Tag Archives: Eugene Ruble

The Soggy Town of Hilltop by Kevin McNamee

The High Council of Hilltop passed rules on everything. One day, they decide the people in their little hamlet should drink from the top of their heads. The people are confused, but of course, they obey. Then one day, a boy from the South asked them, “Hey, why don’t you drink with your mouth?”  Not knowing the answer, the people go to the High Council to find out, which leads to the entire town learning something new.

The Soggy Town of Hilltop is a funny, rhyming story by Kevin McNamee. Having read McNamee’s The Sister Exchange and If I Could Be Anything, I was eager to read his latest book. The author has a great knack for turning something seemingly ridiculous into an engaging story for youngsters. In The Sister Exchange it was a young girl who wanted to trade her sister in at The Sister Exchange. In this latest book, the rulers of Hilltop are bored and decide to make up a silly new rule for the people to follow.

What I really like about The Soggy Town of Hilltop is that McNamee spells out the lesson in the end for readers. There isn’t any second guessing as to what the point is. Like one of Aesop’s fables, the moral of the story is in plain sight.

The illustrations in this one are equally funny and beautiful. Eugene Ruble does such an excellent job of bringing a story to life with his artwork. From the freckles on the boy from the South’s cheeks to the pointy nose and evil eyes of one of the High Council members, and from the mountain peaks to the dirt road running through town, the details Ruble adds make the pictures jump off the pages.

I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by Kevin McNamee!

Rating:  🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

  • Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc
  • ISBN-10: 1616330414
  • ISBN-13: 978-1616330415
  • SRP:  $10.95



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    December Releases from Guardian Angel Publishing

    As I Watch, a Littlest Angels by Author, CHITRA SOUNDAR and artist SAMANTHA BELL. Read about how a tiny egg changes into a creepy crawly and then into a colorful, elegant butterfly. The repetitive text helps young readers to join in the reading.
     
    The Sister Exchange, a Littlest Angels by author KEVIN MCNAMEE and artist KIT GRADY. Dealing with sibling rivalry in a fun and creative way, The Sister Exchange reinforces the bond between siblings, and increases reasoning skills through comparison.  
     
    Poodle & Doodle a Guardian Angel Animals & Pets, by author DONNA SHEPHERD and artist JACK FOSTER. Angel thinks her life is ruined when Leah brings home a new dog. Will her worst fears be realized or will the new arrival make life better than Angel could have ever imagined? www.guardianangelpublishing.com/poodle&doodle.htm
     
    Circulation Celebration: The Sum of Our Parts Series, an Academic Wings, by author BILL KIRK and artist EUGENE RUBLE.
    www.guardianangelpublishing.com/circulation.htm  “Circulation Celebration” is an anatomical rhyme which is all about the blood inside you and how the heart keeps it circulating so all of your tissue cells get fed and stay healthy.  



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    We’ll be reviewing Poodle & Doodle and The Sister Exchange, along with If I Could Be Anything by KEVIN MCNAMEE, which was released by Guardian Angel Publishing in November 2009.

    A Horse of Course by Shari Lyle-Soffe

    A Horse of CourseJoin Aaron, Mom and Dad on a charming and funny adventure in A Horse of Course by Shari Lyle-Soffe.

    Grandpa Roy gives Aaron what he always wanted for his birthday–a horse!  Little do Aaron, Mom and Dad know what they are in for.  Horace the horse eats all the cake and ice cream, he hogs the television remote, uses Mom’s toothbrush, and even takes over Aaron’s bed.  What will Aaron do?

    In this hilarious adventure, poor Aaron learns the meaning of the phrase, “be careful what you ask for”.  Here he is all excited to finally have a horse, and he soon discovers that maybe a horse won’t be so easy to take care of at his house.  Faced with a decision, he chooses a way that everyone can be happy.

    I haven’t laughed so hard over a children’s book in a long time.   Between the storyline and the comical illustrations provided by Eugene Ruble, I laughed until my sides ached.  I’ve had the opportunity to read a few books that Ruble has illustrated, and his imagination and ability to bring a story to life through his pictures never ceases to amaze me.

    A Horse of Course is another excellent addition to the list of titles from Shari Lyle-Soffe.  She is also the author of the popular Rooter and Snuffle series and Nothing Stops Noah.  Her love of nature and the fuzzy creatures that often stop by her yard, inspire her stories. 

    Learning about right choices and how to make difficult decisions has never been so much fun.  Get your hands on a copy of A Horse of Course today!

    Rating:  🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

  • Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing
  • ISBN-10: 1935137824
  • ISBN-13: 978-1935137825
  • SRP:  $10.95



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    The Sum of Our Parts: No Bones About It… by Bill Kirk

    This rhyming book to help children learn more about their bones takes the dull art of learning and turns it into fun.  No Bones About It… is just one in a series of The Sum of Our Parts books by Bill Kirk.

    Listing bones from bottom to top and learning their names and what they do becomes easier with Kirk’s witty rhymes; and when put together with the superb illustrations by Eugene Ruble, you’ve got a real winner.

    Each page includes factoids about bones:  the long and the short ones, the flat and the irregular ones.  Kids learn which bone is the longest and which is the shortest.  How many bones are in each hand?  Your son or daughter will be able to tell you after reading No Bones About It…  There’s also a neat mystery bones quiz that asks readers to identify the pictures of bones found on each page of the book. 

    Learning just doesn’t get any more fun than this!

    Rating:   🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

    • Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc 
    • ISBN-10: 1935137778
    • ISBN-13: 978-1935137771
    • SRP:  $10.95