Happy's Christmas Gift *Giveaway*

Happy's Christmas Gift by Geoff Parker Sr.

About The Book:

Oh no! Happy is in trouble again! Having gone out to post his Christmas letter to Santa, he suddenly finds himself on an unexpected journey. Although Happy is cold and scared at first, his adventure takes a turn and delivers him to magical lands where he discovers that dreams really can come true. Can Happy save the day? And more importantly, will he get home in time for Christmas? An adorable character and wonderful, traditional Christmas story brought to life by beautiful illustrations. A treasure of a book that will stand the test of time and will surely be a favourite read for all generations.

My Thoughts:

I love this book. Of course, I am a sucker for any Christmas children's story, but this one is great. The illustrations are amazing, and the writing keeps the child interested all the way to the end. Sure to be a treasure to any family's holiday collection of kids books!

About The Author:

Geoff Parker is a true islander. He was born and raised on a farm in Bermuda and can trace his mother’s family history on the island back to the 1600’s. His father’s family came more recently from Hornsea in Yorkshire, England, a region the ancient Vikings settled. He has always been a bit restless, and looks forward to battling new challenges and finding new mountains to climb. Having been brought up on a farm he has a close affinity to animals, except for those huge white leghorn roosters that used to chase him around the farm yard! It was during these early years, as an only child with his dog Sandy, that his imagination became an outlet. As a child he suffered very badly from asthma, sometimes spending weeks in bed. With few books in those days, Geoff began to write his own stories to keep himself entertained. When he was eleven a new doctor came to town and suggested that he should exercise more to become fit and keep it up until he outgrew the asthma. Ever willing to give things a try, he worked hard and eventually became a well rounded athlete, defeating his asthma along the way. As he was growing up he worked during school holidays at an importing company. He sorted rotten cabbages and potatoes, worked in the warehouse, and ran messages to and from the offices to the cable company – they didn’t have email in those days! He learned many life lessons along the way, particularly in accepting people for what they were, no matter their background. Geoff was also very good at art. When he was sixteen he began working at a local architect’s office during the summer. While he didn’t make much money, he learned a lot about how his artistic side could be used as a trade. After graduating from high school he spent a summer hitchhiking around Scandinavia with a friend before spending the next two years at Ferris Institute (now Ferris University) in Michigan, USA, learning to be an architectural technician. In 1968 he married Liz, the love of his life. Their two children, Geoff Jr. and Doug, have grown up, gotten married and are well on their way with their own life stories. Over the years Geoff has spent most of his time working in the construction industry, with his architectural work, the successful roofing and waterproofing company he founded in Bermuda, or the attempt to market special construction products to North and South America. But during this time he was always observing, always collecting stories about the people he met and the adventures he had along the way. Geoff has slowly been turning these adventures into a novel, though the process is a long one! Geoff’s health took an unfortunate turn in 2001, causing him to shut down his international business travels. So he focused on his architecture, sold his roofing and waterproofing business and began a special fitness programme to regain his strength. By 2003 he was back to being “in great shape for the shape he’s in!” Geoff’s parents are still active at 88 years old, so he hopes to be around for some time to come! In his ‘semi-retired’ state, he is working with plants, raising palm trees and hedging of all sorts for his private nursery. He still does a little architectural design work but his new passion is to write again for fun and little ‘Happy’, the family Yorkie, is the focus for an ongoing series of children’s story books. The rest is just history! 

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Giveaway ends October 19th. US only, sorry. Good luck!

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.