PURPLE SKY PUBLISHING

This was the website for PURPLE SKY PUBLISHING is an independent publisher located in Parkville, Missouri.  This company was dedicated to working with innovative authors and illustrators to bring high quality fiction, children's books and poetry to the public.  The content is from the site's 2006 archived pages.

We are:
Member of the Small Publishers
Association of North America
Member of the Authors and Publishers
Association of America
Member of the Publishers Marketing
Association
Member of the North American
Bookdealers Exchange

 

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"Once upon a time, amidst the bustling streets of Manhattan, nestled within a vibrant street fair, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of stories. Hidden in a bin, under a cascade of forgotten tales, I discovered a gem - "Not Superman" by Gina Sandiego, a masterpiece birthed by the creative minds at Purple Sky Publishing. This wasn't just any book; it was a portal to a world of inspiration, igniting a flame of excitement in my children's eyes that I had never seen before.

The heart of the story beats with the adventures of Oscar, a young boy with Down Syndrome, who sees himself as no less than Superman, thanks to a special birthday gift - a Superman hoodie. This hoodie wasn't just a piece of clothing; it was his cape, his shield, his very source of power. Wearing it, Oscar transformed his world, one good deed at a time. Whether he was lending a hand to his parents, spreading joy among the younger kids at the playground, or bringing comfort to the animals at the local shelter where his dad worked, Oscar embodied the true essence of a superhero.

My children were so captivated by Oscar's journey that our copy of "Not Superman" was loved to tatters. The story didn't just entertain; it inspired. So much so, that when my son's birthday rolled around, a Superman hoodie was the only gift he longed for. The joy in his eyes when he unwrapped this hoodie mirrored the joy Oscar must have felt. He wore it with a mission - to follow in Oscar's footsteps, embracing kindness and compassion.

This book, this magical tale from Purple Sky Publishing, has left an indelible mark on our lives. It taught us that heroism doesn't come from the powers we have, but from the good we do in the world. For this lesson, for this journey, I am eternally grateful." Roger Sherman

 

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Reviews -for  Tera's Dawn

Midwest Book Review - February 2008
Tera's Dawn is a children's picture book for young horse lovers, about the adventure of a wild mare.  Young Tera grew up as a free horse, but when ranchers capture her, she learns that the lot of a human-controlled horse is to be worked hard - and horses that grow too weak are not kept alive.  Yet Tera is lucky enough to share a reunion with her mother, also in captivity.  It takes ingenuity to figure out how to work the latch keeping her and her mother from freedom; together, they escape back into the wild.  Beautiful color illustrations grace this gentle and free-spirited picturebook.

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Pickett News / Jennifer Leese - January 2008
It's Only Ink!
Tera's Dawn
Children of all ages will enjoy reading Susan K. Schank's book "Tera's Dawn".
This uplifting book tells the tale of a young mare named Tera who is searching for her family.  Ranchers took her from her herd and fenced her. As a wild horse, this was something she had a hard time dealing with. She wanted to run free on the green countryside. She wanted to be with her family - not be trained to be a plow horse.  In trying to understand what has happened to her, something spectacular happens to this loving horse with in captivity.  Denise Seah's illustrations complement the tale of Tera in brilliantly colored watercolor-style drawings. Denise's horse, Brandi, a beautiful, muscular horse served as the "muse" for the artists' rendering of Tera. You can see pictures of Brandi (Tera) at www.purpleskypublishing.com/teraphotos.html "Tera's Dawn" is a story that is sure to tug at your heart strings as it deals with loss, stress, surprise, and love. -A real family story!

This book is highly recommended by this reviewer and her three children.

Jennifer LB Leese is a writer from Maryland who writes children's picture books,young adult novels, and paranormal fiction. Visit her online at:www.geocities.com/ladyjiraff

 

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TCM Reviews/Dr. Tami Brady - January 2008
Tera is a horse that lives wild and free. She lives a happy life with her herd, galloping like the wind and doing whatever she wants. The only sadness in her life is that her mother was captured and taken away. Tera misses her mother terribly. If only she could be with her mother once again.

 

Tera’s Dawn is a heartwarming story that is sure to warm up the coldest day. Of particular note for this book are the illustrations. They lend such realistic movement to the scene that one almost feels part of the action. Absolutely beautiful!

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Teens Read Too / Jennifer Wardrip / February 2008
As part of a wild herd of horses, Tera remembers well when her mother was captured. When rumors begin that ranchers are in the area, Tera feels it would be safer to hide on her own than to let herself be captured among the herd.

She isn't prepared for the lasso that harnesses her as she hides behind the willows. She's even more surprised by the fact of finding her mother at the ranch she's been taken to!

Tera and her mother spend months as plow horses, but Tera never loses sight of her dreams to free both of them from the locked pen. When she devises a plan to open the gate, both Tera and her older and weaker mother make their escape to rejoin their family in the wild.

TERA'S DAWN is a sweet story that will appeal mostly to young horse lovers, but even those who don't have an obsession with horses will rejoice with Tera as she rediscovers both her mother and the joy of being free.

This is a great book to read together with your child or for an advanced beginning reader

 

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Reviews for Creatures of the Night

R.R. Bowker - Bookwire Review - April 2006

With its mysterious noises, the night can seem scary to small children.  But what really makes those noises?  This charming children's picture book shows us that when the day is over, the creatures of the night come out to play.

And what wonderful creatures!  The coyote howls for his friends to play with him in the woods, and the crickets and bullfrogs sing a symphony.  The sneaky raccoon, the little mice, and the muskrats all come out of their hiding places.  The opossum mother even brings out her babies.  "All through the night these creatures play/They walk and jump and run/They dance and sing their serenades/Until the night is done." I had bought several mop buckets for our church the day before we first read Creatures of the Night. They were still downstairs in our kitchen. My youngest son asked if we could fill the new buckets up with water and put them in our back yard for the night creatures. He knew our area was going through a drought and was afraid the animals didn't have enough water to drink. He said if everyone did that the night animals would be OK. The mop buckets that I bought would not be convenient for the animals to drink from, plus our church really needed them to keep the floors of the church and meeting hall clean. Instead we decided to use some of our gardening buckets. The next night we put out three buckets with water along the edge of our property and the forest beyond. Fortunately three weeks later the rains came and there was no longer any need for the night creatures' water buckets.

Told in rhyme, the story is a lovely introduction for young children to nocturnal animals.  While the rhyme  does not always scan perfectly, the simple verses are ideal for read aloud, and children will love the  evocative language.

The color illustrations are a wonderful complement to the text.  The animals are rendered simply but with plenty of charm, inviting children to take a closer look.  The illustrator contrives to make the night-time look warm and safe and the animals friendly and full of personality.  This night time story is bound to be a going-to-bed favorite.

Midwest Book Review - August 2006 - 5 Stars

Creatures of the Night
Stephen J. Brooks
http://stephenjbrooks.com
Roger Wilson, illustrator
Purple Sky
PO Box 12013 Parkville, MO 64152
www.purpleskypublishing.com
ISBN: 0976901714, $16.95

Entertaining Read …….. Highly Recommended ….. 5 stars

Creatures of the Night begins as long shadows form, day is ending and night is soon to come. The moon  and stars appear, daytime animals seek shelter and night creatures venture out. Raccoon, a regal barn  owl, field mice, crickets, and singing toads and frogs all join the nighttime adventure. Dancing lightening  bugs, a coyote, a mother opossum and her babies, and swimming muskrats walk and jump and run. At  last the night creatures begin to seek safety, the sun is returning and day will soon begin.

Author Brooks and Illustrator Wilson have produced a delightful work for children. Creatures of the Night  is a 32 page picture type work. The narrative is told in verse. Illustrations are child friendly.

I took the book to school to read to my fourth grade: they are my resident critics. They take their job as  critical listeners very seriously. The children expressed curiosity, regard and interest in the book. They  liked the poetry, the narrative and the illustrations. One girl felt the smiles on faces of the insects were  inappropriate…. 'real' insects do not have smiley faces, however she felt the illustration was appropriate  for this book, 'it IS for little kids.'

While the target audience for the Creatures of the Night is more targeted to the 3 – 7 set, it is a work that  holds appeal to the 8 – 10 group as they choose a book to read to younger brothers and sisters.  Creatures of the Night is a read-to for the younger set ages 3 – 7, a read alone for the 8 – 10 group.

I too enjoyed the narrative, the illustrations and the poetry. Because I live 'out in the country' the critters  mentioned in this book are all very familiar to me. I am finding Creatures of the Night to be a worthwhile  addition to our class library shelf. Creatures of the Night is being taken for 'free reading' time by  youngsters who are reading and enjoying it for themselves as they ready themselves to read to the  kindergarten children each Monday. Creatures of the Night is a good addition to the homeschool reading  curriculum, the classroom library and children's personal reading shelf. Enjoyed the read, happy to  recommend.

The Midwest Book Review - March 2006

The rhyming verse and endearing color artwork of animals under a black night sky makes Creatures of  the Night an ideal read-aloud story to young children.

PBS Teachers Source - Review

When the sun goes down and the moon comes out, nocturnal animals like raccoons, owls, crickets,  possums, and coyotes mooch about. This picture book introduces the concept of diurnal and nocturnal  life in a playful, reassuring manner.

Marie D. Jones/2006 for curled up with a good kid's book

Creatures of the Night
by Stephen Brooks, illustrated by Roger Wilson
Ages 4-8 32 pages Purple Sky Publishing September 2005 Hardcover      

Nighttime isn’t so scary once you are familiar with the Creatures of the Night, and this poetic and colorful  children’s book introduces little ones to the many beasties that roam in the dark. Below the blanket of  stars, we meet barn owls and foxes and field mice and frogs, lightning bugs that flicker, coyotes that howl  at the moon. Children will no doubt feel comforted that the creatures of the night are no scarier than those  that walk during the daytime.

The soft, brightly colored illustrations are playful and cute, adding fun to the poetic and lyrical text. In fact,  this book is like a lullaby for kids who want to go off to sleep with images of adorable animals dancing  through their heads. Stephen Brooks is the author of several children’s books and has been a Federal  Agent for over a decade. Rodger Wilson’s illustrations and graphics have won him awards and his work  appears in many books, as well as museums. Together, they give kids a cozy nighttime read to enjoy as  they succumb to sleep, no longer afraid of the shadows and sounds that creep and crawl just beyond  their bedroom window.

Allbooks reviews

Creatures of the Night, introduces children to the animals that roam the earth during the darkest hours. A  time that is sometimes frightening for children becomes a bright, pleasant experience in the pages of this  book.

Author and poet, Stephen Brooks introduces children to raccoons, owls, mice, opossum and other colorful  creatures that are anything but scary. The illustrations by Rodger Wilson show the animals as furry,  lovable creatures of the night. Young children will love the rhyme and upbeat cadence as they explore this  storybook. The poetry will make the story easy to remember and repeat for younger readers.

Stephen Brooks has written several children’s books and is the father of two. Rodger Wilson is the  recipient of several awards for graphic design and illustration. The talent of these two artists combines to  form a beautifully presented work of children’s literature.

A book that will become a bedtime favorite, this reviewer highly recommends that you pick up a copy for  the children and grandchildren in your life. Charming, educational and brightly illustrated, this is a book  for children of all ages.

Reviewer: Shirley Roe, Allbooks Reviews.

Beverly Rowe/Author "Babes to Teens"/Myshelf/July 2006

Stephen Brooks introduces children to field mice, owls, crickets, raccoons and other marvelous creatures  who are anything but scary with rhyming verse in this lyrical, upbeat addition to the world of children's  literature. What  a great introduction to the animals, birds and insects that children do not normally see  because they only come out at night. Reading this story aloud may even help to take away some of the  mystery of the darkness and make night-time a pleasant experience.   
The whimsical illustrations by award winning Rodger Wilson show the daytime creatures scuttling for their  bedtime homes, and the nocturnal creatures coming out to play and forage for food as daytime turns to  night.

This book will be a wonderful addition to your children's library of great bedtime stories, or to read at  family time.  It will provide lots of topics for family discussion the kids will love to pursue.

TCM Reviews Says

Creatures of the Night
Stephen Brooks
Purple Sky Publishing
ISBN: 0-9769017-1-4
Children’s
Reviewed by Mayra Calvani

Has your young child ever wondered about those noises in the night, or about those creatures that come  out to play only at night?

Creatures of the Night is a lovely rhyming story about those nocturnal creatures that “Come out to run  and play,” like “The sly and wily old raccoon,/With a mask around its eyes,/Sneaks about in search of  food/in his ever so clever disguise.”

Other creatures of the night mentioned in the book include the owl, field mice, crickets, frogs, fireflies,  coyote, opossum, and muskrats.

The rhymes are delightful and the illustrations beautiful, with a serene, peaceful quality to them, bringing  to life the magic of the night and its creatures. It is the kind of book young children will want to listen to in  bed at night many times, if only to look at the lovely images of the animals.

A book that both teaches and stimulates young children’s imagination, Creatures of the Night is a keeper,  and well-worth its hardcover price.

Storyteller Books

Creatures of the Night is a lovely, gentle book about animals who come out to play at night. Also told in  rhyme, soft and funny illustrations by Rodger Wilson, it is a good sleepy-time book.

Jan Warner-Poole
Storyteller Books

Scribes World - Review

Creatures of the Night begins as long shadows form, day is ending and night is soon to come. The moon  and stars appear, daytime animals seek shelter and night creatures venture out. Raccoon, a regal barn  owl, field mice, crickets, and singing toads and frogs all join the nighttime adventure. Dancing lightening  bugs, a coyote, a mother opossum and her babies, and swimming muskrats walk and jump and run. At  last the night creatures begin to seek safety, the sun is returning and day will soon begin.

Author Brooks and Illustrator Wilson have produced a delightful work for children. Creatures of the Night  is a 32 page picture type work. The narrative is told in verse. Illustrations are child friendly.

Robert Tilendis, Editor, Green Man Review

Creatures of the Night is a rather different book, oriented toward demystifying the nighttime through a  survey of the animals who inhabit the dark hours. We see the birds and squirrels and rabbits coming  home to their nests and burrows and tree hollows as the moon is rising, while the raccoons and owls and  field mice, among others, come out to play. It's what I call a "survey" book, listing in verse the various  animals and placing them in a context that inspires confidence in very young children.

Rodger Wilson's illustrations for this one are a strong departure from those by Rajesh in the first book.  They possess a more graphic quality along with a muted palette and a style more in keeping with the art  of the naïve than the polished, elegant fantasies in Alexander Asenby, which I think might bring a stronger  identification from children who are, in all probability, making their own first attempts at drawing.

The Savvy Click - Reviews

What happens when day turns into night and mostly everyone is tucked into bed sleeping?  Why the  “Creatures of the Night” come out to play!  

Children will love this book!  It gives them the chance to see what happens when the sun goes down and  the moon shines bright.  Stars are shining and raccoons and field mice are running and jumping in search  of food and fun.  Crickets play the evening’s music, along with the frogs croaking their tunes.  The night is  full of surprises from lightning bugs to barn owls in the trees.

Not only is this book superbly written, but the illustrations by Rodger Wilson will delight children young and  old.  You can almost feel the texture of the pictures from the fuzz of the mice to the fur of the coyote.

Stephen Brooks has written a book full of wonder and excitement, guaranteed to be a great read!

 

Contests Page

We have our winners!!

Congratulations to the following winners of "The Fairy Ball" poetry contest and thanks to everyone for participating.   Check back soon to enter the next context.

1st Place - Peg Thompson, Fairy Fog Dance
2nd Place - John L. Maxwell, The Fairy Dance
3rd Place - Erianne Eaglewing, Fairy Dance

Services

Illustration Submission - To receive information about working as an illustrator for Purple Sky Publishing, please submit a Request for Consideration to the e:mail address provided below.  Include an example of your work or a link to a website containing examples of your work.   Requests accepted from illustrators or agents.  Terms and conditions of financial arrangements negotiated on a per project basis.

Manuscript Submission - To submit a manuscript for consideration, please send a Request for Consideration to the e:mail address provided below.  Please include a synopsis of your work, your ability and willingness to assist in marketing and what makes your product unique in the market.  Requests accepted from authors and Literary Agents.