Welcome to the world of Clayton J Liotta!

Hi there!
Welcome to the Sunday edition of Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers...the place to be even when it's raining on one side of the street (yours ironically enough) and not the other. Eh, it happens...why let it get you down?

Today we are exploring the world of Clayton J Liotta, a children's author and illustrator in one! You may recognize the name as I've featured one of his works previously, but this past week I received a surprise package with 3 more titles that were recently released and today I shall share them with you.  Some were for the better, some...not so much. Ready to take a looksie?  Here we go! 

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UP A TREE WITH CHICKEN SOUP

The story in this one sounds pretty much like the title states, a young boy is out on the walk of discovery happening upon a giant tree that just NEEDS climbing and what's in his backpack but a thermos of chicken soup. Along the way he shares the soup with the animals there by learning a valuable lesson... a little bit goes a long way when generosity is involved.  I found the story sweet, the ending a bit odd but the illustrations adorable!  The pencil line drawings and shading used keep the story perfectly timed and add visual appeal for youngsters.

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WHEN VERDELL COMES TO VISIT

This story put me in a bit of a tizzy.  While I can certainly appreciate the imagination used in the reference to a visiting friend or relative, the fact that Verdell was actually a dragon coming to visit a small boy was a little far fetched even for this Imagineer.  Still perhaps if the friend or relative is someone your not on the best of terms with...ahem, anywho; let's check out book three...

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THE HOUSE AT 25 CLEARVIEW DRIVE

Now this one of the three was my absolute favorite! The surprise at the end that you can sort of see coming, depending on the age of the reader, was sweet as was the outcome of the long anticipated meeting.  It will definitely help young ones deal with unexpected situations or at least those that don't go the way they originally intended... not to mention it might help dispell the rumor of cooties before it gets started. ^_^

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All in all not a bad selection of reading if I do say so myself.  The rhyming at times is a stretch as is the plausibility of the story but the illustrations add that sparkle we look for in these types of books and the heart they share beats with resounding truth.  Certainly a crop of books for shared reading time amongst family and friends that will not only teach valuable life lessons but get the imagination brewing.

Review copies received courtesy of Clayton J Liotta.  (THANKS!) For more information on these titles as well as a full listing of both past and future releases, check out www.liottastudios.com.

Until next time...happy reading!