Ayamoo's Secret by Paul R. Stanton

AYAMOO'S SECRET

by Paul R. Stanton

Ukiyoto Press

Children's Fiction

42 pages

ages 4 to 8

Ayamoo is tiny, Ayamoo is small, Ayamoo is the teeniest Smileymoo of all. But Ayamoo has a secret. In fact she has two. Can you guess what they are?

GOODREADS     /  AMAZON 

MY TIDBITS

Being small...or even the smallest...doesn't keep this adorable Smileymoo from doing what needs to be done. But then, she does harbor an interesting secret or two.

Ayamoo is a Smileymoo, and the tiniest of her kind, but that doesn't mean she's one to be pushed around. After she exchanges books at a library, she's off to meet her friend, Gherkin, for a picnic. Unfortunately, Gherkin has picked up an unintentional tag-a-long, who only means trouble for both Ayamoo and Gherkin. But Ayamoo isn't going to let the bully get his way.

Smileymoos aren't really that much different from you and me, which makes them easy to identify with while sinking into an imaginative world. The scenes and situations stay very close to everyday life and add just a touch of fantasy to make things fun. Ayamoo is the smallest of the Smileymoos, and she has a kind and warm heart. Her friendship to Gherkin is wholesome, even when they don't agree on everything, and her dealings with the bully take a slightly unusual twist but end with an important message. All of this carries a touch of fun and humor to make it an enjoyable read. Ayamoo's sercets also add a touch fantasy, which is sure to make readers smile.

The illustrations are bright and bold, and bring across the world of the Smileymoos nicely. These fill one side of each two-page spread, while the text is placed on the other. The text fits well to beginning chapter book readers or works very well as a story time read-aloud. 

This does open the door to a possible series, and I do hope to see more adventures surrounding Ayamoo and the Smileymoos in the future.

And here he is...

Paul R Stanton lives all his life in London and is an author and illustrator of Children’s books recently published under the roof of Ukiyoto Publishing: BUNGLE (2023); DESMON (2023); GHERKIN (2023); MR MUSHKINMOO (2023); AYAMOO (2023)

Moreover, he is the author of the Festive Books:  A FESTIVE JUXTAPOSITION (2022); A FESTIVE VERISIMILITUDE (2023) – a fantasy and mystery series featuring about an unconventional Devil who knows every nook and secret of the old, good city of London.

Paul has been consistently writing the Smileymoo books for many years. With the addition of his latest, ‘Ayamoo’s Secret’, this will make a total of five. He has three others in the pipeline and is currently commencing his sixth in the series: Dillinger & Mealymoo.