R.A. Douthitt

The art of cloud-gazing swirls with imagination in this fun adventure.

Jane and Joey enjoy their time outside by lying on the grass and gazing at the clouds. The forms and shapes soon have them dream of more than just a little adventure...until their little brother ruins the fun. They shove him off to the side, but that won't be the end of it.

I'll admit that the 76 pages made me wonder, considering this is a book aimed for at the preschool/kindergarten/lower grade audience, but it works wonderfully for a story time. The tale runs smoothly and hits the age group nicely. There's just enough text to tell the story without bogging down, and the illustrations do the rest as they allow the fantasy to take flight. There's enough humor to bring smiles, and the messages cause a little food for thought. It's something readers can sympathize and identify with...and be inspired by.

While the story is grabbing and the message wholesome, it also opens the doors to allow young readers to take the time to try cloud-gazing themselves. The adventure in this tale stretches the imagination and creates the opportunity for readers to cloud-gaze themselves. That makes this one great not only for reading at home, but also for groups and classrooms, since it can be tagged on to an obvious activity. I received a digital copy and am now heading outdoors to watch the sky myself.… (mehr)

The Doors of Rome is one of the most inspirational books I have read this year!

Set in the most romantic city in the world, Rome, Italy.
Millie wins a photo contest and wins a trip to Rome. She brings her best friend Edith. Also Edith Signs them up to run a marathon in Rome.
She meets other winners of the Photography Contest. The company who arranged this trip wants them to pick a theme to photograph. Millie chooses The Doors of Rome.
While in Rome they become friendly with the locals and learn the culture. The group meets as strangers and at the end they go home as friends.
I love this story because it is about two women in their 50's and it is never to late to follow your dreams.
I love this saying that the author uses:
Doors open and Doors close
that's what doors do
to open a door without knowing what's on the other side takes courage.
To Close a door that never should have been opened requires faith.

Love the characters in the book. Great description of the historical places in Rome.… (mehr)