A boy and his father visit the pound a couple of days before Christmas. The little boy chooses a black puppy with a white spot on his chest and a red bow around his neck.
They bring the dog back to their farm where he eagerly plays in the snow. On Christmas morning, the puppy receives three gifts, for which he is so grateful. The boy promises to love, feed and train the puppy, and he is rewarded with all the love the puppy can give.
This book is written in rhymes that are easy to read. Children learn respect for animals, love, kindness and responsibility. Harwell captures the mood well in her illustrations. This is a winner for any child who loves animals. Caution, they may ask you for a wet nose puppy after reading this book.
If you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe by clicking on the word Follow or by hitting the orange RSS FEED Button in the upper right-hand corner of this page.
Topsy Turvy: Bedtime with a Smile Picture Book (Bedtime Stories with Uncle Willy 3)
Written by Sarah Mazor
Illustrations by Sergii Zavadskyi
I always look forward to a new collection of Uncle Willy’s zany stories for preschool and primary grade children.
In Book 3, Uncle Willy tells the tale of a town named ComeGo where everything is topsy turvy. The children teach their parents basic skills like how to ride a swing or a bike. People say goodbye when they meet and hello when the leave. Animals behave strangely. Bears hang on trees like monkeys and cows play like puppies. Pigeons lick themselves like cats and people pull carts instead of horses. Children learn about opposites while having a good laugh.
The fun continues as readers are urged to create their own fanciful stories. They are presented with fifteen riddles and given four choices. Correct answers are given. These activities can be done with an adult or in a group with other children. I highly recommend the entire Uncle Willy series of books.
If you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe by clicking on the word Follow or by hitting the orange RSS FEED button in the upper right-hand corner of this page.
SPIES, CODE BREAKERS, AND SECRET AGENTS: A WORLD WAR II BOOK FOR KIDS
Written by Carole P. Roman
Illustrated by Alessandra Santelli
Author-winning children’s book author, Carole P. Roman has hit it out of the park with this nonfiction book. This book provides a comprehensive of about the importance of spies during World War II.
Chapter One begins with the background and causes leading to the war’s outbreak. The importance of spies in winning the war in both the Atlantic and Pacific spheres is the focus of the book.
Young readers receive a clear picture of the training, weapons, and tools used in spycraft. Secret armies and the intelligence organizations operations in each country are discussed. Illustrations provide visuals that provide greater insight.
I found the chapters featuring biographical portraits of the spies one of the most interesting sections. Spies worked in many professions. Chef Julia Child and author Graham Greene operated undercover. Roman discusses double agents and the Native Americans who broke the Japanese code. Before closing, the author explains how some wartime spy organizations still exist and how they have adopted modern tools of technology.
The Glossary explains terms used and provides more websites to explore. It also lists espionage monuments and museums that may be visited. For inquisitive minds looking to find out even more, Roman includes a bibliography of the resources she used in her research.
I would recommend this book to children who love adventure, espionage, and history. It’s a perfect read for middle-grade students, but an eye-opener for adults as well.
If you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe by clicking on the word Follow or by hitting the orange RSS FEED button in the upper right-hand corner of this page.
Beginning March 23, children’s book authors are coming together to read and share stories and activities with children at home on the Facebook pageStorytime Adventures with Children at 12:00 P.M. CDT. I will be reading on March 31.
10 Ways to Stay Positive
Think about gratitude, not complaining
Think about others, not yourself
Think about forming new relationships, not what others give you
Think one day at a time, not the future
Think about the things you have, not what you’re missing
Think about new opportunities, not things you have lost
Think about making progress, not how hard things are
Think about making your life better, not the way things are right now
Think about giving value, not how much money you can make
Think about responding to changes in new ways, not the events you missed
Stay safe by following all federal and state guidelines but don’t expose children to pandemic news 24/7.
Answer children’s questions calmly and clearly according to their age
Don’t create unrealistic expectations but address disappointments
Create a schedule and stick to it
Make sure you get outside to exercise, if possible. If you live in an apartment, create indoor exercise programs
Enlist older children to work with younger siblings
Stay in touch with relatives and friends via telephone and social media.
Check on the elderly.
Relax and remain calm! We will get through this together.
Anxious Ninja is a talented runner who wins every practice race. When the big day arrives, Anxious Ninja begins to worry what if he doesn’t win. He loses confidence in himself and the race as well,
Gritty Ninja offers some advice. Remember the 3 R’s. On race day, Recognize that you can’t control the situation, relax and take deep breaths, and Refocus on the goal of winning, What do you think will happen when Anxious Ninja decides to take his advice?
This book is part of a series that teaches young children how to deal with their fears and emotions. I heartily recommend this one, especially for primary grade children.
If you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe by clicking on the word Follow or by hitting the orange RSS FEED button in the upper right-hand corner of this page.
Publisher’s Synopsis: A young child discovers the solution for falling asleep is not always quiet and silent, like counting slow, slimy snails. Sometimes, a room full of happy dances, shirts in a tie-dyed swirl, and mischief-making sheep are just the ticket!
Ages 3-8 | Publisher: Doodle and Peck Publishing | February 2, 2020 | ISBN-13: 978-1733717083
A little boy can’t get to sleep. He is distracted by the moonlight shining through his window. Rather than getting up to close the curtains, he decides to stay in his warm, cozy bed and count sheep instead.
The poor child has made a big mistake. The sheep decide to wreak havoc, they toss his toys around, echo animal sounds, play games, scribbled on the walls, and ate his snacks. When the next night comes, the boy changes his mind and counts snails instead. Will this poor child ever get a good night’s sleep?
The richly, illustrated picture book is written in rhyme with rich vocabulary. Barrow’s illustrations evoke a calm mood that contrasts well with the active nature of the mischievous sheep and snoring snails.
A delightful bedtime story for toddlers and preschoolers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Raven Howell is an award-winning children’s author and poet of nine picture books. She writes poetry for a variety of children’s magazines including Highlights, The School Magazine, Humpty Dumpty, and Cricket. Frequently sharing book presentations and writing workshops with children in schools and libraries, Raven also serves as Creative & Publishing Advisor with Red Clover Reader. Her family, long dawn hikes, being at the beach, and munching on warm butterscotch chocolate chip cookies straight out of the oven are all sources of writing inspiration. Visit her website: www.ravenhowell.com.
Enter for a chance to win a Raven Howell book prize pack!
One (1) grand prize winner receives:
A copy of A Flock of Fun autographed by Raven Howell
A copy of Glimmer autographed by Raven Howell
A copy of Shimmer autographed by Raven Howell
A copy of So You Want a Puppy? autographed by Raven Howell
A copy of Greetings! autographed by Raven Howell
A copy of My Community autographed by Raven Howell
A Flock of Fun throw pillow
A Flock of Fun jigsaw puzzle
A pair of sheep socks
Nineteen (19) winners receive:
A copy of A Flock of Fun autographed by Raven Howell
Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are eighteen years of age or older in their state or territory of residence at the time of entry. Void where prohibited by law.
Doodle and Peck is responsible for prize fulfillment.
Mia is very short. This distresses her because her classmates often make fun of her and exclude her from activities.
Mia reveals her problem to her father. He tells her a fairytale about the sun and moon and how they became friends. One day a situation unfolds at school that proves to the other children there is value in being small. The other children learn an important lesson from Mia. They now understand she also has many special talents. Size does not matter.
This picture book is written in rhyme. It works, for the most part, but the story would have been just as effective if written in prose. Recommended especially for students in the six to ten age group but an important lesson for middle-school students as well.
If you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe by clicking on the word Follow or by hitting the orange RSS FEED button in the upper right-hand corner of this page.
Celestina, the Astronaut Ballerina: A Kids Read Aloud Picture Book about Space, Astronauts and Following your Dreams
Written by Donald Jacobson
Illustrated by Graham Evans
Celestina is a little girl with big dreams. Her aspiration is to become an astronaut. Unfortunately, her friends at school belittle her and adults advise her to downsize her expectations. Why doesn’t she become a ballerina instead?
After a time, Celestina gives up on her dreams and settles in to learn ballet. That changes one day when a new teacher arrives. She counsels her class to dream big. Celestina returns to her real goal. Now she works hard and studies hard. Will she achieve her dream to become an astronaut.
This book includes lots of multicultural characters and vibrant illustrations that are appropriate for the elementary grade target audience. The book reinforces the image of a strong female role model and builds self-esteem in young girls.
If you enjoyed reading this review, please subscribe by clicking on the word Follow or by hitting the orange RSS FEED button in the upper right-hand corner of this page.
This picture book contains creative and beautifully done illustrations. The plot combines a few traditional fairytales that are given an unusual twist.
At the beginning of the story, the mother asks her husband to go to the store to buy carrots as she wants to make carrot and potato soup. She does not ask him to do so with a respectful tone. Dad obliges her but soon discovers the local grocery is closed. He continues to search for carrots and gets involved in a series of adventures.
Dad meets up with a cast of characters that involve humans and some animals with bad intentions. These adventures invoke shades of familiar fairytales. Will Dad give up or will he pursue his task? Will his wife be grateful for his efforts?
The twists and turns of this tale are interesting, but many children may become lost and confused in the message. This book will probably lead to lots of questions when reading to young children. I recommend that the book be read with adult supervision and guidance.
If you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe by clicking on the word Follow or by hitting the orange RSS FEED button in the upper-right hand corner of this page.
March 29, 2020
bamauthor
Comments Off on A Child’s Best Friend
![A Family Dinner by [Tan, Cory Q]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61sEqoRNYFL.jpg)
Barbara Ann Mojica's BLOG 
You must be logged in to post a comment.