Holiday Review: Sleigh Ride by Elaine Kaye

 Christmas is coming!!! (As if you didn't know) And what's Christmas without some fitting, holiday reads? I have more than a couple lined up before Christmas Day is here and will be marking these with 'Holiday Review'. After all, not all reads are for the holidays, either.

The first one up is directed toward children, ages 5 to 8.

SLEIGH RIDE

A Gregory Green Adventure

by Elaine Kaye

Children Holiday Fiction

32 pages

ages 5 to 8

On Christmas Eve, Gregory and Sammy get a special visitor—Santa Claus! Santa brings them on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure around the world and to the North Pole. Bundle up and come along for the ride!

**For kids ages 5-8**

**Picture Story Book**

A Gregory Green Adventure Series:
Pea Soup Disaster
Doctor Mom
Halloween Ride

BOOK DEPOSITORY / GOODREADS / AMAZON / B&N / KOBO

MY TIDBITS

I've read several of the books in this series and appreciate the author's quick, simple and down-to-earth story telling...and that while telling a tale, which kids enjoy listening to. While it's not necessary to read any of these before hitting this book, I did find that there is little to no introduction concerning Gregory or his bear, Sammy, in this one. So, I would recommend grabbing up one of the others in the series first to give kids a heads-up on the characters. Still, this is a cute Christmas tale and can be read alone, too.

There's a noise in the room...or was there? Sammy's certain he heard it, and sure enough, they find Santa standing there. He read Gregory's letter and wants to grant his wish, but doing so will include an exciting adventure.

I love this pair of characters. Gregory is a very average, curious boy, who is caring and, above all, loves his bear, Sammy. The idea of having the stuffed animal and him go on adventures together is something I could have related to very well as a kid...and something my own kids have enjoyed as well. The story is pretty short and just right for a cuddle in the chair or bedtime read. I do recommend this one as a read-aloud, since the text is a little much for first readers. Those who have a good handle on words won't have any trouble with it, though. I do wish that one or two sections were a bit more built out and not quite as rushed, but for a short dab into Christmasy thoughts, it's a fun read.

The story stays on a very traditional, Santa path, which I also appreciate. It awakes the Christmas feeling and fits well with the excitement kids have for the holidays. Plus, those who dream of Santa will wish they could join Gregory on his adventure.

Happy Book Birthday, The Missing Alphabet by Elaine Kaye

Gregory the Boy: Hi everyone! My name is Gregory.

Sammy the Teddy Bear: *waves* Don't be scared, but I can talk, too. I'm Sammy.

Gregory: Sammy is my best friend in the whole wide world. We go on a lot of adventures together. Don't we, Sammy?

Sammy: Yup! Like the time when Gregory turned green at school.

Gregory: And you came to tell my friends and me about bulling.

Sammy: Someone had to.

Gregory: Then there was the time when you ripped your leg, Sammy, and Mom had to fix you up.

Sammy: *rubs leg* I don't want to talk about that.

Gregory: Let's not forget about what happened on Halloween night!

Sammy: We rode on a broom! *pretends to be an airplane*

Gregory: Now we have a brand new adventure to share with everyone.

Sammy: We do! But maybe we should let Elaine Kaye share the details about the story of The Missing Alphabet.

Elaine Kaye the Author: Thanks, boys!

NEW RELEASE FROM ELAINE KAYE:

The paper alphabet letters in Gregory Green’s classroom have gone missing, and it’s up to him and his friends to find those missing letters. They go on a hunt through the school, hoping to find them. They spot letters next to things that start with those letters, like B for Bananas in the cafeteria. But will they be able to find the entire alphabet?

The Missing Alphabet is a great story for children learning to associate letters with objects, and four activities throughout the book will further help children to get familiar with the alphabet.

General Age Range - Kids 5-8 (Story Picture Book)

EBOOK: Amazon / Nook / Kobo

PRINT: Amazon 

A GREGORY GREEN ADVENTURE SERIES:

“Bullying is not fun and, with colorful illustrations and interesting characters, the author handles the topic in a simple manner, giving a clear message about how the color of one's skin is not important." - Readers' Favorite (5-Star Review)

EBOOK: Amazon / Nook / Kobo

PRINT: Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

“Tutors and educators can use it in classrooms and school libraries for read aloud sessions.” – Readers’ Favorite (5-Star Review)

EBOOK: Amazon / Nook / Kobo

PRINT: Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

“This is a perfect story for children and it will make them imagine, dream, and become adventurous. The illustrations are whimsical and they bring out the spookiness and eeriness of the adventure.” – Readers’ Favorite (5-Star Review)

EBOOK: Amazon / Nook / Kobo

PRINT: Amazon / Barnes & Noble







And here she is...

Elaine Kaye is the author of A Gregory Green Adventure series. She created Gregory Green after her son, who loved her homemade pea soup.

Kaye has worked as a library assistant and teacher's assistant in elementary schools. She currently lives in Florida, but has called Michigan; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Okinawa, Japan home.

Website / Goodreads / Amazon / Instagram / Facebook

Review: Halloween Ride by Elaine Kaye

HALLOWEEN RIDE

A Gregory Green Adventure

by Elaine Kaye

Chapter Book/ Picture Book

26 pages

ages 5 to 8

One Halloween night, Gregory and his teddy bear Sammy go trick-or-treating, hoping for lots and lots of candy. But Sammy is scared of everything and is constantly asking, “What’s that?” Gregory gets annoyed until one of those things turns out to be a flying broomstick. And this broom wants them to go for a ride. Where will it take them?

MY TIDBITS

This is a sweet, trick or treating adventure with a special twist of Halloween magic as sweet as candy corn.

Gregory and his bear, Sammy, put on their costumes, and with Mom's instructions, head out to trick or treat. But things are spookier than usual on Halloween night. Soon, the shadows reveal surprises and the two wonder if they are as brave as they thought. But when one shadow reveals a broom stick, the magic begins.

While this book belongs to a series of books, each one is a separate story and can easily be read alone.

The excitement of heading out alone for the very first time to go trick or treating comes to life in these pages. Gregory and Sammy, a teddy bear who is more than his stuffing and string, are nervous but mostly excited as they head out into the night. The mother's instructions fit perfectly to the situation—only go to the houses where she can see them from the window. Even though this sounds very safe, the two still find themselves in thick adventures, which shows how wonderful the imagination can be.

It's easy to relate to the two as they meet their own fears, ones many kids share when their imaginations get the better of them. And the twist of magical fun toward the end, adds a wonderful adventure kids can dream of. It's a lovely balance between reality and fantasy.

This book borders between a picture book and something children, who have gotten a better grip on words, can read on their own. The vocabulary is generally kept simple enough for more sure readers to attack, and the length fits perfectly as well. As a picture book, it's great for the slightly older audience (ages five and up) due to the length. But it makes a wonderful read aloud for this age group.
The illustrations are bright and simple but add just the right touch to make the book fun to flip through.

It's an entertaining read, which kids can identify with before heading out on their own trick or treating adventure.



And here she is. . .

Elaine Kaye has worked as a library assistant and teacher's assistant in elementary schools in the Sunshine State. She currently lives in Florida, but she has called Michigan; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Okinawa, Japan home. She is a grandmother of three boys.

Find Elaine:

Website / Instagram / Litsy - @ElaineKaye

Goodreads / Amazon

Review: Pea Soup Disaster by Elaine Kaye

PEA SOUP DISASTER

A Gregory Green Adventure

by Elaine Kaye

Picture Book/Chapter Book

Light Urban Fantasy

30 pages

Gregory Green loves his mom’s pea soup, but when he eats it at school, all of his friends make fun of how it looks. He doesn’t think it looks like bugs, and it tastes good! Then at recess, his friends run from him, screaming, “He’s a monster!” Gregory doesn’t know why his friends are being mean until he sees his skin is green. The teasing gets worse until an unlikely friend comes to the rescue—his teddy bear, Sammy. Sammy usually only comes to life for Gregory and his family, but Sammy has an important lesson to teach Gregory and his classmates.

MY TIDBITS

With a little silliness and a humor, this book takes a fun dive into the serious topic of bullying.

Gregory Green loves his mother's pea soup, but the kids at school claim it looks like icky bug goo. When he goes out for recess, everyone shuns him and, soon, he finds out why. Gregory Green has turned green from head to toe, and the kids at school find it hilarious.

With a format which is a cross between a picture book and a chapter book, this makes a lovely read-aloud or, perhaps, a nice story for young readers who are fairly comfortable with reading on their own. The pages of text are well balanced with pages of bright, colorful illustrations, making it fun to flip through and keep the text from bogging down. To add to the fun, little bowls of soup are added to the pages of text too.

The story itself has an important message but bundles it into a humorous story with a touch of fantasy. Gregory is an ordinary boy and is easy to relate to. His situation, while funny, still evokes sympathy. Add a very supportive family, and a clever solution, and it's a cute story kids are sure to enjoy.


And here she is. . .

Elaine Kaye got the idea for Pea Soup Disaster from her son who loved to eat her homemade pea soup. Pea Soup Disaster is the first of many fun stories featuring Gregory Green and his teddy bear, Sammy, as part of the Gregory Green Adventure series.

Kaye has worked as a library assistant and teacher's assistant in elementary schools in the Sunshine State. She currently lives in Florida, but she has called Michigan; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Okinawa, Japan home. She is a grandmother of three boys.

Find Elaine:

Website / Instagram / Litsy - @ElaineKaye

Goodreads / Amazon