Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles
Purple Cotton Candy Arts, 2015
Picture Book Ages 4-8 Illustrated by Kathleen Sue Mallari ISBN-13: 978-1515182597 (CreateSpace-Assigned) ISBN-10: 1515182597 |
For a signed copy, please pay below and email me at [email protected] to let me know who the book is for.
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Molly calls her freckles mud spots. She feels that she is the ugliest girl in class. To get rid of them, she does everything she can. How can she stand all the teasing she gets from her classmates, especially from Joey? Will she feel better after Daddy and Mommy tell her how beautiful she is?
This charming story about self-love and self-acceptance will bring a smile to all beginning readers. |
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Reviews
'Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles' written by Christine L. Villa and illustrated by Kathleen Sue Mallari is a beautifully told story with an important message at its core. Sprinkled with fun and paired with lovely illustrations, this book became an instant favourite with my 5-year-old daughter. Sometimes she reads it to me, at other times I read it to her, but it is always followed by a chat about being different and unique. I believe we can all relate to being and feeling different in the world, and this story gives a young child the framework to deal with such important, and often alienating issues. (Caroline Skanne, author of a hundred small poems and editor of hedgerow: a journal of small poems, UK)
She loves your books. In 'Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles', Zuri’s favourite outfit is what Kaitlyn is wearing on page 9. (Gillena Cox, retired library assistant, Trinidad and Tobago)
KC really loves reading your books! Her favorites are "Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles" and "Frankie Loves to Burp". :) She’s always so excited to get to the coloring book part at the back of the books. Even though she doesn’t know how to read yet, she already memorized some of the stories and started reading by memory to her sister Sophie haha! Thanks Chrissi! (Restian Quisumbing, claims processor, CA)
I bought these ("Mudspots and Candy Sprinkles" and "The Magic Paintbrush") for my granddaughters and had great fun reading both to them, and they still enjoy revisiting them on their own. Chrissi sure knows kids and how to make reading enjoyable. Both girls giggled at the painted puddle that looked like cow poop. Lots of laughter....and it’s so neat to see my girls reading and enjoying a book written by a poet friend! (Carole MacCury, writer/poet/photographer, US)
'Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles' written by Christine L. Villa and illustrated by Kathleen Sue Mallari is a beautifully told story with an important message at its core. Sprinkled with fun and paired with lovely illustrations, this book became an instant favourite with my 5-year-old daughter. Sometimes she reads it to me, at other times I read it to her, but it is always followed by a chat about being different and unique. I believe we can all relate to being and feeling different in the world, and this story gives a young child the framework to deal with such important, and often alienating issues. (Caroline Skanne, author of a hundred small poems and editor of hedgerow: a journal of small poems, UK)
She loves your books. In 'Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles', Zuri’s favourite outfit is what Kaitlyn is wearing on page 9. (Gillena Cox, retired library assistant, Trinidad and Tobago)
KC really loves reading your books! Her favorites are "Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles" and "Frankie Loves to Burp". :) She’s always so excited to get to the coloring book part at the back of the books. Even though she doesn’t know how to read yet, she already memorized some of the stories and started reading by memory to her sister Sophie haha! Thanks Chrissi! (Restian Quisumbing, claims processor, CA)
I bought these ("Mudspots and Candy Sprinkles" and "The Magic Paintbrush") for my granddaughters and had great fun reading both to them, and they still enjoy revisiting them on their own. Chrissi sure knows kids and how to make reading enjoyable. Both girls giggled at the painted puddle that looked like cow poop. Lots of laughter....and it’s so neat to see my girls reading and enjoying a book written by a poet friend! (Carole MacCury, writer/poet/photographer, US)
This is the longer version of Kathy Uyen Nguyen’s book review. It was published in FilAm Star (January 21-27, 2016), the newspaper for Filipino in mainstream America.
Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles by Christine L. Villa is a charming book for all girls across the lifespan. Whether young or old, beauty comes in different shapes and sizes. The book takes us on an “ugly duckling to a swan” transformation kind of story in which we can all relate to through the eyes of our adorable red-headed protagonist, Molly.
Upset at how ugly her freckles are, she goes through all the “beauty” methods to get rid of her freckles or “mud spots” as she calls them, but to no avail. She encounters teasing from her classmates and wishes she was more beautiful without those “mud spots” on her face. Molly’s parents were always there to reassure her how beautiful she is and how much they love her for who she is.
This book can be instrumental in teaching young and older readers about building self-esteem and dealing with beauty and self-image and how these concepts are comparable to society’s unrealistic standards of beauty as seen in airbrushed photos in magazines and the catwalks of the modeling world. Bullying from peers is another subject addressed in the book, in which children can relate to when they learn about the importance of being polite and kind to others around them. Readers can then learn the concepts of sympathy and empathy through Molly as she interacts with her peers and parents.
Furthermore, I find that this book can be used as an educational tool when teaching young children how to read and understand facial expressions in order to help them express their emotions effectively. Role-playing this book could be an exciting opportunity for children to express themselves in similar situations.
We can also learn from this book in that words do more harm than good and create negativity in our lives that we do not need or have time for! Finally, this book teaches us about self-acceptance. It reminds me of the song, “Try” by Colbie Caillat, an American pop singer-songwriter. Underneath the layers of makeup and beauty regimen we slather on our faces and skin every day, we are inherently beautiful inside and out. We do not have to TRY hard to impress anyone or be someone we are not, but instead, accept and love who we are authentically, which Molly then realizes and learns at the end of the book.
I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages and backgrounds. Villa’s Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles is paired beautifully with the vibrant and richly dynamic illustrations of Kathleen Sue L. Mallari. Each page invites the reader to engage with the illustrations throughout the storyline as after all, Molly’s story becomes every girl’s story because we all have been told at least once in our life that we aren’t pretty enough, beautiful enough, or good enough. But you know what? No matter what others say, they can’t take away our inner beauty, our inner strength, or even our inner courage to define and love ourselves.
Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles is available to purchase online through Createspace and Amazon. If you want a signed copy of the book, you can purchase it on the author’s website – http://www.christinevilla.com.
Christine L. Villa is the author of two other delightful children’s books – The Magic Paintbrush and The Eskalets. Both are also available through Createspace, Amazon, and her website. An award-winning poet, her haiku and tanka have been published in various international journals and e-books. You can read her collection of poetry on her blog – blossomrain.blogspot.com.
She is the founder and editor of Frameless Sky (framelesssky.weebly.com), a collaboration of haiku and tanka poets, visual artists, and musicians. When she isn’t writing, one of the things she loves to do is making jewelry. Her unique products are available to purchase on purplecottoncandy.etsy.com.
Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles by Christine L. Villa is a charming book for all girls across the lifespan. Whether young or old, beauty comes in different shapes and sizes. The book takes us on an “ugly duckling to a swan” transformation kind of story in which we can all relate to through the eyes of our adorable red-headed protagonist, Molly.
Upset at how ugly her freckles are, she goes through all the “beauty” methods to get rid of her freckles or “mud spots” as she calls them, but to no avail. She encounters teasing from her classmates and wishes she was more beautiful without those “mud spots” on her face. Molly’s parents were always there to reassure her how beautiful she is and how much they love her for who she is.
This book can be instrumental in teaching young and older readers about building self-esteem and dealing with beauty and self-image and how these concepts are comparable to society’s unrealistic standards of beauty as seen in airbrushed photos in magazines and the catwalks of the modeling world. Bullying from peers is another subject addressed in the book, in which children can relate to when they learn about the importance of being polite and kind to others around them. Readers can then learn the concepts of sympathy and empathy through Molly as she interacts with her peers and parents.
Furthermore, I find that this book can be used as an educational tool when teaching young children how to read and understand facial expressions in order to help them express their emotions effectively. Role-playing this book could be an exciting opportunity for children to express themselves in similar situations.
We can also learn from this book in that words do more harm than good and create negativity in our lives that we do not need or have time for! Finally, this book teaches us about self-acceptance. It reminds me of the song, “Try” by Colbie Caillat, an American pop singer-songwriter. Underneath the layers of makeup and beauty regimen we slather on our faces and skin every day, we are inherently beautiful inside and out. We do not have to TRY hard to impress anyone or be someone we are not, but instead, accept and love who we are authentically, which Molly then realizes and learns at the end of the book.
I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages and backgrounds. Villa’s Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles is paired beautifully with the vibrant and richly dynamic illustrations of Kathleen Sue L. Mallari. Each page invites the reader to engage with the illustrations throughout the storyline as after all, Molly’s story becomes every girl’s story because we all have been told at least once in our life that we aren’t pretty enough, beautiful enough, or good enough. But you know what? No matter what others say, they can’t take away our inner beauty, our inner strength, or even our inner courage to define and love ourselves.
Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles is available to purchase online through Createspace and Amazon. If you want a signed copy of the book, you can purchase it on the author’s website – http://www.christinevilla.com.
Christine L. Villa is the author of two other delightful children’s books – The Magic Paintbrush and The Eskalets. Both are also available through Createspace, Amazon, and her website. An award-winning poet, her haiku and tanka have been published in various international journals and e-books. You can read her collection of poetry on her blog – blossomrain.blogspot.com.
She is the founder and editor of Frameless Sky (framelesssky.weebly.com), a collaboration of haiku and tanka poets, visual artists, and musicians. When she isn’t writing, one of the things she loves to do is making jewelry. Her unique products are available to purchase on purplecottoncandy.etsy.com.
This article was published in Philippine News (October 15, 2015), the premiere
Filipino-American newspaper in North America. The full issue may be found here.
Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles by Christine L. Villa is a charming book for all girls across the lifespan. Whether young or old, beauty comes in different shapes and sizes. The book takes us on an “ugly duckling to a swan” transformation kind of story in which we can all relate to through the eyes of our adorable red-headed protagonist, Molly.
Upset at how ugly her freckles are, she goes through all the “beauty” methods to get rid of her freckles or “mud spots” as she calls them, but to no avail. She encounters teasing from her peers.
This book can be instrumental in teaching young and older readers about building self-esteem and dealing with beauty and self-image and how these concepts are comparable to society’s unrealistic standards of beauty as seen in airbrushed photos in magazines and the catwalks of the modeling world. Readers can then learn the concepts of sympathy and empathy through Molly as she interacts with her peers and parents.
Finally, this book teaches us about self-acceptance. It reminds me of the song, “Try” by Colbie Caillat, an American pop singer-songwriter. Underneath the layers of makeup and beauty regimen we slather on our faces and skin every day, we are inherently beautiful inside and out. We do not have to TRY hard to impress anyone or be someone we are not, but instead, accept and love who we are authentically, which Molly then realizes and learns at the end of the book.
Villa’s Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles is paired beautifully with the vibrant and richly dynamic illustrations of Kathleen Sue L. Mallari. Each page invites the reader to engage with the illustrations throughout the storyline as after all, Molly’s story becomes every girl’s story because we all have been told at least once in our life that we aren’t pretty enough, beautiful enough, or good enough. But you know what? No matter what others say, they can’t take away our inner beauty, our inner strength, or even our inner courage to define and love ourselves.
If you want to purchase a signed copy of Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles and/or Christine's other books, you can visit her at http://www. christinevilla.com. They are also available at CreateSpace and Amazon.
This article was published in Philippine News (October 15, 2015), the premiere
Filipino-American newspaper in North America. The full issue may be found here.
Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles by Christine L. Villa is a charming book for all girls across the lifespan. Whether young or old, beauty comes in different shapes and sizes. The book takes us on an “ugly duckling to a swan” transformation kind of story in which we can all relate to through the eyes of our adorable red-headed protagonist, Molly.
Upset at how ugly her freckles are, she goes through all the “beauty” methods to get rid of her freckles or “mud spots” as she calls them, but to no avail. She encounters teasing from her peers.
This book can be instrumental in teaching young and older readers about building self-esteem and dealing with beauty and self-image and how these concepts are comparable to society’s unrealistic standards of beauty as seen in airbrushed photos in magazines and the catwalks of the modeling world. Readers can then learn the concepts of sympathy and empathy through Molly as she interacts with her peers and parents.
Finally, this book teaches us about self-acceptance. It reminds me of the song, “Try” by Colbie Caillat, an American pop singer-songwriter. Underneath the layers of makeup and beauty regimen we slather on our faces and skin every day, we are inherently beautiful inside and out. We do not have to TRY hard to impress anyone or be someone we are not, but instead, accept and love who we are authentically, which Molly then realizes and learns at the end of the book.
Villa’s Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles is paired beautifully with the vibrant and richly dynamic illustrations of Kathleen Sue L. Mallari. Each page invites the reader to engage with the illustrations throughout the storyline as after all, Molly’s story becomes every girl’s story because we all have been told at least once in our life that we aren’t pretty enough, beautiful enough, or good enough. But you know what? No matter what others say, they can’t take away our inner beauty, our inner strength, or even our inner courage to define and love ourselves.
If you want to purchase a signed copy of Mud Spots and Candy Sprinkles and/or Christine's other books, you can visit her at http://www. christinevilla.com. They are also available at CreateSpace and Amazon.
Let's keep in touch! Contact me at [email protected].