Meet Fujimini Island's Dynasty Dragon!

By: Kate Camillo

Dynasty Dragon is a red dragon on the island with a special gift. He is sometimes called White Dragon because he can shift into a cloud and becomes white. In one of the books, Black Tortoise goes on a secret mission to find Red Dragon. It is important to not scare him away.

He resides in Fu Fun Forest as told by Pink Hamster. She had a dream about a dragon who was very friendly and it happens to be Dynasty Dragon! He is a great friend to those on the island. Dynasty Dragon gets into some trouble on the island when he gets stuck on the Turtle Boat that’s going into battle! Dynasty Dragon’s mother hid him on the island because of his special powers.

The friends on the island believe he can see the future. Dynasty Dragon’s mom is very important to him, he loves her very much. Dynasty Dragon is a lot of fun and is great at hide and seek.

Why Pink Hamster and the Big Birthday Surprise is the Perfect Book For Every Little Girl’s Birthday

Every little girl dreams about waking up on her birthday and feeling like a princess. Birthdays are very special to children because it is a time where they feel like the center of attention and able to do whatever they choose to for that day. 

For Pink Hamster of Fujimini Island, her birthday is no different. Just like every other little girl, Pink Hamster has been counting down the days till her special day and can’t wait to celebrate. When the morning finally arrives, she wakes up filled with excitement and ready for the festivities to begin. Pink Hamster’s obsession with birthday cake is also something many little girls can relate to! 

This book is perfect for all little girls for their birthday this summer, because it is something they can enjoy and relate to. In addition to a fun book about birthday celebrations, Pink Hamster and the Big Birthday Surprise also comes with some unexpected lessons about patience and not making assumptions. 

A summary about the book:

The fourth installation in Eileen Wacker’s Fujimini Island Adventure Series, stars the adorable and peppy Pink Hamster who is beside herself with excitement when she wakes up ready to celebrate her birthday. Her absolute favorite part about her birthday is the cake- so much so that she has been dreaming about it all night. As soon as Pink Hamster wakes up she races to find all her Fujimini Island friends to start her big day. Thoughts of singing, parties, dancing, presents, and of course cake fill her mind. When she finally stumbles upon her hamster friends, she realizes that no one seems to have even remembered her birthday, even her best friend Green Hamster. Is this going to turn out to be the worst birthday ever or do her friends have a little something up their sleeve?

The book is available in print or as an ebook!

Click here to read more about the series or to purchase Pink Hamster and the Big Birthday Surprise 

Why Blue Penguin and the Sensational Surf is the Perfect Summer Reading For Kids

Summer is at its peak right now with beautiful weather, sunshine, and plenty of time for relaxation. The end of July and beginning of August is also one of the most popular times for parents to take off from work and take their families on vacation. Family vacations usually entail beach visits, long car rides, and lots of downtime- and you know what is perfect for all three of those things? Reading! 

Blue Penguin and the Sensational Surf is the perfect book for long car rides to get your kids excited for their upcoming vacation. As suggested by the title, Blue Penguin and the Sensational Surf is filled with adventure, action, sun, surfing, and beaches. What better way to get your kids reading and get them pumped up for vacation than that? 

In addition to fun and adventure, the seventh installment of Eileen Wacker’s book series comes with some important lessons too. Blue Penguin is an amazing surfer, but when he starts showing off too much and bragging, there are some unexpected consequences! A new character with a connection to Japanese culture and tradition also introduces kids to some elements of Asian culture that they might not get outside of reading this book. 

A summary of the book:

The animals who call Fujimini Island home are all buzzing with excitement because today is the grand opening of the Fujimini Island Surf School. Many of the animals are eager to learn to surf, and everyone is eager to watch Blue Penguin display the surf skills he is known for. 

The penguins are hard at work getting everything ready for the special occasion, preparing drinks and hanging ribbons to welcome their guests. The time has finally come for the grand opening, and more guests than Blue Penguin expected have shown up to watch and participate. Blue Penguin is proud of his skills and just can’t resist showing off to the crowd. Unfortunately, Blue Penguin is so busy showing off he doesn’t notice that a stranger has arrived on Fujimini Island and one of the animals may be in some trouble! Who is this stranger? And will Blue Penguin stop showing off in time to notice that one of his students is in trouble?

This book is available in print as well as an ebook! 

Click here to learn more about the series or purchase Eileen Wacker’s Blue Penguin and the Sensational Surf

All Parents With Preschool Aged Children Should Check Out This New Television Show

Based on the books by Jim and Kate McMullan, The Stinky and Dirty Show describes the adventures of two best friends who become unlikely heroes. Stinky is a garbage truck and his new friend Dirty is a backhoe loader, who have to put their heads together to solve a big mess that they have accidentally caused. Learning what to do when things do not go as expected can be a tough lesson, but when the two friends think creatively and practice being resourceful, even the messiest problem gets resolved! The new show has been rated 5 out of 5 stars on Amazon Prime and an 8.8 out of 10 on IMDb. The characters are voiced by Ethan Wacker, who plays Stinky, and Jacob Guenther, playing Dirty. 

This show, which aired January 15th shows huge promise after just the first episode. Made for preschool aged children, it utilizes fun and humor to teach some very important lessons about teamwork and fixing mistakes. After accidentally causing quite a mess, the two new friends get creative and resourceful to fix their mistake. The cute and funny show demonstrates problem solving skills and using what you already have (which in Dirty and Stinky’s case was “trash”) to get something done and save the day!

Click the video below to watch a sneak peek of the show:

Click here to watch the full episode on Amazon Prime 

Learn more about the award-winning Fujimini Adventure series.  Purchase the books here

A Review of Eileen Wacker's Green Hamster and the Quest for Fun

Energetic and restless Green Hamster becomes bored with the daily activities of him and his other hamster friends and he becomes convinced that all the other animals on Fujimini Island are having way more fun. So he sets off seeking a day filled with adventure and excitement. His goal of his quest is to find which group of animals have the most fun on the Island, but meets some unexpected challenges along the way. Who do you think he decides has the most fun on the Island?

Eileen Wacker’s first installment in the Fujimini Adventure Series is a must read. The award-winning children’s book has been a hit in the Hawaiian Islands as well as many other parts of the country. Given 5 stars on both Good Reads and Amazon, the cute and educational book provides insight into Asian cultures as well as some unexpected lessons. Since its publication, the story was also given a Mom's Choice Award. 

When asked about her inspiration behind her first book, author Eileen Wacker commented; "Let's see. Green hamster and the quest for fun was the first book i wrote. I was inspired by my children and how they are always on the lookout to make sure they aren't missing out. They are also used to being on the go at all times. It's a day off and we're staying in? I'm bored! I loved the idea of a quest that would lead to the realization that their fun little lives are just right for them!"

Click below to watch the trailer for the new animated book:

Click here to purchase Green Hamster and the Quest For Fun on Amazon

Celebrate #WalmartWednesday With ONCEkids and Receive a Free Book Signed By the Author

Every week ONCEkids celebrates #WalmartWednesday with amazing deals on books and related products that make the perfect gifts for the holiday season. This Wednesday only, buy one book and receive a second book free! All you have to do is visit the website, send us your receipt and you’ll receive your second free book, even autographed by the author. 

Click on the link to view and purchase one of our 

family-friendly books at an unbeatable price:

Eileen Wacker: Walmart.com

Also, to learn more about the characters and world of Fujimini Island, click here

Kids and Smartphones- How Much is Too Much?

Parents around the world are battling the pros and cons to their children owning and using smartphones. The idea of letting their children have unrestricted access to the Internet their phone provides sounds pretty unappealing to most parents, but the weight of the pressure of not wanting their children to be different from all the other kids also serves as a setback. 

With increasing uses of technology in our education system, it’s not a bad idea for kids and teens to be up-to-speed on all the latest gadgets and their uses- but it continues to raise the question: how much is too much? 

Back in January of 2009, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology issued a notice to schools requesting a ban on cellphones within elementary and junior high schools, as well as restrictions for high schools. Fast forward to 2014 and the problem only seems to be more of a problem with smartphones being more popular, and well, smarter, than ever. Most parents are all too familiar with the horror stories surrounding cyber bullying that seems to be the dominating form of bullying these days. 

Parents and educators aren’t the only ones interested in answering this question nowadays, the toy industry is as well. Recently MegaHouse developed Fairisia, a smartphone made just for kids that can easily be monitored and limited by parents. 

But, at the end of the day technology is only going to become more prevalent and harder to avoid, so instead of bashing it or banning it parents should become more educated about it. Knowing how smartphones work and using one yourself can help you be aware about how your child may be using their phone. It is important to know the dangers as well as the benefits of smartphones as well as techniques for monitoring their use. Issuing a curfew, limiting the number of hours they can use their phone, having them keep their phone downstairs at night are all examples of ways to monitor their use. If they have social media accounts such as Twitter or Facebook, make your own account and see what they are up to! Or if that is totally not up your alley at all and your child is still young, require them to give you their user name and passwords so you can occasionally sign on and take a peak at what they are doing online. 

The advancing technology and kids' advancing knowledge of it can seem intimidating to most parents, but being aware and checked in as well as knowledgable yourself are all ways to ease your qualms around the subject of kids and smartphones. 

Five Ways to Celebrate "Encourage a Young Writer Day"

In addition to National Siblings Day, April 10th is also Encourage A Young Writer day. This day is particularly important here at ONCEkids, who is all for the support and encouragement of young readers and writers. Like many other parents, we strongly believe that writing and reading beginning at a young age helps children to acquire and expand skills in self-expression, imagination, vocabulary, and critical thinking- even into and throughout adulthood. 

You can acknowledge this holiday by encouraging your young writer with five different fun and though-provoking games. So whether your child is an avid reader and writer or dreads the thought of even having to pick up a pen, these five games are sure to spark some energy and excitement in your 
child on this special day!

To learn more about the cultural and diversity taught at Fujimini Island, please click here.

1. Poetry Puzzler

This fun activity is the perfect way to facilitate critical thinking in both you and your child, not to mention serve as a great way for you two to spend some time together! To play this game, have your child write down five fun words on a piece of paper while you do the same. After you're both finished, exchange lists and write poems using the words you've been given to test imagination and definitely get a few laughs!

2.  Pass It Along

This fun, interactive game requires three or more people. The rules of the game are that each person begins a story on a piece of paper and passes is along to the next person to continue. Sounds easy enough, but there is a twist to the game to make things a little more interesting! Before passing the game, you fold the piece of paper so only the last sentence is written and the person has to attempt to correctly continue the story with only that bit of information. Once the paper has been passed all the way back to you, open it up and read the hilarious twists and turns the story has made to on its journey back to you!

3. Write a Short Story

Encourage writing and imagination in your child by having them create a short story. This will also help them to feel a sense of accomplishment, especially if you collect their stories and put them together in some sort of book or binder. 

4. Free Write 

Often times, a child or even a student will complain that they do not have anything to write about- especially if asked to write a short story. Solve this problem by having your child do a free write. The objective of a free write is to sit down and write solidly for a particular set of time, which may vary depending on your child's age. There is no plot or assigned subject during a free write, the goal is simply to write about anything and everything that comes in to the child's mind. Often times, participants are told to not even think but to just write. This activity helps to promote creative expression and remind children of the joys of writing in a world where often times writing emphasizes grammar and structure, which children find painfully boring. 

5. "If I Were…"

My personal favorite game! Help your child's imagination to run free with this next game! For this activity, have your child write down a list of people, whether they are celebrities, superheroes or their favorite cartoon character, and then have them write detailed descriptions of all of the things they would do if they were that person. This causes a child to dig deep into their imagination and use creativity to dream of a world as superman or a Disney princess. 

This little known day is set aside to celebrate the art of writing. It can sometimes seem like the focus of writing for children is typically on grammar, so this is a unique opportunity to slip in some writing which becomes increasingly important as they get old- finding their voice!

Has your family received a Nook, Kindle or iPad this year?  Find Fujimini Adventure Series award-winning books here.  Great family-friendly gifts