A Moat is Not a Goat: Poems for Clever Little Girls

About the Book

Title: A Moat is Not a Goat: Poems for Clever Little Girls * Author: Elsa Takaoka * Illustrator: Fanny Liem * Publication Date: November 27, 2014 * Publisher: Independent * Pages: 32 * Recommended Age: 4 to 8

Summary (Amazon): This is a collection on 16 beautifully illustrated poems about sweet and charming everyday experiences, especially written for little girls. This book will teach, inspire and empower little precocious lassies, opening their hearts and minds to the delightful world of imagination.

Amazon (Paperback) * Amazon (eBook) * Goodreads

 

*** FREE DOWNLOAD OF PAPER DOLLS! ***

You can download three adorable pdfs of paper dolls created by illustrator Fanny Liem based on A Moat is Not a Goat. Just click on the thumbnail below to take you to the author's site!  

The Buzz About the Book

"A Moat is not a Goat - Poems for Clever Little Girls" follows Elsa's interesting writing style of letting the reader have loads of fun, solving fiendish clues and reading aloud rhymes that trip off the tongue with ease." ~ Read it Daddy!

"Each story is told as a poem and takes the reader on a magical journey through a pony car wash, a snow scene, and a strange world deep under the ocean. There’s a visit to the home of the five sisters, a chance to meet a pink-gowned female pirate, and find out how Miss Wafer saves her pie and tea from a snake. Learn about happiness and making up after a squabble, and how losing a tooth isn’t a disaster. What happens when you snip a lock of hair, and how a day in bed with a cold isn’t all it was planned to be." ~ Reviewed by Jane Finch for Readers' Favorite

"Cute rhyming book with beautiful illustrations. I recommend it for bedtime stories. Definitely worth it." ~ 5 Star Review, celestial, Amazon

"This book is full of clever poems that little girls will love. Everything from dreaming about becoming a pirate or a princess to fighting with your siblings is in here. Little girls will be able to relate to every page. The illustrations by Fanny Liem are SUPER adorable to boot!" ~ 5 Star Review, Teddy O., Amazon

"I am a preschool teacher and I am always looking for books that will amaze and excite my students. I think they will love this book." ~ 5 Star Review, Darla W., Amazon

 

Message From The Author: Elsa Takaoka

On the first day of National Poetry Month in April of 2014, I set the goal of writing a poem a day. My little girls and I would sit at the kitchen table - my five year-old doodled and my one year-old scribbled while Mommy wrote. As I struggled to find inspiration, I would occasionally glance at my eldest girl, who has been a doodling machine since the age of two and will often draw pictures for hours. Her doodles contained many of her favorite things: twins and mermaids, princesses and pets. But on closer inspection, they also contained stories of brave and bold little girls -girls with real feelings who fought, made-up, cried and got angry. These girls sailed ships, fought beasts and were pirates. These girls were tender and caring, who doodled and read. Her art contained REAL little girls- imaginative, clever and able to do anything they set their minds to. My hope is that I was able to crawl into the mind of a child and bottle up even a bit of the innocent yet powerful confidence of clever little girls everywhere.  

Book Website * Author Website

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About the Illustrator: Fanny Liem

Fanny Liem is a freelance artist from Jakarta, Indonesia who became captivated with art at a very young age. She credits her talented father for passing on the love of artistic creation. Driven by grit and passion, Fanny learned about digital art on her own, redefining her hobby of drawing to budding career in children’s illustrations. Fanny also taps her feet while enjoying American Country music. For more information, please visit https://www.behance.net/fannywen  

* Book Blast Giveaway *

Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash prize (winner's choice) Contest ends: December 30, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author Elsa Takaoka and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send an email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Brave. A Book About Courage

There are as many definitions of poetry as there are poets. Poetry is an artistic expression unlike any other. Some research suggests that poetry predates literature, starting out as songs and oral traditions of storytelling. Why poetry? The art of a few simple, well-chosen words teaches us to look at the smallest moments and details of life and learn from them. Alas, for many people the last time they read a poem was at school or university. It’s wonderful to find a book like Brave. A Book About Courage geared specifically for kids. Readers of all ages will delight in a variety of themes in this compilation of constructive acrostic, witty alliteration, haiku, alphabet, and free verse poetry. The book offers an endearing perspective about the various interests and feelings of a child in relation to hopes and aspirations, family relationships and friendships, the five senses, self and a sense of identity, animals, and life in general.

A book of poems is a gem, something to be savored and relished for each word of wisdom and awakening it offers the reader, regardless of age. In this book, many poems explore the fun, boisterous, sunny side of life, and others plunge deeper into the fearful aspects of being small in a big world. Bravery is having the courage to go out every day and tackle what comes, no matter what comes. These creatively structured poems explore what it means to cultivate respect for self and others, the meaning of good qualities, and to hold fast to the maxim that ‘anything is possible.’

Because Brave. A Book about Courage is authored by a 12-year-old child, other children will more thoroughly comprehend the content at hand and develop a better appreciation for literature. For children to read a child-authored book not only encourages more kids to get involved with reading books, but will possibly inspire them to write one of their own. This is a fabulous little book for parents and teachers to introduce children to the enchantment and magicality found in words. Highly recommended. 5 Stars. First reviewed for Readers Favorite.

 

by Fiona Ingram

The Rhythm of Life, Music and Poetry with Mary Muhammad

Please welcome guest number eleven on the Virtual Book Tour. My special visitor today is author and poetess Mary Muhammad who has written books of poetry and two children's books.

Poetry and children’s books are an interesting combination. I’ve asked Mary to tell us in her own words where her inspiration comes from, and what her aims and goals are in sharing her emotions and messages with readers.



Mary on Poetry

My love for poetry stems from two areas in my life—jazz music and recitation. Music, just like life, is poetry in a rhythmic form. When you are a lover of words, and someone recites to you words that capture rhythm, you automatically form your own rhythm, your own song so to speak, and this is how poetry became my love of expression. I'm inspired by children and life in general when it comes to poetry. Everything has its own rhythm and song; this opens a whole world to me when it comes to writing. The process is awkward for me, I guess, because the majority of my writing has to have a title in order to be; it's not easy for me to just write without a face to what I'm writing, and the title is a face for me. As my writing matured, my biggest influences came from a totally different era than today. It came from the early writers who seem to draw on the real issues of life, the deep intimacies of the early century. I was fascinated with this form of expression, the dialogue and many fashions of it. I just love reading it. Jazz is my second love of expression because of the diversity. I enjoy the instruments and how each of them voices their own sound while being just as important as the next in a piece. Yet without each one, the whole sound changes in a particular song. Jazz has melody, it's the real music expression for me, it's like body language without a lot of hoop and holler.

Mary on Writing for Children

My love for children comes from my upbringing. I came from a very large family and children were everywhere you turned. With six sisters and four brothers came many nieces and nephews, many of whom I baby sat, so my love of children has always been there. When I first started to hear and read of children being abused, I just couldn't fathom the reasoning; it just didn't make sense to me. I mean here you have an innocent being, and you have this happen to them! Every parent has the right to protect their children and should be an advocate for their protection. When seeing and hearing all this negative activity with small and older children, I couldn't sit still, I hoped with God blessing me to write, I could be an advocate for the children. I hoped I could be the voice they hold quiet, and bring awareness to this awful act. I pray more parents and family members will become more active on children’s behalf and learn of the seven steps to help protect the children. They need to know how serious and life changing this issue is for the children. They need to love them enough to stop and pay attention to changing behavior, because it changes their lives forever. They see life and people totally different than most. I don't know for sure if my message is working, but I pray it will save a child's life, at least one each day. If I can do that by making this as open as I can, my heart is happy, a child is happy, a child is safe. People don't have to take my word for it; they can go straight to the mouth of the predator committing the acts. They can hear it from them by visiting my website and going to the media room, where they are speaking about this, where they themselves warn the parents about what, how, when, where and why they do these things. How much more warning and proof do parents need to help protect the children? It's because of this activity Hugs and Kisses was written.

Mary’s Motto; "The love we say we have for another becomes a fallacy the moment judgment enters in."

Please visit Mary's blog post and jazz and poetry connections for more details and book purchase details.

Author Cissy Hunt & A Rose Blooms Among the Thorns

Say hello to my seventh guest on the Virtual Book Tour: author and poet Cissy Hunt. Cissy’s book A Rose Blooms Among the Thorns is a special testament to Cissy’s own life experiences, and how she has turned these into a means of enlightening and helping others. Before we find out more about Cissy, let’s take a look at her book.

Cissy says: “It is about a woman's journey from domestic abuse through healing to forgiveness. Though it is a fiction book, it is taken from my own life. It was a very hard book for me to write, because of having to relive it all, but true and complete healing came from writing it. It took me a long time to start writing the book but it came quickly once I started. I am a minister called to helping women who have come out of domestic abuse.


I started my book, A Rose Blooms Among the Thorns, in Feb of 2009 and turned it in to the publisher in June of 2009. The toughest obstacle that I had to overcome before completing my book was taking the journey into my past, but when the journey was complete I received complete healing. As for my title, "A Rose Blooms Among the Thorns", what is behind it is symbolism. Rose = new life; Blooms = over coming thorns = abuse."

You mention that this book was inspired by personal abuse. You live such a happy settled life now—was it difficult to dredge up your own pain to express it on paper, and why did you feel the need to share this with others?

Yes it was very difficult to take the journey back into my past but it had to be done, because there is so much domestic abuse in this country and women are left feeling that "IT" is all their fault. A woman that escapes a violent relationship leaves feeling worse than "DIRT."

Do you feel that being an ordained minister enables you to empathize with others' pain and thereby express your own emotions better in your writing?

Yes, a woman can relate to another woman who has been where she is now. It gives her hope, hope for a better live that doesn't hold pain and sorrow. I can show them that hope for a better life in my writing.

You love to write—was there someone who inspired you from an early age, or did you get your spark from books or poetry while growing up?

I loved reading every since I learned how to read. I'm a type of reader that gets totally "into" a book. I could go anywhere in time and be anyone I wanted to be. Books were an escape for me. One person inspired me to write and she was my 12th grade English teacher, Miss Fife. She not only complemented me on my writing but would push me to pull more out of myself. "Dig deeper," she would say.

Tell us more about your poetry—what moves you, inspires you? Do you have a special place or set of circumstances to be comfortable in writing?

My poetry just comes to me. I don't just sit down and say, "I'm going to write a poem today." Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and the words just flow out of me. I'm a night person and I like sitting on my deck at night (we live out in the country) and words come to me. I wrote my poem Like the Moon for one while on my deck at night.

What kind of response have you had from readers? Do people relate well to your book? Have your helped people through your own journey?

The people who have read my book said they loved it. They said that it made them cry, laugh, and made them angry, but most of all it made them think, think about what is going on around them in their own neighborhood and community. That is the response I wanted. I wanted people to open their eyes to what was going on in their own community.

How did you get published?

I sent in the first three chapters of my book and the publisher, PublishAmerica, liked it and sent me a contract.

What books/ideas do you have lined up in future?

I have been thinking of a sequel to my first book, A Rose Blooms Among the Thorns. It has been very strong in my thoughts. I just want to get this book out to the public first before I start on a second one.

Thanks for sharing this with us, Cissy. Interested readers can purchase A Rose Blooms Among the Thorns on Amazon, or visit Cissy's website.

The Magic Within: Author & Hedge-Witch Lily Oak

Magic is a fascinating subject, taking the imagination from Brothers’ Grimm old fairytales, to the wild fantasies of Harry Potter, to a special kind of magic in The Golden Compass. But who really thinks about magic in the modern world? Can one still embrace a sense of magic; can one influence the elements or earth’s vibrations to create a happy outcome? My third VBT guest is author and Hedge-Witch Lily Oak who has put together a special kind of book for a very special cause.

The Story of 'Hope Moon'

Hope Moon is a collection of short stories, poetry, artwork, and articles inspired by the moon and its influence over us. How did it come about? Lily says: “Let me paint you a picture. One January morning earlier this year, I sink into the sofa, cup of tea in hand, recovering from manic morning getting kids to school. I flick on the TV and am greeted with harrowing news pictures from the Haiti earthquake disaster. I wish I could do something I thought. Just then my phone started chirping at m, I recognized the number as my temp agency. "...they said they didn't need you after all. We've got you another placement though it starts on Monday." Never mind I thought, I've already booked child care so I guess I get three quiet days to myself... I'm sure I'll find something to do. Something. Then it clicked, being a firm believer in everything happens for a reason, what else would I do?!”

Hope Moon contains a wide range of things from a wide range of people. It includes a lesson in basic moon magic, contributed by Dawn Gribble and taken from the Pagan-Magic.com witchcraft e-course. Some brilliant articles on how the moon affects us all in different ways by Lidia Tremblay, Scarlet Page, and Laura Goodfellow. It also has its fair share of creative writing. There are two beautifully haunting short stories by Chris Bartholomew and Kaolin Fire. All of these components are punctuated with poetry by Julie Carty, Isabelle Newbill, Laura Goodfellow, and Rob Bond (whose stunning painting adorns the cover).This pagan-esque anthology was put together in just 3 days in order to help raise money for the Haiti earthquake appeal, and for every copy sold a donation is made.

Here’s a wonderful poetic contribution from Lily

The Night I Died I Came Alive
The night I died was the night I came alive,
It happened by the light of the Full Cold Moon.
My friends and family all mourned,
They thought it happened too soon.
I had spent the day following the foot fall of deer,
I noticed that darkness had began to descend.
I knew I should head home but felt comfort in The Wood,
That was my beginning, though most thought it my end.
I don’t remember pain, or cold, or dark,
I just stared at the sphere above shining bright.
All my troubles and worries seemed further away,
The world seems much more peaceful when it’s wrapped in the night.
The air became icy whispers as the hours wore on,
It was like learning secrets as I lay back amongst the trees.
I felt so at home watching the midnight mist swirl,
I knew I never wanted to leave, so from my body my spirit I eased.

Copyright © Lily Oak 2010 - taken from 'Hope Moon'


To learn a bit more about magical elements, I visited Lily’s site Hedge-Witchery to have my eyes opened. There’s magic everywhere, as you’ll find if you visit this special place. I thought I’d let Lily tell us about herself in her own magical words.

What is Magic?
If you are reading this expecting long mysterious explanations of cryptic ceremonies used to conjure magic, I am afraid I am about to disappoint you.
What is magic? Everything.
Where is magic? Everywhere.
You just have to learn to see it. For me at least, magic isn't something we create it is something we use. A type of energy given of by every natural thing. Think more Lyra's dust, than Mr. Potter’s Wand. Just as all natural things differ in species, mineral type, personality, etc, so does the magic they radiate. From the purification properties of copal, to the deep passions inspired by garnet. Sometimes these magical energies combine in a way that jumps out at us, makes itself so tangible that even the most stoic of skeptics would struggle to deny it. The moment the dipping sun hits the right spot on the horizon that floods the sky crimson. Sunlight catching dew drops on unfurling ferns in spring. Frost encased spiders’ webs on crisp autumn morns. It is how magic is utilized that gives us the diverse make-up of witchcraft and spell casting we have today. Due to witchcraft being a lot more publicly discussed than it once was, practitioners are now able to talk about the way they see magic, discuss their path, its history and its beliefs. This enables us to not only look at what magic is to ourselves, but also what it s to others. It allows us to change our perspective of what magic is and learn and grow because of it.
Magic is something that affects all of us whether we choose to work with it or not. At some point in your life, no matter what your views on witchcraft or spell casting, you'll be affected by it.

Of course, if you’re curious (like me) you’ll want to visit Hedge-Witchery and find out what exactly is a Hedge-Witch. You might be surprised...

To purchase a copy of Hope Moon and donate to a wonderful cause, visit Amazon.

The (Almost Forgotten) Art of Poetry

When was the last time you read a poem? Be honest. School? University? Reading out aloud at a wedding or funeral? Hardest question: when was the last time you read or bought a book of poems? The only reason I am thinking about poetry for the first time in a long time is because I recently reviewed a book of poems and was suddenly thrust into someone else’s mind. Poetry is not like reading a book. One can think they plumb the depths of a writer’s mind, but read a poem and your perspective changes. A poet is forced to lay bare his or her soul in an act of brutal honesty without the many words available to a writer.


There are as many definitions of poetry as there are poets. Wordsworth defined poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.” Emily Dickinson said, “If I read a book and it makes my body so cold no fire ever can warm me, I know that is poetry.” Dylan Thomas defined poetry this way: “Poetry is what makes me laugh or cry or yawn, what makes my toenails twinkle, what makes me want to do this or that or nothing.” Robert Frost said, “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and thought has found words.”

So where does poetry come from? Wikipedia has a nice concise definition. Poetry as an art form predates literacy. Some of the earliest poetry (songs) is believed to have been orally recited or sung. Poetry was employed as a way of remembering oral history, story (epic poetry), genealogy, and law. Poetry is often closely related to musical traditions, and much of it can be attributed to religious movements. Many of the poems surviving from the ancient world are a form of recorded cultural information about the people of the past, and their poems are prayers or stories about religious subject matter, histories about their politics and wars, and the important organizing myths of their societies.

Is poetry relevant to modern life? I would say more now than ever. However, I happened upon a blog where someone else said it better than I ever could. The founder of the first-ever Massachusetts Poetry Festival Organizer Michael Ansara says: “Google “poetry and funerals”—over 7,000,000 links come up. Google “poetry and weddings”—over 4,000,000 links come up. Why? Because poetry remains our deepest song. It is the sound and imagery and lyrics of our souls. It teaches us to look at the smallest moment and the details of life and learn from them. It can inspire us when we are heavy with grief. It gives voice to all the most important parts of being human—and it helps us struggle with the mysteries and with the awful facts of being human in this awe-inspiring chaos of the universe. Is it chance that most religious texts incorporate poetry? (…) But there are so many contemporary poets along with the great poets of the past who can still sing to us, who can still help us make sense of the paradoxes of living, who can inspire, comfort and stretch us. That is why when we bury our loved ones we want poetry. Now we have to bring the great poets and the great poetry of our day out into the light and bring it to people rather than asking them to find it in some cramped back room of a bookstore.”

With that in mind, I dipped into Essence of My Existence: Poems to Acknowledge My Truth by Rajyeshwari Ghosh. Here is my review: A Sublime Journey of the Soul

“This book of poems is a gem, something to be savored and relished for each word of wisdom and awakening it offers the reader. The poet has made courageous journeys of both inner and outer self, endured both physical and emotional hardships, and this is reflected in her work. Stripped of illusions and pretensions, the poet reaches deep within herself for the answers to life’s questions. Sometimes there are no answers; sometimes the answers are painful, but they take the reader onward and upward to the understanding of life we all crave. Her words drop softly, like the petals of an exquisite flower upon the pool of water that is our consciousness. Tiny ripples disturb our thoughts and awaken a sense of understanding. The poet shows her true soul and self in an often anguished investigation of emotions ranging from relationships (family, friends, lovers), to seemingly mundane tasks like job hunting, to a bitter disillusionment with the American Dream, to just ‘being’. The poet is not afraid to strip away the layers and arrive at painful realizations. There are beautiful moments when her words prompt the reader to pause awhile and reflect on how often we rush past those special times and people in life, but it’s too late to recapture those precious times (I Have Grown Up Too Fast). The poet looks for authenticity in life and self, seeking a meaningful existence in a hurly-burly world that is often transient, shallow, fast, cruel and unjust, seeking the joy in each day, reaching for a moment of new awakening (The Realities). From plumbing the depths of a loss of self-identity, the poet offers words of wisdom equivalent to the adage ‘to thine own self be true’ … leading to an awakening from within and a renewed faith in self and humanity.”