Archive for the ‘B’s Books!’ Category

Children’s Time with Orson Scott Card!

December 29th, 2011

Morning Everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve done a children’s time so I thought, “what they hey, why not now?!” And what better way to celebrate the beauty of children’s literacy than with the very talented Orson Scott Card.

Now.. before you run to the computer and click BUY (because HELLO it’s Orson!) Let me explain what this book is all about, because it IS NOT a normal Orson book.

1st of all… this is his very first collaboration with his daughter Emily Card. Cool right? But not only that…it’s MANGA! That’s right, this is NOT the pages and pages of words we have grown to expect from Orson, this is a comic book he wrote with his daughter specifically designed to keep your little ones entertained, and boy… let me tell you, it DOES!

Don’t believe me? Check out this picture of my son! He had this book for all of 20 minutes and REFUSED to set it down when it was time to go to the grocery store.  If that doesn’t scream winner I don’t know what does.

So what about the story? Well, it’s about aliens… duh!

“Twenty-five years ago, the alien Givers came to Earth. They gave the human race the greatest technology ever seen— four giant towers known as Ladders that rise 36,000 miles into space and culminate in space stations that power the entire planet. Then, for reasons unknown, the Givers disappeared. Due to the unique alien construction of the Laddertop space stations, only a skilled crew of children can perform the maintenance necessary to keep the stations up and running.

Back on Earth, competition is fierce to enter Laddertop Academy. It is an honor few students will achieve. Robbi and Azure, two eleven-year-old girls who are the best of friends, are candidates for the Academy. They will become entangled in a dangerous mystery that may help them solve the riddle of the Givers…if it doesn’t destroy the Earth first!”

 

Now, I don’t expect (regarding this book anyways) for you to put all of your faith in what I have to say about this very cool, extremely interesting start to a manga series so I’ve decided to share a few other’s opinions as well:

“As a maker of visions and a creator of heroes… Card is not to be outdone.” – Library Journal

“With competent mangastyle illustrations by the award-winning Ibardolaza…approached as the first installment of an extended story, this stands as a worthy young adult adventure novel.” – Publishers Weekly

“A high-octane outer-space adventure…The main characters in this volume are largely female, strong and intelligent, a wonderful departure from male-dominated extraterrestrial offerings.  Ibardolaza’s muscular art blends manga and Western aesthetics.  An intriguing beginning; readers will clamor for the follow-up.” – Kirkus

So… with all of that said, who would like a little peak inside? You? Awesome… here you go!

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites are remember:  Reading is contagious…pass it on!

Click image for complete details

(4.5/5) <–per my 7 year old son! :)

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Children’s Time

November 3rd, 2011

So, this morning when I was perusing IMDB (which for the record I do ALL OF THE TIME) I saw new film stills from the Dr. Seuss film adaptation of “The Lorax” and thought, “Wow…my kids are going to just eat this up!” Which got me to thinking. Most of you have kids too. So, in a moment I would like to refer to as “pure freaking genius” (and the fact that I don’t have my book review for today written yet) I decided to share.  I mean really…who the hell doesn’t like Dr. Seuss?! So here it is…a look at “The Lorax” Enjoy!

 

“He’s shortish.
And oldish…
And brownish. And mossy…
And he spoke with a voice…
that was sharpish and bossy.”

“The big, colorful pictures and the fun images, word plays and rhymes make this an amusing exposition of the ecology crisis.”—School Library Journal.

 

 

 

Movie Stills

Click images to see full size

 Movie Trailer

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Children’s Hour

October 10th, 2011

Hey Parents!!! Need something for your kid to read? Why not try out “Skateboard Sam” by Samuel Chowdhry! It’s fun (says my 7 yr old) cute! (says my 3 year old) and more importantly teaches kids to get outside and have FUN! It’s a great Saturday afternoon read (only 10 pages long) and the illustrations are Fantastic! Even more exciting…you can download it for your Kindle! Just think how nice it would be to have a back-up plan when your stuck somewhere less than kid friendly.

Happy Reading my Kindle-ites and remember: Reading is contagious…Pass it on!

(5/5)

 

Skateboard Sam

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Discover with your child the exciting world of skateboarding and spend a day in the life of Skateboard Sam. This brightly illustrated story book teaches children the importance of listening to your parents, good family values and staying healthy with exercise in this fun creative sport.

With simple rhyming text and fun illustrated pictures, makes it an ideal Kindle experience for sharing with children.

(Can also be enjoyed in FULL COLOR on devices such as iPad and iPhone, and also your home PC or Mac, by downloading the relevant free Kindle software from Amazon)

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The Return of Tiny-Tot Tuesdays!

August 17th, 2010

I haven’t done one of these in a while and figured it is long overdue… so… in honor of Tiny Tot Tuesday and the return of the school year, here is a cute one for the little people in your life.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Reading is contagious…pass it on!


What’s Wrong With My Hair?

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Product Description
Lionel is going to a party today, so he must do something about his bad hair. He finds a barber who has lots of crazy suggestions for hairstyles, from dandelion hair to octopus hair! Will Lionel find a style that suits him, and what will be the surprise ending? A head-sized hole in each page allows children to try out Lionel’s hairstyles for themselves, and the back cover has instructions for how to create your own hairstyle.

 

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Through The Looking Glass

June 29th, 2010

Evening everyone!!!  Tomorrow I will have a review for you, but today I thought I would bring you a Tiny-Tot-Tuesday.

I found this book in a grocery store yesterday (on sale for $6.00 …woohoo!) and thought WOW, what a crazy interesting book.  You have the story, but it is laid out in such a unique way that it makes the book itself into a journey.  Every time you flip the page there are secret letters in these tiny little envelopes for you to pull out and read, maps to explore, hidden treasures to find.  It is not for the tiniest of your children, but if you have a little curious cat around you this one is a fun one to explore.

Princess Alyss of Wonderland

For a complete book description click image


Publisher Comments:

Feast your eyes on the collected memorabilia of the real Alyss! This lavishly illustrated scrapbook includes:



  • Alyss embattled correspondence with Lewis Carroll
  • Actual annotated manuscript pages from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, as well as the early reviews of the book
  • A flip book given to Alyss by John Tenniel, the original illustrator of Carroll’s whimsical tale
  • Journal entries and detailed drawings describing the indelible mark that Wonderland left on the young Alyss
  • Removable letters that the princess wrote to her loved ones back home
  • And a playable deck of cards created by Alyss to battle the imposter Alice.

This is a book for fans of fantasy and of the bestselling ology books, for Lewis Carroll scholars, and especially for young girls in search of a fresh, new, princess story.

Synopsis:

Enter the exciting world of the real Alyss of Wonderland Behold the stunning proof that the fictitious little girl you have known as Alice was actually a very real little princess named Alyss. Assembled in this scrapbook are the collected letters, journals, and art of the princess who fled her world of wonder only to find herself alone in our world with nothing but her imagination to sustain her. Lavishly illustrated and fully interactive, this book will captivate and delight princess enthusiasts and fans of the original Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.


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Ivy & Bean!

May 25th, 2010

Happy Tuesday everyone!!!  It has been a while since I have done a Tiny Tot Tuesday, and I have been feeling a little guilty, so even though I have not 1 but 2 reviews ready and waiting, I’m going to give you an idea for your little ones instead. (I don’t want the to feel neglected.)  Here is a cute series for the little princesses in your life.


Ivy & Bean

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From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4–Seven-year-old Bean likes stomping in puddles, climbing fences into neighbors’ backyards, and playing tricks on her older sister, Nancy. She wears dresses as seldom as possible and avoids big books. Her new neighbor appears to be a quiet, orderly girl who sits on her front step day after day reading tomes. The two seem to have nothing in common, and Bean is not interested in getting to know Ivy, despite her mother’s prodding to make friends with the nice girl next door. Then Bean gets into trouble, and Ivy helps her out. She discovers that Ivy is practicing to be a witch, and when they decide to cast a spell on Nancy, their friendship is sealed. With echoes of Beverly Cleary’s Ramona series, this easy chapter book will appeal to children who are graduating from beginning readers. The occasional black-and-white illustrations highlight the text and provide visual clues. The characters are appealing, the friendship is well portrayed, and the pranks and adventures are very much on grade level.–Eve Ottenberg Stone, Cooper Lane Elementary, Landover Hills, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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The Secret Life of Hippos

May 4th, 2010

Afternoon!  I got a little off of my schedule being sick and I apologize, so before I post today’s Tiny Tot Tuesday – here is the review rundown for the next few days. Wednesday – “The Judge, ” Thursday – “Leap”, Friday – “Whisper” Saturday – “Paper Towns” (whew…that’s a lot of books.) anyways, here’s a cute one for your little ones.

Happy reading and remember: Reading is contagious…pass it on.


Hippos Go Berserk

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Amazon.com Review

How dull, to be one hippo all alone… until the one calls two other hippos on the phone. Soon three more hippos are at the door, bringing along another four. Before the night is through, a houseful of hippos (and one beast) has joined the one hippo for a boisterous bash.

All through the hippo night,

Hippos play with great delight.

But at the hippo break of day,

The hippos all must go away.

In clusters of nine, eight, seven, six, and so on, the hippos depart, finally leaving the one hippo “alone once more, [missing] the other forty-four.”


The well-loved Sandra Boynton wrote this tribute to silliness in 1977, inspiring generations of the very young to learn to count. Lively, cute new illustrations complement this edition, with big numbers (one through nine, and nine through one) boldly placed on the corner of each page. The sturdy board book will withstand lots of eager counting fingers, and maybe even a berserk hippo or two. Boynton’s familiar style can be seen in scads of other delightfully nonsensical titles, including Barnyard Dance! and Moo, Baa, La La La!. (Ages 3 to 7) –Emilie Coulter


From Publishers Weekly

One of the silliest, most fun counting books around features “One hippo, all alone, calls two hippos on the phone,” until a gang of 45 hippos assembles for a party.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Bedtime With A Twist~

April 27th, 2010

Hello All!  It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done a Tiny Tot Tuesday, but I saw this while shuffling around my watering hole the other day and thought: “How in the world can I deny small children the pleasure of a parody?” So without further ado…


Goodnight Goon

Click Image For Complete Details

 

From School Library Journal

Grade 1–3—Imitation can indeed be sincere flattery, as Rex proves in his slightly eerie reworking of Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd’s classic bedtime tale. The young bunny has been replaced by a little monster, but he still wears striped pajamas as he lies in his bed and says good night to his surroundings. “In the cold gray tomb/There was a gravestone/And a black lagoon/And a picture of—Martians taking over the moon.” The parody is clever, matching original verse with rhymes that seem unforced and appropriate for the new setting: “Goodnight skull/And goodnight shoe/Goodnight creature/Goodnight goo/And goodnight to the old werewolf hollering ‘Boo.’” Rex’s color drawings create a monster child’s bedroom filled with the same late-evening light of Hurd’s illustrations. The book ends on the same peaceful note as the original. A clever offering just right for graduates of bedtimes with Goodnight Moon.—Kathleen Whalin, York Public Library, ME Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

A clever offering just right for graduates of bedtimes with Goodnight Moon. –School Library Journal

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Pink-A-Boo!!

April 6th, 2010

I know I missed Tiny Tot Tuesday last week, so this week I’m bringing you a doozie. “Pinkalicious” has taken the world by storm! If you have small children, and have left your house or even watched commercials at all in the last month, you know that McDonald’s has recently jumped on the pink bandwagon making their happy meals pink friendly. Think that’s not enough? Well…what about “Pinkalicious The Musical” that is being performed by the SoHo playhouse which… also boast a “Think Pink” workshop! It’s time to stop denying your little “Pinkerbells” their pink fix.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Reading is contagious…pass it on!


Pinkalicious

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From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–Pinkalicious eats so many pink cupcakes that she wakes up the next morning with pink skin and hair. The color just won’t wash off, and the doctor diagnoses her with Pinkititis and tells her to eat green food to get better. Still, when her parents aren’t looking, she sneaks just one more treat–and turns red. Startled, she starts to choke down her veggies and finally returns to normal. When everything seems okay, Daddy asks what happened to the other cupcakes, and Pinkalicious’s little brother bounds into the room with one in hand, happily showing off his new pink skin. The final Pink-a-boo! is sure to garner smiles. The computer-generated collage pictures are bold and appealing and will draw readers into the story. Although the main character is a bit obnoxious, children will be amused by her obsession with pink sweets. Reminiscent of David Shannon’s A Bad Case of Stripes (Scholastic, 1998), Kann’s lighter confection is a pink lover’s dream come true.–Erlene Bishop Killeen, Fox Prairie Elementary School, Stoughton, WICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. A little girl recounts her rainy-day adventure with pink cupcakes, which she ate and ate until she turned pink herself. “I’m Pinkerbelle!” she sings, crying tears of delight as she admires her raspberry-hued complexion. Her mom takes her straight to the doctor, who prescribes lots of green food. But she cannot resist another cupcake or two, and her delicate pink skin tone deepens to an angry red! Horrors. She proceeds to choke down everything green she can find (relish, brussels sprouts, grapes, even a cup of acid-green tea). Just as the formerly “pinkalicious” girl returns to normal, her little brother, now quite rosy, shouts “Pink-a-boo!” The digitally created artwork, featuring busy collage elements and big-headed, vacant-eyed figures, won’t win any awards, but the fun premise (and cotton-candy-hued, glitter-dusted jacket) will guarantee an audience. Pair this with David Shannon’s A Bad Case of Stripes (1998). GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Hocus Pocus!

March 23rd, 2010

For all of the younger paranormal fans out there… here is a spell book for the little ones.  Happy Tuesday and remember: Reading is contagious… pass it on!


Spells

For Complete Book Details Click Image


From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Kindergarten-Grade 4—As in Wolves (2005) and Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears (2007, both S & S), Gravett continues her playful focus on the book as physical object. Here a small green frog transforms an old book of spells into a pirate ship, its torn pages serving as sail, flag, telescope, and water. As the amphibian cavorts through ripped-up incantations, he finds a scrap that reads: “Spell to Become a Handsome Prince.” On the ensuing spreads, the frog’s attempts to line up the proper magic words and phrases are depicted on the verso, while on the recto, split pages lead to increasingly hilarious results. Thus, the jumbled spell may read, “Into the cauldron these words cast Hoppity, Fluffity, Carrotozabbit. Stir three times and out spells…R/ABBIT” (or “R/AKE” if one turns only the lower portion, revealing the snake’s posterior, now supporting the head of a rabbit). The initial letter or blend resides in the top half-page; the remaining letters are on the bottom. The spells reconfigure, too. The controlled palette is comprised of parchmentlike cream, pale green, and yellow, and occasional glittery stardust. While the frog’s wish does come true, it is undone when he fails to read the fine print—a condition clarified only on the endpapers. This tour de force of design and detail is guaranteed to delight all ages, especially those just learning how to…spell.—Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library END

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