Children will enjoy each page of this book as they escape into the refreshingly fun world of a family’s lively adventures after the grandmother of the group returns from a trip to Ireland. In Gran kissed the Blarney Stone author Luann Atkin Koester and illustrator Elif Balta Parks take the reader through the humorous and heartwarming happenings of Gran. The innovative story combined with the wonderfully expressive illustrations creates a treasure of  a book, one that surely will keep children smiling.

                                                                                                                                            Karen Foote, artist and educator

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A fantastic, magical story about a grandmother who begins to exhibit exceptional joy in ordinary things and everyday tasks after she visits Ireland. Her renewed enthusiasm for life not only inspires her grandchildren, but also shifts the attitudes of her husband and the children's parents. Full of educational tidbits about another culture, this feel-good, poetically rhythmic tale with enchanting illustrations will prove to be a favorite for Blarney Stone lovers of all ages. 

                                                                                                                           Adrienne Vaught, Author of  The Little Red House

                                                                                                                                          Gatekeeper Press 

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Gran kissed the Blarney Stone is the charming story of the magic that happens when you kiss Ireland’s famous Blarney Stone. Fun and fantastical, this book showcases the love between grandparents and their grandchildren and the joy of celebration. 

                                                                                                                                            Kolina Cicero, author of Rosie and the Hobby Farm

 

Delightful, original, and heartwarming, Gran Kissed the Blarney Stone is an enchanting story about what happened after one Gran kissed the famous Irish Blarney Stone and how it changed things in a magical way!

                                                                             Kimberlee Gard, award-winning and bestselling children's  author of                                                                                                     the  Learning is Fun Series and SNOOZAPALOOZA

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Gran Kissed the Blarney Stone is beautifully illustrated and designed. Elif Balta Parks captures the personalities of each character, even as they are transformed over the course of the story. From silly, carefree Gran to forehead smacking Gramps, and giggling Scamp, Parks’ lively illustrations enhance the arch of the story and capture the whimsy of Gran’s adventures in Ireland and her silly exploits at home.

                                                                                                                   Kylie Noojin, Graphic Artist & Art Manager Gallup

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Having lived in Ireland, I found Gran Kissed the Blarney Stone an enjoyable children’s picture book. The illustrations are gorgeous. I work in the youth services department of a public library that serves homeschool families looking for books about history, geography, and different cultures. I think this little book will not only appeal educationally to these families, but also those children and families simply interested in how Ireland is represented in children's fiction. Gran Kissed the Blarney Stone is a fine book for reading to children, and a great choice for the more advanced reader who wants a challenge in addition to pictures.                                                                        

 Emma Parrish, Jackson County Library Assistant

 Sylva, NC & Fontana Regional Library

 Children’s Activity Creator on YouTube

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