South African-born writer, artist, and filmmaker, Ellen Palestrant, currently resides in Arizona. She was educated in South Africa and Britain and immigrated with her family to the USA in 1987. Ellen has been a game inventor, hydroponic farmer, special education teacher, television scriptwriter, film producer, college instructor, and co-publisher of a college press. Ellen has 16 published books which include fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Her art has been exhibited in many galleries and is in a number of private collections in the USA, Canada and Australia.
A book for ALL AGES – 4 to 104! The World of Glimpse – A unique and beautiful coffee table book where art, literature and theater combine. THE WORLD OF GLIMPSE is a fantasy world of contagious rhythms and luminous color.
The First Edition World of Glimpse Coffee Table Hard Cover Book (Signed Copy – S&H Included) – $55
“The World of Glimpse is an amazing book. For fans of Dr. Seuss and Lemony Snicket, this takes the world of imagination, color and symbol, way out there.” – Oliver X, Reno Tahoe Tonight Radio
“Glimpse is pure and glorious poetry. The lyrics from one of my favorite songs – ‘The Word’ by the Moody Blues and Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky come to mind. The artwork is luminous. The World of Glimpse will inspire, I believe, my own poetry. Enjoy!” – Susan Robbins, Poet and Founder of Rhythm & Verse Salons
“Beautiful book for all ages. As a painter and a writer, I am so impressed with this beautiful book. The flowing, clever text works on different levels for different ages. It has beautiful rhythm and cadence for young listeners and engaging philosophy and political commentary for adult readers. The paintings are reproduced very well. I would also recommend the CD of this book. The video is a different art form, creating an entertaining and thought-inspiring show.” – Lisa K. Miller, College Instructor & Artist
“The story tackles the age old themes of good versus evil, positivity conquers negativity, courage and righteous motivation transform fear and doubt. This is very much a universal book which can appeal to adults and children alike. I found the abstract style of the paintings invited me to use my imagination and create my own picture of the subject, affording a fun and flexible way to experience the story and artwork. All in all, a very inspired, imaginative, and unique book unlike any I have experienced! The World of Glimpse inspires children with its message of positivity and possibility.” – Maryanne Kremer-Ames Musician, Lyra
Paperback, Kindle and Audio books by Ellen Palestrant
The World of Glimpse
A book for ALL AGES – 4 to 104! Poetry, song, poetic prose & humor abound. This is the ebook version of Ellen Palestrant’s unique and beautiful coffee table book, The World of Glimpse, where art, literature and theater combine. THE WORLD OF GLIMPSE is a fantasy realm of contagious rhythms and luminous color. Because Glimpse, the world of the Glimpsibles, is a world of creativity, and Sooma Sooma, the world of the Dreaded Drooma, is one of destructivity, the two worlds collide. A thought-provoking trip into fantasy, philosophy, and wonder. This book has a Glossary called a Glimpsary.
Now available as an audiobook as well.
Read reviews here.
If You Shut Your Eyes, You’ll Hear Some Cosmic Verse
IF YOU SHUT YOUR EYES, YOU’LL HEAR SOME COSMIC VERSE is a collection of highly imaginative, humorous, zany, lyrical, and thought-provoking poems for all ages. You, too, will go bounce-walking on the quadruple-quick, orbiting on a satellite or enjoy flying in an Any-Colored Sky. You also might want to visit Verseblurt Cafe or join in the Bong-A-Long Singalong. With a selection of more than fifty poems in this collection, not only will you be transported to fantasy places in your imagination, but you will have fun with the wordplay.
Now available as an audiobook as well.
Read the Midwest Book Review here.
There’s a Light at the End of My Muddle
In THERE’S A LIGHT AT THE END OF MY MUDDLE, there are more than seventy, highly original poems including limericks and tongue-twisters that are entertaining, thought-provoking, witty, zany and imaginative. Did you know that “vaulting and somersaulting without ever halting at the speed of thunderbolting down streets still asphalting will lead to multi-faulting”? This poetry collection is for all ages, fun to read aloud and perform alone or together. From My Story is a Hula-Hoop, to Slurping Pasta, Colors are a Magic Trick and Thorny Thicket Thistles, THERE’S A LIGHT AT THE END OF MY MUDDLE, is wordplay at its best.
Now available as an audiobook as well.
Read the Midwest Book Review here.
I Touched a Star In My Dream Last Night
I Touched a Star In My Dream Last Night, a collection of poems for all ages, is a boundless, energetic, humorous, and imaginative journey into dreams and possibilities. There are memorable poems for contemplating, memorizing and performing such as Day-Not-Long-Enuffis, Who Am I?, Froggy Goes to Boggywood, Let’s Talk Politics and Groom in the Moon.
Now available as an audiobook as well.
Read reviews here.
Pretzel on Prozac: The Story of an Immigrant Dog
Not many dogs live to twenty years of age. Pretzel did.
Although the long life of a confused, anxiety-ridden pet is the focus of Pretzel on Prozac: The Story of an Immigrant Dog, this book is also a human story. Ellen Palestrant calls this memoir an autobiography, that is, her dog Pretzel’s biography told in tandem with fragments from her own life.
With humor, pathos, and great originality, Palestrant offers a moving tale about her maladjusted, routine-bound dog and his many dilemmas.
Read reviews here.
Koptoe: Transcending Boundaries: The Comrades Marathon
KOPTOE: TRANSCENDING BOUNDARIES; THE COMRADES MARATHON, is a story about two runners and the COMRADES ULTRAMARATHON (a race of 56 miles.) The book is also about the connection between RUNNING, WRITING & CREATING MARATHONS – about the various marathons in our lives.
Read reviews here.
If You Can Make It, Mr. Harris…So Can I
Sam (Sammy) Harris, one of the youngest survivors of the Holocaust, speaks to thousands of adults and school children every year. Among the numerous letters he receives are those from hundreds of students who have been inspired by Sam’s courage and positivity. When Ellen Palestrant read these letters, she was struck by what they strongly illuminated: kids today are hungry for the values and character traits Sam epitomizes—and not the material values of cynical marketers with which they are constantly bombarded. Nor should kids be the unsuspecting recipients of messages of hate for the other broadcast by conspiratorial political and religious leaders and their colluding supporters. An insidious mind-grab exists and Sam Harris is the perfect antidote.
Read reviews here.
Have You Ever Had a Hunch?: The Importance of Imagination, Fantasy & Creative Thinking
Book #1 of the Creative Thinking Series
Many people are more adept at creative thinking than they realize but haven’t had the opportunity to discover that valuable capacity within themselves. This book will help you to identify any remaining obstacles standing in the way of you and your own, creative thinking. It will free you to explore, access and enjoy your own imagination. Creating is positive, exhilarating – and fun. We create to know what lies buried within us and be delighted with what emerges. We create to open that mysterious source that springs from deep within us. Creativity is for all ages. It can transcend borders and unify. Creativity is your companion for life. May you roam freely and joyfully in your Creative-Sphere!
Read reviews here.
Conversations About Creativity
Book #2 of the Creative Thinking Series
What makes creative people tick? Ellen Palestrant’s conversations with diverse creators gives readers fascinating insights into the commonalities, the differences, the passions, the persistence and the joyful engagement found in the innovative process. There is no ownership of creativity which exists in many disciplines. These interviews are inspirational and catalysts for self-reflection and creative engagement.
Read reviews here.
Let’s Do Hunch
Book #3 of the Creative Thinking Series
LET’S DO HUNCH™, the method, is used by individReaduals, groups, facilitators, book clubs, writers, artists, actors, business people, interior designers, engineers, lawyers – all people who would like to reclaim and develop their creativity potential, and improve their creative thinking skills.
Read reviews here.
Quotes About Creativity
Book #4 of the Creative Thinking Series
I have been collecting quotations for many years from a variety of creative thinkers whom I have come across in my readings. Their thoughts about their lives, their creative processes and philosophies on a wide-range of topics have served as both reinforcements to and advancements of my own thinking on creativity and related topics. I have benefited from and enjoyed my internal conversations with these profound thinkers from the past and the present. I decided therefore, to honor their individual strivings and dedication to what was and is meaningful to them in a book of their quotations about creativity.
Read reviews here.
A Fantasist & A Scientist In Conversation
Book #5 of the Creative Thinking Series
Interdisciplinary Communication across Boundaries for Today’s World. Writer-Artist Ellen Palestrant and Palaeobotanist Professor John M. Anderson transcend the perceived boundaries between the Arts and the Sciences, enhance their knowledge, cross-train their thinking and collaborate in celebrating the Commonalities and Differences in their Ideas and their Disciplines.
Read reviews here.
"The poems and black and white line illustrations in If You Shut Your Eyes, You'll Hear Some Cosmic Verse will appeal to all ages, from young poetry readers to adults well versed in the genre. They provide humorous, thought-provoking, imaginative creations that at first appear to hold more insight for the young. However, many an adult who cultivates being young at heart will find these short works whimsical and imaginative explorations of "a new world from a new dimension."
Take "Nincomdroops!" for one example. This builds on previous observations to note that "The Droops of Evil/cause upheaval/everywhere they go./Can't walk in a line./Can't read a sign./Go fast instead of slow."
The intergalactic journeys, hilarity, and bouncing, rollicking rhythms that describe alien places and spaces will also delight read-aloud parents who encourage levity and celebration in the young, cultivating an appreciation for poetry that mixes fanciful environments with fun wordplays and fantasy observations about the creatures that inhabit these other realms.
Kids are encouraged to absorb multiple word interpretations and differing observations and conclusions about these intergalactic environs and their inhabitants as they romp through a cosmic and literary journey.
Adults looking to introduce kids to a variety of poetic forms will appreciate the diversity Palestrant employs in these celebratory explorations, the humor, and the fantastic descriptions. Her black and white illustrations provide just the right zany, simple touch to help these cosmic verses come to life in a presentation especially recommended for young readers new to poetic experiences."
Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review
"Poetry readers of all ages (but especially the young) will find There's a Light at the End of My Muddle a whimsical invitation to all kinds of verse that encourages both imaginative thinking, read-aloud, and performance fun alike.
The idea, expressed in the beginning of the collection, is to 'open up new doors' of variety and creativity for readers of all ages. This sentiment is best expressed in "Living Life in Pause," which offers a thought-provoking survey of being overly cautious about life experiences: "Are you.../living Life in Pause,/tidying up your drawers,/sweeping clean your floors,/stepping...gingerly...outdoors?"
Further examples of these attitudes and how they can influence perception and life experience lie in poems such as "Mrs. Naysayer," who "considers negation her ongoing victory."
Because such works may require some degree of interpretation for the very young, this is a collection that excels in being employed by read-aloud parents. This audience will find much discussion fodder for interacting with kids about positive life attitudes and fun encounters in daily and routine experiences, from a rudely-slurping uncle to an angry tabby cat.
Palestrant's simple yet whimsical black and white illustrations throughout add interest to her words.
Adults who want opportunities for engagement with young poetry readers will find this collection the perfect place for exploring characters, emotions, life circumstances, and whimsical observations; all couched in a literary expression that is delightfully unexpected in its various portraits."
Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review