"Maya & Filippo Show Aloha" by Alinka Rutkowska

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NEW RELEASE and REVIEW

Maya & Filippo
Show Aloha

by Alinka Rutkowska

Maya & Filippo Show Aloha, the latest in Alinka Rutkowska's Maya & Filippo series, is FREE (if it's not free for you on Amazon, please try one of the other book retailers below). Also available: Maya & Filippo Make Friends in Auckland (read my blog post), Maya & Filippo Play Chef at Sea, Maya & Filippo Look for Happiness in Tauranga (read my blog post), Maya & Filippo Look for Whales, Whale Watching Coloring Book, Maya & Filippo Visit a Glacier (FREE when you sign up for the newsletter), Alaska Coloring Book, Maya & Filippo Separate in Skagway, Maya & Filippo Talk Business in Seattle, Maya & Filippo See Impossible Things in the Garden City (read my blog post), and Maya & Filippo Learn about Careers in Dunedin (read my blog post).

Description

Have you ever been to Hawaii? Let Maya & Filippo show you around! Learn important facts about the islands’ geography and history. Discover the culture of Hawaii with its lei, ukeleles and hula dance. But there’s more. Learn how to live the spirit of Aloha with Maya & Filippo.

This is a wonderful introduction to Maya & Filippo's world of cruise travel.

Praise for the Book

"An engaging book to entertain and educate young readers about the Hawaiian lifestyle and culture." ~ 5 stars from Readers' Favorite

"My Daughter loves Alinka Rutkowaka's books. She is home today sick and reading her this new book made her happy. I love how sweet the stories are and the too cute pictures in the book. I'm sure this will become another one of her favorite books by Alinka." ~ Christie Lagarde

"I loved everything else about this book, my kids love it too." ~ Claire

"It would make a good gift to give to a child. It would look good on your child's bookshelf or any library's bookshelf. I highly recommend this book to everyone especially those who have small children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews. I sit waiting for the next great adventure with Maya & Filippo by Alinka Rutkowska." ~ Coco

"There is a great deal of information in this book, written at the level of the second grader and colorfully illustrated, this is a book that I would have read to my daughter." ~ Charles Ashbacher

My Review

By Lynda Dickson

Maya and Filippo are a sister and brother pair who travel around the world with their parents and their cat Otello on the Fun Princess cruise ship. Today Maya and Filippo dock at Honolulu on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. They learn that the word "Aloha" means both "hello" and "goodbye", but has another more important meaning as well.

This is another fun and educational offering from Alinka Rutkowska and illustrator Konrad Checinski. This time, the story itself contains a lot of factual information. Your children will learn about Hawaiian geography, language, history, and customs. The story is followed by a short quiz to check your child's comprehension and to reinforce key points. It also includes information about Hawaii and Aloha.

This is my favorite book in the series so far.

About the Author

Alinka Rutkowska is an award-winning and best-selling Children's Author of over twenty books. She is the winner of the prestigious International Readers' Favorite Book Award Contest and her book series received the acclaimed Mom's Choice Book Award.

Alinka has been featured on Fox Business Network, Examiner, She Knows, She Writes, Blog Talk Radio, The Writer's Life, and many more.

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"India Was One" by An Indian

India Was One

by An Indian

Description

Excerpt

Jai remembered the first time he saw her like it was yesterday. He was sitting in the college canteen (cafeteria) with his friends Bunty, Subra and Punk, drinking (chai – tea). From where they were sitting, they could see the main road across from the canteen where people were passing by. It was drizzling. A few students were walking hurriedly towards the college under an umbrella, while some were wearing hooded jackets with their bellies looking big from the books they had tucked inside their jackets. Others were holding newspapers to cover their heads and had folded the legs of their trousers to keep them from getting wet as they tip-toed around the puddles that had formed.

Some hawkers were selling hot (bhaji – fritters) in a top-covered cart open from all sides. Steam emanated from their woks as the wet battered (bhaji) hit the hot oil, making a sizzling sound. As soon as they came out of the frying pan, the hawker sprinkled them with a generous portion of dry spices. A few customers were savoring them while the others were just taking the shelter of their covered carts to stay dry.

Suddenly, an auto-rickshaw stopped on the road. Its tire splashed into a small puddle that the driver had tried unsuccessfully to avoid. A hand jutted out, holding a small red umbrella. The fingers pressed a button on the umbrella extending and unfolding it, and a woman stepped out quickly, attempting to avoid the rain. She was wearing faded blue denim jeans and a crisp white shirt, with her hair tied in a pony-tail, and she carried a tan colored leather bag. Jai choked on his tea when he saw her. He had not seen a more stunning girl before. She looked lost since it was her very first day. It was Jai’s first day too but he was confident as he had the company of his three friends. She, on the other hand, was all alone. His eyes followed her as she disappeared in the college doorway.

India Was One Artwork

Review

By Karen Doering

India Was One is not an easy read. It is not a love story, a mystery/thriller an adventure, a travel book or anything that fits into a structured genre. But India Was One is all of those things and so much more.

Looking deeply into the culture and mores of a country that most Westerners don't understand, it takes the reader on a journey that is at once heartbreaking and life affirming. This novel will take you to the heart and soul of both the geographic land that is India and the richly diverse culture that is its people.

While none of us can fully understand a people or a culture unless we are part of it, it does open the doors to more comprehensive knowledge of why India is at a crossroad politically and economically.

But this isn't a history book or a travelogue, it is a story of people who love. Living their lives as all of us do. Working, laughing, joking and taking care of themselves and their families. As they celebrate festivals and buy homes you will see people who are living their lives much as we do. Falling in love as we do.

But there is an undercurrent in this rich and warmly penned story. What if India were divided physically? How would that change the lives of the people of India who live there and the lives of those who now live, work and contribute to so many other countries? Are the cultural divisions that are happening so radically in India akin to a physical division. What if there was a wall or a fence dividing India?

For those readers who want a love story and an understanding of a rich diverse culture India Was One will deliver that with warmth and skill. For those that want to understand why India is at such a cross-roads, why so many people are leaving India and emigrating to other countries you will find many of the answers here.

I am glad I read this novel. It increased my understanding and I enjoyed the story. I was disconcerted all the way through the novel by the italic words explaining every native East Indian term used. It took away from the flow of the novel and if the author really felt it was needed a list could have been added to the end of the novel. Most of the words used are not so difficult to figure out in context and for most readers they are not unfamiliar. Other than that and a few editing errors, it was well written. It does use British English so those readers not familiar with usage and spelling will find some differences but they are minor.

It is high on my recommend list.

About the Author

The author was born and raised in Mumbai, India. He came to the US in 1989 to New York. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.

The author's conscious decision to remain anonymous makes a political statement and intends to communicate the insignificance of a particular sect, religion, region or gender over a common identity, i.e. an Indian. Asked about the same, the writer responds, "It's more important to me that this book was written by an Indian. For readers who are non-Indians, sectarian differences are secondary. Although the book is based on India, people around the world identify with the message".

For further insights, read a short interview with the author.

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"African Safari with Ted and Raymond" by Rhonda Patton

African Safari with Ted and Raymond

by Rhonda Patton

Description

Ted and Raymond go to Africa. They take a safari to learn new foods, new names, and interesting facts about the animals. Did you know that elephants can grow as tall as 13ft and weigh nearly 15,000 pounds? Or that "Adebayo" is a Nigerian name meaning "born in a joyful time"?

Your kids will love the pictures and they will learn, too.

Book Trailer

Review

By Lynda Dickson

Ted and Raymond are getting ready for their great African adventure. They pack all the things they will need for their trip, travel on an airplane, and land in a strange new country. They learn about the dress, culture, food, and animals of Africa. And so will your child. This book might also ease the fears of young children who are about to travel for the first time.

There are some problems with mixing present and past tense, but this doesn't detract from the narrative. This book has been delightfully illustrated by the author's husband, Chester McDaniel. I especially loved the drawings of the African animals that Ted and Raymond saw on their safari. All in all, African Safari with Ted and Raymond is a fun and educational book for children of all ages.

From the Author

Hi I am Rhonda.  A Shreveport residence, a mother, a wife, and a daughter. I have a wonderful husband (Chester McDaniel) who is the illustrator of the Ted and Raymond Series as well as my co-writer in Searching for the Unknown and Spirits of ChesterVille General Store (coming soon). I started my love for writing at an early age of 13. I loved to write even if it didn't make sense. I started my writing in serious love poems and different things. Then in 2000 I wrote my first Ted and Raymond book that turned into a series, The Croak 500. I didn't know that I would have a series until two years ago. As I researched for my husband to do voiceover work I came across some awesome people and then my book showed up. With NO animation or characters my husband made the book come alive. Then I was inspired to do more and more stories. And well.... Here I am. Inspiring kids to be better!

My goal as a writer is to teach children how they can succeed by being themselves. I have learned in life you do not have to be first at everything. You follow your dreams no matter how old. You look at other people and are nice and not be a bully or pushover. It is sad that life has taught us how to be rude, mean, and ugly to even our own family members. Kids need to learn at an early age to help the elderly, be a good friend, and be better with talking to others.

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