Friday, August 26, 2016

Six Wonderful Picture Books in Time for School

Adventures with Andy & Susie: A Stormy Weekend by Donna Hall
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.



This is a wonderful book about a boy and his cat. When the boy returns home from school the cat expects them to go on an adventure. The story line is simple but complete and the pictures are absolutely beautiful. This is a book parents will enjoy reading to their children.
 I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.


Take the Dog Out by Lynne Dempsey

Children's Picture Book
Source: I purchased a copy
A dog wants to go outside so he takes his leash to the mother who is busy baking. He creates a mess in the kitchen and mom yells for someone to take the dog out. He goes fro one person to the next spoiling what they are doing. Will this little pup get his wish to go outside? These are great books for your preschool age child.






Numbers! Take the Dog Out by Lynne Dempsey
Children's Picture Book
Source: I purchased a copy
This is a wonderful book for young children. It not only teaches them to count from zero to ten, but it also teaches them the basics of addition and subtraction. I loved the simple pictures and simple phrases. There is a word bank at the end so you can practice with your children. Simple is usually best for the youngest child. I'll recommend this to my daughter for her youngest.




Colors! Take the Dog Out by Lynne Dempsey
Children's Picture Book
Source: I purchased a copy
This is another wonderful book for preschool age children. In this book the author has introduced colors to the reader through a group of kids who go out to pick flowers. Follow along as they discover all of the colors to be found in flowers and a few colors that aren't flowers, but insects.  The pictures in this book are so cute and charming.



Dancing with Tex by Lynn Sanders, Sergio Drumond
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is a wonderful and true story of a man who was willing to do. Whatever it took to help the whooping crane population. In 1972, in Texas a young whooping crane was born. The whooping crane was on the verge of extinction. Unfortunately the caring zookeeper made a big mistake. By taking the young bird home to care for it, the bird imprinted on the man. That means he thought he was people not a bird. Tex was sent to a wildlife area with other cranes. They hoped Tex would lay an egg. But remember Tex thought she was people. A young man named George decided to help. His parents let him use their farm to help raise all kinds of rare cranes. Tex was shipped there. Would George be able to help Tex lay an egg?
This is a wonderful story of a man who dedicated his life to saving cranes all over the world. Very inspirational. The illustrations are wonderful. A book to be shared with young and old alike.


Horses and Ponies by Francois Bissonnette
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is a book full of beautiful pictures and wonderful facts. This is a great book especially for the horse lover. The reader will have the opportunity to learn all about horses and ponies from what they eat, how and if horses sleep as well as the differences between horses and ponies

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Four Wonderful Picture Books with Important Messages

Genre:  Children's Picture Books
Source: I received copies to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.




Giant Tortillas Make Me Proud: A Story from Mexico by Jan-Henrik Johansson
This story explores cultural  identity through  the use of Mexico’s giant tortillas. Follow Yej Susen a doll as she and her mice neighbors discuss the giant tortilla and its use in their homes. The book also has some wonderful resources in the back to give you more information on giant tortillas and the making of chocolate from cacao beans.  A wonderful way to learn about different cultures.








Bravo and Elphie - Hagit R. Oron & Or Oron
Elphie receives a pet mouse from his mother. He is afraid to play with him because he is afraid he will step on him. His mom suggests they go to the park. Here we see Bravo climb the monkey bars, which is something Elphie doesn’t do. He’s afraid he will get hurt. Then Bravo climbs to the top of the really tall slide and doesn’t come down. Elphie must find the courage to go up and rescue his new pet. He must face his fear.







Wholesome Together We Can Save the Planet by Grace Nava, Ed.S.

This wonderful book teaches children how to care for the world they live in. A small peach pit sets off on a walk one day. It thanks the soil, rain clouds, bees and other things it encounters for helping it live a happy and healthy lie. Then it comes to the city and sees the opposite happening. Can the little peach pit find anyone who will help? A wonderful story, full of vocabulary, and resources. This is a wonderful tool for any classroom





Storm of Joy by Sherri Sengsouvanna

If you are looking for a book to help you talk to a young one about death and grieving then this book is the one for you.  In this wonderfully illustrated book based on the author's loss of her own son we meet a queen and her son. She heals the earth and makes people all around her feel better. When her son dies she becomes so distraught that she can't help heal anyone or anything.  She only wants to see her son again. It is the visit of her son in a different form that brings new life back to the Queen and at the same time to her kingdom. This is a fairy tale of love and hope after something  tragic.

Monday, August 22, 2016

Guest Post: Katherine Prairie



For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved books, and I started that love affair early. My mother always had a book in hand, and she introduced me to Trixie-Belden and the wonderful stories about a young girl who solved crime when I was still in elementary school. But books were a luxury, and the store-bought books that came through our door were few and far between. I soon discovered though, that the library had what seemed to me, an endless supply.  
As a teenager, I spent hours in the library, browsing the shelves, searching for interesting stories and when I found an author I liked, I read everything they published. One summer, it was Jane Austen’s books, another year Agatha Christie filled my days. My tastes were eclectic – and still are – I just wanted a good story and authors like Isaac Asimov, James Clavell, Robert Ludlum, J.R.R. Tolkien, Emily Bronte, Arthur Conan Doyle, Stephen King and Mary Higgins Clark delivered.
But the books I read about far-away places, Russian spies and early Britain, also sparked an interest in world politics, history, geography, art and culture. They opened up the world to me, and they stirred my imagination.
I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a scientist, and that’s where my education and career took me, but there’s always been a part of me that wanted to write. In science, we explore, discover and experiment –  we investigate mysteries.  So I suppose it’s only natural that when I did take that first step, I wrote Thirst, a suspense thriller.
But as a writer I’ve taken on the challenge of creating a mystery rather than solving one, and it is a challenge!  Too many clues or too few, a simple plot or one that’s too complex, slow vs fast pacing – all of these elements have to be carefully considered as I construct my story.  Above all, I want to give people a story they can immerse themselves in, a story I would like to read too.
There’s no doubt that the authors of my childhood greatly influenced me, and so have the many authors I discovered as an adult. I still prowl the library, searching for a good read, and I still take great delight in finding a new author. And if you had told me when I was a young girl that I would one day see my own novel on those library shelves, I wouldn’t have believed you, but a few weeks ago that’s exactly what happened.  
As much as I’m been overjoyed to see Thirst in stores, it’s the libraries that I’m most proud of. Libraries make books that entertain, teach and inspire available to everyone regardless of age, income or education, and they power dreams. Without that library in my small hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario, I wouldn’t be where I am now.

I’m at the beginning of my writing career, but perhaps one day a reader will find my Alex Graham series on the library shelves and it will inspire them to search out more authors, or to write their own book.   


Author Bio


Katherine, a geologist and IT specialist, stepped away from the international petroleum industry to follow her passion for writing. An avid traveller with an insatiable curiosity, you never know where you’ll find her next! But most days, she’s in Vancouver, Canada quietly plotting murder and mayhem under the watchful eye of a cat. She is an award-winning presenter and the author of the thriller THIRST.




Buy links for Thirst:
www.katherineprairie.com