Candlewick Press Books~ Review & Giveaway!!

I love children's books, and Candlewick Press publishes some of the best books that I have read to my children and enjoyed. I was recently sent a few books to review, specifically books to help make bedtime a little smoother to transition into. I absolutely love the Tuck Me In! book, by Dean Hacohen & Sherry Scharscmidt. This book is so easy to read, short little story, and put together so well.
My kids love it and giggle with the page turning every time. Tuck Me In! is about different animals getting tucked into their beds with a blanket. There are 7 animals that need to get tucked in: pig, hedgehog, peacock, moose, zebra, alligator, and an elephant. With each page turning, you see the animal waiting, in their bed, to have the blanket laid over them. It is an adorable story, and at the end you ask your child if they need to be tucked in. I highly recommend this book!

Ever hear of a Bear having a sleep over? What about a bear who needs it absolutely QUIET to sleep? A Bedtime for Bear, by Bonny Becker and illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton, is a story about a Bear that has a mouse guest for the night and his troubles with being able to go to sleep. Bear has a few ritual things he does to prepare himself for a night of sleep, and once he is in bed, he wants it quiet. Well, mouse is not the quietest, even with being a mouse. His teeth brushing, humming, and saying, "Good night," was rather noisy for Bear. Mouse finds it rather interesting that Bear can hear everything, even the quietest of sounds....even from the "darkest, teeniest possible corner of the closet." Bear gets so upset, and things finally are quiet, and mouse goes to sleep. Unfortunately, it is so quiet that Bear starts to hear things, and worry! Will he be able to get back to sleep?

This is a fun story for my kids. They really liked how the Bear heard such quiet sounds, and then how the story ended with mouse helping him out. Great story, and a great read!

Do your kids interrupt you? How about interrupting when you are telling them a story? Interrupting Chicken, by David Ezra Stein, is a fun story about a Dad Chicken reading to his son, who likes to interrupt. With each story the Dad chicken reads, his son is quick to finish the story~ his own way. (It gives me a chuckle, because I know so many kids like to interrupt.) The Dad Chicken starts to get tired, so the little chicken tells him a story, and his own Dad interrupts in a very comical way.

Cute story, and it was fun to read to my kids. My kids loved how the Dad interrupted in the end.

Moon Dreams, by Ruth Martin and illustrated by Olivier Latyk, is an adventurous book about the moon. Luna is a little girl who wonders where the moon goes during the day. So, she decides to stay up each night to watch it, so she can see where the moon goes. For three nights, Luna can't keep her eyes open long enough and she drifts off to sleep. With the sound of the waves, crickets and owls, and the sound of rain, each night she is put to sleep from the sounds of the night. However, each night she has a great dream. Finally, Luna falls asleep and finds out where the moon really is.

Very cute book, and it was a great book to spark conversations with the kids about the moon, it's purpose, and more educational topics.

Poems are great for kids, for so many reasons~ educational, learning, sounds of rhythm and more! I really enjoy the Switching on the Moon book, by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters. This book has a big collection (60) of bedtime poems. My kids and I love reading through these poems, and it is fun to come to the ones I have learned as a young child, and with reading the newer ones. I love the illustrations from G. Brian Karas in this book, too! I am sure your kids will enjoy this book, too.

**ENTER TO WIN!!**

Candlewick Press has offered to sponsor a giveaway of Tuck Me In!

This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States, and the contest is open until midnight October 23rd, 2010. To enter, go to the Candlewick Press website and check out all the books. Comment here about which ones sound interesting to you.

**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and add another friendly comment about something you found over at Candlewick Press. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

This review was provided from Candlewick Press. They have provided me with books to review and information to share with my readers. I am sponsored to offer a giveaway for my readers through this review. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Books to boost your child's self-esteem and relationships

The Mouse, The Monster and Me is a book written to help kids understand different character traits, and find out who they are. This book encourages kids to be themselves and teaches them how they can better themselves. This book talks about how some people can act like a "monster": which is someone who is pushy, aggressive, mean or bully, and they are not very thoughtful. This book also describes "mice" people: which are the very nice people, the ones that are sometimes too nice to people that people can take advantage of them. Mice like people are those that are afraid, timid, passive and non-assertive, and may not stand up for themselves. I think this book does a great job explaining how kids can better themselves and be happy who they are. The book defines different ways on how to be yourself using strength & power, compliments and criticism, and knowing your rights and responsibilities. In the book, there are questions that you can answer to help you think more about the topic: for example, you can write down your strengths, write down what people say about you/and write what you believe you are, and write down some decisions you would like to make. I think this book is a great resource for kids to really think about what they feel, how they are with other people, and think about if they need to change anything. If kids recognize they maybe are acting more like a monster-type or mouse-type, I think this book could be a great tool to help them make some positive changes in their choices with how they respond. Overall, I think this is a great book for pre-teen/teen age kids. I think it makes a great workbook for kids to do and helps them use the information to work on themselves strive to exceed. I like that this book gives ideas, helps kids think/talk about their feelings and attitudes, and in general gets them thinking about so much. I highly recommend this book!
Liking Myself is a great book that reassures the reader and listener that it is great to be who you are. Here is a glimpse into what this book covers:
What you feel, who you are, being your own friend, letting your feelings be known, being your own person, knowing how your body is responding to what you are going through, and letting others be who they are. There are a few great games in this book to help kids do some hands-on activities to help learn the concepts described in this book. One of the games that I liked was the "I think, I feel, I want game." With this game kids are asked to have a partner and go back and forth sharing their feelings using the three phrases. This game is to teach kids that they own their feelings, their feelings don't hurt others, and what they feel isn't wrong. Plus, they learn a lot about the other person using these phrases. This book can be used as a great resource to build a conversation with your child about their feelings, and the feelings of others. I think this book is another great book to work through with your child.
These books are widely recommended by teachers, school psychologists, counselors and guidance groups. The Mouse, the Monster and Me, by Pat Palmer, Ed. D. (ages 8 and up) $12.99 Liking Myself, by Pat Palmer, Ed.D (ages 5-9) $12.99

Dr. Pat Palmer, author of many books for children and teens, and adults, offers compassionate, positive ways to handle and express feelings, be assertive, and be confident. A therapist and former Director of the Assertiveness Training Institute in Denver, she continues to write at her home in Hawaii.

Liking Myself and The Mouse, the Monster and Me are available from UpliftPress.com (free shipping).

This review was provided from Parent Reviewers and UpliftPress.com. They have provided me with two books to review and information to share with my readers. I was given the books for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Candlewick Press Books (Review & 2 GIVEAWAYS)

Children's books are so fun and our family loves to read! I think Candlewick Press offers such a great selection of children's books! I received some books to review, and we have had such fun reading them over and over. I am so excited to share these books with you! I highly recommend these books to your family! These books make great gifts, too!
Did you read Mother Goose books when you were younger? I did, and I loved when my Mom & Dad read me the stories. I grew up with the original "real" Mother Goose stories.
Candlewick Press has The Very Best Mother Goose Book Tower, which is a collection of four mini board books.
I love these little books, because they are perfect size for little hands. I love seeing my toddler holding the books in his hands, trying to read them. The illustrations, by Rosemary Wells, in these books are adorable!
Each book has a title to it: Wee Willie Winkie, Jack and Jill, Pussy Cat Pussy Cat and Pat-a-cake, Pat-a-cake; however, each book is filled with the Mother Goose nursery rhymes. Each book has about ten nursery rhymes, as well. These books fit great in a diaper bag or purse, to help your child pass time, and possibly get a few giggles. These books make for fun reading, and fun stacking!
The Very Best Mother Goose Book Tower $9.99 U.S./$13.00 CANADA
My daughter loves Polly's Pink Pajamas, by Vivian French. Polly loves her pink pajamas and wears them all the time. She knows she can't wear them to her friend's house for a party, so she seeks out help from her friends to get her outfit for the party. After visiting with her friends, and borrowing the items needed to wear: dress, a sweater, socks and shoes, Polly realizes that it just wasn't right at all.
Will Polly be able to go to the party after all? It is fun to see what the ending is. I am not going to tell you what happens with Polly and her Pajamas...because this is a great book to add to your collection. Great book about friendships, favorites, and decisions.

Polly's Pink Pajamas $14.99 U.S./$18.00 CANADA
Cats are great animals (in my opinion) and I think they make great pets. Children can often think their cats can do amazing things, and be certain things. In The Best Cat, Jeff thinks his cat is a football star, a clown, ballerina, and more. Ginny, Jeff's sister, is not in agreement with her brother. They do agree in the end that Bootsy, the family pet, is the best cat in the world, though. We liked finding out all the things that Bootsy would be, according to Jeff. My kids giggled with this book.

The Best Cat $15.99 U.S./$20.00 CANADA

Being a home schooling Mom, I love teaching my kids about the four seasons. Plus, with living in Minnesota, we definitely experience the seasons fully. I really enjoyed how All Around the Seasons described what happens during each season. Currently, Minnesota is in Spring season, and in All Around the Seasons, "Hiding and seeking, slip down a slide. Springtime's for flying, playing outside." This is a fun book, and the descriptions are very entertaining.

This part of the book is talking about Springtime, too...rainbows, chalk, wagons, climbing trees, and grass-stained knees.

All Around the Seasons $11.99 U.S./$15.00 CANADA

We laughed so much while reading Me Hungry, by Jeremy Tankard. This is such a fun book about a little caveman boy who is hungry. His parents are too busy to help him out, so he goes out to search for food. Will he eat a rabbit, porcupine, tiger, or something else? Will anyone help him get something to eat? What happens in the end? Our family really enjoys this book, and laugh every time we read it. It is a book with few words, which is great for even the youngest age group.

Me Hungry! $7.99 U.S. /$10.00 CANADA

The Guess How Much I Love You books are sweet books about the love between a parent and child. These books are so much fun to read with my kids, and it is fun when they say some of the phrases back to me. Guess How Much I Love You-All Year Round- is about the four seasons with four stories included. Spring is about the growth of things like trees, tadpoles and butterflies after winter. Summer is about all the colors like blue in the sky, reds like poppies and ladybugs, and yellows like flowers. Which is your favorite? Is it Nutbrown like Big Nutbrown's favorite? We liked talking about the four seasons with this book.

Guess How Much I Love You (Sweetheart edition: little red book) is the original Guess How Much I Love You book, just in a small book form and in red color. This would make a great Father's Day gift from your child. This book is a sweet story about Big Nutbrown Hare and Little Nutbrown Hare talking about how much they love each other, and who loves more. My kids and I play this game all the time, and it is so sweet.

Guess How Much I Love You -All Year Round- $16.99 U.S./$20.00 CANADA

Guess How Much I Love You $12.00 U.S./$14.00 CANADA

I think Leslie Patricelli writes great books that describe young toddlers very well. She has authored quite a few books, and her newest, The Birthday Box, is about a toddler loving his gift: a box! The Birthday Box tells all about the adventures this baby has with his box, and what he found in his box~ a doggy!

The boy and his doggy sail a ship and he is the captain, they fly an airplane, and he becomes a robot. We had some great laughs from reading about this little boy's adventures with his box. It is so true that kids love the boxes their gifts come in, and the boxes can liven their imaginations!

The Birthday Box $6.99 U.S./$9.00 CANADA

Quack! and Hop! are adorable books about baby animals and the fun things they do. Quack! is a story about newly hatched ducklings. "Ducklings waddle. Ducklings trip. Ducklings wings go flip flap flip!" I love the rhyming words in these books. Hop! is about little baby bunnies, their whiskers wiggling, nose twitching, jumping and thumping.

Quack! and Hop! are sold separately for the retail price $5.99 U.S./$7.00 CANADA

Flanimals (a pop-up book) has got to be one of the coolest pop-up books I have ever seen! Quite frankly, it is the most unique and interesting pop-up, too! Flanimals is a book about
From the unique mind of comic master Ricky Gervais comes... 3-D Flanimals! The ghastly stars of a wildly popular book series are about to pop up everywhere!

You will learn very many facts about these strange beasts, and be amazed with the information you read about them! Each page has a great pop-up, and there are little flaps to open to reveal new creatures, or information you need to know.

My oldest son (age 11) loved this book! All my kids loved it, but he was especially interested in the crazy creatures and what they are all about. I was amazed at the great attention to detail with the pop-up! This isn't a book I will let my little ones get their hands on, because I don't want them to destroy it; however, I love showing them the book and every time they are amazed. This is definitely a very creative book!

Flanimals $19.99 U.S./$25.00 CANADA

ENTER TO WIN!!

Candlewick Press has offered to sponsor a giveaway of Guess How Much I Love You -All Around The Seasons- and the Guess How Much I Love You (Sweetheart Edition)! There will be two winners, and each winner will receive both books! This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States, and the contest is open until midnight June 11th, 2010. To enter, go to the Candlewick Press website and check out all the books. Comment here about which ones sound interesting to you.

**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and add another friendly comment about something you found over at Candlewick Press. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

This review was provided from Candlewick Press. They have provided me with books to review and information to share with my readers. I am sponsored to offer a giveaway for my readers through this review. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Enter to win a New Book from Phenix & Phenix publishing! (Review and 3 giveaways!)

“I’m Up in a Tree” – My kids and I enjoyed this imaginative story about a little boy who climbed up in a tree, and now cannot get down. Meeting new characters who give their own advice on how he should get down, the little boy must make a big decision. Will he listen to the little cat, or the bird who flies out, or will he wait for his Dad to come to his rescue? The kids and I really enjoyed the rhyming story line, especially my preschooler, because he is totally into rhyming right now.

Mark Alden Johnson’s “I’m Up in a Tree” (Bridgeway Books, January 2010) is a fun way to teach kids early to resist peer pressure and make their own choices. (List Price: $14.95; Reading level: Ages 4-8; Hardcover: 32 pages; Publisher: Bridgeway Books (January 19, 2010); Language: English)
About the Author:

Mark Alden Johnson has been a writer at heart since a very young age. Even as a kid, he would invent imaginative stories and proudly present them to his parents – and anyone else he could find. Johnson started writing children’s stories just for his kids and their friends when they were young, but after he published his first book, Little Fish Lou (Outskirts Press), he knew writing was a passion he wanted to pursue. A native of northern Nevada, Johnson attended West Nevada College, where he took a wide variety of courses. Currently, he works for a local utility company in Dayton, Nev., where he lives with his wife and three kids.

“Feeding Penny Pig” – This is a cute story about a grandmother Mimi trying to find the perfect gift to give her grand daughter, Laney. With the choice of a lonely piggy bank, Laney is thrilled to have a new pet to "feed" coins to. Laney is given daily chores from her parents with the reward of payment, so she can feed the hungry Penny Pig. “Feeding Penny Pig” (Mimi’s Funhouse LLC, November 2009), teaches Laney responsibility and the value of earning and saving money, and also that working can be fun! (List Price: $14.95; Reading level: Ages 9-12; Hardcover: 32 pages; Publisher: Mimi’s Funhouse LLC (November 22, 2009); Language: English)

About the Author:
Jeannine Fox, or “Mimi” as her granddaughters call her, is a Certified Financial Planner and Certified Public Accountant. She has been practicing financial planning in the Houston area since 1981. Fox is the branch manager of The Planning Team in Houston and a branch manager and investment advisor representative of NEXT Financial Group, Inc. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in business from the University of Alabama and an MBA with concentrations in finance and accounting from the University of Houston. Fox has also been a featured guest on a variety of radio and television shows, and a contributor for The Money Paper, Southwest Airline’s Spirit magazine, Financial Planner magazine, Senior Spirit and USA Today. She currently lives in Magnolia, Texas, where she enjoys spending time with her family.

“How Lil’ Eddie Learns to Read” – This is a great book to introduce reading to your preschooler/kindergartner. There are sections in this book: "Help for parents" which give helpful information on how to work with your kids to help them learn to read.

“How Lil’ Eddie Learns to Read” (Synergy Books, February 2010), is Rima H. Corral's newest children's book. She introduces readers to a little boy named Eddie who receives a book on his third birthday. Inspired by this gift, Eddie decides he wants to learn to read. The book follows Lil’ Eddie and his family as they help him learn to read through books, games and a neighborhood reading club. Corral hopes this book will encourage parents to help their kids learn reading skills before entering kindergarten (List Price: $18.95; Reading level: Ages 9-12; Hardcover: 48 pages; Publisher: Synergy Books (February 2, 2010); Language: English)
About the Author:
Rima H. Corral is a beloved entertainer, as well as creator and producer of the Houston PBS children’s television program, Rima, Fuego and the Children, which airs nationwide. With degrees in music and general education, Rima has more than twenty-five years of experience as an early childhood educator. This is her first children’s book.

Enter to win!!

Phenix & Phenix has offerend to sponsor a giveaway! There will be three winners.

This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. Contest is open until March 23, 2010. To enter, leave a comment about which book you would like to win. Please list your first choice with each comment.**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and add another friendly comment about another children's book you enjoy with your kids. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

This post was written for Phenix & Phenix Publishing who provided the three books for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary books.

Candlewick Press books (review and 4 BIG giveaways)

I love reading books to my children, and we really enjoy this time to spend together soaking up stories. My kids and I recently had the opportunity to review a few books from Candlewick Press, and we really had a great time going through the stories. Here are the story books that we reviewed: The Patterson Puppies and the Rainy Day (by Leslie Patricelli), A Walk Down Sesame Street (pop-up book celebrating 40 years), Yummy: eight favorite fairy tales (by Lucy Cousins), The True Story of Goldilocks (by Agnese Baruzzi and Sandro Natalini) and Swan Lake Ballet Theater (by author Jean Mahoney and illustrator Viola Ann Seddon).

The Patterson Puppies and the Rainy Day is an adorable story about 4 little puppy siblings stuck indoors and needing something to do. Using their big imaginations the little puppies turn their living room into a beach with the ocean waters. Playing at the beach became so much fun! The music was playing, the pups were in their swim suits, and they even had a snack with water in their tea cups. With water spilling from the tea cups, one of the pups had a grand idea...let's add more water to make a real ocean! Well, you can imagine where this went...
The Patterson Puppies and the Rainy Day sparks the imagination and brought lots of giggles from my children as we read this story together. What was really comical about this book was the descriptions of the puppies very much resembled characteristics of my own four children. TOO FUNNY! I think your kids would enjoy this book! We sure did! $14.99 U.S./$17.50 Canada
Leslie Patricelli lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband, their two children, and two kitties. She sketched out her first children’s book, YUMMY YUCKY, when her then one-year-old son was putting everything in his mouth. "After hearing myself say ‘yucky!’ or ‘yummy!’ for months on end, this book seemed to write itself," she says. "Talking to and watching my young children all day gave me a voice and inspiration for these books. I write down what I say to them and what they say to me."

A Walk Down Sesame Street Pop-Up book is a great pop-up and my kids really enjoyed seeing Bert and Ernie play their instruments in the laundry room and finding the matching socks in the dryers, slimy reusing an apple as a playhouse, counting the cookies on the tray, looking through Big Bird's "B" book, seeing Super Grover fly through the air to rescue a kitty, and hearing about the rhyming words on Zoe and Abby's pages. This is a great book full of learning letters, counting, rhyming and matching. Plus, Elmo greets everyone on the first page as a big pop-out! This is a new favorite.
Yummy is a book compiled of eight fairy tales. The stories are the original stories, and I was surprised about how a few turned out. Nonetheless, this is a cute book. Here are the stories in this book: Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Enormous Turnip (I had never heard this story before), Henny Penny, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Little Red Hen, The Three Little Pigs, and The Musicians of Bremen. $18.99 U.S./$22.00 Canada
Lucy Cousins is the author-illustrator of many books for children, like Maisy the mouse. Lucy Cousins lives in Hampshire, England.

Have you ever heard the True Story of Goldilocks? This book is about what happened before the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears came to be. The True Story of Goldilocks is about Goldilocks Papa Bear and Mama Bear loving Goldilocks, and Baby Bear not liking her, and in fact he was very impolite and naughty. After Goldilocks had enough of Baby Bear's tactics, Goldilocks taught him how to be GOOD. However, Goldilocks got tired of being good, so she let her hair down and sent a fake invitation to the bears tricking them into leaving so she could have the house to herself. Thus, the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears came to be. $14.99 U.S./ $17.50 Canada
Author-illustrators Agnese Baruzzi and Sandro Natalini met while studying in Urbino, Italy. They have gone on to create a number of children’s books, including THE TRUE STORY OF LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD.

The book, Swan Lake Ballet Theater, is an amazing story book where kids can be creative, anduse their imaginations to put on their own play with the props, people and stage settings all within this board book. The book can be transformed into a stage where you can take the included scenery and ballet characters to act out the play Swan Lake, plus an audio CD with the music from Swan Lake. Included is a full color book about the story and how you can put the play together. There are 9 dancing figures, scenery, back drops, and a supporting cast. My kids really enjoyed this book, but it isn't a book for littler ones to play with. However, telling them the story with the stage before them, is a fun way to do story time.
$24.99 U.S. /$29.00 Canada This book is geared toward ages 6 and up.

Jean Mahoney, the author of The Nutcracker Ballet Theater and The Sleeping Beauty Ballet Theater, says she finds the first moment of light and music in a performance to be an inspiration. She lives in Southampton, New York.
Viola Ann Seddon grew up surrounded by the performing arts, ballet, and opera. She is the illustrator of The Nutcracker Ballet Theater and The Sleeping Beauty Ballet Theater. She lives in London.

ENTER TO WIN!!
Candlewick Press has offered to sponsor a giveaway of an assortment of books, including the ones I reviewed. There will be FOUR winners in this giveaway!
This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States, and the contest is open until midnight March 4th, 2010.
To enter, go to the Candlewick Press website and check out all the books. Comment here about which ones sound interesting to you.

**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and add another friendly comment about something you found over at Candlewick Press. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

This review was provided from Candlewick Press. They have provided me with books to review and information to share with my readers. I am sponsored to offer a giveaway for my readers through this review. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Books for gifting this Christmas~ from Randomhouse.

I love books written by Lisa Tawn Bergren, and my kids are thrilled to read them, or have us read to them. Lisa's books are filled with words that speak to the heart of kids (and adults) and the pictures are just priceless.
God Gave Us Christmas, is about an adorablelittle polar bear that is curious and asks many questions. Her curiosity brings her to some questions that children may ask at Christmas time, like: “Who invented Christmas?” “Is God more important than Santa?” Little cub learns that God loves her, everyone, so much by sending his son for us. Mama Polar worded her answer very well, and she told her little cub about the best Christmas present ever!
I think that these questions are valid questions, and I love that Lisa's book helps guide parents tell their children (through reading) a way that will answer their question.

God Gave Us Love, is a fun and heart-warming story about a Little Cub and his Grampa Bear’s fishing adventure. The fishing trip is interrupted by otters, and the young polar is not happy that the otters are in the way. This book teaches kids about loving others, even when they are unlovable. The little bear asks questions like "Why is it easier to love those we like?" " Where does love come from?" "And why does God love her so much?"
Grampa Bear patiently answers his little grandson's questions by explaining the different kinds of love we can share: the love between friends, the love between families, the love between moms and dads, and the love for God.
He also assured Little Cub that because of the love God has given him through his Son, there’s nothing he can do to make God love him any more or any less. Through Grampa Bear’s encouraging Little Cub to love others with a “God-sized love,” children will be inspired to love others and to be patient, gentle and kind, so that in every way, they too can demonstrate God’s love. One of the best lines in this book is this: "His Love brings out the best in us,"and this one, "Because we want to love others as God loves us, we don't always feel like loving them. But when we choose to, it is always the right thing."
I recommend each of these books from Lisa Tawn Bergren, and these books would make a great Christmas gift to your child, or some other special one in your life.
Another great book that would make a great Christmas gift is Treasured, by Leigh McLeroy.
Treasured is a book about our most treasured keepsakes, or where we happen to store them. Our "treasured places" hold the very being of ourselves, and they represent the story of our life. This book reveals God as being a collector, and his great book: THE BIBLE, is full of his treasures. Within the pages of the Bible you will find Abraham's Knife, A bloodstained piece of Wood, and a Golden Bell. All of these items, and more, are described in detail and how God's "treasures," help us get to know the Heart of God. This is a great book for motivating you to get to know our loving and living God, and to have a "treasured" encounter with him.
Author Bios:
Leigh McLeroy is the author of The Beautiful Ache and The Sacred Ordinary. An avid collector and recorder of everyday moments, words, and wonders, Leigh’s keen eye for God’s presence in ordinary life infuses her writing and living with a deep, insistent joy. A frequent conference and event speaker, the author makes her home in Houston, Texas, and posts often on http://www.leighmcleroy.com/ and http://www.wednesdaywords.com/.

Lisa Tawn Bergren is the award-winning author of nearly thirty titles, totaling more than 1.5 million books in print. She writes in a broad range of genres, from adult fiction to devotional. God Gave Us Love follows in Lisa’s classic tradition of the best-selling God Gave Us You. She lives in Colorado, with her husband, Tim, and their children, Olivia, Emma, and Jack.

You can purchase these books, and others, at the RandomHouse.com website.

These books were provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Art For Baby (book review & 3 giveaways)

I had the opportunity to review a new book called Art for Baby, which is a board book compiled of twelve black and white images. These images were created by leading modern artists: Josef Albers, Bridget Riley, Julian Opie and 8 others. The images in this artistic book are large, simple, and my baby Cole loves it. Cole loves touching the pages, and his eyes light up with the visuals.

There are pictures of shapes, designs, faces, animals, fruits, vegetables and scenery. This book is designed to "help babies recognize and connect with the world around them."

From the book:
Research by leading child development experts suggests that focusing on high-contrast images is the first step to picture recognition in newborn babies. This skill is essential to the development of your baby's understanding of images and words. As they delight in looking at the pictures and concentrating on the vivid shapes, even the most restless children can be engrossed and calmed by the black-and-white images.

Included in this contemporary art book for babies is a set of two friezes. Each frieze consists of pictures used in the book. On the back of the frieze is a blurb about the artist. I like that the information explains a little about the meaning behind the artwork. I thought these were fun to read, and fun to talk to my kids about.
This book came out in September ~ Published by Templar Books, an imprint of Candlewick Press. SRP $19.99.

You can enter to win a copy of this book for your baby! I have three copies of this book to giveaway to my readers!
This giveaway is open to residents of the USA (bloggers/non-bloggers), and will end on November 12th, 2009. TO ENTER: Leave a comment about a fun activity you and your baby enjoys...and if you aren't a parent of a young child...leave a comment about something you used to enjoy.
You can come back once each day throughout the contest and enter again by just leaving a friendly comment relevant to the contest, but you MUST do the first entry. **For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter this contest, and/or visit everyday and add another friendly comment. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

This review was sponsored by Candlewick Press. They have supplied me with a free book to keep for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review. They have offered to sponsor a giveaway for a prize for my readers.

Dance Me, Daddy! (book review and 2 giveaways)

There is something so special in the relationship between a Father and his Daughter, and what better time than Father's Day than to celebrate that relationship! I have recently been given the opportunity to review a very sweet book written by Cindy Morgan. I love this book, and it brought me to tears. Dance Me, Daddy is a book about a little girl and her Daddy. The book goes through the stages of this little girl's life, and her desire to dance with her Daddy. The book starts out with the little girl so young (about 2 years old) and she is in her princess gown. (This reminds me of the stage my daughter is in right now...dress up clothes, crown, and our little princess).
The daughter holds much admiration for her daddy, he is her hero and she's her daddy's girl. The little girl asks her Dad this special request, "Dance me, Daddy. Dance me around. Don't let my feet ever touch down. There's nothing better than being your girl. If I am your princess, then you are king of the world." The girl grows up into the teen years, and things change. Some things don't change, though, like his daughter wanting to dance with her dad. Then, the daughter marries, and you can about guess what happens on her wedding night.
I love this book, and I cherish the message in it. The relationship is so strong between Father and Daughter. I think Cindy Morgan portrayed this relationship so well! This story is actually written for Cindy's husband and their daughter. This is somewhat of a true story displayed in the pages of a children's book. Included in the book is a CD with a song "King of the World," sung by Point of Grace, the story Dance Me, Daddy read by Cindy Morgan, and the inspiration behind the book.
Cindy Morgan is a wife, mother, and singer/songwriter. She has recorded 8 records, had 20 number-one songs, and has won nine Dove Awards during her career, including her most recent Dove Awards for 2008 Songwriter of the Year and 2008 Country Song of the Year for "How You Live," the song she wrote for Point of Grace. Cindy, and her husband, novelist Sigmund Brouwer, and their 2 daughters, Olivia and Savannah, live in Canada and Tennessee.
Philomena O'Neill is the illustrator in Dance Me, Daddy, and she did a superb job! I love the expressions on the faces. Philomena has illustrated numerous books for children including The Thanksgiving Bowl (Pelican, 2007) and The Little Shrew Caboose (Pleasant St. Press, Spring 2009). She lives in Seattle with her husband.
I have TWO copies that I am fortunate to giveaway! I am sorry that you won't have these in time for Father's Day, but everyday is special with Dad, right? So, you can give this book as a gift anytime!
For your chance to win this wonderful book, tell me what your plans are for Father's Day! Contest open to those in the USA, and will end on June 30th. Please feel free to do the extra credits (see past contests).
We are daughters of the King! We will someday dance in the arms of our heavenly father.

"Along Came You" book review

"Before you I slept soundly all night long. After you, I wake to watch you sleeping."
"Before you, I read books with a thousand pages. After you, I read your favorite book a thousand times."
These are a couple of my favorite statements in the book, "Along Came You." This book is such a sweet revelation about the transformation from life without kids, to the new lifestyle once they enter our lives. Parents sacrifice much to have kids, but the joys and pleasures sure out-weigh life without children(in my opinion).
Summary of the book:
What happens when the pleasures of a tidy, carefully decorated home are traded for the excitement of high chairs and noisy toys? When quiet evenings and carefully planned schedules are traded for busy days and crazy nights? What happens when the desire to experience joy is replaced with the desire that another would experience joy? Karona Drummond weaves images of life before kids with life after kids. Children will delight in this love song written to them about the joyful change they bring about and how the loving sacrifices of their parents transform a simple life into an abundant life. This book is a truly a touching glimpse and a warm reminder of the parent heart of God.
About the author:
Karona Drummond likes to make up lighthearted songs and poems. She is married with two kids and a dog. Karona is a certified elementary school teacher. She has taught preschoolers for over 15 years. She spent several years at Texas Woman's University Child Development Center and several years at the University of North Texas Child Development Laboratory.
About the Illustrator:
Estelle Corke had been told to write less and draw more when she was 8, and by age 12, she had won the $1 first prize at the local art fair! Now, she considers her career in illustrating children's books a privilege of a lifetime.
I loved this book, and I loved the way the book displayed the relationship between a mom and her daughter. The love between the mom and daughter is displayed so vividly in the words and the pictures. I love the detail that Estelle drew in the pictures~ even the wedding rings on the mom's finger. SRP: $15.99