A Tall Tale: Book Giveaway
ABOUT THE BOOK
A Tall Tale- How the Ostriches Got Their Long Necks and Long Legs
Written by Scott Sollers
Illustrated by Alejandro Echavez
Ages 4+ | 38 Pages
Publisher: Stephanie’s Stories (2024) ISBN-13: 9781637557730
Publisher’s Book Summary: This is the story of two rival communities living in valleys separated by a ridge. The Have-Alls live in a fertile, beautiful valley with their leader, Chief Somebody, and their prized pets, the Squatz. In the other valley, one more desolate and barren, live the No-Haves and their leader, Chief Nobody.
The No-Haves, always jealous of the Have-Alls’ pets, decide to gather the Squatz for themselves. What results is a fierce tug-of-war that changes the two communities—and the Squatz—forever!
“A Tall Tale is a humorous and energetic fable, sure to appeal to family audiences and curious questioners.”—The Children’s Book Review
PURCHASE LINK
MY REVIEW
Welcome to the land of the Have-Alls and the No-Haves. Chief Nobody and his poor people live in a bare valley with hardly any water and leafless trees while Chief Somebody and his people live in a beautiful forested valley with abundant ponds and streams. As if the No-Haves were not unlucky enough, the Have-Alls also have wonderful pets called Squatz that amuse them and can even help with chores. A desperate plan by the No-Haves to steal these amazing animals for themselves winds up in a fierce tug-of-war that stretches the poor Squatz out of shape completely! Brightly colored illustrations make the differences between the two villages and their inhabitants very clear. The Have-Alls are stocky and have thick, luxuriant hair and smiling faces. In contrast, the No-Haves are thin with close-cropped hair and sad expressions. The comical Squatz are round balls of feathers that walk on four feet. When they are carried off by the No-Haves, the resulting struggle to snatch them back is shown in a series of images. Their legs and necks seem to be stretching like rubber bands while their beaks gape open in squawks of dismay. Who could blame them? This story of two rival villages was originally created by the author for his daughter Stephanie, in much the same way that Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories were created for his daughter Josephine. A Tall Tale also gives a humorous explanation of how an animal came to have a distinctive feature - in this case it tells how ostriches came to have their long legs and necks - just as Kipling explained things such as how the leopard got its spots. But this story also comes to a happy conclusion by showing how both villages are better off when they cooperate. It would be a good book to share with a youngster who enjoys a little tension that leads to a happy ending, mixed with a bit of humor.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Having worked as an investment banker in the municipal securities industry for decades, Scott Sollers created this and other nighttime stories for his daughter, Stephanie, when she was a youngster. Originally, he handwrote and illustrated these stories and finally had the inspiration to get them published. Scott still works, is an avid golfer, and leads a not-for-profit organization that helps disadvantaged children. He currently resides in San Mateo, California, with his cat, Charlie.
For more information, visit scottsollersauthor.com.
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Looks like a cute book tha my students would love :)
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