Eric VanRaepenbusch's Blog, page 2

New Lower Price on THREE GHOST FRIENDS AND THE BATTLE BOOS!

Download the eBook edition of THREE GHOST FRIENDS AND THE BATTLE BOOS for only $1.99!


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BATTLE BOO Drawings from Center Elementary School

Check out these awesome Battle Boos created by students at Center Elementary School!
Space Bot, Speeddee Boo Bot, Cat Battle Boo, and Spiker Boo (clockwise starting in upper left).
Space Bot is flying by the Little Dipper, a rocket, and a moon. Speedee looks very fast! I love that Cat Battle Boo has a #10 as an earring! Spikerboo would make a great #30 in Series 3 (It shouts, "SPIKED!").  Rocket Mouse, Love Bot, Mysterious Bot, and Fasto Five (clockwise starting in upper left). How cool is Rocket Mouse! It looks like Love Bot showers hearts down as it flies around. The eyes on Mysterious Bot are very mysterious indeed! Fasto Five has a satellite on top of its head! I love Boo-Horn! The drawing is amazing! I really like what the student wrote to me too:
"Dear Mr. V, Thank you for taking your time and energy to come to my school. You really inspired me to become an author-strator. Also, for teaching me new art skills. And telling me that children's book ideas are everywhere. Also, I will find my author-strator glasses and write a story!" Spidekes, Rainbow VV, Zero Zoomer, and Fireshooter. (clockwise starting in upper left).
The flames coming out of Spidekes are intense! The note from the student who created Rainbow VV states, "You've inspired me to make a book. It is called Awesome Sauce." Well, I think Rainbow VV is "awesome sauce" and I can't wait to read your story!  Zero Zoomer has its own theme song -- "Zooming, Zooming all around. Zooming Zooming to the save the town!" It looks like Fireshooter shoots flames out of its eyes! Whoa!There were so many more Battle Boos too! I loved each and every one. Thank you so much!

Do you want to make your own Battle Boos?  Download the FREE printable!

New Printables for THREE GHOST FRIENDS AND THE BATTLE BOOS

Enjoy these FREE printables for the latest TGF book.
Click here to download - Design Your Own Battle Boos
Click here to download - Design Your Own Battle Boo Series Click here to download - Battle Boos Skip Counting Backward
Click here to download - Battle Boos Skip Counting Forward Click here to download - Battle Boo Roll and Cover Game Sheets Click here to download - Battle Boo Ten Frames Flashcards

THREE GHOST FRIENDS AND THE BATTLE BOOS Trailer

The Story Behind THREE GHOST FRIENDS AND THE BATTLE BOOS

On July 17, 2012, I was sitting in the cafeteria at the University of Findlay (not as a student, but as an attendee at the Mazza Museum Summer Conference). I can't remember what I was eating, but I am sure I was enjoying a tasty drink from the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine.

I wanted to write at lunch so I chose a table in the back. I hoped to be inspired by the creative energy I had just experienced during a presentation by the amazing picture book creating duo, Susan Stevens Crummel and Janet Stevens.

I wrote in my journal, "What would ghosts collect? How would they acquire the items? Would one ghost have the collection or would they trade and add together?"

I initially answered the questions with a few ideas -- "Boo-bots, Battle Boos!, Boo-ba-loos." Also, I wrote "Collect all 20. 30."  There were even ideas of boo bucks being used to buy the toys and the toys came in multiple series. All of these ideas would find their way, three years later, into THREE GHOST FRIENDS AND THE BATTLE BOOS! (Except for the Boo-ba-loos. I don't know what that idea was all about.)


This idea sat in my journal for over a year. It was during the Halloween season of 2013 that I returned to the idea when I took a graduate class about teaching common core math concepts to early elementary students. I wondered if I could incorporate the concepts I was learning in the class into the story; dot patterns, ten frames, and other visual math stuff. During each class I doodled and wrote down ideas in the margins of my notebook.

First, it was doodles of robot-like ghosts with wheels, which had me leaning toward the idea that three ghost friends would collect toys called Boo-Bots.



Then, I wrote "# Boo-Bots -- Dot Rows". This got me thinking that the toys could have numbers on them and maybe three ghost friends could build with them and make dot rows that could be visually counted by the reader. However, building dot patterns, like on dice, would be difficult to make by stacking and building toys.



Later in my doodles, the Boo-Bots lost their wheels and appeared with rocket boosters. I thought, if the Boo-bots could fly then I could visually show the Boo-Bots flying in dot patterns.


So, I had the idea of unique flying robot-like toys that would appear in visual patterns for young readers to count. However, I didn't have a story.  The idea sat in my journal and notebooks and occasionally rolled around in my head.

In August 2014, I had just published BABY BEARDS! and was looking for the next project to work on. I decided to try drawing the robot-like ghost toys on the computer with the hopes that a THREE GHOST FRIENDS story idea would pop into my head.  The wheels returned on the initial drawings. I liked the drawings but wasn't totally crazy about them. I knew that each toy would need to be unique and maybe even have its own name. The thought of coming up with 20 unique toys was a haunting idea. However, I didn't know it then, but it would be the key to unlocking the whole story.


In September 2015, I had the idea to illustrate one page of a THREE GHOST FRIENDS book every day during the month of October. I thought working on the book during the Halloween season would help the idea come out. Plus, having the accountability of sharing a drawing each day on social media would be motivating.

I thought a structure like this would be feasible because it was the first time in ten years I had mornings free to work without interruptions. My oldest two children were in school all day, and my youngest two children attended school in the mornings. I had two and half hours every day to work on my writing and I was feeling ambitious.

I started working on the idea at the beginning of September to get my ideas organized so I would be ready to start illustrating in October. However, I was surprised when ideas started pouring out once I look at the toys as Battle Boos instead of Boo-Bots.





I walked my youngest two children to school each day and on the way home I would have idea after idea in my head for the story. As soon as I walked in the door I would write them all down. By the end of September I was creating 20 unique Battle Boo toys; Captain Boo Beard, Secret Agent BOO7, and General Boolius Caesar.







I decided not post anything on social media. I was now motivated by the new ideas. I worked 4 to 6 hours a day illustrating the book until I had a working proof to send to my editor and to test with the students at my oldest son's school.




After many (MANY!!) minor adjustments, the fifth THREE GHOST FRIENDS book was ready. My motivation to create this book was the students at Miller Elementary School and Craddock Elementary School in Aurora, Ohio. They were the first children I read my THREE GHOST FRIENDS books to and their enthusiasm made me feel like I had to find more stories about the Ghost Friends for them to enjoy. I think this book is going to be one that they will love.



It might have taken three years for me to answer those initial questions. But, I did finally answer them.

Three ghost friends collect Battle Boos. They acquire them by buying them at the B.O.O. Spookz Toy Store with boo bucks they saved in their pumpkin bank. They would share the collection of 21 unique Battle Boos that are numbered from 0-20. The Battle Boos fly, zoom, and attack and as an added bonus they teach three ghost friends how to count to twenty when they didn't think they could do it.

THREE GHOST FRIENDS AND THE BATTLE BOOS is available in paperback and for Kindle on Amazon.com:

THREE GHOST FRIENDS Stories from First Graders

I visited a first grade classroom today and three boys were eager to share their own THREE GHOST FRIENDS stories with me.

Their stories were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

They were well-written, fabulously illustrated, and they were full fun "talking bubbles!" Thank you for sharing them with me.

I snapped a photo of each.

A mash-up of THREE GHOST FRIENDS and Doreen Cronin's Click, Clack, Boo!.  This was my favorite page from THREE GHOST FRIENDS GO TO WAL-MART. On this page, one ghost friend can't believe that he is buying a new football jersey! I was highly impressed with the illustrations in THREE GHOST FRIENDS: LEARN ABOUT JURASSIC WORLD!

THREE GHOST FRIENDS AND THE BATTLE BOOS -- Proof Copies Arrive

It has been over three years since published the last THREE GHOST FRIENDS book. Today, my son was excited as I was when the proof copies arrived for the next book, THREE GHOST FRIENDS AND THE BATTLE BOOS. Look for it to be available before the holidays.

My Son and Three Ghost Friends!

Over three years ago I wrote the THREE GHOST FRIENDS books for my son. Last week he came home from school and said, "Today at school I read one of your ghost books all by myself."  It doesn't get any cooler than that!

Feed the Ghosts!

Every day of October I have been moving three ghost friends around our yard when my daughter is at preschool. Today, I didn't have time to move them so I said to her, "The ghosts didn't move today. They said they are hungry."
We printed out a blueberry, a banana, and a strawberry to feed the ghosts.  My daughter was so excited.
I wonder what will happen tomorrow?

Three Ghost Friends @ Monroe's Orchard!

I am writing this feeling a little sad that I won't be heading to Monroe's Orchard today for their Apple Festival. Monroe's Orchard hosted their Apple Festival the last three Saturdays. I had the opportunity to read and share my Three Ghost Friends books with many families while enjoying the delicious apple cider!!

I went through all the photos and picked my favorite ones to share.

My Three Ghost Friends reading hat! I thought this pumpkin was perfect! The books are pretty cool too! The first Saturday was gorgeous; warm and sunny! My whole family was there to help me sell books! I love reading Three Ghost Friends: Learn About Shapes to a large group.  I was so grateful for the opportunity to share my books with so many people. A huge thank you to Sue and Roger Monroe for inviting me! The second Saturday was quite different; cold and cloudy. I have to thank my daughter for toughing it out all day with me! Ice fell from the sky when we were setting up our tent.  Despite the cold and ice families still came to the Apple Festival.  I loved seeing the creativity of the children that came out. A zombie, princess, and spider ghost! (Click here to download the activity sheet!) The weather was much better for the third Saturday. I had a wonderful spot next to the pumpkin patch to read my Three Ghost Friends books. In this photo I am reading Three Ghost Friends: Learn About the ABCs - Halloween Edition .
I had such a great time at Monroe's Orchard. I met so many happy and enthusiastic families! Thank you to everyone for supporting me!
My THREE GHOST FRIENDS books available as eBooks and paperbacks on Amazon.com and iTunes. They are great for children 3-6 years of age!