Reviews and Fan Mail

Imagine

Readers agree that The Flights of Marceau is an adventure for all. Here’s what they’re saying:

Author Joe Brown has created an unlikely superhero whose super-power is that of great imagination and superior rhyming capability. He uses every-day, adult language, the goal being to improve the reader’s word recognition and vocabulary. An easy and convenient glossary is included where simple definitions appear just the right of the new words.

Scholastic

My children absolutely love this book! They are simply captivated by the witty and humorous prose that engulfs the clever tales. We do not go one night without reading these stories before bedtime. Absolutely recommended for any children who love adventurous and fun stories, and also for any parents that want to enjoy the tales they are reading to their children. The book also contains definitions for all vocabulary the children might not know, and actually helps to understand the story. The various stories are all different, and the rhyming is exceptional. The art also helps the story because it allows my children to visualize the tale. I cannot wait until the second chapter comes out!

Anonymous review on Barnes&Noble.com

I have 4 children, and they all love the book. We read it every night and they get so wound up in the characters and adventures. They can‘t wait for Book 2 and the whole rest of the series. The paintings and illustrations are both beautiful and entertaining. Rhyme is such a great way to get kids excited and intrigued about a story. Keep it up, We don’t want it to end.

Anonymous review on Barnes&Noble.com

“It reads like a song.”
Mary, age 80

From the Kids

Aspire to Inspire Before you Expire

Thank you for the opportunity to talk to you. You inspired me to become a better person because you explained to me how amazing it is to be an author. I loved the story of how you became an author. I also love how passionate you are about being an author. All of your books seem interesting and I like the way you make your books in a way that they rhyme.

You have all different types of books which I like. I like to have a big variety of books to pick from. I also like how kind you are to other people. For example, you give people free books. Keep making books keep being you.

Ari

In today’s world, I feel that genuinely good people are slowly fading away. We need more people that give to the community, people that spread kindness to the world, people like you. It amazes me how someone can do so good in their life. You served our justice system by becoming a lawyer, you give happiness to the children by donating books and as you say “giving back”.

For starters, I would like to thank you, because of the Zoom, you opened up my mind to how privileged I really am. I never thought that some people couldn’t afford simple things like books, or clothes and that I need to appreciate how lucky I am. You inspire me to donate to charity, volunteer, and give to those in need. What you like to call, “giving back”. Even though you became a lawyer and helped the community you decided to do that much more even after you were retired and it shows me that good people still exist.

You spread happiness and joy and I will always remember you for that.
Thank you.

Sincerely, Alexandra

Thank you so much for presenting to us your experience of writing so many books! You showed so many of us that writing a book is so much fun and how you can go so many places just with your imagination.
You inspired me to write my own book maybe when I grow up I will consider writing a book because you showed me how amazing it is! Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to read us your books and share your stories.

Sincerely, Emily

Thank you for donating your time to share excerpts from some of your written work with me and my classmates. We really appreciated hearing a bit about your background too.

Your words, actions, and story have inspired me and my classmates to use our imaginations in expressing our creativity. All in all, I just wanted to say thank you for contributing your time to our class.

Sincerely, Keiran

One thing that I took away from that was that you can change your life in a snap. And congratulations on you starting your 10th book.
Kosta

Thank you so much for sharing with us your career on being an author. On how you
talked a lot about amazing things in life is unbelievable and extraordinarily spectacular and all
the above. Your imagination is amazing as well.

Sincerely, Morgan

I am so thankful that you still could make it this year on virtual and have time as an author to come on a meet to talk to us. I am hoping that you will come again because the speech you gave was so inspirational and you as an adult have taught us, kids, with parents, to, that we can all still have our imaginary land/world in our minds. You also taught us that you can always go back to your imaginary land/world when every you want, and the fun part is, you are the only one allowed in because it is your land/world.

The way that you are so strong to start a new career after being a lawyer is just so inspirational in my opinion because you make me believe that I can do whatever I want with my life, and still be me. You have also said that from when you were a kid it was your dream to be an author because you thought it was so cool and I think that is amazing. I hope you stay safe from covid and keep on doing what you do to inspire even more people today, including me.
the above. Your imagination is amazing as well.

Sincerely, Anthony

My favorite part of your presentation was when you read your book to us. I thought it was a great adventure that Marceau took. I also liked all the advice you gave us about being a good author. It was really helpful and I will definitely use your advice as I get older. At the end of the day, I went home and told my mom all about it. You were a big help to me. I am glad I had the opportunity to talk to you and learn from you.
the above. Your imagination is amazing as well.

Sincerely, Claudia

Hello Mr. Brown. I just wanted to say thank you for the inspiration of being an author, because of you I am thinking about writing books and being an author after retirement. You are a funny and amazing guy that changes the thinking of someone’s imagination that nobody thought they had (me). Thank you for using our time on us and having a great lesson. Thank you!!!

Sincerely, Prem

Hi Mr. Brown, Thank you so much for your Virtual Author presentation for Frank Antonidies school. I really appreciate the time you took away from your day to show us all your books, and to answer all our questions. I really enjoyed your imagination part in the beginning because it showed me how much it helps me to write fiction stories. Also, I love that you don’t sell your books, but that you give your books away. I think it is a very generous thing to do and it is a creative way to give back. I thought it was very cool that a lot of your books are inspired by your kids and family. All your books sound absolutely amazing, and they seem like I would really enjoy them.

Sincerely, Gabriella

From the schools…

I cannot thank you enough for making our Saturday bookfair so special. Our students had a WONDERFUL time reading aloud with you and they were absolutely overjoyed by your generous gift. I knew that you had read aloud in several of our classrooms before, but I really had no idea what to expect on Saturday. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed watching your interaction with our students and your kind, energetic encouragement. You truly embody the “love of reading” that we, at WITS, hope to instill in all our children. Your books are not only beautifully illustrated, but rhythmically engaging and exciting for our young readers. We would love to have you join us in our classrooms after the new year. I look forward to seeing you again and honestly can’t thank you enough. You and your wife were such delightful and kind-hearted people and I wish you both a wonderful holiday and a joyous new year.”

Kristen Berlacher
Communication and Development Manager
Working in the Schools, WITS

From our readers

Thank you so much. You are truly an inspiration. I feel like today’s children are rapidly losing their creativity and their ability to “make believe.” It seems as if every minute is planned and filled with activities to keep them busy, and the joy of simply letting their minds take off in their own directions—as far as they can let them go—is a lost pleasure. I think you, and Marceau, are taking huge steps in filling that void. Hopefully some of them will lay on the grass, watch the clouds float by, and come up with some adventures of their own, after seeing where Marceau takes them.”

Cherie Braun

The stories are magical, the verse, charming, and the illustrations and paintings, breathtaking. A feast for the mind, eyes and heart.

Jody, age 57

Extraordinary…” “Full of hope” “…elevating spirit” … “beautiful”… “dream-like quality”“…bigger than life”

Ira Berkow, New York Times sportswriter

Imagination is more Important
than Knowledge
Albert Einstein