Are you an avid reader looking for your next "fix"? Can't bear to be without some form of reading material in your spare time? Welcome to my world! Whether you are seeking a new book to "feed your need", or you are an author seeking an unbiased point of view on your own recent masterpiece, this is the place to be. With life as with books, you never know where the next step might take you...

Sunday, March 17, 2024

STORYBOOK SUNDAY prepares for Earth Day 2024!



We're celebrating another day of bookish fun with Storybook Sunday! For those not up to speed on the post, I read a lot of great storybooks and thought, why not give them their own day in the sun. Hence, Storybook Sunday appears every now and then!

Next month, Earth Day is upon us, and while every day is TECHNICALLY a day worthy to celebrate the planet we live on, April 22nd, 2024 is THE day this year.  Are you ready?  Do you have your party planned, your clean-up organized...your reading sorted?  😉  Well then, I can definitely help you out on that last part.  The two storybooks we're featuring today make PERFECT additions to your festivities, while spreading the word about sustainable gardening, utilizing resources, the circle of life from seed to table, and a gentle reminder of how small, or big, our place in this world truly is. Ready to discover more?  Ladies and gents, take a gander at today's featured titles...


by
Illustrated by
Doubleday Books for Young Readers
Release Date:  03/12/24

This was a great take on the classic of old. It gives us a female farmer, planting vegetables of all shapes and sizes, caring for them from seed to table, and back again. It's filled with clever rhymes to keep the story rolling, and encourage readers to not only learn a thing or two about the life cycle of these sustainable farming options, but sing along too! I loved the variety of vegetables she grew and harvested, the bright illustrations throughout, the fact page at book's end, and a recipe to try with your new vege knowhow. It's a great story for any time, and a fun way to celebrate Earth Day as we remember why it's so important to take care of our home. 



🌍   🌎   🌏   🌎   🌍



by
9780593301975
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date:  03/19/24


This curious tale tells of a speck, hence the title, as it makes its way through this great big world. Think about a drop of water in comparison to the ocean... and then think smaller. The thing is that a tiny little speck can spark life in many shapes and sizes; it just has to find where it belongs. The same can be said about all living things, great, small, and in-between. We're all big in some spaces, and incredibly small in others, but once we find our place, we can grow and become all we aim to be. It doesn't have to be alone, the journey, nor the settling, but it does have to be gone through... and in the end, the rewards are always worth the effort. 

With striking illustrations throughout, you'll feel the magic and wonder as if you were the speck yourself, while being reminded that we're all specks, in a sense, making our way through the world one day, one decision at a time. The Earth Day aspect kicks in with the celebration of life in all its stages, and how everything is meant to work together in harmony, helping the world go round. 



🌍   🌎   🌏   🌎   🌍



Special thanks to the Blue Slip Media and the Penguin Random House for the copies for review...(THANKS!)... and the chance to shine a light on ways to celebrate Earth Day with all of you! For more information on these titles, authors, illustrators, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. One is available now, and the other is coming soon, so mark your calendar or stop by your local brick and mortar today!


Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Friday, March 15, 2024

AWARENESS TOUR: Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264 by Sands Hetherington, Illustrated by Natalie Leininger - GUEST POST + GIVEAWAY!


Evil school buses?  Shenanigan creating iguanas?  Evil doings?  Well then, it sounds like today's featured title has arrived via our second tour via The Children's Book Review!  After you catch a sneaky peek at the title in question, KEEP READING for a curious GUEST POST from the author PLUS your chance to win in the tour wide giveaway!




by
Sands Hetherington
Illustrated by
Natalie Leininger
Ages 7+ | 156 Pages
9780984741762
Dune Buggy Press


About the book...

The iguanas are back to their stinky shenanigans. They’ve fitted out the flying school bus for real mischief and are marauding all over the Borough. They’ve really got it in for John and Crosley, who must sniff out their evildoings before it’s too late! Will they succeed? Join the Night Buddies in their racing blimp for this exciting new adventure!






~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Guest Post with Author Sands Hetherington


I am a crummy essay writer. Just ask John and Crosley, the main characters in my Night Buddies series of books. They’d agree. My first year in college English was all essay-writing, and all I got was D’s. I deserved D’s.

I can dream up characters like John, Crosley, Crenwinkle, Big Foot Mae, and others, like in the Night Buddies adventures, and put them into stories, but ESSAYS? What in the ever-loving world do I put in an ESSAY?

Okay, though, OKAY. If I really must, I suppose it must be something I know about, right? I’ll tell you something I REALLY know about. It’s downright dull, but I just got through it this morning, with a little encouragement from John and Cros, who know about these things because of their racing blimp and the upkeep that goes along with it.

It’s about changing the oil on my 29-year-old Honda hatchback. I do this once a year. I have a more presentable car, but the Honda is my favorite. It does everything, and I never feel like I need to wash it. I do clean the windows when I can’t see out any longer (maybe once a year), and I usually vacuum the floors at the same time (more convenient), WHICH IS NOT TO SAY THAT I DON’T MAINTAIN THE MECHANICALS SCRUPULOUSLY. John and Cros would be disappointed if I didn’t. And so, the Honda runs great, and I trust it to go anywhere. It can still go 111 MPH, get 48 MPG, and has never shut down on me. The grimy looks don’t bother me. I find it kind of endearing.

But hey, this started out about changing the oil. This operation is fundamental to auto maintenance. Just about anybody will tell you that, including John and Crosley. (Unless the vehicle is electric?) So anyway, here’s what I did. (This is going to be dull, but you can do the job too if you can get an arm underneath your car and reach the sump plug. You usually can’t with the newer cars.)

So, I got in the Honda and drove the three miles to Walmart. You want to warm the oil up so it will drain easily. I picked up a few odd groceries, then headed to the back of the store where they keep the car stuff. There were rows and rows of all kinds of oil. I found four quart bottles of 5W-30 like it says to use in the manual. I paid and went home and parked in the garage where it’s level.

Then I went and fetched this big steel dogfood pan and a 17mm wrench. I raised the car hood and unscrewed the oil filler cap. Then I lay down on my side just behind the left rear wheel and shined my flashlight in.

The sump plug was where it had been since the car left Honda/Canada. I reached the wrench in as far as I could and got it on the plug. Two or three hard yanks and the thing came loose, and I unscrewed it with my fingers. It was HOT, and I jerked my hand back when it clanked into the pan with a gush of hot, black oil.

You need to give these things time. They can drip for hours, and you want to let all the crud come out. I went in the house and made a peanut butter and banana sandwich and sat down and ate it. I would have had a slice of Pineapple Cheesecake for dessert, but Crosley scarfed all of those down a long time ago. Then I grabbed some paper towels and went back outside.

I dragged the pan out and stuck the paper towels under the sump, then I poured the hot oil into a five-gallon can, to be recycled when it was full. I retrieved the plug and wiped it off with the paper towels and screwed it back into the sump. This left a little oil on the garage floor, and I wiped it up with the towels and threw them in the garbage can.

The rest was easier. The car holds three-and-a-half quarts of oil, and I poured in three quarts. Then I carefully poured in half of the last quart. There’s a transparent gauge on the bottle so you can do this accurately. I put the tops back on the four bottles and threw them in the trash. Did I say the garbage can is just outside the garage?

I screwed the oil cap back on the top of the engine, shut the hood, and went back in the house. Should I live, I’ll do the same thing next year. If I don’t live, the Honda will be around and looking for new oil.

So there! That’s how I changed my oil, and that’s all I can think of to say, except I made John and Cros proud!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


About the author...


Sands Hetherington, creator of the Night Buddies series of chapter books, credits his son John for being his principal motivator. Sands and young John developed the Crosley crocodile character in the series during months of bedtime story give-and-take. They collaborated many nights on escapades starring John and Crosley until, eventually, it occurred to Sands why it was that Crosley was bright red. That was when the first book came together.

Sands majored in history at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and has an M.F.A. in creative writing and an M.A. in English from UNC-Greensboro. He lives in Greensboro, North Carolina.

For more information, visit www.nightbuddiesadventures.com/


TWITTER |  PINTEREST  |  FACEBOOK  |  INSTAGRAM  |TIKTOK




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About the illustrator...


Natalie Leininger, illustrator of the 4th title in the Night Buddies series, grew up in New Jersey and has been drawing ever since she was young. She now lives in Nebraska and attends the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studying the fine arts. She is in her third year at the university, primarily practicing oil painting, but spends time outside of the classroom working on a variety of projects. She has always enjoyed being with children, which made illustrating and working on Night Buddies such an enjoyable project!

Natalie strives to capture our world in bloom. Whether it be through the literal sense of a blooming flower or the simple act of sketching a character’s smile spreading across their face, her art is a place for all to engage in their own way.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



~~~   GIVEAWAY   ~~~


Enter the giveaway for for your chance to win an autographed 4-book series, including Night Buddies and the Pineapple Cheesecake Scare; Night Buddies and One Far-out Flying Machine; Night Buddies Go Sky High, and Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264!





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Special thanks to Bianca at The Children's Book Review for the chance to bring this tour to you and to the author for sharing a bit of themselves with the guest post. (THANKS!) This post is sponsored by Sands Hetherington. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view. For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. Be sure to check out the rest of the stops on the tour for more bookish fun!


TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, March 4, 2024
Book Review of Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264

Tuesday, March 5, 2024
Book Review of Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264

Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Book Review of Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264

Thursday, March 7, 2024
Book Review of Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264

Friday, March 8, 2024
Book Review of Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264

Sunday, March 10, 2024
Book Review of Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264

Monday, March 11, 2024
An Interview with Sands Hetherington

Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Book Review of Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264

Wednesday, March 13, 2024
An Interview with Sands Hetherington

Thursday, March 14, 2024
Book Spotlight of Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264

Friday, March 15, 2024
An article by Author Sands Hetherington

Sunday, March 17, 2024
Book Review of Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264

Monday, March 18, 2024
An Interview with Sands Hetherington

Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Book Review of Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264

Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Book Review of Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264

Thursday, March 21, 2024
Book Review of Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264

Monday, March 25, 2024
Book Review of Night Buddies and Evil School Bus #264


Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!



AWARENESS TOUR: Cattitude by Bianca Schulze, Illustrated by Samara Hardy - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!


Once upon a time, there was a talented author hiding in plain sight as she helped usher other authors into the limelight.  Once upon a time, that limelight swung in the opposite direction illuminating that which was already there simply waiting to be discovered.  Once upon a time, we were introduced to a well-meaning dragon through a series of beautifully illustrated stories that kept the tall to the small delighted and entertained.  Once upon THIS time, we now get to experience that talent with a new character that is ready to strut their stuff right into your heart.  Ladies and gents, make room on your bookshelf for today's featured title on tour with The Children's Book Review...



by
Illustrated by
Ages 3+ | 32 Pages
9781954738362
Clever Publishing (2024)

About the book...

Meet Cleo, a cat with an attitude—and she’s not afraid to show it! Cleo is a misunderstood feline with a penchant for mischief and a heart of gold. Her quirks and antics reveal a cat who marches to the beat of her own drum. From hiding behind bookshelves to getting stuck in tight spots, Cleo’s adventures teach her family valuable lessons about love, patience, and the true meaning of companionship. Get ready for a heartwarming tale of feline charm and the power of unconditional love. Cleo proves that behind every mischievous whisker lies a world of affection and loyalty.





🐱  😸  😹  😻  😼  😽  😾



Cleo is a character and I love her all the more for it!
I love how she shows that there is a difference between being anti-social and simply liking to be around others on your own terms.  I love how she gets lost in her thoughts just like I do sometimes...to the point that up is down and left is right.  I love how she doesn't take setbacks personally...owning them and making them her own.  I love how the family reacts to her antics in their own ways, but they also take something away from each interaction too.  I love how Cleo claims her own space in the world around her without an apology or backward glance.  I love that Cleo loves books, in her own way, gets her way with her human family by being a bit clever, accepts her good side as well as her naughty instincts, and just plain lives her furry life to the fullest.  Through her adventures, readers learn the value of being yourself, exploring the world around them, and that family will always be there for you, come what may.  The colorful illustrations throughout bring Cleo's CATTITUDE to life, allowing younger readers to follow along visually, while those on the grow can see her antics more clearly.  It's a book that is destined to be your next FUR-vorite pick for story time or any time!



🐱  😸  😹  😻  😼  😽  😾


About the author...


Bianca Schulze is the founder and editor of The Children’s Book Review—a resource devoted to children’s literature and literacy—and the host of The Growing Readers Podcast.

Bianca is also the author of the popular Don’t Wake the Dragon series (translated into 14 languages) and the bestselling 101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up (an Amazon “Book of the Month”). She is a reader, reviewer, mother, and children’s book lover.

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Bianca now lives with her husband and three children near Boulder, Colorado.

For more information, visit biancaschulze.com



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About the illustrator...


Samara Hardy is the illustrator of Don’t Wake the Dragon, Who Loves the Dragon?, and Just Be Yourself, Dragon! An experienced illustrator and designer, she has created artwork for clients across the globe for greetings cards, stationery, homewares, children’s books, and much more. She lives in Surrey, England.

For more information, visit samarahardy.com



🐱  😸  😹  😻  😼  😽  😾




Enter the giveaway for the chance to win a 4-book set of Schulze and Hardy’s internationally bestselling Dragon series, including Don’t Wake the Dragon, and a $50 Bookshop.org gift card.





🐱  😸  😹  😻  😼  😽  😾




Special thanks to author Bianca Schulze for the chance to bring this title to you and for the ecopy for review! (THANKS!) This post is sponsored by The Children’s Book Review. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view.  For more information on this author, her other works, the illustrator, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links above. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!


TOUR SCHEDULE

Friday, March 1, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Monday, March 4, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Tuesday, March 5, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Storytime craft to pair with Cattitude

Thursday, March 7, 2024
Book Giveaway

Friday, March 8, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Monday, March 11, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Author Interview with Bianca Schulze

Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Author Interview with Bianca Schulze

Thursday, March 14, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Friday, March 15, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Monday, March 18, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Author Interview with Bianca Schulze

Thursday, March 21, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Friday, March 22, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Monday, March 25, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Thursday, March 28, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Friday, March 29, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Monday, April 1, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude

Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Book Review of Cattitude


Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!


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