A MDDR Interview & Review: Bearly learning About Water by Mary Esparza-Vela

The Review

Bearly Learning about Water by Mary Esparza-Vela
My rating: 4 of 5 Moons

Lily says:

this book was about two bears that went on a big adventure in the forest and Fritz figured out that he does like water.

the cover/pictures in the book were nice and had good detail. my favourite picture is the one when he has the blue tongue from eating the berry's.

my favourite part was when molly was talking to the animals at the start.

the book made me happy but i think it was really funny.

I learned you shouldn't say you don't like something until you try it and you should always face your fears.

I think that everyone should read this.

Mom Says:

My rating: 4 of 5 Moons

I really enjoyed reading this story with my daughter. I thought it was a cute and intertwining story filled with fun and interesting characters. Fritz and Molly were sweet and cute little bears and their story was one I would read again and again.

Molly and Fritz little bear cubs go out in search of food. Fritz is grumpy and complains whenever his sister wants to do anything, especially when she wants to fish in the lake for fish, Fritz is afried of the water. They wander around the forest until they come to a cottage in the woods where Fritz learns that water might not be so bad after all.

I liked the hidden messages in this book about facing your fears and things are never as bad as they may seem. Molly was so cute in this book forever encouraging her brother to do things and never pushing him to much. She was a very good sister!

Mary is a great writer and Lily and I can't wait to read more of her books! the ending was my favourite part!...lol...it was sooo cute!

View all my reviews

The Interview

Mom Asks:

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what made you delve into the world of children’s stories?

Thank you for the opportunity to talk about my book, Bearly Learning About Water. While growing up, my grandfather always told us stories before we went to bed. To me, this was better than watching TV. I think Grandpa is the one who inspired me to become a writer. His large eyes grew in size and the tone of his voice changed when he described the suspenseful moments in his stories.

Q: Can you please tell us a little about your book Bearly Learning About Water and what inspired you write it?

While at a swimming pool with my children, I noticed that a four-year old boy was afraid to get into the water. His mother continued to encourage him until he finally got in. Later, when it was time to go home, he cried because he did not want to come out. Since bears love fish, I decided to write about a little bear cub that was afraid of water and how his little sister struggles to get him into the water so they can catch fish.

Q: Have you always wanted to be a writer?

As a child, I loved to read and write. My teachers played an important role in helping me master my grammar and writing skills. Later, as an adult, I wrote articles for religious publications and worked as an Editorial Assistant. When I write, I try to teach lessons and provide stories that children can relate to.

Q: We all know writing isn't easy. Can you tell us all what you love and hate most about being an author?

You’re right. Writing is not easy. Every time I received a rejection letter from a publisher, I wanted to give up, but remember, if you persist, you can succeed. I now have seven picture books published with more coming soon. Some of the books are also written in Spanish. In addition, I have numerous short stories published and other projects in the works.

Q: What are you working on at the moment / next?

Two of my children’s picture books are award-winners. A few of my short stories also won contests. At present, I am working on a series of adventures involving three tiny space-tots who explore the universe in a tiny spacecraft. Their first book, You Can’t Take the Dinosaur Home, recently received a Five-Star Review. The story characters have been developed into plush dolls called Luv-Beams. The dolls won Preferred Choice and Seal of Excellence awards. You’re welcome to see the dolls and book at www.luv-beams.com.

Lily Asks:

Q: how did you come up with the name fritz?

Hi Lily. It’s a pleasure to answer your questions. Thank you for reading and commenting on my book. It always means a lot to writers when children take an interest in their books. When I write my stories, the names just pop into my head. I try to make them entertaining and funny. For example, I have a character in another story named “Frito.”

Q:why did you use bears for your story?

I really like bears, especially baby cubs. I think they’re so cute. They’re also very curious animals.

Q:why do you think fritz was afraid of the water?

Fritz is just a grumpy little bear cub that complains about everything. As he grows, his attitude changes, especially when he learns that water is cool and it’s full of fish he can eat.

Q: why did you call the story bearly learning about water if the bear's name was fritz?

The title is a play on words. It should have read, “Barely Learning about Water.” I thought it would be more fitting to change the title to “Bearly” because the story is about bears.

Q: why did fritz go in a bathtub instead of a lake?

Since bears are snoopy animals, I wanted Fritz to explore the cabin. He was not about to go to the lake if he was afraid of water. The experience helped him learn that water is not so bad after all.
Thank you so much for the interview, Mary. We so enjoyed your book and we hope to read more of your Bear adventures! Would you like to tell our readers where they can find you on the web?

Readers can find my books and dolls on my website: www.luv-beams.com

A MDDR Interview & Review: How Bees Came To Make Chili by Terry Bradley

How Bees Came To Make Chili by Terry Bradley
Lily's rating: 5 of 5 Moons

 Lily says:



This book is about Nubbiebee who chipped his wing and finds out flying isn't the most important thing in life. He finds out that he has other talents as well like making chilli.

In the cover and photos I noticed that he was flying even though he had a chipped wing and couldn't fly. Other than that they were nice.

My favourite part was when Littlebee knocked over the honey into the pot and got all messy.

I felt a little sad at the starting for nubbiebee but at the end I was happy that he finally found his talent.

I learned that everybody is good at lots of things I also learned a new word witch was Cazsmatic and it means that someone is either multi-talented or multi-functional.

I think that lots of kids would like it. it's a great story with a good message and Terry is a awesome writer!

Mom's rating: 5 of 5 Moons

Mom says:


I really enjoyed reading this with my daughter I think it had a wonderful message and she learned something at the same time. The pictures were neat almost lifelike with the foreground being in focus and the background blurry.

How Bees Came to Make Chili is about a bee called Nubbiebee who losses his way when he brakes his wing. Nubbiebee believes that he will never find anything he loves to do like he loved flying. Queen Larabee sends Nubbiebee to the kitchens to help out hoping that he will find his talent there. Nubbiebee feels that by mixing recipes in the kitchen is something he maybe good at but things go from bad to worse and then he isn't so sure. Will he ever get it right?

My favourite character was Lexiebee I loved how she was always mixing her words and stuff up.

I also liked how the kids got to learn a new word and its meaning that was awesome and my daughter found new ways to use it every chance she got afterwards...lol

This is a great story and Terry is a wonderful author! Its a great read for all parents and their kids!

View all my reviews

The Interview

Mom Asks:

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what made you delve into the world of childrens stories?

I am the Creator and Founder of Nubbiebee's. A 2012 Award Winning Poet, Author, Inventor, Entrepreneur, Activists and Idealist. It is with "Hope and Belief" that all things are possible. Though I am not charismatic.I am however indeed (Cazsmatic) in my ability to overcome by the grace of God.  Truth is I was blindly lead down this path.. I started out with just an email name of Nubbiebee after losing my fingers in a work accident. Though I knew someday I would do something with my email name. I had an idea but didn't know what at the time, where, or how it would be used, or that it would lead to this. I thought at first since kids liked my chili, that would be a good place to start. That turned out in some respects to be true, through way to expensive. While developing that idea, it dawned on me kids know bees do not make chili, so a cute little story was in order and again.right away in doing this I knew what I had. I knew this would not be an easy way to go and would become very time consuming as well, possible years before it would very get done. In the mean time, I decided to take my cute little label and had someone designed it for the Nubbiebee's chili, then had Mr. Patrick Siwik redesign it for to fit my newest idea Honey jars and then worked out a deal with a supplier that was U S D A inspected, for me to buy the honey already packaged and put my label on it . After all with a name like Nubbiebee's Honey was a way to get the name out there quicker and a lot easier approach to generating the buzz.  I did this to keep things going while waiting to see what was going to happen with the book. I hope to still sell the chili at some point. Now this is how a blind man is lead. And through most people, this would be an easier task. I myself am very honoured to have gotten this far.  I starting out as an under-educated homeless person living well below poverty. All I had was hope that some day things would be better. My motto to keep going, Dream Big, Hope and Belief Equals the Power to Overcome!  A message I hope to share with every one in my books and in life.

Q: Can you please tell us a little about your book How Bees Came to Make Chili and what inspired you write it?

How Bees Came To Make Chili is just so cute. From the very start I insisted that it remain as the name Nubbiebee was to me, something cute. I could not lose that element regardless of where it lead. There are two things that sell and can be built upon, one I could never consider but is pushed in advertisements every day. Though beauty is wonderful, there is more to life. Cute was something I love--- cute stories, cute kids, cute pictures. Cute the one thing that can cross all genders and ages without leaving anyone out. It was a need that helped me decide to write How Bees Came To Make Chili. The characters in the book also reveal a need either in life or in story.  Those needs are based upon people, and their needs, and to get back the hope they once had.  

Q: Do you find it harder to write in the children's genre?

No, not at all. I created the first draft of How bees Came to make chili in all of five minutes. There was just one question to ask. What could possibly be something that I could do to go along with making chili. I carried the answer around with me almost my entire life, due to child abuse. Many people over the years tried to get me to exploit my arm that was broke as a child.  I was never carried to a doctor to have it set so it could mend correctly.  Therefore, it is shorter than it should be. I never did for any reason until now. They say if the shoe fits, try it. Though I had no intentions of ever doing so. Yet I had no choice but to go where I had been unknowingly lead, by using something I never wanted to. In doing so, it came to me, my trademark symbol, A Bee with a short wing to go with my trademark name of Nubbiebee's. The story was easy to do after facing this.  Then a flood of characters danced in front of me waiting to be used.

Q: Can you tell us about your writing process? Do you dream up these characters and then build the journey, or rather, do you dream the journey as you create?

The characters came even before the writing process began.  Then many more developed as I wrote.  I dreamed of one day getting to work with the all famous Spelling Bee or the Signing Bee. That's was the best part of having a bee as the main characters. Bees come in hives, thus the decision to present the book as Nubbiebee's Hive Vol.1, so that I did not limit myself in any way. To accomplish my goal, limitations are not necessary nor acceptable or appropriate in being able to achieve my main goal of the Megan L Bradley Foundation in my nieces honor. So that in time, many others may be helped in providing hope and help them believe in themselves.  Thus allowing all people to dream and overcome what at times may seem impossible otherwise. Kids deserve all the help in understanding and acceptance that they are the most important gifts life has to offer. Nothing can help them more than in knowing they can help themselves, by hanging on to hope and believing in themselves. God never gives up on their dreams. Every child has a path that will lead them to become better, if they just keep trying, hoping, and believing in themselves.

Q: what made you decide to write a story about Bees?

Bees are in trouble by becoming extinct. Not only with a name like Nubbiebee's, this a correct path to follow. I hope to help kids become friends of bees in helping them understand them. Bees are better in many ways and how much we not only need them, but depend on them to help us for lots of reasons to helping mankind to survive and grow. Understanding that without bees we as a nation can not continue to exist as we have, with out their help. Bees have done lots for us all.

Lily Asks:

Q: why did you pick chili for bees to eat?

I needed a way to bring together all the things I was doing to help me achieve a goal of success. I had been worrying over the years with the bees and the decline of their populations throughout the world. Not only did I need the bees, I wanted to help others understand them. We all need the bees for the success of everyone, letting others know we must help protect them all we can.

Q: how did you come up with the cool names for the bees? 

Who does not love music and why can't bees love music to?  So I created Jazziebee, named after a friend that can play more that one instrument, fitting the definition of a new world revealed in the book.  Jellybee is character that fits so well with kids humour. Queen Larabee is after a very dear friend who just lost a father and told the most wonderful stories helping them believe in fairy tales  She lost that part of herself, upset that the world could take her father so soon. Not only does she act as if she is a Queen, but she needed to believe once more in fairy tales.

Q: how did you know to pick Larabee to be the queen?

Every Queen should be remembered and in her loving fairy tale. This was to help her dream again and be proud to carry on a tradition started by her father who was a great story teller. I merely provided a way for her to find hope again and bring her and her son closer together. With him down the road as prince Littlebee who I hope will find great ways to dream himself.

       

Q: why did you put nubbiebee's on the jar's of  honey if Nubbiebee's wasn't famous yet?

To  become famous you must become known, If you stay stuck only to one thing you may never move forward for years. Yet if you have a great idea it continues to lead you down paths that you might not have seen coming, but can help move you forward. Why not keep the name alive as you wait for other things to be fulfilled. The more the name can be seen, the better in gaining interest around the name. Ideas can not be limited in there scope, only followed to provide more in style and hope of being on the right path.  One must wait for all things to evolve. Ideas come from each other and allow you to share your other endeavours.  

This allows you to stand out peaking the interest of those wanting to know more. Surviving to keep your dream alive.  It is a great way to meet many people and learn more ways of achieving even more.

Q: how did you think of all the wonderful talents of the bees?

Easy, they are people I knew and fit into a great character. Though we all have bad days, people for the most part stay the same over time . Some love to play music like Jazziebee  Then, some loves to eat but can not lose the weight like Jellybee who was so cute and funny. 

 Thank you so much for the interview, Terry. We so enjoyed your book and we hope to read more of your Bee adventures!

Children's Books Coming to WW4BB!

We will be Soon doing Children's Stories on WW4BB! My daughter Lilyanna and I make a great team! we will be doing interviews with Children's Book Authors and doing reviews on our favourite books! Our first interview and review will be this Wednesday so make sure to come back and check it out! 

If you are a Children's book Author and would like Lily and I to review your book email us at: 

wiccawitch4bookblog@gmail.com!