Donald W Kruse

Welcome to Colorville --a strange but beautiful and peaceful land where everything is bursting with vibrant color: green clouds, yellow sky, red sun, purple grass, pink streets, red, white, and blue houses Yes, everything in Colorville is bold and bright, except for their jelly beans, which are simply just black. But a boy named Jack is bored with black jelly beans; he craves colorful jelly beans. One day, Jack meets a strange-looking but kindly man named Professor Acka-Acka who comes from a land called No-No-a-Lacka where people have everything they could ever want, except for black jelly beans. Jack joins the professor on a journey inside the professor's capsule earth-drilling machine, travelling through the center of the earth toward No-No-a-Lacka. Along the way, they encounter some scary creatures in a dark, creepy cavern deep beneath the earth and are stopped dead in their tracks. But Professor Acka-Acka is well-prepared for such an emergency, and soon they arrive unharmed in No-No-a-Lacka where all the jelly beans are bursting with color Jack learns that people who are different can unite and have everything they want or need, IF they share and work together. Readers of all ages will enjoy this fun-filled and sometimes scary story, with page after page of beautiful, full-color illustrations by professional illustrator, Aeryn Meyer. Foreword by Christian author, Marie Armenia (The Audacious Molly Bruno).

It all started with a most unusual birthday gift from Grandma on Shane's 6th birthday. The gift? A pair of pajamas that enables the wearer to fly When it was time to make a wish and blow out candles on his birthday cake, Shane's wish was to do GOOD and be able to help people all over the world. That night he put on his new pajamas and went to bed, ready to dream sweet dreams of his little dog, Cleo. But during the night, a huge wind storm blew his bedroom window open and sucked Shane into the night air. "Aaah " he screamed, expecting to crash to the ground two stories below. But instead of falling, he immediately began to fly in his amazing flying pajamas And thus began his many nocturnal, heart-pounding adventures Soon, Shane's wish had come true. With the help of his flying pajamas, he was able to do GOOD and help people all over the world. He was even able to solve the biggest crime spree his town had ever known---the case of the missing dogs Find out who or what was stealing all the town's dogs, and for what purpose? And how did Shane solve that caper that had left the police and FBI completely dumbfounded? You'll have FUN reading this book, and you too will learn how to have a zealousness for good works without the help of flying pajamas

The story takes place in rural America in the early 1800's. Dan and Rebecca--devout Christians who read their Bibles every day--are brother and sister, living on a farm with Mom and Dad. Their town lacks a church, so a local wealthy businessman, Lou, who controls the entire town, decides he will build a church and appoint himself as its pastor. But Lou doesn't know God or His Word. His only interest is to collect tithes in order to make himself even wealthier. But being diligent students of the Holy Bible, Dan and Rebecca immediately recognize Lou as a false teacher. But how can these two children convince the congregation of adults? It turns out, they don't have to. Find out who or what happens to Lou and his church. And what becomes ofDan and Rebecca for being the "squeaky wheels?"

A sweet little girl has a most unusual pet who loves to go shopping. But taking this unruly little fellow to the store could end up in disaster, which is exactly what happened on one particularly chaotic shopping spree. The little girl and her pet incurs one misadventure after another at several stores they shop, wearing out their welcome at each one. But something happens at the very last store they visit that turns everything around, and suddenly the unwelcomed duo become everyone's hero Join the fun and follow the hilarious antics of the girl's special pet as he leaves behind his trail of mischief and mayhem. This beautifully illustrated tale, told in verse, will delight readers and listeners ages 4 to 8. Illustrated by Aeryn Meyer. Shopping with Orville is her second professional illustration. Featuring an Introduction by the late Arte Johnson, and a Foreword by Joyce DeWitt.

A young boy named Joey befriends an elderly woman named Mrs. Benson who is a widow and lives all alone. The boy visits the woman almost daily, doing various chores for her: mowing the lawn; raking leaves; washing windows; etc. The friendlly Mrs. Benson treats Joey with love and kindness and rewards him with lemonade, ice tea, chocolate cake, watermelon, and her homecooked fried chicken. Joey enjoys her delicious treats, but more importantly, he eagerly drinks in Mrs. Benson's kindness and tenderness, and their relationship deepens. As they play cards together and share meals, Mrs. Benson is aware of a profound sadness in Joey. Intuitively she knows that Joey is a victim of child abuse at home. One day, Joey arrives at Mrs. Benson's house to find a police oficer standing on the porch, writing on a clipboard. Joey learns that Mrs. Benson has died, and he's devastated by the loss. Some time goes by and one day Joey finds in his mailbox a letter and a check for $5,000 from the late Mrs.Benson's attorney. Although the check is most welcomed, it's the information found in Mrs. Benson's letter that turns Joey's life around. And Joey uses that information to postively impact the life of another little neighbor boy who is also the victim of child abuse at home. A heartwarming story and one that needs to be told, Dear Joey features forewords by Doris Buffett, Robert Vaughn, Pat Boone, Joe Girard, and Papa Joe Bradford.

Teenagers Brad and Sarah are sitting in a rowboat, fishing on Wolverine Lake. Suddenly an underwater UFO bursts through the surface directly beneath them, dumping them into the water. As they thrash about, trying not to drown, a ray of intense light beams them up into the spaceship, then zooms off across the sky. The ship lands inside a humongous cavern in a strange Mars-like place called Duadel. But they're not on Mars, they're still on planet Earth. After the ship lands, they discover they're not alone. On board the ship with them is a monstrous fallen angel named Azazel who is not their host, but rather their captor. As Azazel leads them down a stone staircase to a lower chamber inside the cavern, Brad and Sarah come face to face with a group of ferocious, man-eating giants Terrified, the two run and try to hide, but they aren't able to go far. The only hiding place they can find is inside a cabinet on board the landed ship. As they squeeze inside the cramped hiding place, their hearts pounding, they hold their breath as Azazel and the giants search outside. Brad and Sarah's hiding place is a good one because they remain undiscovered, and Azazel is furious as he launches the ship once again, thinking the two are still somewhere inside that cave, hiding. They have no idea where the UFO is headed now, and they pray they won't be discovered until they can make good their escape. But what happens next will have YOU sitting on the edge of your seat, clutching your book, white-knuckled, as you turn page after page, swept up in the mystery and suspense. Will Brad and Sarah ever make it out of there alive? Will they ever get home again? Read the book and find out. And as you read, be sure to keep your windows and doors locked ... just in case The Ghost of Wolverine Forest, Part 3: Azazel's Revenge features fantastic black and white illustrations by Donny Crank, and a phenomenal foreword by author, speaker, pastor, Douglas Hamp.

A quiet and pleasant family vacation of fishing, swimming and relaxing was anticipated by the Nelson family at their northwestern Wisconsin lakeside cottage. Greg Nelson, at 17, bickered with his father and his 14-year-old sister, Jenny, but adored his twin brothers, 5-year-old Tommy and Timmy. When ther parents departed for a few days to attend a convention, Greg was sure he could handle anything that might come up. But Greg didn't anticipate the calamitous events that would transpire including a broken cellphone, a corrupt sheriff, and an ominous surprise in the lake. He also couldn't have predicted his acquaintance with the lovely Lisa Barnett and the terror they would share in these few days ... enough to last a lifetime

No Thanks, Simon is the hilarious yet heartwarming story about a toddler named Simon who makes Dennis the Menace look like a choirboy. But he's only two years old---how bad can it be? What could possibly go wrong with a jar of peanut butter; finger paints; scissors; a mouse; a snake; a can of worms; a trumpet; a giant, man-eating cricket; or a ghost---in the hands of Simon? Plenty No wonder Mom and Dad and Simon's 12-year-old sister try to avoid him like the plague. Unfortunately for the sister, one Saturday morning Mom and Dad decide to do some shopping and order Simon's sister to stay home and babysit Simon. Say what? Immediately she throws herself on the floor, wrapping her arms around Dad's ankles, pleading with Mom and Dad to let her do the shopping instead---anything to keep her from staying home alone wth the dreaded Simon. But Mom and Dad are no fools. They know their rights (and their authority) and they walk out the front door, leaving the poor girl behind ... with Simon Instantly the misadventures begin with Simon locking himself inside the bathroom. Uh-oh Do we hear water running? Join the fun and try to keep up as Simon leads us (and his sister) through one fast-paced antic after another, eventually ending up in the attic, face to face with an angry ghost who scares the daylights out of Simon's sister. But that ghost is no match for Simon, who steps in and saves his sister in a way that only Simon could do. Told in verse and illustrated throughout with full-color illustrations by Donny Crank, No Thanks, Simon will delight and entertain readers and listeners ages 4 and up. Featuring a foreword by child actress Jeanne Russell and an introduction by legendary comedian Marty Allen.

On an island of tropical splendor, with an endless supply of food and fresh water, lives a society of primive people whose members make their homes in tree huts built hiogh above the forest floor. But below this beautiful treetop paradise, live the earthshaking, man-eating predators of the island---the Spinosaurs. These monsters, with their bone-crushing jaws, roam the island after dark in search of food. In addition to the savage Spinosaurs, this gentle society is suddenly threatened from someone with their midst who is planning a violent takeover. Only Troy recognizes the threat. Can Troy save his family, his girlfriend, his loved ones, and---indeed---the entire community? Visit exotic and dangerous Spinosaur Island and find out

Featuring a foreword by Phyllis Diller, That's NOT A Pickle Part 7 is the latest volume in the delightful, rhyming softcover Pickle picturebook series, ideal for readers and listeners ages 5 and up. Do YOU know where True Beauty grows? True Beauty doesn't grow on trees. It doesn't grow in cornfields. It doesn't grow in flower gardens. And it doesn't grow on faces. True Beauty grows deep inside the heart until it blossoms, then shines and brightens the world around us. Frank and his sister Alice decide to host a local beauty contest (with a $10 entrance fee), and Frank is the judge. But the pretty and talented contestants are somewhat self-absorbed, compared to "ugly" Ms. Dilless the frog. Frank observes Ms. Dilless giving free swimming lessons to a group of tadpoles. She tells Frank, "They owe me nothing, my lessons are free. And I enjoy it so much, so why should they pay me?" Frank has found True Beauty That's NOT A Pickle Part 7 is a stand-alone story that will delight and entertain children AND adults of all ages. And you'll enjoy the charming, full-color illustrations by 16-year-old Josie Shipman throughout the book.

After trying to fill the gas tank on his lawn mower so he can mow the lawn, Framk and his pet frog, Dill, and his two pet mice, Finky and Fickle, discover their entire town has run out of gas How will they mow the lawn ... or till the garden? How will people get to work? How will the mail get delivered? How will police partrol the streets? And worst of all (gulp ), how will the "Ice Cream Man" deliver ice cream treats throughout the neighborhood? The local gas station has closed because there's no more gas. People are beginning to panic as the entire town comes to a screeching halt. But then Frank's friend, the sweet and adorable little Betsy-Sue arrives on the scene and, as always, takes charge. Full of wit and wisdom, she tells the people they need a plan to battle the gas shortage. Join the fun and find out what that plan is. Will the town ever get things rolling again? Can they save the "Ice Cream Man's" job to the delight of every kid in town? Written in verse with full-color illustrations throughout, "That's NOT A Pickle Part 6" will delight and entertain readers and listeners ages 4 and up. Featuring a foreword by Mr. T. Boone Pickens.

Thats's NOT A Pickle Part 5 is the 5th book in a series of 7. Frank and his friends are at the park, playing baseball. His neighbor little Betsy-Sue arrives with a wagonload of her homemade pickles. Frank and his friends LOVE pickles, so they buy the entire wagonload. But after Betsy-Sue leaves the park, Frank and company bite into the pickles only to discover that they taste horrible The pickles are so bad, they are not edible. Not wanting to waste the pickles they had just purchased, they decide to use the pickles for batting practice. So instead of hitting baseballs, they start batting pickles over the fence. But the pickles not only sail over the park fence, they end up sticking to Mr. Wickles' house which he is in the process of painting Poor old Mr. Wickles has no idea where the pickles have come from. He assumes they just fell out of the sky---perhaps from Mars The police are called, and then the TV news team is called. And the mayor arrives to give a speech, boasting how their town is the only town around that has pickles from Mars He renames the town Pickleville. But when the crowd samples the pickles, everyone is shocked and disappointed at the horrible taste. Then Frank confesses that the pickles aren't from Mars at all. Upon hearing the bad news, the crowd disperses and everyone goes home, leaving the horrible pickles behind. Join the uproarious fun and learn what finally happens to those horrible pickles. Told in playful, rhyming verse, and with full-color illustrations throughout, That's NOT A Pickle Part 5 will entertain and delight readers and listeners of all ages.

"That's NOT A Pickle Part 4" is the fourth book in the 7-book "Pickle" series by Donald W. Kruse. In this fun and hilarious story, Frank volunteers to help his sister, Alice, loose weight. With his pet frog, Dill, and his two pet mice, Finky and Fickle, Frank (and company) cheerfully coach Alice and give her lots of advice on how to loose weight. At first, it's pure drudgery for Alice. But somehow she finds the fortitude to stick with Frank's outrageous weightloss program, until one day she discovers she has lost all her weight Alice is now one happy camper---slim, trim, and radiant. Unfortuantely for Frank and his pets, they have found that lost weight and now the tables have turned Now Alice is the weightloss coach and diligent taskmaster, and Frank and his pets have become her stooges. Told in verse with full-color illustrations througout, "That's NOT A Pickle Part 4 will delight and entertain readers and listeners ages 4 and up. Includes an inspirational Foreword by fitness guru, Richard Simmons.

That's NOT A Pickle Part 3 is another hilarious and unforgettable adventure between a boy named Frank and his pet frog named Dill. In this third story in the series of seven, you'll meet two incorrigible intruders named Finky and Fickle at a pajama party, which is hosted by Frank's disagreeable older sister named Alice. Alice has invited three of her pretty girlfriends over and they've secluded themselves inside Alice's bedroom, playing loud music. Frank and Dill are dying to meet the pretty girls, so they come up with a plan to crash the party. Armed with snackfood consisting of pickles and popcorn that they intend to share with the girls, they knock on Alice's bedroom door only to be rejected by Alice and her friends. As Alice is busy vehemently telling Frank and Dill to buzz off, two mice scurry into her room, causing Alice and friends to freak out. But Frank becomes the hero when he catches the two mice, named Finky and Fickle, and safely removes them from Alice's room. Later, Alice thinks Frank has properly disposed of Finky and Fickle, but Frank and Dill know better. The two mice are now happily (and secretly) residing in Frank's bedroom, living a life of luxury inside an empty pickle jar ... of course Written in verse, with color illustrations throughout, this fun and hilarious story witll delight and entertain readers and listeners ages 4 and up.

That's NOT A Pickle Part 2 is the second book in the Pickle series of seven stories about a boy and his pet frog, both of whom are addicted to pickles In Part 2, the boy's disagreeable and frog-phobic sister buys up all the pickles in town so that her brother and his frog can't have any. That becomes a real problem for the frog who has a condition called footsie-itis, whereby his webbed feet swell up to gargantuan size and won't subside until he eats a pickle or two. But thanks to the boy's sister, there's not one pickle to be found in the entire town. Join the FUN and excitement and follow the boy and his pet frog as they embark on a most creative and mischievious plan to obtain the sister's stash of coveted pickles. Told in verse with full-color illustrations throughout, That's NOT A Pickle Part 2 will delight readers and listeners ages 4 and up. Includes an introduction by the late legendary comedienne Phyllis Diller.

That's NOT A Pickle is the first book in a series of seven about a boy and his pet frog, both of whom love pickes as much as Popeye loves spinach In fact, the boy meets the frog in a pickle jar and they become best friends. The boy decides to use the friendship to entertain/scare his disagreeable sister who happens to be frog-phobic. All's fair in pickle jars and frog fairs This story exemplifies the spontaneous joy of living and teaches young kids the wonderful joy of reading. Written in catchy verse, and illustrated throughout with humorous, colorful illustrations, this story will keep kids ages 3 and up entertained and happy for hours. Phyllis Diller and Jerry Lewis loved it ... and so will YOU