Featured Friday: Azyea’s Gifts by Amanda R. Holden
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Title: Azyea’s Gifts
Author: Amanda R. Holden
Reviews:
By Dre:
This book is about
a child who is having some trouble making a Mother's Day Gift for her mother.
She tries and tries, but just ends up with a big mess. She keeps coming up with
new ideas for gifts to try to make, but each time, she doesn't quite get it
right. She ends up very sad, but finds out that no matter the outcome, her
mother is happy with each and every gift that her daughter made because of the
heart and hard work Azyea put into them. The book does a great job of conveying
the message that hard work is appreciated and it is really the thought that
counts. It is a very satisfying story and you get a nice happy ending. While
Mother's Day is the vehicle for delivery of the message, the lessons that are
taught in this book can really be applied to anything.
The Paperback
version of this book is really nicely put together. The art is cute and the
layout looks great. The story flows well from page to page. This can sometimes
be a problem with first time authors, but this book looks great. I also
downloaded the Kindle eBook version which was free at the time of this review
and that version looked nice also.
Overall, it is a
nice book with a positive message. I read this book with my six year old
daughter and she really liked it. She said, "It was great!" She had
no problem understanding the message and she enjoyed the story. This is a great
book from a new author.
By Kathy:
This is wonderful
little soft cover book for ages 3 and up. This 24 page, 2013 book sends a
beautiful, touching message about a little girl (probably about age 3) who is
looking for a Mother's Day present for her mom. As she tries to put her
creativity to work, everything goes wrong and Azyea is very disappointed with
her own efforts. Of course, to Azyea's mom, everything Azyea did is beautiful,
and Azyea learns that the true value of the gift is in the thought and effort
that went into it.
In my opinion, a
book that teaches such a lesson is invaluable. It is truly a heart-centered
book.
By Janet:
In this adorable
book for young children, a little girl named Azyea attempts to make gifts for
her Mom on Mother's Day, but abandons each idea because they weren't "good
enough". But Azyea is in for a big surprise when she realizes that her Mom
not only discovers the abandoned gifts, but also thinks each and every one of
them is perfect...and tells her exactly why.
The lovely
illustrations and prose in this delightful story is top-notch; it's almost hard
to believe it's written and drawn by a first time author (Amanda Holden)!
Applicable for
every day of the year (not just Mother's Day), the message in Azyea's Gifts
shows children that it's the effort and love behind the gifts we give that's
most important...not the final result.
Author Bio:
Amanda R. Holden (formerly known as Amanda Punzalan) was born January 13, 1989, on the island of Guam. She is the daughter of Frank Punzalan and Mary Lujan. She is the youngest of six. In 2007, she graduated from George Washington High School and in 2009, she was soon married to Ethan R. Holden.
Amanda has a growing passion for writing and is in pursuit of her dream to publish her books. In the meantime, she works a full time job as a dental receptionist and is involved in her local church as a youth leader. She also provides guitar lessons for children and adults while she continues to work at her craft as a writer.
Amanda’s interests and hobbies include: drawing, writing, singing, watching British T.V. Shows like Downton Abbey/Miss Marple, and playing the guitar.
Amanda’s Favorite Children’s Books:
Stone Soup by Ann McGovern
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce
The Twelve Dancing Princesses by Marianna Mayer
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
Mini interview:
1. What inspired you to write Azyea’s Gifts?
After receiving some rejections and not
hearing back from publishers, I decided to do everything on my own. So I
decided to write and illustrate this book in spirit of Mother’s Day to reflect
on a mother’s love for her child. I think the inspiration was to show myself
that I can do this despite the thought that I wasn’t good enough.
2. How did you feel when you finally published your first book?
I felt very
independent. It felt rewarding finally being able to create something that is
mine! Publishing this book will be a good reminder that I can do what ever I
want if I just put my heart, mind and hard work into it!
3. What advice can you give aspiring authors?
Research! The more
you know, the closer you will be to success! You have come this far, don’t give
up now!
4. What are your plans for the future?
I plan to write
more children’s books. Though I am self-published, I haven’t completely given up on traditional
publishing. I just submitted my new book to several publishing houses. It is
called Princess
Dee and One Hundred Forty-nine Dolls.
5. What else do you like to do besides writing?
I love to play
music! I sing, play the guitar and write songs. I have a youtube channel for
anyone who is interested in listening.
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