Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town Screenplay Selected for Great Plains Film Festival

Ben St. James’ “Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town” screenplay earns an official selection at the 2026 Great Plains Film Festival in Oklahoma City.

A new milestone has been reached for “Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town,” as the screenplay by Ben St. James has officially been selected for the 2026 Great Plains Film Festival in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The official selection recognizes the screenplay as part of this year’s festival, adding another exciting accomplishment to the journey of Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town.

A Western Adventure With a Ghostly Twist

Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town combines the classic imagery of the American West with a playful adventure, with a lesson about persevering and protecting historical sites.

An Official Selection at the Great Plains Film Festival

Being named an Official Selection of the Great Plains Film Festival is an exciting recognition for the screenplay.

The festival, held in Oklahoma City, provides a fitting setting for a story inspired by the imagery and traditions of the American West. For Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town, the selection represents an opportunity to bring the screenplay to the attention of fellow filmmakers, writers and audiences interested in original storytelling.

KinoDrome: Official Selections

Three separate works to be featured in the festival

Good news!

My vertical animated short “Cupid School”, and the screenplays “Bam Bam the Bunny: Hole Lotta Trouble” and “Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town” were all named Official Selections this weekend in the KinoDrome motion picture and screenplay festival.

This is the second time I had three separate works accepted in the same festival.

London Post Daily: TikTok Creator Profile

Exciting news, I was featured in an article profiling different illustrators who are making waves on TikTok.

You can view the original post via the link, I’ve also included a copy of the article below for archive purposes.

Continue reading “London Post Daily: TikTok Creator Profile”

Christian Kids Books with Gran Review: Bam Bam the Bunny

Review by Christiankidsbookswithgran
🐰 Bam Bam the Bunny by Ben St James
📚 Children’s Picture Book | Ages 0 to 8

As someone who absolutely loves bunnies, I couldn’t help but adore Bam Bam. His little superhero outfit, complete with the adorable carrot emblem, immediately made me smile. He’s always ready to hop into action whenever someone needs help, and along the way he teaches children beautiful lessons about empathy, friendship, kindness, and celebrating our differences.

The rhyming text flows nicely, making it a fun choice for reading aloud, while the colorful illustrations help bring Bam Bam’s adventure to life. It’s a sweet story with an encouraging message that young readers are sure to remember.

If you’re looking for a charming picture book that reminds children that kindness is one of the greatest superpowers of all, Bam Bam the Bunny is a wonderful choice for ages 0 to 8.

See the original post here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Da5KkinhmaT/

New Bam Bam Review

Review by: The Magic of Biblios Mia

“Bam Bam dressed in his costume, all swift and keen, With speed at which rabbits are so rarely seen”.

I read this cute rabbit Bam Bam’s story. This bunny can apparently fly and jump tall buildings.

The core theme of this book is Friendship. No matter what our sizes are, or whether someone is new, we can all still be friends. The only thing that’s needed is a big and a kind heart. I loved the message.

The illustrations are so cute. It fits early readers the best. It’s perfect for bedtime storytelling.

See the original post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Da67EmIsS0a/?igsh=N2oyaGQwZzEzYjVo

Bedtime Story Review for Bam Bam the Bunny

Review by TwoDadsOneBedtimeStory
Road to 1,000 books before kindergarten!

Book: Bam Bam the Bunny
Author: Ben St. James

This is our honest review:
We were lucky enough to get an early look at Bam Bam the Bunny, and it is an absolute must-add to your little one’s future bookshelf!

Bam Bam might look like your average bunny, but he’s actually a superhero with super speed and massive jumping skills. But what we loved most is that Bam Bam’s real superpower is his empathy. When a friend is terrified, Bam Bam doesn’t use force; he stops, listens, and helps him conquer his fears through kindness.

The story is beautifully straightforward, making the big concepts of empathy and bravery incredibly easy for toddlers and young children to grasp. Plus, the illustrations are spectacular. They are packed with vibrant, inventive colors, and the artist does a phenomenal job of making character emotions jump off the page.

Our favorite takeaway from the book captures the spirit of kindness the author Ben St. James illustrates: “There’s nothing to fear from new friends big or small. We all have good hearts, that’s why love conquers all.”

See the original post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DaygWBMR0LW/

New Book Reviews


Review by: Gram’s Garden lfl
Meet Bam Bam the Bunny:

A Fuzzy Hero who teaches valuable lessons of acceptance, friendship, and the importance of helping others.

Written and illustrated by Ben St. James, Bam Bam the Bunny is sure to delight children pre-k through age 8. With whimsical illustrations and rhyming text this adorable book is perfect for parent-child reading time or easy solo reading for beginning readers.

🐇 📚 🐇 📚 🐇 📚 🐇

About this book:

Hop into an adventure filled with friendship & empathy!

Bam Bam the Bunny is known far and wide for his abilities and boundless energy. When a call for help echoes through the streets, Bam Bam springs into action, ready to lend a paw to those in need. Alongside some unlikely new friends, Bam Bam embarks on a heartwarming adventure, teaching valuable lessons of acceptance, friendship, and the importance of helping others, which children will remember thanks to the memorable rhymes. Join Bam Bam on a journey where differences are celebrated, new friendships are made, and kindness reigns supreme in this charming tale.

🐇 📚 🐇 📚 🐇

Review by Pattie

My Review: This book was very cute, and the illustrations were creative and fun to view. Since I haven’t been a part of the children’s literature world for quite a while, it was interesting to see how the Foreword really shapes the reader’s view of this story, which I could see being interpreted differently if on its own. Without the explanation at the start, would a small child in the 21st century understand the obvious take on the Godzilla story? Would they be confused about seeing a girl or woman in a gorilla’s clutch? I did find the explanation valid: not everything is as it appears. Nevertheless, I would be interested in why that’s the image the author chose, and what placing the foreword as an afterword might do for the book.

The text is cute and rhymes well, and the overall message is positive. If you have a child who likes rabbits, mice, and/or gorillas, they’ll like this book.

Book Tour Review from Amanda Felton on Instagram

Review by Amanda Felton

This was such a cute and quick story. My son and I loved it so much. I loved how Bam Bam was so helpful and wore a special outfit. My son said he was like Spider-Man.

The book was so easy to read and my son who is going into 2nd grade was able to read some to me.

It didn’t have a lot of detail and that’s so good for a kids book. Wasn’t bogged down in the least!!

I liked the ape and found it so funny he was scared of a mouse but then they were friends loved that!!!

Overall my son is already asking to read this book again so can’t wait for him to read it to me for the practice!!!

See the original post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DayjMh1RBbI/

Book Tour Review from Amorina Carlton

Review by Amorina Carlton
Title: Bam Bam the Bunny
Author: Ben St James
Genre: Children’s (age 0-8)
Pages: 24
Gifted Format: eBook

What an absolutely adorable and adorable picture book! I read this with my 8 year old and her first words when we finished were, “I loved it.” And I agree!

It had a pleasing rhymed structure, which children frequently love, adorable drawings and characters, and a fabulous story! The fact that the story includes a great message for kids and adults everywhere is just icing on the proverbial cake. It was great for my 8 year old, who is at the upper limit of the age recommendation, and that range seems about right. Younger kids would probably love it, though might not fully appreciate it, but they will grow to love it. Older kids will likely think it is a little too babyish. So the recommended age group is the sweet spot.

See the original post below.

Bonkers For Books – Bam Bam the Bunny

Review by @bonkers_for_books

BOOK REVIEW: ☆☆☆☆☆

A book with a purpose, even for young children, this book has an intentional purpose and takeaway.

… and with society today, friendships are challenging and kindness is not everywhere.

Bam Bam the Bunny shares a strong message throughout the story and reassures that kindness can be found everywhere.

The messages are strong and clear and the graphics are even better.

See the original post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Da1rPWDshDJ/

Bolas Book Nook: Bam Bam the Bunny

Review from @BolasBookNook

Bedtime reading is one of Jr.’s favorite parts of the day, and this book delivered exactly what he needed! From the very first page, he was completely engaged as I read.

I loved that the story explored important themes like conquering fears, finding courage, and making new friends in a way that was easy for little ones to understand. It offered a great message while still being fun and entertaining.

This was a sweet, heroic children’s story that’s short, engaging, and straight to the point. Perfect for winding down before bed. If you’re looking for a book that keeps your little one’s attention while teaching meaningful life lessons, this is definitely one to add to your bedtime rotation! 

See the original post here: https://www.instagram.com/bolasbooknook

Book Tour: Bam Bam Bunny Review (Instagram)

A review that is short and sweet from Kaitlynvreads over on Instagram.



I love to switch things up and review children’s books!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Bam Bam The Bunny is a fun story with an important message! I loved the theme of spreading kindness. It also encourages kids to make friendships.
My favorite quote was “we all have good hearts, that’s why love conquers all.”
#lbtcrew

See the original post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Da2zHS4sdYd/

Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town receives recognition in KC.

Kansas Authors Club Children’s Book Award – Finalists Revealed

I’m incredibly grateful to share that Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town has been named a Finalist in the Kansas Authors Club Children’s Book Award in the Picture Book category!

Congratulations to my fellow finalists:
– Pip, Zip, Hooray! by Rosemary Chick & Dawn Feltrop (Happy Horizon Publishing)
– Ezra’s Valentines: A Story of Kindness and Love by Sherry Krehbiel (Miriam Laundry Publishing)

It’s an honor to have Cowboy Cooper recognized alongside such wonderful children’s books. Thank you to the Kansas Authors Club, everyone who has supported this book, and every young reader who’s joined Cooper on his adventure.

#ChildrensBooks #PictureBook #KansasAuthorsClub #CowboyCooper #BookAwards #IndieAuthor

View the website here: https://www.kansasauthorsclub.org/news/category/book-awards

See the original news post here: https://www.kansasauthorsclub.org/news/announcing-the-2026-kansas-authors-club-childrens-book-award-finalists

Cowboy Cooper Plush

The new ultra limited edition vintage-style Cowboy Cooper Plush Doll is here!

Celebrating the 1st anniversary of Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town and the very special 250th birthday of these great United States, new merch is now live!

Ultra limited edition. Find out more on the special Cowboy Cooper Plush Doll page here.

There’s no better way to promote reading, historical preservation, and good old fashioned fun!

ITSE Film Festival

Photos from the June 13th event.

Although I was unable to attend this year I did have a presence at the sold out ITSE Film Festival founded by Crystal Manning and Antoinette Titus.

The Ben St. James logo was featured alongside other sponsors at the festival.

Crystal, Antoinette, and I co-created some very cool IP with our friend William “Big Sleeps” Stewart.

It’s a super hero project that pre-dates Guinea Pig Power.

I hope we get a chance to share it in the future. The project drew attention from publishers and film industry professionals and helped me gain traction as a cartoonist.

Ukrainian Cinema in Schools Initiative

A quick film update from filmmaker Ben St. James

Earlier this month, I was notified that my short film Cupid School had been officially selected for the Max Sir International Film Festival and would also be included as part of the festival’s Cinema in Schools initiative organized in collaboration with the ICJ Film Awards.

Through this program, selected films are being screened in 100 schools across Ukraine, including communities located near frontline regions. The initiative is designed to bring international cinema and creative storytelling directly to students through organized school screenings.

This is one of the photos shared with filmmakers from a screening held at a lyceum in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. Seeing images from the actual screenings and knowing the work is reaching students in these communities makes the selection especially meaningful.

Continue reading “Ukrainian Cinema in Schools Initiative”

Sponsor Spotlight ReaderViews

See post on X

Reader Views was kind enough to give individual shout outs to me and some of the author sponsors — one of whom I got to chat with Dwayne, great guy very knowledgeable!

Looking forward to this years awards and finding out who the first ever winner of the Ben St. James Author/Illustrator award will be.

2,179,078 Channel Views

TikTok numbers finally arrive from April 2026

Great news! I just learned that as of April 30th 2026, my TikTok channel views for the year surpassed 2,170,000.

It’s exciting and an honor to reach this milestone with four videos surpassing 400k views — one of which got over 1 million views since January.

It’s been incredible experiencing this kind of growth in only 4 months.

Ben St. James Scores a Hat-Trick at the ICJ Film Awards 2026 with Three Official Selections

Author, cartoonist, and filmmaker Ben St. James has earned three official selections at the ICJ Film Awards 2026, marking a major international achievement for the multi-disciplinary creator.

Continue reading “Ben St. James Scores a Hat-Trick at the ICJ Film Awards 2026 with Three Official Selections”

The Ben St. James Author & Illustrator Award

Discover The Newest Sponsored Prize At The Reader Views Fiction Awards 

This year, I am sponsoring an award at the Reader Views Fiction Awards.

The Reader Views Fiction Awards program recognizes outstanding independently published fiction across a wide range of genres, honoring work by independent authors and small presses alike. The awards encourage and spotlight quality storytelling through professional evaluation, review coverage, and award recognition.

The award is named “The Ben St. James Author & Illustrator Award.” The winner is selected from authors who both wrote and illustrated their own picture book. Early reader books, chapter books, and graphic novels in which the author also served as illustrator may also be considered.

Continue reading “The Ben St. James Author & Illustrator Award”

Richard K. Lowy Wins the Nellie Bly CIBA Grand Prize for Journalism

Chanticleer Book Awards Grand Prize winner honored for excellence in journalism and international literary achievement

I had the honor of working with Richard K. Lowy as a publicist and consultant in 2024. His book Kalman & Leopold has made waves internationally and has already won numerous awards and honors. In 2025, I recommended he submit the book to a few more award programs, he did!

Richard is incredibly personable, articulate, and driven. To my knowledge, this is the highest award I or any of the authors I’ve worked with have received. It couldn’t have gone to a more deserving author.

Announcement: Ferret Force heroes coming soon!

The Fuzzy Heroes universe expands… and things are about to get four times fuzzier.

This brand-new adventure stars four fantastically feisty ferrets, bringing their playful energy to a story told entirely in rhyme, just like the first two books in the Fuzzy Heroes series.

The original manuscript was penned in February 2024, right after Bam Bam the Bunny came to life. This year, production ran January through March, culminating in an officially approved test print earlier this month.

There may still be a few finishing touches ahead, but the mission is clear:

FERRET FORCE is ready for release on April 2, 2027 (international picture book day).

Stay tooned… the ferrets are coming. 🐾

Over 50K on TikTok (Growing an Audience as a Children’s Author)

Last weekend my TikTok community reached a new milestone

I make illustration videos on TikTok, and as a children’s author and marketing consultant, I’ve been using them to grow an audience around storytelling and character work. Between January 15th and April 16th of this year I experienced exponential growth in both channel views and my follower count.

Continue reading “Over 50K on TikTok (Growing an Audience as a Children’s Author)”

The California International Children’s Film Festival

Cowboy Cooper and the Ghost Town Rides into the Spotlight as a 2026 Finalist

The CICFF is a biannual event that brings together talented filmmakers, showcasing the best in independent and international cinema while creating a rich and rewarding experience for both audiences and creators.

This is my 5th selection on Film Freeway. According to the platform that makes my work among the most selected.

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