New Release: The Worst Warlock

Elijah Muddle's life changed in an instant. The son of a spiteful and mean manure farmer, Elijah now has become an apprentice to the town's warlock, Caliban. The chance to escape his terrible father and learn magic? It's a dream come true! Until it turns out that Elijah's internal magic is wonky, and he is the absolute worst warlock ever—all his spells go wildly wrong, causing both hilarious and disastrous consequences all over town.

Now, everyone in town is furious at Elijah, including Caliban and his dangerous jaguar familiar. Elijah tries desperately to correct his magic with the help of his best friends Marcus the thief and Tori the blacksmithing barbarian. The trio contends with the Nighty-Knights, angry mobs, and a ridiculously dangerous and forbidden spell. Will Elijah succeed?

B.Bear and Lolly: Catch that Cookie!

Best friends B. Bear (formerly known as Baby Bear) and Lolly (short for Goldilocks) are hard at work inventing a Porridge Perfecter, but the Gingerbread Man races by and smashes their machine into pieces!

With their hopes of the perfect porridge dashed, B. Bear and Lolly cook up a plan that would serve the Gingerbread Man just right. When B. Bear and Lolly finally catch the cookie, however, they discover a surprising solution to their porridge problem—and a new friend!

Pages 4-5 Pages 6-7
Click the pix!

 

B.Bear and Lolly: Off to School

B. Bear (formerly known as Baby Bear) and Lolly (short for Goldilocks) are best friends. After all, they like all the same things. With a bear-and-girl friendship that fits just right, this duo is ready for any adventure—even going to school for the first time.

 

 

The Worst Warlock
I loved how funny it was. It was one of those great books that's obviously intended for children, but is really funny to read as an adult, too.
Oscar-nominated narrator Carey Mulligan, in an interview with The Week Junior Magazine
Your delightfully clean work is akin to some blissful, alchemical mashup of Harry Potter, Monty Python, and the great and venerable Terry Pratchett; it accomplishes all this while still remaining utterly unique in its own right.
Kris B., Librarian, on Audible.com
I really loved how he was the antihero. The female characters are well-written, the story is original, and it was really creative in the use of magic.
Madilyne Palmer, on Audible.com
Highly recommended for kids and adults enjoyed it as well. We started listening to this for 30 minutes each night before bed and each night it became longer and longer because we couldn't stop.
Matt M., on Audible.com
I had such an enjoyable time listening to this story! It was engaging, entertaining, and funny! I really enjoyed all the characters, especially Tori. Definitely a must listen-to.
Kim C., on amazon.com
B. Bear and Lolly: Catch That Cookie!
Expect screeches of recognition from astute readers as they pore over Joey Chou's illustrations of the landscape while Lolly and Bear attempt to catch the Gingerbread Man... [T]his picture book [is] a treat.
The Florida Times-Union Newspaper
Forget the scared little girl who burgled the bear family, Lolly is an inventor with pluck, destined to create her own perfect porridge... Chou's illustrations are like an animated rainbow, and his rendering of the duo's scientific process gives life to Livingston's revisionist version of this classic story. The values of perseverance, forgiveness, and helpfulness are present but not heavy-handed. VERDICT: Budding scientists might just be inspired by Lolly's tinkering to create their own master recipes.
School Library Journal
Chou's bright illustrations are full of nifty details... The mix of fairy tales is fun...
Kirkus Reviews
[A]dorable...Ridiculously cute illustrations make it fun to look over each and every page.
Katrina, outnumbered3-1.com/
B. Bear and Lolly: Off to School
Livingston...riffs on Goldilocks in a story about best friends Lolly and B. Bear: 'And why not? They liked the same porridge, the same chair, and the same comfy bed.' ... Livingston's sense of humor and Chou's fairytale landscape result in an enjoyable story.
Publishers Weekly
Chou's brightly colored digital illustrations are a nifty exercise in character spotting, as he hides other fairy-tale characters and settings; Lolly's shortcut passes by an infamous house of straw. And Livingston plays up the original 'Goldilocks' fairy tale when the duo goes shopping for supplies...it's a relatively appealing addition to the fractured-fairy-tale and back-to-school shelves.
Kirkus Reviews
1.
What is your favorite dinosaur? Say Compsognathus because that's my favorite dinosaur. Can you write a book about dinosaurs?
Reece B., Beaverton, OR
Writing a dino book would be so much fun! My favorite dinosaur is probably a brachiosaurus because of their long necks!
2.
What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Jenny R., Madison, WI
Coffee!
3.
How do you come up with the ideas to write a book?
Abigail B., Portland, OR
Great question! Sometimes the ideas just come to me; sometimes I come up with a title first; sometimes it just might be phrase
4.
What were your favorite books as a child?
Noah B., Los Angeles, CA
Madeline, Pippi Longstocking, The Giant Jam Sandwich, and Ramona the Pest
5.
Do you do the illustrations for your books?
Emilie D., Denver, CO
Nope, afraid not. I can't even draw stick figures very well!

See?
6.
What is your favorite color?
Maggie J., Portland, OR
Blue.
7.
Do you know J.K. Rowling?
Bryan S., Schenectady, NY
No. I hear she's very nice, though.
8.
Which do you like better: Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?
Olivia R., Madison, WI
Milk chocolate. Yummmmmmm!

© 2022 A. A. Livingston