Kat and Juju *GIVEAWAY*

My boys loved this story about Kat, an independent girl with some anxiety around what others will think about her. She is a shy little girl and that makes her feel lonely. She just wants to have a best friend and she knows that once her birthday comes a friend will show up at her doorstep. That’s when Juju arrives; a big fluffy red bird.

Juju is very different from Kat and challenges her to experience life more boldly by doing happy dances, experiencing life and letting go. Kat is still worried but a baby bird changes all that when Kat and Juju need to help take care of the bird. They work together to help the bird become stronger and learn to fly. With this Kat does things she would never try before shown through the beautiful illustrations and expressions on Kat’s face. Kat realizes that worrying about what others think about her was holding her back from the friendships she could have and she breaks free from her loneliness and worry.

My boys and I had some beautiful discussions during our reading together. My six year old is just like Kat, a rule follower and constantly caring about what others think about him while my four year old is riddled with anxiety about the unknown. So Kat and Juju’s story gave us a chance to talk about these very real feelings in a nonthreatening way. While this book hasn’t changed them completely it sure has helped them reflect and relax just a little bit.

Thank you Barbara Fisch from Blue Slip Media for sending us a copy for review. All opinions are our own. Don’t forget to enter our giveaway! See below for entry information!

About the Author

Kataneh Vahdani is a children’s book author and illustrator. Kat and Juju is her first picture book series. She is currently directing her original feature animation movie. Kataneh has been a professor for over seventeen years and she also saves fallen baby birds and rescues them. Together with her students, they have raised over 13 fallen injured baby birds and set them free once they were ready to fly away. Sometimes in her classes, birds fly from the head of one student to the other. Visit Kataneh on Instagram: @KatandJuju. 


“This debut gently encourages personal growth while reinforcing the value of being different.” —Kirkus Reviews

**GIVEAWAY**

One lucky winner will receive a copy of Kat and Juju  courtesy of Two Lions (U.S. addresses). Please follow our blog and comment on this post. Please feel free to enter on our other social media pages too.

It Is (Not) Perfect…..Giveaway

It is (Not) Perfect by Anna Kang and illustrated by Christopher Weyant, hits so many important notes. While building a sand castle, one friend thinks it is perfect, while the other makes a suggestion for their “perfect” improvements. This suggestion cycle continues as new friends come to the sand castle. Together, with their “perfect” ideas, the friends build a huge sand castle that they all stand by, admire and deem it perfect….until…..

Well, without giving away the ending, which builds hope and resilience, I want to say that I admired the character’s ability to accept constructive criticism and be open to the suggestions. I adored the teamwork that they all showed and allowed others to help make the castle. On a deeper level this book can help us talk about what perfect really means, if there is one way to do something , or what is everyone’s definition of perfect.

A book to enjoy with all ages and conversations that are important with our kids. We thank Blue Slip Media for including us on the blog tour.

Some more information about the creators:

Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant are the creators of Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner You Are (Not) Smallas well as series titles That’s (Not) Mine, I Am (Not) Scared, and We Are (Not) Friends. They also wrote and illustrated Eraser, Can I Tell You a Secret?, and Will You Help Me Fall Asleep? Christopher’s work can also be seen in The New Yorker, and his cartoons are syndicated worldwide. This husband-and-wife team lives in New Jersey with their two daughters and their rescue dog. Visit them at www.annakang.com and www.christopherweyant.com.Twitter: @annakang27 @chrisweyant05Instagram: annakangbooks; christopherweyant   Facebook: Anna Kang – Author; Christopher Weyant“Colorful cartoon illustrations add a lightheartedness to what could be a stressful real-life situation for kids. Another life lesson neatly packaged in child centric humor.” —Kirkus Reviews
“This award-winning duo have created a lovely tribute to the old adage that perfect is the enemy of good. Recommended for purchase for all collections.” —School Library JournalGiveaway!

***Giveaway****One lucky winner will receive a copy of It Is (Not) Perfect, courtesy of Two Lions (U.S. addresses). Please follow our blog and comment on this post. Please feel free to enter on our other social media pages too.

Bear and Fred -Love is All We Need

Bear and Fred – A World War II Story written by Iris Argaman, illustrated by Avi Ofer and translated from Hebrew by Annette Appel, will touch the hearts of readers of any age. Told by Fred’s teddy bear with no name, this is a story of love and hope. Fred and bear stick together through World War II where they have to flee their home to remain safe from the Nazis. Bear becomes worn and tattered through the years, almost unrecognizable, but Fred cares deeply for him and finds ease in his stuffed friend.

There were a few moments while reading that pulled at my heart. Fred shares his secrets with Bear, as he knows that telling the truth to others could lead to danger. But talking to Bear gives Fred hope and the much needed comfort during this time. As I read I thought about how so many kids right now are using a stuffed animal as their companion in these uncertain times. I think reading this book might be a good reminder to all of us, that it’s ok to find an escape any way that feels right, even if it’s with our stuffed friends.

Another connection to the books was that I fortunate to have taken a trip to Israel many years back. While there I got to visit Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center, and take a guided tour with a docent there. The museum pours with emotion and I felt connected to the past as the guide spoke to us about all the photos and artifacts. The story of Bear and Fred came to be because Bear was in that museum. Unfortunately I didn’t see it while I was there, but author Iris Argaman did, and knew she had to tell Bear’s story.

Thank you Blue Slip Media for sharing this book with us. All opinions are our own.

Giveaway! Comment on this post and one lucky winner will receive a copy of Bear and Fred: A World War II Story, courtesy of Amazon Crossing Kids (U.S. addresses). 
Amazon Crossing Kids aims to increase the diversity of children’s books in translation and encourage young reading from a range of cultural perspectives.

Check out our other social media pages for more chances to win!

Here is more information about the creators:

Iris Argaman is the author of a number of books for children, including Bear and Fred, which was awarded the Yad Vashem Prize in Israel and the Giovanni Arpino Prize for Children’s Literature in Italy. She lives in Israel, where she is a lecturer on children’s literature, holds writing workshops, and writes activity books which promote museum education.
Avi Ofer is an illustrator and animation director born and raised in Israel and now based in Spain. His work has been exhibited in art shows and screened in festivals around the world. Annette Appel is a translator of books for young readers and truly enjoys the challenge of making stories written in Hebrew accessible to English speakers.

 “Translated from Hebrew, it reads seamlessly and beautifully presents a family caught up in war…Without in any manner diminishing the actual horrors of World War II or any current fighting, the author enables a child to grasp in some small manner the impact of conflict on a family. Moving and accessible.” —Kirkus Reviews

Zany Poetry in A Hatful Of Dragons

A Hatful of Dragons and More Than 13.8 Billion Funny Poems is a collection of poetry, dragons and fun! This poetry book was written by Vikram Madan and was released last month. If you are looking for a fun, fresh, poetry book to use with your students or kids, this is a great book to purchase. The poems he writes are silly and wacky, which reminded me of the style I adored from Jack Prelutsky. The book is filled with rhyming poems, some of which leave the last line for the page turn, allowing the reader to guess and be surprised at how it ends. He incorporates different types of poetry styles including concrete poems. Another favorite part of the book is when he leaves one of the poems with some words missing, then gives readers a word bank to fill in. Each word bank contains a few choices of words, leaving readers with endless possibilities of how to read one poem (really over 13 million ways as he explains at the end of the poem!). Vikram uses sophisticated language (i.e smoldering, discordant) which can help readers learn new words in the process. Another teaching point can be the use of figurative language, which is used throughout the book. With humor, zany adventures, this book will surely be a hit with any poet!

Thank you Boyd, Mills, Kane Publishers for putting us on the blog tour and allowing us to read and share this poetry book with our audience. All opinions are our own.

To learn more about Vikram Madan visit his website or follow him on Twitter .

Please seek out your local independent bookstore to buy your copy today. To read what other bloggers had to say, check out the graphic below.

World So Wide *Giveaway!*

A beautiful and meaningful read for all ages! World So Wide by is a book that will make any parent tear up as they are experiencing the baby years or reminiscing about them. The book begins with a newborn baby and every few pages it poses questions about how they baby will experience the world through his/her senses. What will the baby see, hear, smell and touch. The story continues to unfold as the baby becomes an adult with his own child. The most beautiful part is each of the experiences revolve around making loving connections. I read this book with my six year old and as we read I told him stories about him as a newborn and what types of things he experienced when he was so little. He’s the oldest of three and he misses that special one-on-one time. Reading this book together, just the two of us, was such an amazing moment of connection. The smile didn’t leave his face and the hugs just kept coming. That’s the beauty of books that are as gorgeous as this one, they can serve as connections, reminders and shared experiences. 

Praise for World So Wide

★“While it will certainly touch new parents, Pulitzer honoree McGhee’s text and Alizadeh’s tender pictures will delight readers of all ages.” —Booklist (starred review)

“Breezy illustrations are pleasingly attuned to the author’s spontaneous verse as both reveal the marvel—and regeneration—of human life.” —Publishers Weekly

“Smudgily outlined illustrations bring a soft but bright energy to the author’s tender text. Pleasant and sentimental ponderings for new parents and children.” —Kirkus Reviews

About the Author and Illustrator

Alison McGhee is the author of many highly acclaimed works. Her children’s books include the #1 New York Times bestseller Someday, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds; the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award–winning Bink & Gollie, cowritten with Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Tony Fucile; and the Christopher Award–winning Firefly Hollow, illustrated by Christopher Denise. Her novels for adults include Pulitzer Prize nominee Shadow Baby and Never Coming Back. She lives in Minnesota, Vermont, and California. Learn more at www.alisonmcghee.com.Twitter: @alisonmcgheeInstagram: alisonmcgheewriter 

Kate Alizadeh is the author-illustrator of Quiet and the illustrator of That Is Actually MY Blanket, Baby! by Angie Morgan. Her distinctive hand lettering appears on the covers of Unboxed and Second Best Friend by Non Pratt, and her black-and-white illustrations are featured in Proud: Stories, Poetry and Art on the Theme of Pride, compiled by Juno Dawson. A graduate of Falmouth University, she is currently based in Northern Ireland. Learn more at www.katealizadeh.net. Twitter: @katealizadeh Instagram: katealizadeh

GIVEAWAY!

One lucky winner will receive a copy of World So Wide, courtesy of Two Lions. (U.S. addresses only please) Leave a comment below for an extra entry and be sure to visit us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more entries! Giveaway ends 3.9.20 at 11pm CST.

We Could Be Heroes and a GIVEAWAY!

Happy book birthday We Could Be Heroes by Margaret Finnegan! This book was a sweet and heartfelt read. You’ll fall in love with Hank, Maisie, Booler the dog and the parents of the two children are just as thoughtful and caring as the main characters. The story starts with Hank setting fire to a book his teacher is reading about the Nazis. He’s a sensitive and empathetic kid who takes the story to heart. Reading the book has made him so upset and he has decided he’s had enough of feeling upset when they read the book in class. He meets new-girl, Maisie and she notices he’s all wet from the fire alarm sprinkler. At first he feels uncomfortable with her but as they get to know each other a little bit he starts to cherish the time they spend together. They have a shared mission to save Booler, the dog with seizures who they feel isn’t being taken are of. It’s a wonderful story of the realities of friendship: the ups and downs, the connections, the love and the idea that “different isn’t less”. With characters who have differences it’s a wonderful story for middle grade children as both a “window and a mirror” for readers, a term coined by Dr. Sims Bishop.

About the Author

Margaret Finnegan’s work has appeared in FamilyFun, the Los Angeles Times, Salon, and other publications. She lives in South Pasadena, California, where she enjoys spending time with her family, walking her dog, and baking really good chocolate cakes. Connect with her at MargaretFinnegan.com.

Twitter: @FinneganBegin

Instagram: @finneganbegin

ENTER OUR GIVEAWAY!

One lucky winner will receive a copy of We Could Be Heroes, courtesy of Atheneum/Simon & Schuster.  (U.S. addresses only please). Please follow and comment on this blog post for one entry and visit Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages for other opportunities to enter. US only. Giveaway ends 2.29.20!

Calling All Scientists! ?Giveaway?

Happy book birthday Dream Big, Little Scientists! 
A goodnight book for all the young scientists in your life! This adorable book explains twelve different branches of science from astronomy to chemistry in a very discreet and early childhood way. Each two page spread shows a child in a bedroom full of objects: a poster of a famous scientist(s) in that branch, quilts, books, art, etc. with clever text explaining the science and saying goodnight. For example, the paleontology page says, “Slumber’s been a part of life since prehistoric days.” The words and illustrations so perfectly tell a little bit about each part of science my boys and I already learned so much together! We also enjoyed reading the last two pages which gives a few sentences about each type of science. Author, Michelle Schaub, created a book trailer and has great extra information about science on her webpage!https://www.michelleschaub.com/dream-big

Giveaway! One lucky winner will receive a copy of Dream Big, Little Scientists, courtesy of Charlesbridge Publishing (U.S. addresses only please).To enter: 1. Follow our Blog 2. Leave a comment 3. Visit our Instagram, Twitter and Facebook  
Winner chosen at random when giveaway ends on 2.21.20 at 11pm CST. Giveaway not affiliated with Instagram.
Thank you to Blue Slip Media for sending us a copy to review! All opinions are our own

Bird Hugs Blog Tour & GIVEAWAY!

From cover to cover this book gives us all the feels! Bernard, a bird with especially long wings doesn’t feel any different than the other birds. But once all his bird friends start flying he begins to feel lonely since he can’t fly. Determined to fly he first tries to slingshot himself out of a tree. When that doesn’t work, he tries making his wings shorter. Feeling hopeless, he gives up and perches on a tree to feel sorry for himself. One night he hears a sobbing sound coming from a very sad orangutan. All he knows to do with his long wings is give the orangutan a big, huge, gigantic hug with his enormous wings. Once he gives one hug he begins to feel better and soon he realizes he can give the BEST hugs; hugs so good that the animals are lined up to receive his amazing hugs. Bernard begins to feel confident again and so he tries flying, but, still he is unsuccessful. He finally realizes flying isn’t everything and having friends can help you do anything! We loved the beautiful illustrations with a pastel color palette, the vocabulary words and the way Bernard realizes even through all the hard work sometimes things still don’t work out how you want them to and that’s okay! We think it’s so important to teach children that they won’t be good at everything but everyone is good at something; figuring out what that something is matters. Bernard takes on the challenge of being different and becomes great at something else, hopefully sending the message to readers that differences should be celebrated and valued.

Ged Adamson is a children’s book author and illustrator. His picture books include A Fox Found a Box; Douglas, You Need Glasses!; Shark Dog!; and Ava and the Rainbow (Who Stayed). He has also worked as a cartoonist, storyboard artist, and composer for film and TV. He lives in London with his partner, Helen, and son, Rex. To learn more, visit his website: https://gedadamson.myportfolio.com/home-page

Twitter: @ged_adamsonInstagram: @gedadamson

Praise for Bird Hugs:

“Readers will agree: All differences should be hugged, er, embraced.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The lesson is a simple, familiar one—selflessness and sympathy are key to making friends—but Adamson’s gentle humor and his eager-eyed characters’ yearning become an eloquent testimony to the power of a little TLC.” —Publishers Weekly

Giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive a copy of Bird Hugs, courtesy of Two Lions. Please follow our blog (if you aren’t already) and comment on this post to be entered. US only please. Visit our Instagram and Twitter pages for more entries.

Love, Sugar Magic #3 **GIVEAWAY

We are so excited to be part of this blog tour! A Mixture of Magic is the 3rd book in the Love Sugar Magic series by Anna Meriano. We adored the first two books and were so thrilled Walden Pond Press asked us to read the advanced reader copy of the third book to review on our blog.

I was texting with my husbands cousin about books her 10 year old daughter was reading. She mentioned she was reading the Love Sugar Magic series and couldn’t wait until the release of book three! I told her I have the book and she was welcome to read it in exchange for an honest review as a part of the blog tour we were asked to be on. She was so excited to get her hands on the book early because she LOVED the first two. A goal of Storymamas is to put quality books in the hands of kids and this was a perfect opportunity to do so along with the opinions of a child reviewer. So today we introduce our guest blogger Elena, a 10 year old living in Chicago and an avid reader.

Love Sugar Magic book 3 is a suspenseful and interesting book. Your questions are answered from the end of book 2 when Leonora sees her abuelo. My favorite things about it is when Leonora finds her birth order power, and when Leonora fights her abuelo. In this book Leonora finds another magical adventure in fighting her abuelo with her family and friends. I would recommend this book for people who have read the first 2 books and people who love magic and baking.

Publisher Walden Pond Press has offered to send one lucky reader a copy of the book. Please follow our blog (if you aren’t already) and comment on this post to be entered. US Only. Visit our Instagram and Twitter pages for more entries.

Don’t forget to check out the other stops for A Mixture of Mischief Blog Tour

January 27 A Library Mama

January 28 YAYOMG

January 29 Open Book Reviews

January 30 Teachers Who Read

January 30 Charlotte’s Library

January 31 Nerdy Book Club

February 3 Storymamas

February 4 Latinos in Kidlit

February 6 Mixed-up Files

February 7 Kirsti Call

February 7 Always in the Middle

February 27 MG Book Village

About the Author:

Anna Meriano is the author of the books in the Love Sugar Magic series, A Dash of Trouble, A Sprinkle of Spirits and A Mixture of Mischief. She grew up in Houston, Texas, and earned her MFA in creative writing with an emphasis in writing for children from the New School in New York. She has taught creative writing and high school English, and she works as a writing tutor. Anna likes reading, knitting, playing full-contact quid- ditch, and singing along to songs in English, Spanish, and ASL. Her favorite baked goods are the kind that open hearts. You can visit her online at www.annameriano.com.

The Tooth Fairy’s Tummy Ache

An adorable story about a little girl who looses her tooth but she accidentally swallows it! She decides, even though she knows it isn’t right, she will put a popcorn kernel under her pillow so she can still get a visit from the tooth fairy. As the tooth starts popping, the tooth fairy realizes the lie the little girl told. She goes back to the girls house to teach her a lesson and gives her a notepad so she can write a note next time and be honest. This rhyming book has an important message to be truthful especially when you want something very badly. Thank you to author Lori Orlinsky for sending us a book to review. All opinions are our own.