These short bedtime stories are designed to be read aloud to the young ones, with explanations of what Spindle Sticks and Ballast Bum are doing on each page, with the reader asking questions of the listener. To help the storyteller and the young listener understand better the "bold" typed words, there is synonym list at the lower left of each page, offering alternative words; and everything is beautifully illustrated by 16-year-old Julia Fawcett.
"Many times, adults tend to use words without thinking and the child is at a loss to understand what has been meant. Many children hesitate to ask whilst a story is being read out, but forget to ask upon completion of the story," Grant points out. "In my books, the children are challenged, by suggesting that they might know the word, but if not, then they can see alternative words that they might also have heard or they know!"
"Children love to associate with fun and happy stories, regardless of whether there is a little sadness or upset. They look for the 'happy ending' of the story and sigh with pleasure when it occurs. These books are no different."
"The Humorous Adventures of Spindle Sticks and Ballast Bum - Book 2 Story 1: Attraction of Water! and Story 2: Garden Speedway!"
By Bruce D. R. Grant
Softcover | 8.5 x 8.5in | 30 pages | ISBN 9781543744378
E-Book | 30 pages | ISBN 9781543745030
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Bruce D. R. Grant has had an extraordinary life so far, including boarding school in Yorkshire, during the '50s, agriculture at Marshall College, Aberdeen University, Aberdeen, Scotland, and the School of Hard Knocks, embracing a wide variety of experiences caused by a broad spectrum of jobs, professions, inventions and projects. He has been involved with theatre since the age of 11. Since then, his experiences have strengthened his vocal abilities, voice control and helped hone his natural acting talents, which have augmented his marketing and selling skills used successfully throughout his life. He has a musical ear and was a professional harmonica player for two years. Grant has been a story teller or recounter/narrator for many years and has a very inquisitive mind, directing him to always search for and seek out new ways of doing things, hence his inventions. Since a spinal injury, early in the '90s in Russia, curtailed his professional employment, Grant has written a couple of books, numerous short stories, lectures and lastly, a series of 20 bedtime stories for very young children, named Spindle Sticks and Ballast Bum, who have many humorous adventures in their very young lives. His book and lectures have been used in a number of Russian state schools and private English language schools. He enjoys life with his Russian wife in Moscow.
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