Writer says kids' fantasy will 'become a childhood classic' and calls it 'multigenerational magic'

A story in last week's Pacific Sun and North Bay Bohemian calls Grampy and His Fairyzona Playmates “perhaps the sweetest kids’ book of the year-end possibly the decade.” The article by Jane Vick includes a reproduction of the cover, with a caption headlined “Multigenerational Magic,” and predicts that the fantasy “is sure to become a childhood classic.”

The plug by the Marin and Sonoma County weeklies, one traffic jam north of the Golden Gate Bridge, ensures that my co-writing granddaughter, our illustrator and I have a happy new year.

You can check it all out at https://pacificsun.com/literary-roundup-phenomenal-reads-for-2022/ or get more information from my website — woodyweingarten.com. 

My granddaughter and I, close despite a 70-year difference, had oodles of fun collaborating on the whimsical book, which features a sorcerer, two fairies, spells, unicorns and a magic carpet. Highlights include an eight-year-old fairy winning her division of the Unicorn Racing Championships, baby chicks singing jazz instead of cheeping, a wizard making robot movie characters less scary, and two girls wanting to stop thunder-and-lightning storms, floods, earthquakes and tornadoes all over the planet.

Joe Marciniak self-portrait

Not incidentally, the front of Grampy…, created by Joe Marciniak, was recently voted best 2021 children’s book cover design by the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association (BAIPA).

For any of you who’ve already purchased the book and liked it, we’d love you to spread the word — via reviews on Amazon and GoodReads, via personal posts on Facebook or other social media (or sharing), via anything you figure can help the get the fantasy into the hands of more children 6 to 10.

I, Woody Weingarten, have also written a book that can be helpful for patients who are facing a life-threatening disease and their caregivers (male or female) — Rollercoaster: How a man can survive his partner's breast cancer.

Independent publishers say cover of children's fantasy book by granddad, granddaughter is best

This whimsical cover of Grampy and His Fairyzona Playmates, created by Joe Marciniak, has just been voted best 2021 children’s book cover design by the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association (BAIPA).

The fantasy book aimed at 6- to 10-year-olds was co-authored by me, Woody Weingarten, and my granddaughter, Hannah Schifrin, who are chums despite a 70-year age difference. We had fun writing it — and are certain that youngsters will have just as much fun reading our story about a sorcerer, two fairies, spells, unicorns and a magic carpet.

Highlights include an eight-year-old winning her division of the Unicorn Racing Championships, baby chicks singing jazz instead of cheeping, a wizard who makes robot movie characters less scary, and two girls who can stop thunder-and-lightning storms, floods, earthquakes, and tornadoes all over the planet.

For more information, just click on this link to my website: woodyweingarten.com.

Turning New Year's Day into Thanksgiving

Author offers a tribute to all 'Rollercoaster' purchasers and to all readers of this blog

New Year's Eve fireworks.

As I, Woody Weingarten, relaxed at home in San Anselmo this morning, I realized I needed to turn New Year's Day into a copycat Thanksgiving — because I'm so grateful for so many people for so many things.

So…

First of all, I want to thank every buyer of my new VitalityPress book, "Rollercoaster: How a man can survive his partner's breast cancer."

And every reader of this blog.

And every individual who helped the blog and book (now available in hardcover, paperback and ebook formats through your favorite bookstore or Amazon) become a reality.

I also want to express my gratitude to the many members of BAIPA (the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association) who handed me significant tip after significant tip after significant tip over the past year.

Then there's the small army of encouragers — men and women, way beyond my extended family, who believed in my success even when my belief in myself was shaky.

"Rollercoaster," which aims to benefit both male caregivers and patients, isn't quite a best-seller yet.

But sales are growing slowly and steadily.

Am I at all worried? No. My potential audience is enormous.

According to The New York Times, there are 35 million caregivers in the United States. Other sources double that figure.

In theory at least, each one might be a future reader.

Moreover, I have yet to promote "Rollercoaster" to medical associations, hospitals and libraries.

And as several friends and aides keep reminding me, "When you think of how this book will succeed, visualize a marathon, not a sprint."