The illustrations say it all. Soft colors and exquisite expressions portray the emotions set out in the rhymes. Most of the rhymes are on the mark, perhaps a couple stretch the meaning of the words.
Toddlers and preschoolers will get the message clearly by looking at the images. I think the book would have made an even greater impression if a few human examples of mother and child were included. Luckey gives specific examples of why a mother’s love is so deep and truly everlasting.
This book would be an excellent gift for a new mother. Grandmothers and caretakers will also enjoy reading it aloud or as a bedtime story.
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Publisher’s Synopsis: Buckets is a curious French Bulldog, and he’s determined to find out where snow comes from! One wintry day, Buckets runs away from his home in Brooklyn in hopes of finding its origin…but what happens when he gets lost along the way?
Buckets Goes on a Winter Adventure is a story of friendship and determination, and will encourage readers of all ages to explore the mysteries of the world around them.
This book is the sequel to the wildly successful Silly Jokes 1 and it follows a similar format. It includes silly questions, knock-knock jokes, tongue twisters, puns, riddles, one time and a write your own jokes section.
My favorite parts of this collection include the silly facts because I love getting the background or history behind the scene, and the write your own jokes section because it teaches children writing skills while they don’t even realize they are developing new methods of communication aptitude.
The charming illustrations add to the fun. Recommended for children of any age. Younger children can begin with the simpler jokes and progress to those with more difficult punch lines. It is a good choice for siblings to share.
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This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review.I received a free copy of The Monster Twins to review. All opinions are my own.
THAT TWIN THING…
The Monster Twins
Written by Robert and Karen Hanvik HaHHhh
Illustrated by Ella Ransom
First book in a new series. Bella and Bertie are twins who have never met each other. When they were born, the rules did not allow them to live together. Why? Because they were monsters and the law said they must be adopted by separate human families.
Bella has been adopted by a couple who live in Singapore but travel all over the world. Bertie lives with a shy couple who live in London. Each have different personalities but have one thing in common. Both monsters feel that something is missing They each long for a best friend.
Will circumstances ever change? Will Bella and Bertie employ their twin skills to discover each other’s existence.
I especially liked the way the author introduces children to the fact that families can be different and that growing up in different cultures does not preclude similarities between siblings.
Publisher’s Synopsis: Bella and Bertie are twins, but they don’t know that, or each other. Separated while babies by bad law, they grew up 6000 miles apart, in Singapore and London. Follow the twins as they discover their shared past and do their best to make a better future for themselves, their families, and others like them.
This is the second book in the series. Becky and Joe Mellon return home on school break to learn that nothing has changed at home. That home is as weird and unusual as ever. Saber-tooth tigers, a dodo, and a dinosaur share the home with the rest of the family. Things become more bizarre when an American named Bruce Westlake arrives. This time traveler has in his possession gold doubloons that contain magic powers.
In no time at all, Becky, and Joe, accompanied by their Uncle Percy and Will, find themselves time traveling to Victorian England, the 18th century Caribbean, and the city of Chicago in the 1920s. They will encounter gangsters, sharks and sea demons, and blood-thirsty pirates. What is their goal? Their quest is to find the elusive Pandora’s box.
This fantasy time-travel thriller will appeal to middle-grade, young adult, and adult audiences.
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Publisher’s Synopsis: Fitz the Fox can’t wait to see all that New York City has to offer — but will he get to see the penguin feeding or will a subway snafu derail his plans? A whimsical, sight-seeing jaunt that encourages wonder with rhyming text, peppered with facts and trivia along the way!
Join Fitz as he visits the Statue of Liberty with her 8-foot long index finger, the bustling crowds of Grand Central Terminal, the wondrous, book-filled spaces of the New York Public Library, and marvels at the sky-scraping height of the Empire State Building.
Continue to wander with a walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn across the Brooklyn Bridge and visit the Bronx Zoo along with more iconic landmarks while exploring this exciting city!
Ages 3-10 | Good Avenue Books | August 10, 2020 | ISBN-13: 978-1734602104
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Mina’s Ups and Downs (Written in Traditional Chinese, English and Pinyini)
Written by Katrina Liu
Illustrated by Rosalia Destarisa
This bilingual picture book written in Chinese and English walks the reader through Mina’s first visit to a carnival. She is so excited. As Mina experiences the rides, the petting zoo, and the sights and smells of the carnival, she displays a range of feelings
Mina feels happy when she flies up in the air but disappointed when she is too short for the roller coaster. She finds it difficult to choose from so many foods She feels angry when the goats cause her to drop her ice cream and sad when she first loses a carnival game. Young readers get the message that it’s okay to experience a range of emotions and that all works out for the best in the end.
This book is an excellent choice for toddlers and preschoolers. My only criticism would be that the font for English is rather small and a bit difficult to read as the Chinese characters draw the eye to it.
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Bodies in the Tiber: An Ancient Rome Political Thriller: The Sertorius Scrolls Book 3
Written by Vincent B. Davis II
Quintus Sertorius has just returned from five years of fighting for the Roman republic in the north. He is eager to return to Rome and pick up his life with a family that he is certain barely remembers him.
Davis has a fluid writing style. He bases his historical fiction on research, but he is adept at creating interesting and complex personal characters. It is the year 100 B.C. While Rome has been victorious, the republic has never been in greater danger. Sertorius has been writing a diary of sorts in his scrolls for the past year documenting history while also providing personal glimpses into his ambitions as well as his fears.
This is the third book in the series which begins seven years earlier when Sertorius loses his father and his rural village. In a struggle to survive and provide for his family, Sertorius leaves them and is thrust into the role of politician in a corrupt society.
The author uses his own military experience to enrich his story. An engaging and fascinating read for anyone interested in ancient history.
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Mystery of the Egyptian Mummy: (Kid Zet Detective Book 4)
Written by Scott Peters
My first time reading a book in this series. Zet is a twelve-year-old boy living in the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes. He and his sister, Kat, run a pottery stall in the market to support their family. One night a mummy, guarded by a jackal, arrives at their home. Terrified, the siblings return to the market the next day to find that the whole town believes them to be cursed. Their business collapses. That makes them determined to solve the mystery.
What they discover is a much larger plot that will endanger the royal family and all of Egypt. As they artfully unravel clues to solve the mystery, readers learn a lot of information about ancient Egyptian history and culture.
Peters creates interesting characters and an engaging plot to keep middle-grade readers engrossed throughout the read. Educational and entertaining.
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Publisher’s Synopsis: The secret to happiness? It’s written on a whale’s tail. At least that’s what Koa hears, and so he sets out in search of Wally Whale and the valuable knowledge that he hopes Wally will share.
Wally Whale’s Mighty Tail, one of the first books in the EQ Explorers series, teaches the powerful EQ principle: Happiness is a Choice. It’s a lesson of emotional intelligence that is essential for any child—including Koa, who learns as he journeys through the Pacific with Wally Whale.
Publisher’s Synopsis: The last thing Danny expects to come across during his hike in the forest is a very insecure bear. And yet, Compare Bear is precisely that—a bear who struggles to see his own strengths, and instead constantly compares himself to other animals, with astonishing results.
In Compare Bear’s Double Dare, one of the first books in the EQ Explorers series, Danny helps his unique new friend take to heart the powerful EQ principle: Be Yourself. Don’t Compare. It’s a lesson of emotional intelligence that is essential for any young reader.
Publisher’s Synopsis: Jojo Giraffe’s Big Laugh, the third book in the EQ Explorers series, takes children on a journey through the African Savannah, learning what it means to be wonderfully unique along the way—just like the spots on each and every giraffe.
The story centers around the powerful EQ principle: Don’t Take Things Personally. It’s a lesson of emotional intelligence that is essential for any child—including Kali, who learns through a series of fun adventures with Jojo Giraffe.
Another happy book in the EQ Explorers series. Little Koa searches for Wally because the boy has heard that Wally has the secret to being happy written on his tail. Koa will be the leader of his tribe one day. Koa wants to know how to lead his people to happiness.
But Koa is dismayed when the message on Wally’s tail is smudged. He sees Happiness is a ch…. What are the missing letters? Wally teases Koa and plays a guessing game with him. Koa makes guesses like cheer, chocolate, and chair. Finally, Wally relents and provides the correct answer. He explains to Koa that our emotions are like the waves of the ocean. Sometimes we feel happy and sometimes sad. When you choose happiness, you can find ways to stay happy through tough times.
Discussion questions to illustrate the book’s lessons are included as well as fun facts about whales. Loram does not fail to disappoint with colorful multicultural illustrations.
Recommended for elementary school readers.
Compare Bear’s Double Dare
Danny is never afraid of trying something new. One day, he embarks on a hike through the woods. He meets an unusual bear. Compare Bear is afraid of climbing trees, racing, fishing, or roaring. Every time the bear finds another who is better than he at something, he stops doing it. To make matters worse, parts of his body change into that animal.
Danny urges him to be himself and dares him to compete. Will Compare Bear find the courage to accept himself and stop trying to be perfect?
Fun facts about bears and discussion questions are included in this beautifully illustrated picture book.
Jojo Giraffe’s Big Laugh
This book is part of the EQ Explorers, Little Adventures for a Happy Life. The profits from the sale of these books are donated to underserved children.
Kali is hiding in a tree crying because the other kids make fun of her for being short and spending her time climbing trees. Jojo passes by and encourages her to laugh. He shows her perspective, a new way of looking at things. The giraffe shares his personal experience with other giraffes. He encourages her not to take things personally and to value her own opinions of herself rather than those of others. As they walk and meet other animals like ants, hippos, and zebras, the lesson becomes clear.
Beautiful colors and expressive images foster the imprinting of the story on young minds. This book is a good choice for a read aloud or bedtime story for children in elementary school.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win an EQ Explorers prize pack!
One (1) grand prize winner receives:
A copy of Jo Jo Giraffe’s Big Laugh autographed by Kim Linette.
A copy of Compare Bear’s Double Dare autographed by Kim Linette.
A copy of Wally Whale’s Mighty Tail autographed by Kim Linette.
A play fort perfect for reading and imagination play.
Two (2) winners receive:
A copy of Jo Jo Giraffe’s Big Laugh
A copy of Compare Bear’s Double Dare
A copy of Wally Whale’s Mighty Tail
Giveaway begins July 6, 2020, at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends August 6, 2020, at 11:59 P.M. MT.
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August 12, 2020
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