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The Secret Code of the Heartbeat Drum
★ A relaxing family gathering quickly turns into an unexpected adventure when Abba and Caruso, on their way there, take a wrong turn and end up in Outer Mongolia! ★
So-So’s spring concert this year coincides with Eid, so everybody, (and that means everybody) in the family will be coming. Including Abba and Caruso, driving in on their motorbike and sidecar. Now it’s Lina and So-So to the rescue!
Will they find Abba and Caruso and get back in time?
Or will they go back in time?
Join us for this uproarious adventure with the girls (ahem, and Caruso) as they fly across the world, dodge time-twisting wormholes, discover ancient secret codes, and fight off lip-smacking vultures.
Wait, do vultures even have lips?
Find out with us in The Secret Code of the Heartbeat Drum, a laugh-out-loud adventure that transports us across time and space through music, imagination and flat-out fun.
S.B. Goncarova is a neurodivergent writer, visual artist, director, poet, and musician. But most importantly, she is the Auntie of Three Adorbous Kids who were the inspiration for this book and many others. They call her Abba. She lives in a magical house and rides a motorcycle.
She frequently gets lost because her cat Caruso only knows his letters up to G and he can’t read a map to save his life!
So-So’s spring concert this year coincides with Eid, so everybody, (and that means everybody) in the family will be coming. Including Abba and Caruso, driving in on their motorbike and sidecar. Now it’s Lina and So-So to the rescue!
Will they find Abba and Caruso and get back in time?
Or will they go back in time?
Join us for this uproarious adventure with the girls (ahem, and Caruso) as they fly across the world, dodge time-twisting wormholes, discover ancient secret codes, and fight off lip-smacking vultures.
Wait, do vultures even have lips?
Find out with us in The Secret Code of the Heartbeat Drum, a laugh-out-loud adventure that transports us across time and space through music, imagination and flat-out fun.
S.B. Goncarova is a neurodivergent writer, visual artist, director, poet, and musician. But most importantly, she is the Auntie of Three Adorbous Kids who were the inspiration for this book and many others. They call her Abba. She lives in a magical house and rides a motorcycle.
She frequently gets lost because her cat Caruso only knows his letters up to G and he can’t read a map to save his life!
54 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 24, 2021
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 24, 2024
This is the first book I have read in this series, but it does work as a standalone before you read the rest of the series, of course!
I thought this was a brilliantly written and well thought out book, from the storyline being engaging and exciting to the characters that feature in the story , such as the fabulous Caruso the tuxedo cat!
The story is one big story broken down into little bite-sized chunks, perfect if the young reader doesn't have as long as attention span yet! One thing I particularly liked was that it would revert back to things that happened in previous chapters so that it makes the reader use their memory recall for it. I would say it's great for ages 7-11
I thought this was a brilliantly written and well thought out book, from the storyline being engaging and exciting to the characters that feature in the story , such as the fabulous Caruso the tuxedo cat!
The story is one big story broken down into little bite-sized chunks, perfect if the young reader doesn't have as long as attention span yet! One thing I particularly liked was that it would revert back to things that happened in previous chapters so that it makes the reader use their memory recall for it. I would say it's great for ages 7-11
March 20, 2024
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Secret Code Of The Heartbeat Drum' written by S.B. Goncarova.
Read and reviewed for S.B. Goncarova, Clay Grouse Press and Zooloo's Book Tours.
Publication date: 9th November 2023
This is the first book we have read by this author. It is also the third book in the 'Adventures With Abby' series but can be read as a standalone.
This is a lovely children's book that is part of Goncarova's 'Adventures With Abby' series. It is the third book in the series but it can be read as a standalone as each series contains a different adventure with Abby and although this book does mention previous adventures it is not something you have to go back and read about to understand. Amazon rates this book as suitable for children aged 7 years to 1 years. However, I read this with my 11 year old son with us taking turns to read chapters but I must admit that he did find the storyline a bit young for him. However, on saying that he has got a reading level of 15 years plus so that may not be the case for other 11 year olds. I, personally, would rate it more suitable to read to children from 3 years old to approximately 8 or 9 years old as I feel these age children would enjoy it more. This book tells us the story of Sofia who is more commonly known as and called So-So throughout the book. So-So is practising for her big solo for her school spring concert but is constantly being interrupted by her brother Adam and sister Lina. So-So is nervous enough about the concert and her solo as it is but she gets even more worried when she realises that her whole family including her Aunts, Uncles and Cousins will be at the school and then returning to the house in order to prepare for the end of Ramadan celebrations. To make things even worse Caruso, her Aunt Abba's cat is also performing at the school concert as he is the special-guest conductor. However, when the family starts getting concerned about their whereabouts they discover they are on the other side of the world!! Will So-So and Lina be able to find Aunt Abba and Caruso? Will they be able to get to the school on time? Well, grab your copy of this lovely children's book today and get ready to set of on an adventure with your child, So-So, Abba, Caruso and the rest of the family!! With fantastic emphasis on the noisy words in this book younger children will have a brilliant time recreating the noises at home, I certainly wouldn't recommend this as a bed time story but it is a perfect one to read during story time, in playgroup or in school to get their children up on their feet and making lots of noises with different instruments while having lots of fun!! The other fantastic thing about this book that I have got to point out is that not only does it contain a link for the read aloud video which my younger children who are 6 enjoyed watching but there is also a brilliant chance to win a signed 3 book box set and a Caruso plushie if you can work out the secret code hidden in the book within each chapter!!! Now, THIS IS something that Malaki has loved trying to work out! We have not managed to work it out yet but we believe we are heading in the right direction so pick up a copy today and have fun reading the story, watching the video of it being read aloud and trying to work out the code yourselves!! We all loved the fact that Caruso is a cat as we run Golden Oldies Cat Rescue and Hospice which you can find on social media and we always love seeing cats in books!! This really is a lovely book for young children filled with music, adventure, sounds, imagination, fun, excitement, a race against time, a fantastic called called Caruso and a brilliant chance to win an amazing prize!! This book is lovely and short and can be a quick read or be made into a fun long read whichever the reader wishes. The font is a nice style and size making it easy for adults and children to see and read too which is definitely a bonus as I have struggled with some fonts that authors have used in children's books in the past. It would be a perfect book for children to be read to by their teachers in school as well as friends and family members.
Overall a fun, imaginative, music children's book filled with adventure!
148 pages
This book is just £13.89 in paperback and £20.44 via Amazon at time of review.
Rated 4/5 ( We all enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews.
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Review for 'The Secret Code Of The Heartbeat Drum' written by S.B. Goncarova.
Read and reviewed for S.B. Goncarova, Clay Grouse Press and Zooloo's Book Tours.
Publication date: 9th November 2023
This is the first book we have read by this author. It is also the third book in the 'Adventures With Abby' series but can be read as a standalone.
This is a lovely children's book that is part of Goncarova's 'Adventures With Abby' series. It is the third book in the series but it can be read as a standalone as each series contains a different adventure with Abby and although this book does mention previous adventures it is not something you have to go back and read about to understand. Amazon rates this book as suitable for children aged 7 years to 1 years. However, I read this with my 11 year old son with us taking turns to read chapters but I must admit that he did find the storyline a bit young for him. However, on saying that he has got a reading level of 15 years plus so that may not be the case for other 11 year olds. I, personally, would rate it more suitable to read to children from 3 years old to approximately 8 or 9 years old as I feel these age children would enjoy it more. This book tells us the story of Sofia who is more commonly known as and called So-So throughout the book. So-So is practising for her big solo for her school spring concert but is constantly being interrupted by her brother Adam and sister Lina. So-So is nervous enough about the concert and her solo as it is but she gets even more worried when she realises that her whole family including her Aunts, Uncles and Cousins will be at the school and then returning to the house in order to prepare for the end of Ramadan celebrations. To make things even worse Caruso, her Aunt Abba's cat is also performing at the school concert as he is the special-guest conductor. However, when the family starts getting concerned about their whereabouts they discover they are on the other side of the world!! Will So-So and Lina be able to find Aunt Abba and Caruso? Will they be able to get to the school on time? Well, grab your copy of this lovely children's book today and get ready to set of on an adventure with your child, So-So, Abba, Caruso and the rest of the family!! With fantastic emphasis on the noisy words in this book younger children will have a brilliant time recreating the noises at home, I certainly wouldn't recommend this as a bed time story but it is a perfect one to read during story time, in playgroup or in school to get their children up on their feet and making lots of noises with different instruments while having lots of fun!! The other fantastic thing about this book that I have got to point out is that not only does it contain a link for the read aloud video which my younger children who are 6 enjoyed watching but there is also a brilliant chance to win a signed 3 book box set and a Caruso plushie if you can work out the secret code hidden in the book within each chapter!!! Now, THIS IS something that Malaki has loved trying to work out! We have not managed to work it out yet but we believe we are heading in the right direction so pick up a copy today and have fun reading the story, watching the video of it being read aloud and trying to work out the code yourselves!! We all loved the fact that Caruso is a cat as we run Golden Oldies Cat Rescue and Hospice which you can find on social media and we always love seeing cats in books!! This really is a lovely book for young children filled with music, adventure, sounds, imagination, fun, excitement, a race against time, a fantastic called called Caruso and a brilliant chance to win an amazing prize!! This book is lovely and short and can be a quick read or be made into a fun long read whichever the reader wishes. The font is a nice style and size making it easy for adults and children to see and read too which is definitely a bonus as I have struggled with some fonts that authors have used in children's books in the past. It would be a perfect book for children to be read to by their teachers in school as well as friends and family members.
Overall a fun, imaginative, music children's book filled with adventure!
148 pages
This book is just £13.89 in paperback and £20.44 via Amazon at time of review.
Rated 4/5 ( We all enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews.
#TheSecretCodeOfTheHeartbeatDrum #TheAdventuresWithAbbaSeries #SBGoncarova #s.b.goncarova #ClayGrousePress #ZooLoosBT #ZooloosBookTours #Bookworm1986 #BooksOnTour #BlogTour #BookReview #bookworm86 #Goodreads #Amazon #AmazonKindle #Bookstagram #BookBlogger
@TheSecretCodeOfTheHeartbeatDrum @TheAdventuresWithAbbaSeries @SBGoncarova @s.b.goncarova @ClayGrousePress @ZooLoosBT @ZooloosBookTours @Bookworm1986 @BooksOnTour @BlogTour @BookReview @bookworm86 @Goodreads @Amazon @AmazonKindle @Bookstagram @BookBlogger
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March 29, 2024
So-So has a big solo in the concert and she wants to make it the best ever. Abba and Caruso get lost on their way to the concert. Will they make it?
Sophie's review: Sophie found this book very funny in places. She laughed so hard when Abba fell in the swamp. Caruso was her favourite character. She liked the parts where it talked about Eid - they've been learning about that in school.
My review: this was a fun read and is also very educational. The characters are really engaging and it's so easy to get caught up in the adventure with them. I loved how it was Lina and So-So who had to save Abba and Caruso. The family were all so close, which I liked as we always talk about how important family is. We're definitely going to be reading the other books in this series.
Sophie's review: Sophie found this book very funny in places. She laughed so hard when Abba fell in the swamp. Caruso was her favourite character. She liked the parts where it talked about Eid - they've been learning about that in school.
My review: this was a fun read and is also very educational. The characters are really engaging and it's so easy to get caught up in the adventure with them. I loved how it was Lina and So-So who had to save Abba and Caruso. The family were all so close, which I liked as we always talk about how important family is. We're definitely going to be reading the other books in this series.
April 7, 2024
I will generally read everything including Middle Grade and let me tell you when I started this and learnt of the tuxedo cat, Caruso I was sold. But that isn’t the only reason this gets four stars. This chapter book is perfect for so many more reasons. I loved all the characters, particularly Caruso and So-So (Sophia) but it’s safe to say they are all a hit. The other thing I loved was the messages of the story. It will help readers understand several themes that will help them in their future, particularly Self-acceptance and the courage to believe in yourself.
These messages are artfully brought out with funny and heart-warming prose that will engage readers young and old. I can honestly say I loved this one!
These messages are artfully brought out with funny and heart-warming prose that will engage readers young and old. I can honestly say I loved this one!
April 7, 2024
The Secret Code of the Heartbeat Drum by S.B Goncarova.
The Adventures with Abba Series.
Meet So-So! She's got a solo for tonight's concert and she wants to make it the best ever! She's so focused on getting it ABSOLUTELY PERFECT that she wouldn’t even notice if fireworks were shooting out of the toilet seat!
Absolutely loved this children's book. I loved the cover. Great story. I did love the illustrations in the book too. Great read for all ages. 5*.
The Adventures with Abba Series.
Meet So-So! She's got a solo for tonight's concert and she wants to make it the best ever! She's so focused on getting it ABSOLUTELY PERFECT that she wouldn’t even notice if fireworks were shooting out of the toilet seat!
Absolutely loved this children's book. I loved the cover. Great story. I did love the illustrations in the book too. Great read for all ages. 5*.
March 29, 2024
The secret code of the heartbeat drum is the third book in the Adventures with Abba series by S.B Goncarova.
I absolutely loved this book. It is about friends, family and love. The book comes with a qr code that you can scan and join in with the read along, which makes the book extra fun and kids of all ages will enjoy it. I passed the book onto my niece after and she loved it. She said it was fun and really enjoyed doing the read along with it. A brilliant book for all the family. I highly recommend it.
💖 Thank you @zooloobooktours and the author, S.B Goncarova for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this book. It is about friends, family and love. The book comes with a qr code that you can scan and join in with the read along, which makes the book extra fun and kids of all ages will enjoy it. I passed the book onto my niece after and she loved it. She said it was fun and really enjoyed doing the read along with it. A brilliant book for all the family. I highly recommend it.
💖 Thank you @zooloobooktours and the author, S.B Goncarova for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
March 21, 2024
The Secret Code of the Heartbeat Drum is the third book in the Adventures with Abby series, but the only book in the series I've read.
I read this with and to our three Daughters, us all each taking turns reading it, and we all absolutely loved it.
It's a rip roaring adventure as we follow the girls flying across the globe encountering lots of fun and a little danger along the way.
It's a story of friendship, love and family and these themes absolutely shine through.
The story flowed incredibly well, the characters were just great and we read this over 3 bedtime story sittings.
A big 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from us.
I read this with and to our three Daughters, us all each taking turns reading it, and we all absolutely loved it.
It's a rip roaring adventure as we follow the girls flying across the globe encountering lots of fun and a little danger along the way.
It's a story of friendship, love and family and these themes absolutely shine through.
The story flowed incredibly well, the characters were just great and we read this over 3 bedtime story sittings.
A big 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from us.
January 18, 2024
Join us for this uproarious adventure with the girls as they fly across the world, dodge time-twisting wormholes, discover ancient secret codes, and fight off lip-smacking vultures. Along the way, you even learn some interesting facts about music!
I loved the way that tucked in all this fun adventure, is a very important life lesson about family, friends and love. But to find out about that lesson, well you have to read the book, no spoilers here lol.
I have read it twice, once on my own and then afterwards I listened to it on YouTube. Both times I was laughing out loud, enjoying the adventure and figuring out the code word in each chapter. It really will help the kids to pay attention, because they will want to get those codes.
If you have a child having a hard time with reading, I really feel this adventure will help to keep their attention and maybe even love reading!
I loved the way that tucked in all this fun adventure, is a very important life lesson about family, friends and love. But to find out about that lesson, well you have to read the book, no spoilers here lol.
I have read it twice, once on my own and then afterwards I listened to it on YouTube. Both times I was laughing out loud, enjoying the adventure and figuring out the code word in each chapter. It really will help the kids to pay attention, because they will want to get those codes.
If you have a child having a hard time with reading, I really feel this adventure will help to keep their attention and maybe even love reading!
February 14, 2024
Check out my full review at Nevy's Bookshelf
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews