Lisa Cohn's Blog, page 14
May 17, 2015
Kids’ Voice-Over Contest: Help Us Record Our Audiobook!
Kids’ Voice-Over Contest
Today we launched our first kids’ voice-over contest!
We’re looking for kids age 5 to 12 who would like their voices to be included in our second audiobook, “Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy.”
Michael, age 6, twins Adam and Matthew, age 7, and Edward, age 9, will likely lend their voices to some of the characters (Bash, Adam, Matthew and Coach). But we need kids to read for two more characters–Paula, who is about 8 in the book and Tristen, who is about 9 in the book.
When we say “contest,” we don’t mean we’re looking for the “best” voices; we’re looking for the voices that best fit the characters!
Who listens to our audiobooks? Children and teachers! We give a set of our audiobooks and books to each of the schools we visit, in person and through Skype in the classroom. And we visit lots of schools!
You can listen to our first audiobook by clicking here:
http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/WFbb5Fn9
Michael Recording First Audiobook
HERE’S HOW TO ENTER THE CONTEST:
1. You’ll need a computer, microphone and recording software. We use Garageband as software because we have a Mac computer.
2. Record one of the lines below (for either Tristen or Paula).
3. Email us your recording, as an mp3 file, along with your name, age and preferred email. Feel free to include phone number and school (optional). Email BashAndLucy@gmail.com
If you’d like to be the voice of Paula, record this line:
“My name’s Paula. I need Lucy to coach my team.”
If you’d like to read for Tristen, record this line:
“We …need…Lucy to coach…our team. We’re going to the championships tomorrow.”
If you want to learn more about the characters and the book, email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com. We can send you the book as a pdf. Or you can check out a few of the book reviews. They tell a lot about the story: Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy reviews on Amazon.com
If we choose you, you’ll get copies of our books and audiobooks and you’ll be credited on the audiobook as a reader.
Email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com with your entry and your questions! We look forward to hearing from you!
The post Kids’ Voice-Over Contest: Help Us Record Our Audiobook! appeared first on Bash And Lucy.
May 10, 2015
Proud to be a Dog Mom on Mother’s Day!
Proud to Be a Dog Mom on Mother’s Day
By Lisa Cohn
I’m proud to be a dog mom on Mother’s Day!
For me, as I mention in the article below, I’m proud of the fact that I spend a lot of time caring for my pet, making him homemade food because he has allergies, taking him on walks to his favorite pee places, spoiling him, and loving him unconditionally for all the sweet, drooly, messy, farty love that I get in return.
You can read the story here, which includes quotes from four other dog moms:
http://www.dogids.com/blog/do-you-consider-yourself-a-dog-mom/
For Mother’s Day, Michael and I will take our dog, Hudson, for walks in the forest near our home. That’s one of my favorite things to do! We often take our books along, and read them in the woods!
The dog mom throws the ball, and her kids chase!
Happy Mother’s Day to all the dog moms out there!
The post Proud to be a Dog Mom on Mother’s Day! appeared first on Bash And Lucy.
May 3, 2015
Mother’s Day Tips for Bonding with Kids Over Books
By Lisa Cohn
My 6-year-old, Michael, is planning a “million-star Mother’s Day” for me.
After a quick visit to the library, we’ll be on our way to a gym, taxi, park, museum or bookstore for our favorite activity: Reading together, then filming children’s book reviews by Michael.
His love of books has taught me how to immerse myself in reading and discussion—not just go through the motions of reading with him.
During our YouTube reviews, I play the straight man while he dishes out tips to famous authors and awards million-star ratings. Michael likes to do this at favorite kids’ hangouts or when we’re visiting a state that appears in the book.
It all began two years ago, when our dog, Lucy, died suddenly of cancer. Michael and I wrote two award-winning children’s books together, and began filling our blog with videos of Michael gushing and giggling about children’s books.
Throughout this adventure, I’ve learned a lot about how to read with a child–and how NOT to read to a child, as Michael explains here:
Here are my tips:
–Don’t end your reading experience at the last chapter. Make reading a hands-on adventure. Do YouTube or written book reviews. Learn about the authors’ lives. Contact the authors with questions. We do Skype interviews with children’s book authors.
–Write with your child. I’ve found that writing books with Michael has made him a critical reader. For example, here he critiques books by his favorite (famous) authors: https://youtu.be/p6JjXtd5Xwg
–If you allot a specific time of day to read to your kids, do it with enthusiasm. Too often, parents leave reading until the end of the day, and it feels like a chore. Kids can sense this. And often, the parent falls asleep!
–Encourage your kids to listen to audiobooks—or to create their own, as we have done. Michael loves how actors interpret the characters. He recently cast his friends as voice-over artists in an audiobook of one of our books.
–Join reading groups at your local library, or form reading groups with other families. Michael shares and reads books with two boys who live next door, and the boys do book reviews together.
–Talk about books throughout the day. We chat about kidlit in the car, when we take walks, while we’re at the gym (where Michael likes to review books), while we’re at the park, and while I’m cooking. Integrate reading and discussion into everyday life!
Michael and I are authors of “Bash and Lucy Fetch Confidence,” winner of a Mom’s Choice Silver Award and Finalist, USA Best Book Awards, and “Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy,” winner of a Mom’s Choice Silver Award and described by a few bloggers as “a book every child should read.” Learn more about our books at www.BashAndLucy.com.
Let us know if you have any parenting tips to add to this list of suggestions for bonding with kids over books! Email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com. A be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to follow our book reviews, authors interviews and mom-son writing adventures: https://www.youtube.com/user/BashAndLucy
The post Mother’s Day Tips for Bonding with Kids Over Books appeared first on Bash And Lucy.
April 19, 2015
6-Year-Old Book Reviewer Gives A to Z Mysteries Book 10 Million Stars!
Six-Year-Old Book Reviewer
Michael, our 6-year-old book reviewer, recently visited Connecticut, and was absolutely sure the town he visited was Green Lawn–the town where the “A to Z Mysteries” take place! Because he was certain we were in Green Lawn (in reality a fictional town), he decided to review an “A to Z Mysteries” book set in Green Lawn.
While his big sis was on a college tour at Wesleyan University, Michael took a seat on a staircase in the admissions office, and reviewed “The Vampire’s Vacation,” giving the book 10 million stars out of 10 possible stars. Watch his review here:
What does Michael love about this book? It’s about vampires! And it includes funny jokes about garlic and vampires! In the review, Michael also describes the personality traits of the main characters in the “A to Z Mysteries,” Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose.
The “A to Z Mysteries” series are at the top of Michael’s list of favorite books right now, possibly even surpassing the Scooby-Doo chapter books. He has read all the “A to Z Mysteries” and has moved onto the “Capital Mysteries.”
Michael recently read all about author Ron Roy, and discovered that he spent 8 years writing the “A to Z Mysteries” books before moving on to the Capital Mysteries. Millions of kids have read his books. Another one of Michael’s favorite Ron Roy books is “The Canary Caper.” Here’s his review:
Michael’s secret desire is to interview Ron Roy as part of our “Mom and Son, Age 6, Interview KidLit Authors” series. You can learn more about that here: https://youtu.be/9gpZLdiqIok Got a book you think Michael should review? Email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com
The post 6-Year-Old Book Reviewer Gives A to Z Mysteries Book 10 Million Stars! appeared first on Bash And Lucy.
April 7, 2015
We Ate Dog Biscuits to Support Oregon Humane’s #BiscuitChallenge!
Eating Dog Biscuits to Support OHS Doggie Dash!
We ate dog biscuits to help raise money for Oregon Humane Society’s Doggie Dash!
Here’s how the Biscuit Challenge works: Dog lovers share on social media videos of themselves eating dog biscuits. In the videos, they nominate dog-loving friends who must, within 72 hours, either eat a dog biscuit (and share a video of the event on social media) or donate to Oregon Humane Society’s Doggie Dash!
The goal is to raise $550,000 for the Doggie Dash, which takes place May 9 in Portland.
Watch our video and find out who we nominated here:
As we mention in the video, we love to support Oregon Humane. We donate some of the proceeds of our book sales to the organization, which rescues dogs and other animals from all over the country! Stay tuned for a story by Lisa about all that Oregon Humane does–and why so many people want to volunteer there.
To date, we’ve raised more than $700 for the Oregon Humane Society, with the help of our illustrator, Heather Nichols, and people who buy our books and audiobook. We urge our readers to consider donating to this organization, which does so much for pets across the US!
In the video, Michael, age 6, is wearing a dog costume–a Scooby-Doo costume, to be exact. Also featured is our dog, Hudson, who isn’t allowed to eat dog biscuits because–like many golden retrievers, he has a sensitive stomach. We make home-made food for Hudson to keep him healthy.
Can you tell we’re dog lovers? Our “Bash and Lucy” project began when our dog, Lucy, died suddenly of cancer at age 6. She didn’t give us any clue she was sick. We missed her so much and were so overwhelmed by her bravery and goodness; we decided to help teach kids all about all these selfless, heroic, funny and loving best friends through our books, blog and school visits.
Donate today or learn more about Oregon Humane Society’s Doggie Dash here: http://www.oregonhumane.org/doggiedash/
Want our dog biscuit recipe? Email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com!
The post We Ate Dog Biscuits to Support Oregon Humane’s #BiscuitChallenge! appeared first on Bash And Lucy.
We Ate Dog Biscuits to Support Oregon Humane’s Doggie Dash!
Eating Dog Biscuits to Support OHS Doggie Dash!
We ate dog biscuits to help raise money for Oregon Humane Society’s Doggie Dash!
Here’s how the Biscuit Challenge works: Dog lovers share on social media videos of themselves eating dog biscuits. In the videos, they nominate dog-loving friends who must, within 72 hours, either eat a dog biscuit (and share a video of the event on social media) or donate to Oregon Humane Society’s Doggie Dash!
The goal is to raise $550,000 for the Doggie Dash, which takes place May 9 in Portland.
Watch our video and find out who we nominated here:
As we mention in the video, we love to support Oregon Humane. We donate some of the proceeds of our book sales to the organization, which rescues dogs and other animals from all over the country! Stay tuned for a story by Lisa about all that Oregon Humane does–and why so many people want to volunteer there.
To date, we’ve raised more than $700 for the Oregon Humane Society, with the help of our illustrator, Heather Nichols, and people who buy our books and audiobook. We urge our readers to consider donating to this organization, which does so much for pets across the US!
In the video, Michael, age 6, is wearing a dog costume–a Scooby-Doo costume, to be exact. Also featured is our dog, Hudson, who isn’t allowed to eat dog biscuits because–like many golden retrievers, he has a sensitive stomach. We make home-made food for Hudson to keep him healthy.
Can you tell we’re dog lovers? Our “Bash and Lucy” project began when our dog, Lucy, died suddenly of cancer at age 6. She didn’t give us any clue she was sick. We missed her so much and were so overwhelmed by her bravery and goodness; we decided to help teach kids all about all these selfless, heroic, funny and loving best friends through our books, blog and school visits.
Donate today or learn more about Oregon Humane Society’s Doggie Dash here: http://www.oregonhumane.org/doggiedash/
Want our dog biscuit recipe? Email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com!
The post We Ate Dog Biscuits to Support Oregon Humane’s Doggie Dash! appeared first on Bash And Lucy.
March 16, 2015
Six-Year-Old Book Lover Reviews “The Canary Caper”
Michael, Age 6, Reviews the Canary Caper
“The Canary Caper” by Ron Roy–an A to Z Mystery–is the subject of 6-year-old Michael’s book review today.
Michael takes his favorite books with him and reviews them in gyms, parks, ski lodges, libaries, taxis and museums. In this case, he’s at the Playground Gym in Portland, and spends some time swinging while reviewing.
A to Z Mysteries are among Michael’s favorite books. In this review, he gives the book a secret rating–but we can guarantee it’s at least 100 out of 10 possible stars! Watch his review here:
This isn’t the first A to Z Mystery Michael has discussed. In this video, he’s in a New York cab, discussing how A to Z Mysteries and Scooby-Doo books are similar:
Here’s why Michael loves A to Z Mysteries: “I love them because they’re mysteries, and they often have animals and mysteries. My favorite character is Josh, because he always thinks about eating, like Scooby-Doo and Shaggy. I like Dink because he takes solving mysteries seriously. I like Ruth Rose because she’s sometimes funny with Josh and she’s like both Dink and Josh. I like Pal (Josh’s dog) because he helps solve some of the mysteries, like in the Kidnapped King and the Lucky Lottery.”
Michael hopes to someday interview author Ron Roy as part of our new YouTube Series, “Mom and Son, Age 6, Interview KidLit Authors.” Learn more about our series here: http://www.bashandlucy.com/2015/03/01/mom-son-age-6-interview-kidlit-authors-cynthia-bardes/
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don’t miss any reviews or author interviews: https://www.youtube.com/user/BashAndLucy
If you’d like to suggest a book for Michael, email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com. We discovered A to Z Mysteries after we visited with a third grade class via Skype in the classroom. The kids recommended the series to Michael, and we’re so glad they did!
The post Six-Year-Old Book Lover Reviews “The Canary Caper” appeared first on Bash And Lucy.
March 1, 2015
Mom and Son, Age 6, Interview KidLit Authors: Cynthia Bardes
Book Lover, Age 6, and Mom Interview KidLit Authors
Cynthia Bardes, author of the “Pansy the Poodle” children’s book series, is the first subject of our “Mom and Son, Age 6, Interview KidLit Authors” series.
We just launched the series, as part of our ongoing efforts to share with kids, parents and teachers our love of reading and writing. Six-year-old Michael reviews children’s books on YouTube and thought it would be fun to interview some of the authors of the books he reviews. What’s more, his dream is to interview some of the authors of his favorite, famous book series!
We recently reviewed Cynthia Bardes’s “Pansy in Paris,” and learned that one of the books in her series will be turned into a musical! What’s more, her books combine dogs with mysteries–Michael’s favorite kind of KidLit.
In the interview below, we learn all about Bardes’s musical and the sad reasons she started her series. Michael provides some commentary about where her book, “Pansy at the Palace,” fits into the “jewel-missing mystery” genre, citing one of his favorite book series, “A to Z Mysteries.” We even get to meet the dog that inspired Bardes’s beautifully illustrated KidLit series!
Along with reviewing books and interviewing authors, we write kids’ dog books and visit with school children in person and via Skype. You can learn all about our efforts to share our love of reading and writing by visiting www.BashAndLucy.com or emailing us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com
The post Mom and Son, Age 6, Interview KidLit Authors: Cynthia Bardes appeared first on Bash And Lucy.
February 22, 2015
Kidlit Reviews of “Bash and Lucy” Focus on Life Lessons, Illustrations
KidLit Reviews of Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy
We requested KidLit reviews of our award-winning “Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy” from bloggers, parents and grandparents, and are thrilled that the reviews focus on the picture book’s life lessons and beautiful illustrations.
“There are so many amazing lessons in this book, I think every child should have it. As an added bonus, the illustrations are great. They are fun and child friendly. Overall a great book,” said one reviewer here:
Amazon Review: “Amazing Book for Kids”
“Really cute book about sharing, understanding jealousy and also special needs. It’s about how a precious dog names Lucy raises the spirits of all those around her and how one little boy learns that sharing her love is a better outlet of feeling than the negative feeling of jealousy. You see a bit of knowledge building for the boy who is learning about special needs children. Great for teaching your children multiple life lessons,” said a reviewer, Dusten, here:
Amazon Review: “Cute Book for Elementary (School) Children”
“I called this, “book with a heart,” said a blogger, “Reviews with Lady.”
“…As a mom, I am thankful that there is a book like this that showing moral and character learning’s to the kids. As a parent, it aids me also to explained and discussed with our daughter what’s out there and the reality of the world and the essence of sharing and showing encouragement even we don’t have dog…this stirred our hearts as a family. Great work.”
Read the review here:
Amazon Review: “Stirred Our Hearts as a Family”
We especially enjoyed this review, because of the way the blogger, “Amanda’s Books and More,” aptly describes the relationship between the main character, Bash, and his dog, Lucy:
“This story is quite unique. The boy named Bash thinks and behaves like a dog and the dog named Lucy thinks and behaves like a person. They are so in sync with each other, and I think that is how children relate to their pets.
Amanda loved how Lucy was so friendly and licked everyone. Her favorite funny part was when Bash and the children went looking for her on all fours, as if they were dogs themselves.
I loved how the authors introduced us to kids with disabilities and service dogs. They also dealt sensitively with the emotion of jealousy and how that can get in the way of making friends and learning to share.
I highly recommend this meaningful and entertaining book to children ages 5 to 8.”
Read the review here: Amazon Review: “This Story is Quite Unique”
You can buy our award-winning book and read all the reviews (as of this writing, 29 reviews), here:
“Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy” Reviews on Amazon
And what does co-author, Michael, age 6, have to say about the reviews?
“Mom, we need to get to work on our audiobook!”
The post Kidlit Reviews of “Bash and Lucy” Focus on Life Lessons, Illustrations appeared first on Bash And Lucy.
February 10, 2015
Book Lover, Age 6, & Mom Receive Book Award, Join Literacy Programs
Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy
Boy, Age 6, and Mom Receive Mom’s Choice Silver Award for Second Book;
Authors Give Books to Schools, Take Part in Literacy Programs
Michael Cohn, age 6, and his mother, Lisa Cohn, were awarded a Mom’s Choice Silver Award for their new children’s book, “Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy,” and were honored to be invited to participate in three literacy programs.
The authors are also thrilled that “Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy” has received numerous 5-star reviews on Amazon. The reviewers focus on the life lessons imparted by the book and on the fact that a young boy helped write it.
“Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy” follows “Bash and Lucy Fetch Confidence,” a Mom’s Choice Silver Award winner and finalist, USA Best Book Awards. The Cohns wrote the first book in 2013 to overcome grief over the sudden death of their golden retriever, Lucy.
Lisa and Michael were recently invited to speak with school children at the Rotary Club in Portland in May, to take part in “Skype in the classroom’s” new literacy campaign, and to take part in the Parent-Child Home Program.
“Our mission is to share our love of reading and writing and we’re thrilled to be taking part in these literacy programs,” said Lisa Cohn.
The Cohns visit school children in Portland and via Skype, sharing their story and encouraging children to read and write. They donate their books to schools and to literacy programs.
They also do “KidLit Chats with Michael,” during which book lover Michael discusses books with young children. Here’s an example:
In “Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy,” a young boy’s dog, Lucy, helps coach his soccer team by kissing the kids and making them laugh, and even leads the team to the championships. But the boy, Bash, is overcome with jealousy when a soccer player on a Special Olympics team asks if Lucy could coach his team.
“In ‘Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy,’ authors Lisa and Michael Cohn take kids on a wonderful ride through a life lesson on jealousy, sharing, and compassion for others,” said Kirk Mango, National Champion, Hall of Famer, & author of “Becoming a True Champion” in an Amazon review.
“My kids and I love this book. It really shows all of the emotions that a person can go through, in the end it is a great conversation starter…(My kids) love that a little boy, younger than them, writes these books. It has really made them see that they can do anything in life that they want to. It is well written and thoughtful,” said Jessica Johnson in a review.
For more information, contact Lisa Cohn at BashAndLucy@gmail.com or visit www.BashAndLucy.com.
The post Book Lover, Age 6, & Mom Receive Book Award, Join Literacy Programs appeared first on Bash And Lucy.
