Amazon Winsome Tales Category:  Fantasy Publisher: Create Space ISBN-10:  1440437289 Type: Fiction Pages: 36 Copyright: November 3, 2008 ISBN-13: 9781440437281 Ti Ana and The Giant is a marvelously entertaining book about the Land of Lush, now Mush. Ti Ana and The Giant is a marvelously entertaining book about the Land of Lush, now Mush. A delightful story about a land that used to be full of abundance and creativity but turned into despair and hopelessness.  "That's just the way it is" was how most villagers believed the situation to be - except for one: Ti Ana who goes on an adventure to save her land. A wonderful read for young and old. The writing is pure genius that gets across several messages while at the same time keeping the interest high and being a page flipping delight. Here's what people are saying... "Awesome. I loved it." C.B. "Great fairy tale, allegory, really." M.B. "Thank you--beautiful concept and writing." R.S.T. "Very Cool!" D.G. "Thanks for the story. It's cute!" G.M. "Thanks for the story, I enjoyed it and passed it on to the kids who enjoyed it, too." T.J. "It is a very interesting tale which held my interest waiting for the next development." L.C. Excerpt Once upon a time there was a very curious young girl named Ti Ana who lived in the Village of Mush. The Village of Mush wasn't always named that, it just became that. A long, long time ago, at least in kid years, the Village of Mush was called the Village of Lush. It was the envy of the surrounding countryside because of its lush green fields, rolling hills, abundance of food and gorgeous blooming flowers year round. The Village of Lush had the best of everything: nice weather, bountiful farms, gourmet cooks, thriving businesses, creative artists, great storytellers, the best entertainers and the families were very happy. Of course, in the Village of Lush, it was always spring – never too hot and never too cold. A wealthy land where the people prospered. Ti Ana could remember attending festivals when she was very small. The fields would be filled with wonderful smells of fresh baked meat pies and sweet pastries, booths with ribbons, dolls and all sorts of neat stuff, stages with musicians, plays, clowns and more. The surrounding village folks would be invited to participate and have a jolly time. Children playing, music, adults dancing, crowds of happy people, it was so fun! But now it just rained...and rained...and rained and all that's left is muck in the Village of Lush, now Mush. The houses had to be moved off the ground and into the trees – but were still so wet that it was nearly impossible to find a dry place anywhere at all in the village. Covered rickety bridges had to be built to help the people stay out of the mushy muck and not get drenched while running errands. Day and night the pitter pat of raindrops could be heard. The people of The Village of Mush attempted to tune it out but there was a constant beat that accompanied everyday life in the village whether the villagers wanted it or not. Every motion, every action was accompanied by the beat of the rain. At first the tinkling of rain drops was like music to the ears. However, after years and years of rain constantly falling non-stop the sound became discordant background music like an eternal sour note. A sour note that beat into the consciousness of every resident until it became dull drear daily life. The rain soaked the ground so much that it started to turn into a bog. Streams started but soon became rivers with rapids because there was so much rain. It rained so much that a new lake formed where the rolling hills used to be. And the new lake filled to the brim of the highest hills chasing the village folks out of their beloved homes and farms. Many frogs found their way to the new marshy land of Mush to take up residence in the lake. Eventually the frogs got so soaked that instead of croaking the frogs creaked like soggy rusty door hinges. Eerie fog rose up from the lake to cover the land and the frogs added to the scariness with their non-stop creaking. The Land of Lush, now Mush sounded and looked like a very scary horror show...

Stories for Children Magazine 5 Star Review
Reviewed by: Wayne Walker

What would you feel like if it rained, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, for years and years and years? The Village of Mush used to be called the Village of Lush when it had lush green fields, rolling hills, abundant food, and gorgeous flowers year round. But then, it started to rain. And it rained and it rained and it rained. Now the village is nothing but muck and mud, and that is why it is known as the Village of Mush.

Ti Ana is a young girl living in the Village of Mush who remembers when things were better and wonders why it is raining all the time. The people usually answer, “It’s just the way it is.” But Ti Ana is not satisfied and determines to find out why, so she leaves the village, falls through the muck into a huge lake, is saved by a giant frog, and finally meets a giant named Aspiron. Will they be able to determine what is causing the rain? And if so, will they be able to do anything about it?

I reviewed another “Modern Day Fairy Tale” by Ilia, The Bouncing Boy, back in May. Like it and fairy tales in general, Ti Ana and the Giant has an important moral or lesson. Ti Ana is a girl who will not accept the status quo without knowing why. And as she seeks to find answers to her questions, she perseveres, saying, “Yes I can, Yes I can, I can do it, I know I can.” Also, the reader will be impressed with the need to take care of the land in which we live. Children will undoubtedly enjoy reading this book, and they will also learn something from it.


Ti Ana and the Giant is a Captivating Adventure!
What I liked most about this book is that is kept me going, kept me wanting to find out more. It's a story of strong resolve to achieve your dreams, persistence and great problem-solving. It's an inspirational book for young and old alike. It also gives a message to take care of your environment instead of letting things go on unhandled. A great read!