Gertrude and Toby's Friday Adventure

by Shari Tharp, Jim Heath (Illustrator)

Overview

2016 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) Silver Medal Winner--Best Children's Illustrated E-book

Gertrude the goat and her best friend Toby the tortoise are adventurers. No sitting around on the boring farm for them! They love to explore, and every Friday they sneak off the farm for some extra fun. One Friday, Gertrude and Toby decide to visit the local candy store in town. They discover yummy goodies and treats, but soon find that the treats are not free!? Uh oh! The market owner grabs Toby. He demands money for the candy that Gertrude and Toby have taken by mistake. Gertrude must find a way to save her friend and get back home before Farmer Sam returns.

Book 1 in the Gertrude and Toby fairy tale adventure book series

From the Publisher:

Gertrude and Toby's Friday Adventure is an exciting adventure story for children who are transitioning from beginning readers to chapter books. This is the perfect book for the child who has been tasked with the usual 30-minutes-per-night reading homework. From the standpoint of reading progression, this title fills a specific niche that represents a gap in the children's book market--longer illustrated children's books that are more complex and challenging than typical picture books.

Gertrude and Toby's Friday Adventure incorporates many traditional fairy-tale characters that will be immediately recognizable to most young readers. These characters include Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White's evil stepmother, Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk), the Gingerbread Man, and a frog princess. The presence of these fairy-tale characters adds familiarity for young readers and keeps alive the old tales (e.g., those by the Brothers Grimm) that we have all come to know and love.

The second and third books in the series, Gertrude and Toby Save the Gingerbread Man and Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf, follow the same approach of adapting fairy-tale tropes using fairy-tale characters in a contemporary setting. These modern stories have more complex plots and wording than those of standard picture books, but without the daunting word count of typical beginning chapter books.

We hope you love Gertrude and Toby and their series of adventure books as much as we do. Happy reading!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780996967914
Publisher:	Atlas Publishing
Publication date:	02/15/2016
Series:	Gertrude and Toby Fairy-Tale Adventure , #1
Pages:	44
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.12(d)
Age Range:	5 - 9 Years

About the Author

Shari Tharp lives in Southern California with her husband and son. Shari is a graduate of San Diego State University and a former teacher. She enjoys participating in local events in her community and has donated her books to her public library and local elementary schools. GERTRUDE AND TOBY'S FRIDAY ADVENTURE is the first book in a three-book fairy-tale adventure series that incorporates well-known fairy-tale characters. The second and third books in the series, GERTRUDE AND TOBY SAVE THE GINGERBREAD MAN and GERTRUDE AND TOBY MEET THE WOLF, will be released in late 2016.

Jim Heath is a professional illustrator and graphic designer who lives with his family in Southern California. He is originally from Huntington Beach, California, and continues to be an avid surfer.

Editorial Reviews

Midwest Book Review, June 2016:

All the more impressive, as GERTRUDE AND TOBY'S FRIDAY ADVENTURE is Shari Tharp's debut as a children's picture book author, this delightful and entertaining volume is Book 1 in the Gertrude and Toby fairy tale adventure book series and will leave its young readers ages 6 to 9 looking eagerly toward the next installment of the daring duo's adventures. Very highly recommended for elementary school and community library collections."

Judge, 24th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards, December 2016:

"Adorable illustrations. I loved the detail paid to creating a sense of texture in many of the images, providing so much depth and whimsy. Their journey is described logically and engagingly, evoking a sense of excitement for the characters we know and like early on, thanks to the smart descriptions and fabulous dialogue. Settings stand out especially well; author has a great talent for bringing settings to life, and the popping up of fairy tale characters was amusing and enjoyable, good touchstones to advance the reader through the book. Very imaginative and fun, and I could tell that the author loved writing those scenes. A sort of sparkle exists there. I'm impressed by the author s stellar structuring of the book, crisp cadence, and wonderful characterization throughout. The story is fresh and fun, Gertrude and Toby are characters I'd definitely look for in additional books to a series, which I thought early in reading this book, and then delighted at finding out about Book 2. One of the details that impressed me so much here is the sense of movement in scenes, excitement with the right touch of potential danger to draw the reader in. Age-appropriate language completes the terrific detailing of this book. Very well done. A true standout, encouraging the reader to hope for another adventure from this author/illustrator pair."

Rose Garrett, Librarian at Cliff Valley School, Atlanta, GA; blogger at www.thespiritedlibrarian.com, and professional reviewer for multiple print publications: "First of all, I love the illustrations. They are simple and clean, yet pair with the text beautifully. I am equally pleased with the rest of the book as well. This Gertrude and Toby story is the first installment of the series and introduces the two protagonists. The story is straightforward and unique - this is not just another fairy-tale riff. Readers will become engaged with the adorable, titular pair and will enjoy meeting familiar storybook characters along the way! Recommended for Pre-K to Second Grades."

From the Publisher