This activity book provides a plethora of activities that are especially useful for rainy days or traveling. It contains a variety of activities which include mazes, dot-to-dot, tracing, and color by number pictures. There are many family scenes that are coloring pages.
A good choice for children who are dog-lovers. The Boston Terrier pups are adorable. It is available in kindle and paperback. The paperback pictures may be duplicated and used more than once.
Recommended to parents and teachers as a teaching tool or enrichment learning tool.
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A phrase that has been shared over and over by many generations. A mother and child share different ways of expressing their love for one another. Is it a game? Is it a competition?
How many times have parents or grandparents played this game with their precious children. Each generation of a family finds new and different ways to reinforce this message. This book contains beautiful illustrations and exquisite analogies.
This lovely picture book is part of a series and would make a wonderful gift for a new parent or grandparent to share as a bedtime story.
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The protagonist is a heart who wandered among many hearts seeking to find out why she was named Love and what the word means. After much searching, Love comes to understand that it takes two separate hearts to make love come into being. It is something we cannot create within ourselves but must seek from another to make it complete.
The book makes the perfect Valentine’s Day present. Appropriate for any age.
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This book is an excellent tools for preparing toddlers for the preschool experience. It will work for children about to enter a typical nursery school or those with special needs in an inclusive or stand-alone special needs early intervention program.
As an educator with experience in both settings, I appreciate the way author and illustrator include children from multicultural backgrounds and those with different types of disabilities whether they be physical or learning disabilities. Children are shown with educational adaptive tools like picture boards and braille books. Support staff are depicted working alongside the classroom teacher. Typical activities like independent choice centers, circle time, outdoor play, and singing songs are portrayed.
A young child will get a good idea of what happens when entering any type of preschool classroom.
A good resource for parents as preparation or teachers to use on the first day of school.
Grandma, It’s Me!: A Children’s Book about Dementia
Written by Y. Y. Chan
Illustrated by Pearly L.
So many families contain an elderly member suffering from dementia. This book goes a long way toward explaining and humanizing the difficult situation.
The protagonist is a young girl named Riley. It follows her diary entries over a period of time. One day Riley notices that her grandmother is forgetting things. As time passes, grandma wanders off and forgets the names of family members. She needs constant care and that is a burden on the family. Chan shows how to combine love with patience as the family must constantly adjust their situation.
This book is a great resource in explaining dementia to young children. I liked the multicultural images, the characters, and the abundant resources included. Readers receive a list of questions and reflections about what they read as well as activities to download.
This book is highly recommended not only to parents and teachers but also counselors who work in mental health facilities or in schools with children.
It’s Cool To Be Kind: A Children’s Book on Kindness and Friendship
Written and illustrated by Shermaine Perry-Knights
The author introduces three friends and illustrated everyday examples where it is easy to show kindness. Carrying groceries for the elderly, showing a young child how to tie shoelaces, stopping mean kids from bullying, make each of them feel good about themselves as well as those who received their kindness. The illustrations include characters with disabilities.
As a bonus, the author provides a game with activities to show kindness, suggested lessons, and follow-up reading comprehension questions.
A good addition to parent and classroom libraries for any age but especially primary grade readers.
Publisher’s Book Summary: Logan Osborne has spent his life chasing the shadows of the past.
As a child, he watched helplessly as his father was snatched from a fishing boat by what he swore was a mermaid. No one believed him then. No one believes him now.
Determined to prove that mythical creatures exist, Logan is drawn back to the small coastal town where his nightmares began after another mysterious disappearance stirs the waters.
Teaming up with his pragmatic colleague Elliot Sheppard and his fiercely loyal friend Penny Swanson, Logan dives headfirst into an adventure packed with danger and deception. As they dig deeper, the trio faces resistance at every turn—a secretive agency with its own agenda, a suspiciously unhelpful police force, and Logan’s old flame, who may know more than she’s letting on.
What they uncover is far darker and more terrifying than Logan ever imagined: the truth about his father, the secrets of Minatuck, and the horrifying reality of the Mermaid of the Hamptons.
Will Logan and his friends expose the lies that have haunted him for years, or will they be Dragged Down Deep into the swampy, secretive underbelly of a town that guards its mysteries with deadly intent?
Michael Okon is an award-winning and best-selling author of multiple genres, including paranormal, thriller, horror, action/adventure, and self-help. He graduated from Long Island University with an English degree and later received his MBA in business and finance. Coming from a family of writers, he has storytelling in his DNA. Michael has been writing from as far back as he can remember, his inspiration being his love for films and their impact on his life. From the time he saw The Goonies, he was hooked on the idea of entertaining people through unforgettable characters.
Michael is a lifelong movie buff, a music playlist aficionado, and a sucker for self-help books. He lives on the North Shore of Long Island with his wife and children.
Logan Osbourne struggles to recover from a childhood trauma. When his father was dragged from a small boat and drowned by what he insisted was a mermaid, no one believed the tale. Now an adult scientist, Logan is determined to prove that a mythological creature called The Thunderbird exists. Together with his partner Elliot and the support of his university, Logan sets off to prove that the Native legend is true.
No one in the small town seems willing to talk, and Aimee, a former girlfriend, is out to beat him to the punch in finding the creature. Deception and deceit lurk around every corner. Logan faces physical danger, mental anguish, and socal ridicule. Will he succeed in uncovering the mystery surrounding his father’s death and the secrets of Minatuk? Why is everyone afraid of the answers?
From the intriguing quotes that introduce the adventure to the final chapter, readers are drawn into the complex characters and the twists and turns of the thriller. Another wonderful tale by a talented author that does not disappoint.
GIVEAWAY
Readers who join us on this tour can enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a copy of Dragged Down Deep, signed by Michael Okon. The grand prize winner will also take home a $100 Amazon gift card!
Toothbrushing with Maggie and Mommy(Sparkly Smiles Series)
Written by Heidi Rocha, RDH
Illustrated by Noni-Ayanna and Gobern-Roach
This is the first book of a series written by a Dental Hygienist. The picture book with large, easy to read print and engaging illustrations features a little girl named Maggie and her mom.
Mom visits Maggie’s preschool and uses her stuffed dinosaur to demonstrate the proper way to brush teeth. This book will be appreciated by parents of preschoolers and pediatric dentists. There is a bonus activity chart to record progress and a find the hidden object page. The book is even approved by every little child’s friend, The Tooth Fairy.
Highly recommended, especially for parents and teachers of preschool children.
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Daily Confidence Boosters Checklist Goal: Help your child build confidence through daily, simple actions that promote self-awareness, self-expression, and resilience.
Encourage Self-Expression • How: Give your child a chance to express themselves creatively each day, whether through drawing, writing, dancing, or speaking up about their feelings. • Why: Self-expression is key to developing a strong sense of identity and confidence in their own voice.
Morning Affirmations • How: Encourage your child to start their day with a positive statement. They can say something like, “I am strong, I am kind, I can do hard things.” • Why: Affirmations set a positive tone for the day, helping children build a mindset of self-belief and optimism.
Small Wins Celebration • How: At the end of the day, ask your child to share one thing they accomplished, no matter how small (e.g., “I finished my homework on time” or “I was kind to my friend”). • Why: Recognizing small successes builds momentum, reinforcing the idea that progress happens one step at a time.
“Challenge of the Day” • How: Introduce a fun, simple challenge each morning. Examples include: “Try to help someone today” or “Try to ask a question when you don’t know something.” • Why: Overcoming small challenges teaches children resilience and encourages problem-solving skills.
Body Language Power Pose • How: Teach your child to stand in a “power pose” for a few seconds each day—legs apart, hands on hips, standing tall. Do this before school or big events (like tests or presentations). • Why: Body language can have a huge impact on confidence. This quick physical exercise helps them feel strong and capable.
Kindness Check • How: Ask your child, “What kind thing did you do for someone else today?” or “How were you kind to yourself today?” • Why: Acts of kindness, whether for others or themselves, build emotional strength and empathy, both of which are essential to self-confidence.
“I’m Grateful For…” Journal • How: Encourage your child to write down one thing they are grateful for each day, even if it’s just something small. • Why: Focusing on gratitude helps shift their mindset away from what’s missing and towards what’s already good in their life, promoting a positive, resilient outlook.
Compliment Swap • How: Make it a daily habit to share compliments with each other as a family. You can go around the dinner table and say one nice thing about someone. • Why: Giving and receiving compliments helps children recognize their own strengths and the strengths of others.
Try Something New • How: Ask your child to try something new every day, even if it’s small, like trying a new food or solving a different type of puzzle. • Why: Trying new things helps them get comfortable with taking risks, learning, and expanding their comfort zone—all crucial for building confidence.
“Bounce Back” Reflection • How: At the end of the day, reflect with your child on something that didn’t go as planned. Discuss how they handled it and what they learned. • Why: This teaches children that setbacks are part of life and provides a chance to learn resilience and perseverance.
How to Use This Checklist:
• Age-Appropriate: Tailor these activities based on your child’s age and personality. • Consistency is Key: Pick a few of these to try each day, and be consistent over time. Little habits build big confidence! • Reflection Together: Spend a few minutes talking with your child about how they felt after each activity to deepen the experience.
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The Traveling Book Goes to School: A Little Free Library Book
Written by Charissa Bates
Illustrated by Nadja Bullis
Personally, I love little free libraries and was delighted to find this book!
Twisty is one of the books included in one of these new libraries. The house is unveiled at a local school. Soon the children are choosing books. One of these, named Twisty, gets its pages torn by a careless student. Twisty is afraid of not being chosen.
But soon Twisty is making the rounds of eager readers. Still, the book remains apprehensive of chances to continue his travels. Where will Twisty end up?
This book conveys many valuable messages. Each person is important just as each book contains valuable ideas. It teaches children this message as well as the need to take care of our belongings. The book also shows how teachers carefully transmit knowledge through these shared books.
I hope readers will take advantage of little free libraries in their communities and encourage our children to do the same.
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