Earth Day Celebration with Giveaways!: Featuring Stephanie Lisa Tara

Snowy White World to Save 
By Stephanie Lisa Tara 
Illustrated by  Alex Walton

It's a headline we all have seen: Global warming is melting the Arctic. Once the Arctic sea ice has vanished, the majestic polar bear, a magnificent creature who needs the sea ice to survive will vanish, too. The ice is home to the bears, as well as to their primary food source, the ringed seal. Polar bears feed, mate, travel, den, and give birth on the ice. Some scientists say polar bears will be extinct within fifty years if something isn't done, and soon.

Book Vision: 

"What is global warming, Mama?" asked my five year old one day in 2006, "the polar bears, are they in trouble?" I was stunned. How does a parent answer such a question? I did the best I could. Al Gore's wonderful film and book, 'An Inconvenient Truth' had come out, and all the world was talking about this topic. "Yes, humans need to be more responsible," I said to my child, “we need to care about all creatures on the planet; humans and animals." One amazing thing about children is their ability to understand new concepts instantly. Maddie jumped up—eyes wide and heart open, declaring, "Yes, Mama! What can I do to help!" As do all the children I read this story to, at schools, museums and aquariums across the nation. The causes of global warming can be debated by the powers that be, but I do believe as parents and educators, we can make our kids gently aware of what is happening in their world, about issues that they themselves hear about every day. Further, we can empower them with hope as the next generation that can make a difference. Snowy White World to Save, is just such an attempt. Mother bear and her cubs in the Arctic tell the global warming story sensitively, across an array of panorama watercolor paintings. A “Help the Bears” page at the ends lists all we can do to help. Endorsed with a message from actress/activist Sharon Stone.

With love,
Stephanie Lisa Tara

My Rating:

 

Snowy White World to Save was a wonderful children's book about Polar Bears and the impact of the environment on them, in a straight forward way it instructs young people on how to go about helping these majestic creatures and their habitat. The illustrations are absolutely breathtaking and any child would happily view the images to learn more about these animals. 
I found the book a little sad at times, thinking about the impact and the implications of how we change and harm the environment, but I think it is a great learning tool for youth and adults alike.



Little Library Mouse 
By Stephanie Lisa Tara
Illustrated by Alex Walton

Even when you are little, you can imagine big. At closing time a key locks the library, and unlocks the dreams of a little mouse who waits in the shadows. Skipping, sliding, down the pages of books? he steps inside magical stories, inviting readers to come along for the ride. Witty verse and fantastical illustrations celebrate the joys of reading in this tale with innovative charm.

Book Vision:

A Saturday afternoon at the San Francisco library's story hour is always wonderful, whether six or or thirty six, and my daughter Madeline and I go often.  One day, the librarian read a few pages from several different books, explaining that many different sorts of books live in the world—folktales, fairytales, fables, legends, myths, fantasy, biography, poetry, history, for instance. Afterward, every child in her circle bounded up and raced for the shelves. Mine filled her arms with books we got into line to check them all out. "Mama, what if all these books could be inside one book? Easier to carry!" she said to me. Of course it was a simple child's request, similar to, “what if all the food groups could be inside one food Mama? Easier to eat!” but it did get Mom thinking.  What if children’s storybook genres could be represented in one book? What of a mouse could lead the way? Little Library Mouse was born that very day, a six year old’s whim. "On a sentence we sail!" said little Maddie. And it’s true, we do.

With Love,

Stephanie Lisa Tara

 

My Rating:

I love, love, loved this book. I am a fan of libraries (obviously books are something I adores) and of cute little mice. Little Library Mouse is all about the stories and imagination and I found myself giggling as I read the beautiful verses. You can be anything you want to be as long as you put your mind and maybe imagination to it and the cute little mice sure do; they are chefs and clowns, and lions and tigers and the storytelling is adorable.

The images again in this book, I'd say are better than in Snowy but their purpose is also more playful and vibrant while the other book instructs. I think these mice have a great lesson too, that books and imagination are important, and i was happy to read this book and will happily pass it on to some children I know will love it too.


I'll Follow the Moon 
By Stephani Lisa Tara
Illustrated by Lee Edward Fodi

On a quiet, moonlit beach, a baby green sea turtle stirs from a dream of home. Slowly, slowly, with a tap, crick, crack, the baby turtle embarks upon a mysterious nighttime journey. Gentle, tender verse and enchanting illustrations carry this tranquil tale from sand to sea.

Book Vision:

One night in 2001, about a month after I brought baby Madeline home from the hospital, I noticed something quite strange on the beach in front of our south Florida home. It was late and Mom was tired, doing a last-one-of-the-day bottle feeding on the deck after a long day of new mom activities. As Maddie slurped down the final ounce of her formula with that familiar glup, glup, glup sound, I noticed dark, tiny shapes scurrying across the sand. What was this? I wondered and went down for a closer look. There they were! Baby turtles streaming out of hundreds of small nests, gentle rises in the sand were their markers. The babies made fanciful patterns in the sand as they dashed on little green legs in a remarkable race to the sea. I watched them hop, one by one, into welcoming waves that sparkled under the beautiful moonlight. "I'm coming Mama..." they seemed to be saying, and I realized that I was witnessing one of nature's sacred events, the love bond between mother and child. It is this precious feeling that inspired me to write I'll Follow the Moon, that came into being a few years later. 

With love, 

Stephanie Lisa Tara

 

My Rating:

I'll Follow the Moon is another of book of lessons for children, in this instance, sea turtles. I am not sure about correctness, since I don't know all that much about turtles, but it was a lovely tale about the baby turtles journey back into the ocean to be with his mother.
The images are beautifully drawn and the use of various fonts and patterns made for more interactive reading. I really enjoyed this book and the informational pages it contained at the end. 

Eliza's Forever Trees 




By Stephanie Lisa Tara

Illustrated by  Alex Walton

Where has mother gone? Mothers don’t leave. Mothers stay, forever. Mothers are like redwood trees, those special forever trees that grow hundreds of feet high and live for thousands of years. Mothers read storybooks aloud. They know the power of a story. Power that can even make the wrong-beats of a child’s heart go away.

Maybe the monarch butterfly was right? Perhaps they should make the journey. The one that was too long, and too far, for a girl with a wrong-beating heart. Yet there was someone in the redwood forest that Eliza just knew could help. Not just any someone. Another mother. The first mother. The one, Eliza’s own mother had spoken of. Great Mother Redwood. The very first, the oldest and wisest redwood tree of them all. She, who started the forest thousands of years ago, might know where mother had gone. It seemed impossible. To find one who had never been seen, one who had only been spoken of? Yet. Mothers dont leave. They are like redwood trees. They stay, forever.

Eliza decided she must try. She would put one foot in front of the other, slowly. She would take small steps. She knew the butterfly would be patient alongside her. Down the path. To the forever trees.

To find Great Mother Redwood. 

Book Vision:

My eleven-year-old daughter and I often hike through the redwood forest located just outside our home here in Northern California. One of our favorite spots in the forest is within a magical natural phenomenon called a redwood fairy ring. A mother redwood reproduces by throwing off roots, sprouts, and burls from her body. Therefore, her children grow in a circle around her, and they are one with their mother, created from her very body. This ring of trees, called a fairy ring, is said to contain a very powerful energy and magic. I can certainly say that when my daughter Maddie and I sit inside a fairy ring, we can feel the magic. And, to be honest, it was not long before I started seeing Eliza peeking at me from behind the redwoods. I saw she was looking for something. Something very dear to her, I realized she was seeking her own mother. Then I immediately realized—Great Mother Redwood would be able to help. Of course. Yes, Great Mother Redwood—she, who started the redwood forest a million years ago. Her fairy ring of children-trees around her. Yes, help was close by. Indeed!

With Love,
Stephanie Lisa Tara  

My Rating:

Another 5 star to Stephanie for this wonderful book! I was blown away at Eliza and her strength. Eliza's Forever Trees is about a young sickly girl, who loses her mother and has to live with her ...not all there grandfather. (who I disliked very much as you will see why in a moment). Eliza's mother was a librarian with loads of books, who taught her the importance of nature and stories, and that stories can make you stronger and so can journeys within those stories.  The grandfather does not see books that way but instead sees them as useful objects to patch holes and burn for fire kindling....I'm not a fan of this aspect of the story at all. Eliza eventually ventures out to ask nature about her mother and the strength of this young girl is encouraging and meaningful.

I think anyone would enjoy Eliza and her Forever Trees.
 
 

Giveaway #1

Amazon Gift Cards

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway #2 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

I've always believed that magic hides in special places. As a child, people would often stare at my bright red

hair, which was very, very bright indeed.
Unfortunately, I developed a bad habit of making up rhymes about all of them, and they soon became funny characters. I didn't have much time to think about being different; fanciful lyricisms danced in my head, and no one was safe!
Since then, I've come to believe that storytelling has the power to inspire a deep love of language and learning. Words tripping off the tongue in somersaults that stick to your thoughts like taffy-- those are the things that stay forever in the mind.
I've lived in many special places: on a farm, in a city skyscraper, on a tropical beach, and in the beautiful country of France. Now I live in northern California, between the redwood forests and the sea. Even though I'm an adult, I'm still as silly as ever.
Many nice words have been used to describe my books, such as fun, engaging, delightful, and whimsical. Some folks say that I deliver timeless messages of love for kids and parents to share again and again; this makes me very happy. I hope that you'll enjoy my stories, too. Captivating children with language is something that I believe in, and I strive to live my life with this always.
--Stephanie Lisa Tara
www.StephanieLisaTara.com

Cause pages (each supports a book's vision):

Facebook page for Save the Polar Bears | Facebook Page for Save the Green Turtles | Facebook Page for Save the Redwood Forests

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