Monday, December 23, 2013

Arlie the Alligator

Today's special guest is Sandra Warren, who will be joining us at Book 'Em North Carolina on February 22, 2014. We hope you'll attend - it's completely free - and stop by Sandra's table and chat with her and buy her book.

In Sandra's own words:

When you least expect it, life throws you a curve that sends you traveling in another direction. I never aspired to be a writer; a reader, yes, but never a writer. Then children with unusual needs entered my life, needs few were addressing. And so I began to develop stories that challenge young minds; open-ended stories that begged for discussion and an ending only the reader could provide. 

Today, I write for different reasons.

I write for children to share my quirky ideas that I hope will entertain and maybe inspire a better understanding of their world and their place in it. Most of all, I hope children will have fun through the pages of my books.

I write for adults to engage them in a good story that will give them a respite from the stresses of daily life.
My eclectic interests have brought writing opportunities to write in many genres, my way. Each story written comes with an even greater tale of discovery behind the scenes. To date I’ve publications in gifted education, parenting, science, children’s, poetry, how to, journal and newspaper articles, adult biography as well as cable television, video and audio production.

I look forward to sharing the following books at Book’Em:

If I Were A Road, IF I Were a Table, The Great Bridge Lowering, Arlie the Alligator Book, CD and Communication Guide. And adult biographies, When Duty Called: Even Grandma Had to Go and Hidden Casualties: Battles on the Home Front. 


ABOUT THE BOOK


Arlie the Alligator: A Story & Picture Book for Kids Ages 4 to 8 is full of surprises. The song lyrics of four snappy tunes are incorporated mini-musical style within the story about a positive thinking alligator who longs to talk to the creatures (children) at the beach. Readers are challenged to think as Arlie describes the strange things the creatures do, I.E. “some were twirling flat round saucers high up in the air.”

Although the book can stand alone, its entertainment and educational value is enhanced when children follow along word-for-word with the audio CD, fully produced with actors, sound effects and of course, the music. Listen once and you’ll be bellowing right along with Arlie. Listen to a sample of the CD below:



The story with songs has been performed for preschool and primary children by middle-school and high school students as well as adults. The full theatrical script along with production ideas and sheet music, a full reader’s theater script and multiple classroom activities, are found in the Arlie the Alligator Communication Activity Guide. In addition to just plain fun, reading Arlie the Alligator is a great way to instill art, music, reading and creativity and performance skills in children.


I look forward to doing a reading of Arlie the Alligator for the young at heart at 11:00 AM in the Yellow Room at Book’Em NC.


CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR