Nelly Pig´s Funny Birthday Surprise

Nelly Pig´s Life #1

by Ingo Blum, Tanya Maneki

Let's bake the biggest birthday cake on earth . . . Join Nelly the pig!

Nelly the pig and Carlos the duck are living on an old farm. They are best friends. The day before Carlos’s birthday, Nelly’s lazy ways and Carlos’s bossiness cause a big argument and Carlos takes off on his holidays. Afraid that Carlos will make new friends and leave her forever, Nelly decides to make him the biggest, best birthday cake ever! But things don’t quite go according to Nelly’s plans.

Will Carlos even come home?

The vivid color illustrations of this book make listening (and looking at the pictures!) very easy. The text is simple and suitable for an early age. This story shall help children appreciate the value of friends and friendship.

Genres: Childrens, Animals, Picture Books

50 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2018

About the author

Ingo Blum is a German author and comedian. His journey to becoming a children’s book author began during his day job. He has always enjoyed projects where he could create artwork for kids. Eventually, he became a writer and graphic designer in the evenings - and started writing children's stories to accompany these projects for fun. With some encouragement from his friends and family (and a lot of kids!), he decided to share his stories with the world.
Ingo works with illustrators from all over the world with whom he constantly develops new concepts and stories.

Please visit him at www.ingoblumbooks.com
or https://www.facebook.com/ingoblumauthor/

Reviews

[♥ℂĦℝΪՖƬΪℕÅ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Birthday Surprise! ★'s



➽I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through Hidden Gems Books.

This is the second book I have read now by Ingo Blum and I've given them both 3 stars. This wasn't a bad book, it was better than Where is My Little Dog? but still just a 3 star for me. My 5-year-old niece enjoyed it more too but I doubt it's something we'd ever read together again. It's a cute and funny little book with animals who live on a farm. They organize a party for their friend (who is a duck) Carlos's birthday party. I'm really not a fan of some of the names but that's neither here nor there. I didn't like that the conflict between Carlos and Nelly was never dealt with, it was just swept under the rug sort of speak. What a missed learning opportunity that was. I didn't care for the way the bilingual is set up. Again for little kids that are not bilingual, the extra words are confusing and distracting. Also, my niece was a bit disappointed that the pictures weren’t on the same pages as the story, perhaps it was because it was kindle format..? I don't know. Anyways the illustrations are really adorable and brightly colored so the artwork really pops and my niece loved the coloring pages at the end of the book that I was able to print out for her.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My three year old enjoyed it. Lots of oohs and ahhs and laughing. We'll read more by this author.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

After an disagreement with Carlos the Duck, the organizer of the farm, Nelly Pig's Funny Birthday Surprise blows up in the oven. The story is silly and the preschools I read it thought it was very funny. The illustrations are top notch and fit with the storyline. Nelly Pig's Funny Birthday Surprise is a good book to talk to preschoolers about imagination and pretend play plus friendship and disagreements and how they make you feel.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 2 out of 5]

An Underappreciated Organizer’s Birthday

I have read one other bilingual German children's book by this author, and I found that one charming. This one was whimsical but had some issues. The author is German, and I don't think some of his translations from German into English make sense for English speakers. Particularly, some nouns seem ill chosen—we don't refer to certain things as the author did. There was also at least one spot in the English version where couple words ran together. I did receive a PDF ARC copy, so perhaps this has been fixed in the final version. It is too far in the book to check out in a preview at an online bookseller.

The basic storyline is that Carlos the duck is the one who tells the other animals what to do at his farm. His pig friend Nelly is tired of being bossed around, and they have an argument about it. The duck decides to go on holiday, but the next day is his birthday. Feeling a little guilty for the argument, Nelly decides to bake him a cake for when he returns. All the farm animals help, and they enlist the aid of other creatures outside the farm, like a squirrel and the bees. But things go haywire when trying to bake the cake. It explodes and seems to overtake the farmhouse inside and out. Carlos comes back just at this time. Making lemonade out of lemons, the farm animals decorate the cake-covered farmhouse and enjoy Carlos’s birthday celebration.

Since Nelly was the one who organized the ill-fated cake baking, it would have been nice if there had been a page where she stated she understood how difficult it was to organize such an event. She and Carlos could have had a little moment of understanding around that. I do like how the English and German pages show the differences in capitalization and quotation marks between the languages. The illustrations are vividly colorful. Despite its flaws, if your child is learning German in school or at home, he or she may appreciate this book as an addition to learning. It also works for older language learners. I think children's books are a great way to cement language learning for any age.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this children's book, with a sweet story and beautiful illustrations by Tanya Maneki. My nieces also enjoyed it, and thought it was very funny and very nice. Taken just at face value as a basic children's story, it's a great book, and we would definitely recommend it to other children, and we'd like to read more stories about Nelly and her friends.
However, in common with other reviewers, I have a few concerns about the story. Whilst I could've sent the author a message about the tart/cake and weight of ingredients issue so he could update the book for future readers, allergy and food intolerances are just opportunities for discussing our ideal cakes (my niece is dairy intolearnt and I've got a nut allergy), and see the ingredients borrowing situation as a "getting to know your neighbours/stranger-danger" chat opportunity, I too thought the way that there were constant references to how fat Nelly was, how she was always eating or nibbling, and how the other characters teased her was wrong. Even in a book for kids this young, it's potentially setting the foundations for body issues - my 5-year-old niece asked if she was as fat as Nelly because she liked cake too! Reducing the references and phrasing them better would stop this.
NB I received a complimentary copy of this book, but I always give an HONEST review based wholly on my own opinions

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlos (duck) oversees the animal’s work detail.
Nelly (pig), & Carlos are best buddies.
1 day they got into a argument.
Carlos decided he was going on vacation.
Clance (dog) reminded him it was his birthday tomorrow.
Coco (mouse) wanted to know if he would be back in time.
Fritz (rooster) noticed Carlos was gone.
Nelly & the other animals were going to bake him a cake.
Will Carlos return?

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, fabulous hand drawn colored pictures, great font & writing style. A very well written children’s book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great children’s movie, an animated cartoon, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free author; planet!oh concepts publications; 1 edition; BookBub; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Barbara Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This tale is a humorous story about two friends on a farm who have a disagreement. Carlos, the duck, is mean and bossy. He supervises everything that goes on at the farm. One day, Nelly, the pig, has an argument with him. Carlos decides to go on an unannounced vacation. Nelly feels guilty and remorseful so she gathers the animals around the farm and decides to bake a huge birthday cake for Carlos’ upcoming birthday. Readers follow their progress and learn a little about where the ingredients for the cake originate.
Much of the story is a string of events and characters that are not clearly connected. This may be confusing to young readers. The animals are rather unkind toward Nelly. I can’t decide whether the author intended this to be a picture book or a chapter book. There are many color illustrations but too much text with advanced vocabulary to allow younger children to follow along independently. The plot goes on longer than it needs to convey the message.
In general, I would recommend the book to beginning readers who favor animal stories with a humorous twist

[Cynthia Gutzwiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute story for young children about Carlos the duck. The illustrations aide the story in keeping the little ones glued to the book to see what funny things are going to happen next.
Nelly says they don't need Carlos telling them what to do on the farm. Carlos heard and tells everyone he is going on vacation. His birthday is the next day. When Nelly wakes up the next morning and realized it's Carlos's Birthday he feels bad. They all decide to make him a cake just in case he comes home. They don't have enough sugar so they go see the Martin in the sugar cane fields. He gives them sugar for a party invitation. They need honey. After they decide where honey comes from. Where does honey come from? That's right bees have the honey. They go and talk with the bees. Do they get the honey? Do they get the cake baked? Does Carlos come home? You get to have almost more fun than going to the party. You get to listen/read and find out all the funny things that happen. I hope you enjoy laughing. Hee. Hee.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute little story about a group of farm animals trying to organize a party for their friend's birthday, the problems that arise, and how they deal with them all. There are plenty of colorful pictures throughout the story depicting scenes described in the story.

My 3-year-old niece became fixated on the fact that the cake was going to have walnuts in it because she is allergic to nuts and was upset at the fact she would not be able to eat any of it (it didn't matter to her that the cake is fictional). After she found out about the walnuts her interest in the story waned. Up until this point, however, she had been interested and actively asking questions about what the animals were doing (she especially liked the mice).

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Needs a bit of work

The ending of the book is pretty funny, and the illustrations are really good. However, it’s quite clear it was not written by a native English speaker, so I would recommend getting a native speaker to review your work before publishing it. For example, one doesn’t garnish a cake, one decorates a cake. I’m also not very satisfied with the conflict resolution between the pig in the duck. It doesn’t show good interpersonal communication skills for young children. The fact that you have to flip the page to see the picture is also not very ideal for young children who want to see the pictures while you’re reading it. It might work for a paper book, but not so much for a digital book to have opposing pages for text and pictures.

[Susan Barton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's Carlos's the duck's birthday and Nelly the pig is feeling bad that Carlos is away. She thinks she insulted Carlos and caused him to "go on holiday". Nelly plans a birthday party to make things up to him.

I can honestly say that this book is just "okay". The writing and dialogue is stilted and lacks interest, in my opinion. Having the text and illustrations on separate pages makes the story much more difficult to follow. It would have been easier and more enjoyable if readers could follow the story while seeing the illustrations at the same time.

I have a difficult time believing that this book will hold the interest of most children. The illustrations are cute, however. Apologies to the author, but I think this book could have been better.

[Melanie Adkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlos the Duck is in charge. He's always been in charge. He organizes the work on the farm.
Nelly Pig is Carlos' best friend. However, Nelly doesn't like his bossiness. It leads to an argument and Carlos leaves the farm for a few days. While he's gone, Nelly is in charge. It doesn't go well at all. See what they do for dear Carlos.

OH, this book is a gem! I wish I'd had it when my girls were young. It is a terrific way to explain why they should work together and they can get things done. Your little will love all the farm animals and the chaos that ensues.

I found no issues,

I gave this one 5 cheers out of 5 because it really is a gem. copy of book provided by author and I voluntarily reviewed it.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nelly Pigs Funny Birthday Surprise by Tanya Maneki
Colorful children's story that starts out with Carlos the duck and he lives on the farm. Other animals are introduced as well.
Nelly had an argument with Carlos and has left the farm. Nelly feels sad and thinks they must do the chores on the farm and Carlos will come back.
Nelly wants to bake a cake and they all pitch in to help.
Carlos arrives back at the farm and there is fire! You'd never guess what fun things happen next.
Cute story.
Other books in the riverboat series are highlighted at the end.
About the author and illustrator are also included.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, silly story about animals on a farm, which probably would intrigue many children who love animals and silliness. The story is beautifully illustrated which would probably be the biggest interest for most children. I found it, as an adult, a little hard to keep track of all the characters as there are so many for a children's read. The silliness will appeal to younger children 3-4, but it is a little long for children younger, and perhaps to silly for children older.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable Birthday Surprise story! Cute pictures! Nelly Pig is best friends with Carlos the duck. Carlos leaves the farm when he and Nelly have an argument. Will he miss his birthday? Or will he make it in time for the surprise?

This is a story children will love to read with pictures that will make them smile!

I was gifted an ARC in return of an honest review.

[R · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clumsy

This book starts well, but is quite clumsily written. There are a couple of spelling errors and superfluous words. My 4 yr old didn’t like the formatting because she couldn’t see the pictures as I was reading. There is potential to be a moral about forgiveness, but it is forgotten. And, spoiler alert, they didn’t eat the birthday cake.

[Holly Lenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet farmyard children’s story with beautiful illustrations

Nelly Pig’s Funny Birthday Surprise is a sweet Farmyard children’s story with beautiful color illustrations. This book makes a lovely bedtime story.

[Cathy Farlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a good story & the illustrations are great. However, My son was disappointed that the pictures weren’t on the same pages as the story. We read the kindle version so it may just be formatting. I would recommend this as a fun, quick read for bedtime.

[The Endless Unread · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely

This is a lovely children's book with a good storyline. The illustrations are really cute and I liked the characters. However at times the speech sleeps a little. Could do with a minor tweak to make this book perfect.

[Brianna Chiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shows we need each other

This book is cute and humorous and reminds kids that, even if we don’t agree sometimes, we still need each other. Friends are important and will treat you that way if they true. The farm animals in this book will show you that.

[Jeanetta Chrystie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute story

A cute story, children's books don't have to be realistic. The positive is that it has English and German.
It would be nice if it explained some of the words such as Geburtstsguberrsshung is A. Concatenation of the words for birthday and surprise.

[Lee Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute story that I am sure children will enjoy. The illustrations are bright, colorful and well drawn. The English/German Bilingual aspect is definitely a plus.

[Dorothy A Aird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

Kids loved this story, they giggled throughout and enjoyed the pictures. From my little one "one million thumbs up" We look forward to reading other stories.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was cute with all the animals. The illustrations was also cute. It was a story about friendship and how friend sometimes don't get along. I received a free copy to do an honest review.

[David Szczepanek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick German Reader

Liked the two side presentation. One page in English and next page in German. Will look at author‘s other books.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das Buch hat uns zu aller erst besonders wegen dem Namen des Schweinchens angesprochen, denn auch unser riesiger Nachbarshund heißt Nelly. Das fand mein kleiner Sohn natürlich wahnsinnig witzig.

Beim Lesen können die Kinder bereits auch einige Gefühlsregungen nachempfinden und empfinden dabei auch Empathie. Das Schweinchen Nelly streitet sich nämlich ganz heftig mit ihrem besten Freund Carlos, dem "Organisator" auf ihrem Bauernhof. Aufgrund des Streits beschließt Carlos dann auch Urlaub zu machen und sich von der Situation zu distanzieren, obwohl am darauffolgenden Tag aber sein Geburtstag ist. Nelly ist ganz aufgebracht wegen seines Verschwindens und bereut den Streit sehr. Deshalb beschließt sie, mit den anderen Tierfreunden eine große Geburtstagstorte zu backen. Da Nelly jedoch nicht Carlos Geschick beim Organisieren hat, geht das ganze Vorhaben gewaltig schief. Genau in diesem Moment kommt auch Carlos wieder auf den Bauernhof zurück um doch seinen Geburtstag mit den anderen zu verbringen. Aus dem kleinen "Unfall" wird dann aber doch ein schönes Erlebnis für alle.

Besonders toll finde ich, dass auch mal Streit in einem Kinderbuch als "Hauptthema" angesprochen wird. Unsere Kinder streiten doch auch immer wieder, sei es mit uns, den Eltern, ihren Geschwistern oder aber auch ihren Freunden. Auch die Kleinen sind nicht immer gleicher Meinung, was auch vollkommen ihr Recht ist. Genauso müssen sie aber auch in ihrem Leben lernen, sich wieder zu vertragen und einzusehen, wenn sie falsch gelegen sind. Das demonstriert die Geschichte wirklich sehr gut und hat mich dementsprechend auch sehr gefreut. Der Unfall mit dem Kuchen ist natürlich ganz lustig gestaltet und erzählt, was die Kleinen auch zum Lachen bringt.

Der Text ist recht einfach gehalten und wird gut mit den Illustrationen verbunden. Diese sind auch sehr bunt und comicähnlich gehalten.

Auch das eher größere Format hat uns gut gefallen. Zudem ist es Handtaschen-freundlich für alle Mamas und kann dementsprechend leicht mitgenommen werden.

Warum jedoch mitnehmen? Das Buch ist nämlich Geschichte und Malbuch in einem. Ganz hinten angefügt sind noch vier Bilder zum Ausmalen mit angefügt. Somit können sich die Kinder auch erneut selbst mit den Charakteren der Geschichte beschäftigen. Wer also beim Essen gehen eine Beschäftigung für die Kleinen braucht, einfach das Buch einstecken.

Einen kleinen Schwachpunkt sehe ich persönlich. Meiner Meinung nach sind die Namen der Tiere zu typisch "Englisch". Mit "Clance" etwa verbindet mein Sohn keinen Namen. Auch Kinder die bereits lesen können, stolpern wohl über "Carlos" und "Coco".