Update on "BIRD TALES"

Last Sunday here on Blogger, I posted a copy of my flyer that describes how to find my latest book BIRD TALES... 

... within Apple's Bookstore. 

A copy of this flyer can be seen directly below.

I thought I'd been clear in pointing out that one had to be on an Apple device to find BIRD TALES, but I guess not, for I received an e-mail from someone stating this:

"I went to Amazon and punched in your name and book title, but Bird Tales did not appear."

I'm not clear on how someone thought I referenced Amazon but because the sender of this e-mail interpetted my flyer in such a way, I was motivated to create a short video that is a tutorial on how to find BIRD TALES. A  copy of it is posted directly above and it can also be viewed on You Tube and/or Vimeo.

Meanwhile, I have now received a third review from someone who identifies himself as Scott Amsterdam. It can be read below along with the two reviews I received prior to Mr. Amsterdam's one.

If the reviews are too pixalated to read in this image, please click here to read them as they appear within Apple's Book Store.

Inspiration From Patrick McDonnnell

Indeed, George Eliot! AND thank you, Patrick McDonnell for publishing another one of your amazing drawings  (a copy is posted directly above) and quotation citing. What a nice way to ring in the first day of fall, in the Northern hemisphere (in states that have Eastern Standard time, it offically begins today at 3:21 PM)!

As many of you may know, I am a huge Mutts fan and I've featured McDonnell's drawings and strips in a number of my blog posts.

On another note, McDonnell and his cast of characters are part of what inspired me to create my photo-comics. They are featured in my digital book, BIRD TALES.

It features a number of birds participating in a variety of activities and is dedicated to all birds and everyone who loves them. An interactive book for people of all ages to enjoy together and is now available via Apple Books.

BIRD TALES is my second book with Apple. The first one, Words In Our Beak, was published in 2015.

Subsequently, Words In Our Beak's iBook version was published as a soft-cover book (with slight variations) by MagCloud. 

Following this, Ingram Spark published a hard-cover version of Words In Our Beak Volume One  (with slight variations), and they also published hard-cover versions of Words In Our Beak, Volume Two and Words In Our Beak, Volume Three. 

All versions of Words In Our Beak have a goal which is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. The setting for my books is my rooftop urban garden in New York City, my stories are told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective.

Mourning doves, the bird type featured in  the photograph directly below, where they re sitting on a pumpkin in my garden, are included in this book all my versions of Words In Our Beak as well as in BIRD TALES.

While I believe this bird type likes autumn, I don't think their likely to do the George Eliot thing and fly around in search of other autumns, their interest seems to be invested in sticking around to nosh on seeds during all types of weather, as evidenced in the photograph below.

Another reader gives "BIRD TALES" five stars!

 I hadn't noticed this review for BIRD TALES (seen in the image directly above) was posted on 10-28-2021!

Very grateful, honored and humbled that reader MK took the time to write such a heartfelt piece!

She purchased the iBook version of BIRD TALES, but for those of you who don't use Apple products, this interactive digital book is also available on Amazon.

"BIRD TALES" BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT!

BIRD TALES, the book I spoke about in a recent post, became available in Apple's bookstore this evening. I'm happy to say it immediately got a positive review (see below).

Here's what readers are saying about "BIRD TALES"...

Very thankful to be able to say I've received two more reviews for BIRD TALES.

It features a number of birds participating in a variety of activities and is dedicated to all birds and everyone who loves them. BIRD TALES is an interactive book for people of all ages to enjoy together.

International Migratory Bird Day 2018 (etc)

It's the second Saturday in the month of May, which means it is International Migratory Bird Day.

The text-image atop this entry (which I created from a memo that I received within an email) from Bird Life International. In it they stated:

"Since its passing 100 years ago, the US Migratory Bird Treaty Act has saved the lives of billions of birds and fined major corporations, such as BP, for their irresponsible actions. Last December, this law was reinterpreted by the Trump Administration, meaning that companies, both big and small, can no longer be held accountable should their actions result in incidental bird deaths.

This leaves millions of birds vulnerable to human threats, such as oil spills, pesticides, and improperly-sited wind turbines. And this is just in the USA. Every country has its own problems affecting birds along the flyway, and each presents unique challenges for the people working to protect wildlife there. But, there is little point working to save a bird in one country, if it will meet its end in the next.

We must work together to protect migratory birds in every country, and the BirdLife partnership is uniquely placed to do just that."

Bird Life International goes on to state many ways that people can work together to protect birds.

I strongly feel that if the general population were introduced to members of the avian community, in a personal way, they might get to know these creatures in a manner which would ultimately cause them to be more proactive in efforts to protect fauna.

One way people can get to know birds on a personal level and from a unique perspective is from the book series, Words In Our Beak (pictured below):

VOLUMES ONE AND TWO

The stories in these books are told from the perspective of a female cardinal (Cam) who knows a thing or two about the challenges of life.

Yesterday's "bomb cyclone."

MALE CARDINALS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOKS

At one point it was so windy during yesterday's "bomb cyclone" (a winter storm that hit NYC with a vengeance), that the "mohawk" of a male cardinal who was visiting my rooftop garden was blowing back and forth. Not even the stiffest hairspray could've helped his situation, as evidenced by the image atop this entry, where he is alighting upon the branches of my kiwi vines, while a lone male house sparrow tries to hold his own in the background.

National Peanut Day 2021

According to many holiday-themed web-sites, today is National Peanut Day. Over the years I've published posts on this blog about this event, so if you'd like to learn about it, please refernce them by clicking here.

On this National Peanut Day, I'm pleased to announce that I've complied a number of my photographs that feature various bird types who are enjoying peanuts I offer in a wreath style  feeder (which is in my garden), and I've created photo-comic strips.

Photo-comics, they are a means of sequential storytelling that use photographs rather than illustrations. The inspiration comes from photo-novels, also known as fumetti. They are popular in Italy and Latin America.

An example of one of my strips can can be seen in the image atop this entry. The bird type "show cased" in this image is a male House finch.

He (along with over twenty types of avian creatures) is included within my three volume hard cover book series, Words In Our Beak.

The goal of these books is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in a rooftop urban garden (mine) in New York City, my story is told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective.

This series has received rave reviews and prior to the cornavirus pandemic, I was able to make public presentations (based on my books's content) at prominent institutions.

Hopefully now that restrictions are being lifted, I will have the opportunity to do that again but during the imposed hiatus preventing that type of assignment, I created my photo-comics. They feature a number of birds participating in a variety of activities and they are now complied into a digital, interactive book titled BIRD TALES.

It is dedicated to all birds and everyone who loves them. An interactive book for people of all ages to enjoy together and is now available via Apple Books.

Wednesday's (10-27-2021) Widsom: American Robins probably don't make good outfielders.

An American robin (the bird type featured in the photo atop this entry) might not be the best outfielder.... 

Good thing this bird variety has other attributes which you can read about in my interactive digital book, BIRD TALES, as well as in volume three of my hardcover book series, Words In Our Beak.

BIRD TALES is available in the Apple Bookstore and it is alao available on Amazon.

Words In Our Beak Volume Three is available on Amazon or you can get it wherever hardcover books are sold by giving the bookseller the ISBN number which is 0996378545.

Sparrows are the most ubiquitous of birds! (Tuesday's Truths Episode 222)

Yesterday my country celebrated National Peanut Day and my blog post re it featured a male House finch, taking the oportunity to enjoy peanuts that are in a feeder which is in my garden. That bird type is hardly the only avian creature who comes to nosh on the peanuts which I offer, House sparrows nibble on peanuts when they grow older as evidenced in the image of one of my comic strips.

Photo-comics, as I've mentioned here on Blogger, are a means of sequential storytelling that use photographs rather than illustrations. The inspiration comes from photo-novels, also known as fumetti. They are popular in Italy and Latin America.

This aforementioned strip is included in my recently released book titled BIRD TALES.

It features a number of birds participating in a variety of activities and is dedicated to all birds and everyone who loves them. An interactive book for people of all ages to enjoy together and is now available via Apple Books.

Since I've titled this 22nd episode of my Tuesday's Truths series, "Birds are ubiquitous," let me share with you the fact that they live all over the world, throughout Northern Africa, Europe, the Americas and much of Asia. There are many more sparrows than humans — wherever humans go, House sparrows live!

This is because they feed on scraps that people leave behind! You can find them on the 80th floor of the Empire State Building and have even 2,000 feet underground in a mine.

These birds are also included in my three volume book series, Words In Our Beak.

The goal of these books is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in a rooftop urban garden (mine) in New York City, my story is told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective.

People-ing on the UWS!

 

Check out a European starling doing some people watching (or people-ing) on the UWS of Manhattan.

This bird type is featured in my new book, BIRD TALES and has a story within the third volume of Words In Our Beak.

My first post for 2018.

Welcome to my first blog posting for 2018. Today is January first, and last night the figurine atop this entry rang in the new year. But he was hardly dressed for the occasion. It was ten degrees last night on New Year's Eve, and it is probably the first time in over seventeen years that I did not go to Central Park to watch portions of the Midnight Run and the annual fireworks display.

Instead, I rang in the new year with some friends at St. Bart's church in NYC, where "a concert to usher in the new year," was being offered.

Monday's (10-8-2018) Musings

MY GARDEN IS WHERE THE STORIES IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK" TAKE PLACE

MY GARDEN IS WHERE THE STORIES IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK" TAKE PLACE

The photographs atop this posting were taken by Joan Budilovsky who is visiting NYC for this Columbus Day holiday. She stopped by my rooftop garden (with her husband and their eleven year old son) yesterday to play a few games of Bird Bingo...*

... and so that I could autograph her copy of Words In Our Beak Volume Two.

Here's Tuesday's Truths for the 71st Week: This is The Year of the Bird

In honor of the sixteenth day, of the one-hundredth anniversary of The Migratory Bird Act, I am posting a reminder: This calendar year of 2018 has been designated as The Year of the Bird.

The collage atop this entry depicts the fact that The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is partnering with organizations that include National Geographic, National Audubon Society, Bird Life International, and, is "asking people to pledge to do one thing per month to help birds."

 A web-page for National Geographic, includes a quote attributed to Thomas E. Lovejoy, which states,“If you take care of the birds, you take care of most of the big environmental problems in the world.”

Readers of this blog surely know, I enjoy any opportunity to take care of birds, which I mostly do for the array of types who have visited my urban garden.

Thank you, Mr. Amsterdam!

Wow and Wow! I did not realize until it was brought to my attention last night, that Mr. Amsterdam who posted a gem of a review for my latest book BIRD TALES (which I shared on FB on 10/2 @ https://bit.ly/3iYbraC) had also posted a review for my very first version of Words In Our BeakThe iBook Version, which was published by Apple in 2015.

Evidently it during the time that Mr. Amsterdam was reading BIRD TALES, that he discovered the existence of my 2015 book Words In Our Beak Volume One, the iBook Version and bought it!

I love his heart felt review (directly above)!

Sunday's (9-26-2021) Sentiment

Someone mentioned to me that he had a snafu when he clicked on the link to where my new book BIRD TALES...

... can be found. 

The last thing I want is for people to have difficulty getting my book so I've created a how-to-purchase guide (a copy of it is featured image in the image directly above). The link looks pixalated in the image of my guide that is posted atop this entry, (but it looks good in the print-out version) so here I've taken the liberty of posting it here: https://apple.co/3oF2CX8

"BIRD TALES" is now also available on Amazon!

Breaking news: My latest APPLE book, BIRD TALES, is now also available on Amazon!

Wednesday's Wisdom is from SOUR PUSS!

I'm a sucker for Mutts and have published many blog posts about this amazing strip. 

You can read them by clicking here.

Mutts, as well as other comic strips, are part of the inspiration for my newly released book, BIRD TALES.

This book is a collection of photo-comics (a medium, as I've mentioned here on Blogger, that is a means of sequential storytelling that use photographs rather than illustrations). The inspiration comes from photo-novels, also known as fumetti. They are popular in Italy and Latin America.

It features a number of birds participating in a variety of activities and is dedicated to all birds and everyone who loves them. An interactive book for people of all ages to enjoy together and is now available via Apple Books.

Rough roads BUT progress is being made.... (Tuesday's Truths Episode 221)

Image Credit

 

Checking with this 221st segement of my Tuesday's Truths series re an update from my last entry here on Blogger which was published on Friday, 8-6-2021 and where I stated, "I am fully aware that I haven't published a blog post in a little over a month but I plan to be back in the not too distance future. Thanks for staying tuned, dear readers."

The update is this: It is with great regret that I had to pull back on keeping up with my blog for I enjoy sharing my content with others (which I began doing on the date of 12-31-2009) and I've been humbled when hearing about the joy and insights my posts have given to readers.

At this juncture, I'm thankful to say that my physical therapy which I'm doing in an effort to avoid knee replacement surgery is going well...

... and I should be able to return to blogging soon!

On another positive note, I've been able to move forward on a digital, interactive book which is titled, Bird Tales.

At this juncture, I can only offer Bird Tales in digital format, but I’m still excited as I’ve been able to make it interactive, and I’ve included sound effects.

I’m having a few tech glitches in sending it off to Apple Books and hope to resolve them sometime between Thursday, September 2nd and Labor Day, Monday, September 6th.

I pray everyone in my Blogger community will stay tuned re this new endeavor, knowing I have not given up on making public educational presentations based on content in my three hardcover book series, Words In Our Beak.

My other book project, Imperfect Strangers (a project I've discussed in a number of entries here on Blogger) is complete... 

VIEW ON VIMEO
VIEW ON YOU TUBE

....and now that oportunities that were diminished due to consequences of the cornavirus pandemic are opening up again, I'm actively seeking agent representaion.

Reflecting on Fanny and Rosa Sonnenschein (Yom Kippur 2021)

On this Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish faith, I am reflecting on my ancestors.

Having said this, I should mention that I was not brought up with any practices in Judaism. I knew nothing about my Jewish roots until I was in my thirties and living in New York City.

Getting back to my ancestors, Fanny 'Wink' Sonnenschein, my father's grandmother, and my great grandmother, had an eye afliction. One of her eyes performed so much less than the other that it caused it to turn completely inward; and she was ultimately nicknamed Wink, by her mother, Rosa Fassel Sonnenschein.

Images of both Fanny and Rosa Sonnenschein are featured in the collage atop this entry.

Fanny is at the left, Rosa is at the right. Rosa Sonnenschein was the "flamboyant editor and publisher of The American Jewess, the first (1895) independent American Jewish magazine, published by a woman" and dedicated to issues concerning women. 

I am not certain if Rosa had poor eye-sight and perhaps if she had an affliction, she hid it. However, from what I understand about Rosa Sonnenschein, she was not shy about who she was or what she stood for. This is evidenced in a description that is on the backside of the image I've included in the collage atop this entry.

I realize that text is hard to decipher so I've taken the liberty of posting a copy of it directly below: