Smorgasbord Bookshelf – Summer Book Fair 2022 – #Children’s #Baking Dawn Doig, #Dog #Navy Patricia Furstenberg

Over the course of the summer months I will be sharing the recommended authors who feature in the Smorgasbord Bookshelf along with their books and a selected review.

Children’s author Dawn Doig who lives in the Cameroon and supports a number of initiatives including this school for deaf children, that is badly in need of help to not just teach the students but keep them safe.

CAESEDA Centre d’Acceuil et d’Education Specialisee des Enfants Deficients Auditifs Nkolmebanga, Cameroon introduced by Dawn Doig

The deaf children who currently live and go to school at CAESEDA Centre d’Acceuil et d’Education Specialisee des Enfants Deficients Auditifs Nkolmebanga, approximately 80 km outside Yaoundé, Cameroon are in need of a new school and living quarters (orphanage).

Dawn Doig donates the funds from the sale of her 15 hardback and paperback children’s books to this very worthy cause.

Here is the link to the Go Get Funding Page for more photographs:New School and Orphanage for Cameroon Deaf Children

About the book

Lulubelle loves sweet things – delicious cakes, mouth-watering pies, chewy cookies, tempting bars.

Lulubelle loves to share the sweet things she makes with her family and friends.
Parents, have fun baking all of Lulubelle’s recipes and while teaching the alphabet via rhyming words to your child.

My review for the book September 4th 2021

This is a great sized book for children A4 with big print and beautifully illustrated by the author.

Lulubelle definitely has a sweet tooth and all the recipes are favourite deserts and cookies that children will be immediately drawn to and offer an opportunity for some fun baking sessions in the kitchen with mum or dad.

Some of my personal favourites are Perfect Pumpkin Pie and Zucchini Muffins…although I wouldn’t say no to Kitchen Sink Cookies either.

Each recipe is accompanied by Lulubelle and her friends, suitably attired to complement the particular recipe, and a rhyme for a child to read and learn, featuring the letter of the alphabet featured.

A great idea for a cookbook and perhaps Lulubelle might follow it up with an A-Z of easy savoury dishes that will introduce them to other foods as well as the format is terrific.

Bright, colourful and full of rhymes and recipes adults and children alike will enjoy reading as they prepare and eat the treats. A recommended read.

Available in all formats read the reviews and buy: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK

A selection of other books by Dawn Doig which are available in several languages.

Read the reviews and Buy Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Follow Dawn: Goodreads – Website: Dawn Doig – Twitter: @Shoebears

Dawn donates the sales of the books to the orphanage.

  About Dawn Doig

Authors in the shadows can lead very interesting lives full of inspiration for the next engaging story: I am the author (and sometimes illustrator) of 15 children’s picture books. Three new books were just recently released. I am a certified Canadian audiologist and had an amazing 23-year career that took me to Kuwait, England, and the far north of Canada (Northwest Territories and Nunavut), culminating in an eight year stint as the head of the audiology unit in a large rehabilitation hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In 2013, I went back to school to complete a second master’s degree, this time in education, and I am now a teacher of English as an additional language.

My husband, an educator with many hats, had followed me around the globe for 23 years and now I follow him. My first job teaching was in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. We traded in the parkas, heavy boots, gloves, scarves and pollution masks for short-sleeved shirts, sunglasses and sandals and relocated to Yaoundé, Cameroon almost two years ago. Many of my books have been inspired by the children I have worked with as an audiologist and ELL teacher. Most have received 5-star reviews and one recently received a silver medal for cover design. I had the pleasure of reading one of my books to the three and four year old Pre-K classes and it was sheer delight to hear them giggling throughout the reading. I am still very much in the shadows when it comes to selling my books (very difficult from Africa), but it tickles my heart when students find my books in the library and announce, “Ms. Dawn, you’re a real live author!” Knowing that my books bring on laughter and tears brings me great joy and I dream that one day my stories will touch more and more people around the world. My time will eventually dawn (pun intended).

A wonderful story for children based on a true story of a dog enlisted in the Royal Navy – Joyful Trouble by Patricia Furstenberg

About the book

A humorous read about an incredible dog and how he found his true, yet unexpected calling.
A dog. A friendship. A purpose.

Proven to warm your heart, “Joyful Trouble” is a fast-paced, engaging and funny story.

Patricia Furstenberg paints a charming portrait of the bond between a small girl and boy and their much-loved Grandad. This book takes readers on an unbelievable journey, tackling universal themes and voicing animal rights and the importance of fighting for what is right.

When a Great Dane arrives in a Navy base nobody expects him to win everybody’s hearts, although breaking some rules along the way. But things soon turn sour as somebody threatens to put him to sleep. Who will stand up for this four-legged gentle giant?

A charming celebration of innocence.

My review for Joyful Trouble April 4th 2020

This is a lovely book for all ages, but particularly for children as they are introduced to not just Joyful Trouble and his extraordinary story, but also dogs in general with their amazing abilities and their special bond with humans. This involves some valuable lessons on how best to treat man’s best friend with kindness and respect with the wider view as to how we as humans should behave towards each other.

Great Danes are massive dogs and when they get into trouble, it is difficult not to miss it. Joyful has already bonded with a little boy who goes to boarding school, leaving his best friend behind, which leads to the dog wandering the town and connecting with sailors from the naval base and accompanying them on their trips into Cape Town on the train when off duty. Clearly not appreciated by everyone including grumpy ticket inspectors.

However, a high ranking naval officer sees a solution and this leads to the true story of the enlistment of Joyful Trouble into the Royal Navy. There are several escapades that follow, and it is a wonderful story of how animals and humans find companionship and solace in a time of war, when young men leave home and find themselves in a very rigid and unfamiliar environment. Anyone who has ever been owned by a dog will love the book as well as the characters of Grandad,Tommy and Ana, who are the delightful recipients of his stories of this wonderful dog he was given responsibility for.

At the end of the book, as an added treat, there are some recipes for Vetoek a traditional fried dough bread and some delicious sounding lemon and cinnamon cookies. There is also an introduction to the poem Jock of the Bushveld that will delight any child as they sample the cookies.

Read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK

A small selection of other books by Patricia Furstenberg (some in Afrikaans)

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – and: Amazon UK – Blog: Alluring Creations Goodreads: Goodreads – Twitter: @PatFurstenberg

About Patricia

Patricia Furstenberg is a skilled author, blogger and mother. With a medical degree behind her, Patricia writes about everything she feel passionate about: history and the human minds behind it, the psychology of war, dog heroes, and the humor of animals.

Her latest book, “Transylvania’s History A to Z” is “a wonderful combination of stories, photos, history, and legends.”

Her contemporary military novel “Silent Heroes: When Love and Values Are Worth Fighting for”, is a highly emotional read, action-packed, a vivid story of enormous sacrifice and bravery. “Silent Heroes” is a narrative about the value of life. A new look at the War in Afghanistan, at the MWD, Military Working Dogs and the brave Marines fighting it, but also at the Afghans caught in it.

Her historical fiction book “Joyful Trouble” is an Amazon Bestseller.

Her book of poems “As Good As Gold” became a #1 New Release the day it was published.

For her children’s books, Patricia is well known for her uplifting, charming themes and lovable, enchanting characters: dogs, cats, elephants, cheetahs, lions, but also squirrels and snails. Using her inner child she crafts stories and poems that are great fun, as well as teaching empathy. Her stories are filled with “creativity and vivid imagery” and she knows how to “capture the reader’s imagination.”

Her words “truly make the world a happier and more beautiful place!”

Her prolific writing is described as: positive, diverse, crisp, joyful and uplifting.

Patricia Furstenberg came to writing though reading, her passion for books being something she inherited from her parents. As a winner of the Write Your Own Christie Competition, the Judges “were impressed by her thorough investigation and admired the strength of her narrative; they were impressed by her style”. The judges thought Patricia’s writing style is “well structured, with a great sense of tension and suspense”, “confident and intriguing”. The Judges were Mathew Prichard, David Brawn from Harper Collins UK and Daniel Mallory from Harper Collins US.

Promoting positive news about her home country, Romania, with the hashtag #Im4Ro

When she’s not writing Patricia enjoys reading, researching for forthcoming books and traveling with her family. She never counts how many cups of coffee she enjoys in a day.

Patricia lives happily with her husband, children and dogs in sunny South Africa.

 

Thanks for dropping in today and I hope you will be leaving with some books… Sally.