Tag Archives: DRAGON

The Strangeness Of The English Language

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Some Trivial Word Stuff

There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: “abstemious” and “facetious.”

There are only four words in the English language which end in “dous”: tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.

“Dreamt” is the only English word that ends in the letters “mt”.

No word in the English language rhymes with month,orange, silver, or purple.

The sentence: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” uses every letter of the alphabet.

Hetronyms are words spelled the same as another but having different sounds and different meanings, as lead (to conduct) andlead (a metal).

Homographs are words with the same written form as another but different meanings, whether pronounced the same way or not, as row (an argument) and row (paddle the oars) and row (a straight line).

       The dragon wound the cloth around the wound on his leg.

      He could still lead the knights if he could get the thick lead door opened.

     The king had to refuse the dumping of more refuse.

     The princess did not object to the shiny object the dragon brought her.

     The royal carpenter built the door to close to the window—it would not close.

     The royal chef had a tear in his apron and a tear in his eye.

     Upon arrival, the royal dove dove through the window.

     Deserting his dessert in the desert was not in the plan.

     The soldiers got in a row as they tried to straighten the row whilerowing.

      The kingdom’s gardener was summoned to produce lots ofproduce, or else.

     The bass tuba had an etching of a bass on it’s stem.

     The prince, even in his present state, was to present the present to the princess.

     The wind was too strong to wind the kite string.
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multi-awardsDiane Mae Robinson is the author of the multi-award winning, The Pen Pieyu Adventures series. Sign up for
author’s newsletter and receive a free pdf 55-page Sir Princess Petra coloring book as well as updates on contest and giveaway announcements in the Dragon Newsletter:

The Pen Pieyu Adventures – Secret Character Facts

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CHARACTERS FROM SIR PRINCESS PETRA – The Pen Pieyu Adventures (book one)

bookpage3illustration

Sir Princess Petra LongstrideLives in The Kingdom of Pen Pieyu in the Land of Pen Pieyu (see map). She is the first and only knight of her kingdom.

Birthday: September 9

Age: 9

Middle name: Brettania (middle name after her grandmother, Brettania May Longstride, the great story teller).

Favorite color: pink

Favorite foods: chocolate, mushrooms, olives, nuts, wild berries.

Favorite activities: archery, jousting, Highland dancing, riding her steed, javelin tossing, home-school lessons, onion throwing, polishing her armour, making mud pies, and her most favorite activity, adventures.

Dislikes: big meanies, eating anything with onions in it, bees.

Parent’s names: King William Kuff Longstride and Queen Mabel Viola Longstride

char_snarls

Snarls the Dragon

Lives nearby and inside and around Dragon Mountain in The Forest of Doom (see map).Birthday: October 23

Age: 3 (that equals 12 in people years).

Middle name: Lotzapuf (middle name after his mother’s father, Singe Burnett Lotzapuf).

Last name: Doom

Favorite color: shiny silver things.

Favorite food: onions.

Favorite activities: cooking, barbeques, parties, adventures.

Dislikes: falling rocks, being chased, indigestion.

char_bograt_the_bog_witch

Bograt the Bog Witch

Lives in the bogs and swamps smack-in-the middle of all the other lands of all of the other kingdoms, and just at the edge of Hobble-Wobble Creek. (see map).Birthday: February 30 (that’s what her birth certificate says).

Age: she counts 10 years by the succession of seasons.

Real name: Marsheesh Mya Mire

Favorite color: black

Favorite foods: onions, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, squash, pretty well all vegetables.

Favorite activities: chasing frogs, scaring people (well, only a little), cooking and eating onion-anything, picking mushrooms, mud baths, making deals, exploring,

Dislikes: frilly dresses, water baths.

char_prince_nastybun

Prince Nastybun

Lives in The Kingdom of Messogie, just east and a little north of The Kingdom of Crablips (see map).Birthday: June 1

Age: 10

First Name: Norton

Middle Name: Hiney (This was very hard information to come by, and nobody, until now, knew of his middle name).

Favorite color: purple.

Favorite foods: asparagus, mushrooms, squid (although he rarely gets to eat squid because squid comes from the sea to the west, and he lives far away from the sea to the west—see map again).

Favorite activities: riding his pony, commanding his puny army, spear throwing, drying off, exploring.

Dislikes: falling off his pony, soggy boots, moss on his armour, scary things.

kingandqueenlongstride

King and Queen Longstride

Rulers, owners, and directors of Pen Pieyu Kingdom where they retain, direct, rule, and pay the bills at Longstride castle. Also, Petra’s parents.King’s name, birthday, age:  King William Kuff Longstride,  January 1, 52 years of age.

Queen’s name, birthday, age: Queen Mabel Viola Longstride, January 3, 41 years of age.

King’s favorite food/ activities: octopus stew, octopus crepes; being the lord over of his kingdom.

Queen’s favorite food/activities:  coconut shrimp, coconut cream pie; practicing a faint that doesn’t mess her hairdo, ruling her husband’s kingdom.

King’s dislikes: women trying to rule his kingdom.

Queen’s dislikes:  octopus stew.

Check out https://dragonsbook.com/for-kids/ for more facts about book two characters in this dragon books for children series.  Kids, print out Sir Princess Petra coloring pages.

Review of Sir Princess Petra’s Mission from Insatiable Readers

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              Sir Princess Petra’s Mission – The Pen Pieyu Adventures
Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers…the place to be to feed your need to read no matter how big, small, or somewhere in between it may be.
Today, my fair readers, we are celebrating the BOOK BIRTHDAY of the third addition to The Pen Pieyu Adventures starring none other than, Sir Princess Petra.  Sound the trumpets!  Roll out the red carpet!  Herald her arrival with flash and boom!  This is a princess that challenges the entire whole of princess-hood with a smile on her face, a pink feather in her knightly helmet, and all while sitting astride her chosen “stead” named Snarls…who just so happens to be a dragon.  Have I got your attention yet?  I thought so.  Without further ado, here is today’s book of choice…
by
Diane Mae Robinson
Illustrated by
Michael Bermundo
97816818707224
Tate Publishing
About the book…
Sir Princess Petra has already attained her Knighthood in the Kingdom of Pen Pieyu and her non-princess-like Talent Certificate from Talent School, neither of which pleases her father, the king.
The king writes up more silly rules in the royal rule book to deter Sir Princess Petra from her knightly ways and useless talent and turn her into a real princess once and for all.
Will the king finally succeed with this newly written, ridiculous mission for Petra?
AMAZON   |   B&N
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I remember my first adventure through the pages with Petra, oh excuse me…SIR Princess Petra. ^-^  It was magical, mystical, illustrated and wordy fun with every turn of the page AND phrase.  I actually started with book two as part of a blog tour and enjoyed it so much that I then sought out book one to enjoy on my own (which apparently I forgot to review once upon a time…oops!).  When I saw the review request in my INBOX for book three, I immediately responded with an enthusiastic YES as I knew it was not to be missed.  I mentally walked down memory lane and then looked back at ye olde blog to read through the first post only to realize, it was THREE years ago that the adventure had taken place.  Wow.  THREE years.  It seems like a lifetime considering the books we devour on a weekly/monthly/yearly basis, but the good ones stick with you, you know…and this was definitely one of the good ones.
map
Kingdom of Pen Pieyu
Now, being that this is a series, one might wonder if you have to read the preceding books to be “in the know”.  In this case, totally unnecessary (but still recommended for the sheer enjoyment of it all!) because the author has taken care of you with a brief overview of both preceding adventures at the beginning of this installment.  Bookmarks up to the author for that nifty inclusion!  After removing the cobwebs from the past, I dove in feet first (as all good divers should) and discovered Sir Princess Petra and friends waiting for me within the pages as if I had never left, eagerly anticipating their next adventure.  Thanks to the King that wait will be short lived and if he has anything to say about it, so will Sir Princess Petra’s stint as a knight…a very un-princess-like pastime in his opinion.  With her mission in mind, she and her somewhat merry band of friends set forth seeking to capture the illusive car-panther…but what they find is beyond their wildest dreams.
It was great to see the familiar faces of Petra, Bograt, Snarls, and both of the royal Longstride’s again, though the latter is still confoundedly set in making Petra into the princess they want her to be instead of embracing her uniqueness to its full potential.  *grr*  I love how Petra is not afraid to be who she really is and calls her parents out on their shenanigans time and again.  That’s right King Longstride.  Just because you make a rule doesn’t mean it will stick if not grammatically sound.  He he he.  For any of you that have been visiting here for some time, you know that I love word play and am a stickler for word usage/sentence structure so the wordy fun encountered here is right up my alley making Petra an instant literary bestie.  Next up, Snarls!  Yes, that lovable dragon with a heart of gold is back and though he may not be able to spit fire on command but he’s working on it; in the mean time, he’s utilizing his other many talents.  Bograt is…well, Bograt.  Here and there, onion chomping and wave surfing, not much gets her down and the secrets she keeps are too many to number; good thing she’s on our side, right?
bookpage3illustration
Sir Princess Petra
All in all, a wonderful adventure through the Kingdom of Pen Pieyu with a spunky group that I’d call friends any day of the week.  They each march to their own drummer, leaving an impression you won’t soon forget, but that’ part of their charm.  It reminds us that we can do anything we want to do, be anything we want to be…so long as we choose our words carefully.  ^-^  Recommended read for Children’s Fiction fans of all ages.
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About the author…
AuthorHeadshotSmallII
Diane lives in a small hilltop castle in central Alberta, Canada amongst an old and magical forest inhabited by gnomes, fairies, a princess, and a dragon. This magical forest is where Diane creates her characters and gets the inspiration for her stories.
The author has a journalism diploma from the Schools of Montreal, and an advanced diploma from the Institute of Children’s Literature in Connecticut. Diane is also an artist, art teacher, writing instructor at the Creative Writing Institute, and a children’s book editor.
For more information on these dragon books for children: www.dragonsbook.com

Chapter One: The Princess

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                                    SIR PRINCESS PETRA (book one)

Illustration by Samantha Kickingbird for Sir Princess Petra - The Pen Pieyu Adventures, book 1.THE PRINCESS

Petra curtsied to the king and queen of Pen Pieyu, who sat upon their thrones. “Father tomorrow is the ninth day of the ninth year.”

“Yes, my dear princess, it is your royal birthday. And according to royal custom, you may have anything your heart desires, as promised,” declared King Longstride.

“I have thought hard and for many passing moons. Jewels, frocks of lace, and princess games have become boring. The thing I want the most . . .” Petra hesitated and bit on her lip. “I want to be a royal knight.”

“A knight!” The king stood up and seemed to turn pale. The queen swiped her hand over her forehead and moaned. The king’s councilman got so excited he ran around in circles until he bumped into a royal pillar.

“Why, never have I heard such a request,” the king said, pacing and scratching his grey beard.“You are a princess . . . a girl. You must be big and brave and mean and nasty to be a royal knight.”

“Where is it written that a girl cannot be a knight and protect her kingdom?” Petra demanded.

The councilman urgently flipped through the royal rulebook. “It does not say so, Your Majesty. There is no rule.”

The king grinned and gave a quick wink to the woozy-looking queen. “To become a knight of my kingdom, you must choose an act of bravery from the royal list of deeds,” the king proclaimed, turning the page of the royal rulebook. “The choices are: to capture a crocodile and make his skin into a royal leather chair; to hush that howling, nasty dragon, Snarls, in the Forest of Doom; or to eat a roomful of raw onions.”

Petra peeked into the royal onion room. All nine of the palace soldiers were crying and munching away. The princess wrinkled up her nose. “Yuck, I will never eat onions! And the only crocodile I know lives in the moat and is my friend. I have no choice. I will hush the howling dragon, Snarls, in the Forest of Doom,” she announced. Promptly the queen fainted, and the king plopped down on his ragged,7leather royal chair. “But I will take a sack of onions with me,” Petra added.

The royal chef grumbled while he outfitted the princess with a suit of his best royal pots and pans, because the regular armour turned out to be much too large. And her sword seemed to resemble one of the royal cake knives.

Petra clunked out of the palace. “Goodbye, and don’t worry. I will throw onions at the beast until he cries. Then I will stab him with my sword. See, I can be a nasty, big meany.”

For more information on the award winning children’s books, The Pen Pieyu Adventures: dragon books for children, fantasy kids books, visit the Author’s Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Diane-Mae-Robinson/e/B007DKO8SK/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1447609615&sr=8-1

Book 2, Finalist in Reader’s Favorite Intl’ Book Awards

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Reader's Favorite FinalistWe are proud to announce the finalists in our 2014 Readers’ Favorite annual International Award Contest! This was no easy task as this year saw a record number of contestants, with categories having from several dozen to several hundred contestants depending on popularity. The order of the finalists displayed in each category is random and does not imply any form of ranking. More: https://readersfavorite.com/2014-finalists.htm

                                                                                                                                              My 2nd book in The Pen Pieyu Advenutres series, Sir Princess Petra’s Talent,
Sir Princess Petra's Talent - The Pen Pieyu Adventures

Sir Princess Petra’s Talent – The Pen Pieyu Adventures Finalist in the 2014 Reader’s Favorite Intl’ Book Awards

is a finalist in 3 categories in the Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards.
Children’s Fantasy SiFi
Children’s Grade 3rd – 5th
Children’s Grade 4th – 6th
Synopsis:

Sir Princess Petra has already proven she is a kind and noble knight. This, however, does not please the king and queen—they want her to behave like a princess and forget this
silly knight nonsense of hers!
But when the king writes a new rule in the royal rule book that requires her to attend Talent School and acquire a princess talent certificate or suffer the spell of the royal magician, Petra, reluctantly, agrees to go. But who could have guessed what Sir Princess Petra’s Talent would be?
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Honorable Mention_Reader's Favorite Intl' Book Award high resol.
Book one, Sir Princess Petra – The Pen Pieyu Adventures, won an Honorable Mention in the Grades K to 3rd category in the 2013 Reader’s Favorite Intl’ Book Awards.
Sir Princess Petra - The Pen Pieyu Adventures

Sir Princess Petra – The Pen Pieyu AdventuresBook one, Sir  Princess Petra — The Pen Pieyu Adventure won Honorable Mention in the Reader’s Favorite Intl’ Book Awards in 2013.

Synopsis: Princess Petra’s unusual birthday request sends the royal court into a frenzy, but when she agrees to undertake a knight’s quest they can’t stop her. Armed with a cake knife and outfitted in the best royal pots and pans, Petra sets off to face a dragon and win her real armor before encountering a bog witch, and an army of the kingdom’s worst enemies. Will Petra’s kindness and acceptance prove to be more valuable than weapons and armor?
Reviews for both of my dragon books for children listed here: http://www.dragonsbook.com/ReviewIndex.html
For some fun stuff for kids, fantasy kids books: http://www.dragonsbook.com/for-kids.html
For more information about my award-winning children’s books: http://www.dragonsbook.com/news-awards-contact.html

More 5 Star Reviews for Sir Princess Petra’s Talent.

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Three more 5 Star Reviews for Sir Princess Petra’s Talent     

Sir Princess Petra's Talent - The Pen Pieyu Adventures

Sir Princess Petra’s Talent – The Pen Pieyu Adventures

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers’ Favorite
5 */ 5* It is an adventure story filled with a lot of action, humor, and suspense. It is a theme that gives message about understanding, kindness and acceptance. The main character, Petra, is endearing and the other characters in the story are also imaginative and interesting. The pencil sketches in the story give life to the characters and the scenes. It is a book that should be kept in school libraries and also in one’s personal collection. The fast paced story and the characters evoke a kind of magical feeling within readers, along with the beautiful sketches that give them personality. 
The twists and turns and the sub-plots make the story intriguing and will keep young readers glued to the book till the very end. The messages given out in the story makes it more appealing.
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Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite  
Illustration by Samantha Kickingbird

Illustration by Samantha Kickingbird

5 */ 5* Diane Mae Robinson’s fantasy adventure tale, Sir Princess Petra’s Talent, is quite simply wonderful. It lets kids know that their interests don’t have to be dictated by their gender. It’s okay to hate girly stuff and frilly dresses if you’re a girl or to love crochet and crafting if you’re a boy. Then there are the talents like reading and learning which are less gender-specific. The message that Sir Princess Petra’s Talent brings is that those skills are just as important, if not more so, than traditional boy/girl skills. Can Petra solves her problem with diplomacy, tact, and skill? Young readers will learn that, even in the tightest spots, if you give it enough thought, you can often turn a challenging situation into one with a great outcome. These are important messages for kids to hear, especially when they hear it in the form of an exciting and funny adventure with a fabulous Princess Knight and a Prince who crochets and wears pink.

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Reviewed by Dr. Oliva Dsouza for Readers’ Favorite   
Illustration by Samantha Kickingbird

Illustration by Samantha Kickingbird

 5 */ 5*
Sir Princess Petra’s Talent by Diane Mae Robinson is an exciting, delightful, and sweet story about an endearing princess, who is also the only Knight of her father’s kingdom. The story teaches fantastic lessons about friendship, honor, self-worth, and discovering your own talents. Every child deserves to read this book. The lessons are worth it. The author has used her imagination to her creative best and managed to weave an extremely engaging story. This book is guaranteed to keep your little one glued to the story and out of your hair when you really need a break. Sir Princess Petra’s antics are cute, hilarious, and heartwarming. She manages to steal your heart completely. Does she come into her own and find her real talent? Will she be able to impress her folks with her talent? Read on and your kid will want you to read it all over again for him/her.
For more information and reviews on Diane’s dragon books for children: http://www.dragonsbook.com

Readers’ Favorite Five Star Award

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Sir Princess Petra’s Talent – The Pen Pieyu Adventures, by Diane Mae Robinson, 2013. Illustrations by Samantha Kickingbird.

Sir Princess Petra's Talent - The Pen Pieyu Adventures

Sir Princess Petra’s Talent – The Pen Pieyu Adventures

Rating: 5 *’s

Reviewed by Bil Howard for Readers’ Favorite

Talent School? Why on earth should a princess knight have to go to talent school? In Sir Princess Petra’s Talent by Diane Mae Robinson, Princess Petra is commanded by the Royal Rule Book to attend Talent School and complete a certification of a proper princess talent before the age of ten. In the event that she did not complete talent school by age ten, then the royal magician would turn her into a frog and she would live in the bogs for five years. Having hushed the howling dragon in the Forest of Doom, Princess Petra is not happy about pursuing a proper princess talent, telling her father that it is sissy princess stuff. The tale that unfolds as Princess Petra, accompanied by Prince Duce Crablips, starts on her journey to Talent School and the discovery of her proper princess talent brings the reader to a surprise ending. What is Princess Petra’s talent?

The second book in the Pen Pieyu Adventures, Sir Princess Petra’s Talent continues a series of tales in the kingdom of Pen Pieyu that is peppered with the unique humor of Diane Mae Robinson. This is a fun book that sends a reluctant Sir Princess Petra on a quest to seek her proper princess talent. The reluctance is soon forgotten, as is often the case with 9-year-olds, and the hilarious adventure leads to a wonderful lesson about discovering our special skills and talents. Humorous, adventurous and revealing, Sir Princess Petra’s Talent is a delightful and meaningful continuation of an already wonderfully imaginative series.

Readers' Favorite 5 Star Book Award

Readers’ Favorite 5 Star Book Award

More on dragon books for children: http://www.dragonsbook.com/ReviewIndex.html

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 20

IN THE NEWS

NEWS AND INFORMATION FROM THOSE WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR WORLD AND IN OUR LIVES http://bit.ly/SurHxz

Award Winning Author Diane Mae Robinson Releases New Children’s Book, ‘Sir Princess Petra’

Written in the tradition of C. S. Lewis and reminiscent of ‘Shrek’, reviewers have labeled the award winning book a ‘fantasy adventure that is sure to become a timeless classic.’

Canadian author Diane Mae Robinson has released her latest children’s book, ‘Sir Princess Petra’. ‘Sir Princess Petra’, the first book in the Pen Pieyu adventures, features surprising plot twists and turns, brilliant flashes of humor, zany characters and is rooted in timeless values that shine through the charismatic main character.

The book has received a number of high-level book awards including second place in Purple Dragonfly Book Awards for Children’s Chapter Book, and was awarded 5 stars by Readers Favorite. Robinson was awarded the Lieutenant Governor Of Alberta Arts Emerging Artists Awards for Children’s Book Author and was recently chosen as a finalist for ’50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading’.

Robinson believes that “by instilling kindness, understanding, and respect in our children, they will be able to make their difficult situations easier and accomplish what they set out to do in a better way.”

“Dragon books,” stated Ms. Robinson, “have always been a passion of mine. Including a dragon as a secondary character in my fantasy/adventure series just seemed natural.”

Dragon books are one of the most popular segments of fantasy fiction and children’s books in today’s marketplace. Here, in this fantasy fiction work, Robinson uses the dragon books concept as the background to teaching young people traditional values. In the story line, Princess Petra’s unusual birthday request to become a royal knight sends the royal court into a frenzy. But when she agrees to undertake a knight’s quest, not even the royal rulebook, with its list of outrageous knight deeds, can dissuade her. Armed with a cake knife and a suit of the best royal pots and pans, Petra chooses to hush the howling dragon, Snarls, in the Forest of Doom and win her real armour. Ms. Robinson’s highly praised work demonstrates that dragon books can be something much more than dragon books.

“Snarls is a dragon,” continued Robinson, “that every reader will love: he is witty, comical, and endearing.  He may even set a new standard for dragons in dragon books.”

Ms Robinson is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at robinsond@mscnet.ca. More information, including reviews, information for teachers and librarians and a special children’s section is available at her website. ‘Sir Princess Petra’ is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Tate Publishing.

About Diane Mae Robinson:

Diane Mae Robinson has a journalism diploma from the Schools of Montreal, and an advanced diploma from the Institute of Children’s Literature in Connecticut.  She is also an artist, and teaches acrylic and watercolor art to children. She lives with her husband, Allen, in a small hilltop castle near St. Paul, Alberta.  They have four dogs and three horses, along with a forest inhabited by gnomes, fairies, a princess, and a dragon. This magical forest is where Diane creates her characters and gets the inspiration for her stories.

Contact:

Diane Mae Robinson
http://www.dragonsbook.com
robinsond@mcsnet.ca POSTED BY DON MCCAULEY AT 7:55 AM