic gadgets and for their feeling of connection with others through screens, but she also warns that their vital connection with nature is being jeopardized:

“Even babies are mesmerized by the light and movement behind a cellphone, ipad, or TV.  But just as parents have come to realize that too much TV watching is undesirable for babies and young people, so too, and perhaps even more so, is the excessive use of cellphones and computers.  Many children prefer to remain inside with their screens rather than go outside, or if they are on a hike, a picnic, at the beach, or simply out in their gardens, they feel compelled to look down at their phones, and check their messages, rather than look around at the miracles all around them -- the trees, the flowers, the surf breaking on the beach.  They don’t hear the birds, or wonder about any animals that may cross their path.  They are losing their sense of place in creation.  Richard Louv, well known author, warns about the depression or malaise children can develop as a result of their disconnection with nature.  He calls this “nature deficit disorder.’  Lucy, the nine year old girl in my novel, has known imprisonment – not inside a world of screens, but locked away in a room for years by her mean stepdad.  When she is released into the miraculous world of nature, in the woods, she wakes up to her true self – her sensitivity, compassion and creativity.  Her sense of being part of creation makes her feel truly alive for the first time.”  

'Lucy in Her Secret Wood' has received high praise from readers and reviewers. In their review, Children's Literary Classics stated, "You know the sort of book that is so absorbing, so entirely enchanting, you wish it would never end?  -- The type of book that has you crying at the finish just because it's over?  That's what we experienced as we read 'Lucy in Her Secret Wood''"

Christina Pagès is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at christinampages@gmail.com. 'Lucy in Her Secret Wood' is available at most book outlets. More information is available at her website at http://www.christinapages.com/lucy.

About Christina Pagès:

Christina M. Pagès, Ph.D., grew up in the fields of England, spending hours wandering the countryside. In America, she raised four children while studying for her Ph.D. She was the California State Poetry Society’s Winner in 2005, won a publication award for 'Shadow Words' (2006) published her poetry collection, 'Remember Not to Forget', in 2013, and her children’s novel, 'Lucy in Her Secret Wood' in 2016. Pagès has taught literature in Universities and colleges since 1987. Her writing, painting, piano playing, and gardening, all come from her love of nature as a child. “Nature is our best friend,” she says, “patiently waiting to feed our imagination and spirit.”

Book 2 of the Lucy Series – 'The Woodland Adventures of Lucy and Will' is complete, and will be published by Waldorf Publishing in 2018.

Contact:

Christina M. Pagès
christinampages@gmail.com
http://www.christinapages.com/lucy

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Award Winning Author Christina M. Pagès Announces Release Of Children's Book, 'Lucy In Her Secret Wood' (A Story Inspired By Wordsworth’s Wild Child, Lucy Gray)

Pagès’s book was the recipient of Readers' Favorite Silver Award, Literary Classics Seal of Approval, and Pinnacle Book Achievement Award

Award winning author Christina Pagès has announced the release of 'Lucy in Her Secret Wood' – Book 1 of the Lucy Series. The book addresses a number of issues faced by young people today, among them the loss of a connection with nature and bullying.

Social media and technology have impacted children in a number of ways, some of them unexpected. One important aspect of the trend toward technology is that many young people have lost touch with their natural environment. The connection with nature is a subject not generally found in children's literature. Pagès manages to weave a tale that seamlessly presents the beauty of the natural world and the connection with Mother Nature with another subject that negatively impacts youth - bullying.

In the storyline of the book, Lucy’s step-father takes her from the tiny room where he has locked her away for years, and drives her out to a remote wood where he leaves her with a bag of food, and her only life-long companion, a stuffed bunny. When Lucy’s fear of her stepfather dies away with his footsteps, and her tiny room world opens up to trees and bluebells, she is in awe of the shapes and colors around her. She recognizes her friends and family in the sentinels of trees, the woodland life and no longer feels lost and alone. She felt more lost inside walls, separated from outdoor life. Lucy needs only a few days in the woods to realize that this is her true home. Through 9-year old Will, who brings her food, two live chickens, and a recorder to copy woodland music, she experiences her first human friendship, and a way to make music that enchants all who hear it.

She is now part of the magical world of woodland animals, birds and butterflies, not locked away from it. Through Lucy, children recognize they are more “alive” when surrounded by the sounds, colors, and music of outdoors. The world of their computer and phone screens is always ‘on the other side,’ at a distance from them.

“Years ago, when I played in the woods and fields, I imagined I was part-child and part-flower, part-tree, or in a blade of grass. I was in everything, and everything was in me," Pagès stated.  "Beautiful childhood memories like these add to our creativity and sense of self as we grow. Today, when we are filling up our planet with cities, cutting down trees, forcing animals out of their habitats, when many children are 'plugged away' from outdoor life, there is nothing more important than giving them a sense of belonging to nature. When Lucy walks through the woods, looks into the deer’s eyes, hears the birds singing, she knows that everything around her is family — a family to keep safe, and never leave. This is the ‘family’ we all must protect today.”

'Lucy in Her Secret Wood' has received high praise from readers and reviewers. The book received the Literary Classics Seal of Approval. It was awarded the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award and took a Silver Medal in Readers' Favorite Awards. In their review, Children's Literary Classics stated, "You know the sort of book that is so absorbing, so entirely enchanting, you wish it would never end?  -- The type of book that has you crying at the finish just because it's over?  That's what we experienced as we read 'Lucy in Her Secret Wood''".

Christina Pagès is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at christinampages@gmail.com. 'Lucy in Her Secret Wood' is available at most book outlets. More information is available at her website at http://www.christinapages.com/lucy.

About Christina Pagès:

Christina M. Pagès, Ph.D., grew up in the fields of England, spending hours wandering the countryside. In America, she raised four children while studying for her Ph.D. She was the California State Poetry Society’s Winner in 2005, won a publication award for 'Shadow Words' (2006) published her poetry collection, 'Remember Not to Forget', in 2013, and her children’s novel, 'Lucy in Her Secret Wood' in 2016. Pagès has taught literature in Universities and colleges since 1987. Her writing, painting, piano playing, and gardening, all come from her love of nature as a child. “Nature is our best friend,” she says, “patiently waiting to feed our imagination and spirit.”

Book 2 of the Lucy Series – 'The Woodland Adventures of Lucy and Will' is complete, and will be published by Waldorf Publishing in 2018.

Contact:

Christina M. Pagès
christinampages@gmail.com
http://www.christinapages.com/lucy

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Author And Photographer John Crippen Releases 'Animal Portraits With The Digital Photography Of John Crippen: Learning Photography With Animals'

The new book has over 100 captivating photographs and centers primarily on composition. Reviewers have called the book 'impressive' and 'enlightening'

Author and photographer John Crippen has announced the release of 'Animal Portraits With The Digital Photography Of John Crippen: Learning Photography With Animals'. The book is for photographers who are ready to transition from point and shoot to DSLR.

'Animal Portraits' has over 100 captivating photos with information such as ISO, shutter speed, and aperture settings under each image. While some dialog is provided regarding lens, filter or technique, most of the book provides an opportunity for readers to look at images and decide what kind of composition the reader would like to experiment with on their own. Incorporated in the collection are lighting, color, and field of depth combinations. The book is geared towards people transitioning from a point and shoot to a DSLR camera, but is useful at all levels of expertise.

"I think that photography has been a natural progression," Crippen stated, "because I've always loved art and I've aways loved animals. Photography is a way to nature and life while it's actually happening. Renoir would have been in heaven with a good camera. I wanted to create a book for people to learn the basics of photography through enjoying the images. I put the cameras setting underneath each photo so new photographers could quickly glance at a picture that's slimilar to they like to take. They don't have to spend a lot of time figuring out the right settings. with their DSLR.  Sometimes capturing that magic shot is only available for a few moments."

Jack Magnus of Readers Favorite said, "’Animal Portraits with the Digital Photography of John Crippen’ is a guide for photographers who have made, or are considering making, the transition from a point and shoot or a "prosumer" DSLR camera to a full-fledged DSLR. The first part of the book is a tutorial with demonstrations showing how shutter speed, focal length and environmental conditions can make photography challenging, and the solutions that can be used. He gives examples of pictures taken in zoos and in the wild, and shows how the background of each picture can enhance the mood of the presentation. Author and photographer John Crippen also discusses the types of equipment you'll need to bring along for a day's shooting. Each picture contains data including the type of camera, lens, f-stop, ISO and the time of exposure. He suggests that new DSLR enthusiasts can learn through exploring what experienced photographers have achieved and gives the reader basic instructions and guidelines. He also includes pictures taken with various point and shoot cameras while noting that great shots are sometimes just a moment or two's opportunity.

I will be purchasing a new DSLR in the near future and am also a wildlife photographer. This book is both impressive and enlightening. There are portraits of lions and elephants, seals and sea lions, and an amazing selection of wild bird photos, all beautifully composed and filled with life. Crippen's details and instructions are precise and to the point, and his pictures illustrate the lessons given. This is a remarkable collection of photographs as well as a well-thought-out introduction to the art of animal photography using a DSLR camera."

Mr. Crippen is available for media interview and can be reached using the information below or by email at johncrippenphotography@hotmail.com. 'Animal Portraits With The Digital Photography Of John Crippen: Learning Photography With Animals' is available at Amazon. More information is available at Crippen's website at http://www.photo-scenix.com.

Profile:

Photographer and published author John Crippen has been recognized by multiple publications, magazine covers and books. Crippen holds a degree in Psychiatric Technology as well as another in Liberal Arts from Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, California. His writing and images have been seen in almost 40 countries by way of the PSA Magazine. (Photographers Society of America)

Awards in visual arts include the California Mid-State Photo Contest in which he has placed in professional divisions in 2007, 2008, and 2009. His connection with nature has had a tremendous influence to his photography, writing, and hand drawn artwork.

John Crippen has written 7 books in various genres including photography how-to, travel, psychology, humor, and a graphic novel based on classic mythology. Along with his books, John Crippen has published articles on a multitude of subjects including the Tesla Roadster, Elephant Seals on San Simeon, The 2009 Amgen Tour of California, deterioration of health care and poverty in the United States. Many of the articles have been published through his own column on Newsvine.com as well as in local and international publications.

Crippen has been involved in numerous fundraisers in conjunction with local chambers of commerce including The National Wildlife Association, Atascadero Land Preservation Society, Sober Graduations, and several others. Crippen has also donated books to libraries across the nation and actively encourages young people to pursue their love of arts. His memberships include the Photographer Society of America, National Geographic Society, Audubon Society, News Vine, Atascadero Art Association, and several local chambers. The majority of John Crippen's photography has taken place on the Central Coast, but he has also shot in San Diego, Catalina, San Francisco, Yosemite, Hawaii, Mexico, and the Fanning Islands.

In August 2009, Crippen founded the "Cameras For Kids" project. The website and book were created to teach children about digital photography through simple terms, examples, and icons. He has also visited schools and taught 30 minute presentations to children of varying ages.  The Cameras For Kids Program was also designed to teach children about animals, nature, and green sciences. The book won a 2010 national bronze award from Reader's Favorite.

Contact:

John Crippen
805-462-8670
Web: http://www.photo-scenix.com
Email: johncrippenphotography@hotmail.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Crippen

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