BOOKS
CK James creates original books for children that inspire imagination, build reading confidence, and encourage a lifelong love of reading. Through picture books, decodable readers, and graphic novels, he brings memorable characters and engaging stories to young readers at every stage of their literacy journey.
A Cloud That Has to Rain
A Cloud That Has to Rain is a picture book about a happy cloud that realizes it has to rain — but doesn’t want to ruin the sunny day for everyone. What a cumulus conundrum! This quirky page-turner has a potty training hook and will have kids giggling as our cloud tries to find a place to rain with ever growing urgency!
Party of One
Sprinkles the unicorn lives in the fairytale forest with all her amazing friends. One day, her friends start acting very strange around her. Seemingly unrelated, there appears to be something big happening on the other side of the tall hedges, but Sprinkles isn’t allowed in. Can Sprinkles find a way inside? Or will she end up feeling left out?
Party of One is about self-worth and the true value of friendship.
We Require a Squire
We Require a Squire is a story about a sleepy medieval town, a scary monster, and an unlikely hero that saves the town in more ways than one.
One of the core themes of this book is finding your voice and having the courage to be more than you ever thought you could be. The book has an emphasis on emotional intelligence and promoting curiosity before judgment.
And The World Went Gray
This impactful story is about a young girl who lost something she can never truly get back. As she tries to ignore her feelings, her heart starts to become numb and the color in the world begins to disappear. With wisdom from her grandfather and the company of his loyal cat, Iris, she sets off to restore color to the grayscale landscape and learn about grief in the process.
This book avoids watering down the topic of grief but rather aims to kneel down to a child and talk about it on their level. And the World Went Gray has so much potential to be visually stunning and become a go-to book for parents about a difficult topic.
Dream Jumpers
A young boy and his faithful dog drift off to sleep… only to discover they’re sharing the same dream! In this magical dream, anything they imagine appears before their eyes. Cotton candy trees? You bet. Endless tennis balls? Of course. With their imaginations running wild, there’s just one question: What will they dream up next?
Snow and Behold!
An interactive picture book about a boy who get stuck in the snow while sledding. The reader actively helps the boy find his lost hat, glove, boot, and sled by uncovering them in the snow.
This is a book that proves you don’t need a screen to be interactive with an audience.
Callie Cat Series
Callie Cat is a children’s television program and book series for children ages 3-8. The series follows a lovable family of calico cats, the Calico family, and their everyday adventures together. Callie, or Callie Cat as she is often called, greets each day with great enthusiasm alongside her little brother Leo, her littler sister Penny, and her mom and dad.
Written by CK James, the series and its characters are based on his family and his experience as a father. The series is truly a love letter to millennial parents, who will feel seen and valued alongside their children as they experience Callie Cat together.
Multiple picture books and graphic novels are written and are in review for publishing with a major book publisher. Books include Purrfect Day - A Callie Cat Story and A Beginner’s Guide to Making a New Friend among many others.
Monstereenies Series
Monstereenies is a children’s television and book series created for kids ages 3–6. The series follows a lovable group of monsters who face everyday challenges using creativity and teamwork.
The first picture book in the series, Stuck, introduces Mopert and Jovie as they play catch together until their ball gets trapped in a tall tree.
As the two friends work to retrieve it, their very different approaches to problem-solving lead to fun, clever, and meaningful moments that celebrate teamwork, perseverance, and seeing challenges from new perspectives.
Karate Kitties Series
Karate Kitties is a preschool animated action-comedy series for children ages 3–6 that blends the high-energy fun of superhero adventures with the heart and humor of character-driven storytelling.
The first book in the series, A Major Yarn Paw-blem, introduces the four feline martial artists trying to save Meowtropolis from the over-the-top fashion mogul gone rogue, Madame Mittens.
As the kitties work to stop Madame Mittens from wreaking havoc on the city with a seemingly endless supply of yarn, the Karate Kitties find that patience and teamwork hit harder than any karate chop ever could.
A Case of the Yubbles!
In this laugh-out-loud story, a character comes down with the yubbles… the kind of giggles that just won’t quit! With the help of the reader and one rather tricky phrase, this interactive story invites everyone to join in and try to stop the yubbles together.
Shoes
This is a story of a girl and her shoes.
But her shoes weren’t normal at all…
They had a habit of noises and racket,
At school! At home! At the mall!
Can she keep her shoes quiet all day?
Or will mayhem be on full display?
The Ghost and the Jester
This is a story about a ghost. She was not sure how she became a ghost. It just sort of happened one day. And she feels completely invisible.
This is also a story about a jester. He performs for King and his court, whose approval feels necessary to survive.
This picture book is a relatable tale about what it’s like to not feel seen or heard, and how life-changing it can be when you finally are.
What About the Boulder?
This picture book is about a man who carries a heavy boulder on his back wherever he goes. All day, every day. He does not want to carry the boulder with him, but he cannot seem to let it go. So he tries to ignore it. But the boulder becomes heavier and heavier and heavier… Until one day he finally has to ask himself, “What about the boulder?”.
A story for children about what it’s like to carry something heavy with us, even when we don’t want to, and what it means to learn and grow beyond it.
Author Versus Illustrator!
Author Versus Illustrator! is a picture book about conflict resolution. The author has a story to tell but the illustrator wants to take the story in a very different direction. This tension is a crucible for hilarity and fun! Ultimately, the author and illustrator come to agree that they are both better when they work together to tell stories.
Queen of the Night
This book is set at night with a father and daughter on a journey together in search of a very special flower, the Queen of the Night. This flower only blooms one night a year and wilts by the following morning. Readers are reminded that beauty and wonder are all around us if only we have the eyes to see it.
Until It Is
Sometimes things feel impossible. Learning to read can be difficult. Gym class is hard. Math is quite possibly the toughest on planet earth to understand (or at least it is to the author). But here’s the thing: When you were born, you couldn’t really do anything yourself. And yet, here you are. Look how far you’ve come! And look how far you’re going to go! Almost nothing is possible… until it is.
The Not-So-Big-Bad Wolf
What if the story of the Three Little Pigs was all a misunderstanding? In this fractured fairytale, CK James explores an alternative series of events in the classic tale. Was the wolf bad? Were the pigs victims? Or is there more to the story?
The Four Kings
In this fantastical tale, the four kings in a deck of cards happen upon each other where the boundaries of their kingdoms meet. Of course, they all believe they are the actual king. This begs the question… who is the rightful king?