Skrum, written and illustrated by Bernard Gumz

Hello my fellow bookworms,

(c) The Little Press, 2024

No April Fools joke here! Today I have a hilarious children's book for you that I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy of, titled Skrum, both written and illustrated by Bernard Gumz. 

This rhyming book is perfect for children between the ages of 4 and 8, though adults may enjoy it, too! The illustrations are very vivid and colorful, similar to a comic book. The story progresses at a good pace, but may be a bit scary for those a little younger. The story concentrates on the "Skrum," a monster that is usually peaceful, but for some reason, is currently angry and will eat anyone and anything! Unfortunately, for our protagonist, Sir Barnabus Wellington Hayes, the Skrum has its eye on him. This means that he must run away to keep safe - and keep running through different areas of the world, in order to keep away from the Skrum!

Skrum is a quick read that you and your little one will be sure to enjoy, with a satisfying ending and a good morale to the story. As an added bonus, there is a "How to Draw a Skrum (in 4 easy steps)" section at the end, so your little one can draw a Skrum monster of their own! The author, Mr. Gumz, also has a coloring page on his website, if your little one wants to color an already drawn Skrum. If you would like to buy a copy of the book, it is being released tomorrow, April 1st! You can purchase a copy at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. You can always request a copy from your local library, as well!

I highly enjoyed this story, and hope you do, too. I have one more children's book review coming up, as the book will be released next month. Stay tuned!

Until next time - Happy Reading!

About the Author: Bernard Gumz

(c) Bernard Gumz, 2024

Bernard Gumz started drawing silly characters when he was five years old and never stopped. He’s worked on cartoons for MTV, WWE, Nick Cannon, AJ Foyt and Eddie Bravo - for which he won a TELLY award.

Bernard also co-produces SPACECAT, a kid’s gaming channel that can be found on YouTube and HappyKids. He lives in Indiana with his wife, son, daughter and two cats.

Let's Take a Moment

Hello fellow bookworms!

I hope you are all safe and healthy. 2020 has been a crazy and traumatic year. We are going through a pandemic, have murder hornets flying around, 17 year old cicadas digging up from under the ground, had a brush with UFO's, have had a devastating fire in Australia, and much more.

This month I would like to give coverage to those who normally do not receive it. As many people and institutions have been saying this past week, we cannot change the past, but we can change the future. We can learn from our mistakes and help fight systematic racism. We can push for a better, more inclusive, community. This is a time to listen, and a time for change.

Please take a look at these books, videos, podcasts, and links to help brush up on your anti-racism, encourage your acceptance and inclusion, give voice to people of color, and also give voice to those in celebration of Pride Month. This is not an inclusive list, but it is a start:

• Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi, illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky

• The Day Your Begin by  Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael Lope

• The Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson

• Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

• How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

• The Lies We Tell Ourselves by  Robin Talley

• Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

• All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson 

• Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story about Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin

• The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael López

• Passage West by Rishi Reddi

• American as Paneer Pie by Supriya Kelkar 

• Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia  

• This Is One Way to Dance by Sejal Shah

• American Harvest by Marie Mutsuki Mockett
  

• The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

• Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

• Music From Another World by Robin Talley

• Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

• Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

• Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

• The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

• Wow, No Thank You. Essays by Samantha Irby

• The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum 

• The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar

• Romancing the Inventor by Gail Carriger (I really love this author, give her books a try! Also, check out her social media accounts, there are a lot of fun links and extras she likes to share!)

• All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the Ages by Saundra Mitchell

• I'll Be the One by Lyla Lee
  

• Zakiya is a molecular biologist and Titi is a materials scientist and engineer. Together they create Dope Labs, a podcast tackling science and trending topics in a fun fashion. These two intelligent women bring on experts and have transcripts of their shows for those of you who like to read while you listen.

• HEY YA! is a young adult book podcast that touches on the topics of the day. There have been quite a few podcasts on queer books, as well as a recent one on anti-racism. 

• Penguin Teen has a thread of black BookTubers you should be following - check them out here! 

• Warner Brothers is sponsoring a free showing of the film Just Mercy online. 

• If you are looking to donate, Sarah Kamya has begun a fundraiser project titled the Little Free Diverse Library Project, where she purchases books by Black authors and from Black-owned bookstores, when possible. She has been flooding the Little Free Libraries in her hometown of Arlington, Massachusetts, neighboring communities, as well as sending books to her friends to add to their communities. What a great idea to share such wonderful books! You can help by sending her books to share here.

• The Anti-Racist Starter Pack: 40 TV Series, Documentaries, Movies, TED Talks, and Books to Add to Your List by Brea Baker of Parade

• Looking for books about racism? Experts suggest these must-read titles for adults and kids by Anika Reed and Hannah Yasharoff of USA Today

• Anti-Racism Graphic Novels Reading & Resources List by Charles Brownstein of Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF)

• The National Museum of African American History & Culture's resources on Talking About Race

• An Anti-Racist Reading List: 20 Highly Rated Non-Fiction Books by Black Authors by Sharon of Goodreads

• Black-Owned Bookstores to Support Now by Publishers Weekly Staff 

• 23 Phenomenal Young Adult Books by Black Authors from the First Half of 2020 by Farrah Penn of Buzzfeed

• 11 Children's Books to Teach Your Kids About Racism and Discrimination by Joi-Marie McKenzie of Essence Magazine

• Book Riot's list of 31 Queer Books With Happy Endings (because who doesn't love a happy ending?!)

• 6 Must-Read Memoirs by LGBTQ+ Authors by Sharon Van Meter of Get Literary

• 13 Necessary Queer Literary Classics For Every Bookshelf by Rosalind Jana of Vogue

• 12 Young Adult Novels to Read on Trans Day of Visibility by Dahlia Adler of Buzzfeed

• Inkyard Press is hosting a giveaway filled with  a stack of LGBTQ+ books! Try your luck here.

• Play Pride bingo with Pride Reads of 2020, with this nifty bingo board from Brittany Mitchell of HarperCollins

• Over 100 LGBTQ Authors Share the Books that Changed Their Lives by Michelle Hart of O The Oprah Magazine

Photo by ATC Comm Photo from Pexels

I hope you take some time out of your day to read something that conflicts with your views. There will always be recommendation lists, but you have to actually read the books to grow. Challenge yourself to feel and think in someone else's shoes and learn from the experience. Donate your time or money to a cause that is asking for a change. 

Step up and be a better you.