Tales From The Glades Of Ballymore [Kindle Edition]

Bob Brooks (Author), Karen Ross Ohlinger (Illustrator)

Book Description

Transport yourself and your children back to a simpler time

Remember when responsibilities and worries were few? Everyone was so kind and the world seemed magical. Tales From The Glades Of Ballymore can take you there. Welcome to Ballymore.

You are most welcome to join the animals as they help each other through their many adventures -- big and small. 

There is Bartholomew, the wise old owl, who watches over everyone including:

• Branna Bluebird - the brave, spunky messenger;

• Wilde and Wilder Weasel - the mischievous, unofficial security guards;

• Finn Frog - whose middle name is "Adventure";

• Grenby - the eccentric, weather forecasting groundhog;

• The Chipmunks - who seem to attract trouble wherever they go;

• The "Pond Creature";

and many more.

This is a heartwarming, humorous, and adventurous book of intertwined tales that the whole family can enjoy together. The book is intended for parents to read to their younger children. It is also intended to be read alone by children eight and older but can be appreciated by anyone still young at heart.  The classic tales are enhanced by beautiful full-color illustrations.

The setting is deep in the Irish countryside surrounding a large pond in the year of 1891. The lovable animal residents have the ability to speak and have created a self-sustaining community that has existed for many years. The success of the community is rooted in the caring and sharing they extend to each other. The underlying theme of the book is the "Golden Rule".

The world can be a harsh and hectic place for children. It can be for us all. One of my intents in writing this book is that it provides a small respite - a place of softness. Let children enjoy their childhood and not grow up too soon. And when they do grow up, let's leave some pieces of softness in their hearts for the future benefit of all.

You may also enjoy my other book, Ballymore Adventures, Book 1, which features ten short-stories about these same animals.  It is written for younger children.

Thank you,

Bob Brooks

Editorial Reviews

Review

From The Professional Reviewers:

"Nobody Writes Like This Any More....  Brooks' gentle, easy-going tale in which there are no magic spells, no loud kabooms nor distinctly cliff-hanging conflict but only the quaint and the twee and the innocent and the simple, is a rarity. It stands out with its gentility. It is one I will read again." - Mister Fweem's Blog

"I can't think of any child who would not love this book.....The ducks are so cute delivering wanted items to the residents of Ballymore by raft. I had to laugh where it states that when the items requested were needed right away, the ducks delivered by air-mail." - The Kindle Book Review

"Tales From The Glades Of Ballymore by Bob Brooks is a joyous, heart-warming, completely lovable e-book....  It's an entirely engaging read and Brooks' powers of description mixed with whimsy are extraordinary." - Media Darlings

"Very, very good....  This book reminds me of some childhood favorites of my own, like Frog and Toad and the Wind in the Willows. I love when a story is based around a lesson but does not come off sounding overly preachy." - Ionia Martin, Amazon Top 500 Reviewer

From the Author

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See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 1590 KB
• Print Length: 333 pages
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0075ODYXO
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #305,887 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #4 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Children's eBooks > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > European
  • #96 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Children's eBooks > Animals > Birds

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A TREASURE February 9, 2012

By The Kindle Book Review

Format:Kindle Edition

I just loved this book written for children, based on The Golden Rule. With my love of animals, this was a perfect read for me. I like how the unofficial and beloved councilor of Ballymore , Bartholomew Owl, always seems to remind the others of what is right and what is wrong. The nice part about this is that they listen to him. This will be very easy for children to grasp and with the beautiful illustrations, the children will be delighted.

The ducks are so cute delivering wanted items to the residents of Ballymore by raft. I had to laugh where it states that when the items requested were needed right away, the ducks delivered by air-mail.

I could just picture the weasels, Wilde and Wilder, the unofficial security guards of Ballymore, carrying their sturdy cloth bags, dressed in their green splotched tan military style outfits and black boots. I could also picture the squirrels in their walking boots, needed for long hikes in the spring.

The search for a gift held my attention. The adventures many of the animals go on to find the puzzle pieces in order to acquire the gift, all have underlying messages. These messages, as I said above, will be easily understood.

With adult sayings such as, "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar", the children will easily grasp the meanings.

I can't think of any child who would not love this book. It gently teaches fairness, kindness and the value of working together as a community.

Rebecca Scarberry with The Kindle Book Review

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great children of all ages Ebook with pictures in color! February 8, 2012

By M. Jewell

Format:Kindle Edition

Reading this book, I found myself engulfed in an almost perfect world, run by animals at a secluded small pond in the glades of Ballymore.
I was drawn deeper and deeper into this lovely story. It reminded me of long-lost values, I wish could still be found today.
The whole book evolves around the golden rule: 'Do unto others...'. That is a more or less forgotten value. But it has been brought back to life in this enclosed community of mere animals.
Their stories tell of shared daily struggles and merry moments. They help and support eachother in good and bad times. The book shows us, once again, that by sticking together and helping eachother, we can achieve almost the impossible.

Although this book has a definite underlayer of these values, the stories on their own are so sweet. They are written in a descriptive and humorous way. They are great to read out loud even for the youngest of children. The colorful and bright pictures in every chapter, enhance the imagination of the reading.

To be short, a great family book, worth reading over and over. Obviously, the author and illustrator have put great effort into the book. It can bring purpose, meaning and a smile to everybody's life.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars SO CUTE March 18, 2012

By Shannon C.

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

this book is SO incredibly cute. i am a sucker for any books about little animal villages. i read it to my son and he really enjoyed it but that isn't surprising since he loves owls!! maybe that will make the Golden Rule easier to teach him!! SO cute i just love this book.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The "best new childrens" book by author Bob Brooks February 6, 2012

By sammy 424

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just read "Tales From The Glades Of Ballymore." I enjoyed it immensely! As an adult I often choose to read childrens books because they tend to be uplifting. They also take me back to my own lovely childhood days when everything was possible and a new adventure seemed to be around every corner! I felt that same sense of wonder while reading this book. The story is centered around a community of animals that live and work together according to their belief in the golden rule. The many characters are interesting and diverse. I think the adventurous frog named Finn, the very wise owl named Bartholomew and Grenby, the quirky weather forcasting groundhog are my favorites! The story is full of humor and I giggled a lot while reading it! The book has a gentle way of reminding we humans that the idea of treating each other the way we ourselves would like to be treated is a very good way to live your life! This would be a great book to read with a child. It would give a nice opportunity to show a child how a group of diverse characters can live and work together in harmony with one another while having all sorts of adventures. The book has many color illustrations which makes it all the more fun to read!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely wonderful in every way!! March 27, 2013

By Va Mom

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I got this for my 7 year old son. I do not like the current trend of zombies, vampires that permeate young adult literature. This book is akin to Winnie the Pooh. What is great about this book is that the vocabulary is a good challenge for eager readers and chapters teach readers to stay with the story and follow through to the end.
The book can actually be read as a series of short stories; each story has about 3 chapters or so. There is plenty of suspense, humor, touching emotion, and even some mild peril which will keep any reader interested.
Last, but certainly not least, the theme of the whole book is one that any parent would want their children to learn The Golden Rule. We read aloud as a family and loved every bit of it!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars kids book January 24, 2013

By Darcy Hoban

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Bought this book for my child, and she loves it and it can keep her occupied when needed. Easy to do.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very very good January 5, 2013

By Ionia Martin TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Although I usually am not a huge fan of books or movies about anthropomorphic animals, I really have to say I enjoyed this one. What made this book so special in my opinion was the smaller messages you can find in the text. The owl did not want to hurt the tree he was sitting in, so he was gentle with his talons. How sweet can this book possibly be. This book reminds me of some childhood favorites of my own, like Frog and Toad and the Wind in the Willows. I love when a story is based around a lesson but does not come off sounding overly preachy. The only thing I thought might have made this book slightly more engaging for a young child is if there were a few more pictures. Otherwise, I loved this book and look forward to reading it to my children.

More About the Author

Dear Reader,

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to write a children's book. As with most of us, I never had enough time. I retired from my engineering career in 2006, so that excuse evaporated.

2011 was the right time, and Tales From The Glades Of Ballymore began to become a reality. The book is now finished and is published as an eBook. I am hoping for the best.

Tales From The Glades Of Ballymore is a family-friendly book. Although the animals have many adventures, there is no violence. It is heart-warming and humorous. The beautiful illustrations by Karen Ohlinger help bring it to life. The moral basis of the book is The Golden Rule. There aren't many books like this one written today.

I recently released my second book. This one, Ballymore Adventures, Book 1, also features the animals of Ballymore. Although, it is a story-book written for younger children.

I have just completed a fantasy short-story for adults, Tuatha De Danaan. Set in Western Ireland in the late 1800s, it is a story of a fateful night of interaction between a villager and the Otherworld.

Cooking has also become a serious hobby of mine, and when I'm not writing, I can frequently be found in the kitchen.

I appreciate your interest and hope you choose to read one of my books. I hope it brings some joy to your life and the lives of your loved ones.

I can be contacted at: Ballymoretales (at) gmail (dot) com

Sincerely,

Bob Brooks