2016 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) Silver Medal Winner—Best Children's Illustrated E-book
Very well done. A true standout, encouraging the reader to hope for another adventure from this author/illustrator pair. -- Judge, 24th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards
Very highly recommended for elementary school and community library collections. -- Midwest Book Review, June 2016
We loved this unlikely duo, showing that friends come in all shapes and sizes. -- Stephanie Hildreth, Educator, Rochester Museum and Science Center/Girl Scouts
The story is straightforward and unique- this is not just another fairy-tale riff. Readers will become engaged with the adorable, titular pair and will enjoy meeting familiar storybook characters along the way! -- Rose Garrett, Educator, Cliff Valley School, and reviewer for several print review houses
Recommended for classroom libraries and all elementary school libraries. -- Margaret Newbold, Librarian, Ft. Zumwalt West High School
I loved it. I was anxious to turn the page to see happened next. A real adventure with some very cute "guest stars"! -- Nikki Brewer, Director, Burt Public Library
This is a great little book. There is a good moral to the story and the characters are great. -- Donna Maguire, Donna's Book Blog
This is a delightful tale. I read this to my 5-year-old who then point-blank refused to sleep until I could promise her I could read the next installment. -- Patricia Doyle, Deja Read Book Blog
Kids will enjoy this book and its comical series of events. A good book for school, class and public libraries. -- Carla Johnson-Hicks, Educator, GECDSB
Gertrude the goat and her best friend Toby the tortoise are adventurers. No sitting around on the boring farm for them! They love to explore, and every Friday they sneak off the farm for some extra fun. One Friday, Gertrude and Toby decide to visit the local candy store in town. They discover yummy goodies and treats, but soon find that the treats are not free!? Uh oh! The market owner grabs Toby. He demands money for the candy that Gertrude and Toby have taken by mistake. Gertrude must find a way to save her friend and get back home before Farmer Sam returns.
Book 1 in the Gertrude and Toby fairy-tale adventure book series
From the Publisher: Gertrude and Toby's Friday Adventure is an exciting adventure story for children who are transitioning from beginning readers to chapter books. This is the perfect book for the child who has been tasked with the usual 30-minutes-per-night reading homework. From the standpoint of reading progression, this title fills a specific niche that represents a gap in the children's book market--longer illustrated children's books that are more complex and challenging than typical picture books.
Gertrude and Toby's Friday Adventure incorporates many traditional fairy-tale characters that will be immediately recognizable to most young readers. These characters include Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White's evil stepmother, Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk), the Gingerbread Man, and a frog princess. The presence of these fairy-tale characters adds familiarity for young readers and keeps alive the old tales (e.g., those by the Brothers Grimm) that we have all come to know and love.
The second and third books in the series follow the same approach of adapting fairy-tale tropes using fairy-tale characters in a contemporary setting. These modern stories have more complex plots and wording than those of standard picture books, but without the daunting word count of typical beginning chapter books.
We hope you love Gertrude and Toby and their series of adventure books as much as we do. Happy reading!
Shari Tharp currently lives in Southern California with her husband and son.
Shari is a graduate of San Diego State University and a former teacher. She enjoys participating in local events in her community and has donated her books to her public library and local elementary schools.
Gertrude and Toby's Friday Adventure is the first book in a three-book adventure series that incorporates well-known fairy-tale characters. The second and third books in the series, Gertrude and Toby Save the Gingerbread Man and Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf, will be released in late 2016.
