Writing and reading go hand in hand. As Stephen King wrote, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” That’s why I set aside time every day to read, not just children’s books, but works of adult fiction and non-fiction that inspire me.

When my children were young, I used to take them to the library every week in order to expose them to quality children’s literature and cultivate an interest in reading. My imagination would take off like crazy during these trips, as I saw examples of fine illustrated kids books. I couldn’t wait to create a series of my own.

Even now with my hectic schedule after I’ve launched my Danny the Dragon children’s  book series, and even though my kids are all grown, I still keep abreast of the children’s literature market for my own edification and inspiration by checking out the latest kids books. I also devote part of my day to reading whatever captures my imagination from children’s and adult book authors alike.

Tina Turbin

www.DannytheDragon.com

Treasure Hunt with the Munch Crunch Bunch is a storybook and activity book in one designed for children to help them learn about food so they themselves can be empowered to make healthy choices. Now what parent wouldn’t want that?

This book has lots of fun, hands-on activities for families: board games; fruit and vegetable food riddles (“foodles”); ways to make grocery shopping educational and fun; and a terrific read tucked inside.

Designed for 3-8 year olds, this book has so much color and life it’s entertaining for any parent, relative or teacher. The book is really laid out perfectly so you can simply follow the directions, have fun and learn.

The key appealing point is that the book does not come across AT ALL as if it’s trying to teach, which kids are quick to notice. There’s no better way to learn at these ages than through play, experience and fun. This book offers just this. I haven’t come across a hands-on book this good in a long time.

Author Jan Wotterman is responsible for the nutrition resource material. She conducted an in-class nutrition activity with a select group of 17 out of 73 students using her book. Then each of the 73 families filled out an initial list of foods eaten. Each of the 17 children took their book home and parents read to their children and used the “foodle” cards as shopping lists.

Three weeks later, a questionnaire was sent home to each of the 73 students in the class (to both the book-reading group and the control group). The statistics proved that only the 17 students in the group who read the book increased fruit and vegetable consumption and decreased high-fat and high-sugar consumption. This book made a difference for the whole family!

I can only highly recommend this book.

Tina Turbin

www.DannytheDragon.com

k.m.

I am so excited to be a part of the Kiddie Cruise, themed as “Tea Party with Knights and Dragons” which launched out of New York’s Hudson River. Being the only dragon was a thrill!

This cruise was aboard the Queen of Hearts which sailed on the Hudson River this past Sunday with goodie bags gathered from some of the best such as Toy Story- along with special gift from Danny the Dragon and me.

Tons of kids climb aboard for 2 hours of fun with face painting, karaoke, puppet shows, balloons, arts and crafts and of course, a healthy lunch. Danny the Dragon was a part of all of that on the Princess special themed cruise,  Tea Party with Knights and Dragons.

Danny the Dragon and me supplied special Danny the Dragon pencils, Danny the Dragon tattoos, Danny the Dragon bookmarkers and Danny the Dragon door hangers. The kids were just thrilled and we have been invited on another cruise!

Activities like this are terrific for kids and I was really happy to contribute to this and be part of such a special event.

Check me out on kiddiecruise.com under the “Our Friends” tab and you will see Danny sitting there amongst some terrific new “friends”.

Bon Voyage and till next time.

Tina Turbin

www.DannyTheDragon.com

k.m.

It is with great pleasure that I read the encouraging review of Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy in School Library Journal. I am fortunate to have been recognized by many awards programs for this first book in the Danny the Dragon series, but what an honor it was to receive SLJ’s stamp of approval!

School Library Journal is “the world’s largest reviewer of books, multimedia, and technology for children and teens,” according to its website. The monthly magazine was founded in 1954, and its reviews on kids books are a valuable resource to librarians, teachers, and others who work with children and teens. A good review from School Library Journal shows readers that a product is recommended for young people.

The magazine not only recommends my book, but the DVD, which contains a signed reading of the book and is also available as an iPad app for deaf children, created by iStoryTime, the iPhone App Developer for DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon. Profits for the DVD and app are being donated to my favorite causes.

The review can be found in the June 2010 print issue, and an excerpt can be found at the link below:

http://www.dannythedragon.com/reading/school-library-journal-is-raving-about-danny-the-dragon/

Tina Turbin

www.DannyTheDragon.com

b.a.

I’m happy to report that Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy, the first book in my Danny the Dragon children’s book series, has been recognized by the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards. The Annual Purple Dragonfly Awards is a contest that seeks to award authors of books that appeal to children in all age groups. On their website, they say that they search for books that “inspire, inform, teach or entertain.” I’m honored that they have found those qualities in the story of Danny the Dragon and Jimmy.

This award comes after a series of awards, for which I am truly honored, in contests including the Mom’s Choice Awards, iParenting Book Awards, and the International Book Awards.  Danny the Dragon has been recognized for imparting messages about family togetherness and kindness, values which I strive to instill in others.  Clearly, people are listening to these messages and appreciating their value.

I actually began writing as a teenager and at a young age developed a lifelong passion for helping others. Having raised three bright and thriving children of my own, I hope to inspire parents and families to ensure their children are healthy, educated, and happy. As busy I am with my writing and book tours, it is important to me to work on behalf of my favorite causes, which include celiac disease, gluten-free living, and children’s literacy. For the gluten-free community, I founded GlutenFreeHelp.info, a non-profit website dedicated to offering information and tips and serving as a place for experts on the topic to share their research and views.

In addition to this, I have also developed a passion for improving children’s literacy with the release of a signed reading of Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy on DVD and as an app for deaf children by iStoryTime, the iPhone App Developer for DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon. I am donating the profits from these products to support children’s literacy and other causes that I cherish.

I’m gratified that Danny the Dragon has resonated so deeply among the young and the young at heart. I am also grateful to have the opportunity to write books for young children as I continue the Danny the Dragon series. With this recognition from the prestigious Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, I can take pride in my work and I’m inspired to continue it.

Tina Turbin

www.DannyTheDragon.com

Stay-at-home mom and blogger Annie (www.MamaDweeb.com) has posted a delightful reading of Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy to her adorable three-year-old daughter, Lizzie, on YouTube. Have a look yourself at the link below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8wKtMwFiKI

Tina Turbin

www.DannyTheDragon.com

iStoryTime, the iPhone App Developer for DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon,” announces release of New App with Sign Language Interpretation of Award-Winning Children’s Picture Book “Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy”

Los Angeles, CA [August 11, 2010] — iStoryTime, a publisher of children’s storybooks for the iPhone and iPad, announced today the launch of a groundbreaking app for deaf children – a vivid audio-visual presentation of “Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy” that includes a sign-language interpretation.  The app is the first of its kind, paving the way for many more cutting-edge products to assist this underserved population.  http://www.istorytimeapp.com

“We are extremely proud to release the first-ever children’s book app for the deaf community,” said iStoryTime co-Founder, Woody Sears.  “Our goal is to use technology to make children’s books accessible and entertaining and we are delighted to be involved in the production of a book that will provide deaf children with the opportunity to read the popular ‘Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy’ story.”

iStoryTime’s book apps, which can be downloaded directly to an iPhone or iPod Touch or iPad, are simple to use and known for their creativity, illustrations, narrations and animation.  Options for narrations on different stories include voices of adults, kids, and characters.  The narration can also be turned off so that parents can read to kids.
iStoryTime books are available globally for $.99-$2.99 in the iPhone App Store in 80 countries.  For a sneak peak of ‘Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy’ visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bijyi6sO20k

About iStoryTime

iStoryTime is part of FrogDogMedia, LLC.  The company was founded in 2009 by two fathers and an uncle who love to have fun with their families.  Driven by a passion to make children’s books more accessible and entertaining, iStoryTime is the pioneer of children’s book apps for the iPhone.  The organization has created a new medium for established and first time authors to showcase their work at no expense.  The new publishing platform provides parents with a library of compelling children’s books available anytime, anywhere.

     Get your family to pitch in with chores around the house, especially the kids. Children may not be expert dishwasher loaders and you’ll always be able to do the chores better yourself, but learn to let it go and get them to help you out with some of the things they’ll be able to handle on their own, even if it’s just pairing together and folding socks. Studies show that children who participate in family chores have a higher chance of growing up more successful than other children. It will raise their feels of self-esteem, make them more competent, and it’ll give you some time to do the following energy-boosting tips.

Tina Turbin

     Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does—television, that is. One of the best decisions I made years ago for myself and for my family was to cut down on television drastically. At first this may seem like a daunting task, but with a few simple tips, parents find it’s much easier than they suspected it would be.

     First of all, there is the matter of reducing the amount of TV your family watches to just a few shows a week. In order to do this, I recommend a family meeting to discuss your goals as a family and as individuals. Then take an honest look at what everyone is getting out of television. Everyone will agree that they should watch less TV and spend more time pursuing their own goals. With a meeting like this, your kids and spouse will be much more likely to go along with their new lifestyle of less TV because they’ll understand the reason behind it.

     I highly recommend implementing a service such as TiVo ® to help keep TV watching to a minimum. After deciding on the reasons for watching less TV, each family member can decide on a handful of shows to watch together as a family, plus a personal favorite or two, to watch only during designated watching times—Friday nights or Sunday afternoons, for example.

     Finally, come up with stimulating alternatives. Take the kids to the library or play board games. Have larger, longer family dinners at the table. Keeping everyone busy will get their minds off this missing element in their lives. I highly recommend using this time to get the kids to strengthen their reading skills and develop a strong interest in reading. Soon you might find that your family—gasp!—may prefer reading over watching TV.

Tina Turbin

      One of the ways parents can increase involvement is by supporting their child’s education and helping him achieve academic success. An important part of this, which parents don’t often think about, is teaching your kids the social skills they’ll need to succeed in school. Here are some tips for parents on how they can send their child to school with the social skills they need to successfully interact with teachers and other students.

     First, it’s important to teach your child to ask for what he needs. How can he get help unless he’s able to admit he doesn’t understand something? A great way to instill this in your child is to practice it at home.

       One of the most important things you can teach your child is manners. Teachers may attempt to teach students politeness and social skills, but if it’s not being practiced in the home, the child will not successfully absorb these lessons. Your child should be taught when to say, “please,” “thank you,” and “excuse me.” Have him practice sharing things, taking turns, and waiting his turn in line.

           Point out good examples of behavior to your child when you see it. If you’re watching a movie or out in public, you can say to your child something such as, “Did you see how the man held open the door for the lady? He was being a gentleman.”

      Finally, rehearse at home anything your child may feel awkward saying or doing with other people. In such a way, you’ll be able to get your child interacting with others with ease.

      Success in school isn’t only determined by academic skills and knowledge. By following the helpful tips above in the time you spend with your child, you’ll notice an improvement in your child’s education experience in no time as they become more comfortable in their learning environment and better equipped to flourish in it.