Pick of the Litter
Step One, Step Two, Step Three and Four This month’s Storytime Pup pick of the litter is Step One, Step Two, Step Three and Four, written by Maria Ashworth and illustrated by Andreea Chele. Before it became a book, it was a finalist in the (NAESP) National Association of Elementary School Principals Contest. Ms. Ashworth has been featured on Fox News Houston, in The Houston Chronicle and podcast with NPR. This book will also be performed by children ages 10 to 12 at the Katy Visual Performing Arts Center in Katy, Texas in 2018. Ms. Ashworth decided to write this book when her daughter had a difficult time accepting her new stepbrothers. She attempted to find picture books in the library and bookstore that dealt with transitioning from two families into one. There was nothing available on the market. She wrote the manuscript to help her own family, never thinking it could be published and received so well by readers. The little girl in the story loves her life with her mother. She learns that her family will grow by having stepsiblings. She worries about not spending quality time with her mother and believes new children will bring nothing good to her existing family. Throughout the book, she keeps the boys at a distance by calling them Step One, Step Two, Step Three and Four. She warns the boys to stay away from everything she owns. Even the fish she says, is trained to bite. Throughout the book, she sees having stepsiblings as nothing but trouble and will only disturb her perfect life. She tries to rid them by making her room a “no-boy zone, to remain princess of her throne.” She has a change of heart when her stepbrothers come to her rescue, saving her from a mean bully. The girl no longer keeps them at a distance. She realizes her life is “better with a house of seven, with her brothers Rob, Tom, Bob, and Kevin.” Ms. Ashworth said, “Having the book around helped her see what she was feeling. One day it just clicked for my daughter. She realized having stepsiblings had its advantages. She was older than them, so she became boss.” 62
Story Monsters Ink | December 2017 | StoryMonsters.com
Step One, Step Two, Step Three and Four has taken a serious situation and made it relatable. Kids will enjoy the Seussical flair in its rhyme that will get kids to chuckle. Not only is this book great for the blended family, but it also provides a good lesson to brothers and sisters on acceptance. Maria Ashworth is an award-winning author who spends her free time doing speaking engagements and volunteering at a local Barnes & Noble for story time.
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WIN a Story Monsters Ink Reading Buddy! Every month, Storytime Pup has a drawing for a Story Monsters Ink plush reading buddy. Click www.storytimepup.com/giveaways.html to enter. If you are a children’s book author interested in having your book(s) considered for the Storytime Pup Channel, you can contact the Storytime Pup staff at: storytimepup@gmail.com. Bill McManus is a children’s book author and creator of the Storytime Pup Children’s Book Channel. www.StorytimePup.com