Lisa Cohn's Blog, page 3

Beaverton Valley Times Article: Mom-Teen Duo Team Up in New Children’s Book

We enjoyed being interviewed for this article that appeared in the Beaverton Valley Times and other local newspapers:

A story of a kid, his dog and a role-model grandmother are headed to bookshelves this month after a local family published their most recent work of children’s literature.

A Portland-area mother-teen duo have been teaming up for almost a decade to write children’s books, a series featuring a boy named Bash and his dog, Lucy. This time, the early-readers chapter book features a heroine based on Vera Moroz, a Ukrainian immigrant and close family friend.

The Bash and Lucy book series began after the Cohn family dog, Lucy, passed away.

Michael and Grandma Vera

Read the whole story here:

Mother-Teen Duo Team Up Again to Share Ukrainian Culture, Empathy, in New Children’s Book

And don’t forget to watch Michael dedicate our last book to Grandma Vera from Ukraine:

 

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Goodreads Giveaway: Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!”

Cover of Bash and Lucy say, “Love, Love, Bark!”

We invite you to enter our Goodreads Giveaway! We’re giving away 25 copies of our new kids’ dog book.

Here’s how it works.  Click on this link, click on “Enter Giveaway” and enter your name and other requested information. Winners will be announced May 11, at which point we’ll send you a paperback version of the book. If you’re a winner, email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com if you’re interested in having us sign the book for you. We will be very grateful if you write reviews on Goodreads and Amazon.

Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!” is for kids approximately 7-12 years old. The book is for dog lovers, children with sensory challenges and kids who want to read about friendship. It’s also for grandmothers! The book teaches readers about Ukraine through the heroine, Bash’s Grandma Vera from Ukraine. In real life, she’s Michael’s surrogate grandmother.

Here are some recent reviews (posted on Amazon):

I Want to Live in Woof-Woof Nation!

A loving tribute to our canine heroes that masterfully weaves fantasy and much needed empathy. Who wouldn’t want a sister like Ally, a grandmother like Vera, and a dog like Lucy? This book will appeal to kids and adults with sensory challenges and anyone who thinks we should listen and love like our four-legged friends.

A good book to read to elementary aged students.

Love this Latest Installment of Bash and Lucy! All heart!

Another wonderful tale by the dynamic mother/son writing team, Lisa and Michael Cohn. This is a book for dog lovers and for those interested in Ukraine, the native land of one of the most lovable characters, Grandma Vera. One of my favorite scenes is where Grandma Vera works to get the town renamed to “Woof-Woof Nation.” She says “By naming the town Woof-Woof Nation, we change everything. We learn how to be good citizens. We teach people to act like a dog.” Pure gold!

Entertaining for Adults and Kids!

The Mystery of the Missing Dog Books is fun and heartwarming. Bash’s favorite dog books keep disappearing from the library, so he and his sister Ally team up with their grandma and Bash’s trusty dog Lucy to catch the thief.

The book promotes being kind and loving dogs, and they even create Dog-tention to turn mean people into dog lovers. It’s a cute story that’ll make you feel good inside and remind you how great dogs are.

Sassy, the latest dog character in our book series

Don’t forget to watch 5-year-old Michael romping with puppy Hudson in our initial book trailer:

 

Questions? Email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com

 

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Reviews of Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!”

Illustration by Heather Nichols

We’re excited about the reviews of Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!”

Here are a few from Amazon.

I Want to Live in Woof-Woof Nation!

A loving tribute to our canine heroes that masterfully weaves fantasy and much needed empathy. Who wouldn’t want a sister like Ally, a grandmother like Vera, and a dog like Lucy? This book will appeal to kids and adults with sensory challenges and anyone who thinks we should listen and love like our four-legged friends.

A good book to read to elementary aged students.

Cover of Bash and Lucy say, “Love, Love, Bark!”

Love this Latest Installment of Bash and Lucy! All heart!

Another wonderful tale by the dynamic mother/son writing team, Lisa and Michael Cohn. This is a book for dog lovers and for those interested in Ukraine, the native land of one of the most lovable characters, Grandma Vera. One of my favorite scenes is where Grandma Vera works to get the town renamed to “Woof-Woof Nation.” She says “By naming the town Woof-Woof Nation, we change everything. We learn how to be good citizens. We teach people to act like a dog.” Pure gold!

Entertaining for Adults and Kids!

The Mystery of the Missing Dog Books is fun and heartwarming. Bash’s favorite dog books keep disappearing from the library, so he and his sister Ally team up with their grandma and Bash’s trusty dog Lucy to catch the thief.

The book promotes being kind and loving dogs, and they even create Dog-tention to turn mean people into dog lovers. It’s a cute story that’ll make you feel good inside and remind you how great dogs are.

Charming and Delightful Book!

Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!” is a heartwarming children’s book that is sure to delight both kids and adults alike. This is the fourth book in the series, and this time around, Vera takes center stage as the passionate assistant mayor who is determined to make the world a better place through her love for dogs.

The book not only teaches readers about the goodness of dogs but also sheds light on Ukrainian culture and history through Vera’s character. The Cohns’ dedication to Vera is evident in every page, as her spunky and resilient personality shines through in the story.

What’s even more commendable is that 100% of the proceeds from the book’s sales in April and May will be donated to the Ukrainian Foundation, making this book not only an enjoyable read but also a meaningful one.

Overall, Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!” is a charming and uplifting story that encourages readers to embrace the goodness of dogs and the value of kindness. I highly recommend this book to parents, teachers, and anyone who wants to share an important message with children.

Fun Story with Great Illustrations

Love the cover and how all the characters come alive in your imagination. Very fun to read aloud and even act out the book to my students in class. I also loved translating the story to Spanish for my elementary Spanish students! Just pure Joy! The kids loved it!!

Want to write a review of Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!” Email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com and we’ll send a review copy.

If you’re a dog lover, be sure to check out our book trailer, featuring 5-year-old Michael (now 14) romping with puppy Hudson. Michael makes an important request at the end!

 

 

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April 4 Kids’ Book Release: All Proceeds Donated to Ukraine

Vera and Michael

Today, April 4, we’re releasing our new kids’ book, Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!” and raising money for Ukraine via the Ukrainian Foundation, which provides food, medical care and emergency support services to the displaced families and military in Ukraine.

During the month of April, 100% of the proceeds from book and ebook sales will go to Ukraine.

Please support Ukraine by buying our new book or ebook on Amazon by clicking here: Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!“

Why a Ukraine fundraiser? The heroine of the kids’ book, Vera (pictured above in real life with Michael a few years ago), teaches kids about Ukraine with her story of growing up in Soviet-occupied Ukraine. She gives “In My Country” lectures and is on a mission to help people stop bullying and arguing.

And in real life, she sells her home-cooked meals to raise money for people affected by Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine. She’s also Michael’s surrogate grandmother.

Here’s more information about the new book:

Who Stole the Dog Books? Can Dog-tention Save the Day?

Someone has been stealing Bash’s favorite dog books from the library, books that help calm him when the world is too loud, too bright or too busy.

Bash enlists the aid of Grandma Vera, a feisty immigrant from Ukraine and the town’s assistant mayor, to help identify the thief. He also recruits his sister, Ally, a spunky mayor-dancer-librarian. Of course, the investigation also requires the super senses of Bash’s golden retriever, Lucy.

Ally and Grandma Vera, with Lucy by their side, tackle the mystery of the missing books while they pursue their mission of helping people get along better. Their message: Let’s embrace the goodness of dogs.

To spread their message, Vera and Ally establish daily canine-adoring holidays. They also invent “Dog-tention,” which transforms troublemakers, naysayers and bullies into dog lovers.

Can Bash, Vera, Ally and Lucy find the book thief, end the arguing and bullying, and help people work together?

#1 New Release in Kids’ Soccer Books

Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!” right now is a #1 new release on Amazon in the children’s soccer book category. Last week, Amazon named the book a “hot new release” in that category.

#1 New Release in Children’s Dog Books

Why is this a soccer book?

Bash’s soccer team plays an important role in all of the Bash and Lucy books. The team members often  meet at the Old Oak tree to talk about issues that come up every day in kids’ lives–issues like bullying, ball hogging and feeling jealous. In the new book, Bash and his team mates work together to solve the mystery of the missing dog books.

Be sure to watch (younger) Michael (now 14) dedicate our last kids’ book to Vera:

If you’d like a review copy, email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com.

The post April 4 Kids’ Book Release: All Proceeds Donated to Ukraine appeared first on Lisa and Michael Cohn.

On PreSale Now: Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!”

Hudson with our new book

Advance copies of our new book, Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love Bark!” arrived in the mail yesterday, and we’re excited that the kids’ book is now on presale here: Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!“. This is the ebook version, and you can also order the paperback with that link. (We’re asking Amazon to get the cover image up on the paperback listing.)

The book will be available  for shipping or downloading April 4.

The new book is also available on presaale at Barnes and Noble and other online book sellers.

As Lisa mentioned in the post on Barnes and Noble, the book features

Super Sensitive Dogs And Humans With Superpowers!

As the co-author of this book, my hope is that dog lovers will appreciate Ukrainian Grandma Vera’s  (sometimes zany) efforts to convince people to embrace the goodness of dogs and stop arguing and bullying. I also hope young readers will learn about Ukraine from the character of Vera, who tells stories about growing up in Soviet-occupied Ukraine.

And super-sensitive kids may see themselves in the character of Bash, who has a hard time with loud noises, bad smells and scratches to his skin. Vera teaches Bash to make the most of these sensitivities, because they give him superpowers! Learn about super-sensitive kids in this Bash and Lucy blog post

Golden retriever Lucy also has superpowers, like many dogs, and helps solve a mystery.

If you’re  interested in obtaining a review copy, email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com.

Be sure to watch our first book trailer, with Michael, at age 5, romping with puppy Hudson (who is now a 10-year-old bark-over artist for our audiobooks  and is  in the photo above..)

You can also watch Michael dedicate our last book to surrogate Grandma Vera:

We’d like to get our book into the hands of kids who can’t afford books. If you have any suggestions for schools or kids who’d like free copies, please email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com.

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Our Childen’s Soccer Book a “#1 Hot New Release” on Amazon

Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!” now available for pre-sale

We were excited to see that our new children’s soccer book (also a dog book!), Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!” was named a “#1 Hot New Release” in children’s soccer books on Amazon.

The book will be released April 4, but is now available for presale on Amazon here: Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!”

All four of our children’s books have a soccer theme. Our journey began with Bash and Lucy Fetch Confidence, in which golden retriever Lucy helps the members of a soccer team feel more confident. In our second soccer book, Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy, Lucy helps lead the soccer team to the championships. But Bash is overcome with jealousy when Lucy enchants a team of Special Olympics kids who say they want her to coach their team. And in our third book, Bash and Lucy Fetch Team Vera and the Dream Beasts,  Lucy has become a local superstar because she barks, wags and kisses Bash’s team to victory. Now, all the kids want Lucy to coach their teams, especially Paula, Bash’s girl-power cousin.  Paula says her soccer team has the right to have Lucy coach her team because girls deserve the very best coaches under Title IX.

In our latest book, Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!” Grandma Vera–Bash’s immigrant grandma from Ukraine–teaches Bash to take advantage of his super sensitivities to improve his soccer skills. But his teammates are jealous, and want Grandma Vera to help them, too. The team members, along with Lucy, also help Bash solve the mystery of the missing dog books, and, along the way, get to visit Vera’s house. They are surprised by Vera’s unique “sensitivity training” style.

#1 New Release in Children’s Soccer Books

If you’re interested in obtaining a review copy, please email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com and put “Review Copy” in the email subject line.

Be sure to watch the 1-minute book trailer we released in 2014 in which Michael, age 5, dressed in a soccer uniform, romps with puppy Hudson and a soccer ball:

 

 

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Super Sensitive Kids and their Superpowers in Our Upcoming Book

Bash, super sensitive–with superpowers!

Super sensitive kids and their superpowers play an important role in our next book–to be released April 4.

In Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!”  (along with other Bash and Lucy books) Bash is sensitive to loud noises and certain smells.  He feels scratches , bumps and cuts on his body intensely. He doesn’t like scratchy clothes. He’s also sensitive emotionally, quickly noticing others’ feelings. When kids are angry with him, he gets upset and worried. He often wants to do something to make them feel better when they express sadness, jealousy or anger.

In the book, Bash’s Grandma Vera–an immigrant from Ukraine–trains him to turn those sensitivities into superpowers. She shows him how to take advantage of his finely tuned ears, feelings and taste buds in ways that make him a stronger soccer player, better student and good friend.

Vera reminds Bash, “super sensitive makes superpower.”

Bash sees some of his strengths as disadvantages and doesn’t understand why others want to be like him.

“But Gramma Vera,” he says in the book, “what you say are my gifts make things hard. I can smell what my friends ate for breakfast, and it sometimes gives me a stomachache. I can hear kids when they whisper and sometimes even that hurts my ears. And when they tease me, it feels so bad I want to run, run, run, one hundred miles away.”

In the book, Bash’s friends  point out that his sensitivities seem to be linked to how smart he is.

And they’re right! Super sensitive kids–who are sometimes labeled as having “sensory processing disorder (SPD)” are often smart.

A pilot study by the STAR Institute found that 35%  of the kids in one large sample of gifted children showed symptoms of SPD. The link between SPD and giftedness is due in part to the fact that gifted kids’ brains are wired differently, explained Lisa Porter, a Ph.D occupational therapist, in a story Lisa wrote about these kids.

Recent studies about gifted kids found that they have more “neural connectivity” in their brains than more typical kids, says Porter. In addition, certain brain changes occur later in gifted kids.

“You have all these connections in the brain, and at some point they are whittled so the remaining ones get stronger. You keep the ones you use the most,” she explains. This “whittling” or “pruning” generally happens in toddlers and adolescents. However, in gifted kids, this pruning happens later, which helps explain why gifted kids often have sensory challenges. “They are really intelligent in some ways but can experience delays in executive functioning and other issues,” Porter explains.

One of the goals of writing our Bash and Lucy books featuring sensory-sensitive Bash is to teach people about sensory challenges–and the advantages that accompany them.

We hope you learned something from reading this!

Don’t forget to watch Michael dedicate our third book to Vera, who in real life is Michael’s surrogate grandmother.

 

 

 

 

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The Teamwork that Created the Cover of Our New Children’s Dog Book

Cover of Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!”

Creating the cover of our new children’s dog book–to be released April 1–was a team effort.

It began with a question from Heather Nichols, our illustrator. What illustration should she create for the cover?

Michael, who is now 14, said that the cover should depict “Dog-tention,” which–in the book–is a way of converting naysayers, bullies and troublemakers into good citizens and dog lovers. (Michael also came up with the idea of Dog-tention).

Michael quickly created a sketch for Heather:

Michael’s sketch that led to the cover of our new children’s dog book

Of course, the quick sketch needed explanation. We explained to Heather that the blue and yellow are meant to depict kids sitting at tables. The red figures are Grandma Vera, Bash and golden retriever Lucy. Vera and Bash would be holding a whiteboard (green in the sketch) that would include the “Love, Love, Bark!” part of the title. And just above that would be the words, “Bash and Lucy Say.”

Heather came up with this illustration:

Heather Nichols’ cover illustration for our new children’s dog book

Next, it was time for Vinnie Kinsella, our book designer, to create the cover. He came up with a number of options, including this one:

A cover idea for “Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!”

With this cover, we felt like we were getting close. But, after asking friends–especially Nicole Cole–for feedback, we decided the grey was too dark.

Vinnie also suggested a number of covers that look like the new cover, but they had different colors for the words “Bash and Lucy Say” (which appear at the top of the cover) and “Love, Love, Bark!” (which appear in the white board.) We asked him to make sure the words in the title were all the same color, since the title is long and we wanted to be clear that Bash and Lucy Say, plus the words “Love, Love, Bark!” are all in the title.

After a few more iterations plus feedback from friends, Vinnie designed the cover we ended up choosing, and we’re very happy with it!

Cover of Bash and Lucy say, “Love, Love, Bark!”

Be sure to check out the video in which Michael dedicates our last book to Ukrainian Grandma Vera:

Questions? Email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com

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Want to Review Our Upcoming Kids’ Dog Book?

Cover of Bash and Lucy say, “Love, Love, Bark!”

We’re excited that our fourth kids’ dog book, Bash and Lucy Say, “Love, Love, Bark!” will be released April 1. 

Above is the cover. We’ll tell you all about how it was created in our next blog. 

For now, we’re looking for readers–especially dog lovers–to read the pdf or ebook and post a review on Amazon when the book is available there (in the next few weeks).

We promise to send you a free paperback when it’s available!

Here’s a description of the book, which is for kids age 8-12 or so.

Who Stole the Dog Books? Can Dog-tention Save the Day?

Someone has been stealing Bash’s favorite dog books from the library, books that help calm him when the world is too loud, too bright, or too busy. 

Bash enlists the aid of Grandma Vera, a feisty immigrant from Ukraine and the town’s assistant mayor, to help identify the thief. He also recruits his sister, Ally, a spunky mayor-dancer-librarian. Of course, the investigation also requires the super senses of Bash’s golden retriever, Lucy. 

Ally and Grandma Vera, with Lucy by their side, tackle the mystery of the missing books while they pursue their mission of helping people get along better. Their message: Let’s embrace the goodness of dogs. 

To spread their message, Vera and Ally establish daily canine-adoring holidays. They also invent “Dog-tention,” which transforms troublemakers, naysayers, and bullies into dog lovers.

Can Bash, Vera, Ally, and Lucy find the book thief, end the arguing and bullying, and help people work together?

In addition to asking for book reviewers, we’re offering to send the paperback version of the book to schools for free. If you are a teacher, let us know if you’re interested in getting a free book. 

To request an ebook to review or paperbacks when they’re released, EMAIL US AT BASHANDLUCY@GMAIL.COM!

We’ll be planning a book release party next, and organizing fundraisers for the Oregon Humane Society and Ukraine.

Since this book is all about the goodness of dogs, be sure to watch our one-minute trailer featuring puppy Hudson and young Michael!

The post Want to Review Our Upcoming Kids’ Dog Book? appeared first on Lisa and Michael Cohn.

Learning about Ukrainian Culture with our Kidlit Book’s Heroine

Dancing and singing at Ukrainian festival

As we’ve mentioned, our upcoming Kidlit book’s heroine is Vera, Michael’s surrogate grandma from Ukraine.

In our upcoming book, Vera likes to say, “In my country,” when she’s giving Bash and his friends lessons about Ukraine. She’s also a force for good, trying to help the town’s citizens get along better.

In real life, we often learn about Ukrainian culture by attending events with Vera’s family.

Last weekend, we went to a Ukrainian festival where local Ukrainians danced, sang and raised money for those affected by the earthquake in Turkey.

In the pictures we’re sharing today, you’ll see a lot of Ukrainian creativity. The flowers in the women’s hair  are Ukrainian made. So are the beautiful necklaces and embroidered shirts and skirts.

Featured in these photos is Tatiana, Vera’s daughter, and a leader in the Ukrainian community in Portland.

You can read a about Tatiana in this story by Lisa, published just after Russia invaded Ukraine: Portland Ukrainians’ Plea: Do Something

As we mentioned in an earlier blog, What Kids Will Learn about Ukraine from Our Upcoming Kids’ Book, we provide details about Vera’s life that show what she endured growing up in Soviet-occupied Ukraine. We learn about her strength and resilience–and why she’s a great leader as assistant mayor in the book.

Vera’s daughter, Tatiana, at festival

We’re excited to say we now have a book cover, and we’re reading the book one more time before releasing it. We’re excited about the playful illustrations created by our artist, Heather Nichols. The illustration below depicts Vera, wearing a Ukrainian apron, chastising Mr. Anderson for smashing one of Bash’s favorite pieces of art at his school–a statue of a boy reading.

Illustration in upcoming book

If you’re interested in obtaining a review copy of the book, email us at BashAndLucy@gmail.com

And don’t forget to watch Michael dedicate our last book to Vera:

 

Again, be sure to email us if you’d like a review copy of our upcoming book! We’ll be releasing the cover and title soon.

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