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...
Showing posts with label Abrams Appleseed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abrams Appleseed. Show all posts
Today's post features the latest addition to the Kitty-Corn Club, a fabulous Board Book series that keeps growing with Abrams Appleseed. Why feature it today? Well, it just so happens to be National Unicorn Day, and we can't celebrate THAT without Kitty-Corn and friends, now can we? No siree! So get ready, get set, and let's get reading...
This next chapter in the Kitty-Corn Club series celebrates all the things that make us...US! From furry tails to sticky tongues, saddle backs to talon toes, we get to see how different these friends are, and yet how similar too! We all have parts, and they help make up who we are, but they differ and that's AMAZING! By book's end, they've made a new friend and found a way to bring tentacles into the mix for ALL of them!
I have loved this series from the word GO. When the storybooks released, I was there. When I heard the board books were being introduced, I was revved up and ready to go. The thing about Kitty-Corn is that it invites everyone in, young and young at heart. It celebrates the beauty of life, friendship, and learning in ways that are easy to grasp for wee ones, wonderful reminders for older readers, and delightfully illustrated for all! Seriously, if you can make it through one story without smiling, you've got me beat, and I wouldn't even be trying! 😅
A great addition to any reading library, and a fun read for the tall, small, furry, scaly, and... sticky? 😉
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About the author and illustrator...
LeUyen Pham and Shannon Hale are the team behind the bestselling picture books Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn and Pretty Perfect Kitty-Corn, the bestselling graphic novels Real Friends, Best Friends, and Friends Forever, and, with Dean Hale, the early chapter book series the Princess in Black. They’ve made a bunch of other books, too. They are both moms of kids who love parties, wives to husbands who give them homemade cards, honor award winners (Caldecott and Newbery), caretakers of cats, and believers in unicorns. Pham lives in Los Angeles, Hale lives in Utah, and although they also have friends close to home, their best friend hearts are always entwined.
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Special thanks to Mitch at Abrams for the chance to bring this title to you as well as the ecopy for review (THANKS!). For more information on this title, the author, the illustrator, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now via Abrams Appleseed, so snag your copy today!
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
We're celebrating another day of bookish fun with BOARD book 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... but today's a little different. Today, we're checking out a NEW ADDITION to a character series that already has a fan following, but in a format that's friendly to even the youngest of readers. Time to get your Kitty-Corn on as we check out today's board book of choice...
With inventive rhymes, and gloriously colorful pictures, Kitty-Corn and friends once again take readers into the world to explore 'things that go' in a new way! By book's end, you'll be looking at things in your every day in a whole new way, sparking creativity, imagination, and a whole lot of fun. Wee ones will have fun following along visually, while those starting to get a handle on their words will have fun with the rhymes and tongue twisters. Even those with a firm grasp on the language will discover things to add a twinkle to their eye and a pep to their steps we see Kitty-Corn racing around on a... well, I'm not sure what you'd call it, but it begs for a unique name that I bet will spill right off your tongue 😉.
A great addition to the series for the growing fandom, and a wonderful addition to your Kitty-Corn collection!
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About the author and illustrator...
LeUyen Pham and Shannon Hale are the team behind the bestselling picture books Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn and Pretty Perfect Kitty-Corn, the bestselling graphic novels Real Friends, Best Friends, and Friends Forever, and, with Dean Hale, the early chapter book series the Princess in Black. They’ve made a bunch of other books, too. They are both moms of kids who love parties, wives to husbands who give them homemade cards, honor award winners (Caldecott and Newbery), caretakers of cats, and believers in unicorns. Pham lives in Los Angeles, Hale lives in Utah, and although they also have friends close to home, their best friend hearts are always entwined.
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Special thanks to Mary at Abrams for the chance to bring this title to you as well as the copy for review (THANKS!). For more information on this title, the author, the illustrator, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title celebrates its BOOK BIRTHDAY this Tuesday via Abrams Appleseed, so mark your calendar or preorder your copy today!
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
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! Feel free to join the fun and create a post on your own site with the same name. I'd love to see any linked up in the comments! Anywho...back to the matter at hand.
Today, we're celebrating FATHER'S DAY the bookish way with a trio of Storybook titles perfect for celebrating the Dad in your life. Whether it be how he let's you be yourself, teaches you how to give and take, or simply what NOT to eat, there's something in this bunch for every one. So, if you're ready, let's get those pages turning as we set out sights on the first book of three...
A charming book filled with all the feelings a Dad can bring to his little Prince or Princess...though in this case, it's a little girl sharing her love for dear old Dad. From bravery to calm, excitement to safe, and everything in between, with adorable illustrations this book reveals the tender side of the Father/Child relationship in all its splendor, and reminds us all to love the father figure in our own lives for all the little things they do.
Plum never takes no for an answer, so when dear old Dad says no to her latest request, she finds a way to get what she wants anyway. Her desire, a pet...his answer NO...her answer, DAD is now her pet. Sounds good in theory...for a while...but in practice, not so much. It turns out Plum wants the full experience, and Dad isn't quite ready to paper-train or munch on random yard clippings. Through trail and error, and perhaps a time out, Plum and her new "pet" finally come to an understanding...it's HOW you ask for things, and WHAT YOU DO that add up to the results you want. A great way to remind kiddos how far good manners will go...and perhaps a way to nudge the 'rents into revisiting the whole "I want a pet" issue lest they end up wearing a collar!
(P.S. If you recognize the artwork, this is the same writer/illustrator that brought us Poor Little Guy!)
Another case of "I recognize this artwork", and a good thing at that! From the writer/illustrator that brought up NOPE! comes another tale of wildlife at its best...including a cameo by two feathered friends we already know...and how just because you're big, furry, and can growl with massive power, you can still use a helping hand. (P.S. look for the "unde" cover...too funny!)
I know what you're thinking...how on earth does this work for Father's Day? Well, for starters...isn't what to eat or not, one of the things that dear old Dad teaches us? Yeah, that's what I thought...also, he's not always the most patient of teachers, nor the most verbal communicator, so I mean really, while you get a dose of the parental from the Girl Scout, you also get a fraction of it from the bear himself! Aside from those parallels, it's FUN-NY while again reminding us that the smallest of small can be the unlikeliest of "heroes", and we can each learn something from one another.
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Special thanks to the folks at Abrams and Penguin Random House for the copies for review. (THANKS!) For more information on these titles, the authors, or the publishers, feel free to click through the links provided above. The titles featured are available now, so be on the lookout for them on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
The race is on to the 2016 finish line and I don't know about you, but I've still got books I want to read and share...but today's post is a smidge different. You see, once upon a time there was a blogger (no idea who THAT could be) who had a hard time saying "no" to review requests (and quite possibly still does, but really WHO IS THIS PERSON?!) and while her intentions were great, sometimes the calendar wasn't so kind (i.e. she's still trying to figure out that darn create-more-reading-and-blogging-time formula!). What does all that mean? Here and there, surprise titles arrived on her doorstep, said title were read, and then...disappeared into TBR2 (aka to-be-reviewed mountain). Their time is NOW....or at least a good portion of their time is now.
That's right. Today, we're setting our sights on clearing out a portion of those titles that were patiently waiting their day in the sun and if you make it to post's end (which I've not doubt you will), not only will the identity of the blogger in the "fairy tale" mentioned above be abundantly clear (*wink*), but you'll score a CHANCE TO WIN A FAB CANDLEWICK TITLE you're gonna want to dive into STAT. So, if you think you're up to the challenge, LET'S DO THIS! Readying the spotlight and here...we...go...
Olivia Loves Owl
by
David McPhail
9781419721274
Abrams Appleseed
In this charming board book perfect for the tiniest of hands, we get to know Olivia and Owl. They may be different in many ways, but they complement each other perfectly. Where one sees things far away, the other notices those things nearer. Where one flies through the air as she leaps into a pile of freshly raked leaves (so much fun!), the other can fly high in the sky. Where one is tired, the other is wide awake...until...*YAWN*...finally bedtime rolls around and both say good night. It's a sweet story to help little ones wind down from the day filled with equally sweet illustrations for all to enjoy.
As the title states, this is a step into reading title that features....a pig in a wig. Yes, I blinked a few times at that two, but hey...who am I to judge? If the piggy wants to wear a wig, go for it! She does look rather dashing in it. Anyway, in this installment of the series, Pig and friends set out to have a picnic with all the best munchies, and outdoor fun you could mustard...I mean, muster. They're having a marvelous time until...Mother Nature decides to go all wet an gray. What's Pig and her friends to do? Get creative...and remind us that just because things don't go exactly as planned, it doesn't mean the new option can't be as good if not better, as long as we have good friends. With simple but vibrant illustrations, this will have kiddos hungering for the next release....
by
Sanrio
9781419718250 / 9781419721120
Abrams Appleseed
With unquestionably adorable illustrations (because really, who doesn't love Hello Kitty?!), these two storybooks allow for a gentler introduction to the classic fairy tales of old. How so? Well, outside of the familiar characters and beautiful color palette utilized, the folks at Sanrio decided to put less of a dark spin on the stories themselves. So, instead of the sea with being utterly evil, scary, and interfering in the young mermaid's quest for true love, she's still magical, and the consequence of losing her voice forever is still there, but all the other dreary-ever-after potential disappeared like so much krill before a whale shark. The same is done with LR, but despite the changes, they still retain their charm.
I Don't Want to Be Big
by
Dev Petty
Illustrated by Mike Boldt
9781101939208
Doubleday Books for Young Readers
This is the story of a little frog who doesn't want to eat his dinner. Why? Because...he doesn't want to grow up...literally, as in get any bigger than his tiny little self is at the moment. The way he sees it, he's got all he needs in his height range now and anything outside of it, well he has BIG friends and family so THEY can get it for him. What's a Dad to do? He tries reasoning with him, but to no avail (though much humor is there for readers to enjoy)...until a few BIG friends decide to show him how wondrous it is to be BIG, making our little frog rethink his "little life plan". It's a fun and funny story with illustrations that drag you right into the mud puddles, that will not only entertain but give little ones that extra boost of confidence as they continue on their own journey through childhood.
Ada Twist, Scientist
by
Andrea Beaty
Illustrated by David Roberts
9781419721373
Abrams Books for Young Readers
Diversity in books is all the rage these days, and this one takes the cake times two! Here, we have little Ada Twist (inspired by the accomplishments of Marie Curie and Ada Lovelace), a wonderful girl who wants nothing more than to know all about the world in every which way and is not afraid to ask the questions that her curiosity sparks! I, for one, understand her desire because as a child (and still today), my curiosity was never quenched with the answer "because" or "that's the way it is". I wanted to KNOW. So, hat's off to the author and illustrator for bringing this little girl wonder to life. May her exploits reach kiddos far and wide to remind them that the only silly question is the one not asked because the only way to learn more is to ask.
I grew up reading the original Berenstain Bears adventures, but the Living Lights extension of the series provides faith based options for parents and children that are just as heart filled, moral based, and wonderful for today's generation. In this collection, we get the chance to...
...check out just what roles many of the grown bears fill in Bear Country and how important each one really is
...learn that lending a helping paw (or hand) when able is not just something to do, but a privilege
...remember to not judge another by their "cover" as some of the best souls are in the simplest of life's stations
...see how gossip hurts everyone involved whether the teller, the listener, or the subject
...think twice about being a brag-gert because humility in the soul is the only way to go.
A great addition to the kiddos reading library with lessons to take forth into their everyday lives.
The Giggler Treatment
by
Roddy Doyle
Drawings by Brian Ajhar
9780439162999
Arthur A. Levine Books
This title was a find in our library's second chance bookstore and boy was it a find! It's all about The Giggler Treatment which is well, okay, I can't really tell you without spoiling it, but the whole story revolves around this particular moment when Mr. Mack is going to get what's coming to him...but does he deserve it? Uh-oh. PANIC! PROBLEM! Solution? A very funny tale that will have kiddos searching high and low for the little scoundrels in charge of this particular treatment, and have parents thinking twice about scolding a child in any fashion. Just trust me...seek thee out a copy.
In this charming reading for Middle Grade to Tween readers, Mia, Maddie, and Lulu are just your average sisters, going to school, dancing with friends, and...traveling the country on a fantastic music tour? You bet! The girls are musically gifted, which is great...but the time away from their friends and normal lives has taken a toll. Add to that obstacle, the disappearance of a valued guitar from their next venue (a holy grail of sorts for musicians) and they've more troubles on their hands than they first imagined. Not to worry...with a helping hand from up above, and some resourcefulness on their parts, things will be sorted right in the end...and you can bet it will sound wondrous too. It tugs at the heart while bringing a smile to your face...a winning combination, if I do say so myself.
A Week of Mondays
by
Jessica Brody
9780374382704
Farrar Straus Giroux
Think Groundhog Day meets YA. Wait no that's not quite right because that's pretty much Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. OK think Before I Fall, but with a less permanent ending. Oh don't get me wrong things change, but of course after seven attempts at the same day one would hope that it would, just in Ells case, she discovers it's not just the results she's trying to alter but her self, or rather the one she presents to the world. How DOES one accomplish that? Simple...a change of heart.
Both the trys and the final results are totally worth the journey through the 400+ pages presented here. Seeing Ellison try on a different version of herself everyday just to try to make things stick was touching. I mean, there's not one of us out there that hasn't done it to some degree growing up... it's a part of life, finding yourself, and something that not everyone is lucky enough to actually do.
Next up on the list....
THE CONTEST!
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That's right!
You made it...and just look how your reading/wish lists have grown over the past few minutes. *smirk* You're welcome. Anywho, I'm about to add to your lists once again but this time, you're getting a chance to win the title in question. Sounds awesome, right? Oh, but it is!
Thanks to the FAB folks over at Candlewick Press (Hi, Raquel!), YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN your very own copy of THE EVIL LIBRARIAN by Michelle Knudsen!Not in on the awesomeness that is this title yet? No worries. Here's the book trailer to get you in the know...
Sounds like fun, right?
RIGHT! CLICK HERE for a quick peek between the pages...
Now, I'm about to embark on my own journey through the pages (review to come in the new year) in preparation for the release of book 2, Revenge of the Evil Librarian, due out Valentine's Day 2017 (something tells me he won't be giving out CANDY hearts to library patrons.... *gulp*), and thought you might want to come along with me. So, do you? *plugs ears to avoid squealing* Okay, okay, calm down just smidge because to win it you have to enter...and all the yelling and jumping may make it hard to click and/or type the needed info. Deal? Good. Now, here's the details...
The Prize:
(1) paperback edition of The Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen
The Rules:
Entries accepted now through January 4th, 2017.
Open to US residents only; no P.O. Boxes please.
Winner will be drawn and emailed with 48 hours to respond with mailing information to be sent over to the publisher for prize send out. If response is not received in given time frame, a new winner will be chosen. SFIR is not responsible for lost or undelivered prizes, though if you let me know, I'll gladly contact the sponsor to follow up!
How to Enter:
Fill out the Rafflecopter form below and BAM! You're in it to win it!
My thanks to all the publicists and marketing teams that work hard day in, day out to get the word out about all the great titles hitting the shelves, both virtual and tangible, every day of the year...and for the review copies! (THANKS!) Many thanks as well to the author's working their craft and sharing their creative works with readers like me. Please know, if someone hasn't told you already, you are FABULOUS and provide so much more than simply a beautiful addition to our growing shelves. You touch lives and hearts, send us on journeys to the stars and back, and provide an avenue for escape from the daily humdrum like no other...all from the comfort of our favorite reading spot. (THANK YOU!)
Until next time (because let's face it, this isn't my last post of the year!), remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
