INTRODUCTION
I have, to date (August 2020) written, illustrated and self-published 31 phonics-focussed story books for small children. Each book focuses on a different phonics sound that is emboldened throughout its pages. This enables children to recognise the shape of the letter/s and the sound it/they make. Children learn 42 phonics sounds to enable them to read fluently. This seems like a mammoth task for any child learning to read for the first time. I hope my books will make the task a little easier and a lot more fun. Parents can read my books to children as young as 2 years old. This age group loves the brightly coloured illustrations, and many are happy to repeat the particular phonics sound after and with the reader as s/he reads the engaging stories to them. As children get a little older, they learn to recognise the shape of the emboldened letter/s and start to associate the appropriate sounds with those letters. After learning the first 6 phonics sounds many children will be able to read basic sentences. As children learn more phonics sounds, their reading skills develop and eventually they are able to read the books themselves. Teachers can use my books in the classroom, and children can use them as take-home readers, to consolidate what they have been taught. That's the theory over. Now check out Amazon.co.uk
STOP PRESS - I'M ABOUT TO PUBLISH MY 42ND AND LAST BOOK OF THE SERIES
I have just finished writing and illustrating the last book of 42 in the series! YEY!
The book is specially written for the Christmas Season of 2020 and is entitled 'Parker and the Christmas Card'. It is written in poetry, with full colour illustrations, and only available on Amazon as an ebook. A good way to keep your children happy, occupied and educated all at the same time leading up to Christmas. Cheap at the price of £1.99 so check it out.
My first book on Kindle Direct Publishing
I've set out on a new venture to save me money. I intend to publish the remaining 12 books in the series in e-version only using kindle direct publishing. Look out for future books on Amazon, but for now, you can find my 31st book entitled, 'Yasmin the Yak who Couldn't Yawn.'
It only costs £1.99. Check it out.
Yasmin can't yawn - no matter how hard she tries. Her friends do everything they can to make her yawn, but will they be successful?
MOST RECENT SIX BOOKS PUBLISHED - AUGUST 2019
I'm pleased to announce that my latest six phonics-focussed picture story books for small children have now been published and are available on Amazon at a very affordable price. I listed the titles and story outlines in my previous post - check them out. You can choose from hardback, paperback, e-book or audible. Perfect for Christmas presents.
Titles of my latest 6 phonics story books - 15th March 2019
I can now disclose the titles of my up and coming set of phonics story books currently in the process of being published:
Zara the Zebra with Horizontal Stripes (focussing on the /z/ sound): Zara's horizontal stripes make other zebra's look down at her. Zac, her keeper, knows she is sad and confused about this and try's to help. Will he manage to do this?
The Magic World of Whispered Wishes (focussing on the /w/ sound): There is a weeping willow tree in a dark wood in the Magic Wonderland of Whispered Wishes. It will grant the wishes of some children but not others? Why?
Mr Wong and his songsters (focussing on the /ng/sound): Some of the children in Mr Wong's school want to be famous. He arranges a concert and forms a band. But will the children achieve fame?
Victoria's Violet Vest and her Vulture, Verson (focussing on the /v/ sound): Violet owns a pet vulture called Vernon. She enters a competition at school for the best pet in the class. Will her special violet vest earn her first place in the competition?
Sarah Brook Loves to Cook (focussing on the short /oo/ sound): Sarah decides to do some cooking but she cannot find any of the items she needs. These items are hidden in the illustrations for the reader to find. When she has all the items, she makes some cookies. She is then awoken from a snooze. What has happened?
Muldoon, the World Famous Baboon (focussing on the long /oo/ sound: Muldoon lives in the jungle and dreams of being a famous atronaut. Will his dreams come true?
Watch this space for the publication date.
STOP PRESS! 6 new phonics story book on the way.
WATCH THIS SPACE!
My Series of Phonics-Focussed Story Books
Here is a list of my first 24 phonics picture storybooks in the order they should be read. See the front page and story outline of each book below the list:
1. Sammy and Susie Visit the Seaside
2. Anthony Comes to the Rescue
3. Titan the Time-Travelling Tiger
4. Idris the Invisible Imp
5. Penelope the Purple Pig Finds a Pal
6. Neville the Nibalong is Scared of the Night
7. Jack's Temper Tantrums
8. Edmund the Excitable Elephant
9. Harriet the Happy Hippo
10. Rory Runs Away
11. Maximus the Marmalade Monster
12. Dilys, the Dinosaur that Dribbles
13. Great-Grandma's Garden Gets a Makeover
14. Oscar Goes Online
15. Ulrika and Unwin the Untity Twins
16. Lucy Gets Left Out
17. Florence the Fire Engine Saves the Day
18. Brian's Birthday Bash
19. Elaine Never Listens
20. Jeremy the Jolly Juggler
21. Joan Moans and Moans and Moans
22. Who Ate the Pie
23. Aimee, the Cheeky Parakeet
24. Morgan, the Very Short Pirate Braves the Storm
Morgan is kind and tolerant even when the other pirates make fun of him for being short. One day all the other pirates get sick in a bad storm. Can Morgan save their lives?
Aimee flicks birdseed at her owner, Reeve, and his friends to gain attention. Reeve's parents say Aimee will have to be put in a cage if she doesn't stop. Can Reeve prevent this?
The school cook has baked a pie for the teachers' lunch and left it on the table to cool. The pie disappears. Will the head mistress discover who ate it?
Other children don't like Joan because she never stops moaning. This makes her unhappy, but can she stop moaning?
The circus that Jeremy is a juggler in is not attracting enough visitors. He is told to make his act more exciting. Does he succeed?
Elaine never listens to grown up and so get's into all sorts of scrapes. One day her grandpa saves her from an accident, but will she learn from this?
Brian loves his birthday party and all the presents he receives. There's one present he really wants but will he get it?
Florence, the fire engine, can fly. This helps her when smoke from a fire brings the traffic to a standstill. But will she put the fire out and save the forest from burning down?
Lucy never hunts with the other lionesses, but just sleeps all day. She gets fatter and fatter until their is no room in the lair. She is sad and lonely and the other lionesses don't like her. But she has a plan!
Ulrika and Unwin never put their toys away. Their cousin, Umber, trips over some toys and bangs her head. Does this teach the twins a lesson?
Oscar, a baby ostrich, is abandoned by his mother. Ottima rescues him but he refuses to eat, so she goes online in search of a mummy ostrich to adopt Oscar. Does she find one?
Grace's great-grandma is too old to do gardening and is upset because the garden looks a mess. Grace has a plan to get a makeover for the garden. Will she be successful?
Dilys is born without teeth, which makes her dribble so that other dinorsaurs don't want to play with her. Will her mummy and daddy find a way to put this right?
Maximus loves marmalade but there is a world shortage. He tries other foods but prefers marmalade so he travels to the mountains to find some. Will he be successful?
Rory the Rabbit goes missing from his burrow. His dad, Roger, searches everywhere for him but he cannot be found. What has happened to Rory?
Harriet is on holiday in Hawaii. Will her happy nature rub off on the other guests when they encounter small problems?
Edmund exercises constantly. This makes the other elephants edgy in case he accidently hurts them. How can this situation be resolved?
Jack has temper tantrums so misses out on lots of fun things as a punishment. Will he ever learn?
Neville is a mythical nocturnal creature who hates the dark and decides, with his friend Natan, to wake up in the daytime instead. After many adventures; do they decide to wake in the day or the night?
Book number 5 is about Penelope, who is different from other pigs because she is purple. The other pigs ignore her so she is lonely and goes looking for a pal. But will she find one?
Book number 4 is about an invisible imp who travels the world to find a cure for her burping. She surprises several people in different countries but does she find a cure?
Book number 3 is about a tiger who can travel backwards and forwards through time. What part of his life does he like best?
This second book is about Anthony, an ambulance man. He attends Alice when she has an asthma attack. When he arrives, Alice has almost recovered but is still distressed, so Anthony takes her on an adventure in his ambulance to cheer her up.
Ric Bratton, This Week in America presenter, interviews me on 8th August 2018
I republished my book, Sammy and Susie Visit the Seaside, with Book Venture. The retail price of the book is now much more affordable. The marketing plan included the radio interview with Ric Bratton. Click the link below to see and hear it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN3k92BfzCY
Link to my Youtube Video
The first phonics story book that I wrote and illustrated is about a small brother and sister who love to visit their aunty who lives at the seaside. They love the beach but more than anything want to learn to swim. Do they succeed?
Signing copies of Sammy and Susie Visit the Seaside at the 'Word on the Street' Toronto Book Fair 2017