A Great Kid's Gift
You know that the book must be appealing when you hear that one of our customers has come back several times to purchase more personalized, autographed copies for her nieces, nephews and friends kids. She said for the cost she could not find a better gift. The kids love this frog adventure book. Her nieces and nephews love the fact that the book is personally autographed to them by the author. It is one of the things that make the book special.  She considers "Just Call Me Charlie" the perfect gift.

Enjoy sharing the book with that important child that you love. This frog adventure story book is an appropriate read aloud for kids from age 4 and up. Strong second grade readers can read it.  The funny situation and amusing illustrations also appeal to kids and adults alike.

It holds the attention of students from kindergarten to the fifth grade when Kathy reads the story and shares the illustrations during school visits. She has to laugh when a kindergartner raises their hand and says that frogs can not talk. Of course frogs can’t talk. It is the perfect opportunity for a little discussion about fiction and non-fiction.

This adventure story is about Charlie a young frog who is ready for an adventure. He loves the fairy tale bedtime stories his mother reads, especially the ones with a brave prince. Charlie thinks he could be a prince. Actually, he wishes he was a prince. When Charlie meets a monster he has an adventure and gets his chance to test out his bravery. This adventure helps him realize that he does not need to be a prince to do brave things.  

Beautifully illustrated this book is set in Florida. The detailed illustrations by award winning artist Kathy Pollak show the vegetation and views you can see when walking along the Florida shore. 

                            Learn About The Author-Illustrator 

Author-illustrator Kathy Pollak has been sharing this story with children in her classroom for many years. As a retired elementary school teacher with 32 years experience she knows what kids will like. Her adventure stories have all started out as part of her teaching kids that they can be writers too.

Kathy Pollak’s involvement in art started at an early age. Growing up in New York City she competed in a city wide competition and won a place in The School of Music & Art now called Fiorello H LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.  She was a bronze medal winner from the Art Students League in a city-wide contest and received a scholarship to the Pratt Institute. She attended from Hunter College and received BA is in Fine Arts, as well as Early Childhood Education.

Kathy’s skills as an artist cover a broad range of media from oils, pen and ink, colored pencils three-dimensional work, including original sculpted dolls. For awhile she worked as a commercial artist. A “how-to” article and photos of her dolls have been published in doll magazines. Kathy has earned ribbons and recognition in all the fields of art she has pursued

Kathy’s father Gene Radano wrote plays, books and TV Scripts. He was a New York City police man. He was always writing when he came home. She thinks that her love of writing came from him.

Kathy is not sure where her love of frogs comes from. But she has a very large collection of them. Children always gave her a frog as a teacher present. Her collection of pins is so extensive that she can wear a different frog pin every day for weeks. The children always like to see which frog she is wearing. It is no small wonder that when she wrote an adventure book she chose a frog for the adventure book.

Although this adventure book is fiction, Kathy chose to use pig frogs native to her home in Florida as inspiration for the illustrations. There is an educational supplement page at the end of the book where you learn interesting facts about pig frogs.

Set in Florida and beautifully illustrated, this frog-adventure book,  "Just Call Me Charlie" is sure to delight children of all ages. 

"Just Call Me Charlie" is a 32 page, 8"x8" soft cover, full color, children’s adventure book. The frog in this story learns to value what he is and not to wish to be someone else.