In partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Phyllis Schwartz.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Mom Feels Great, Then We Do Too!

Written by Phyllis Schwartz

Illustrated by Siski Kalla

Ages 4+ | 38 Pages

Publisher: Acorn Publishing | ISBN-13: 9798885280143

Publisher’s Book Summary: When Mom, one day, came home and said, “I think I better get in bed”

It was up to us to get together

As a team so she’d feel better

We came up with all sorts of things to do

Because “when mom feels great then we do too!”

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon

Bookshop.org

Barnes and Noble

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Phyllis Schwartz is a married mother of two, who, after a highly successful career in the TV news business, finally has the luxury to indulge in and focus on her “civilian” writing. Even as a kid, she kept a diary and wrote little stories and poems, a creative release that continued well into adulthood. She wrote news by day and poetry by night. And despite battling three different types of cancer over more than three decades, she is still filled with energy, joy, and optimism, and she looks forward to writing more poetry and children’s books.

Her writing centers on the beauty she finds daily: Her friends, husband, and two children, as well as her garden and her beautiful beach town residence in dreamy Encinitas, provide continued inspiration for her verse.

https://www.phyllisfeelsgreat.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081575637158

https://www.instagram.com/phyllischwartz_author/

MY REVIEW OF THIS BOOK

SPREADING GOOD CHEER

When Moms Feel Great Then We Do Too

Written by Phyllis Schwartz

Illustrations by Siski Kalla

A family pulls together to help their mother when she is sick with cancer. They make funny videos, bake cookies, color get-well cards, entertain her and do all they can to cheer her up.

The beautiful, colorful, multicultural illustrations and funny rhymes keep elementary grade children entertained while discussing a serious subject. Young readers learn lessons about compassion, love, empathy, and family resilience while working through a difficult situation.

I would highly recommend this book to parents and teachers, especially those undergoing a family illness as a model of strength and resilience to teach children strategies for dealing with the stress of a family crisis.

GIVEAWAY

Enter for a chance to win a copy of When Mom Feels Great, The We Do Too! and a $50 Barnes and Noble gift card!

One (1) grand prize winner receives:

– A copy of When Mom Feels Great, Then We Do Too!

– A $50 Barnes and Noble gift card

Four (4) winners receive:

– A copy of When Mom Feels Great, Then We Do Too!

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

https://gleam.io/PwW6v/when-mom-feels-great-the-we-do-too-book-giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE

The Horrible Chocolate

Written by Jacob M. Ronsen

An action adventure that is full of quirky characters, imagination, twists, and turns.

Eleven-year-old Bobby loves chocolate and will eat it until he gets sick. He has a pesky sister and a rather ordinary family.

Bog is the school bully who torments everyone. Bobby dreams of revenge. His plans go awry when Bog banishes Bobby to the sewer. Here the readers meet all sorts of disgusting creatures.

The book is illustrated with color images that correspond with the humor and fantastic wordplays. That makes the book appealing to reluctant readers. Unpredictable twists and turns keep the plot moving along quickly. This book should appeal to boys and girls whether beginning or middle-grade readers.

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In partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Foreword Publicity.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Embarrassing George

Written by Kimber Morgan

Illustrated by Jessica Kwan

Ages 4+ | 34 Pages

Publisher: Creative, Simple Wonder Press | ISBN-13: 9781737038641

Publisher’s Book Summary: Everyone in George’s family is so embarrassing. His mom can’t cook, his sister is constantly making kissy faces to her phone, and his brother’s wardrobe consists of nothing but costumes. To top it off, George’s dad is known for going outdoors in his underwear!

Will Family Night at school reveal all of their quirks?

Or will George want to hide under his desk to avoid them?

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon

Bookshop

Barnes and Noble

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kimber Morgan is a multi-award-winning children’s book author who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kimber is a fun wife and imperfect mom of 3 crazy kiddos and two little lemon (problematic) dogs. She tries to live her strengths the best she can. Morgan is a homemade Halloween costume type of mom who lets her kids mix the play-doh. She bakes fun birthday cakes (cutely, but far from perfection) and loves a homemade valentine and a school project.

Writing children’s books is an extension of her creative strength. She strives to create picture books that are beautiful, engaging, humorous, and with themes of acceptance and kindness. She hopes you love reading her works. Kimber is available for author visits and wants to connect with you.

Visit her on Instagram @kimbermorgan_writes and her website, kimberfoxmorgan.com.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Jessica Kwan is the illustrator behind Bad Attitude Bunny Illustration, though her attitude is generally not that bad. She hails from San Francisco and is currently based in northern Sweden. She enjoys drawing characters with funny expressions and anything inspired by nature and animals. She is always looking for the next collaboration, but during her spare time, she likes to: travel, read, do crosswords, and pet the neighborhood cats. Some things she dislikes are sand, mosquitoes, and melted ice cream.

Visit her on Instagram @badattitudebunny and her website, badattitudebunny.com.

GIVEAWAY

Enter for a chance to win a signed copy of Embarrassing George and a Fire HD 8 Kids tablet!

One (1) winner receives:

– An autographed copy of Embarrassing George

– A Fire HD 8 Kids tablet, 8″ HD display, ages 3-7, 32 GB, Blue Kid-Proof Case

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

https://gleam.io/jHfKa/embarrassing-george-book-giveaway

MY REVIEW OF THIS BOOK:

I AM SO EMBARRASSED

Embarrassing George

Written by Kimber Fox Morgan

Illustrated by Jessica Kwan

It is time for family night at school and George dreads it. Why? He thinks his family is weird and embarrassing. George has inherited the family’s preferred first name passed down from generation to generation and he hates it. His older sister is obsessed with her phone, his younger brother wears only costumes, his mother burns the food, and his father routinely goes outside in his underwear. What will they do to embarrass George at school? George does not want to find out.

Kwan’s illustrations are hilarious. They keep kids and adults in stitches. I laughed my way from page to page. Readers may be surprised at the ending. Are all families as weird as George’s family? A little weird may be a good thing.

TOUR SCHEDULE

While Daddy is Away: Days of Deployment

Written by Trista Lawrence

Illustrated by Denny Poliquit

A Christian family talks about how to stay strong while dad is deployed in military service. The older brother and sister help with chores, assist their baby brother and create projects to send dad and keep his spirits up. Though it is difficult for them, they understand the meaning of his sacrifice and are proud of him.

This picture book is recommended as a resource for families in military service.

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What is Supply and Demand?: Personal Finance for Kids

Written by Kelly Lee

Kids love ice cream and cookies. What a creative and fun way to explain the concept of supply and demand to young children!

The author uses animals to explain what happens to the owner of a cookie and ice cream shop when supply and demand change. Ava and Hank are customers who visit the shop in different seasons and note the differences. There are clear explanations and beautiful illustrations.

I especially love that the author makes the book interactive by posing different scenarios for children to think about and offering solutions. Parents are also provided with tips to illustrate supply and demand with their children in everyday situations.

Highly recommended for parents and teachers of children ages three through eight.

Subscribe to this blog for book reviews every Wednesday and Sunday.

In partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Jeanne Walker Harvey.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Dressing Up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head

Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey

Illustrated by Diana Toledano

Ages 3-8 | 40 Pages

Publisher: Beach Lane Books | ISBN-13: 9781534451056

About the Book: Discover the true story of how a shy miner’s daughter became one of the most legendary costume designers in Hollywood in this inspiring nonfiction picture book biography.

As a child in the small mining town of Searchlight, Nevada, Edith Head had few friends and spent most of her time dressing up her toys and pets and even wild animals using fabric scraps. She always knew she wanted to move somewhere full of people and excitement. She set her sights on Hollywood and talked her way into a job sketching costumes for a movie studio.

Did she know how to draw or sew costumes? No. But that didn’t stop her!

Edith taught herself and tirelessly worked her way up until she was dressing some of the biggest stars of the day, from Audrey Hepburn to Grace Kelly to Ginger Rogers. She became the first woman to head a major Hollywood movie studio costume department and went on to win eight Academy Awards for best costume design—and she defined the style of an era.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon

Bookshop.org

Barnes and Noble

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeanne Walker Harvey studied literature and psychology at Stanford University and has worn many job hats, ranging from being a roller coaster ride operator to an attorney, a middle school language arts teacher, and a long-time docent for school groups at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She is the author of several books for young readers, including the picture book biographies Dressing up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head, Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas, and Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines. Jeanne lives in Northern California.

Visit her online at www.jeanneharvey.com.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Diana Toledano is an illustrator, writer, and educator. She is also a Pisces who loves children’s books, patterns, and dancing her heart out. Originally from Spain, Diana (pronounced the Spanish way: dee-ah-na) grew up in Madrid where she studied art history and illustration. Now she lives in San Francisco with her husband and two fluffy cats. Her mixed media art seeks to capture the magic of the ordinary. Diana’s product designs, picture books, board books, and chapter books have been published and sold all over the world. Diana also teaches workshops for kids and adults. She enjoys doing school visits and speaking at conferences.

Learn more at Diana-Toledano.com.

My Review of This Book:

FASHION SAVY

Dressing Up the Stars

Written by Jeanne Harvey Walker

Illustrated by Diana Toledano

This is a beautifully illustrated picture book that relates the biography of Edith Head, the famous Hollywood costume designer.

Edith seemed an unlikely candidate for such a career. She grew up in isolated mining towns in the desert; her father worked as a mining engineer. Edith grew up with few friends, so she dressed up pets and invented make-believe friends with scraps of fabric. When she moved to Searchlight, Nevada, Edith created costumes for her two girlfriends.

Life changed when her mother sent her to high school in Los Angeles. There she fell in love with the movies. After attending college, she got a job drawing costumes. At first, she failed, but Edith worked hard until she became an Academy Award winning costume designer.

Edith provides a strong female role model for young girls everywhere, proving to them that through arduous work, determination, and perseverance, anyone can achieve a dream.

I would highly recommend this gorgeous picture book for primary grade readers, especially those interested in fashion design and the movies.

GIVEAWAY

Enter for a chance to win a set of five copies of Dressing Up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head!

Five (5) winners receive:

A set of five copies of Dressing Up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head

Click on the link below to enter the giveaway.

https://gleam.io/dtTDP/dressing-up-the-stars-book-giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE

In partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Amy Flanagan.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Mrs. R. Snugglesworth, Attorney-at-Law

Written by Amy Flanagan

Illustrated by Jon Davis

Ages 5+ | 90 Pages

Publisher: Whitefox | IBN-13: 9781915036094

About the Book: Mrs. R Snugglesworth is 70 pounds of low-to-the-ground PRECIOUS. She is the Best at Finding Slightly-Used Sandwiches and the Best at Loving Ham—and now she’s looking for her next big challenge. To her surprise, she finds it at the local Bark Park, when she discovers a passion for the law. Dog law, that is.

In two wags of a tail, she enrolls at Wagsworth Legal Academy, eager to become a lawyer. Turns out, it’s not that easy learning to be the Best at Law School. But when Mrs. R. learns that her friend Pitter-Patter needs help, she can’t wait to take on her first case. Only one small issue: she hasn’t quite finished her law degree. Some dogs might consider this a problem, but not Mrs. R! After all, Pitter-Patter needs a lawyer, and she is ALMOST a lawyer. Which everyone knows is practically as good as being a lawyer, right?

She’ll just juggle her law classes, naps, walks, power naps, chasing tennis balls, snacks, naps, and work on Pitter-Patter’s case at the same time! What could possibly go wrong?

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon

Bookshop.org

Barnes and Noble

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amy Flanagan is an Instructional Designer and children’s author living with her family in the Chicago suburb of Batavia. She began writing Mrs. R. Snugglesworth, Attorney-at-Law in early 2021 to stay busy during the long pandemic winter. She wanted to create something that would make kids (and adults) laugh out loud. She is already working on the second book in the “Mrs. R.” series. Like you, she wonders what the ‘R’ stands for.

Visit her online at https://www.mrsrsnugglesworth.com/.

https://www.instagram.com/AmyFlanaganAuthor/

https://www.instagram.com/MrsRSnugglesworth/

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Jon Davis is an award-winning freelance illustrator living and working in Cumbria, UK. He always loved drawing as a child, thinking up characters and stories – paints, pencils, felt tips, crayons, anything would do. So he decided to study Illustration at Glyndwr University, Wrexham. He works digitally in Photoshop with a tablet and pen because the ‘undo’ function saves him from the depths of frustration.

Visit him at https://www.jonsmind.com.

MY REVIEW OF THIS BOOK

DOGGONE FUNNY

Mrs. R. Snugglesworth: Attorney- at- Law

Written by Amy Flanagan

Illustrated by Jon Davis

What a fun book choice for a beginning or middle-grade reader! Flanagan tells her story from the point of view of an English Labrador who serves on jury duty and becomes interested in a law career. He enrolls in Wagsworth Legal Academy and soon finds himself practicing law.

The hilarious adventure entertains both children and the adults fortunate enough to read this book. Flanagan appeals to dog and animal lovers with the humor and compassion contained on every page. The black and white illustrations extend the fun displaying playful scenes.

At just under one hundred pages, reluctant readers will gravitate to this tale. Readers may choose to read independently, or teachers may select it as a page-turning read-aloud in the classroom. I hope there will be more adventures with Mrs. R. Snugglesworth in the future.

GIVEAWAY

Enter for a chance to win a signed copy of Mrs. R. Snugglesworth, Attorney-at-Law, and a $50 gift card to bookshop.org*.

One (1) grand prize winner receives:

An autographed copy of Mrs. R. Snugglesworth, Attorney-at-Law

A $50 Bookshop.org or typebooks.ca gift card*

Four (4) winners receive:

An autographed copy of Mrs. R. Snugglesworth, Attorney-at-Law

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

https://gleam.io/Uvk2u/mrs-r-snugglesworth-book-giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE

Coronavirus: A Book for Children about Covid-19

Written by Elizabeth Jenner, Kate Wilson, and Nia Roberts

Illustrated by Alex Scheffler

This book is available in kindle, audio, and paperback editions. It is laid out in a question-and-answer graphic novel format.

The characters ask questions about the origin, symptoms, spread, treatments, preventions, vaccines, and social-emotional issues. There is an effort to include examples of diversity and disabilities so that all types of children are included. It provides a great deal of information without advocating a specific approach.

I do think that the print size in the kindle edition could be made much larger. It is rather difficult to read. A larger easy-to-read font would be friendlier to those with visual problems.

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Ninjas Go to a Party: A Rhyming Children’s Book About Parties and Practicing Inclusion

Written by Mary Nhin

Those fun-loving ninjas work hard all week, but they do love to take a break occasionally to party. When they do let their hair down, Inclusive Ninja makes sure that everyone has an enjoyable time. He welcomes all to eat, share activities, and work as a team.

This book is part of a series that employs lovable characters to teach life lessons and values like friendship, empathy, compassion, and inclusiveness.

The entire series is available in boxed sets, individual books, and collections arranged by theme.

A fun book to read aloud, for a bedtime story, or for classroom discussion.

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The Choices I Make: Children’s Book about Making Choices, Anger, Emotions Management

Written by Michael Gordon

Illustrated by Max Larin

A nice, rhyming picture book to open up a discussion on how to deal with anger for preschoolers and elementary school children.

When Josh discovers that his sister took his favorite toy, he lashes out at her. Josh’s dad hears the shouting and offers some advice to his son. Why not stop and think for a minute and then count backward?

In the coming days, Josh learns other ways to control his feelings when he feels anger rising to the surface. He does not like losing a game to his friends, being refused candy, or waiting patiently for his needs to be met.

Adorable illustrations and simple scenarios teach young children how to control their emotions.

SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG FOR NEW BOOK REVIEWS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY.