STORYBOOK SUNDAY: Ellie Camps Under the Stars by Elle & Marci Fair

Hi there!

Welcome back to another day here at 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 welcoming back a fun little duo as we prepare for their upcoming release...but it's bittersweet.  You see, it's a great add to the adorable series, but this will also be their last adventure.  The good news?  They're never THAT far away, after all...hello, REREADING is so much fun...but we're losing that little spark of wonder as to what they'll get up to next.  Cie la vie.  The future is unknown for all and if the past teaches us anything, it's to expect the unexpected.  Ladies and gents, children of all ages, today's storybook of choice is on deck...

The Amazing Adventures of Ellie the Elephant:

Ellie Camps Under the Stars

by

Elle & Marci Fair

9780996363549

We've been on many adventures with Ellie and Pudgy.  From making new friends to plane rides, heading back to school to beach vacations, and a few things in between.  Each story is filled to the brim with edutainment and discovery as these two stuffed friends frolic, pose, and play their way through wherever the story leads.  This addition to the series is probably one of the most accessible yet.

Here, we've two best friends wanting to make a night and day of it under the stars.  They pack up all the needed equipment, and hike off to find the perfect place.  We see the mishaps that can occur when trying to pitch a tent.  We discover that some pathways, marked or not, lead to views that we could only dream of seeing first hand.  We say hello to all of Mother Nature's creatures, including a photo bombing yellow butterfly (so pretty!).  We see that while enjoying the outdoors, roughing it is only as rough as you make it...games are permitted, foodie treats are encouraged, and wishing on stars is mandatory!  We also learn that at the end of a long day filled with adventure, it's nice to head home with a good friend by your side.

All in all, I'm gonna miss discovering new places and things with this friendly duo, but I'm glad to know that they will always be a page turn away.  A great series to introduce little ones to the great outdoors, indoors, and several firsts.  With their cute little faces and kind way of approaching the world, they'll definitely garner a fandom for years to come.

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Special thanks to the author's Fair for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the authors, or the series, feel free to click through the links provided above.

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



Summertime, summertime, SUM-SUM-SUMMERTIME...reading fun!

Hi guys and gals!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're celebrating the season with a review post highlighting TWO summertime Picture Books perfect for a sunny afternoon at the beach, a cool down period in the library, or just before it's time to call it a day.  They come from two different series and two different publishers, but that just makes this post filled with TWICE as much fun!  So, if you'll please get your bathing suits on and grab a snack, first we're going on a ROAD TRIP with a friendly little bear named Henry to the state I currently call my home.  Via Zonderkidz, our first book of the day is...

God Bless Florida

Illustrated by

Peter Francis

9780310753483

Zonderkidz

This installment in the A Land I Love series is set to hit bookstore shelves June 6th, 2016 (as of this post).  The colorful board book format allows even the youngest of readers a chance to explore some of the bigger aspects of the "Sunshine State" (*cough* they forget "liquid" as in rain *cough*).  From Cape Canaveral to Tallahassee, Daytona to Miami, Henry is one cutie that really gets around!  In his little red sports car, he and the tagalong chickadees take Florida by storm, entertaining us with his rhyming passages and observations.  Cooling off at the high rise pool, driving a race car to a breathtaking finish, exploring the magical lands of amusement park kingdoms, there's so much to see, so much to do, and yet we only cover the tip of the sandcastle! 

A definite recommended read for little Floridians, but also a great fit for classroom story time anywhere that ties right into a kiddo Geography lesson.  Fun in the sun indeed...and now, we go for some literal fun in the sun with our second book today....

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Ellie's Best Beach Vacation Ever

The Amazing Adventures of Ellie the Elephant, Book 4

by

Elle, Marci, and Chloe Fair

9780996363525

Pacochel Press

Ellie and Pudgy are BACK and this time they're exploring the sandy shore of the Florida Panhandle.  We get to go to the beach, build sandcastles, swim with the fishes (in a not "The Godfather" way), and don our sun protection gear (hey, the sun is fun but brutal on the skin!  Hats and sunscreen are a MUST!).  As the afternoon starts to wind down, we lunch on frogs (-shaped pasta...not actual kermits) and head over to GASP....a cozy little BOOKSTORE!  I knew I liked this stuffed little duo.  A little reading, and shelf exploration leads to some new finds and some a bit more familiar (would you look whose series they stumbled upon?!), but the wordy fun was worth every minute.  We bike and swing, slide and swim, cool off with a little ice cream and finally take in the setting of another Florida sun.  Is it any wonder with all the fun we had that it was indeed the Best Beach Vacation Ever? 

Through the creative efforts of the authors, we are treated to a pictorial feast of pictures starring the fuzzy wuzzy Ellie and Pudgy.  Despite the fact that they were obviously posed for the occasions, they come off as genuine, original, and positively fun for the wee readers looking forward to their own outdoor beach explorations.  Who knows?  Maybe they'll have a furry friend they wish to take and create a memorable story with too!  Recommended for readers of all ages with imagination to spare.

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Special thanks to the authors Fair and the Zonderkidz team for the copies for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on these titles, the authors, the illustrators, or the publishers, feel free to click through the links provided above.  God Bless Florida is set to release JUNE 6, 2016, but Ellie's Best Beach Vacation Ever is live and ready for your reading list as we speak.

Until next time...happy reading!



The Amazing Adventures of Ellie the Elephant: Ellie Goes Back to School

Hi guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Well, it's that time of year again.  All over the USA, kids are going back to school, whether they like it or not.  Some are returning to familiar halls and friendly faces, others are just starting out in their academic careers and find things a tad more overwhelming.  Never fear, Ellie the Elephant is HERE and she's about to turn your little one's school year nightmares into dreams waiting to come true.  Ladies and gents, children of all ages, shapes, sizes, and polyester cotton blends (that'll make more senses in a moment), please join me in welcoming today's book of choice...

The Amazing Adventures of Ellie the Elephant:

Ellie Goes Back to School

by

Co-Author and Assistant Photographer

Elle Fair

Co-Author and Photographer

Marci Fair

9780996363501

Pacochel Press

It's a unique storybook to say the least starring two stuffed friends as they make their way through the hallowed halls.  Alone, it's big, and scary, but together they can conquer the world!  They get a helping hand from their teacher making them feel right at home.  They tackle learning their numbers, letters, and shapes, take a trip to the library to find some great reads, spend some quality time with the classroom pets, and get their daily exercise in during gym class.  If their day could get any more fun, next comes lunch, recess, and ART class!  Man, elementary school was awesome.  ^-^  I remember making these little pictures with squares of tissue paper that you'd put on the end of your pencil (eraser side, of course), tip in glue and stick to the page...such fluffy, colorful creations!  Anywho...

Ellie the Elephant and Pudgy the Penguin are an adorable duo.  I'll tell you, if I had them to lead the way through those double doors of education, I know I'd have felt a bit calmer on the first day of school.  I mean, how can you not?  Story wise, it's all about the fun that can be had while obtaining higher education, but as with any story book, the real love is in the images.  Here, we've got photography as the chosen medium and it serves them well.  A well placed elephant here, a precariously perched penguin there and TADA!  Instant camera magic depicting our stuffed furry friends having the time of their lives.  My biggest question is where will their next adventure take them because the sky is truly the limit.

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About the author...

Marci Fair is a business owner and a mother of four who has worked in real estate for over twenty years. She and her husband own several real estate businesses, some which are ranked in the US.

In addition to her professional career, Marci is the founder of Kares 4 Kids, a nonprofit organization that has served more than 20,000 children in need since 2005. She is also the author of the award-winning book TILT: 7 Solutions to Be a Guilt-Free Working Mom, liberating other women with her hard-won wisdom—“Balance is impossible; memories are better.”

SITE   |   FACEBOOK   |   TWITTER

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Review copy received courtesy of the authors and Bostick Communications.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title or the author, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now via Pacochel Press LLC, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.  Be sure to check out the other books available in this growing series including Ellie Makes a New Friend and Ellie's First Plane Ride.  

Until next time...happy reading!