Storybook Saturday... WHERE ARE YOU, BRONTË? written by Tomie dePaola, Illustrated by Barbara McClintock - REVIEW!

We're celebrating another day of bookish fun with Storybook Saturday! 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 (or Saturday, depending on the week)! 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's featured title is celebrating its BOOK BIRTHDAY THIS TUESDAY (May 6th, 2025) via Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.  It's beautiful, it's touching, it's something that will pull at the heartstrings of readers while its message transcends generations.  It's the final work of a beloved author, and a touching tribute to a beloved friend.  Ladies and gents, I give you today's book of choice...

WHERE ARE YOU, BRONTË? 

by

Tomie dePaola

Illustrated by

Barbara McClintock

9781534418509

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

RELEASE DATE:  May 6th, 2025

This illustrated work of the heart not only shares the timeless characters of a talent that has passed, but the true depths of love that are felt, and the endless connection of spirit that exists between family.  I read this story immediately when it arrived, and just as immediately was in tears.  The warm feelings and simplicity bring joy to my heart, but the beauty and message of love continuing on stole my breath.  I was so moved, I couldn't even begin to share anything about the book at the time, and, quite frankly, am having a hard time right now with the same after rereading it.  

That's the thing about our fur babies.  They steal their way into our hearts one look, one lick, one moment of cuteness, mischief, or sweetness at a time.  Sadly, over the course of my own life, I've had to experience that separation more times than I care to count, and yet for all the tears it brings at a moment's notice, I wouldn't trade the time shared nor the memories for the world.  The loss is felt every day in the strangest of ways and moments, but the smiles, laughs, snuggles, and wiggles are priceless.  There's a saying I saw somewhere in all the social media hullabaloo, and while there are many memorable ones, this particular one stuck with me.

"To the world, you may be just one person...

...but to your dog, you are the world."

Honestly, I feel the same way about my fur kiddos.  They are the world, and I'd do anything for them...and, in my opinion, that's just how it should be.  This story shares the joy of the initial meeting, the fun moments while getting to know one another, the understanding needed in later years, the moment no one wants to consider, as well as those that come after and how to carry one.  For pet lovers at large, and trying to explain this sadly inevitable part of life to little ones, this story serves more than its purpose by adding more beauty, and tenderness to the world.  The tale will move you, while the illustrations enchant.  Keep an eye out for familiar faces from the past during the dinner party.

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About the author...

Photograph © Laurent Linn

Tomie dePaola (1934–2020) was the beloved author and/or illustrator of more than 270 books for young readers, including the children’s classic Strega Nona. He was the recipient of the Newbery Honor, Caldecott Honor, and the 2011 Children’s Literature Legacy Award for “significant and lasting contribution to children’s literature.” A native of Connecticut, Mr. dePaola studied at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and spent much of his life in New London, New Hampshire. Visit his work online at Tomie.com.

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About the illustrator...

Barbara McClintock is an American illustrator and author of over forty books for children. Her books have received numerous awards and selections, including five New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book Awards, four ALA Notable Book selections, a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Award, a China Times Open Book Award, and a British Fantasy Award. One of her books is a bestselling title in Japan. She has lectured about her work nationally and internationally and is currently teaching classes on creating children’s books at Wesleyan University. Originally from New Jersey and North Dakota, she now resides in northeastern Connecticut with her partner, the illustrator David Johnson, and their three overly helpful cats.

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Special thanks to Alex at Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for 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 is set to release THIS TUESDAY May 6th, 2025, so mark your calendar or pre-order your copy today! SPECIAL NOTE FOR THOSE IN THE NYC AREA...Barbara McClintock will also be celebrating the book’s publication at a public, in-store launch event at NYC’s Books of Wonder on May 5.

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

Rockstar Book Tours presents... WHEN WE HAD SUMMER by Jennifer Castle - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Our second tour of the day, finds us on the hosting side of the WHEN WE HAD SUMMER by Jennifer Castle BLOG TOUR with Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my review, visit the other sites participating, and make sure to enter the giveaway before you go!

 

WHEN WE HAD SUMMER

by Jennifer Castle

Pub. Date: April 25, 2023

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 336

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/WHEN-WE-HAD-SUMMER

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets 13 Little Blue Envelopes in this new young adult novel about a tight-knit, daring, and eclectic group of friends who dedicate every summer to completing their #SummerSistersBucketList together – that is until one of their own passes away.

Best friends Carly, Daniella, Lainie, and Penny – aka the self-proclaimed #SummerSisters – have been coming to the New Jersey shore town of Ocean Park Heights ever since they could remember. And every year, the girls make a bucket list and dedicate their entire summer to completing every item on it, documenting their wacky escapades on FotoSlam for everyone to see. It’s their tradition, and as long as the Summer Sisters had each other, the rocky jetty on the shore, and their bucket list, that would never change. Right?

But then, tragedy strikes after Carly – the mastermind behind the bucket list– unexpectedly passes away. As the remaining Summer Sisters try to wrap their heads around their best friend’s death, life seems determined to throw more curveballs at the girls, threatening to split the Summer Sisters up for good. Daniella is accepted to a prestigious music academy in New York City, Lainie finds out her family is moving to Florida and leaving Ocean Park Heights for good, and Penny struggles to find her footing as she feels ready to leave childhood behind more quickly than either of her friends. What will hold them together with Carly gone and the Summer Sisters seemingly over?

Then, Daniella finds Carly’s final bucket list. And just like that, the Summer Sisters are back! But of course, things don’t always go as planned, and the girls try their hardest to navigate grief, loss, and coming-of-age woes while keeping the Summer Sisters – and Carly’s memory – alive.

 

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As the synopsis suggests, it definitely has Sisterhood vibes...but with an even bigger emotional twist.  The girls with the traveling pants were use to spending summers apart, whereas these young ladies spent every last day of that precious time together having adventures, making memories, and generally living life to its full potential.  Then, tragedy strikes...one member is unexpectedly gone, shaking their close knit group to the core...but that's not the only change coming this year.  For the first time in forever, life and circumstances is pulling them apart, and without the friend that was their glue, all starts to seem lost.  They try to hold on to the ideas and ideals of their shared past, conquering a new unexpected summer bucket list while apart, but it's not the same, and jealously through misunderstandings is rearing its ugly head.  Matters aren't helped by all the changes going on around them that directly affect them as well, but that's the thing about life...change is inevitable.  We can either roll with the changes, or stand stalwart and strong in our beliefs...eventually wearing away from the tides of change battering us.  Suffice it to say, this will definitely be one summer they won't forget.

I, for one, really enjoyed this story, despite its notes of melancholy.  From the loss of their friend that they are each still trying to process in their way to the realization that growing up doesn't have to mean growing apart, you're right there sharing the ride with each of these memorable characters.  Daniela may seem perfect from the outside, but she's a ball of anxiety within, making it that much more joyful when you see her getting her footing in a new place.  Lainie's upcoming change of scenery that she doesn't desire is a real sticky point for her this summer, and yet once she has a better insight into the whats and whys, she realizes not how much she's losing, but gaining as well.  Penny's home life hasn't been the greatest as of late, and her family's battles are certainly at the forefront of that struggle, but she starts to find herself more as she pushes away from the uncomfortable situation at home.

Each young lady is searching for a way to accept the past, be happy in the present, and see a way towards a brighter future...and with a little help from their friends, they might just make it.  This is a story about loss, but also about being found.  It's about living life to its fullest each and every day because we never really know when it's our last.  The future is not a guarantee for anyone, so making the most of the present, making memories that last a lifetime, and building friendships to weather the storms are really what it's all about.

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About Jennifer Castle:

Jennifer Castle is the author of twelve books for children and teens, including the novels for BLAIRE WILSON, American Girl's Girl of the Year 2019. Her YA novels published by HarperCollins include THE BEGINNING OF AFTER, which was an American Library Association Best Fiction for Young Adults selection, YOU LOOK DIFFERENT IN REAL LIFE, WHAT HAPPENS NOW, and TOGETHER AT MIDNIGHT. Her four-book middle grade fantasy series from Bloomsbury USA is BUTTERFLY WISHES. She’s also the co-author of two non-fiction books, FAMOUS FRIENDS: BEST BUDS, ROCKY RELATIONSHIPS, AND AWESOMELY ODD COUPLES FROM PAST TO PRESENT and FRIENDS AND FRENEMIES: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE AWKWARD. Jennifer lives in New York's Hudson Valley with her husband, two daughters, and two cats/writing assistants on the edge of deep woods that are most definitely filled with magic...she just hasn't found it yet. You can visit her online at www.jennifercastle.com.

Subscribe to Jennifer’s newsletter!

Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Tumblr | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

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~~~   GIVEAWAY   ~~~

1 winner will receive a finished copy of WHEN WE HAD SUMMER, US Only.

Ends May 6th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Special thanks to the Rockstar Book Tours team for the chance to bring this tour to you and to the publisher for the copy for review. (THANKS!) 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. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online store, or plan a trip to your local brick and mortar! Catch the rest of the tour for more!

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

4/1/2023

Reads by Radus

Excerpt/IG Post/TikTok Post

 Week Two:

4/2/2023	Review Thick And Thin	Review/IG Post
4/3/2023	Mallory Books	Review/IG Post
4/4/2023	Breysreviews	IG Review
4/5/2023	YA Books Central	Excerpt/IG Post
4/6/2023	Lifestyle of Me	Review
4/7/2023	@stargirls.magical.tale	IG Review
4/8/2023	@gsreadingspree	Review/IG Post

 Week Three:

4/9/2023	Tracey Reads and Rambles	Review/IG Post
4/10/2023	100 Pages A Day	Review
4/11/2023	Kayl's Krazy Obsession	Review
4/12/2023	@thrillersandhistoricalfiction	IG Review
4/13/2023	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic
4/14/2023	Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's	Review/IG Post
4/15/2023	Two Points of Interest	Review

 Week Four:

4/16/2023	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post
4/17/2023	NeverKnotReading	IG Post
4/18/2023	@inspired.j.reads	IG Review
4/19/2023	popthebutterfly	Review/IG Post
4/20/2023	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post
4/21/2023	OneMoreExclamation	Review/IG Post
4/22/2023	@bookishlifeofkels	IG Post

 Week Five:

4/23/2023	Brandi Danielle Davis	Review/IG Post
4/24/2023	Author Z. Knight’s Guild	Review/IG Post
4/25/2023	Mindyourshelf	IG Review
4/26/2023	@froggyreadteach	IG Review
4/27/2023	More Books Please blog	Review/IG Post
4/28/2023	@drew_ambitious_reading	Review/IG Post
4/29/2023	Midnightbooklover	IG Review

 Week Six:

4/30/2023

The Book View

Review/IG Post

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

It's all in how you look at it... DOUBLE BOOK REVIEW

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're taking on a topic with a more somber note, and how it can be dealt with in a variety of ways in Children's Literature. The subject is death, and while it's certainly nothing that anyone really wants to dwell on, it IS a fact of life. It can be the BIG SCARY for anyone, but for little ones that unknown can be even more frightening. Today's two title selections are from two ends of the genre, but both deal with the matter in their own ways, making it less something to fear, and more something the understand. Ladies and gents, please set your sights on today's two titles of choice...

Three Paws and the Secret Cave

by

Karen Struck

9781662407499

Page Publishing, Inc

About the book...

Boots and friends have enjoyed many fun adventures during the past two years. Now they are faced with an inevitable part of life. Cappy, the elderly mountain goat, is nearing the end of his physical journey. Granddaughter, Scarlet, is very close to her grandfather. When Cappy leaves the goat herd, without an explanation, Scarlet is frantic to uncover the mystery behind his disappearance.

Young Scarlet leads her wilderness friends in a celebration of life as she and her friends honor her beloved grandfather. Join Scarlet, Boots, Chinook, Sockeye, Pepe, Cyrus and Blizzard as they trek along the rugged mountaintop in search of Cappy and the secret cave.

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This story is for the younger set, and explores the concept of death through a tale of animal friends and family. Cappy is an elder among them, and is reaching a time in his life where adventures here on earth, are coming to an end. The journey he's about to take is solo, and while not something looked forward to, he understands and wants to make it easiest for those he loves...hence his trek to the Secret Cave. When his absence is noted, his friends and family are at a loss as to where and why he went, but following in his hoof-steps, they discover not only the reason behind his leaving, but how to move forward.

I admit, when this one came around for a read/review option, I was curious to see how things would be handled on such a sensitive subject with the intended audience. The story itself jumped around a bit at first, almost as if there were pieces cut before publishing that might have lengthened the tale, but made the transitions smoother, however when the time came for this mystery of life to be explained to his young granddaughter, I was in tears. It was beautiful and touching, and delivered with such tender simplicity. Scarlet would still miss her beloved grandfather, but she now understood it was something unavoidable that didn't just signify a loss, but a celebration of all the times they shared, and that in remembering, he'd be forever with her.

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About the author....

KAREN STRUCK discovered the joy of children's literature as she read to her daughter each night. She was inspired by the Harry Potter book series, and decided to take writing courses through the Institute of Children's Literature. 

Karen is also a registered nurse and works in the aesthetic industry, performing laser treatments combined with injectables for skin rejuvenation. She works with her husband, Steve, a plastic surgeon in Atherton, California. Residing in Los Gatos, California, Karen has a daughter named Rachel and two stepchildren, Danni and Evan Struck.

SITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK

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When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie

The Great Peach Experiment, Book 1

by

Erin Soderberg Downing

9781645950349

Pixel+Ink

About the book...

Sweet summer has taken a rotten turn . . .

After a tough year, Lucy, Freddy, and Herb Peach are ready for vacation. Lucy wants to read all of the books on the summer reading list. Freddy wants to work on his art projects (when he isn't stuck in summer school). Herb wants to swim every day.

Then their dad makes a big announcement: one of the inventions their mom came up with before she passed away has sold, and now they're millionaires!

But Dad has bigger plans than blowing the cash on fun stuff or investing it. He's bought a used food truck. The Peaches are going to spend the summer traveling the country selling pies. It will be the Great Peach Experiment—a summer of bonding while living out one of Mom's dreams. Summer plans, sunk. And there's one more issue Dad's neglected: none of them knows how to bake. . .

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This story is aimed at the Middle Grade set, and tells just what happens when our lives are disrupted, and we forget to keep living.

The Peach family is having a bad time of things.  With the loss of their mother, every day has had new challenges arise, and some have coped better than others.  Lucy has seriously stepped up to the plate to make sure her younger brothers are taken care of, supported, and feel the love.  Dad, on the other hand, hadn't processed things so well.  He's still providing for the family, but it's not so much a family unit at this point as it is four people struggling together while carrying the full weight of their loss.  Enter a windfall of money (thanks mom!), a break from work for Dad (though he was pretty much volun-told to take it), and a crazy summer experiment that will either make or break this family...and I'm not even measuring it in dollars.  

Some things are more precious than money in the bank, but seeing it through the heartache can be a task and a half.  As mind blowing as a random food truck startup for one adult and three kids sounds, it was just the right recipe of potential and disaster to steer these wonderful Peaches in the right direction...back to each themselves and each other.  Lucy was the glue, Freddy was the optimism, and Herb was the heart.  Dad was...lost in his sadness, and this time on the road together with all its ups, downs, and in-betweens, despite looking like a royal mess at times, was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Join the Peaches on a trip they won't soon forget, while honoring the memory of one lost too soon.

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Special thanks to Katie at Smith Publicity Inc, and Sara at Holiday House for the copies for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on these titles, the authors, or their full catalogs, feel free to click through the links provided above.  Both titles are available now, wherever books are sold.

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

RRR presents... AFTER THE ONE by Cass Lester - REVIEW!

Hi there! 

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers. 

Today, we’re setting out sites on a title on tour with Rachel’s Random Resources that seems to be in a particular vein I’m reading at the moment. What I mean is, I’ve run across several titles in a row that explore life, well, not to impinge on the title of today’s book, but “after the one”. Is it a new trend is lit? Is it simply a trend in my own reading? Good question...and one I actually pose to all of you. Have you too noticed this as of late? Anywho, getting back to today’s tour, let’s shine the book spotlight on my latest venture through the epages... 

After the One 

by 

Cass Lester 

About the book... 

April 16th is always one of Charley’s worst days of the year. 

It’s her husband’s birthday, a painful reminder of his death four years ago. 

So naturally, her car breaks down. 

She nearly gets run over trying to catch the bus. 

And then she’s made redundant. 

Her friends see the redundancy as a chance for her to start again and live the life she always wanted, but since being widowed Charley has clung to familiarity and avoided change like the plague. Then, out of the blue, her mother-in-law Pam pitches up in need of a place to stay after walking out on her 40-year marriage. 

Together, Charley and Pam find themselves at a crossroad. It’s not easy to move on after The One, but they can’t stand still forever. 

AMAZON UK 

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You know that common thread I mentioned? I was seriously getting some deja vu when I first started this one because another book started out very similar, minus the passing of the loved one. After getting over that initial double take, I was back on board with Charley’s friends and family trying to coax her back to life. 

It’s hard enough when change happens in your personal life, but when work also turns you for a loop, that lack of routine is enough to get anyone down. Lucky for Charley, she’s not alone...in respect to her aloneness as well as a support system. You see, her mother-in-law is experiencing her own marital changes (the cheating louse!) and is in some serious need of time to regroup. Charley’s fund dilemma provides the perfect excuse for away time as well as a chance to help her help herself to the life that she still had left to live. Between her and Charley’s circle of friends, they help shake the cobwebs off our gal, while navigating their own obstacles, and rediscover all that life and love have to offer. 

I felt for Charley, I really did, because she was surely having a time of it. Change sucks at the best of times, let alone at the worst. I honestly think she was quite the trooper for how she handled all the hands invading her life, and couldn’t feel prouder for when she was able to stand up and say what she really wanted, and though it may not look like to perfect life to anyone else, it was her choice. Second to her finding her voice, but only just, was when she discovered her heart once again. That’s not to say that it wasn’t there, and still beating, but it wasn’t open to opportunities, and once the door was prized from the frame, the flood of feelings, the liberation from herself and all that held her back was immeasurable. Pam was actually an intrinsic part of that forward motion as well. Through helping her find her way, she was able to get an inside look at grief and separation from the inside out...enabling her to find her footing, as well as help this daughter of her heart. 

All in all, a read with so many characters and story lines, it’s like trying to prize out the Brady Bunch siblings from each other, but the bonds they share, the tasks they undertake, and the Prosecco nights they imbibe on, create memorable moments and stories to share from the lessons they learned, and the love they helped grow. It reminds us that loss is a part of life, but it’s the not the end of it...and those that are no longer with us will always be in our hearts. 

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About the author... 

Cass Lester spent many years at CBBC having a fabulous time making award-winning programmes including Jackanory, Big Kids, Kerching! and the Story of Tracy Beaker. She has published a number of children’s books and is now having a fabulous time writing adult fiction. 

TWITTER

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Special thanks to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the ebook for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today. 

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

Amazon Crossing Kids presents... SOME DAYS by María Wernicke - REVIEW!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're teaming up with Amazon Crossing Kids to shine the book spotlight on a NEWLY RELEASED Picture Book that deals with a sensitive subject in a very gentle, and graceful way. Ready or not, fair readers, here comes today's book of choice and blog tour guest...

Some Days

by

Maria Wernicke

Translated by

Lawrence Schimel

9781542022514

Amazon Crossing Kids

With sparse yet striking illustrations and beautifully simple words, the author/illustrator take children on a journey out of their minds and into their hearts. It's a story intended to let little ones know that while yes, time marches on and sometimes we lose those most important to us along the way, we never REALLY lose them...they are always in our hearts. The only reason I mention "intended" in my description is because I do believe, if a child were to read it on their own, they may not initially make that connection between loss and grieving, but rather they may focus on the possible imagination angle of the story. While it does in fact work that way as well, it's not what it was intended to share...thus, I do believe it would be a great addition to a parental figure's repertoire to help their wee ones through tough times like these, should they arrive.

In the end, the pages are eye catching, while the story pulls on the old heartstrings, and though its intended use is remarkable, the fact that it can work on other levels too simply adds to the appeal.

About the author/illustrator...

María Wernicke is an award-winning Argentinian author and illustrator of children’s books. She is a 2020 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award nominee. Her illustrations have been part of multiple international exhibits, including at the Bratislava Biennial exhibition and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, among others. Learn more about the author at www.mariawernicke.blogspot.com.

On Instagram: @wernicke_maria

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About the translator...

 

Lawrence Schimel is a bilingual author and translator, with more than one hundred books to his credit. His children’s books have won a Crystal Kite Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and have been selected for lists of outstanding titles by the International Board on Books for Young People. His translated books include Wanda Gàg’s Millions of Cats and George Takei’s graphic novel They Called Us Enemy, among many others. He lives in Madrid, Spain.

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Special thanks to Barbara and Sarah at Blue Slip Media for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the illustrator, the publisher, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

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

PRE BOOK BIRTHDAY BUZZ: Don't Drink the Pink by B.C.R. Fegan

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're drumming up the PRE BOOK BIRTHDAY BUZZ for a NEW Children's Picture Book COMING SOON via TaleBlade Press!  It's from an author whose works I've sampled before, and they never fail to entertain, educate, and amaze.  Seriously!  The illustrations are always gorgeous, the story is generally filled with fun and humor, and the parting message is gifted with a smile.  The book on deck today does not stray from the "pack" and that, my friends, is a very good thing.  Ready or not, here comes today's book of choice...

Don't Drink the Pink

by

B.C.R. Fegan

Illustrated by

Lenny Wen

About the book...
Madeline adores her Grandpa Gilderberry – she always has. To everyone else he might seem a bit strange – an eccentric inventor – perhaps even a little mad. Yet Madeline knows that these are his very best qualities.

One of Grandpa Gilderberry’s most secret inventions is his box of potions which he delights in giving to Madeline each year on her birthday. Each potion conveys an unexpected and magical experience for Madeline. Year after year, Madeline selects a new potion with exciting results, however each time she reaches for her enchanted birthday present, her grandfather reminds her of only one rule – ‘don’t drink the pink’.

Exploring the special relationship between a grandfather and his grandchild, the potions in Don’t Drink the Pink provide an apt metaphor for each magical moment. Yet with birthdays comes aging and this tale doesn’t shy away from what this means for both the young girl and her loveable grandpa.

PUBLISHER  |  AMAZON

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As I said, I've read this author's work previously, and have yet to be disappointed, so I knew when I saw the review request come through, it was one to get on the calendar.  What I didn't count on though was the emotional turn of events!  Be warned...bring tissues!

I selected this one to read to my mom while she was waiting to be taken into surgery (outpatient ear surgery...nothing major, but nerve wracking nonetheless). It seemed the perfect match for the reading situation...short on time, in need of a distraction, superbly gorgeous illustrations...I mean it was a triple threat!  So, I began to read aloud and we laughed, smiled, and awed through a rainbow of fun...all leading up to the inevitable drink of pink...and man I was not expecting that little twist and can I just say, it's HARD to conceal tears!  I mean don't get me wrong, it's WONDERFUL, SWEET, and MEMORABLE in the BEST possible ways, but that pink will do a number on you...yet at the same time it reminds us that those that are not able to be with us, whatever the reason might be, are always in our hearts.

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About the author...

BCR Fegan is a multi-award-winning author who has written a number of fairy tales and fantasies for children and young adults. He is inspired by stories that resonate deeply with our desire for adventure, yearning for magic and search for meaning. When Fegan is not writing children’s books, he is forging worlds in the realm of Young Adult Fiction.


SITE | TWITTER

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Special thanks to the TaleBlade Press team for the ebook for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title just is set to celebrate its BOOK BIRTHDAY August 1st, 2019, so mark your calendar or pre-order your copy today!


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