Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Have You Seen My Tail? #Kids #Book Blast

We are pleased to be helping Mother Daughter Book Reviews promote a new adorable picture book "Have You Seen My Tail?" by Kathryn Harper.

Have You Seen My Tail? by Kathryn Harper

About the Book

Title: Have You Seen My Tail? (Katie-Jane, Book #2)

Author and llustrator: Kathryn Harper

Publication Date: July, 2014Publisher: Green Cup Publishing 

Recommended Ages: 3 to 8 

Anyone who has ever struggled to accept - or longed to experience - change of any kind will be able to relate to Katie-Jane's second story, "Have You Seen My Tail?" Using rhyming verse, and laugh-out-loud situations, Katie-Jane begins this story feeling bored. She is surprised to meet a butterfly, a frog and a snake. All of these animals are all struggling to accept the recent big changes in their lives. Different perspectives help all four characters to accept their own situations, and embrace change in the way life offers it to them. "Have You Seen My Tail?" is the second book in the six-part Katie-Jane series, designed to encourage the reader to 'be the very best version of you.'  

Have You Seen My Tail? by Kathrn Harper - Inside Page
 

Purchase

Amazon | Book Website

Am I a Chameleon by Kathrn Harper
You can also purchase the first book in the Katie-Jane Series, "Am I a Chameleon?" by clicking the book cover above.

Early Buzz About the Book

"Author Kathryn Harper offers insightful questions and answers at the end of the book explaining how she feels about change. I love how these insightful thoughts give the reader a chance to verbalize their own feelings. Like her other books, the illustrations are beautiful and vivid. Each of the animals has a wonderfully rich texture, color, and personality. The Katie-Jane books continue to not disappoint, I look forward to seeing the next books in the series." ~ 5 Star Review, Katherine R., Amazon
"Katie-Jane is a very sweet character in "Have You Seen My Tail?" She helps to explain change in a gentle and unsuspecting way. This is the second book in the series for Author, Kathryn Harper. She writes a relatable story that children all over the world can grasp and understand. " ~ 5 Star Review, Mary Jo P., Amazon
 

About the Author: Kathryn Harper

Kathryn Harper

I have always loved to write, draw and create, but my books are inspired by more than my love for their medium. As a child I was selective mute. Both my struggles and my breakthroughs are a source of inspiration toward creating Katie-Jane and her stories. I grew up in the UK, after living in Johannesburg between the ages of two and five. Today I live in Wanaka, New Zealand, with my two gorgeous children and partner, Simon. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to call this place home, where an adventure can begin every time we step outside.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

 

* $25 Book Blast Giveaway *

Amazon 25 gift card

MDBR Book Promotion Services
  Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice) Contest ends: August 21, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Kathryn Harper and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Great Lakes Folktale: The Voyageur's Paddle



It is Poppins Book Nook time again! Every month a group of bloggers participate in a virtual kids book club. We each share children's books based on a theme and the crafts and fun these books inspired.   

This month's theme was Folktales. My first thought was "wait on, didn't we do fairy tales and Myths and legends already?". 

Before we even selected a book I realized we need to start with a lesson about the differences and similarities between folktales, fables, fairy tales, myths, egends and tall tales

We used this anchor chart from The Book Fairy-Goddess to touch on the elements on each story type. 

While looking through the folktale section, we happened upon The Voyageur's Paddle by Kathy-Jo Wargin and illustrated by David Geister. This is tale is based on the folklore and customs of the Great Lakes Settlers in late 1700s.  Jacques is a young boy living in this era whose father is a Voyageur, a trader who travels by canoe in unforgiving conditions. One day Jacque dreams of following his fathers footsteps to be able to become a voyageur. 

The prose and amazing paintings describe the lives of the families that await the return of their husbands and fathers. 
From davidgeister.com
We can also see the hardships the Voyageurs faced. At one point in the journey, they would throw offerings to La Veille or 'the old woman of the wind' who is told to be the unpredictable North-west wind. The wind was important for these men for several reasons. If they were able to coax the wind to blow, they were able to put up small sails and take a rest from paddling. It could also cool them down in hot weather and blow away biting insects.
From davidgeister.com
This book was an excellent introduction to the history and geography of the American Great Lakes for preschool to upper elementary age children.  For us, it also led to more reading on the history of the French Canadian Voyageurs. It was very interesting to learn about the kinds of items they carried in their canoes and the physical feats they need to perform to become a new recruit. 

Our craft is inspired by the folklore of La Veille. We used repurposed an oatmeal container and some pretty left over napkins to create a tissue painted wind sock. To make your own and find out how to 'paint napkins' visit the tutorial here.


Thanks for visiting and please take a look at all the other books linked up at the bottom of this post.


Now onto the monthly giveaway...you are going to love this one because it is a book AND a unit study from Enchanted Homeschooling Mom!



Poppins Book Nook Giveaway! Every month the Poppins Book Nook group will be offering readers a chance to win a brand new storybook or product that ties in with our theme for the month. This month one lucky entrant will win a copy of the E.H.M. curriculum Journey into the World of Folktales (PDF) and one copy of the book that is required to teach it called Around the World in 80 Tales by Saviour Pirotta to further their learning all about folktales. Entrants must be 18 years or older and reside in a country that receives U.S. Postal mail. This giveaway is brought to you by the company Enchanted Homeschooling Mom who is owner and founder of the Poppins Book Nook. By entering this giveaway you are also acknowledging that you have read and agree to all of the Raffle copter terms and conditions as well as Enchanted Homeschooling Mom's disclosures found here.  Just enter the Rafflecopter below to win:

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Friday, November 8, 2013

The Sockkids meet Lincoln review and Giveaway!

The SockKids Meet Lincoln

Do you frequently wonder how you end up with a pile of odd socks? My mother was always convinced the washing machine ate them. After reading The Sock kids meet Lincoln I am realizing that she may have been on to something!
In the Sock Kids Series the washing machine is actually a time machine for clothing!

A colorful family of socks, the Sockers, have plenty of adventures even without the washing machine. In this title, a spin cycle take them to meet President Lincoln. Authors Michael John Sullivan and Susan Petrone do a great job at keeping the story fun and educational for younger history readers. The CGI illustrations by Sugar Snail brings each character to life -humans and socks!

I liked that the series provided the opportunity to introduce our preschooler to history in a humorous way. Even I had a giggle about the thought of Abraham Lincoln getting up to make his big speech wearing mismatched socks! We will definitely be on the look at for more books in this cute series.

More about the book...

Title: The SockKids™ Meet Lincoln
Authors: Michael John Sullivan and Susan Petrone
Illustrator: SugarSnail
Publication Date: August 14, 2013
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 40 (print)
Recommended Age: 3 to 8

Ready to get yourself a copy?

The SOCKKIDS Meet Lincoln - Cover Amazon Buy Button  
 
We were thrilled to find the Sock kids Website too!
  • You can watch a video of the book.
  • Read another short Socker Family adventure
  • Get a sneek peek at the next title in the series!

The SockKids™ Meet Lincoln Blog Tour Schedule (2013)

November 5
November 6
November 7
November 8
November 9
November 10
November 11
November 12
November 13
November 14
November 15
November 16
November 17
November 18
November 19
November 20
November 21
November 22
November 23
November 24
November 25
 

*** The SockKids™ Meet Lincoln Blog Tour Giveaway ***

SockKids Grand Prize Blog Tour
Prize: There will be a Grand Prize consisting of a $25 Amazon gift card (or PayPal cash) + a SockKids t-shirt. There will also be four secondary prizes consisting of a SockKids t-shirt. Contest runs: November 5 to December 2, 11:59 pm, 2013 Open: Worldwide How to enter: Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. The Grand Prize winner and secondary winners will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winners will then have 72 hours to respond. If a winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the authors Michael John Sullivan and Susan Petrone and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions - feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway
MDBR Kid Lit Book Promotion Services - Button FINAL

Sunday, October 20, 2013

The Shadow of Atlantis: Book Review and Giveaway

I received an electronic copy of this title in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links.

The Shadow of Atlantis Blog Tour Button

A brand kids new series featuring time travel and adventure...and Max the cat

Joe and Jemima Lancelots' lives are turned upside down when their parents disappear without a trace. They are sent to live with their uncle, an Archeology professor. Fortunately the ten year old twins discover an ancient book that appears to have been their father’s. The book holds many secrets and the first is discovered when they are transported, back in time, to the lost city of Atlantis. Joining the Twins on this epic journey is their friend Charlie and their giant Tokinese Cat, Max.

Once they are in Atlantis, they discover how to use the book to communicate with their new friends and are surprised to find that Max can talk! Trouble is coming to the people of Atlantis and they need the travelers help. But how can the children protect the city and return to their own world? These questions (and more) are answered in the first title in a new series by Wendy Leighton Porter.

Our thoughts...

This is the kind of book I loved to read as a child- full of dusty attics and ancient mystery. Ms. Leighton Porter does an excellent job of keeping the pace of the adventure urgent but too scary or stressful for her young readers. The characters are easy to identify with. The siblings banter with each other and are curious, fun loving 10 year olds. Parents and Kids will appreciate the humor that comes from Max the talking Cat. There are references to well known mythological stories and includes information about the ancient Greeks and the possible location of the Island of Atlantis. I generally read books myself before introducing them to my kids. For this reason I have just begun to read this book aloud with our older daughter. As a Cat lover and mythology fan, She is hooked.

A great deal...

 I imagine we will be reading more of the series in the near future because I just purchased the next 5 books in the series thanks to the great deal going on at Amazon right now.
All 6 books in the series (The Shadow of Atlantis (Shadows from the Past) ,The Shadow of the Minotaur , The Shadow of the Trojan Horse ,The Shadow of the Pyramid , The Shadow of the Volcano ,and The Shadow of Camelot ) for only 99 cents each (e-book format). This offer ends Oct 28, 2013.

An awesome giveaway...
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Don't push the button! Review + Giveaway!

This post contains affiliate links. I was provided an e-galley for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Meet Larry. He is a not too scary purple monster, who also happens to be the star of a book written and illustrated by Bill Cotter. The only rule this guy has is 'Don't push the Button!'
Every time you turn the page that big red button is there. What would happen if you pressed it? 'Seriously, don't even THINK about it!' warns Larry. Eventually, even Larry can't contain his curiosity and with his permission we discover what the button does...
And now... Larry is going to need your help getting things back to normal.

Don't Push the Button! by Bill Cotter (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky) is a great way to introduce cause and effect to young readers. The storyline is simple, but the pictures and the writing makes the book very interactive. Parents and kids of 2-8yr will enjoy reading this picture book together.

This title is due to be released on November 1, 2013 RRP $16.99 (at the time of this post).

The Giveaway!

One lucky reader will get their very own copy thanks to Sourcebooks! Enter the giveaway on the Rafflecopter below. It is open to USA and Canadian residents 18 years and over.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Where is Blucy? Special offer & $100 GC Giveaway

What is more exciting than a new book? How about a new book, a BOGO offer and TWO giveways?

We are participating in a Book blast for a Julie Dweck's new book 'Blucy'. Blucy is a Cat with a very  special talent! When Mandy adopts him from the Shelter she in in for a surprise and a lot of fun.
Blucy by Julia Dweck
Title: Blucy Author: Julia Dweck Illustrator: Erika LeBarre Year published: 2013 Publisher: Xist Publishing Number of pages: 21 Recommended age: 3+
We really enjoyed the cute illustrations and rhyming text. The story reminded us a lot of all the excitement and challenges of adopting a Kitty

Get your copy today and take advantage of this special offer!

Purchase Blucy (e-book) through Amazon, and receive FREE electronic copy of Julia Dweck's newest book, Mary Had a Sleepy Sheep (to be released September 5, 2013). All you have to do is forward your purchase confirmation email to sales@xistpublishing.com and Xist Publishing will send you a complimentary copy of Mary Had a Sleepy Sheep!

Where's Blucy? Contest



Before we get to the $100 Book Blast Giveaway, we have a special treat for you. If you head on over to Julia Dweck's Facebook Fan Page, you will find the "Where's Blucy?" contest. Julia Dweck fans are invited to post suggestions of "blue" places Blucy could be hiding, (e.g., near Elvis' blue suede shoes). The most creative answer will win a print of the Blucy cover by the artist, Erika LeBarre. Head on over to Julia Dweck's Facebook Fan Page to enter and...

Pssssttt... if you enter the contest before August 20th, 2013, you gain 5 entries in the $100 Book Blast Giveaway below!

Julia Dweck - Blucy  

$100 Book Blast Giveaway!

Prize: $100 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner's choice) Contest runs: August 13 to September 15, 11:59 pm, 2013 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: A randomly drawn winner will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. If you have any additional questions, feel free to send us an email!
* This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Julia Dweck and by Xist Publishing. *
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Our Favorite Weiner: Schnitzel Von Krum Forget Me Not App Review

 This Post may contain affiliate posts. Thanks for supporting us!
 
Each month we join a group of creative Bloggers and feature a Children's book and learning activity . This month's theme is Transportation!
Transportation makes us think of travelling and the good old fashioned 'Road trip'. This is probably because we move so frequently! One of our Favorite travel themed books is Schnitzel Von Krumm Forget-Me-Not (Hairy Maclary and Friends) by New Zealand Author and illustrator, Lynley Dodd. We own a very well-read book copy and the Q Book version.
It is Summer Vacation time for Schnitzel Von Krum (with a very low tum) and his Family. Everyone is running around packing up the car as the confused Weiner dog keeps getting under foot. He gets  shooed away and is accidently left behind! What's a lonely Pup to do? Thankfully there is a heroine give him a ride and save the day.

You really can't go wrong with any of Lynley Dodd's books. The characters are as lively as the illustrations. The rhyming text are fun for parents to read aloud and young kids love to read along with you (because you have read it so often!).  Now that we have a hound dog of our own they love reading about Schnitzel even more. A close second to this title would be Schnitzel Von Krumm's Basketwork (Hairy Maclary and Friends).

Mini Piwi did the book activities this month during our Pre K time together. She was excited to see the activity I had made which asked her to imagine that it was our Pup, Butter going on a Summer Vacation. The printable consisted of a 'place mat' featuring Butter's Backpack and 'house' and a set of Summer and Winter themed picture cards. Mini Piwi sorted items into two groups: The Summer Gear to pack in his backpack and the Winter gear he could leave at home. 

Other ways we used the picture cards were:
  • Counting the number of items in the backpack
  • Comparing the number of items in the back pack vs. those being left at home
  • Classifying items as 'wear it' or 'play with it'
Here is the cute Puppy we used to animate our own Puppy, Butter.



Please grab a free copy of this activity for your own Preschool Travel or Summer theme!
Here are the Download links...

 


If you have wheel-crazy kids too then be sure to check out all the participating blogs. Don't forget to link up your own Transportation posts as well!

Monday, June 17, 2013

Feeding your Best Friend Better: Book review and Recipe samples



I really want to share a book we discovered in our efforts to raise a Healthy Puppy. Our Siamese cat eats a grain-free brand of food for his allergies and we wanted to make sure our Puppy eat well too.  Unfortunately Butter the Basset Hound had different ideas.

 He was not a fan of kibble unless it was the  multi-colored chemical filled stuff  that he had been weaned onto. If the new brand was mixed with the 'Rainbow kibble' he would just bark at it! If we cooked him chicken, brown rice and veggies, it would vanish in seconds! All of this drama this led us to a guide by  'Dog Food Dude',Rick Woodford.



Feed Your Best Friend Better: Easy, Nutritious Meals and Treats for Dogs is the product of a journey the author began when his dog, Jackson was diagnosed with Cancer. He set out to help his best friend by studying Canine nutrition and cooking him healthy meals. After years of helping many ailing dogs feel better, including his buddy Jackson, Rick Woodford is now sharing all his research and 85 vet approved recipes. These recipes are for complete meals, dishes you can share, Treats and Cookies. Other sections in the book are:
  • A Balancing act: Nutrients in a Dog's Diet explains Canine Nutrition  to 'the rest of us'
  • Warm nosed Meals for Ailing Dogs are recipes are for specific conditions such as allergies, Weight loss and Arthritis.
  • Choosing a commercial dry dog food opens your eyes to all the things that should (and shouldn't be) in the food you are purchasing (if you aren't going to be feeding 100% home cooked)
  • A more meaningful Mealtime is a helpful chapter which address behavioral issues associated with food.
  • Determining Portion size
  • Feeding Growing Puppies.

The Piwi Family's Review:

The thought of cooking an extra meal for Butter seemed a bit crazy. Thankfully of the recipes in this book require little preparation and cooked in a casserole dish or the slow cooker. The treats and cookies are no more difficult than an average cookie recipe and our kids had a blast making them. Only human grade ingredients are used so there is no real ick factor about using your regular cooking utensils etc. The only thing I was 'grossed out' by were a few recipes that call for Organ meat I am not sure this Plant eating Mama will ever get her head around cooking up hearts and kidneys. Sorry Butter!

Currently we are feeding 50% Homemade 50 % Store bought. Butter is content to eat the better quality dry kibble when we mix it with the Rick's Puppy stew recipe. We are spending less than we would be on the expensive kibble because he is eating less of it. The ingredients are generally already in the pantry except for the meat which we purchase in bulk specifically for butter. Overall we are spending less on his food but he is eating better. From an eco friendly perspective I really like the idea that we are creating less waste are not feeding our dog the fillers and chemicals that we wouldn't touch ourselves.

Butter's favorite recipes (so far) are the Blue Moon Cookies and Peanut Butter Banana 'Ice cream' treats. The list of Kong stuffing ideas are also proving extremely useful.

We would recommend this book to all Dog Parents, It would also make a great gift!. The easy to understand information on Canine nutrition alone made it worth the purchase. The Dog and owner approved recipes are the icing on the Pup-Cake!

Sample recipes from the book:

We were kindly given permission by Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC to reproduce some of the recipes we have tried...

Piwi Kids make Blue Moon Dog Cookies .

Peanut butter ice 'Cream' treats





 You may also like our Giveaway which runs from June 21-June 30 as part of the #Celebrate Summer Giveaway hop!


Sunday, May 26, 2013

Make your own Dinosaur 'Tea Set' with Tea Rex


When you think about Dinosaurs do you also think of Tea Parties?

You will once you have read Tea Rex By Molly Idle

Our Hostess Miss Cordelia loves giving Tea parties and can tell you all about proper tea etiquette. Her Dinosaur friends, however, play by their own rules!
It was a great introduction to irony for DD7 as the instructions on each page don't exactly match the pictures. For example, 'offer a your guests a comfortable chair' shows T Rex perched precariously on a dainty little pink chair.

The Dinosaur's Miss Idle created are my new Favorite Dino illustrations. They are definitely still  prehistoric enough to appeal to all Dino Fans but the T-Rex especially has cheeky charm about him. The Tea Party scenes are very sweet and reminded me of the many pretend Tea parties we have had over the years.

Inspired by 'Tea Rex' we decided to make our own  Dinosaur 'Tea Set'.


I showed the Piwi's how to make their own stencils by drawing an image on a piece of card or a paper plate....

....I cut it out the images for them.

The Piwi's agreed on Green paint and then they got to stenciling the images onto paper plates.



Next week Miss K wants to make matching cups. Mini Piwi wants to make a bonnet like Miss Cordelia.


Please go and check out all of the other Dinosaur themed books and activities from these other great bloggers.


 

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