Payton Press Children's Books Review

Around here, reading books is a regular part of our schedule. It doesn't matter what's going on, my children will stop everything to read books. If they are going stir-crazy, I sit on the couch with a pile of books and they will all gather around and sit with me...quietly...as I read. It's amazing!! My oldest is finishing up 2nd grade this year and has become quite the avid little reader so we read alot in school now too. It is just so much fun now that she can read and I love giving her new books to read when she gets bored with her old books.

I was recently introduced to two new books for children, and was interested in checking them out with my little ones. "Pedro's Hungry Ride" and "Flip Flop Flo The Know-It-All" are both books that have been published by Payton Press and authored by Gloria Barone Rosanio. Here is a bit more about Payton Press and Gloria...

Payton Press, LLC is owned by author Gloria Barone Rosanio, a member of the national Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators 

Gloria has spent the past 30 years working in newspapers and corporate communications and teaching college journalism and adult writing. Her personal essays have appeared in Philadelphia Stories literary magazine, More.com and Divine Caroline, the Ladies Home Journal website. Gloria published two children’s book, “Flip Flop Flo, the Know-It-All,” and “Pedro’s Hungry Ride” with her husband, Jim Rosanio, a designer and illustrator.

Gloria is accredited in public relations from the Public Relations Society of America and earned her certification in Corporate Social Responsibility from the Centre for Sustainability and Excellence. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Penn State University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Rowan University.

She is a member of the Medford (N.J.) Arts Center and serves on the corporate partners board of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Gloria is also the professional advisor to the Rowan University Public Relations Student Society of America.

For this review, I was sent both of Gloria's books..."Pedro's Hungry Ride" and "Flip Flop Flo The Know-It-All". I was excited to read these books with my children and when they arrived, we enjoyed some wonderful reading time together.

"Flip Flop Flo The Know-It-All" is a book about a little girl who loved her flip flops. She wore them all the time and hated to take them off. The story is colorfully illustrated and contains an important lesson about obedience. Flo disobeyed her mother and, in turn, had to learn a hard lesson. Obedience is something that we strive to teach our children and so showing them what happens when you disobey, was important. The only part of the book I didn't like was when they talked about how Flo knew how rainbows were made...someone painted them in the sky and it showed a picture of a man on a ladder painting a rainbow. We believe in creation and God and so when it comes to where rainbows come from, we teach our children that God created them...not a man on a ladder. I can see how a child's imagination could easily envision that though. I have lost count as to how many times we have read Flip Flop Flo...it is a new favorite for my children! 

The second book we enjoyed reading together was "Pedro's Hungry Ride". This story is all about a little boy who is craving a snack but he doesn't want junk...he wants HEALTHY food. This is such a great story because it really focuses on the emphasis of eating good foods. The problem Pedro has is he cannot find anything healthy anywhere in his town. No one has fruits or vegetables. Through his search for a healthy snack, the idea of a community garden comes into play and in the end, the entire town pitches in and a community garden is born...full of healthy veggies for everyone. It really is a cute story and my children love the colorful pictures and engaging story.  

So, my overall opinion of both of these books is that they are a super cute and fun read for children of all ages. It was easy for my 2nd grader to read and my littler ones understood them enough to enjoy them as well. They both teach important lessons as well, which I love. If you love to read to your little ones, check these books out today...they are fun and engaging and you will enjoy them thoroughly.

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive free products for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the sponsor's website and email. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.