My books are suitable for ages 7 and above and for younger children who are advanced readers. They are absolutely for both boys and girls.

My general recommendation is for independent readers, ages 7 and above. Children as young  as 3 really enjoy read-alouds. 

Consider reading together as a family and rotating the readers. Discussing the story and characters will bring home the themes and lessons. Imagine your famly, 'unplugging' for one night a week and reading together.

Although a series, they can be read as a standalone story, in any order. Many young readers start with the latest book and then go back to the first book in the series.

The themes throughout are about friendship, diversity, community, caring, ingenuity, and creativity. 

In addition to the themes, each book also tackles a special lesson. Topics such as kindness, sportsmanship, dealing with fears, health issues, bullies, consequences, and threats.

Each great story has funny scenes or antics, and some even cause the reader to laugh out loud.

Since all the characters are animals, diversity is one of the subliminal lessons. They may have differences in looks, talents, or personalities. For example, Bart the bear and Stinky the skunk are best friends. Their looks are different, and they have different personalities. They love spending time together.

There are discussion guides in the back of each book. Teachers, parents, and grandparents use the guides to bring the lessons home… and to further a child’s love of reading a good story with relatable characters. 

Copies of all the guides and coloring pages of many of the illustrations are downloadable from the website. 

Some ideas are percolating right now. Stay tuned!

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Making up stories on the fly and telling them to local children. They kept asking me to tell them more stories. Next thing I knew, I was writing them down and then developed them into a series of books.

A vivid imagination fueled by my love of nature. Let me give you an example: 

When I watch a lone duck swimming in my pond, I wonder … Is he happy swimming alone? Is he asking, “where are the other ducks that live here?”  Suddenly, a conversation starts in my head and then I envision a scene. Often people, animals, and events around me add more fuel! 

My brother Paul asked me more than once, “How do you come up with your stories?

Storytelling doesn’t run in our family.” My response: my vivid imagination.

Usually, it starts with a broad idea of a plot, often based on a recent happening, such as   the hurricane that hit a few years ago. Next, I envision a scene, add the characters that fit into the scene, and then go deeper, imagining and creating the activity. All the stories are initially written down, with lots of scratch-outs, arrows, and side notes on large yellow legal pads.

Each new character becomes my favorite for a time. There is a steady cast of characters in all the books and a few new ones added in the mix in each book. Harry, a frog, is the lead character in each Tale, along with his friends Sally, Charlie, Ludwig, Percy … to name a few. 

Harry comes of age in the second book and is a strong, no-nonsense frog. He became the  sheriff, yet he still maintained a love for any vehicle that goes fast⎯a fact that was established in Book 1, Hurry-Up Harry.

Yes. It is based on the pond that was in Dr. Bob's backyard where there was always activity going on among the frogs, ducks, foxes, deer …  to name a few. The town of Pondville is the fictional setting of all the stories. There is a map of Pondville in the beginning of each book.

Action scenes, laughable antics, relatable characters, detailed illustrations, and heart-warming events.

Just start writing and keep writing; you will get better. Seek input from fellow writers, teachers, avid readers, etc. Test your stories out on children. Watch how they react when you tell your story to them. Hold onto your ideas, let go of your ego, and encourage feedback.

Dr. Bob’s books are available as paperbacks, hardcovers, e-books, and audiobooks.

Yes! For orders of 25 or more books, please contact us for volume discounts.