Check the YOUTUBE interview with Peggy Alberda on the making of Hugo
The Ready Writer S1E22 (Peggy Alberda)
Readers' Favorite Book Review has given a
***** star review to "Hugo Makes Bread With Grandad"!
See review below the following news paper articles.
Journal Gazette news paper article on Hugo
Bread helps bind family | Living | Journal Gazette
The Ready Writer S1E22 (Peggy Alberda)
Readers' Favorite Book Review has given a
***** star review to "Hugo Makes Bread With Grandad"!
See review below the following news paper articles.
Journal Gazette news paper article on Hugo
Bread helps bind family | Living | Journal Gazette
Readers' Favorite Book Review Company has given a ***** star review to
"Hugo Makes Bread With Grandad"!
Book Review Mini-Critique
Below you will find ratings (scale of 1-5) with descriptions for the major parts of your book followed by your Readers' Favorite review. Although these are general ratings we hope they will give you an insight into how others may view the different components of your book.
These are the opinions of your reviewer, and although your reviewer is not an expert literary critic or professional editor, they are at the very least, an avid reader of books just like yours.
Title: Hugo Makes Bread With Grandad.
Author: Peggy Alberda
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Appearance: 5 *****
The appearance of a book can make a significant impact on the experience of a reader, whose enjoyment is often enhanced by an enticing cover, an intriguing table of contents, interesting chapter headings, and when possible, eye-catching illustrations.
Plot:5 *****
The characters of a book should be well defined with strengths and flaws, and while they do not have to be likable, the reader does have to be able to form a connection with them. The tone should be consistent, the theme should be clear, and the plot should be original or told from a unique perspective. For informative books -- those without plot and characters--this rating refers primarily to your concept and how well you presented it.
Development: 5*****
Development refers to how effectively you told your story or discussed your topic. The dialogue should be realistic, the descriptions should be vivid, and the material should be concise and coherent. Organization is also a key factor, especially for informative books -- those without plot and characters. The order in which you tell your story or explain your topic and how smoothly it flows can have a huge impact on the reader's understanding and enjoyment of the material.
Formatting: 5*****
Formatting is the single most overlooked area by authors. The way in which you describe scenes, display dialogue, and shift point of view can make or break your story. In addition, excessive grammatical errors and typos can give your book an amateurish feel and even put off readers completely.
Marketability: 5*****
Marketability refers to how effectively you wrote your book for your target audience. Authors may include content that is above or below the understanding of their target reader, or include concepts, opinions or language that can accidentally confuse or alienate some readers. Although by its nature this rating is very subjective, a very low rating here and poor reviews may indicate an issue with your book in this area.
Overall Opinion: 5*****
The overall starred rating takes into account all these elements and describes the overall reading experience of your reviewer. This is the official Readers' Favorite review rating for your book.
Review:
Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
What kind of bread do you eat? Store-bought or homemade? Hugo eats store-bought bread at home, but when he visits his grandparents, he enjoys their homemade bread. On one visit, Grandad decides it’s time to teach Hugo how to make his special oatmeal bread. Together they work in the kitchen, going through all the steps necessary for making the bread dough. After kneading it, they place it in a bowl in a warm, dry place “to take a nap.” It’s naptime for Hugo, too, but it takes a little convincing to get him to lie down for a nap. After explaining that the bread needed this “quiet time,” too, Hugo takes his nap and lets the bread magic do its work.
Peggy Alberda’s picture book story, Hugo Makes Bread With Grandad, is a heartwarming story that emphasizes the special bond that exists between grandparents and their grandchildren. The plot follows Hugo’s adventure of making bread with Grandad. It leads the young reader through the many steps, adding interesting anecdotes into the compassionate conversation between Hugo and his Grandad and his Grandma. The warmth of affection between the three is obvious as it kneads its way, quite literally, into the dough. Hugo learns that making bread is hard work, but it’s not difficult, and the end result is worth the effort especially when he gets to share his very own loaf of bread with his grandparents. At the end of the book is Grandad’s special oatmeal bread recipe so young readers can make their own bread, too. Beautiful illustrations. Told with love and compassion.
"Hugo Makes Bread With Grandad"!
Book Review Mini-Critique
Below you will find ratings (scale of 1-5) with descriptions for the major parts of your book followed by your Readers' Favorite review. Although these are general ratings we hope they will give you an insight into how others may view the different components of your book.
These are the opinions of your reviewer, and although your reviewer is not an expert literary critic or professional editor, they are at the very least, an avid reader of books just like yours.
Title: Hugo Makes Bread With Grandad.
Author: Peggy Alberda
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Appearance: 5 *****
The appearance of a book can make a significant impact on the experience of a reader, whose enjoyment is often enhanced by an enticing cover, an intriguing table of contents, interesting chapter headings, and when possible, eye-catching illustrations.
Plot:5 *****
The characters of a book should be well defined with strengths and flaws, and while they do not have to be likable, the reader does have to be able to form a connection with them. The tone should be consistent, the theme should be clear, and the plot should be original or told from a unique perspective. For informative books -- those without plot and characters--this rating refers primarily to your concept and how well you presented it.
Development: 5*****
Development refers to how effectively you told your story or discussed your topic. The dialogue should be realistic, the descriptions should be vivid, and the material should be concise and coherent. Organization is also a key factor, especially for informative books -- those without plot and characters. The order in which you tell your story or explain your topic and how smoothly it flows can have a huge impact on the reader's understanding and enjoyment of the material.
Formatting: 5*****
Formatting is the single most overlooked area by authors. The way in which you describe scenes, display dialogue, and shift point of view can make or break your story. In addition, excessive grammatical errors and typos can give your book an amateurish feel and even put off readers completely.
Marketability: 5*****
Marketability refers to how effectively you wrote your book for your target audience. Authors may include content that is above or below the understanding of their target reader, or include concepts, opinions or language that can accidentally confuse or alienate some readers. Although by its nature this rating is very subjective, a very low rating here and poor reviews may indicate an issue with your book in this area.
Overall Opinion: 5*****
The overall starred rating takes into account all these elements and describes the overall reading experience of your reviewer. This is the official Readers' Favorite review rating for your book.
Review:
Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
What kind of bread do you eat? Store-bought or homemade? Hugo eats store-bought bread at home, but when he visits his grandparents, he enjoys their homemade bread. On one visit, Grandad decides it’s time to teach Hugo how to make his special oatmeal bread. Together they work in the kitchen, going through all the steps necessary for making the bread dough. After kneading it, they place it in a bowl in a warm, dry place “to take a nap.” It’s naptime for Hugo, too, but it takes a little convincing to get him to lie down for a nap. After explaining that the bread needed this “quiet time,” too, Hugo takes his nap and lets the bread magic do its work.
Peggy Alberda’s picture book story, Hugo Makes Bread With Grandad, is a heartwarming story that emphasizes the special bond that exists between grandparents and their grandchildren. The plot follows Hugo’s adventure of making bread with Grandad. It leads the young reader through the many steps, adding interesting anecdotes into the compassionate conversation between Hugo and his Grandad and his Grandma. The warmth of affection between the three is obvious as it kneads its way, quite literally, into the dough. Hugo learns that making bread is hard work, but it’s not difficult, and the end result is worth the effort especially when he gets to share his very own loaf of bread with his grandparents. At the end of the book is Grandad’s special oatmeal bread recipe so young readers can make their own bread, too. Beautiful illustrations. Told with love and compassion.
A few fun details!
On November 18th 2020 the proof books arrived!
We examined them, made a few adjustments and uploaded them once again to Bookbaby.
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Lulu, our little mascot and I, discussing any changes needed. |
Lulu wanted to be a part of the story too. She thought it would be fun for the toddler in your family to find the puppy! She's somewhere on most of our full story pages!
Order from the author
Order from the author and get a signed book, free sticker and bookmark! Hugo bread towel with the red stripe on the end are also available from the author.
Order from email [email protected]
Bookbaby Bookshop:
In my bookshop you can now order either a hard copy or a soft cover copy of Hugo Makes Bread with Grandad.
I've included a discount code for FREE SHIPPING!
Christian book site
Hugo Makes Bread with Grandad is available on Christianbooks.com
Amazon
Hugo Makes Bread with Grandad, in both hard and soft cover.
Ordering details in menu
Will Hugo be available on Ebooks?
We do not have plans to have an Ebook at this time.
How can I help?
To those who consider helping I say thank you and am grateful.
Peggy
Order from the author and get a signed book, free sticker and bookmark! Hugo bread towel with the red stripe on the end are also available from the author.
Order from email [email protected]
Bookbaby Bookshop:
In my bookshop you can now order either a hard copy or a soft cover copy of Hugo Makes Bread with Grandad.
I've included a discount code for FREE SHIPPING!
Christian book site
Hugo Makes Bread with Grandad is available on Christianbooks.com
Amazon
Hugo Makes Bread with Grandad, in both hard and soft cover.
Ordering details in menu
Will Hugo be available on Ebooks?
We do not have plans to have an Ebook at this time.
How can I help?
- “Like” and “Share” my social media posts ( that one's easy )
- Tell your friends about Hugo Makes Bread With Grandad.
- Ask me for Hugo bookmarks to pass out to friends.
- Purchase books from Author
- If you purchase a book please consider writing a review.
- Purchase Hugo for children on your gift list throughout the year. Pair it with an apron, small bread pan and a wooden spoon tied with a bow for a larger gift.
- Read Hugo to a child, then make the bread recipe in the back of the book together (this will not help me pay off book expenses but it will accomplish the goal in my heart.)️
To those who consider helping I say thank you and am grateful.
Peggy
Hugos's Birth
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December 2019
I said to my husband, Joel, "I feel like I am supposed to write a children's book." His response was "You keep saying that. Why don't you just do it?" I had no idea how to write a book or had any idea what to write about. After that I just forgot about it.
Mid January 2020
I was inspired to write, to stop what I was doing and write this children’s book now! I grabbed my laptop and sat looking at a blank screen. Eventually I made a list of things I have knowledge of. As I scanned the list the word BREAD stood out to me!
I just started typing... I didn’t read it until I was finished. Whew!
I said to Joel, “I think I just wrote a children’s book.”
Joel said, “Just now?"
“Yes!” I replied.
I read the story to my adult kids, grandkids and a few friends who were very encouraging. I didn’t know of an illustrator who favored the old fashioned hand drawn style I was wanting. This all seemed too big and too much work.
I decided to just wait.
I said to my husband, Joel, "I feel like I am supposed to write a children's book." His response was "You keep saying that. Why don't you just do it?" I had no idea how to write a book or had any idea what to write about. After that I just forgot about it.
Mid January 2020
I was inspired to write, to stop what I was doing and write this children’s book now! I grabbed my laptop and sat looking at a blank screen. Eventually I made a list of things I have knowledge of. As I scanned the list the word BREAD stood out to me!
I just started typing... I didn’t read it until I was finished. Whew!
I said to Joel, “I think I just wrote a children’s book.”
Joel said, “Just now?"
“Yes!” I replied.
I read the story to my adult kids, grandkids and a few friends who were very encouraging. I didn’t know of an illustrator who favored the old fashioned hand drawn style I was wanting. This all seemed too big and too much work.
I decided to just wait.
I had no idea at that time that Hugo would ever leave my computer. Over the next few weeks Joel encouraged me to work towards publishing it. I had no knowledge how to self publish nor was I at all interested in learning how. I told Joel if I had to self publish then this story would never get published. Well... as you can see, I did end up taking the self publishing plunge!
A friend of mine sent a quick simple text “I know an illustrator.”
I thought, "What are the chances of this illustrator doing the style that I want?". I googled her name and found her webpage and spent a day scouring the Internet learning as much as I could about Mary Coons.
The next day I called Mary and talked to her about this story. Five minutes into the conversation Mary was all in! She hadn’t even read the manuscript! She told me that she was very excited about joining my project! Mary did not have any work lined up at that time so she could start right away! We talked many times, emailed and talked some more. I sent tons of photographs of my life, house, items in my home, even my grandsons picture.
I told her what I envisioned for each picture and she set out to create rough sketches.
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Mary drove two hours to my house to bring me the sketches and to have lunch with me on my porch. We spent a lovely afternoon getting to know one another and plan out the final details I had for each illustration. Then Mary went to work! Mary took my ideas, blended them with her own and the outcome is what you see within the pages of Hugo Makes Bread With Grandad. |
Mary Coons (right) and I on my porch
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Just like my grandkids house
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 My house
Hugo’s house actually looks like my grandchildren’s house and the Grandparent's house looks just like mine! |
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Lulu is my little pup and she looks just like the illustrations Mary made of her! |
 My Lulu
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Favorite Stories
The antique green glass measuring cup always plays a part
in my bread baking and the pictures you see in the book on
the walls are ours too.
The books grandma reads were always requested favorites
when my kids were small.
Bread bowl in the laundry room with Hugo's apron
The bread bowl was my mother-in-law's. Joel and I really do make all our own bread.
See the apron Hugo wears, draped over the bread bowl? I bought it
at a yard sale before I was married in 1978. All the little ones in our family have worn it while baking with me over the years.
See the apron Hugo wears, draped over the bread bowl? I bought it
at a yard sale before I was married in 1978. All the little ones in our family have worn it while baking with me over the years.
The grandkids really do call Joel Grandad and the bread "Grandad Bread". 
Grandma's Sourdough bread
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Joel has a woodworking shop where he creates beautiful hardwood furniture. He also has been known to turn bowls and carve apple spoons. He even made the Hugo step stool, bread boards and toy box. Mary brought our real lives into this story very precisely, she even captured my red cooling rack and the white bread baking towels with the red stripe on the ends! |
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Thanks for hanging out....
Peggy
Peggy
