DOWN AND DIRTY!

Baby Chomper’s BATH TIME

Written by Jeff Minich

Illustrated by Renam Garcia

I am delighted to read and review another charming book in the nuggies book series. Chomper is an adorable pup, who has a penchant for getting dirty just like his young readers. After all when you spend your days playing in garbage cans, rolling in the mud, and chasing skunks, a price will have to be paid. That price is being a candidate for a good scrubbing in the bathtub. Chomper does all he can to resist his fate, but his owner tracks him down.

Once in the tub, Chomper discovers a world of imagination. He can imagine adventures like swimming with the fishes, surfing, and sailing across the seas in a pirate ship. Chomper discovers feeling fresh as a daisy after a bath might not be so bad after all.

The text consists of simple sentences and the illustrations are simple, bold and creative. I love the image of Chomper’s owner giving him a bath dressed in a suit. Parents of reluctant toddlers and preschoolers who hate bath time will grab this book as an effective way to change young reader’s behavior. Recommended especially for children ages two through five. The short tale is perfect for bedtime story or nursery classroom read aloud

I received an advance review copy from the publisher and decided to voluntarily read and read with my honest opinions for no compensation.

Baby Chomper’s Bath Time

Written by Jeff Minich

Publisher’s Synopsis: Baby Chomper’s Bath Time is a lovable tale about a little puppy who learns to have fun doing his least favorite thing— taking a bath! One day, baby Chomper escapes from home and gets muddy and stinky beyond belief. He rolls in the mud, takes a dive in the trash, and even gets sprayed by a very stinky skunk. After returning home, he finds that it’s his least favorite time of all: BATH TIME! With nowhere else to go, Chomper realizes that bath time can be one of the most fun times of all! He imagines himself diving into the deep blue sea, being the captain of his own ship, and surfing to a faraway shore. Baby Chomper’s Bath Time is a playful story that encourages children to see the bright side of every situation.

Ages 2-5 | Publisher: Nuggies Inc | November 7, 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-0999298404

Available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2xpzBlx

Available on Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/baby-chompers-bath-time-minich-jeff/1127135121

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GIVEAWAY

Gator Eggs: Hard Work Pays Off

Written and illustrated by Sally Huss

Just in time for Easter. Gloria and Gary have a profitable farming business. They collect, sell and recycle gator eggs from the Everglades. The author cleverly uses alliteration with the letter g in clever rhymes to lay out her story. As they begin their day, Gloria wakes Gary. She serves the workers their grub, grits with greasy gravy. The workers work in teams to deceive the gators to give up their eggs. Meanwhile, Gloria and her assistant are collecting money from their customers. Gary deals with customers who return defective hatched gator eggs and releases them back into the swamp, recycling the eggs and keeping their gator supply plentiful. He remarks that it is a farmer’s truth that “whatever you send out returns to you in greater amount.”

Wonderful rhymes combining humor and good advice to create an amusing story for the four to eight age group. Illustrations are beautiful and on point. Sure to become one of your favorite Sally Huss books.

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Box Set for Children: Paul the Snowman Series  (4 in 1 Box Set)

Written by Yossi Lapid

Illustrated by Joanna Pasek

This collection of snowman stories is a great bargain and a worthwhile collection for preschool and primary school children. Parents might choose to read them as separate bedtime stories, older children will find them a fun beginning reader collection. I had previously read the story of Snowman Paul and Kate’s Birthday, which I enjoyed. The first four stories combined in a collection provide children with a more comprehensive view of the character of Paul, a personification of a snowman with the strengths and weaknesses of a human character.

In these beautifully illustrated watercolor tales, children view Paul from the moment Dan creates this snowman with a well-defined personality. In the Olympics story, children learn that determination is a good character trait, but it needs to be reigned in when the spirit of competition is unfair to others. My favorite tale is the fourth. Paul decides he wants to play in a musical concert. He learns to play, a fiddle, trumpet and drums. His human friends have their patience worn thin listening to his practice. At long last the concert arrives, and Paul puts on a brilliant performance

These tales and the lessons embedded in the stories can be enjoyed by any age, but preschool and kindergarten children will especially love them. When you want to experience wintertime, get in the spirit of the season by introducing yourself to Paul, the snowman.

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Lorelei and the Lost and Found Monster

Written by R. Scott Kimsey

Lorelei is apprehensive about her first day back to school as a second grader in Davis Elementary School. She is happy to learn that two of her first grade friends, Penny and Leon are in her new class. Her new purple and yellow lunch box with adorable cat faces makes her friends envious. Everything is going fine until Lorelei forgets her lunch box on the table in the lunch room. Lorelei is told to visit the Lost and Found room. Little does she realize the adventure that awaits her. She discovers a secret room between the walls. Seamus, a gnome, tells her that a monster who lives behind the walls has stolen the precious box. He invites her to become small so that she will be able to retrieve it.

Lorelei eats a magic gumdrop and intrepidly enters the scary village between the walls. She must challenge the gnomes to a contest to gain their confidence. If she wins the math contest challenge, they will assist her in finding the thief. Readers will follow Lorelei’s scary adventure, learn some math, and keep up her spirits along the way. This beginning chapter book contains enough challenging text and plot twists and turns, while at the same time remains a comfortable, humorous first person narrative. Recommended for beginning readers in the six to ten age range. Short chapters also make it appropriate as a bedtime story to share.

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Children’s Book: A Grand Bed Adventure: Developing Habits of Self Discipline for Children

Written by A.M. Marcus

Illustrated by Oliver Bundoc

Young Ted visits his grandfather every Monday spending the night with him. They enjoy each other’s company. One morning Ted notices how carefully his grandfather makes the bed and inquires why he spends so much time on something that will get messed up when he sleeps. His grandfather explains that he learned how to make a bed properly when he was a Navy Seal. Beginning the day by doing something well gives you incentive to continue doing good and provides a good reminder at the end of the day. Ted ponders this and is able to transfer the example to incidents in his own experience. He realizes that doing something well is important no matter how small the task.

This book is part of a series encouraging young children to develop positive habits. The text is simple to understand though perhaps relies too heavily on dialogue. Illustrations are simple and colorful. A free coloring book is offered as a free bonus. Recommended especially for preschoolers and primary grade children.

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HAPPY NEW YEAR 2017!

Wishing my family, friends, and followers health, happiness and prosperity in the year to come.

Looking back to 2016, I count my blessings. I released the seventh book in the award winning Little Miss HISTORY Travels to….children’s nonfiction book series, Little Miss HISTORY Travels to MOUNT VERNON.

Little Miss HISTORY and I traveled near and far to visit old friends and acquire new ones. I’d like to share a few memories with you….

In January, we assisted a local girl scout troupe working on earning their community badge by reading about Little Miss HISTORY’S trip to The Statue of Liberty.

We participated in READ ACROSS AMERICA in March with our friends at Temple Hill Academy in Newburgh and had a pajama reading party at Ralph R. Smith Elementary School in New Hyde Park.

One of the highlights each May is Children’s Reading Week. Little Miss HISTORY Travels to Intrepid, Sea, Air & Space Museum was my feature book in 2016 at the Hudson Children’s Book Festival, the largest children’s book festival in New York state.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Our summer travels included a trip to eastern Long Island, where I discussed the Little Miss HISTORY book series with Linda Marie Frank on her TV show, The Writer’s Dream.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNXOKQBolik

We journeyed to the Museum of Science and Innovation in Schenectady to read about SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK at the four day Science and Technology Festival.

For Thanksgiving I traveled south to the Carolinas to visit with family and read to first grade children at Harrisburg Elementary School in South Carolina.

I welcomed the opportunity to share in the holiday spirit with authors Iza Trapani and Michael Garland at FDR’s home and presidential library in New Hyde Park for the Children’s Holiday Reading Festival in December.

As 2016 comes to a close, Little Miss HISTORY has plans to travel to new and exciting destinations by some unconventional means of transportation. I hope that children and adults will enjoy a new opportunity to put their creative stamp on the adventures of Little Miss HISTORY. In just a few weeks, her very first coloring book will be available online and in your favorite bookstore. You can add your personal touch to images from her adventures and read words of wisdom from historical figures. Take a sneak peak at the cover!

Please continue to follow my family friendly book reviews  for ages preschool through adult on Wednesdays and Sundays. To subscribe click on the word Follow or hit the orange RSS FEED button in the upper right hand corner of this page.

Look out 2017, here we come!

The Tree Within the Tree

Written and Illustrated by Sally Huss

Sally places her message for this story right on the cover: The Importance of Appreciation. Alexander and Charlotte have only two dollars between them. They are walking through a Christmas tree lot on Christmas Eve. The owner informs them that they only have enough money to consider a tree on a pile of rubbish in the corner. There the two children discover a scraggly tree that desperately wanted to become a Christmas tree to make a family happy. The family is poor but determined to embellish their tree. As the tree gazes at the worn furniture and scanty possessions, it is amazed by how family members gather popcorn, aluminum and personal possessions to transform the scrawny tree into the most beautiful tree inside and outside.

Illustrations are simple and classic; this book will not only place smiles on the faces of preschoolers and primary school children, but remind children and adults alike to appreciate the little things and not become embroiled in the materialistic side of Christmas. Recommended as a bedtime story or read aloud for students and families to share.

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