Eric VanRaepenbusch's Blog, page 4

More Great Bargain Books from Amazon for Holiday Gifts

My wife and I have purchased most of the big presents that will be giving our children for Christmas.  Now we are looking for great deals on smaller gifts to make the day that much more special.  I went through Amazon to find some great picture book bargains.  Below is a list of what I found.  But, act fast because quantities of many of the items are low, so the prices won't last long!

Remember, I am an Amazon affiliate and get a small commission on your purchase AT NO COST TO YOU!  Enjoy the bargains!


Flight of the Dodo by Peter Brown (Paperback only $2.80)


Monsters on Machines by Deb Lund and Robert Neubecker



Shrek by William Steig (Paperback only $2.80!)


Xtreme Illustions from National Geographic Kids


The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen (Book and CD for $4.00)


Annie and the Wild Animals by Jan Brett (Book and CD for only $4.40)

Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg


The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton with CD


The Scrambled States of America Talent Show by Laurie Keller

Love, Splat by Rob Scotton


Trick or Treat Marley by John Grogan and Richard Cowdrey


Curious George by H.A. Rey (Paperback only $2.80)

Higgledly Piggledly Chicks by Barbara Joosse

The Jellybeans and the Big Book Bonanza by Laura Numeroff

My 6-year-old Son's Favorite Books of All-Time

My six-year-old son and I came up with a list of his favorite books of all-time. We wanted to help you get some ideas for your holiday shopping.  These were his ideas, so you are hearing these recommendations right from the source. I could pull any of these books off our shelf, at any time, and he would stop what he is doing to hear the book again.

(Remember below are Amazon affiliate links.  I get a small percentage of the sales at NO COST TO YOU! Thanks for clicking!)


1. The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers

2. Dinotrux by Chris Gall

3. Robot Zot! by Jon Sciezska and David Shannon

4. Cowboy and Octopus by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

5. I Stink! by Kate and Jim McMullan

6. The Dumb Bunnies by Dav Pilkey

7. Big Plans by Bob Shea and Lane Smith

8. Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner

9. Guess Again? by Mac Barnett and Adam Rex

10. The Complete Adventures of Curious George by Margret and H.A. Rey

11. Jeremy Draws a Monster by Peter McCarty

12. George and Martha by James Marshall

13. Miss Nelson is Missing! by Harry Allard and James Marshall

14. Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold (There are tons of books in series, click here to see more!)

Holiday Books!

I had a great response from my list of bargain books that I thought would make great gifts this holiday season. I thought I would dig a little deeper to see if I could find good prices on holiday books.  Here is a list of the books that I found at AWESOME prices:

Remember to act fast --- quantities are limited on Amazon's bargain books! (Remember that below are affiliate links...so I get a small commission with NO extra cost to you!)


1. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

2. Santa Calls by Willam Joyce

3. Little Miss Spider: A Christmas Wish by David Kirk

4. It's Christmas, David! by David Shannon

5. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, illustrated by Brett Helquist

6. Berenstain Bears Old-Fashioned Christmas by Jan and Mike Berenstain

7. A Merry Bunny Christmas (Max and Ruby) 

8. Christmas in the Time of Billy Lee by Jerdine Nolen and Barry Moser

9. A Joyful Christmas: A Treasury of New and Classic Songs, Poems, and Stories for the Holiday by James Ransome

10. The Gift of Nothing by Patrick McDonnell 

11. What's Coming for Christmas? by Kate Banks

12. Twelve Bots of Christmas by Nathan Hale

Books Make Great Gifts (and these are at a great price!)

I love giving my children brand new picture books on Christmas Day.  I was browsing through Amazon today and I found so many great picture books that are highly discounted that I had to share. All the books are $7 and under.  The links are affiliate links and I will get a small percentage of the sale at no cost to you.

The picture books listed below are the great deals that I found.  I will be purchasing many of them.  Act fast, because the discount doesn't last long.


1. The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood and Renata Liwska -- The Loud Book! is also on sale!  Both of these books are a joy to read aloud.

 2. Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet.  This book won the 2012 Robert F. Sibert Award for the most distinguished informational book published in English.

3. You Will Be My Friend! by Peter Brown.  My family loves all of Peter Brown's books! His picture book, Chowder is also on sale!

4. Pink Me Up by Charise Mericle Harper.  I actually bought this book for my niece two years ago for Christmas.  I packaged it will all the things she needed to PINK UP her daddy!

5. The Banshee by Eve Bunting and Emily Arnold McCully.  I have read this book to my kids at least 20 times.  It creeps them out just enough for them to love it!

6. Actual Size by Steve Jenkins.  What a creative book!

7. Bone Dog by Eric Rohmann.  I got to meet Eric Rohmann a couple of years ago and I love his work!  

8. Owen by Kevin Henkes.  My children love Kevin Henkes' books!

9. Jumpy Jack and Googily by Meg Rosoff and Sophie Blackall. This is one of my all-time favorite books to read aloud!  

10. Frankenstein Takes the Cake by Adam Rex.  I love Adam Rex's artwork in his picture books.

11. Otis by Loren Long. I was shocked when I saw this book discounted.  It was an instant classic.

12. I Gotta Draw by Bruce Degen.  I got to meet Bruce Degen a couple of years ago and I did a blog post celebrating his birthday with the help of this book.

13. Library Mouse: A Museum Adventure by Daniel Kirk.  Our family is a huge fan of the Library Mouse series!

14. The Eraserheads by Kate Banks and Boris Kulikov.  We own this book already, and my kids love it!

15. Help Me, Mr. Mutt! by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel.  I love any book with the art of Janet Stevens.

What a Month...So Many People to Thank

Wow! What a month!

I never expected so many fun experiences could happen in such a short time.

The month leading up to Halloween was full of events that made it the best month ever for me as an author. 

BOOKS WERE ONLY $5! I had a great start when Amazon.com discounted my paperback books for $5 each.  This allowed many people to pick up the whole series at a great price. The price was so good that it was cheaper for me to order my own books through Amazon than through my publisher, CreateSpace.  I took advantage of the great price too! I bought 10 copies of each book to make my first attempt at selling my books at local events. Thank you Amazon for lowering the price on the my books! Thank you to all my friends and family who shared the Amazon promotion on Facebook!

Earth Fare Solon Community Block Party My first public event as an author was at Earth Fare in Solon, Ohio on September 28, 2013.  It was a beautiful fall day for all the vendors at the Community Block Party.  I got to sign books for the first time too! Thank you to Cathan, Earth Fare Solon Community Relations Manager for providing an opportunity for me to share my books with the Solon Community.

Front Page of Aurora Advocate A huge surprise came on October 9th.  I got an email from Mike Lesko of the Aurora Advocate requesting an interview! I responded immediately and we talked on the phone that day.  The following week I went to the mailbox to read the article and was SHOCKED to see that I was on the front page!  The article was well written and accurate. This was great exposure! Thank you MIKE and the AURORA ADVOCATE! (Click here to read the article.)

Aurora Little Free Libraries Our school district placed five Little Free Libraries around our community this month.  I donated copies of my books to each location.  The most exciting part is that we have one of the little free libraries in our front yard!  It is so cool seeing children and families stop by to grab a new book. Thank you to Pat Ciccantelli, Aurora City Schools Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, for asking me to be a part of this project!

Earth Fare Family Dinner Night On October 24th, I was invited back to Earth Fare Solon for Family Dinner Night.  I had a table at the front of the store with Three Ghost Friends activities and coloring sheets.  The biggest hit were my Three Ghost Friends Halloween Cards.  There are so many people to thank -- the little guy who bought my book and hugged it after I read it to him, the Janzig, Himmel, and Stoycos families for coming to the event, my mother-in-law, Linda, for coming to help, my children for being so well behaved, and once again Cathan and the Earth Fare team!

Yogurt Plus Book Signing and Halloween Party My wife and I went up to Yogurt Plus Rocky River the week before the event.  We made these frozen yogurt ghosts! I was so excited to be having another author event!  Yogurt Plus generously gave every child free frozen yogurt for attending.  Many children dressed up in their costumes too.  I had Three Ghost Friends activities and games at every table. We also had additional activities at the tables in the back of the shop. It is so thrilling to sign a book for a child. More people to thank -- My dad for putting together this event, Jim Horvath of Horvath Media Services for promoting the event, my brother-in-law Todd and sister-in-law Kelly for coming to the event, my niece Kendal for helping with the games and activities, Colleen Kessler of Raising Lifelong Learners for promoting and attending the event, Susan Reagan Author of TWEET HEARTS for "tweet"ing about the event, and Zoe for helping all the guests that came to Yogurt Plus!


First School Visit
I closed out the month with my first school visit! Miss McArthur invited me into her class to read my books for their Friday Fun activity.  I got a new hat to wear for the occasion too! I have read so many books to groups of children, but this time I was reading my books.  IT WAS AN AMAZING FEELING!  Thank you Miss McArthur for inviting me to read your classroom of well-behaved, attentive students.  I need to thank the little girl that said to me, "I really like your books. I really like those PIGEON books too." Yes, I was mentioned in the same breath as Mo Willems!

More Activities! I added over 20 more activities and printables to the website. The OOZY FOAMY OVERFLOWY GHOST was one of the most popular posts. It was viewed over 6,500 times during the month! Thank you PINTEREST! The Three Ghost Friends in our yard had a blast all month long. They changed colors, played in the leaves, roasted marshmallows, and even dressed up for Halloween.   We are exhausted after this crazy month! But, we loved every minute of it! Before I go I have a few more thank yous -- My wife who brings out my best, my children for continuing to enjoy all the ghost activities, and everyone who bought my books or told someone about my books.

THANK YOU SO MUCH! 

Highlights from our Front Yard Ghost Decorations

In Mid-September my boys and I gave our Three Ghost Friends lawn ornaments a fresh paint job. At the time, I was looking forward to October to see if I could to act out a few scenes from my books in the front yard.

Early in October, my daughter fed each ghost a piece of fruit just like in Three Ghost Friends: Learn About Colors.
I am so happy I included her in this activity instead of doing this all on my own.  She was so excited about what the ghosts were doing all month long. I played out the scene over the course of many days. First, the ghosts ate the fruit. Then, the next day they changed colors and of course they had to dance and dance for a few days. Eventually, the Three Ghost Friends needed to rest.  Then, I poured white paint into these milk jugs to sloshed it around to allow the ghosts to see the milk. The next day the ghosts were back to white after drinking the milk. A leaf pile isn't in any of my books, but it does show that the Three Ghost Friends are always having fun together -- just like in the books. They even roasted marshmallows for a few days.  It should be noted that my daughter ate one of the marshmallows right off the stick one day when I wasn't paying attention! Marshmallow roasting shows up in two of my books Three Ghost Friends: Learn About Opposites and Three Ghost Friends: Learn About Shapes . The Three Ghost Friends even played with the pumpkins that my children got at the pumpkin patch. I have a FREE printable book where the Three Ghost Friends count pumpkins in their neighborhood.  Today, I dressed up the ghosts in Halloween costumes! In Three Ghost Friends: Learn About the ABCs - Halloween Edition the Three Ghost Friends try on costumes from A to Z!
A funny side note is that I did all these funny things with the ghosts when my three-year-old son was at preschool. Every day or two, he would come home to something new.  He was convinced that the ghosts were alive and were doing all these silly things.  My oldest daughter would tell him that "Dad, does it" but he told her very clearly that the ghosts do it while he is at school.  So funny! I love three-year-olds! 

Also, my wife recently shared my books with members of our neighborhood via our neighborhood Facebook page.  She talked about the backstory as to why we have 3 giant ghosts in our front yard, and told them about my books.  More than one person commented that they thought the ghosts were initially moving around the yard as a prank, and not by us.  Also, one neighborhood member said she looked forward to driving by each night on her way home from work to find out what the ghosts were up to that day!

Skip Counting with the THREE GHOST FRIENDS

Today, I have two fully customizable skip counting worksheets for you.  The directions on the worksheets have been left blank to allow you to use them for different types of skip counting (i.e. count by tens, count by twos, count by ones etc.).  Also, each ghost has a blank and open mouth to write starting numbers.  This will allow you to see if a child can start counting at any number.

Included in the download are two sheets; one for counting forwards and one for counting backwards.

Fill in the directions. Then, the numbers in each of the ghosts' mouth.  Run copies for your whole class or small group. This is the sheet for counting backwards!Click here to download both skip counting worksheets!

Giant Ghost Rice Krispie Treat

Our family was invited to a Halloween party and my wife responded to the hostess that we would bring a ghost-themed dessert.  I knew that there were going to be about 15 children at this party. I thought, "What kid doesn't like rice krispie treats?" I also thought that I really like frosting on a rice krispie treat.  Therefore, I decided that my little ones and I were going to make a GIANT ghost rice krispie treat!

We started with the recipe directly from RiceKrispies.com.  I had almost all the ingredients in the house (6 cups of Rice Krispies, 4 cups of mini marshmallows, 1/3 cup butter/margarine). But, I had to run to the store to get the butter!

My son poured the Rice Krispies into the bowl.  Unfortunately, the bowl I gave him was too small. Once the Rice Krispies were in a new bowl I added the melted butter and marshmallows.  My kids were more interested in taste testing instead of stirring. So, I finished the stirring. I gave them the empty bowl to eat the leftovers. I placed the entire contents of the bowl on our cake carrying tray.  Then, I flattened the mound of rice krispies with a piece of plastic wrap.  I used a spoon that I sprayed with cooking oil to shape the rice krispie mixture into a ghost.  I used a whole can of frosting to cover the top. I put on the eyes (two big chocolate chip wafers). My son insisted on a mouth too! He said, "It is saying BOOOOO!" Our Giant Rice Krispie Ghost! Yum!

See You Tomorrow at Yogurt Plus - Rocky River

Click here to see event information!
Phew! These just arrived in the mail at 2:45pm today!  Just in time for tomorrow!

The Story Behind - Three Ghost Friends: Learn About Shapes

Three Ghost Friends: Learn About Shapes started with a drawing on a window.

My son and I were drawing with Crayola washable window markers on our large living room windows. My son was coloring and I was drawing shapes.

I thought, "How could a ghost become a shape?" (At the time, everything I saw turned into a ghost! It still occasionally happens today!)

Hmmmm....

On the window, I made a drawing of a ghost going through a circular tunnel. On one side it was a full-sized ghost then after going through the circular tunnel the ghost was the shape of a circle.  However, I struggled with what else a ghost could go through that would turn it into a shape;

a doorway?  ("A rectangle. Yes. But a little tall for my ghosts.")
a window? ("A square. This could work.")
a tent?  ("A triangle. Yes. But you don't really go through a tent.")

I also struggled with how the ghosts would become full size again. They couldn't drink milk like in Three Ghost Friends: Learn About Colors . So, would they have to go through a ghost-shaped tunnel? That would be pretty silly.

So, I left the drawing on the window.

After a week, I still really liked the ideas especially the one about the triangle tent. Then, I thought, "What if the ghost just hid inside a tent instead of going through the tent? It would still look like a triangle."

That was it! The ghosts could hide!!!

My mind started wrestling with the story; hiding....tent....Maybe, the Three Ghost Friends could play hide and seek while camping.

I started to sketch out a story in my sketchbook after things got sorted out in my mind. I tried to find a sequence of how the ghosts would play hide and seek.  Also, I wrote down lots of ideas for activities that the ghosts could do when they were at the campground; campfires, sleeping in campers, canoeing, hiking, bird watching, swimming, games, fishing. Then, I experimented with places the ghosts could hide to make shapes; tent (triangle), hollow tree (oval), picnic table (trapezoid), inner tube/life preserver (circle), camper window (square), log (circle), spiderweb (?), and under a chair (square). I guess this little doodle was supposed to be a pentagon ghost?  I realized that I had two good ideas for circles; a log and an inner tube/life preserver.  Two circles seemed to make sense because two ghosts would be hiding with one ghost counting. 

In the book the text became, 
"One ghost counts. Two ghosts hurry to hide.
One ghost sees a circle here. One ghost sees a circle there.
Two ghost circles are quiet. Two ghost circles are still."   Here is a sketch of the ending of the book where the ghost dad appears.  In the top sketch on this page you can see the scene where the Three Ghost Friends all hide from the ghost dad to make a rectangle ghost, a trapezoid ghost and an oval ghost.I felt I had enough from my sketches to start working on the computer.  I quickly realized that this book was going to be difficult for me to illustrate. I was going to have to make full page spreads for the first time as an illustrator in order to move the reader through the book.

This initial full page spread illustration is of the ghosts heading out to become ghost squares.  I later moved the trash can because the ghosts would all have been clumped together. I loved seeing this illustration in full color.  My silly idea about a ghost in a tent had come to life. When I was illustrating the scenes where one ghost finds another ghost, I came up with the line, "Boo! I found you!"  This was an important discovery.  It is one of my favorite lines to read aloud. Can you find the ghost shapes? The ghost dad can't and he resorts to food (S'mores!) to get the ghosts to reveal themselves!I often say this book is my favorite. Probably because it was the hardest for me to make.  I worked every night after the kids went to bed for over two months.  I also felt that this was my wackiest idea -- "Ghost shapes? Really?" But, it turned out better than I expected.

Below is a video of me reading Three Ghost Friends: Learn About Shapes with my 18-month-old daughter:



This book is available at Amazon.com in paperback and at iTunes as an ebook for iPad/iPhone: