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Carli Valentine is an Award Winning, Best Selling Children's Book Author and Illustrator. She has authored books including Cutest Pumpkin in the Patch, Turkey Trot, and Christmas is a Feeling and BIG Plans for Tomorrow, Extra Special Heart, Bad Habit Rabbit, The Fun Thieves and "Later," Said Gator with many more in the works.
She has always been passionate about writing and storytelling. From a young age, she learned of the magic that existed in books and has been entranced by it ever since. As a child, she consistently begged her parents for visits to the library so she could hand-pick from their vast collection of magical works. Her parents frequently caught her hiding under her bedcovers sneaking a book she couldn't put down, long into the night. It must have been the warm, soft glow of the reading light that gave her.
Her goal as mother and an author, is to spread the magic of books to children so they can join in her obsession of reading. She loves to create fun stories by gathering inspiration from her kids. She resides with her husband and 2 boys (Finnegan and Lochlan) in Ogden, Utah. When she's not working on her children’s books she likes to hang out with her family and volunteer at her son’s elementary school and with various children’s heart defect charities.
Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite
Later, Said Gator, the first book in the I Like Me & What I Can Be Collection by Carli Valentine, is an incredible children’s book that teaches a valuable lesson while keeping children engaged. Milo is an intelligent 7-year-old gator who loves being creative and active. With his pet fish Chad to keep him company, Milo spends his days playing with his rocks, painting, and letting his creativity flow. In between it all, he forgets to clean up after himself, even when his mother reminds him to do so. Believing he will do it later, Milo creates a mess he cannot escape. Having fun is great, but cleaning up the mess is very important too. Milo will learn this valuable lesson and share it with us.
Carli Valentine did a fantastic job in writing and illustrating this storybook. The illustrations are fun and add character to her wonderfully written prose. The lyrical quality of the narrative is engaging and entertaining. I can imagine reading this story to a child and seeing them fully engrossed. The lesson is excellent, especially for children who run away from responsibility or don’t understand the importance of doing things on time. The Milo’s Mighty Cleanup Tips section in the end will be a great help for children to find a rhythm in their routines and make a cleanup much more manageable. I highly recommend this encouraging and educating story to parents who want to instill responsibility and independence in their preschoolers.
