Sharing some coloring pages

Today I thought I would share some more coloring pages that I found that are related to my books. Hope the kids enjoy them.  -Elfa Books

Word Search Game based off of my book, The Ancient Secrets of the Leprechauns

Here is a fun word search game based off of my newest book, The Ancient Secrets of the Leprechauns. How many of the words can you find?

Ancient Secrets

C P R I C E L E S S Y P P A H 
O O C E V A C W Z B T E Y P A 
U O M E I Y O C E H R A E D L 
R L W R L B T A E S I S S E L 
A S E C N E U Q E S N O C H U 
G K U I T T B R T U J F D S C 
E D A O I R V R A E R X O I I 
O R N F U E I H A I A C L L N 
U K U A R N C U E T I M P P A 
S L N A L E E N M G I R H M T 
T Z N A R S D R A P Z O I O I 
S C K P L S I M T F H G N C N 
E S E D E P M A T S W E S C G 
U L C A M O U F L A G E D A B 
Q W S E L C A T S B O G O L D 

ACCOMPLISHED
BEAUTIFUL
CAMOUFLAGED
CAVE
CELEBRATION
CONSEQUENCES
COURAGEOUS
DOLPHINS
FRIENDS
GOLD
HALLUCINATING
HAPPY
ISLAND
LAIR
LEPRECHAUNS
MAGIC
OBSTACLES
PERSERVERANCE
PLANK
POOL
PRICELESS
QUEST
RAINBOWS
STAMPEDES
STASH
STRENUOUS
TEAM
TRIUMPHED

Latest Reviews on Amazon...all 5 Stars!

I have been receiving some fantastic reviews for my book, Stinky Fumes. I wanted to share portions of those reviews with you here. I appreciate all of them!

All 5 Stars!
"Stinky Fumes King of the Wild is one of the most adorable books I have ever read. I highly recommend it to anyone with children. A wonderful children’s book teaching how being different can be a gift. This is a wonderful book that celebrates the difference in us all! I think this is an important message to children, to be accepting of others differences and to respect those differences." ~Shauna

"This is a really cute and fun story to read, and is a book I think that can be used not only by parents for a good night book, but as a teaching tool for parents and teachers to read to slightly older kids to teach them about foster, adoptive families and/or about how being different doesn't (mean) bad things, or that you are not “you” if you are different. That it is OK to be different than what is expected of you." ~Trinton

"I thought a book with a silly name like Stinky Fumes would be a silly book but not so! It’s actually quite poignant and deep and got me thinking. So as the saying goes, don’t judge a book by it’s cover! What an invaluable lesson to teach our children! What sets us apart doesn't actually make us bad. It makes us unique and special and whatever abilities we have that no one else possesses can be amazing!

"Stinky Fumes is a great life lesson for kids and I shared this book with my four and five year olds. While reading them a book on the Kindle means they don’t get a picture every page, I actually found them listening and paying attention to the words more because of the lack of pictures. Who knew! They both struggle with things about themselves that are different and I’ll remember (remind) them of Pepper the skunk when they are feeling insecure and need their differences championed!" ~IE Mommy

"The book moves rapidly, and keeps you involved throughout, you will experience a wide array of emotions and will find yourself rooting for Pepper and being surprised by his two rabbit friends Tiger and Hopper.

This is a fun book, with a few lessons and some laughs as well." ~Tamirisc

"This story is filled with important lessons that any family would enjoy. I read this book with my two daughters and they really enjoyed the story. Pepper, Tiger, and Hopper team up on a crazy and wild adventure and demonstrate how being yourself can be the only way!!!"~Wael

Giveaway: Stinky Fumes

GOODREADS GIVEAWAY!

Stinky Fumes: King of the Wild Vol 1
by Mahamad Ali Elfakir (Goodreads Author)

Release date: Feb 14, 2014
Win an autographed paperback copy!

IT'S PARTY TIME-COME JOIN THE WILD ADVENTURE!

Pepper the skunk is looking forward to the annual meet and greet party…more [close] Win an autographed paperback copy!

IT'S PARTY TIME-COME JOIN THE WILD ADVENTURE!

Pepper the skunk is looking forward to the annual meet and greet party, where every skunk in the forest gathers to watch the new skunks spray for the first time. Pepper is ready to show off his first spray in front of everyone-but things don't exactly go as planned! Pepper is embarrassed and upset to discover that he is different from all the other skunks. He worries that this means he is not a true skunk, but when his friends and family are faced with the threat of coyotes, Pepper realizes that being different can actually be a great thing. Join Pepper in his heroic adventure to try to save the skunks of the forest from coyotes. Will his differences help him or cause him to lose the battle? Find out in Stinky Fumes-a fun-loving and exciting adventure that reminds us how unique and wonderful we all are.

Enter to win at Goodreads
Giveaway dates: Feb 20 - Apr 15, 2014

Stinky Fumes: King of the Wild Vol 1
by Mahamad Ali Elfakir (Goodreads Author)

Release date: Feb 14, 2014

Win an autographed paperback copy!

IT'S PARTY TIME-COME JOIN THE WILD ADVENTURE!

Pepper the skunk is looking forward to the annual meet and greet party…more

[close] Win an autographed paperback copy!

IT'S PARTY TIME-COME JOIN THE WILD ADVENTURE!

Pepper the skunk is looking forward to the annual meet and greet party, where every skunk in the forest gathers to watch the new skunks spray for the first time. Pepper is ready to show off his first spray in front of everyone-but things don't exactly go as planned! Pepper is embarrassed and upset to discover that he is different from all the other skunks. He worries that this means he is not a true skunk, but when his friends and family are faced with the threat of coyotes, Pepper realizes that being different can actually be a great thing. Join Pepper in his heroic adventure to try to save the skunks of the forest from coyotes. Will his differences help him or cause him to lose the battle? Find out in Stinky Fumes-a fun-loving and exciting adventure that reminds us how unique and wonderful we all are. [close]

Enter to win

Giveaway dates: Feb 20 - Apr 15, 2014

Retro Bubble Gum Valentine's

Valentine's Day is tomorrow and on my Facebook page I shared some craft inspired Valentine projects using bubble gum.

Here on my blog I thought I would share some vintage Valentine's that were found on the net. These were something else! Happy Valentine's Day!

~Elfa Books

Bubblegum Coloring!

Today I thought it might be fun just to have some pages to color of different people or characters chewing bubblegum or bubblegum related. Perhaps maybe they are chewing Blueberry Bubble Gum?
Once you are finished, show me what you have done. I would love to see them and share them.
~Elfa Books

Bubble Gum Trivia (Questions)

I thought today I would share some bubble gum trivia with you today. (Note: credit for these questions goes to T. Trimpe)
How well, can you do? Give me your answers in a comment. Ready?

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1. How many sticks of gum does the average American chew in a year?
A. 200 B. 300 C. 400

2. How many tons of gum are chewed every year?
A. 50,000 B. 75,000 C. 100,000

3. If all the five-chunk packs of Bubble Yum ever chewed in the U.S. since it's
introduction in 1975 were laid end-to-end, how many times would it circle the
earth at the equator? A. 2 B. 5 C. 7

 4. San Luis Obispo, California, is the home of 'Bubble Gum Alley'. What is it?
A. An alley with brick walls covered with ABC (already-been-chewed) gum wads.
B. The place where bubble gum was invented.
C. The home of the largest collection of bubble gum machines.

5. Richard Walker holds the record for the Chomp Title by chewing 135 sticks of
gum for the longest time. How long did he chomp?
A. 5 hours B. 6 hours C. 8 hours

6. The Topps company holds the record for having made the largest single piece of
bubble gum. How many pieces of normal-sized Bazooka did it equal?
A. 5000 B. 8000 C. 10, 000

7. The 1952 Mickey Mantle rookie card is the most valuable Topps Company card.
How much did it sell for at auction?
A. $75,000 B. $120,000 C. $1,000,000

 8. What is the Official Gum of Major League Baseball?
A. Bubble Yum B. Bazooka C. Topps

9. When was the first successful bubble gum invented?
A. 1891 B. 1906 C. 1928

10. Susan Mont "Gum"ery Williams is the Guinness Record Holder Of the Worlds
Largest Gum Bubble. How big was it?
A. 19 inches B. 23 Inches C. 27 inches

Resolve to read more books?

Do you know the history?

You may not know the name Walter Diemer. Walter Diemer worked for Fleer Chewing Gum Company in Philadelphia in 1928. He was an account for the company but chose to use his spare time figuring out new recipes for the gum.

He quite accidentally happened upon a batch that was less sticky than the gum his company was selling and stretched quite further, in essence, it bubbled. He decided to sell this new "gum" and made over 1 1/2 million dollars in his first year. The gum was called Dubble Bubble and was sold and marketed by Fleer.

Walter Diemer never patented his product and never received royalties from the sale. In fact, he continued to work for Fleer Chewing Gum and retired from the company while working himself up to Senior Vice-President.

Walter Diemer passed away January 9, 1998 but his iconic bubble gum lives on.

Happy New Year & Some Reviews

Happy New Year!

I greatly appreciate all my readers and reviewers.  I thought today I would give you a smattering of what reviewers have been saying about my book.

Thank you to them all!

"The author of this fine little book is new to this reader and this may be a first published book. If so the success of this book that combines fantasy, humor, adventure, scary tales, and rules of conduct by Mahamad Ali ElFakir suggests that we have another fine writer in the genre of entertaining children's book that carry strong messages." ~Grady Harp.

"The author does a great job focusing on a topic most children find themselves in. Not listening to their parents and doing as they are told, as well as lying. This is a problem majority of parents, at one time or another, find themselves in. The author creates a story to show what might possibly happen when you don't listen to your parents and follow the rules. There are consequences to their actions, and though this story embellishes a lot, especially with a bubble coming out of someone's booty and carrying them away, the message is loud and clear." ~Children's Book Reviewer

"This was a pretty cute little story. It teaches kids a very valuable lesson about lying and following the rules. Even though it teaches a lesson, the story is a lot of fun and will have children wanting to read it. The illustrations were a lot of fun as well. I know a few kids who could learn a lesson or two about lying. If only the magical blueberry bubble gum world was real. " ~Schneider Mommy

"There are lessons in this book to be learned about deceit, lies and disobeying your parents. Kids will like this story about a boy named Max that has a blueberry bubble gum bubble blow out the rear of his pajamas sending him flying to an adventure in Blueberry Bubble Gum World where he sees strange creatures. I know for a fact kids will enjoy the book because my young grandkids did crack-up over the story. No pun intended!" ~It's Time To Read MawMaw