Author: andrea-vaughan

  • The 2025 Little Peeps Hall of Fame for Early Readers and Children’s Books

    The 2025 Little Peeps Hall of Fame for Early Readers and Children’s Books

    Need a book for your Little Peep?

    a baby chick sitting in the grass with purple flowers.

    ***The CIBAs wants your Children’s Literature Today!***

    You have until September 30th to share your children’s story and enter the 2o25 CIBAs

    Two little chicks, fresh from their egg
    Enter Here

    The Little Peeps Book Awards features the best of the books that we read to our children and the young people who matter so much in our lives! Love of literature starts right away, and we’re proud to support these books for kids!

    Cheering on the past Grand Prize Winners for the Little Peep Awards!

    Island Moon
    Written and Illustrated by Ruth Amanda

    Ruth Amanda’s Island Moon is a magical moment captured in a poem.

    The narrator lives on an island where the moon sings of fairies and the magic of the night. While out on a nighttime walk, the narrator breathes in the island scents and hears the waves kissing the shore. In the froth of the waves, and in the moon’s magical light reflecting on the water, the narrator sees the fairies dancing.

    While describing all the animals active during nighttime, the narrator sees a tired sea turtle coming ashore to lay eggs. The moon blesses the creature, calling in the tide to aid the exhausted turtle back home to the sea. The songs of the night birds and the rays of the moon’s light follow the narrator back to bed and into their dreams.

    The rhyming of the poem and illustrations are truly beautiful. In a few short lines and pages, you are transported to a tranquil night on the island of Barbados.

    Read More Here

    The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans
    By Shaziya M. Jaffer, Brad W. Rudover and Jessica Alexanderson
    Illustrated by Adam Trask

    The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans, by Shaziya M. Jaffer, Brad W. Rudover, & Jessica Alexanderson, is perfectly written for children between three and eight years old.

    Eye-catching colorful graphics by Adam Trask, fun characters, and a wonderfully lighthearted storyline uphold this book’s message of protecting the environment. Both children and adults will feel empowered to help our planet one can at a time.

    An adventurous young girl named Ellie wants to buy a Unicorn. To earn the money she needs, Ellie plans to collect and recycle one million cans. But she soon realizes that her plans may need to take a different track. Together with her community of friends, who show great teamwork and perseverance, environmental lessons continue on with fantastic results.

    Read More Here

    Raven's Roost Cover

    Ravens Roost
    Written & Illustrated by Maggie Bates

    Maggie Bates’s Ravens Roost is a Children’s book that explores the illustrated nighttime adventures of a woman with her friend, a small frog.

    This story teaches children how to be curious about forest animals, even in the middle of a wind storm. Bates is new to writing Children’s books, and cares deeply for the natural world. Her rapport with animals likely inspired her debut tale.

    Ravens Roost begins with a frog sitting on a roof, wondering where ravens go at night. The woman who lives in the house decides to help the frog follow his curiosity on an adventure. First, she climbs up a tree to watch ravens soar overhead. She admires the moon and notices the birds perching in her favorite tree. She climbs down and starts her trek along a forest path as night falls and the wind picks up. The woman tucks her frog friend into her pocket for safety. Along their journey, the frog and the woman share a special friendship.

    Read More Here

    Victoria and the Big Brave Breath

    Victoria and The Big, Brave Breath
    By Andrea Vaughan
    Illustrated by Ryan Feltman

    Andrea Vaughan’s Victoria and the Big Brave Breath is a beautifully illustrated children’s book, written to ease conversations about anxiety and worry with a child.

    This story teaches children how to calm their nerves by focusing on their breath, using a clever onomatopoeia to help. Vaughn’s book is a timely must-read!

    Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath starts with a little girl named Victoria recognizing that she is often worried. She lists examples (trying new foods, going to the doctor, playing in the park) of her anxieties. Physically-speaking, Victoria’s hands sweat, her knees shake and her tummy hurts when her feelings appear. Her teddy bear best friend Baxter has a suggestion for her to ease these unfamiliar (and uncomfortable) feelings.

    Read More Here

    Great as a Button Cover

    Great as a Button
    By Masoud Malekyari
    Illustrated by Sebastiao Peixoto

    Masoud Malekyari’s Great As a Button is a delightful children’s book that places a soulful little plastic adornment at center stage in a thought-provoking story that offers up a positive lesson about self-worth.

    This tale unfolds from a first person POV as a lonely, black plastic button falls off a shirt. The button ruminates over its plight of feeling too plain to be noticed, and wishes perhaps to be a sock, a key, or a pair of glasses, i.e., a more important item that the button surmises someone would go out of their way to look for.

    Read More Here


    Now that you’re set on your next reads, what are you waiting for? The only way to join this amazing list of Little Peeps Winners is to submit today!

    The Chanticleer Int'l Book Awards Overall Grand Prize sticker for the CIBAs

    Those who submit and advance will have the chance to win the Overall Grand Prize of the CIBAs and $1000!

  • Little Peeps and Gertrude Warner Submissions Extended! October Deadline for Children’s Books and Middle Grade

    Little Peeps and Gertrude Warner Submissions Extended! October Deadline for Children’s Books and Middle Grade

    We’re Listening!

    This spooky little guy has big ears just for listening!

    Your books like to Trick or Treat as much as kids!

    New Deadline for the Little Peeps Awards and Gertrude Warner Awards is October 31st!

    Badges for the Little Peeps and Gertrude Warner Awards featuring little chicks and the Boxcar Children respectively.

    We’ve heard that the beginning of the school year has been busier than expected! With that in mind, both Little Peeps and the Gertrude Warner Awards have had their submission dates extended until the end of October! Just remember to submit before you take anyone out to Trick or Treat!

    There’s still time!

    Thank you to all who have submitted to the Little Peeps and Gertrude Warner Awards so far, and thank you to those who let us know they needed more time!

    To Celebrate Spooky Season, here are some of our favorite books with spooky stories or themes of bravery!

    Victoria and the Big Brave Breath

    Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath
    By Andrea Vaughan and Illustrated by Ryan Feltman

    Little Peeps Grand Prize Winner

    Andrea Vaughan’s Victoria and the Big Brave Breath is a beautifully illustrated children’s book, written to ease conversations about anxiety and worry with a child.

    This story teaches children how to calm their nerves by focusing on their breath, using a clever onomatopoeia to help. Vaughn’s book is a timely must-read!

    Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath starts with a little girl named Victoria recognizing that she is often worried. She lists examples (trying new foods, going to the doctor, playing in the park) of her anxieties. Physically-speaking, Victoria’s hands sweat, her knees shake and her tummy hurts when her feelings appear. Her teddy bear best friend Baxter has a suggestion for her to ease these unfamiliar (and uncomfortable) feelings.

    The friendship that the bear and the girl share is sweet and endearing, as if the bear is an allegory for a friend or family member.

    Read More Here

    A Tall Tale About Dachshunds in Costumes
    By Kizzie Jones and Illustrated by Scott Ward

    A unique fairytale by author Kizzie Jones, A Tall Tale About Dachshunds in Costumes: How MORE Dogs Came to Be adds the third book her series that began with How Dachshunds Came to Be: A Tall Tale about a Short Long Dog, followed by the award-winning title, A Tall Tale about a Dachshund and a Pelican: How a Friendship Came to Be.

    This tall tale begins on the beach one autumn day where a big storm is fast approaching a girl and her dogs, stopping their play and forcing them to retreat indoors. The next day the girl and the dogs decide to go clean up the debris left by the storm, and it is not long before they see what sort of costumes they can create with the various kinds of debris scattered along the beach.

    The dressed-up dogs ask the girl if she would be upset if they stayed dressed up.  The girl wonders if the dogs would change on the inside as well. they reply,

     “We’d be changed and transformed—we’d be diff’rent outside. Yet, inside, our hearts are still caring and kind.”

    That night the girl sends her wish to the ocean for the dogs to become the dogs they costumed themselves to be and goes to sleep hoping her wish will be granted.

    Read More Here

    Henry Castlewaite and the Portrait of Doom
    By Richard Groseclose

    When 11-year-old orphan Henry Castlewaite is delivered to his new foster family in tiny, rural Terwilliger Tennessee, the only sure thing is he is back in the town where he grew up, but that’s about it. After a terrible accident, Henry is suffering from amnesia and doesn’t remember that he’s a wizard, no matter how many times his chaperone from the Castle Family Trust tells him that this is so.

    But Henry is a wizard who doesn’t remember anything about his powers or his past, only that he will see his best friend Gwendolyn on the school bus in the morning. It is also clear that while Henry may not remember much about Terwilliger, the residents of the little town remember a lot about him. Especially his new family, where the other boys tease him unmercifully and the local gossip girls haven’t decided whether they have crushes on him or want to vilify him at every turn.

    He even has mortal enemies he does not recall. But he also has another friend, Ben, who seems to come from an even stranger background than Henry. And who appears to have amnesia as well.

    Read More Here

    Vampire Boy
    By Aric Cushing
    Gertrude Warner 1st Place Winner

    Full of fun and quirky characters, author Aric Cushing invites readers to join him in a world where Halloween never ends. The tale begins with the prophesied birth of the white-haired Alex Vambarey, who draws the attention of a darkling vampire named The Deleter.

    After being saved by all the citizens of Hillock Green, the plot then shoots forward to the eve of Alex’s departure to school. He is an adventurous boy who takes this new chapter in his life in stride, and after saying goodbye to his parents, Alex begins the rather long journey to school. There he meets a whole cast of absurd characters and makes fast friends who help him solve the school riddle.

    Creative influences such as any of the Tim Burton films show up strongly in the book’s visual imagery, most notably when Alex travels through a tree and descends a terrifying staircase. Even though the inspiration of Tim Burton is strong, Cushing still creates a unique land of Halloween.

    Read More Here

    The Supernatural Pet Sitter
    By Diane Moat
    Gertrude Warner 1st Place Winner

    A talented and creative author, Diane Moat, presents a magical world hidden within a New England town where Witches, Warlocks, and Gnomes live together peacefully. That is until one day, something strange happens to the Familiars in the neighborhood. Someone or something had taken the magic from Frank the parrot a month previously, and now the same thing has happened to the tortoise King Arthur.

    This is where Pepper Neely, pet sitter of the supernatural, comes in. Gnomes are magical people who can connect with supernatural creatures. Pepper has a unique aptness with her connection to animals, and she quickly became the neighborhood pet-sitter. With the help of her best friend and witch-in-training Luna, the two go against the well-meaning wishes of their parents to get to the bottom of what is happening to the Familiars. As usual, that is easier said than done when the Witches and Gnomes start to clash over the danger at hand. Pepper also discovers an ability that will change the meaning of what it is to be a Gnome.

    Read More Here


    Even with this extension, remember…

    Don’t let your book miss out on the CIBAs!
    Enter Today!

  • The 2024 Little Peeps Book Awards Hall of Fame for Children’s Books and Early Readers!

    The 2024 Little Peeps Book Awards Hall of Fame for Children’s Books and Early Readers!

    Need a book for your Little Peep?

    a baby chick sitting in the grass with purple flowers.

    ***The CIBAs wants your Children’s Literature Today!***

    You have until September 30th to share your children’s story and enter the 2o24 CIBAs

    Two little chicks, fresh from their egg
    Enter Here

    The Little Peeps Book Awards features the best of the books that we read to our children and the young people who matter so much in our lives! Love of literature starts right away, and we’re proud to support these books for kids!

    Let’s Take a look at the Grand Prize Winners for the Little Peep Awards!

    The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans
    By Shaziya M Jaffer, Brad Rudover and Jessica Alexanderson (Scrap University)
    Illustrated by Adam Trask

    The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans, by Shaziya M. Jaffer, Brad W. Rudover, & Jessica Alexanderson, is perfectly written for children between three and eight years old.

    Eye-catching colorful graphics by Adam Trask, fun characters, and a wonderfully lighthearted storyline uphold this book’s message of protecting the environment. Both children and adults will feel empowered to help our planet one can at a time.

    An adventurous young girl named Ellie wants to buy a Unicorn. To earn the money she needs, Ellie plans to collect and recycle one million cans. But she soon realizes that her plans may need to take a different track. Together with her community of friends, who show great teamwork and perseverance, environmental lessons continue on with fantastic results.

    Read More Here

    Raven's Roost Cover

    Ravens Roost
    Written & Illustrated by Maggie Bates

    Maggie Bates’s Ravens Roost is a Children’s book that explores the illustrated nighttime adventures of a woman with her friend, a small frog.

    This story teaches children how to be curious about forest animals, even in the middle of a wind storm. Bates is new to writing Children’s books, and cares deeply for the natural world. Her rapport with animals likely inspired her debut tale.

    Ravens Roost begins with a frog sitting on a roof, wondering where ravens go at night. The woman who lives in the house decides to help the frog follow his curiosity on an adventure. First, she climbs up a tree to watch ravens soar overhead. She admires the moon and notices the birds perching in her favorite tree. She climbs down and starts her trek along a forest path as night falls and the wind picks up. The woman tucks her frog friend into her pocket for safety. Along their journey, the frog and the woman share a special friendship.

    Read More Here

    Victoria and the Big Brave Breath

    Victoria and The Big, Brave Breath
    By Andrea Vaughan
    Illustrated by Ryan Feltman

    Andrea Vaughan’s Victoria and the Big Brave Breath is a beautifully illustrated children’s book, written to ease conversations about anxiety and worry with a child.

    This story teaches children how to calm their nerves by focusing on their breath, using a clever onomatopoeia to help. Vaughn’s book is a timely must-read!

    Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath starts with a little girl named Victoria recognizing that she is often worried. She lists examples (trying new foods, going to the doctor, playing in the park) of her anxieties. Physically-speaking, Victoria’s hands sweat, her knees shake and her tummy hurts when her feelings appear. Her teddy bear best friend Baxter has a suggestion for her to ease these unfamiliar (and uncomfortable) feelings.

    Read More Here

    Great as a Button Cover

    Great as a Button
    By Masoud Malekyari
    Illustrated by Sebastiao Peixoto

    Masoud Malekyari’s Great As a Button is a delightful children’s book that places a soulful little plastic adornment at center stage in a thought-provoking story that offers up a positive lesson about self-worth.

    This tale unfolds from a first person POV as a lonely, black plastic button falls off a shirt. The button ruminates over its plight of feeling too plain to be noticed, and wishes perhaps to be a sock, a key, or a pair of glasses, i.e., a more important item that the button surmises someone would go out of their way to look for.

    Read More Here

    Galdo's Gift Cover

    Galdo’s Gift: The Boovie
    By Trevor Young and Eleanor Long

    In Galdo’s Gift: The Boovie, Eleanor Long & Trevor Young create an interactive animated story that helps children learn about their unique gifts through an imaginative tale and diverse vocabulary.

    The first page opens with a poem sharing a personalized gift with the reader. Then, we meet the frog King, and his kingdom Galdovia. His land is “where the wild wind whistles while the songbird sings” and he narrates the story, voiced by Brian Murphy.

    The townsfolk of Galdovia move on the page in textured illustrations. They need a hero to undertake an important adventure, with the promise of a gift from the King to whoever completes this quest. Enter four great heroes who start their journeys in the hope of earning the King’s reward.

    Read More Here

    The Tooth Collector Fairies: Home From Decay Valley Book 2
    By Denise Ditto
    Illustrated by Gabhor Utomo

    The need for good dental care and its effect on the tooth fairies working behind the scenes is colorfully highlighted in this action-packed book for children of all ages.

    Author Denise Ditto has created a delightful fantasy realm where fairies — like the prankster Jolene, the dedicated Batina, and proud, fast-flying Lucas — learn to collect and process teeth left for them by children everywhere. Jolene has finally gotten her Tooth Collector credentials and can join friends in their assignments. The story follows Batina into the messy room of a boy named Scooter, whose tooth shows signs of deplorable brushing habits. When she brings the tooth back to Brushelot for inspection, she fears the worst.

    Read More Here


    Now that you’re set on your next reads, what are you waiting for? The only way to join this amazing list of Hearten Winners is to submit today!

    The Chanticleer Int'l Book Awards Overall Grand Prize sticker for the CIBAs

    Those who submit and advance will have the chance to win the Overall Grand Prize of the CIBAs and $1000!

    Are you a Chanticleer Author who has some good news to share? Let us know! We’re always looking for a reason to crow about Chanticleerians! Reach out with your news to info@ChantiReviews.com

     

     

     

  • The 2022 LITTLE PEEPS CIBAs Finalists for Early Readers & Picture Books

    The 2022 LITTLE PEEPS CIBAs Finalists for Early Readers & Picture Books

    Two little chicks, fresh from their egg

    The Little Peeps Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Early Readers. The Little Peeps Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

    Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience for Early Readers. Story books, Beginning Chapter Books, Picture Books, Activity Books, and Educational Books. These books have advanced to the Long List for the 2022 CIBAs. (For Young Adult Fiction see our Dante Rossetti Awards, for Middle Grade Readers see our Gertrude Warner Awards.)

    These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 Little Peeps Early Readers Semi-Finalists to the 2022 Little Peeps Book Awards FINALISTS.  All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC23).

    The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

    We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference

    These titles are in the running for the First Place and Grand Prize Winners of the 2022 Little Peeps Book Awards novel competition for Early Readers!

    Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2022 CIBAs.

    • Beth Bacon – The Panda Cub Swap
    • Sara Tabibzadeh – Two Cherries
    • Anthony C. Delauney – Lilly and May Learn Why Mom and Dad Work
    • Travis D. Peterson – Ada and the Helpers
    • Helen M. Waters – A Story About Sprout
    • Richard Ceasor – Grandma I Don’t Want To Go To Sleep: A Forever Love Tale
    • Susan Conrad – Inside my Sea of Dreams: The Adventures of Kami and Suz
    • Ellie Smith – Tex the Explorer Journey to the Oceans
    • Cynthia C. Huijgens – A Fish Called Andromeda
    • C.L. Olsen – Old Crabby Turtle
    • Valerie Ramer – Alastair McAllister Goes to School
    • Peggy Sullivan – Montana Cats
    • Danielle Diestl – Lily May and the Ruby Shoes Blues
    • Maggie Bates – Ravens Roost
    • Cheryl Denise Bannerman – The Gecko Without An Echo
    • Anthony C. Delauney – Dash and Nikki and The Jellybean Game
    • David Horn – Eudora Space Kid: The Lobster Tale
    • Cindy L. Rodriguez – Three Pockets Full: A story of love, family, and tradition
    • Abbe Rolnick – Bubbie’s Magical Hair

    Blue and Gold badge for the finalists of the Little Peeps awards for early readers

    PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

    This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the FB post. However, for FB to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews.

    Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook.

    Additionally, we also post on Twitter. Chanticleer Twitter’s handle is @ChantiReviews

    Or click here to go directly to Chanticleer’s Twitter feed.

    Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 LITTLE PEEPS Awards is:

    Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath

    by Andrea Vaughan

    See the Full List of 2021 Winners here

    We are now accepting submissions into the 2023 Chatelaine Book Awards for Romance Fiction. The 2023 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2023. 

    Please click here for more information.

    Winners will be announced at the 2022 CIBA Awards Ceremony sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

    IN-Person – April 27-30, 2023! Register Today!

    Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887)  has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

    Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!

    A Collage of Speakers and Blue Ribbon Winners for CAC23

     

  • The 2022 LITTLE PEEPS Book Awards Semi-Finalists for Early Readers & Picture Books

    The 2022 LITTLE PEEPS Book Awards Semi-Finalists for Early Readers & Picture Books

    Two little chicks, fresh from their egg

    The Little Peeps Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Early Readers. The Little Peeps Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

    Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience for Early Readers. Story books, Beginning Chapter Books, Picture Books, Activity Books, and Educational Books. These books have advanced to the Long List for the 2022 CIBAs. (For Young Adult Fiction see our Dante Rossetti Awards, for Middle Grade Readers see our Gertrude Warner Awards.)

    These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 Little Peeps Early Readers Short List to the 2022 Little Peeps Book Awards SEMI-FINALISTS. Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finalists.  All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC23).

    The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

    We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference

    These titles are in the running for the FINALISTS of the 2022 Little Peeps Book Awards novel competition for Early Readers!

    Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2022 CIBAs.

    • Beth Bacon – The Panda Cub Swap
    • Sara Tabibzadeh – Two Cherries
    • Ghazal Mousavi – I’m Scared Too!
    • Ruthie Godfrey – God Made It All
    • Anthony C. Delauney – Lilly and May Learn Why Mom and Dad Work
    • Travis D. Peterson – Ada and the Helpers
    • Helen M. Waters – A Story About Sprout
    • Richard Ceasor – Grandma I Don’t Want To Go To Sleep: A Forever Love Tale
    • Susan Conrad – Inside my Sea of Dreams: The Adventures of Kami and Suz
    • Ellie Smith – Tex the Explorer Journey to the Oceans
    • Cynthia C. Huijgens – A Fish Called Andromeda
    • C.L. Olsen – Old Crabby Turtle
    • Valerie Ramer – Alastair McAllister Goes to School
    • Peggy Sullivan – Montana Cats
    • Danielle Diestl – Lily May and the Ruby Shoes Blues
    • Maggie Bates – Ravens Roost
    • Cheryl Denise Bannerman – The Gecko Without An Echo
    • Anthony C. Delauney – Dash and Nikki and The Jellybean Game
    • Carina Ho, Jesse Byrd – Mighty Mara
    • David Horn – Eudora Space Kid: The Lobster Tale
    • Cindy L. Rodriguez – Three Pockets Full: A story of love, family, and tradition
    • Abbe Rolnick – Bubbie’s Magical Hair

     

    Chanticleer Int'l Book Awards Semi-Finalist Badge with Blue Laurels

    PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

    This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the FB post. However, for FB to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews.

    Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook.

    Additionally, we also post on Twitter. Chanticleer Twitter’s handle is @ChantiReviews

    Or click here to go directly to Chanticleer’s Twitter feed.

    Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 LITTLE PEEPS Awards is:

    Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath

    by Andrea Vaughan

    See the Full List of 2021 Winners here

    We are now accepting submissions into the 2023 Chatelaine Book Awards for Romance Fiction. The 2023 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2023. 

    Please click here for more information.

    Winners will be announced at the 2022 CIBA Awards Ceremony sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

    IN-Person – April 27-30, 2023! Register Today!

    Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887)  has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

    Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!

    A Collage of Speakers and Blue Ribbon Winners for CAC23

  • The 2022 LITTLE PEEPS Book Awards Short List for Early Readers & Picture Books

    The 2022 LITTLE PEEPS Book Awards Short List for Early Readers & Picture Books

    Two little chicks, fresh from their egg

    The Little Peeps Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Early Readers. The Little Peeps Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

    Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience for Early Readers. Story books, Beginning Chapter Books, Picture Books, Activity Books, and Educational Books. These books have advanced to the Long List for the 2022 CIBAs. (For Young Adult Fiction see our Dante Rossetti Awards, for Middle Grade Readers see our Gertrude Warner Awards.)

    These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 Little Peeps Early Readers Long List to the 2022 Little Peeps Book Awards SHORT LIST. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalist positions. Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finalists.  All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC23).

    The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

    We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference

    These titles are in the running for the SEMI-FINALISTS of the 2022 Little Peeps Book Awards novel competition for Early Readers!

    Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2022 CIBAs.

    • Beth Bacon – The Panda Cub Swap
    • Philippa Rae – Harold Goes To School
    • Sara Tabibzadeh – Two Cherries
    • Ghazal Mousavi – I’m Scared Too!
    • Masoud Malekyari – Being the Best
    • David Rodriguez III – The Many Adventures of Bruiser The Jack Russell Terrier MVP: Most Valuable Pup
    • Ruthie Godfrey – God Made It All
    • Anthony C. Delauney – Lilly and May Learn Why Mom and Dad Work
    • Cynthia Kern OBrien – Marky the Magnificent Fairy
    • Travis D. Peterson – Ada and the Helpers
    • Fragile Tossa – Climate Change Team
    • Helen M. Waters – A Story About Sprout
    • Micai Reigo Nethercott – Buddy and Bailey’s Alaskan Adventure
    • Richard Ceasor – Grandma I Don’t Want To Go To Sleep: A Forever Love Tale
    • Susan Conrad – Inside my Sea of Dreams: The Adventures of Kami and Suz
    • Ellie Smith – Tex the Explorer Journey to the Oceans
    • Cynthia C. Huijgens – A Fish Called Andromeda
    • C.L. Olsen – Old Crabby Turtle
    • Valerie Ramer – Alastair McAllister Goes to School
    • Peggy Sullivan – Montana Cats
    • Danielle Diestl – Lily May and the Ruby Shoes Blues
    • Maggie Bates – Ravens Roost
    • Cheryl Denise Bannerman – The Gecko Without An Echo
    • Anthony C. Delauney – Dash and Nikki and The Jellybean Game
    • Carina Ho, Jesse Byrd – Mighty Mara
    • S McMichael – Happenstance Farms Catch That Pony
    • David Horn – Eudora Space Kid: The Lobster Tale
    • Cindy L. Rodriguez – Three Pockets Full: A story of love, family, and tradition
    • Kathy Joy – Will You Hold my Story?
    • Abbe Rolnick – Bubbie’s Magical Hair
    • Eve Cabanel – Eli and the Mystery of the Hallowshine Dragon

    PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

    This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the FB post. However, for FB to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews.

    Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook.

    Additionally, we also post on Twitter. Chanticleer Twitter’s handle is @ChantiReviews

    Or click here to go directly to Chanticleer’s Twitter feed.

    Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 LITTLE PEEPS Awards is:

    Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath

    by Andrea Vaughan

    See the Full List of 2021 Winners here

    We are now accepting submissions into the 2023 Chatelaine Book Awards for Romance Fiction. The 2023 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2023. 

    Please click here for more information.

    Winners will be announced at the 2022 CIBA Awards Ceremony sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

    IN-Person – April 27-30, 2023! Register Today!

    Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887)  has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

    Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!

    A Collage of Speakers and Blue Ribbon Winners for CAC23

  • The 2022 LITTLE PEEPS Book Awards Long List for Early Readers & Picture Books

    The 2022 LITTLE PEEPS Book Awards Long List for Early Readers & Picture Books

    Two little chicks, fresh from their egg

    The Little Peeps Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Early Readers. The Little Peeps Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

    Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience for Early Readers. Story books, Beginning Chapter Books, Picture Books, Activity Books, and Educational Books. These books have advanced to the Long List for the 2022 CIBAs. (For Young Adult Fiction see our Dante Rossetti Awards, for Middle Grade Readers see our Gertrude Warner Awards.)

    These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from all 2022 Little Peeps Early Readers entries to the 2022 Little Peeps Book Awards LONG LIST. Entries below are now in competition for the 2022 Little Peeps Shortlist. The Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalist positions. Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finalists.  All FINALISTS will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC23).

    The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 25 CIBA divisions’ Finalists.

    We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash. sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference

    These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2022 Little Peeps Book Awards novel competition for Early Readers!

    Join us in cheering on the following authors and their works in the 2022 CIBAs.

    • Deborah Bailey and Stephanie Matolyak – A Farm Animals’ Day at the Fair
    • Charly Froh – The Dragon and the Unicorn: The Magic of Friendship
    • Beth Bacon – The Panda Cub Swap
    • Sherrie Cosens – The Trouble With A Flying Mouse
    • Philippa Rae – Harold Goes To School
    • Sara Tabibzadeh – Two Cherries
    • Ghazal Mousavi – I’m Scared Too!
    • Masoud Malekyari – Being the Best
    • David Rodriguez III – The Many Adventures of Bruiser The Jack Russell Terrier MVP: Most Valuable Pup
    • Ruthie Godfrey – God Made It All
    • Anthony C. Delauney – Lilly and May Learn Why Mom and Dad Work
    • Cynthia Kern OBrien – Marky the Magnificent Fairy
    • Dyanna Morrison – For the Love of Buddy
    • Travis D. Peterson – Ada and the Helpers
    • Fragile Tossa – Climate Change Team
    • Stephan Theo and JL Morin – Tuck-a-tuck Dragon
    • Helen M. Waters – A Story About Sprout
    • Lori Croy – The Hole Story
    • Micai Reigo Nethercott – Buddy and Bailey’s Alaskan Adventure
    • Richard Ceasor – Grandma I Don’t Want To Go To Sleep: A Forever Love Tale
    • Susan Conrad – Inside my Sea of Dreams: The Adventures of Kami and Suz
    • Matilde Léon – The Money-Smart Mermaid
    • Ellie Smith – Tex the Explorer Journey to the Oceans
    • Cynthia C. Huijgens – A Fish Called Andromeda
    • C.L. Olsen – Old Crabby Turtle
    • Valerie Ramer – Alastair McAllister Goes to School
    • Peggy Sullivan – Montana Cats
    • Danielle Diestl – Lily May and the Ruby Shoes Blues
    • Maggie Bates – Ravens Roost
    • Cheryl Denise Bannerman – The Gecko Without An Echo
    • Kathleen J. Shields – The First Unibear
    • Anthony C. Delauney – Dash and Nikki and The Jellybean Game
    • Carina Ho, Jesse Byrd – Mighty Mara
    • S McMichael – Happenstance Farms Catch That Pony
    • S McMichael – Happenstance Farms A New Home
    • Nan Evenson – Good Night (Not Really): Let’s Count Forward AND Backward
    • David Horn – Eudora Space Kid: The Lobster Tale
    • Cindy L. Rodriguez – Three Pockets Full: A story of love, family, and tradition
    • Kathy Joy – Will You Hold my Story?
    • Auralee Arkinsly – Roo’s Fine Flapping Day
    • Abbe Rolnick – Bubbie’s Magical Hair
    • Eve Cabanel – Eli and the mystery of the Hallowshine dragon

    Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

    PROMOTING OUR AUTHORS! 

    This post has been posted on the Chanticleer Facebook Page. We try to tag all authors listed here in the FB post. However, for FB to allow us to tag an author, that author must LIKE our page and Follow Chanticleer Reviews.

    Please click here to visit our page to LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE on Facebook.

    Additionally, we also post on Twitter. Chanticleer Twitter’s handle is @ChantiReviews

    Or click here to go directly to Chanticleer’s Twitter feed.

    Good luck to all as your works move on to the next rounds of judging.

    The Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2021 LITTLE PEEPS Awards is:

    Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath

    by Andrea Vaughan

    See the Full List of 2021 Winners here

    We are now accepting submissions into the 2023 Chatelaine Book Awards for Romance Fiction. The 2023 CIBA winners will be announced at CAC 2023. 

    Please click here for more information.

    Winners will be announced at the 2022 CIBA Awards Ceremony sponsored by the 2023 Chanticleer Authors Conference.

    IN-Person – April 27-30, 2023! Register Today!

    Seating is Limited. The esteemed WRITER Magazine (founded in 1887)  has repeatedly recognized the Chanticleer Authors Conference as one of the best conferences to attend and participate in for North America.

    Join us for our 11th annual conference and discover why!

  • Back to School with the Little Peeps Awards that Recognize the Best Early Readers and Picture Books – Chanticleer Hall of Fame!

    Back to School with the Little Peeps Awards that Recognize the Best Early Readers and Picture Books – Chanticleer Hall of Fame!

    Start your Early Readers out right with the Winners of the Chanticleer Little Peeps Awards—a Diverse and Imaginative Collection!

    A Grand Prize Badge, the Little Peeps Badge, and a Trophy with the Words Little Peeps Hall of Fame, Good Books for Kids Matter

    Back-to-school books are easier than ever for those who are just learning to read as we can look at the marvelous First Place and Grand Prize Winners of The Little Peeps Awards!

    Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience for Early Readers with the Little Peeps. Story books, Beginning Chapter Books, Picture Books, Activity Books, and Educational Books. These books have advanced to the Long List for the 2021 CIBAs. (For Young Adult Fiction see our Dante Rossetti Awards, for Middle Grade Readers see our Gertrude Warner Awards.)

    The Following our the Little Peeps Grand Prize Winners over the past 5 years!

    Victoria and the Big Brave Breath

    Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath 

    by Andrea Vaughan

    Andrea Vaughan’s Victoria and the Big Brave Breath is a beautifully illustrated children’s book, written to ease conversations about anxiety and worry with a child.

    This story teaches children how to calm their nerves by focusing on their breath, using a clever onomatopoeia to help. Vaughn’s book is a timely must-read!

    Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath starts with a little girl named Victoria recognizing that she is often worried. She lists examples (trying new foods, going to the doctor, playing in the park) of her anxieties. Physically-speaking, Victoria’s hands sweat, her knees shake and her tummy hurts when her feelings appear. Her teddy bear best friend Baxter has a suggestion for her to ease these unfamiliar (and uncomfortable) feelings.

    See the full list of 2021 Winners here. 

    Great as a Button Cover

    Great As A Button

    By Masoud Malekyari

    Masoud Malekyari’s Great As a Button is a delightful children’s book that places a soulful little plastic adornment at center stage in a thought-provoking story that offers up a positive lesson about self-worth.

    This tale unfolds from a first person POV as a lonely, black plastic button that falls off a shirt. The button ruminates over its plight of feeling too plain to be noticed, and wishes perhaps to be a sock, a key, or a pair of glasses, i.e., a more important item that the button surmises someone would go out of their way to look for.

    Amidst encounters with an inquisitive dog and some playful ants, the button has longings to reside in a big castle while adorning a king’s coat, or to sail across the ocean while attached to a boat captain’s slicker. Fate suggests that the button might be in trouble if snatched up by birds; lucky if used by a seamstress; or forlorn when not chosen like the more ornate accessories in a tailor’s shop. When given to a young boy, surprising opportunities send the button in an unexpected direction where ultimately, he discovers newfound importance on a sunny winter’s day.

    See the Full List of 2020 Winners here!

    Galdo's Gift Cover

    Galdo’s Gift: The Boovie

    By Trevor Young & Eleanor Long

    In Galdo’s Gift: The Boovie, Eleanor Long & Trevor Young create an interactive animated story that helps children learn about their unique gifts through an imaginative tale and diverse vocabulary.

    The first page opens with a poem sharing a personalized gift with the reader. Then, we meet the frog King, and his kingdom Galdovia. His land is “where the wild wind whistles while the songbird sings” and he narrates the story, voiced by Brian Murphy.

    The townsfolk of Galdovia move on the page in textured illustrations. They need a hero to undertake an important adventure, with the promise of a gift from the King to whoever completes this quest. Enter four great heroes who start their journeys in the hope of earning the King’s reward.

    Tapocketa is pleased and excited to be supported by Creative Enterprise 2022. This support will enable us to explore and build knowledge in the possibilities for our work in combining AR, animation and print media. Visit their site for more information on the interactive journey that is Galdo’s Gift. www.tapocketa.com

    See the Full List of 2019 Winners here!

    The Tooth Collector Fairies: Home from Decay Valley

    By Denise Ditto

    The need for good dental care and its effect on the tooth fairies working behind the scenes is colorfully highlighted in this action-packed book for children of all ages.

    Author Denise Ditto has created a delightful fantasy realm where fairies — like the prankster Jolene, the dedicated Batina, and proud, fast-flying Lucas — learn to collect and process teeth left for them by children everywhere. Jolene has finally gotten her Tooth Collector credentials and can join friends in their assignments. The story follows Batina into the messy room of a boy named Scooter, whose tooth shows signs of deplorable brushing habits. When she brings the tooth back to Brushelot for inspection, she fears the worst.

    Sure enough, Batina is banished to Decay Valley until Scooter learns how to treat his teeth better, based on a letter she will leave for him encouraging better habits. Meanwhile, Jolene, who tried to help Batina by painting the ugly tooth white, is in big trouble with Crown Mistress Molar. Lucas, the fastest flyer, delivers Batina’s note to Scooter. But who will collect Scooter’s next tooth and rescue Batina from Decay Valley?

    https://www.toothcollectorfairies.com/ Denise Ditto, a native Texan, is a freelance writer who loves writing for children. She started working on The Tooth Collector Fairies series in 2012. She also enjoys writing about a variety of other topics, often focusing on recollections from her childhood and growing up in Houston. Her short story The Art of Ironing was published in OMG, That Woman!, a woman’s fiction anthology released in April 2013. Her short story City of Angels was published in Tales of Texas Short Stories Volume 2 – 2019.

    Denise recently retired her position of Exe Director at Houston Writers House to concentrate on her writing.  She is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and is the American Business Women’s Association – Woven since 2012.

    See the Full List of 2018 Winners Here!

    Lessons from a Cat: The Moon and Star; Midnight and Moonlight 

    By Peggy Sullivan, M. Ed.

    In Peggy Sullivan’s award-winning book, The Moon and Star: Lessons From a Cat, readers learn how a charming, tiny white cat finds solace in her connection with the Moon as she goes through life’s challenges and changes.

    Star lives happily with a tall girl and two other cats. She runs, dances, and hunts for goldfish in a backyard pond. But this mindful cat soon realizes that life is full of unpredictable circumstances. Though she moves to a college town and has new and fun experiences, Star feels sad when she loses a feline friend, even more so when the tall girl goes off on her adventures.

    Luckily Star is a cat with an attraction to the Moon. Its magical glow helps the little cat gain a sense of calm.  The peacefulness Star feels stays with her, regardless of changes in her life or surroundings. Though Star and the tall girl move many more times, this sensitive cat realizes the light of the Moon offers a unique sense of serenity wherever her journey takes her.

    Peggy Sullivan is a licensed mental health counselor (retired), relationship and children’s expert, mother, and lover of cats.  She retired from Okanogan County Juvenile Department after serving as the staff guardian ad litem, court services manager and CASA program director.  She recently retired from her private mental health counseling practice in Bellingham, Washington.  She makes her home in a cozy cottage amidst old growth cedar trees with her two Russian Blue cat sisters.

    See the Full List of 2017 Winners Here!

    Little Peeps Grand Prize Badge. Blue outlined with Gold for Victoria and the Big Brave Breath by Andrea Vaughan

    Again, a huge congratulations to Andrea Vaughan, the most recent Little Peeps Grand Prize Winner. We are honored to continue to promote and celebrate the winning books of the CIBAs.


    The Little Peeps Badge features two little chicks, fresh from their egg

    Have a Heartwarming story that kids need to read? The Little Peeps Awards closes at the end of September! Submit today!

    Chanticleerians in the News? We love celebrating our Chanticleer Authors! Anytime you have something to crow about, email us at info@ChantiReviews.com to let us know!

    2021 Overall Grand Prize Winner’s Book now being performed as a play in California

    Nellie Bly Award First Place and Grand Prize Winner featured across the nation

    Laramie Grand Prize Winner spotlighted by the Mark Twain House Museum

    Grand Prize Winner for the Shorts Collections Awarded Artistic Grant in New York

    From Little Peeps and beyond, we’re proud to have you as part of our community!

     

  • VICTORIA And The BIG, BRAVE BREATH by Andrea Vaughan, illustrated by Ryan Feltman – Children’s Books, Anxiety, Children’s Emotion Books

    VICTORIA And The BIG, BRAVE BREATH by Andrea Vaughan, illustrated by Ryan Feltman – Children’s Books, Anxiety, Children’s Emotion Books

     

    Andrea Vaughan’s Victoria and the Big Brave Breath is a beautifully illustrated children’s book, written to ease conversations about anxiety and worry with a child.

    This story teaches children how to calm their nerves by focusing on their breath, using a clever onomatopoeia to help. Vaughn’s book is a timely must-read!

    Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath starts with a little girl named Victoria recognizing that she is often worried. She lists examples (trying new foods, going to the doctor, playing in the park) of her anxieties. Physically-speaking, Victoria’s hands sweat, her knees shake and her tummy hurts when her feelings appear. Her teddy bear best friend Baxter has a suggestion for her to ease these unfamiliar (and uncomfortable) feelings.

    The friendship that the bear and the girl share is sweet and endearing, as if the bear is an allegory for a friend or family member.

    Baxter reassures Victoria that her feelings can be calmed by breathing in and out and reciting the magic word “oobeedoobee”. The bear’s person-like behavior in illustrations, such as his cheeks and warm eyes, are kindhearted and sympathetic towards Victoria. Victoria is hesitant at first, but after trying it she realizes Baxter is right and the technique “…makes her worries much, much smaller.”

    The illustrations created by Feltman are vivid, with a lively color scheme.

    Victoria’s eyes and complexion add refreshing diversity to the story, and the illustrations maintain a cute and endearing style. Feltman uses tender and gentle images to convey a feeling of emotional openness.

    Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath flows well.

    The examples given of her feelings are accurate and not overly dramatic. This gives the story an unwavering, clear tone and purpose.

    The definition of being anxious is to feel unease or to experience worry or nervousness. If these feelings arise, we must stay present in the moment and focus inwards. Like in Victoria and the Big Brave Breath, we must take our time to breathe and calm ourselves, to understand we are safe, present and capable.

    This practice is important especially now, with the ever-changing challenges we face. This book will arm children to know that their feelings are natural, while providing a tool they can use to navigate or calm them, which is only a couple oobeedoobees away.

    Victoria and the Big Brave Breath by Andrea Vaughan and illustrated by Ryan Feltman won Grand Prize in the 2021 CIBA Little Peeps Awards for Early Readers and Children’s Fiction.

     

    5 Stars! Best Book Chanticleer Book Reviews