The Place I Know Best, by Gregory Bauer | Dedicated Review

Book Review of The Place I Know Best
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The Children’s Book Review

The Place I Know Best

Created by Gregory Bauer

Illustrated by Cody Taylor

Ages 3-8 years | 34 Pages

Publisher: Place I Know Best LLC | ISBN-13: 978-1736526408

What to Expect: Bedtime, exploration, adventure, bravery

Filled with soft illustrations, The Place I Know Best takes the reader on a magical journey following a young boy and the wind on a bright moonlit night.  The young boy is afraid of sailing on a ship but he is eventually reassured by the wind that it will all be alright.  Soon the reader sees the young boy gain the confidence he needs to sail and enjoy the adventures the wind leads him on until it is time to return home—as “all journeys must end.”

The Place I Know Best is a beautiful story adapted from the song “Lullaby,” originally created by Lawrence Bauer.  The song was written for his young boys, Greg and Jeff, and often sung at bedtimes and other family gatherings until, sadly, the boys outgrew it.  Years later, when Jeff became a father, his brother Greg, a talented musician in his own right, resurrected his late father’s song and gave it new life in the form of a book and audio download (“Lullaby” available on iTunes and Amazon Music).

The words and pictures of The Place I Know Best hold up well on their own, but when combined with the author’s music, “Lullaby,” the adventure is taken to a new dimension.  As the reader listens to the words of the book and the music, the illustrations stand out as the song swings from a gentle melody to a more spirited tune.  The reader can see this visually as the illustrations change from cool colors representing the more mellow melody to bright warm pictures showing us the adventuresome theme.

One thing to note is that 50% of the profits from the sale of The Place I Know Best and “Lullaby” are donated to mental health research and support organizations in honor of Lawrence Bauer, who struggled with mental illness for many years.

All ages will enjoy hearing and singing along with The Place I Know Best.

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About the Author

Gregory Bauer was born and raised in the great state of Michigan – Ann Arbor to be exact.  He had a modest upbringing, and regardless of the challenges life presented, grew up surrounded by the love of his family.  And family is the most important thing to him.

He is an architect by education, a musician by hobby, and a severe optimist by nature.  More than that, he is a proud uncle.  His niece, Sanna, is the inspiration behind recording Lullaby – a song originally written by his dad, as well as creating The Place I Know Best.  Both of which were done in his father’s memory.  Having recorded a number of songs in the past, The Place I Know Best is his first written publication.  Greg is a major proponent of mental health research and support organizations, and contributes to them through the sale of Lullaby, and The Place I Know Best.

Now living in the fresh air of the mountains of Colorado, he found himself there by way of Wisconsin, where he received his bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  That is also where his passion for playing guitar was born, if not directly from his father’s gift of music.  Greg continues to play and create music at his leisure and currently owns and operates a design/build firm in the greater Denver area.

About the Illustrator

Cody Taylor is the owner of The Iron LAB Design Studio, which focuses on logo design and branding strategies for startups and small businesses.  He’s a graphic designer and illustrator, as well as a self-proclaimed genius.  As a young artist, his works were featured exclusively on his parent’s refrigerator; they ranged from napkin doodles to Bob Ross-inspired watercolor paintings.  Cody studied photography in college part-time (when he wasn’t playing hooky) and has been in the graphic arts and design business in one aspect or another since 1998.  He currently lives in Grand Junction, Colorado, and is blessed with a beautiful family.  His wife Cayla and their amazing daughter Millie report that he is in fact not a genius… or a comedian.

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