Children's Book Review: Oscar's Adventures in the Woods by Pam Stone

Oscar's Adventures in the Woods
Author:  Pam Stone
Copyright:  2011
Publisher:  Outskirts Press, Inc.
Pages: 13
8.5" x 11" colour paperback
ISBN:  978-1-4327-6382-4
Genre:  Children's Fiction/Juvenile Fiction/Animals
Source:  Complimentary copy provided by the author and Bostick Communications in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
http://www.outskirtspress.com/webpage.php?isbn=9781432763824

Available:  Amazon, Barnes & Noble

(from the cover) "This adventure became a lifetime of roaming.  What did Oscar find in his travels?  Read to see where he ended up and how Oscar overcame his fears."

Press Release:  Oscar's Adventures in the Woods is a true story of a little girl, Shelby, and her pet turtle, Oscar. Each page is original artwork created, hand sketched, colored by award winning artist Eric Hector, who has done artwork for Disney. This story is written by a mom who would read to her daughter every evening at bedtime up to three books each night, and instilled her love of reading in her daughter, who is a voracious reader to this day. Someone gave Shelby a turtle. She named him Oscar. He became a prized possession. He lived in his aquarium on Shelby’s dresser. No one bothered him most days except once in a while a cat would peer down at him from atop the dresser. He decided it would be fun to be able to roam wherever he wanted just like the cat. One day while Shelby cleaned Oscar’s aquarium he wandered off, he was nowhere to be found, and it was a sad day. Maybe Oscar wanted to live outside? When Oscar turned up the following spring, he was recognizable because of the chip out of his shell.  Oscar kept coming back every spring. He apparently hibernated under the leaves in the winter. See how Oscar’s adventure makes him decide if he did the right thing in wandering off. How he learned that sometimes there really no place like home. Learn how Oscar finds out how to survive in the cold alien woods. The lesson is that home is a safe warm place where people live that love you. If you wander off, it really is special to come home and find your friends that have missed you for a whole season. Who does Oscar meet in the woods as he learns how to care for himself? How long will Oscar keep coming back to find his friend, hoping he is taken in to live with his friend again? Oscar is a fun loving friend that all kids will love from the very first moment they read about him in the book. A great bed time story for kids of all ages. So read Oscar's Adventure in the Woods.

My Review:  Oscar’s Adventures in the Woods is based upon a true story of the author's daughter, Shelby, and her pet turtle, Oscar. The original artwork that graces each page is created by award winning artists Eric Hector, who has done artwork for many companies including Disney, and Candace Schinzler-Bell.  The beautifully rendered illustrations are certain to entertain your child while the story is read.

Oscar's Adventures in the Woods is a quick read that would be perfect as a bedtime story or a snuggle up on the couch with parents book to enjoy.  This story is of a plucky little turtle with a chip out of his shell who decides one day to have an adventure while his girl, Shelby, cleaned his aquarium.  What happens next is quite an adventure for the little turtle and requires of Shelby understanding and a bit of a sacrifice.  Heartwarming and endearing, the author, Pam Stone, presents a wonderful tale that children everywhere will want you to read, and want to read for themselves, again and again. 

Recommended for children pre-school to elementary and their parents.  Sure to be a hit in your child's library.

Rated 4/5

Meet the Author:

Pam Stone is the former owner of a small marketing firm located in Decatur, Illinois and also published a local home magazine which was distributed to most of central Illinois where she lives with her husband Tom, dog Sadie and occasionally Oscar the turtle. Her daughter Shelby currently attends college. Pam read to her daughter on a regular basis, as a child, and her love of books led her to decide to write her own children's books about their very own, Oscar the turtle.