Tag: YA/Children’s Books Page 8 of 12

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Anna by Laura Guthrie

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On June 23, 2020

In Book Tour, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, YA/MG/Children's Books

Today I’m pleased to welcome the Book Tour for the Anna by Laura Guthrie. A few weeks ago, I was pleased to take part in the cover reveal for the book, and now it’s time to talk about the book! Following this spotlight post, I’ll be giving my take on the novel here in a bit. But let’s start by learning a little about this here book, okay?


Book Details:

Book Title: Anna by Laura Guthrie
Release date: June 25, 2020
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Publisher: Gob Stopper
Length: 180 pages

Book Blurb:

Every cloud has a silver lining. Doesn’t it?

Anna is thirteen years old, lives in London with her father, and has Asperger’s syndrome.  When her father dies she travels up to the Scottish Central Belt to live with her estranged, reclusive mother.  With little support to help her fit in, she must use everything her father taught her – especially her ‘Happy Game’ – to integrate into her new  community, connect with her mother, discover her past, and cope with the challenges along the way.

Anna is on the Scottish Book Trust’s ’30 novels to look out for in 2020’ and Books from Scotland’s ‘Who we’re watching in 2020’.

‘Guthrie has an unerring instinct for the darkness that can daunt lives and for the robust spirit of optimism that time and again saves us.  Narrated with simplicity and sincerity, the reader will be swept up in the adventures and misadventures of Anna.’

 

About the Author:

Laura GuthrieLaura Guthrie grew up in the rural Scottish Highlands (“I come from where the planes don’t fly”). Her creative influences include Nessie and the elusive ‘Caiplich Beast’, as well as some choice authors and their works.

She has an honours degree in biological sciences from the University of Edinburgh, and a PhD in creative writing from the University of Glasgow.

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including the novel) they provided..

Love Books Group

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: A Book About Bob by J.L.Newman

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On June 22, 2020

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature

I just don’t have time to read every book that comes my way, but I’d like to do my part to expose them to as many eyeballs as I can. So, from time to time, I’ll post a Spotlight to lend a hand. If this looks like it’s up your ally, you should jump on it.

Book Details:

Book Title: A Book About Bob by J.L.Newman
Release date: June 1, 2020
Format: Ebook
Length: 107 pages

Book Blurb:

This is a book about Bob. That’s really all you need to know as almost every page within this book is about Bob. Bob, is a lovable overweight man with his mind constantly on food. He wakes up one day to accidentally become a ******. I would like to tell you what he becomes, but if I told you he was a secret agent/spy then it would no longer be a secret. As the story unfolds, things get more complicated and his full potential is unleashed upon humankind. This is a story of romance, scantily clad grannies, overeating, things that go “bang!” and a lot of nonsensical ramblings. Readers should be warned that the story involves much gibberish and twoddlesnaps, a fair amount of bumble harnessing and several accounts of Moo. The amount of sheer lunacy within the pages of this book are known to leave lasting mental scars on its readers and we take no responsibility for any of it unless we want to. Overall this is a book about things, happenings, occurrences and stuff. More than anything else, however, this is a Book About Bob! Enjoy!

About the Author:

J.L.NewmanBorn in England, residing in Panama and on the road to insanity. My humour is my greatest gift so I should be greatly pitied in many regards. I used to try to attempt to write complex novels until I realized that being ridiculous, nonsensical and unorthodox was by far the easier route less travelled. I aspire to write in a style between Mark Evans, Roald Dahl and Douglas Adams. However, in reality, I am much more inclined to write like a deranged Chimpanzee on a typewriter with delusions of grandeur and a penchant for self-invented language. I don’t plan on making much money but I hope I can bring some laughter to peoples lives and that people remember me like that guy, you know, the one who wrote that really funny book. I always liked to read and write and I have been able to do both without too many grandmar or spilling errors for a couple of years now. My dream is to have many people read my books and then I’m falling from a plane and then I’m a dinosaur, no wait! I’m in bed, why is my dog talking? Anyway, I hope you enjoy my books and you don’t suffer too much trauma as a result. As a great philosopher once said: “Brenda you burnt the toast again”. With that, I bid your farewell and good teatimes.

Social Media

Instagram ~ Website

Purchase Link

Amazon

Noam’s Monsters by Shai Levinger, Kaustuv Brahmachari (Illustrator): A Young Boy Battles His Anxieties and Fears

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On May 20, 2020

In Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

Noam’s Monsters

Noam’s Monsters: Helping children to cope with anxiety, behavioral functions and shyness

by Shai Levinger, Kaustuv Brahmachari (Illustrator), Ephrat Abisror (Translator)

Kindle Edition, 30 pg.
2020

Read: May 16, 2020


Noam is a five-year-old kid riddled with anxiety——but in a relatable way. Monsters such as Spiteful Blames, Worried Fearona, and Shaming Embarrassitis plague him—affecting his mood, causing him to act out and costing him sleep.

We see him try to deal with these things on his own, failing but persevering. Which isn’t to say that it’s a dire book, or super serious. Levinger’s come up with a clever and cute way to introduce these concepts to young readers. It’s a fun read with some subtle lessons.

In the end, Noam’s problems aren’t resolved, they don’t go away. But he takes the most important step—he tells his parents (another responsible adult would work here) what’s going on. I really, really appreciated this approach and didn’t expect it—I would have guessed someone said an encouraging thing or two to him and he’d defeat the monsters (or learn to play with them or something). But nope. He just tells his parents and we’re left to assume they’re going to do the right thing and work with him.

Levinger is a Clinical Psychologist, and he brings his expertise to bear here. Abisror’s text flowed pretty smoothly—anyone who can translate rhyming text deserves major credit. Brahmachari’s art was spot on, his monster designs do a great job of embodying the anxieties.

I’d gladly recommend this for parents—whether or not their child is particularly anxious, they’re going to deal with some of these concepts in their life, might as well get them used to them soon.

3.5 Stars

Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for this post and my honest opinion. I thank him for that.

BOOK BLITZ: A Lesson for Every Child: Learning About Food Allergies by Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino, Sally Huss (Illustrator)

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On April 15, 2020

In Book Tour, YA/MG/Children's Books

I’m pleased to host a Book Blitz for A Lesson for Every Child: Learning About Food Allergies today. A cute-looking and helpful children’s book.

Book Details:

Book Title: A Lesson for Every Child: Learning About Food Allergies by Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino, Sally Huss (Illustrator)
Release date: March 11, 2020
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Length: 41 pages
Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/2xJUTOT

Book Blurb:

Learning was everything to Mrs. Emerson. So when a new student was brought into her classroom, Mrs. Emerson was delighted because she discovered that this young man knew something that everyone needed to know. She told her class that Jack was just like everyone else, except for one thing – he had food allergies. “Would you like to explain that to us, Jack?” Jack proceeds to educate us all. This book is endorsed by Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT), MedicAlert® Foundation, Elijah Alavi Foundation, The Love for Giovanni Foundation, No Nut Traveler, and Food Allergy Zone

About Sally Huss:

Sally Huss</aAuthor/Illustrator Sally Huss creates children’s books to uplift the lives of children. She does this by giving them tools to overcome obstacles; by helping them value themselves and others; and by inspiring them to be the best that they can be. Her catalogue of books now exceeds 100.

"Bright and happy," "light and whimsical" have been the catch phrases attached to the writings and art of Sally Huss for over 30 years. Sweet images dance across all of Sally's creations, whether in the form of children's books, paintings, wallpaper, ceramics, baby bibs, purses, clothing, or her King Features syndicated newspaper panel "Happy Musings."

Sally is a graduate of USC with a degree in Fine Art and through the years has had 26 of her own licensed art galleries throughout the world. sallyhuss.com

About Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino:

Elizabeth Hamilton-GuarinoElizabeth Hamilton-Guarino is one of America’s foremost personal and corporate development consultants. She is the creator of The Best Ever You Network (or Best Ever You), a leading multimedia provider of lifestyle and self-help content. While participating in the Harvard Business School for Leadership program, Elizabeth serves as a Leadership Advisor for the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute.

In 2020 Elizabeth joined Sally Huss to create the best-selling children’s book A Lesson for Every Child: Learning About Food Allergies. Living with life-threatening food allergies for many years, Elizabeth added her personal experience and her expertise to the project. She also sits on several boards of organizations and foundations that bring awareness to this life-threatening condition.

Elizabeth is also the best-selling author of Percolate – Let Your Best Self Filter Through (Hay House Publishing). elizabethguarino.com.

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this tour.

Love Books Group

Leo & The Lightning Dragons by Gill White, Gilli B: An Adorable Book about a Very Brave Knight

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On December 17, 2019

In Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

Leo & The Lightning Dragons

Leo & The Lightning Dragons

by Gill White, Gilli B (Illustrator)

Kindle Edition, 36 pg.
Fledgling Press, 2019

Read: December 17, 2019


Leo is a very brave knight battling a different kind of dragon—his foes attack him from the inside where he cannot hide from them. He has a lot of people willing to help him, and several do their best, but this is a fight that Leo has to do on his own—so he musters up the courage and the confidence to get the job done with their support.

Gilli B is absolutely the right illustrator for this book! Her style brought it to life—I love her depiction of Lightning Dragons, I doubt that’s the approach many artists would’ve taken with them. Her chimerical pictures capture the spirit of the book beyond those, too. Delightful work.

If you’ve read anything about this book, you know how hard it would be to saying anything that’s not positive about the book. But I’m going to—it’s too short. I’m not looking for much, but we need a little more—just a couple of pages. There wouldn’t even need to be much text, some illustrations might do the trick. Leo’s got a tough battle to fight, and it’s over a bit too quickly, which makes it seem too easy. And there’s no way that Leo’s Lightning Dragons (fictional or not) are easily vanquished. How White can accomplish that without running afoul of the book’s overwhelming positivity, I’m not sure. I just think the subject deserves it.

Do the pluses outweigh my criticism? Oh yes. It’s a great book and I’m so glad I read it. The rhymes are cute, the story is very positive, great illustrations and the imagery of the Lightning Dragon fighting inside Leo is a great way to get the idea of epilepsy across to a picture book reader. A good story that should provide a springboard for a discussion with children about this condition and how hard it has to be for people to deal with. This is definitely one to pick up for your young reader.



My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

Love Books Group

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Leo & The Lightning Dragons by Gill White, Gilli B

By

On December 17, 2019

In Book Tour, Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

Today, I’m very happy to welcome the Book Tour for Gill White’s Leo & The Lightning Dragons. We’ll kick it off with this spotlight post and then I’ll be giving my take on the book here in a bit. But like I said, let’s start by learning a little about this here book, okay?


(that banner is too small to read all the names, etc. Click here for the full sized version.)

Book Details:

Book Title: Leo & The Lightning Dragons by Gill White, Gilli B (Illustrator)
Publisher: Fledgling Press
Release date: January 30, 2019
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Length: 36 pages

Book Blurb:

Everybody in the kingdom is supporting the brave knight Leo in his battle against his fearsome dragons. They try lots of different things to help him defeat them but eventually Leo realises that the most important thing to do is to believe in himself. This beautifully illustrated book with a poignant and uplifting rhyming story encourages children to persevere and find strength in the face of adversity, even when it seems that nothing is working. Written by Gill White for her son Leo who suffers from Ohtahara Syndrome, an extremely rare form of epilepsy, and beautifully illustrated by Fife artist Gilli B, this story has been positively received by parents of children with complex needs, by care workers and medical staff and by parents of healthy young children who love the book simply as an adventure story. All royalties from the sale of this book will go to CHAS (Children’s Hospices across Scotland).

About the Book:

Gill White wrote this book for her son Leo, who was born with Ohtahara Syndrome, an extremely rare form of epilepsy. Fifty percent of children diagnosed with Ohtahara Syndrome do not live past their second birthday. Leo is now three and still battling in the face of adversity.

Gill wrote the story before Leo’s first birthday. It was a difficult time and Leo was having huge numbers of seizures every day. Feeling that Leo deserved a happier story, one in which his strength and bravery was rewarded, Gill wrote one for him.

She approached Gilli B, a Fife based artist, after seeing her artwork online and loving her whimsical and quirky style. Although she was only originally commissioned to do a few illustrations, she actually loved the story so much she asked to illustrate the whole thing and Leo got his own ’book’ for his birthday!

The following year, Gill had packed his book for a visit to the CHAS Hospice Rachel House and came back one day to find that the nursing staff had read it and written the most amazing comments inside.

Bolstered by their enthusiasm, Gill approached Edinburgh author Peter Burnett for some advice on how to get the book published. He took the book to Clare Cain at Fledgling Press, who fortunately loved the book. Fledgling Press do not normally publish children’s books but made an exception in this case, to help raise awareness of Ohtahara Syndrome and CHAS – Children’s Hospices Across Scotland.

About the Story:

Drawing from the family’s experiences, Gill created this little kingdom of people who are all trying to help Leo fight the lightning dragons using their various skills. Eventually, strengthened by their support, love and encouragement, Leo is able to realise that the most important thing to do is to believe in himself.

This beautifully illustrated book with a poignant and uplifting rhyming story encourages children to persevere and find strength in the face of adversity, even when it seems that nothing is working.

Through the story of Leo and his ‘invisible’ dragons, we can teach children that we don’t always know what battles someone is fighting and it is important to be kind because even the bravest knights need a little help sometimes.

Leo & The Lightning Dragons’ Social Media:
I’m very tempted to copy all of the content from the book’s website to this post, but I’ll limit myself to borrowing the above—there is so much great content there, you’ve gotta check it out. While you’re at it, try these, too:

Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram



My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

Love Books Group

Hurricane Vacation by Heather L. Beal, Jasmine Mills: A cute little book with some important hurricane safety lessons for kids

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On November 20, 2019

In Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

Hurricane Vacation

Hurricane Vacation

by Dr. Heather L. Beal, Jasmine Mills (Illustrator)

Kindle Edition, 36 pg.
Train 4 Safety Press, 2019

Read: November 18, 2019


Heather Beal’s back with another book for early readers/pre-readers about natural disasters—this time (in case the title doesn’t give it away), it’s about Hurricanes. I really appreciate this way of educating children about these types of disasters—it’s not about facts and figures, it’s about assuring them that people can be safe in the face of disaster as well as helping them understand what’s going on.

Lily and Niko are visiting their family when a Hurricane watch is issued, so they join their family in preparing the house for the storm and getting ready to go to a shelter. Along the way, they learn about what a hurricane is as well as all the ways that people can protect themselves, themselves, and so on.

As with Elephant Wind and Tummy Rumble Quake, the information is given in an accessible way that’s mildly entertaining. Beal did a good job interweaving the information with interaction with the characters—even young readers/listeners don’t want to put up with infodumps, I guess.

I’m not sure the part of the story about Niko’s missing stuffed animal really fit—it seemed like it was tacked on as an afterthought. It may not have been one, it just felt that way. It was nice to see everyone working to make Niko feel safe (and that his toy would be safe) during this—very reassuring.

The art was cute and helped the story—I particularly enjoyed the “eye” in the storm showing how the term was misunderstood.

Beal delivers another helpful book that should be of good use for parents/grandparents/teachers/caregivers trying to help children cope with and understand the ways this world can terrify them (and adults). Recommended.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion (above)..

3 Stars

Bearded Too by Jeremy Billups: The Bearded Bear is Back on the Road

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On November 1, 2019

In Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

Bearded Too

Bearded Too

by Jeremy Billups
Series: Bearded, #2

Kindle Edition, 18 pg.
Billups Creative, LLC, 2019

Read: October 29, 2019


Jeremy Billups has just given us a sequel to 2015’s Bearded—the story of a red-haired girl and her bearded bear traveling and having adventures.

I want to start off talking about the art—I know, I know, I’m usually a word guy—but these are “Picture Books,” right? There’s just something about the way that Billups draws these books that really works for me. Unlike, say, the art in Sea This and Sea That, with all the detailed backgrounds, there’s a lot of whitespace around these drawings, which makes them jump out at you (which is the point of the white space, I know—I’m not good at talking about this stuff). I will admit I’ve flipped through the book a couple of times without glancing at the words (something I assume the target audience will do more often than me).

But that’s not a reflection on the cute rhyming tour of the world seeing bearded animals (a guitar playing orangutan, cab driving markhor, and so on). There’s a dash of education in there, because some of these animals aren’t your typical Picture Book fare, too.

And, hey, a celebration of beards! I’m always down with that.

Not much to say about this, really. It’s a fun follow-up to Bearded that should please the ears and eyes of the picture book readers in your home.

4 Stars

LetsReadIndie Reading Challenge

Reposting: Bearded by Jeremy Billups: A Charming Picture Book about a Bearded Bear

By

On October 25, 2019

In 2018 First Reads Challenge, 2018 Indie-Fever Challenge, Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

Local Artist, Picture Book Writer and All-Around Good Guy, Jeremy Billups’ third book is scheduled to release today. It’s called Bearded Too, the sequel to this here book. I’ll post about Too soon, but in the meantime, here’s a look back at Bearded.
—

Bearded

by Jeremy Billups
Hardcover, 34 pg.
Billups Creative, LLC, 2015
Read: September 5, 2018
Picture books about bears are everywhere—I have a hard time believing many kids get out of the picture book stage without exposure to at least 4 of them (and that’s before they’re at the Pooh or Paddington stage). But how many of those bears have been bearded?

Enter Jeremy Billups and his little book.

This is the story of a little red-haired girl (no, not that one) traveling the world with her bearded bear, having all sorts of adventures and meeting a bunch of different animals. There really isn’t a lesson, moral or much of a plot—just a bunch of quick looks at the pair. A few quick lines and a picture on each pair of pages.

The art is simple and arresting. They just pop off the page—this is one of those times I wish I had the necessary vocabulary to describe why I like the drawings, but I don’t. I bought a print of what turns out to be page 16 before I even picked up the book to flip through. I’ve bought a handful of prints this year, and it’s my absolute favorite—I like it even more now that I’ve read the book. Also, If you ever see a better picture of someone making buffalo wings, I’ll eat my hat.

Oh, and the endorsements on the back cover are a lot of fun. If that doesn’t convince you to try it out, I can’t imagine what will.

Great art, cute story, fun rhymes—everything you want in a picture book. Even better—animals with beards are the best animals that aren’t dogs. This is a charming little book that’s sure to please.

—–

4 Stars

Sea This and Sea That by Jeremy Billups: Plenty of Goodness for the Picture Book Reader to Sea

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On September 16, 2019

In Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

Sea This and Sea That

Sea This and Sea That

by Jeremy Billups

Hardcover, 44 pg.
2017

Read: September 12, 2019


Off the top of my head, there are essentially three types of Picture Books:

  1. ABCs/123s
  2. Stories told simply (usually with pictures helping the text tell that story)
  3. Odd little collections of interesting/goofy pictures with some text to tie them together.

Myself, I prefer the stories—I’m always on the side of a narrative. But from my observation of my kids, niece, and other children, the third seems to be the most popular. They don’t need a grown-up around to “read” the book on their own, they can just pick it up and flip through the pictures, and the text (usually rhyming) sounds entertaining enough, even if they don’t really get what’s being said. I really know that’s true for my kids, they’d request demand them far more frequently—I can still probably rattle off Boynton’s But Not the Hippopotamus with only a prompt or two, despite not having picked up the book for 12-13 years.

It’s also the kind of book that Billups provides here—it’s set in a “crowded, hectic and gruff” city under the sea, with one quiet spot—The Sea This and Sea That Below the Seashore. Missus Bluffington gives a couple of kids (and the reader) a through her very unusual place, full of all sorts of sea creatures, sea plants, fish, and an octopus that shows up in some unusual places.

The rhyming text is fun, and I can imagine a good parent/adult/caregiver can get a good rhythm going while reading it to entertain their audience, but the star of the show is Billups’ illustrations. They’re just great—there’s plenty of color, while still feeling like you’re looking through blue-green water. The octopus’ tentacle alone is great to keep an eye out for, and I love Missus Bluffington’s glasses. But there’s plenty for a child’s eyes to take in while listening to the text being read to/at them.

I can’t forget to mention that it also includes some great back cover book blurbs that’ll amuse the parent/reader, as well as a couple of visual jokes.

This is a fun little book that’ll appeal to kids who love the look of Finding Nemo/Dory and aren’t quite ready for that other city under the sea, Bikini Bottom. I had fun with it, and I bet adult readers for those kids will, too.

3.5 Stars

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