New book: Summer with Grandpa, now available in 20+ languages!

[ 0 ] 02/06/2023 | liza

“Summer with Grandpa” has now been published in 20+ languages and it’s the 4th book in my bilingual book series!

Amazon USA links:

Back story:
When my father watched this video during the pandemic, he told me he’d like me to write a story about going fishing with his grandson. I thought it was a great idea and that it could be turned into a sweet children’s book. Obviously, the final result, the book, is fiction but there are elements of truth inspired by real life, ours, and of others, like the funny moment when they caught something big which was not a fish, and the Youtube joke.

From the back cover:
It’s summertime, and Oliver, Mia, Daddy, and Mommy are traveling back to Grandpa’s island! This time of the year, family and friends come together from far and wide. Grandpa wishes to welcome them all with a big family meal and invites the kids to go fishing. Will they manage to catch enough fish for everyone?

Note: the names of these two children have been localized in all the different languages so that our young readers can feel closer to them and see themselves reflected in the story (meaning kids who are from more than one country, including one of theirs). I hope they’ll love it! You can find the book in all the different Amazon stores so just search for the editions that interest you at your local Amazon store. Reviews are always appreciated.

Some key themes weaved in the story:
✓ Family and friends reunion
✓ Ethnic diversity is seen within a family setting
✓ Blended families
✓ Love
✓ Bicultural and bilingual children
✓ Linguistic diversity represented
✓ Inclusion (animals are also included)
✓ Several opportunities to expand vocabulary in the target language
(numbers, means of transport, family, and more)

Credits go to the watercolor artist Svitlana Holovchenko who’s been amazing and her talent shines through every page. A big thank you to Millie Slavidou who translated the story from Greek into English and all the other translators and proofreaders who worked on this project. Special thank you to Iliana, Chryssa, Christina, and the readers in my FB group who provided me with early feedback and helped me polish the story, and of course to the children who sent their fish artwork which is featured in the end pages. Sophia Zoraki created the accompanying lesson plan which will be coming soon as well and will be uploaded here. Last but not least, a massive thank you goes to my supportive husband Roy, and my family.

Thank you all and happy summer!