Books with author Russell Erickson

Maybe it was Your Smile is an educational story by Eric Russell about a girl named Natalya who is new to the neighborhood. The story is about Natalya’s first day at school. The bus is late and instead of worrying and being nervous, Natalya starts chatting with her peers on the bus stop and quickly makes some good friends.Natalya then proceeds to introduce herself to Phil, the bus driver. Her smile, good manners and cheerfulness are tested when a rude child comments on Natalya’s shoes but her good-natured response takes care of the tricky situation. The story book further shows how Natalya makes new friends in her school with her smile and good etiquettes. This is a delightful read for second or third graders and teaches them how a lovely smile and good manners can change people's outlook on you.

Moe Moe the Leader by Eric Russell is a story set in the African Savannah. Greatly embellished by attractive and vivid drawings on each page, this children's book follows abdication of Rory the lion from his position of “The King of the Beasts”.Rory is just too lazy, indecisive and unfit to deal with the problems faced by the other animals in the jungle. When Rory resigns, Moe Moe the monkey takes action. He wisely enlists the help of other animals to put fear of banishment into the bullies. Lauded for his quick, smart thinking and collegial leadership style, Moe Moe is made the new king of the jungle.Moe Moe the Leader is an excellent read-aloud story for preschoolers and young readers to use as a discussion on bullying, bad behavior and good leadership qualities.

Eric Russell's Hen House Award is a fun and simple story that teaches children the importance of goal setting and making lists to achieve their goals. It takes place at the Happiness Trail Ranch, where all of the animals are getting their houses ready for the Happy House contest. The animal with the prettiest house wins an award.Henrietta the hen makes a list of her goals and then works to achieve them, while Dodger the ranch dog loses track of time and forgets to get his work done. Henrietta wins the award and encourages Dodger to make a list next year. This easy-to-understand story allows teachers and parents to open up a dialogue with children about the importance of hard work to achieve their goals and the role that list making can play in this process.

Can an owl and a toad really be friends? Warton the toad is very proud of himself when he straps on a pair of homemade skis and ventures out in th dead of winter to visit Aunt Toolia. But then an owl swoops down and carries Warton off to his lair, promising to gobble him up as birthday treat come Tuesday. Can Warton's bravery and wit turn the owl from enemy to friend in just five days?

Lenny's Road toSuccess by Eric Russell helps teach children how to overcome their problems by taking small steps at a time. This delightful story shows children how taking little steps, one at a time, can help them achieve their goals and overcome obstacles in their lives. By using lovable animal characters and a circus setting, Lenny's Road to Success shows that nothing just happens overnight but that there is a process that one needs to go through when trying to achieve anything. Lenny the lion loves to do tricks but is extremely shy. The first time he went into the circus tent and saw all the people, he ran away and hid. The lion trainer helps Lenny conquer his fear by having him take small steps to reach his goal of being able to perform in front of a crowd. With encouragement from his friends, Lenny is able to take small steps to overcome his problems and achieve his dream of performing in the circus.

Eric Russell's "The Elephant Painter" is a story about an adorable elephant named Ella who wants to be an artist. Her friends and family discourage her and pressure her to act like all the other elephants. She complies with their persuading, but she feels miserable and alone. One day, an artist draws a picture of Ella. Ella responds by drawing a happy face in the dirt. The artist brings her an easel and colorful chalks, and she finally discovers her true passion and talent. Everyone cheers for her and accepts her individuality. Teaching children to value their uniqueness is an important part of helping them grow into happy, healthy adults. This heart-warming story affirms the dreams of our children, and also the role that bullying can play in discouraging a child from striving towards their goals.