Book Review: What Are You Doing Benny?

I am thankful for receiving this delightful children's book from LibraryThing!

About the Book

From New York, Times-bestselling illustrator Kady MacDonald Denton and award-winning author Cary Fagan come to a charming sibling story that has the makings of a contemporary classic.

Benny's little brother is really good at a lot of things -- making potions and paper airplanes, building forts, putting on puppet shows, even petting the neighbor's cat (he has a special way of scratching her just behind the ears). But whenever he tries to join in Benny's activities, all Benny ever says is "No." Maybe his little brother can watch him do cool stuff if he's lucky. What is a little fox to do, except give Benny a taste of his own medicine? Totally familiar yet fresh and original, tenderly told and consistently funny, this story perfectly captures the joys (and annoyances!) of sibling relationships.

My Thoughts

At times getting along with your younger brother can seem so annoying. Often a younger brother has difficulty connecting with his older brother and waiting for him to play with you can be so difficult. This funny story cleverly was written to show families how to resolve conflicts with siblings.  The warm illustrations of the younger and older fox richly enhance the storyline. After many unsuccessful attempts to connect with his older brother Benny, the little fox finds a way to reach and involve his brother in a fun activity. This is a beautiful book for home and school library.

4/5 stars. 

You may be interested in reading another book about a little girl finding her north star, 

Stardust

Happy reading!

Lady D

 “You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis

© copyright 2008-2019– All rights reserved
LadyD Books

A Piglet Named Mercy: Book Review

Every porcine wonder was once a piglet! Celebrate the joy of a new arrival with this endearing picture-book prequel to the New York Times best-selling Mercy Watson series.

Inside Flap:

Mr. Watson and Mrs. Watson live ordinary lives. Sometimes their lives feel a bit too ordinary. Sometimes they wish something different would happen. And one day it does, when someone unpredictable finds her way to their front door. In a delightful origin story for the star of the Mercy Watson series, a tiny piglet brings love (and chaos) to Deckawoo Drive — and the Watsons’ lives will never be the same.

About the Author

Kate DiCamillo is the beloved author of many books for young readers, including the Mercy Watson and 

Deckawoo Drive series. Her books Flora & Ulysses and The Tale of Despereaux both received Newbery Medals. 

A former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, she lives in Minneapolis.

Chris Van Dusen is the author-illustrator of many books for young readers, including The Circus Ship and 

Hattie & Hudson, and the illustrator of the Mercy Watson and Deckawoo Drive series. He lives in Maine.

Book Review

What a delightful, fun read for my grandchildren!! An adorable piglet, Mercy finds herself living with human parents named Mr. and Mrs. Wilson. It's a perfect match in so many ways. You'll discover friendships from many family and friends. Children are delighted to see Miss Mercy dressed as a baby. Oh, and you'll meet the Lincoln sisters, too. The word crafting is very warm and inviting. The illustrations are over-the-top and enhance the storyline immensely. No wonder Mercy Watson is the star of the New York Times best-selling series! Get the book!

5/5 stars! Highly recommend!! Love it!


A Piglet Named Mercy

Happy Reading!

Lady D

 “You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis

© copyright 2008-2019– All rights reserved
LadyD Books

Bruno's Hat by Canizales

This Book

Sergio said that my best friend Bruno's hat was weird. When I told him to stop, he called me a weirdo! If I had kept playing with Bruno, Sergio would have kept teasing me, too. But now I miss my friend terribly. What should I do?

Told from the point of view of Bruno's best friend, Peter, this insightful children's book explores bullying--especially the choices children face in defending others who are bullied. Readers will see Peter's struggle to overcome his own fear of being bullied as he learns how to help a friend. Bruno's Hat features a variety of animal characters and colorful, lively illustrations. The book also includes a downloadable guide to help children, parents, and educators navigate the challenges of childhood bullying. The in-depth guide, available at www.flyawaybooks.com/resources, features various questions and activities for children.

The book arrived in the nick-of-time. You see, bullying in the schools is on the rise and sadly, two of my grandsons were bullied for a short season in the public schools. Issues were resolved, fortunately, but I wanted to share the author's insights with you in the author's approach to this subject.

My Thoughts

Meet Peter and Bruno who are best friends... but unexpectedly their relationship takes a turn over a favorite, weird hat that Bruno loves dearly. You see, Sergio messes with Bruno by calling him hurtful names relentlessly. Then Sergio accuses Peter of being weird, too. Oh, guilt by association is Sergio's tactic and so, the storyline unfolds. It appears their best friends relationship is unraveling but a marvelous twist takes place with a new revelation amongst true friends. This approach to resolving bullies with love is quite healthy, engaging and liberating for children to enjoy their childhood and with others in a safe environment at school and in their neighborhoods. 

4/5 stars! Loved the heartfelt message of the book. I wasn't fond of the illustrations, however.

I received a complimentary copy from the LibraryThing Early reviewer's giveaway. My opinions are my own. I do hope you will like this book as well!

Bruno's Hat

Happy Reading!

Lady D

 “You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis

When God Made You: Review

About When God Made You

YOU, you… God thinks about you.
God was thinking of you long before your debut.

From early on, children are looking to discover their place in the world and longing to understand how their personalities, traits, and talents fit in. Knowing that they are deeply loved and a unique creation in our big universe is certain to help them spread their wings and fly.

Written in playful, charming rhyme and brought to life with vivid, fantastical illustrations, young readers will be encouraged and excited to learn about their own special gifts and how they fit into God’s divine plan as they grow, explore, and begin create for themselves.

‘Cause when God made YOU, somehow God knew
That the world needed someone exactly like you!

Listen to the children on YouTube... When God Made You.

Review

Matthew Paul Turner has successfully written an encouraging love letter to children everywhere explaining their purpose in beautiful rhyme and simple prose. Children everywhere will embrace their own uniqueness, creativeness, and special talents. On the wonderful journey of self-discovery, while learning who they are and building upon why am I here questions, excitedly the children will discover and share with one another the Biblical truths that bring them joy. The illustrations enhance the story line perfectly. Beautiful colorful detailed pages will encourage kids to dream, and to celebrate being YOU! The story is so life affirming! Children of all ages will choose to celebrate life and see that their gifts and talents can help someone else! I especially like, "So be you - fully you - a show-stopping revue. Live your life in full color, every tint, every hue!" What a marvelous foundation for parents and grandparents to share with their children that a loving God delights in the creation of every child! My favorite line in the book, "'Cause when God made you, this much is true, the world got to meet who God already knew."

5/5 stars! Loved the book. Highly recommend for home and Sunday school library.
Every child needs this book!!

I received the book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

The book will be released, February 28 and you can order it here,

When God Made You

About The Author

MATTHEW PAUL TURNER is the author of sixteen books. He lives with his wife Jessica (TheMomCreative.com, The Fringe Hours) and their three children in Nashville, TN. 

He explains why he wrote the book here on YouTube. When God Made You.

DAVID CATROW is an editorial cartoonist whose vibrant illustrations have appeared in more than seventy children’s books, including several New York Times bestsellers, such as I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More and I Like Myself. He makes his home in Ohio with his wife, Deborah.

 “You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis

The Bear Who Wasn't There: And The Fabulous Forest

Congratulations! I won the book on LibraryThing. Thank you, Katie Martinez!

Here's what others are saying:

"Bear’s search for himself doesn’t matter so much as the charm of Lavie’s storytelling voice as he narrates it . . . Erlbruch gives the bear big, puzzled-looking eyes and a lovable grin. He lives in a forest made of ornate trees seemingly lifted from vintage engravings, whose delicate lines play off Bear’s dumpy figure. Bear’s encounters with various characters—the Turtle Taxi, the Penultimate Penguin—feature gentle wordplay and Lewis Carroll–like paradoxes . . . Everything is new to Bear, and his discoveries will delight readers."
--Publisher's Weekly, Starred Review

The Bear Who Wasn't There: And the Fabulous Forest

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 7 years
• Grade Level: Preschool - 2
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Black Sheep (October 4, 2016)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1617754900
• ISBN-13: 978-1617754906

About The Book

One day, a few minutes after Once Upon a Time, a bear awakes to find he has lost something very important: himself! He sets out into the Fabulous Forest to find himself, using only a few clues scrawled on a piece of paper: the bear he's looking for is a nice bear; he is a happy bear, and he's very handsome too! These sound like pretty good qualities to Bear, and so begins his memorable journey. With the help of Fabulous Forest critters like the Convenience Cow, the Lazy Lizard, and the Penultimate Penguin, Bear finds that he himself is just what he's been looking for all along: a nice, happy bear--and handsome too!

Book Beginning

Once upon a Time, there was an Itch.

Simply, an Itch.

It wasn't a very big Itch.

It wasn't a small Itch, either.

It was a medium-size Itch.

And the Itch wanted to scratch.

Once upon a Time.

The Friday #56

THE MORE I LOOK
THE LESS I KNOW
IF TREES AND FLOWERS GROW
WHEN I'M NOT LOOKING.

Lost, yet moving Forward in The Fabulous Forest.

Book Review

Brilliant work with a masterful  balance of musical wordplay and beautiful, detailed golden pictures! The book is perfectly written for a child's imaginative understanding and the poetic prose will delight adults also. You see, the main character is a very positive bear who is happy and nice. Oh, and he's handsome, too! He seems to have forgotten himself and sets out on a journey moving forward to finding himself with the help of Turtle Taxi. The story moves along quite nicely as the author introduces bear to some fabulous forest friends; Convenience Cow, Lazy Lizard, and Penultimate Penguin. Ah... the path of self-discovery is a beautiful thing!  You'll feel so at home with this one. Get it and guaranteed, you will want to read it every night at bedtime. It's that great. Bravo!

5/5 stars! Highly recommend! Delightful! Love it!

About the Author

Oren Lavie has green eyes, long curly hair, and relatively cold feet. He was born in June, one week behind schedule, and has been trying to catch up ever since. He likes to sleep late but does his best writing early in the morning, which is why his best writing so rarely gets done. Oren is a musician, director, and author of children's books. His debut album, The Opposite Side of the Sea, was released worldwide to critical acclaim, winning him the prestigious ASCAP Foundation Sammy Cahn Award for his lyrics. The music video for "Her Morning Elegance" was nominated for a Grammy Award and became a YouTube hit. Oren wrote "A Dance 'Round the Memory Tree" for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian movie. The Bear Who Wasn't There is his first book to be published in the US.

Wolf Erlbruch is one of Germany's most renowned illustrators; his work is respected and loved around the world. Among his many awards, Wolf has received both the Gutenberg and the German Children's Literature Award, as well as a Hans Christian Andersen Illustrator Award. His previous book, Duck, Death and the Tulip, sold more than 100,000 copies and was published in nineteen countries.

The Bear Who Wasn't There: And the Fabulous Forest

Happy Reading!

 -- LadyD
“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis

Book Review: JoJo's Playful Day

Children's book: Jojo's Playful Day - bed time stories for children (Kids ages 3-6) - elephant picture book (read aloud story): Childrens animal books. ... series : Bed time books for children 1)

 

 Book Description

Adorable picture book for Children Ages 3-6
If you wish to talk to your children about eating, then this book can help you!
Jojo might just inspire fussy eaters to finish up their food!
This cute book tells the story of Jojo the elephant and his playful day in the jungle.
Jojo is a happy elephant calf who often forgets to eat his food.
He is always busy exploring and discovering the nature around him.
Be it Jojo's mud bath or the many bunches of banana he chomps up later, children will fall in love with Jojo's fun ways.
The bright full length pictures of Jojo will stay fresh through many reads.
Young readers who are still learning to read will enjoy the many sounds and wonderful illustrations on every page.
There are fun sounds to make like the RUMBLE in Jojo's tummy or the WHOOO sound of a cool breeze. A positive and feel good story with beautiful illustrations will keep your child's interest for bedtime reading. They can read along with the parent about Jojo and his wonderful insect friends. Cheerful illustrations of Jojo, the elephant, on every page makes this book very interesting for children.

The Friday 56 

Make the  sounds and pretend to be the insect/bird shown in the pictures. It might just get your child squealing in delight!

Who goes BUZZZZ? (Bee) Who goes FLUTTER FLUTTER? (Butterfly)

-- Sujatha Lalgudi

Deep in a jungle in India, amongst tall trees and lush green grass, lives Jojo. He is a naughty and playful elephant calf.

He loves to explore the jungle he lives in. The weather is always sunny and there are meadows, ponds and fruit trees everywhere. "Jojo, come and eat," Mama calls out. Jojo hides behind the bushes. Hide and seek is his favorite game.

My Review

The talented author weaves a great story about the sights, tastes and smells of India through the playfulness of an elephant calf named Jojo. Naturally his favorite game is Hide & Seek. The warm landscape of India comes alive as Jojo soon discovers all that inhabits his jungle. After playing his favorite game, Jojo gets easily distracted with happy birds, fluttering butterflies, frogs and dragonflies. He forgets his mother is calling out to him and now hunger has set in. The story line moves along at a good pace for little ones to engage in identifying animals and food of the jungle. The beautiful illustrations capture Jojo's fun adventures on his wonderful playful day. It's a sweet book for the children and very engaging for 2-5. Older kids can read the book alone or with help.

5/5 stars. Recommend to friends.

About The Author

Sujatha Lalgudi is a Best selling children's book author and illustrator.
Some of her best sellers in eBooks are:

• Jojo's Christmas day


• Jojo's Easter Surprise


• Where is Santa?


• Where is my turkey?


• A Lovely Day - A Valentine Picture Book for Children

Children's book: Jojo's Playful Day - bed time stories for children (Kids ages 3-6) - elephant picture book (read aloud story): Childrens animal books. ... series : Bed time books for children 1)

I love Indian food, especially made with ginger, turmeric and curry. Their fashion design and jewelry is so intricate with beautiful sparkles. The book, JoJo's Playful Day is a fun read about India.

What are you reading this week?

 “You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis

Related articles

• Book Review : The Elephant Bird
• Review and Giveaway: Ella the Pink Elephant
• Asian or African Elephant?

Review: Baseball Animals by Christopher Jordan

5/5 stars! Perfect for my 5 year-old grandson. The Chicago Cubs were named to reflect youth & playfulness of their players, as well as the incredible strength of the black bear.

Amazon Snippet

In these Major League Baseball licensed books, children are introduced to exciting early concepts through two engaging titles that teach young readers about opposites and introduce them to various animals unique to the world of professional baseball. Children and parents alike will enjoy these fully illustrated and licensed books that celebrate the exciting world of baseball with MLB players, team logos, and more.

In MLB Animals, children will learn about the various animals specific to professional baseball and discover why each team selected the particular animal when naming their club.

 

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 7 years
• Grade Level: Preschool - 2
• Series: Major League Baseball: First Base Books
• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: FENN-TUNDRA (February 11, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 177049474X
• ISBN-13: 978-1770494749

My Review

 

I love how the book is nicely organized with an educational description of each animal and then asking the children to guess which animal is associated with a particular professional baseball team. When you turn the page over, you'll see a pro ballplayer in uniform with an explanation of why their team is named the Baltimore Orioles, for example. My grandson who is 5 years old loved seeing the majestic bald eagle and learning about the marlin. Naturally, he was fascinated by the diamondback rattler and his love for the sport of baseball has grown more because of his connection with baseball animals. We love the book because it's visual and so engaging. It's well written, keeps their attention and the illustrations are beautiful!

5/5 stars. Recommend!

 About The Author

 

CHRISTOPHER JORDAN is an avid sports fan. He has played competitive hockey, baseball, and football and even drove in a kart racing league. He coaches tyke hockey and little league baseball and is a published children's book author and father of three great kids who he is introducing to the exciting world of sports. He and his wife and their children live in Toronto, Canada.

Baseball Animals




 “You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis

A Russian Tale: The Fool Of The World And The Flying Machine

Image via Wikipedia

The Fool Of The World And The Flying Ship

Humorous Tale of Magic and Faith with Great Illustrations

Russian Folktale about determination and friendship


The Caldecott Medal

Retold by Arthur Ransome
Pictures by Uri Shulevitz

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (May 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374424381
• ISBN-13: 978-0374424381

Product Description

When the Czar proclaims that he will marry his daughter to the man who brings him a flying ship, the Fool of the World sets out to try his luck and meets some unusual companions on the way.

Review

"A delightful picture-book version of the Russian folktale about the simple third son who, through the magical powers of the Listener, Swift-goer, Drinker, and others, performs the tasks set by the Czar and wins the princess. The handsome illustrations which fill the pages with animation and gleaming colors have a folk character and Russian flavor." --Starred, Booklist
-- Review

First Sentence:
There were once upon a time an old peasant and his wife, and they had three sons.

I really liked this book. It's a clever one!


Barefoot Books offers 2 Russian books also:

Babushka

Meet Babushka, a woman who is so busy focusing on the little things, that she hardly notices the miraculous events going on around her. This touching Christmas story shows that the more you give away in love, the more you will receive.

Ages 3 to 7 years
Retold By: Sandra Ann Horn
Illustrated By: Sophie Fatus

The Gigantic Turnip

Find out what happens when the old woman, the old man, and all twenty-one animals on the farm try to harvest a rather large root vegetable. This well-loved Russian tale uses humor, counting and repetition to appeal to beginner readers. Book with CD editions include story read by Ellen Verenieks.

Ages 3 to 7 years
Written By: Aleksei Tolstoy
Illustrated By: Niamh Sharkey
Narrated By: Ellen Verenieks

-- LadyD

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” — C. S. Lewis

Sal and Sally by Jay Miller

A funny thing happened to me online the other day. I was introduced to the author of Bingo the Banjo Picking Bear, Jay Miller. He had left a comment on Book Blogs and I followed the link to his website. I immediately bonded with some of Jay's characters in his books and I love his style of writing. I was fortunate to exchange a few sentences or two with Jay Miller.



What I have learned about Jay is that he has been married to his wife for thirty years. Together they have seven children and thirteen grandchildren. He is a retired Electrical Engineer. Presently he is writing a five-story compilation novel called "All God's Critters." It is approximately 80% completed. Jay is a member of Published Authors, Book Marketing Network, and many other writing groups. He is also the Founder of the newly formed "Rock the Babies" Foundation.

I was attracted to the art on the cover of this book. I knew I had to purchase the book and read it to my Grandsons! Having not read this book yet, I did some research on it and found some very nice folks who had great things to say about Sal and Sally!


PREMIUM PROMOTIONAL SERVICES BOOK REVIEW:

Title: Sal and Sally
Author: Jay Miller
ISBN: 978-1-935028-13-0
Genre: Children (Toddler age 3 to 6)
Pages: 23
Reviewed By: Brian Knight

Official Premium Promotional Services Rating:
5 STAR

Sal and Sally are best friends that enjoy playing together and discovering new adventures. One day, the two happy-go-lucky sea bass stumble upon the most amazing pastime…they learn how to blow bubbles! In the ocean, they blow big bubbles, little bubbles, and bubbles of many different colors. For hours, just the two of them laugh and swim around all the blown bubbles until Nellie, the octopus, swims over to join in.
Nellie sees how much fun Sal and Sally are having and really wants to join them. But Nellie has a big problem…she doesn’t know how to blow bubbles.
Sal and Sally daily come to Nellie’s rescue and are happy to teach her. Nellie proves she is an excellent student when she exhales and blows a huge bubble. A bubble so enormous, it engulfs Sal and Sally inside.
Sal and Sally attempt to pop the bubble, but to no avail. And what’s worse—Nasty Nick, the Texas long nose shark, comes by and now they are in real danger. Afraid, Sal and Sally can only watch as he approaches.
Nasty Nick is looking for dinner and can now see his meal trapped inside this bubble. He attempts to pop the bubble with his long nose; but like Sal and Sally’s attempt, the bubble just won’t burst.
Sal and Sally are safe, but this leaves Nellie outside the bubble and looking scrumptious for Nick’s next meal. Will this be Nellie’s last frolic with her two new friends or will Nasty Nick have a change of heart and let Nelly go free?

Once again, Jay Miller composes a delightful tale.
In a joyful way of learning, Miller uses rich descriptions, delivering powerful messages of life values and morals—playing and working together in a way that shows even a nasty shark needs friends. In “Sal and Sally,” the colorful illustrations compliment the story and are sure to grab the little listeners’ attention. With joyful songs at the end of the story, everyone will surely be dancing about the room as they envision many bubbles bouncing and floating around them.

“Sal and Sally” is sure to be a favorite on any child’s bookcase. I recommend this book for those children who have lots of energy. Those who love to dance, sing and have fun. And adults who wish to spread positive life values and morals to those little ones they love.

Learn more about Jay Miller at
http://www.allgodsscrittersseries.blogspot.com

Order Book:
Sal and Sally

April has a review post of Sal & Sally at
http://www.gather.com/

April goes on to say,

"Sal And Sally was great fun to read, and quite captivating for children to listen to. It is quite repetitive which young children love Even before they can read they will be chanting along with you.
It is a beautiful book...flowing and poetic with lovely humor. Anyone who reads this will be drawn in right from the very first word. It is an engaging children's story with all it's graceful prose, and full bodied characters. I particularly loved the atmospheric setting in the Ocean. This book is uplifting and an enchanting tale that is likely to become a childhood staple. Miller is a mesmerizing storyteller, his book is deeply emotional with wonderful three dimensional characters. Sal and Sally, a couple of Sea Bass are infinitely appealing ... one gets the sense of them having a caring respectful friendship ; which is rich and satisfying. Beyond the familiar elements is the underlying current that they just might be eaten by Nasty Nick the Texas Long Horn Nose Shark. This added dimension elevated the story to more then just a fun children's tale but one with a message. Miller has a talent for navigating children's emotions through Sal and Sally; from the familiar....discovering how to blow bubbles, to the friendship and respect between them, to their fears of being eaten and Nick's anger for not getting what he desired and ultimately to everyone getting along and having fun. A masterful blend of love, and humor, with a little of bit wonder thrown in.
Beautifully written..... highly recommended.... a perfect 10.

At the end of the book are words to a few songs :

* The Octopus Song
* Nifty Nick's Bubble Blowing Song
* The Turtle Song."

Being Greek and loving to fish, I just know this book will be perfect for my 2 Grandsons. And being a piano teacher, the music on the trailer, well it's my kind of music! This wonderful Grandpa, Jay Miller, has written a winning series of books. I look forward to hearing more from Jay and will keep my eye open for new releases. A big thanks to Jay Miller!

Book Review : Sal and Sally "All God's Critters Toddler Series #2 by Jay Miller

A book review of the children's book Sal and Sally by Jay Miller.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle

Take a look at the trailer video for yourself and listen to this very cool music:
Book Video Trailer: Sal and Sally

Sal & Sally, two small sea bass, explore the ocean floor for a new game to play. They accidentally discover how to blow beautiful colorful bubbles, and soon they are trying to teach Nellie The Octopus how to blow them, too. However, she accidentally blows one so big that it entraps both Sal and Sally, and when Nasty Nick the Texas Long Nose Shark crashes the scene - can the friends figure out a way to avoid becoming his mid-afternoon snack...?
http://www.associatedcontent.comvideo

I will definitely be getting this book... thank you, Jay Miller!

Sal and Sally

-- LadyD