Never ask a Dinosaur: Funny Read-Aloud Story Book for Toddlers, Preschoolers and Kids 3-6) Book 4
Written and illustrated by Melinda Kinsman
A little boy decides to bring his pet triceratops to school with him, thinking that they will both have lots of fun. At first, his friends think this is cool. His teachers, principal, cafeteria workers, and staffers don’t agree.
This book contains terrific illustrations that are colorful and expressive. The rhyming text flows well and is fun to read aloud. Children will love the humor and funny antics. The bonus puzzles, matching activities, and games keep the fun rolling along. Book 4 in this series does not disappoint. Preschoolers and primary grade readers can have lots of fun with this series of books.
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Onward: The Search for the Dragon Gem: An InQuestigation
Written by Steve Behling
The book is based on the Disney movie. It is primarily a middle-grade read for fans of fantasy, magic, dragons, and coming-of-age novels.
Sadalia is a sophomore at Mushroomton High, Her passion is journalism. She constantly searches for that big story. When a red mist appears around the school one evening, her dream comes true. The high school is taken over by a dragon. The adventure of a lifetime begins.
Will things ever get back to normal? What part have her two schoolmates, Ian and Barley have in the mystery? Can Sadalia get her big scoop? Fans of the movie will want to check out the book. Recommended for grades three through seven.
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Giveaway begins April 20, 2020, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends May 20, 2020, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
*Date, time, and school for the visit is to be worked out between the winner and author Kat Kronenberg. The school must be within 2 hours driving distance to a major airport. Click here for the giveaway rules.
Publisher’s Synopsis: In the third installment in her Live Big Series, best-selling, award-winning author Kat Kronenberg takes readers back to the wilds of the African savanna where the animals not only still struggle to find food, but now they face life-threatening situations. They must fight to survive and are terrified.
But when our beloved moody Baboon challenges Kudu on what to do, everything begins to change. One by one, Kudu, Giraffe, and Bee are faced with the dilemma of who they want to be. After watching Bee choose to do good, Baboon figures out a new secret: We can light the stars in our hearts, empowering our lives, once we smile big deep within, truly believing in who we are, our ideas, and the importance of caring for others.
The danger continues to mount and Baboon finally gets so scared that he cries out for help. Luckily, some fun animals and Baobab Tree come to the rescue! Will they try the new SHHH secret so their collective ideas not only help all the animals survive but thrive together so that their dreams can come true?
Once again, Kronenberg creates a mythical evolution story of some of nature’s most fascinating characters to teach young readers foundational skills for life in this case, helping them build a loving community that knows the joy of gratitude, giving, and going for the extraordinary. Through playful dialogue and beautiful illustrations, readers learn to take a deep breath when life gets hard, connect their heads to their hearts, and celebrate their best lives as they problem-solve together. As with Dream Big and Love Big, Kronenberg includes hands-on activities at the end of the book and on her website. Her dream is that the whole experience will inspire young readers everywhere to learn to think big together.
Ages 2-8 | Greenleaf Book Group Llc | May 12, 2020 | ISBN-13: 978-1626347106
The Cat Detectives in Russia: The Case of the Missing Faberge Egg
Written and illustrated by R.F. Kristi
My first time reading a book in this series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Inca is a Siberian Russian Cat who runs a detective agency consisting of fellow felines, dogs and a hamster. They trek the globe to solve mysteries.
This one begins when Inca’s mom goes abroad promoting her cheese business. Inca and her crew travel to her native land, Russia. Laid out in a diary format, the readers travel abroad and learn a bit of history while becoming embroiled in solving the mystery of a valuable Faberge egg stolen from the museum.
The characters are well developed and engaging personifications of the animals. There are a few illustrations to assist younger readers. I would recommend the book as a chapter reader for elementary and middle-grade students. Readers who enjoy detective stories, animal characters, and travel will particularly enjoy the read.
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This book is a tender tale about a little fox named Redkin and her first hunting quest. Redkin is rather lazy. She reacts with shock where her mother tells her to go out and find her own food. A bit reluctantly, Redkin sets off on her quest. She looks up at the Sun and decides that it looks like a delicious pancake. She decides to bring it home to her mother.
Redkin meets a frog named Loudcroak along her route. They decide to become partners. Redkin remains fearful but Loudcroak provides the courage and inspiration to continue their search. Other animals offer advice, but the sun continues to elude them.
How will Redkin handle her defeat? What does the fox learn about friendship, compassion, and bravery?
This book is targeted for ages six through twelve. While the length of the book is appropriate for a beginning chapter book, some of the vocabularies are a bit advanced for the lower end of this audience. I would recommend the book particularly for reluctant readers; the illustrations are beautiful and suited to the mood of the tale. Recommended especially for readers ages eight through twelve.
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The Further Adventures of Mrs. Trimble’s Magic Teapot!
Written and illustrated by Steven-Watson Morris
So delighted that the author is giving us a sequel. Book Two contains seven more magical adventures. Readers meet a one-eyed giant, a silver snake, a naughty goblin, the Easter bunny, an alien planet, some bubbles, and a castle of dreams. Children learn that we should be kind and understanding toward others even when others are angry with us. Mrs. Trimble teaches us that when we are naughty like the goblin, we need to undo the harm we have done to others. Then apologize, and make restitution for our mistakes. When Mrs. Trimble meets the Dream Maker, she learns how sweets can turn into healthy fruits. What child would not like to have a bubble adventure!
When the Easter bunny oversleeps one year, our heroes must rescue him. In their last adventure, our friends land on the Teapot planet where everything is shaped like a teapot. Here they meet Earl Grey, who will restore the magic to their teapot. To return his kindness, Mrs. Trimble leaves him a special gift.
As in the first book, there are delightful pencil drawings. The book ends with coloring pages that feature all the characters in the book’s stories. I recommend the book for elementary and middle-grade readers and anyone who likes to let their imagination soar.
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Topsy Turvy: Bedtime with a Smile Picture Book (Bedtime Stories with Uncle Willy 3)
Written by Sarah Mazor
Illustrations by Sergii Zavadskyi
I always look forward to a new collection of Uncle Willy’s zany stories for preschool and primary grade children.
In Book 3, Uncle Willy tells the tale of a town named ComeGo where everything is topsy turvy. The children teach their parents basic skills like how to ride a swing or a bike. People say goodbye when they meet and hello when the leave. Animals behave strangely. Bears hang on trees like monkeys and cows play like puppies. Pigeons lick themselves like cats and people pull carts instead of horses. Children learn about opposites while having a good laugh.
The fun continues as readers are urged to create their own fanciful stories. They are presented with fifteen riddles and given four choices. Correct answers are given. These activities can be done with an adult or in a group with other children. I highly recommend the entire Uncle Willy series of books.
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SPIES, CODE BREAKERS, AND SECRET AGENTS: A WORLD WAR II BOOK FOR KIDS
Written by Carole P. Roman
Illustrated by Alessandra Santelli
Author-winning children’s book author, Carole P. Roman has hit it out of the park with this nonfiction book. This book provides a comprehensive of about the importance of spies during World War II.
Chapter One begins with the background and causes leading to the war’s outbreak. The importance of spies in winning the war in both the Atlantic and Pacific spheres is the focus of the book.
Young readers receive a clear picture of the training, weapons, and tools used in spycraft. Secret armies and the intelligence organizations operations in each country are discussed. Illustrations provide visuals that provide greater insight.
I found the chapters featuring biographical portraits of the spies one of the most interesting sections. Spies worked in many professions. Chef Julia Child and author Graham Greene operated undercover. Roman discusses double agents and the Native Americans who broke the Japanese code. Before closing, the author explains how some wartime spy organizations still exist and how they have adopted modern tools of technology.
The Glossary explains terms used and provides more websites to explore. It also lists espionage monuments and museums that may be visited. For inquisitive minds looking to find out even more, Roman includes a bibliography of the resources she used in her research.
I would recommend this book to children who love adventure, espionage, and history. It’s a perfect read for middle-grade students, but an eye-opener for adults as well.
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Publisher’s Synopsis: A young child discovers the solution for falling asleep is not always quiet and silent, like counting slow, slimy snails. Sometimes, a room full of happy dances, shirts in a tie-dyed swirl, and mischief-making sheep are just the ticket!
Ages 3-8 | Publisher: Doodle and Peck Publishing | February 2, 2020 | ISBN-13: 978-1733717083
A little boy can’t get to sleep. He is distracted by the moonlight shining through his window. Rather than getting up to close the curtains, he decides to stay in his warm, cozy bed and count sheep instead.
The poor child has made a big mistake. The sheep decide to wreak havoc, they toss his toys around, echo animal sounds, play games, scribbled on the walls, and ate his snacks. When the next night comes, the boy changes his mind and counts snails instead. Will this poor child ever get a good night’s sleep?
The richly, illustrated picture book is written in rhyme with rich vocabulary. Barrow’s illustrations evoke a calm mood that contrasts well with the active nature of the mischievous sheep and snoring snails.
A delightful bedtime story for toddlers and preschoolers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Raven Howell is an award-winning children’s author and poet of nine picture books. She writes poetry for a variety of children’s magazines including Highlights, The School Magazine, Humpty Dumpty, and Cricket. Frequently sharing book presentations and writing workshops with children in schools and libraries, Raven also serves as Creative & Publishing Advisor with Red Clover Reader. Her family, long dawn hikes, being at the beach, and munching on warm butterscotch chocolate chip cookies straight out of the oven are all sources of writing inspiration. Visit her website: www.ravenhowell.com.
Enter for a chance to win a Raven Howell book prize pack!
One (1) grand prize winner receives:
A copy of A Flock of Fun autographed by Raven Howell
A copy of Glimmer autographed by Raven Howell
A copy of Shimmer autographed by Raven Howell
A copy of So You Want a Puppy? autographed by Raven Howell
A copy of Greetings! autographed by Raven Howell
A copy of My Community autographed by Raven Howell
A Flock of Fun throw pillow
A Flock of Fun jigsaw puzzle
A pair of sheep socks
Nineteen (19) winners receive:
A copy of A Flock of Fun autographed by Raven Howell
Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are eighteen years of age or older in their state or territory of residence at the time of entry. Void where prohibited by law.
Doodle and Peck is responsible for prize fulfillment.
Celestina, the Astronaut Ballerina: A Kids Read Aloud Picture Book about Space, Astronauts and Following your Dreams
Written by Donald Jacobson
Illustrated by Graham Evans
Celestina is a little girl with big dreams. Her aspiration is to become an astronaut. Unfortunately, her friends at school belittle her and adults advise her to downsize her expectations. Why doesn’t she become a ballerina instead?
After a time, Celestina gives up on her dreams and settles in to learn ballet. That changes one day when a new teacher arrives. She counsels her class to dream big. Celestina returns to her real goal. Now she works hard and studies hard. Will she achieve her dream to become an astronaut.
This book includes lots of multicultural characters and vibrant illustrations that are appropriate for the elementary grade target audience. The book reinforces the image of a strong female role model and builds self-esteem in young girls.
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May 6, 2020
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