Saturday, August 31, 2013

When Edgar Met Cecil By Kevin Luthardt ~ World of Peachtree Tour

Have you ever been the new kid at school? Edgar knows how you feel. When the young robot moves with his family to a new and different (and I do mean different) town, Edgar isn't quite sure he's going to like it at first. The kids there are...weird. 

Join us on this week's blog tour as we take a look at Kevin Luthardt's When Edgar Met Cecil and learn how new friends can sometimes be found where you least expect them!


Monday, Sept. 2
Blue Owl Reviews
Tuesday, Sept. 3
Wednesday, Sept. 4
Thursday, Sept. 5
Friday, Sept. 6

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Little Rabbit Goes to School by Harry Horse ~ Back to School Peachtree Review & Giveaway



The indomitable Little Rabbit is back in a heartwarming story about starting school and discovering the challenges of independence.
Today is a special day. It is Little Rabbit's first day of school and he has decided to bring along his favorite wooden toy, Charlie Horse. "Now we are big," Little Rabbit tells his mother. The busy classroom is crowded with little rabbits and lots of activities. His new teacher, Mrs. Morag, seems very happy to see him and Charlie Horse—that is, until Charlie Horse disrupts story time, dances on top of the desk during music time, and jumps into the cake batter at snack time. At the end of the day, even Little Rabbit realizes that Charlie Horse may not be ready for school after all.
Harry Horse hits all the right notes in this gently humorous, reassuring story that depicts how one child copes with a big transition. Young readers will identify easily with the young character's conflicting desires for independence and reassurance.
Where to buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble


About author & illustrator Harry Horse:

Harry Horse wrote and illustrated many books for children, including the popular Little Rabbit picture books and the novels The Last Polar Bears, The Last Castaways, The Last Cowboys, and The Last Gold Diggers. He was also a political cartoonist for several national newspapers in the United Kingdom. He died in 2007.
You can visit Harry Horse’s website here.

BACK TO SCHOOL GIVEAWAY  
U.S. residents only
Provided by  Peachtree Publishers
Win a HARDCOVER Copy of 
LITTLE RABBIT GOES TO  SCHOOL
 1 Winner
Just leave a comment below with your email.
(I need your email to contact you if you are the winner)
ENDS AUGUST 30th, 2013
Winner announced on August 31st, 2013

My Thoughts

Little Rabbit  is so excited, his first day of school has finally arrived. Against the advice of his mother he is taking Charlie Horse to school with him. He claims Charlie Horse wants to go to school. On the way to and at school Charlie Horse would not behave in class.  In fact he caused so many distractions the teacher had to send him to time-out.  

Little Rabbit must make a big decision of whether Charlie Horse was going to attend school with him anymore.  Do you think Charlie Horse should stay home with Little Rabbit's mother rather than go to visit school and be a distraction from the children learning?

This is a  darling story! The illustrations depict the story so children can interpret the story even if they can not read.  Little ones will relate to antics of Little Rabbit's and Charlie Horse's characters.  This is a perfect relaxing read-to-me bedtime story, which should leave the child with sweet dreams of little rabbits.

There are lessons to be learned from this story like, mothers know best, be considerate of others, sharing is good when making new friends, always follow the rules and school is fun.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book from Peachtree Publishers for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review.


Wednesday, August 21, 2013

An Ordinary Toad's Extraordinary Night by Joanne McGonagle, illustrated by Rachael Mahaffey


About Book

An Ordinary Toad's Extraordinary Night is the story of a young toad named Andrew, pondering whether his life would be more interesting had he been hatched a frog.

Andrew embarks on his first solo hop to ask his grandpa some questions about what it means to be an amphibian. The story is blended with factual information that compares and contrasts the similarities and differences among toads and frogs.

A young reader's curiosity will be piqued as they consider the unique attributes of the individual creatures that make up a species, perhaps sparking the light of conversation in their hearts and minds.

More About Andrew the Toad:
https://www.facebook.com/AndrewtheToad

  • ISBN-13: 9780989008808
  • Publisher: Ainsley Press
  • Publication date: 5/17/2013
  • Pages: 80

Where to buy: Barnes and Noble, Amazon



About the author:

Joanne is the author of The Tiniest Tiger children’s book and the award-winning website The Tiniest Tiger’s Conservation Cub Club. Inspired by her cat Gracey, Joanne transitioned from a career in specialty food marketing to writing and studying all cats big and small. She has a Master of Zoology GFP from Miami University and an MBA from Ohio University. She recently spent time in Kenya and Namibia learning about lions and cheetahs. Joanne lives in Ohio with Paul and Gracey.
About the illustrator: 
Rachael Mahaffey is an award-winning freelance artist and illustrator located in the historic area of Charleston, South Carolina. She specializes in digital art media, but loves to experiment with new art techniques. Rachael has drawn since early childhood and turned her hobby into her career after graduating from the Art Institute in 2003. She loves to work with authors to make their imaginations come to life  .



My Thoughts

Andrew wants to know why he was not hatched a bullfrog. His mother tries to explain there is nothing wrong with being an ordinary toad. Bullfrogs and ordinary toads are both amphibians each one as important as the other to the ecosystem .  His mother knows the bullfrogs like to bully Andrew. Andrew just keeps silent when they tease him about his warts, short legs and the fact that they can jump and he can only hop. Later that night he goes to visit his grandfather in hopes his grandfather will give him some much needed advice.

What do you think he finds out on the trek to his grandfather's?

The author has written a tale about an ordinary toad from the mind's eye of a child toad. The story is educational in that she explains the differences in frogs and toads which both are amphibians. 

Children will enjoy reading how Andrew deals with the bullying of the bullfrogs and how he hops into some valuable information about amphibians. 

The illustrations cover each page, top to bottom, depicting the story of young Andrew a very cute ordinary toad along with other amphibians and their habitats. 

Whether reading this book or flipping through the pages you may see some unexpected predators that approach Andrew in the darkness on the pathway to his grandfather's home. 

I highly recommend this book.


I rated this book a 5 out of 5.




Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Author/Bostick Communications for review. I was in no way compensated for thes review.  This review is my honest opinion.


Bostick Communications

Sunday, August 18, 2013

I Want to Help by Diane Adams, illustrated by Nancy Hayashi ~ Peachtree Back to School Giveaway


About Book
Emily Pearl already knows a lot. She can count to fourteen. She can write her own name. She can tell what is different and what is the same. And she's still quite sure she can do things herself. Not only that, she wants to be the perfect helper for her new teacher, Ms. Glenn.
But while Emily is mastering all sorts of skills, she does need a little help herself every now and then - especially at the end of the day, when she's waiting to get picked up and is just a little bit scared.

Where to purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound


About Author and Illustrator
Diane Adams is an art and writing teacher. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Redlands. She lives in California.
You can visit Diane Adams’s website here.

Nancy Hayashi has illustrated seven picture books, including I Can Do It Myself!, Bunny Bungalow, which won a 2000 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award; Wanda's Monster, a CCBC Choice; and What Did You Do Today?, also a CCBC Choice. She lives in California.

BACK TO SCHOOL GIVEAWAY  
U.S. residents only
Provided by  Peachtree Publishers
Win a HARDCOVER Copy of 
I WANT TO HELP
 1 Winner
Just leave a comment below with your email.
(I need your email to contact you if you are the winner)
ENDS AUGUST 23RD, 2013
Winner announced on August 24th, 2013

My Thoughts

Emily is a darling active little girl that is good at so many things. I amazes her classmates that she can even beat the boys in a race.  She has so much energy that she is more than willing to clean up around the classroom.  If her teacher seems to be overwhelmed Emily says, "I want to help."  But at times like when she is waiting to be picked up after school she could use a little help distracting her attention from her worrying.

This story is written in mind a little girl named Emily that is a neighbor of the author's.  The little girl is strong and helpful but she is still a child that needs help herself at times.  The illustrations are self explanatory in that small children not reading yet will understand the story just by the illustrations.  Although it would be wonderful to read along or have someone read the story for them.
   
Be sure to look for more books about Emily.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book 5 out of 5.



Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this book from Peachtree Publishers for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  This review is my honest opinion.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Lobo Finds Bigfoot (The Adventures of Lovable Lobo, #3) by C.L. Murphy


There's something in the forest that smells very different to Lobo in his third adventure. What could it be? He discovers Squatchy, a little Bigfoot! Squatchy leads Lobo and Roxy, to a clearing in the forest where they witness the Squatchy Stomp. Stomp along to the beat just like the Bigfoots do! Find Squatchy when he hides in the trees and learn the secret Bigfoot signal! BELIEVE!

Title of Book: The Adventures of Lovable Lobo: Lobo Finds Bigfoot
Time length to read: 6-7 min
Age recommend: 3 and up
Author/Illustrator: C.L. Murphy
Best place to purchase: ITunes (click words for direct link)
Price: $.99 (iTunes iBook)




Meet C. L. Murphy

I've been doodling my way through life ever since I won a school wide poster contest in the third grade. Creating is my passion! I've had the pleasure of working as an artist in residence, creating cartoons and painting murals with the children at local elementary schools. I just adore the wonder and the curiosity of young children. For years, I filed my picture book ideas away, until the reality of the empty nest syndrome sunk in and I decided to bring my favorite one to fruition.

I based the character, Lovable Lobo, on something very dear to my heart, a real wolf that I've raised for the last 13 years. Raising a wolf has been an interesting journey. I've felt the need to protect him his entire life, primarily due to the preconceived notions that wolves are to be feared
.
I live amongst the wildlife in one of Oregon's beautiful forests. I have always appreciated nature and animals have always played a major role in my life. I was that little girl that brought home the strays asking, "Can we please keep it?" At an early age I realized my connection with animals by training a wild Bluejay to appear on command and take food from my hand.

I hope you enjoy Lobo's adventures and that you, too, will find Lobo lovable!

Official Website: http://lovablelobo.com/


My Thoughts

Lobo an Roxy are enjoying a nice walk through the forest.  There are so many sights, sounds and smells in the forest.  Lobo notices a strong smell and Roxy starts naming off  some of the creatsure they smell. 

 

But none were the strong smell Lobo was searching for. Then a youg brown furry creature appeared before them.  Lobo and Roxy had never seen such a creature in all the forest.  He was a friendly creature and said his name was Squatchy the Bigfoot.  They could not believe their eyes. But it was true, he was an elusive Bigfoot.  

Do you Believe that such a creature really exist?  Maybe you could go searching in the forest to look for the giant footprints of the Bigfoot.  Don't forget to look up into the trees!

Do you like making new friends?  Lobo is good at making friends.

The author has written another fun adventure with Lobo this  time with his friends Roxy.   The author shows how you can use some of your very important senses like sight and smell to identify many of the creatures that live in the forest. Also how much fun it is to make new friends.

I recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.




Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this book from the author for review.  I was not compensated in any way for this review.  This review is my honest opinion.


Thursday, August 15, 2013

Mary had a Sleepy Sheep by Julia Dweck ~ PRESALE 20% OFF!!!


Mary Had a Sleepy Sheep is on presale on Amazon now through 9/4. The book will go live on 9/5/13http://ow.ly/nXXy2

This silly rhyming tale is a parody of the classic nursery rhyme with additional teaching resources and bonus activities. The illustrator has even hidden a tiny mouse on each page, as kind of  "Where's Waldo" bonus for young readers. It's a lot of fun

How the Oysters Saved the Bay by Jeff Dombek



About How the Oysters Saved the Bay


The Chesapeake Bay is a wondrous and exciting place to live. But oysters Chester and Meredith have a big problem: pollution in the waters of the Bay is making the underwater grasses sick. The grasses are home to so many young fish, crabs, and other creatures in the Bay; the disappearance of underwater grasses could lead to the sad loss of even more species. So much is at stake! How can Chester and Meredith possibly figure out a way to save the grasses and also the Bay? See how Chester and Meredith lead their underwater friends to clear up their messy and murky problem. 
Early reader–ages 5-8
Size: 11" x 8 1/2" | 35 illustrations | 32 pp

ISBN13: 9780764342837 | Binding: hard cover
Published March 28th 2013 by Schiffer Publishing

About Author

Jeff Dombek is an author/illustrator whose work includes Sam: The Tale of a Chesapeake Bay Rockfish. A Maryland public school art teacher since 1989, he loves the outdoors, especially fishing, kayaking, and mountain biking.


My Thoughts
This is a tale of how the inhabitants that live in the salty waters of Chesapeake Bay worked together to save the bay.  Yes the oysters and the fish were able pull all of their resources and save the day, I meant the bay.

Chester and Meredith are the oysters that started the whole campaign when they overheard that a problem with the water was making  the inhabitants of the bay sick.

The crabby crab was skeptical and told them they were all doomed!

Rocky the rockfish was encouraged by what Chester was planning and went to spread the word to all the oyster in the bay as to how they could help Chester save the bay.

The author writes this story so small children can grasp the meaning of how the oysters save the bay without getting into the scientific terminology and details.  Even his illustrations depict a story that children can interpret.  

You must remember to approach this book as educational with a fun twist.

The book would make a great addition to libraries of children, educators, homeschoolers, librarians, parents and grandparents. 

For all ages to enjoy!

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure: I received a free  copy of this book from Schiffer Publishing for review. I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my honest opinion.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

THE DOONDAH VEIL by AVRIL O'REILLY

About Book

Áine is worried that her gifted little brother will ruin her First Holy Communion with his non-stop flow of chatter. His obsession with a Makem and Clancy song could spoil things for everyone. She devises various plans to make sure he is not in the church on her special day. Tractors and magic play a crucial part.This is an "Auntie Book" a short book to be read on a visit to a nephew or niece. Áine's name is the Irish for Anne and is pronounced Awn-yah. 



  • ISBN: 9781301036417
  • Publisher: Avril O'Reilly
  • Publication date: 11/11/2012
  • Sold by: Smashwords
  • Format: eBook
  • File size: 131 KB




About Author

I have decided to create Auntie Books on Smashwords. That is very short books for aunties ...we can drop in and visit our nieces, nephews, kids of friends....whip out the smart phone and read an entire book while the attention span lasts. An Auntie Book should be no more than 1,000 words. I am delighted that Smashwords lets me make Auntie Books.

Find Avril on Twitter: avrilfrances 

More about this author and her other books can be found on Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/AvrilFrances

My Thoughts

First Holy Communion is a very special time for children and their family in Cork, Irish community.  Young Aine is so anxious for her First Communion but when she finds out that her little brother who talks non stop is to attend this special occasion.  He is a very gifted child and once he gets to going on a subject like tracitors or naming all God's creatures there is no end to his talking.  This is suppose to Aine's special day and she has no doubt it will be spoiled by her brother.

I am sure we have been through similar situations as this when we were children.  How will Aine fix this problem?

The addition of The Doondah Veil YouTube video is a major plus.  I love the author's Irish accent, it brings the story to life.  Her illustrations in the video are just way too cute and gives a great visual to the story.

Children will want to share there First Communion preparations and especially that one special day they they dressed up to take a most wonderful vow.

The author has not only brought out the importance of this occasion but of how important it is to family members.  This is a proud day for the whole family and yes, even as the author points out, for little siblings too.

I enjoyed the story so much it had me pulling out an old box of pictures to find my First Holy Communion pictures. What a nice walk down memory  lane! I remember my First Communion with fond memories.
My First Communion in 1958
I am the second on the left.
I highly recommend  this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.



Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this book for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review. This is my honest opinion.

Friday, August 9, 2013

A BIG YEAR FOR LILY, THE ADVENTURES OF LILY LAPP SERIES, BOOK THREE BY MARY ANN KINSINGER & SUZANNE WOODS FISHER

 About A Big Year for Lily: 

Book Three in the Adventures of Lily Lapp series. Co-written with Mary Kinsinger.

Lily Lapp's family has settled into their new home in Pennsylvania, but life still holds big changes and big steps for Lily. Good changes, like once again living close to her beloved cousin and best friend, Hannah. Bad changes, like a mean girl who plays tricks on her. And no change at all where Lily would most want one--Aaron Yoder sits near her in school and relentlessly teases her. Surprises are in store for Lily as she learns, with Mama and Papa's help, to manage the ups and downs of growing up Amish.

The third of four charming novels that chronicle the gentle way of the Amish through the eyes of a young girl, A Big Year for Lily gives children ages 8-12 a fascinating glimpse into the life of the Amish---and lots of fun and laughter along the way. It combines Mary Ann Kinsinger's real-life stories of growing up Amish and the bestselling writing of Amish fiction and nonfiction author Suzanne Woods Fisher. With charming line drawings in each book, this series captures the hearts of readers young and old.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/mVlq1

  • Age Range: 8 and up 
  • Series: The Adventures of Lily Lapp (Book 3)
  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Revell (July 1, 2013)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0800721349
  • ISBN-13: 978-0800721343


Meet Suzanne: 

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Lancaster County Secrets series and the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of a new Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner and a Christy Award finalist. She is a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. For more information, please visit suzannewoodsfisher.com and connect with her on Twitter @suzannewfisher. Get Amish proverbs delivered right to your iPhone or iPad! Download the Free App! http://bit.ly/134r55G

Learn more about Lily athttp://adventuresoflilylapp.com/

My Thoughts

Lily is approaching 10 yrs old, which is an important time for a young girl in the Amish community.  She still likes to play with dolls with her friends, but one girl in particular seems to rub her the wrong way.  No matter what Lily does this girl claims do it better if she can't she says it isn't lady like and should not be done. Dolls is one of the things this young girl thinks they are too old to play anymore.  This girl and a particular boy at school are always causing trouble for someone especially for Lily.

Do you have anyone like this in your life?  Someone that can ruin your whole day no matter how hard you try to avoid them.

I really enjoy reading this series, each book brings to light the normal everyday antics of Lily, like how she interacts with family and friends.  Sometimes she does not always use good judgement.  One of her bad traits is, "What my parents don't know won't hurt a thing."    Wrong!

I am sure children will learn many good lessons from the mistakes the children in this book create. There are a lot of good things that come from the children actions too!

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.



Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse Group/Revell for review. I was in no way compensated for this review.  This review is my honest opinion.