I am starting a new feature on my blog. Rather than simply reading and reviewing family-friendly books for my audience, I will be taking a peek behind the scenes at the writer. After all, we all want to know the mysterious person behind the curtain. So without delay, let me introduce you to the talented Eugenia Chu, who has a brand new release tomorrow, September 3.

About the Author:

Eugenia Chu is an attorney, turned stay-at-home mom, turned writer. She lives on a magical beach in Miami with her husband and son, Brandon, who is the inspiration for her stories. She enjoys reading, writing, traveling, yoga and drinking too much coffee. She has been a presenter at numerous schools, libraries and book festivals.

When Brandon was very little, the author couldn’t find children’s storybooks to read to him which touched upon Chinese culture and which included some Chinese (Mandarin) words to teach and/or reinforce his Chinese vocabulary, so she started writing her own. Brandon Goes to Beijing (北京) is her second “Brandon” story and first children’s chapter book. 

Brandon Goes to Beijing (北京), a brand new chapter book by author, Eugenia Chu, launches on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019!As a special bonus, the Kindle Ebook version will be FREE on Amazon that day, too!!! Please download this adorable book and if you like it, please leave a review to thank the author and her illustrator, Eliza Hsu Chen, for all their hard work!

In this story, Brandon and his cousins are on a trip to visit their grandparents in Beijing, China! While bonding with family, practicing Chinese, touring historic sites and feasting on local dishes, Brandon thinks he sees a tiny panda. However, every time he gets close, the panda disappears! Is Brandon imagining this small creature, or is it real? Will Brandon find out before he has to fly back home?

Brandon Goes to Beijing (北京) is a multicultural, multigenerational chapter book. This book includes some Mandarin Chinese (Simplified) with Pinyin pronunciation, adding layers for those learning or interested in the Chinese language and culture. Brandon Goes to Beijing (北京) follows Eugenia’s debut picture book, Brandon Makes Jiǎo Zi (餃子)(a story about a boy and his grandma who bond while making Chinese dumplings, called jiǎo zi (餃子).

For more information about Eugenia or her books:

Website: http://eugeniachu.com

Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/eugeniachu

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/eugeniachuauthor/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/eugeniachu8245/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/chuauthor

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The Scribbles: Inspiring Kids to Draw

Rebecca and James McDonald

This is a charming black and white book that encourages children to learn to draw. Many children feel frustrated because they lack an artistic flair. Readers are introduced to three-line drawings dubbed The Scribbles. Anyone who came across the page thought them a bunch of scribblers. One day a child came along and said hello. The child saw the great potential that each of the scribbles might be. This child could see a sun, a mountain and a tree possibility within their lines. The child was just beginning to learn to draw, but he persisted until he created a sun and a mountain. But when the child approached the third scribble, he became frustrated and disheartened. It was The Scribbles turn to encourage and motivate the child to continue until he succeeded. Soon the child was pushing himself to more complicated drawings.

I like the author’s message that there is potential to succeed if a child has the courage to persist. The amount of talent is not nearly as important as the determination to succeed. Recommended especially for preschoolers and primary grade children as a motivational tool.

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SCRAPS TO SNACKS: A Cookbook by Kids for Kids

Written by Lightsabors Phoenix Squadron

This is a unique recipe book written by a robotics team composed of students, ages nine through thirteen. Alarmed by the fact that almost one-third of our food goes to waste, these students compiled a list of recipes that use food scraps.

There are some intriguing entries. They succeed in concocting pizza, ices, candy wraps, chocolate milk and peanut butter pops and apple desserts. For the holidays, why not try Christmas Day French Toast? These students are certainly to be commended for originality. At the end of the book, there is a short profile for each of the students on the team.

This book is a fun twist on a recipe book. Steps are outlined for each recipe, but the photos could be larger to make the recipe more enticing. Recommended for elementary and middle-grade students.

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The Rolling Quarter

Written by Allon Merhav

Illustrated by Eyal Eilat

This book follows the journey of a quarter from the time it is made at the mint. The rolling quarter is a cheerful narrator who tells of his beginning at the mint with George Washington stamped on his head and The Statue of Liberty stamped on his tail. From the mint, he is taken to a vault in a bank where he meets lots of other coins. Then he journeys to a wallet, where he is crowded with other bills and coins. The quarter finds his way to a vegetable store, a cash register, and many other stores and wallets. Eventually, he finds his way to a young girl’s piggy bank where he is deposited as she saves for something special. Soon the day will come when the rolling quarter will move again.

The book is a nice introduction to the trail of the money system for young elementary school children. Readers learn how money is made and what happens to it as it is placed in circulation. They find out about the importance of saving. The illustrations are well-done, and the story is easy to read. Recommended for children in kindergarten through third grade.

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STRONG WORDS

SEEDS AND TREES: A Children’s Book About the Power of Words

WRITTEN BY BRANDON WALDON

ILLUSTRATED BY KRISTEN AND KEVIN HOWDESHELL

This book features a young prince as the protagonist. He lives in a castle by the sea. Every day he goes out to collect seeds. The prince soon realizes that some of these seeds become dark seeds, while others remain green. As the trees he plants grow, the dark seeds develop thistles and thorns. The green seeds blossom into beautiful shade trees. The reader comes to understand that the green seeds represent good words that are beautiful and true, while the dark seeds represent harmful, cruel words. As the prince becomes older, he notices that the dark trees are overshadowing the others. One day he meets a young girl who always speaks true and kind words. She carries with her the tools to remove the dark trees. She helps him take care of and nourish the green trees while removing the dark trees.

This tale is a beautiful way to teach children the importance of the type of words they use. Harsh words lead to hurt, bullying, and the destruction of good relationships. I would highly recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in elementary and middle school. It provides lots of material for a variety of discussions on behavior and developing good, strong relationships with peers and adults. The illustrations complement the text beautifully.

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One Step at a Time

Written by Sara Y. Aharon

Illustrated by Bryn Pennetti

Emma loves butterflies. She is elated to find out the new class pet is a beautiful rainbow butterfly.  Even though her teacher has warned the class not to open the lid of the tank, Emma cannot resist. The butterfly finds its way to the top and escapes to freedom.

Emma feels sad and anxious. She confides in her dad, who tells her she must be brave and tell her classmates what happened. His advice is to put one foot in front of another. Emma does just that, stomping, jumping, and twirling her way to school. When she arrives, she explains what happened. How will her teacher and classmates react?

This book teaches elementary school children to be brave and honest. Emma shows empathy toward the feelings of her classmates. She provides a good example for children who are afraid to admit their mistakes. The illustrations are bright and multicultural. Recommended for children ages four through eight.

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Ronan’s Dinosaur

Written by Nadishka Aloysius

Illustrated by Manoshi de Silva

This chapter book features a five-year-old boy named Ronan who is suddenly moved to join his parents at his Grandmother’s rural home in Sri Lanka. Ronan and his parents lived in the urban area of Colombo.

Ronan is an anxious, lonely boy who does not like change. His parents have moved in temporarily to help his ailing grandmother. Ronan’s parents are kind and caring parents who do their best to assuage his fears. One day while playing in the garden, Ronan finds a lizard named Scoot. Scoot can talk. He explains to Ronan that she is a dinosaur. Ronan is skeptical, but he learns to enjoy exploring with her and making friends with Tryx, her dinosaur friend who lives in the trees.

When Ronan’s parents hear him talking aloud, they think he is talking to himself and become concerned. So, they take him to visit a neighbor next door who has a dog named Spike. Ronan is afraid of the dog, until Scoot talks to the animal. Again, Ronan learns he has nothing to fear.

Ronan’s grandmother has a setback and must visit the hospital. There he confides in his grandmother and reveals his secret. She remembers her own youth spent with Scoot. The time has come to sell the house and move to a nursing home. Ronan is devastated. Will Ronan ever see Scoot again?

This is a wonderful book to share with children who like to be alone or who experience anxieties. It gently explains that change is not necessarily bad and that we grow from personal experiences both real and imaginary. Targeted for children ages seven and older. I would especially recommend it for ages nine through twelve as a portion of the vocabulary is challenging.

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GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a copy of Kat Kronenberg’s Love Big, signed by Kat Kronenberg, and a school visit from the author valued at $550! Plus, everyone can be a winner by visiting Kat’s website and collecting all of the fun downloads.

This giveaway is part of The Children’s Book Review awareness book tour

One (1) winner receives

• A school visit from Kat Kronenberg*
• A copy of Love Big, signed by Kat Kronenberg
• Kat’s new Light-Up Heart of Stars plush toy
• All of the downloadable activities and extras from Kat Kronenberg’s website

Five (5) winners receive:

• A copy of Love Big, signed by Kat Kronenberg
• Kat’s new Light-Up Heart of Stars plush toy

Giveaway begins June 20, 2019, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends July 20, 2019, at 11:59 P.M. PST.

Giveaway open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 17 and older. Kat Kronenberg is responsible for prize fulfillment. *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 of any major airport and on the mainline. Parent’s at the school must be offered a chance to buy Love Big so that their students have the opportunity to take home an autographed copy with their name in it – thrilling. Kat Kronenberg must be able to set up at least one more school visit in the area. Click here for the giveaway rules.

OFFICIAL LINKS
www.katkronenberg.com: http://www.katkronenberg.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatKronenberg/Twitter:https://twitter.com/KatKronenbergInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kat.kronenberg/
ABOUT THE BOOK
Love Big

Love Big

Written by Kat Kronenberg

Publisher’s Synopsis: The once-thriving, African savanna has turned dry and desolate. Baboon watches animals who are so hungry that they seek only their own interest. Rhinoceros destroys Termite’s castle in his race to find food. Hare chooses not to share food with her family, and Lion steals from his pride. But after Baboon sees Rhinoceros give Hare his snack-on-a-stick, everything changes! Baboon realizes that a transformative power exists between the animals and the stardust that surrounds them once they share smiles and truly believe in themselves and each other. Read on to see if Baboon can save the savanna with this new secret and a very stinky, unlike hero…

Ages 3-10 | Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press | January 8, 2019, | ISBN-13: 978-1626346000 PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon

Barnes and Noble

IndieBound

Jerry the Squirrel: Volume One (Arestana Series)

Written and Illustrated by Shawn P.B. Robinson

This book is the first in a series that features Jerry, a squirrel who loves to invent things. Jerry uses his imagination to problem solve the issues of everyday life that confront him. One day Jerry decides to end the problem of not having his slippers next to his bed when he wakes up to a cold floor each morning. Jerry spends all day and night designing a pair of slippers that will come to him each morning. When Jerry succeeds in the task, he gets more than he bargained for. His slippers take charge and take him on a wild adventure. All the squirrel neighbors watch in fascination. They are eager to sign up for a pair of slippers just like Jerry’s.

The book contains other adventures. One of these deals with Jerry needing to come up with an idea fast when he fails to garner enough nuts for the winter and another chronicles his adventure with the nut beetles. All of them feature the trials and tribulations of Jerry’s career as an inventor who experiences success and failure.

This book might best be described as a series of short stories rather than a chapter book. Because it does not contain illustrations and the stories are short, it is a good choice for reluctant or beginning readers. It encourages creativity and independent solutions to problem-solving. I would recommend it for ages six through fourteen.

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