Rooter & Snuffle

This week, for Tuesday with the Tots, I'd like to introduce you to a series of children's books by Shari Lyle-Soffe. 

These little paperback books each contain 3 short stories.  The suggested age range is 3 to 9.  Before I tell you about the books, I'd like to introduce you to the author:

Shari Lyle-Soffe has been writing since 1998. Her work has appeared in Children's Playmate, Babybug, Ladybug, Highlights for Children, Schooldays, Holidays & Seasonal Celebrations, Story Friend, The Friend, Hopscotch, Bread for God's Children, Pack-o-Fun, Wee Ones, Wild Animal Baby, Dragonfly Spirit, Holiday Crafts 4 Kids, Stories for Children,and Lighthouse Story Collection. She has three picture/storybooks with Guardian Angel Publishing Inc. titled "The Misadventures of Rooter and Snuffle","On the Go With Rooter and Snuffle", and "Trouble Finds Rooter and Snuffle".

And now, more about the Rooter & Snuffle books.

First in the series is The Misadventures of Rooter & Snuffle.  This book follows the tales of two racoon brothers as they rely on their faith to see them through difficult, and sometimes dangerous, times. They learn to find the answers for themselves. And although these brothers may not always agree on everythign, in the end they always care about each other.  The three short stories in this book are: "The Search," "Rooter's Rule," and "Danger at River Bend." This particular title also includes a 4-part activity page for extra fun.

The second book is called On the Go with Rooter & Snuffle. In this book, the young brother raccoons find that others may not always see things the way they do. But when troubles and disagreements do arise, they are no match for a strong faith, the love of a brother, and the help of good friends.  This one includes short stories entitled "Why Our School Stinks," "Follow a Star," and "Something is Fishy."

Third in the series is Trouble Finds Rooter & Snuffle. Once again the rascally raccoon brothers aren't looking for trouble but it finds them anyway. As they look for a way out of trouble, they learn true friendship isn't selfish, everyone is special, and we can all protect wildlife by caring for the environment where we live.  The 3 short stories in this title are: "My True Friends," "The Pity Party," and "Yes We Can."

These books are really very sweet.  The stories may center around raccoons, but they face many of the same challenges that our children face these days.  At first, it often seems like they won't be able to get out of the fixes they find themselves in, but they always try to think about the Christian way to handle things, and they find themselves coming out on top! 

These books are illustrated by Kevin Scott Collier.  If you are familiar with the Summer Reading Splash program that I managed for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, then you might recognize our mascot, Splish the frog, that Kevin created for us. Kevin has written and/or illustrated over 70 books, and is well-known for his whimsical,colorful creations.  Though these particular books are more heavy on words than illustrations, his additions are just enough to make the stories "pop" of the pages.

After reading the books, your children will enjoy visiting the author's coloring page website, where you can print out fun coloring pages (also drawn by Kevin and featuring the Rooter & Snuffle characters). Rooter & Snuffle also have their own website, where you can learn more about them and the whole cast of characters in the Rooter & Snuffle series, learn more about the author and illustrator, find where to purchase the books, read some reviews, and play some fun raccoon games.

If these books sound like something your children would enjoy, be sure to keep a watch on Splish's blog, where I will be giving them away. (You can sign up to receive updates via e-mail, making it easy to keep track.)