Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Kobee Manatee

  • Happy Earth Day 2022! Celebrating our Environmental Authors

    Happy Earth Day 2022! Celebrating our Environmental Authors

    Reading for a Better Earth Day

    Being a Rooster, Chanticleer is pretty keen on the idea of Earth Day.

    It may surprise you to hear that Earth Day is the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated for the past 50 years! You can read our last article that focused on the origins of Earth Day, as well as the powerful impact literature can have on the environment, as happened with Silent Spring by Rachel Carson.

    Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring

    This year, we want to take time to recognize and cheer on some of the Chanticleer authors who have made their own contributions to environmental literature. While nature focused writing can fit into almost any genre, the genres we most often see with environmental stories are: Global Thriller Awards, Journey Awards, Little Peeps Awards, Hearten Awards, and, of course, our Cygnus Awards with the rise of the Cli-Fi genre!

    Books show where we put our focus and attention, and we’re glad that these authors did such a great job highlighting the world in their work!

    WISHES, SINS, and the WISSAHICKON CREEK
    By PJ Devlin
    Somerset First Place Winner

    Wishes Sins and the Wissahickon Creek

    The award-winning Wishes, Sins, and the Wissahickon Creek by PJ Delvin is a contemporary masterpiece in short story collections. Highly Recommended!

    PJ’s newest book, The Chamber is available for purchase now! You can also read our review of her first book, Wissahickon Souls, here.

    KILLING DRAGONS: Order of the Dolphin, Book One
    By Kristie Clark

    Killing Dragons Order of the Dolphin Book 1 cover

    A smart, science fiction thriller that will have readers looking twice at dolphins – and scanning the waters for something far more menacing. Highly recommended.

    Kristie Clark is a pediatrician with the heart of a writer. She always knew that she wanted to write and began writing poetry in middle school. Her mother read to her at night, instilling a love of books. As a child, C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series impacted her greatly, and as a teenager, she began reading science fiction for fun, enjoying books by Arthur C. Clarke.

    Big congratulations are in order for Kristie Clark as this book recently made the Finalists list for our Global Thriller Awards. Her newest book, Dragon Gold, is on the Finalist list for the Cygnus Awards, and her short story “Dragon of the Sea” is a Finalist for the Shorts Awards. Way to go Kristie!

    All Book Award Winners will be announced at the Chanticleer Authors Conference. 

    A DIVINE WIND
    By Norman M. Jacobs MD, MS

    A Divine Wind Book Cover

    An intelligent techno-thriller that won’t leave you even after the final page is read. Highly recommended!

    Norman M. Jacobs MD, MS is an award-winning writer and former bookstore owner. He’s a scientist and physician and has published many newspaper and scientific articles. He has a master’s degree in physics, passed a PhD exam in physics at the University of Pennsylvania, and completed a residency program in radiology at Duke University Medical Center with specialty training in neuroradiology. Congratulations Norman on being a Finalist in the Global Thriller Awards! 

    KOBEE MANATEE® – Climate Change and the Great Blue Hole Hazard
    By Robert Scott Thayer
    Illustrated by Lauren Gallegos

    Kobee Manatee Climate Change and the Great Blue Hole Hazard book cover image

    Kobee Manatee® Climate Change and the Great Blue Hole Hazard is a fantastic journey showcasing fun, friendship, and the necessity of keeping our oceans clean.

    You can find all 4 of the Kobee Manatee® books here!

    Robert Scott Thayer always had a passion for manatees, oceans, weather, and sea life. He is also an award-winning recording artist who writes and sings in the pop, jazz, and children’s genres. Robert’s newest children’s tune, Kobee’s Song, is available on iTunes.

    Lauren Gallegos earned her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Illustration from Cal State Fullerton in 2009 and has been illustrating ever since. When it comes to stories, Lauren has always loved books that warm the heart and touch the soul; timeless narratives that speak to your inner child. As a young girl she loved to pour over illustrations that were rich and full. Lauren still loves books that take you to mysterious places and let your imagination run wild with possibilities. Her biggest illustration influences are Chris Van Allsburg, Loren Long, Chris Sheban, Arthur Rackham, and Scott Gustafson to name only a few.

    Over
    By Sean P. Curley

    In a world where the rich obtain immortality, a forbidden love can either bridge the gap of unimaginable inequity or drive the disparaging classes even farther apart. A science-fiction novel with an earthly conscious.

    Sean Curley’s new book, Anika’s Gift is making good progress through the cover design process, and ARCs are being sent out now. Sean is a renaissance man who loves new experiences, diversity, and challenges (though more intellectual than physical). He is also the author of the the 2014 Chaucer Grand Prize for Early Historical Fiction with his book Propositum. Sean will also be at the Chanticleer Authors Conference June 23-26, 2022!

    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! Here are some recent updates from our authors:

    Reach out with your news to info@ChantiReviews.com

    VIRTUAL and IN-Person –  June 23 – 26, 2022! Register Today!

    FLEXIBLE REGISTRATIONS ARE AVAILABLE for these challenging times.

    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 10th annual conference and discover why!

    Featuring: International Best Selling Author Cathy Ace along with A+ list film producer Scott Steindorff.

     

  • KOBEE MANATEE® – Climate Change and the Great Blue Hole Hazard by Robert Scott Thayer – Children’s Environmental Books, Children’s Marine Life Books

    KOBEE MANATEE® – Climate Change and the Great Blue Hole Hazard by Robert Scott Thayer – Children’s Environmental Books, Children’s Marine Life Books

    Author Robert Scott Thayer and illustrator Lauren Gallegos bring to life another beautifully told tale in the fourth book in the series, Kobee Manatee® – Climate Change and the Great Blue Hole Hazard.

    In the engaging and increasingly popular Kobee Manatee® children’s book series, the lovable sea cow and friends are off to help Cousin Quinn clean up the plastic that’s littering the ocean area around her new underwater eating establishment. The 500-mile journey across the water turns into an enlightening adventure, as these characters face unexpected challenges and dilemmas, many brought on by the harmful effects of climate change and ocean pollution.

    Kobee Manatee® is always ready to lend a hand – and make a new friend.

    Fresh from their latest adventure in the Cayman Islands, Kobee, along with Pablo, the hermit crab, and Tess the seahorse, swim to Belize, where they find the home of the Great Blue Hole. En route, Pablo rescues a spotted turtle ensnared in plastic, so the long-lashed loggerhead, Tameeka, happily joins the trio. Venturing on, these friends circumvent dangers, from the whip-like tentacles of a man-of-war to the poisonous intentions of a scorpionfish.

    But these are not the only dangers the friends face.

    The friends’ excitement upon reaching the expansive Great Blue Hole phenomenon quickly fades as Pablo tumbles into its dark depths. Luckily Tameeka’s deep-diving skills help save the day. After everyone pitches in with the ocean clean-up, they enjoy a fun gathering at the café, including an offering of seagrass subs and Kobee’s guitar accompaniment.

    Conversations between Kobee Manatee® and his cohorts are lively and animated, with an ever-present focus on the beauty, dangers, and casualties witnessed within the ocean environment. As a clever educational component, the book is accented throughout with small images of Kobee Manatee® ancient treasure map-type scrolls that reveal informative, fun facts relevant to the narrative. These range from the knowledge that nearly 8 million metric tons of plastic are dumped in the ocean every year and insight that warming climates cause sea coral to fade to a list of conservation organizations fighting the destruction of our oceans and coastlines.

    Lauren Gallegos’ illustrations further bring the pages to life and provide a wonderful complement to the story.

    The backdrop of a pale blue ocean world lends a perfect contrast to the vibrant colors of the central characters and surrounding marine life. Whether a plump, gray Kobee sporting a fluorescent yellow jacket and purple cap, a seahorse with a violet body and raspberry bouffant mane, or an orange-shelled crustacean with his green bug-eyes, the vivid hues and expressive details are sure to attract a young reader’s attention. Shades of mauve and purple, turquoise, green, and tangerine highlight visuals of kelp, coral, sea fans, and fish life, while the dark saturation of royal blue emphasizes the far-reaching depths of the ocean’s monstrous Great Blue Hole.

    For young readers who enjoy imaginative tales surrounding affable and heroic sea creatures, as well as parents and/or teachers looking for a way to introduce youngsters to the importance of marine conservation, Kobee Manatee® Climate Change and The Great Blue Hole Hazard offers a perfect blend. Highly recommended!

    5 Star Best Book Chanticleer Reviews round silver sticker