Poems and Art on Independent Artist Day

The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote. This is another one of those. April 3rd is independent artist day, so today is a perfect day to present Square Peg in a Round Hole: Poetry, Art & Creativity by Robbie Cheadle and Michael Cheadle. This is a wonderful book featuring poetry, paintings, photography, fond art, and more. It exists in two formats on Amazon. I bought the paperback version.

  • Paperback –  Published March 22, 2024, ASIN : B0CXMDKV8H, ISBN-13: ISBN-13 : 979-8883610799, 173 pages, Item Weight : 11.7 ounces, Dimensions : 6 x 0.41 x 9 inches, it cost  $30.61on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Kindle –  Published March 22, 2024, ASIN : B0CW1H3SQV, 157 pages, it costs $4.99 on US Amazon, it is free with Kindle unlimited. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover feature paintings of a hippo, a lion and a Jaguar. There is also cake art featuring an electric guitar and animals sitting around a table. A photo of Robbie Cheadle is shown on green background.
Front cover of Square Peg in a Round Hole: Poetry, Art & Creativity by Robbie Cheadle & Michael Cheadle. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback.

Amazon’s description of the book

How to stay positive in a negative world!

Square Peg in a Round Hole is a collection of poetry, art, and photography. The section, Life, demonstrates the author’s perceptions of life in a fast-moving world filled with work, ill-health, and other demands. The other sections illustrate how the poet makes use of writing poetry, creating art, and photography to keep smiling.

Below is my Amazon review of Square Peg in a Round Hole. Click here to visit the Amazon review.

Poetry, Art, Photos and Stories about Nature and Life

Square Peg in a Round Hole is a collection of poems, short stories, paintings, nature photographs, artistic photographs, and links to YouTube videos and web sites. The photographs were taken by Robbie Cheadle and the photographer Wayne Barnes. The poems, short stories and illustrations in the first 90% of the book were created by Robbie Cheadle and the poems and short stories in the last 10% of the book were authored by her son Michael Cheadle, a young man with an immense talent. The poems are in the form of haiku, shadorma, tanka, 99-syllable-double-ennead, and freestyle.

The book is divided into sections. The first section, Fauna, feature poems, paintings and photographs of rhinos, lions, hippos, birds and other animals. Next comes Flora, then the Ocean, then Life, featuring darker but poignant poems and images about the anguish and the hardships of life. After that comes War, Death, Power, Sun & Fire, followed by stories and poems about nature, especially birds, and finally Michael’s poetry and short stories.

Robbie is a naturalist with a great insight into African wildlife and nature. In her poems and her art, she showcases her understanding and love for the natural world. This makes her poetry especially beautiful and engaging. I learned a lot about the African wildlife and natural history by reading the poems and by looking at the photos and the art. I think my favorite nature poems were “The story of the desperate salesman” and “Nest Selection”, which beautifully depicted nest building and a male bird’s attempt to attract a mate. I could easily imagine the feelings of the animals depicted in the poems. I think my favorite poetic short story was “The Edge” about a little girl’s dangerous quest for a beautiful flower. And finally, Michael’s dark but poignant poetry is both thought provoking and emotional.

This book has a lot to offer. There’s poetry, photos, art, videos, short stories, information, and facts, and there’s a lot of beauty and wisdom in this book. Reading it was a pleasure. I highly recommend this book.

The back cover feature pink flowers and Amazon’s description.
Square Peg in a Round Hole: Poetry, Art & Creativity by Robbie Cheadle & Michael Cheadle.

About the Author

Photo of Robbie Cheadle one of the authors of Square Peg in a Round Hole.

Award-winning bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fourteen children’s books and two poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.

Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.

Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/

Click here to visit is her Goodreads page.

Click here to visit her TSL Publications Page.

Click here to visit is her Twitter account.

Click here to visit is her Facebook account.

These are her published books on Amazon.

Neema the Misfit Giraffe by Robbie Cheadle

This is a Leonberger blog but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I love and want to promote. This is another one of those. I bought this book for the children (3 and 5 years old) of friends of ours but first I read it myself to make sure it was right for them, which it was. The book is Neema the Misfit Giraffe (Southern African Safari Adventures) Paperback. I bought the paperback version but there is a kindle version as well.

  • Paperback –  Publisher : South African National Library (November 15, 2023), ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0796121966, ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0796121967, Reading age 2 – 9 years, 41 pages, Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.21 ounces, dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.1 x 9 inches, it cost $ 10.50 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Kindle – Publisher : Robbie and Michael Cheadle (November 15, 2023), ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CMCZ7G93, Reading age 2 – 9 years, 41 pages. It is currently $2.99 on Amazon.com. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover of the book "Neema the Misfit Giraffe by Robbie Cheadle" feature a big and small giraffe standing by a river in the twilight.
Front cover of the Neema the Misfit Giraffe by Robbie Cheadle. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback.

Amazon’s description of the book

Neema is different from her fellow giraffes. Their lack of understanding make her feel unwelcome. Neema sets off on a journey to find a new friends.

Includes illustrations, photographs, and links to video footage of giraffes, as well as fun giraffe facts.

My Amazon Review of Neema the Misfit Giraffe. Click here to visit the actual Amazon review.

A Giraffe Searching for Happiness

Neema is a giraffe with a dark-colored hide, and she is different from the other giraffes. She can’t find a mate and the other giraffes are being mean to her. Therefore, she leaves her home in search of a place where she can find a sense of belonging, somewhere where she can find love and acceptance. Her mother was the only one who would grieve for her leaving.

This book features a beautiful story that tugs on your heartstrings, and it has an important message about not giving up, and about having the courage to move on from what is a hopeless situation. Some giraffes are kind and accepting while others are not. The book is also a great way to teach kids the importance of accepting those that are different.

The story was beautifully written in verse and with rhymes. The book was filled with beautiful photos of giraffes as well as art. There are also six short fun YouTube videos of giraffes in which you can hear the authors talking. For the paperback version you naturally have to type in the path. Towards the end of the book there are a few pages of giraffe facts. I did not know there were four distinct species of giraffe in Africa. I also did not know that they only sleep five to 30 minutes per day.

I bought this book for the children of friends of ours, but I read it first to make sure it was right for them, which it was. I can highly recommend this fun and informative book for all children below the age of 10. Reading this book to your children is also a fun way for adults to learn about giraffes.

If you would like to watch some of the videos, click on the links below.

video1, video2, video3, video4, video5, video6

About the Author

Photo of Robbie Cheadle the author of Neema the Misfit Giraffe

Left: Robbie Cheadle the author of Neema the Misfit Giraffe

Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fourteen children’s books and two poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.

Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

The ten Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.

Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews.

Click here to visit is her website

Click here to visit is her Goodreads page

Click here to visit her TSL Publications Page

Click here to visit is her Twitter account

Click here to visit is her Facebook account

These are her published books on Amazon