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Showing posts with label elves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elves. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

AWARENESS TOUR: Twenty at Bedtime series with Dover Publications!


Have you ever looked for something to read?  Okay, let's be more specific.  How about something to read at BEDTIME?  You know, it has to have a bit of story to catch your interest, but something to calm and soothe the mind?  I know what you're thinking, why not count sheep?  Well, sheep aren't everyone's cup of tea, no offense to our woolly friends, and quite frankly, they could probably use the night off once in a while!  Today's featured trio of books are just the ticket!  Available now from Dover Publications, they have a little something for every little reader!  Catch a glimpse below, then catch me for the review...




by
Mark Sperring
Illustrated by
Tim Budgen
Ages 3+ | 32 Pages
9780486851891 
Dover Publications

About the book...
Who wants to count sheep when you can count pretty, prancing UNICORNS?

This rollicking, rhyming bedtime story with unicorns on every page is a fun and easy way for children to practice counting — and is sure to become a favorite part of every family’s bedtime routine.

Step into a world of adventure and wonder with the Twenty at Bedtime series, featuring Twenty Unicorns at Bedtime and other delightful stories with cute, cuddly characters that both children and parents will look forward to snuggling up with at the end of every day.








by
Mark Sperring
Illustrated by
Tim Budgen
Ages 3+ | 32 Pages
9780702304231
Dover Publications

About the book...
Who wants to count sheep when you can count stomping, roaring DINOSAURS?

This rollicking, rhyming bedtime story with dinosaurs on every page is a fun and easy way for children to practice counting — and is sure to become a favorite part of every family’s bedtime routine.

Step into a world of adventure and wonder with the Twenty at Bedtime series, featuring Twenty Dinosaurs at Bedtime and other delightful stories with cute, cuddly characters that both children and parents will look forward to snuggling up with at the end of every day.






by
Mark Sperring
Illustrated by
Tim Budgen
Ages 3+ | 32 Pages
9780702304231
Dover Publications

About the book...
Who wants to count sheep when you can count busy, boisterous North Pole ELVES?

This rollicking, rhyming bedtime story with elves on every page is a fun and easy way for children to practice counting — and is sure to become a favorite part of every family’s bedtime routine.

Step into a world of adventure and wonder with the Twenty at Bedtime series, featuring Twenty Elves at Bedtime and other delightful stories with cute, cuddly characters that both children and parents will look forward to snuggling up with at the end of every day.



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So...which one is your favorite?
Hard to decide, right?
Exactly my thought!


I love the BRIGHT and COLORFUL images that each title contains.  I love the fact that they are all inclusive so that no little reader has to feel anything other than AMAZING choosing any of the three books to count away to dream land!  I love the clever riddles, and rhymes that fill each page, giving us a few words for our journey, but not too much to kick start our minds once again.  I love that each book as a who's who as it were in the very beginning, so that as you meet up with each unicorn, dinosaur, or elf along the way, you can recognize them as they play their part in the story!  I love how each one contains a little pearl of wisdom regarding the importance of a good night's sleep, whether it be for the big man in red, paleo adventurers, or those kissing unicorn's goodnight.


Each book is filled to the brim with enough imagination and creativity to usher wee ones off to sleep, while stoking the fires of their subconscious to create a dreamland of their own...not to mention the extra practice with numbers because SOMEONE has to count all those AMAZING friends we're introduced to on each page!  A great addition to family libraries to give a new spark to their bedtime reading routines, but I do believe the brilliant nature of the illustrations just might have little ones asking for these outside of nighttime hours as well!  Whether you're a fan of unicorns, dig dinos, or want to get in the holiday spirit, you can't go wrong with this cute and clever trio of stories!




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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Sperring is the creator of several bestselling children’s book series and has more than 45 books in print. Author of The Naughty Naughty Baddies, Hot Dog, Four Silly Skeletons, and many, many more, Mark is influenced by all things wonderful. He hopes to one day borrow Max’s boat and go and live with the Wild Things. Until then, he resides in Bristol, UK.


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ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Tim Budgen is a freelance illustrator who can usually be found with a pencil in one hand and a sketchbook in the other. Illustrator of When You Adopt a… picture book series and Little Shark, Big Shark for Random House’s Step into Reading Series, Tim has also published many whimsical works with Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, Disney/Lucas Films, Highlights, and others. Tim lives by the sea on Hayling Island, UK, with his wife and their pets, Baxter and Alfie.




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Enter for the chance to win a 3-book set of the Twenty at Bedtime series!

Five (5) winners receive:

- A paperback copy of Twenty Unicorns at Bedtime
- A paperback copy of Twenty Dinosaurs at Bedtime
- A paperback copy of Twenty Elves at Bedtime




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Special thanks to Bianca at The Children's Book Review for the chance to bring this tour to you and for the ecopy for review. (THANKS!) This post is sponsored by Dover Publications. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view. 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. Be sure to check out the rest of the stops on the tour for more bookish fun!


TOUR SCHEDULE

Friday, October 13, 2023
Twenty at Bedtime Tour Kick-Off

Monday, October 16, 2023
Book Review of the Twenty at Bedtime Series

Tuesday, October 17, 2023
Book Giveaway of the Twenty at Bedtime Series

Wednesday, October 18, 2023
Book Review of the Twenty at Bedtime Series

Thursday, October 19, 2023
Book Review of the Twenty at Bedtime Series

Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Book Spotlight of the Twenty at Bedtime Series

Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Book Review of the Twenty at Bedtime Series

Thursday, October 26, 2023
Book Review of the Twenty at Bedtime Series

Friday, October 27, 2023
Book Review of the Twenty at Bedtime Series

Monday, October 30, 2023
Book Review of the Twenty at Bedtime Series

Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Book Review of the Twenty at Bedtime Series

Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Book Review of the Twenty at Bedtime Series

Thursday, November 2, 2023
Book Review of the Twenty at Bedtime Series

Friday, November 3, 2023
Book Review of the Twenty at Bedtime Series

Monday, November 6, 2023
Book Spotlight of the Twenty at Bedtime Series

Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Book Review of the Twenty at Bedtime Series

Wednesday, November 8, 2023
Book Review of the Twenty at Bedtime Series

Thursday, November 9, 2023
Book Review of the Twenty at Bedtime Series

Friday, November 10, 2023
Book Review of the Twenty at Bedtime Series

Monday, November 13, 2023
Book Review of the Twenty at Bedtime Series


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



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Sunday, July 23, 2017

BLOG TOUR: Thomas Troll's Travels by Nicolas Starling

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're playing host to a stop along the Authoright Marketing & Publicity blog tour for a Children's Fiction release filled with fantasy, fun, and far off places.  It stars a little guy by the name of Thomas who just so happens to be a TROLL.  I know, I know...we're use to hearing about them under bridges, but hey, this is Norway, or at least that's where we start off, and considering it's their homeland, I'm pretty sure connecting structures aren't their only hang outs.  Ready or not, here comes today's ebook of choice...


by
Nicolas Starling
Clink Street Publishing

About the book...
Thomas the Troll comes from Norway. Like most Trolls he is mischievous, naughty and full of adventure.

One day, he has to leave Norway because the troll elders are going to punish him for being so cheeky.  Thomas decides to live in England and has had all kinds of adventures on the way there.  He meets elves, gnomes and brings Ticklefish with him; Ticklefish are great fun and nearly as naughty as Trolls.  Thomas meets pirates a friendly ghost and even thinks he's sees the queen!

Some people think Trolls are a fairy tale. I don't. Do you?




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



Thomas the Troll isn't content to just let life pass him by.  No siree, he prefers more sneaky endeavors that seem to get him in A LOT of hot water.  The last one though...stealing all the Troll toffee (not just a sweet tooth satisfier, either)...takes the cake, or rather toffee.  In one felt swoop he goes from prankster and trouble maker to the outcast of the village...basically the "most wanted" number one slot, if he were a human.  Good thing he doesn't mind relocating because that's really his only option.  Good thing he's open to meeting new people and creatures because he's about to.  Good thing he makes friends just as fast as enemies because he's gonna need all the help he can get.  Pillaging pirates, slumbering Trolls and Gnomes, even a Tinkerbell-esque elf that probably would be upset that I just referred to him as a girl fairy, even if his penchant for turning into a winged critter was more often than not, there's a wide cast of characters introduced along the way that leave their mark indelibly on Thomas and friends, passing on messages and morals along the way.

Now, for the tough part.  While it certainly had its moments and fair share of surprises, for me, the magic never really seemed to stick, and the traveling was a bit over the top. Though aiming for the kiddo audience, some of the content and writing begs for a slightly older age group, yet the tale doesn't seem to steer us that direction in concept or plot. I will say Thomas was a sweet troll underneath his mischievous exterior, and what he did for Tracy or even Ronnie, was commendable... I just can't say I was in love.  Who knows...perhaps YOU will be!  All it takes is just the right audience and TADA...instant magic.




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


About the author...


Living in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, retired Butcher Nicolas Starling has always enjoyed entertaining people both young and old with his vivid imagination.

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Special thanks to Rachel at Authoright Marketing and Publicity for the ebook for review as well as the chance to bring this tour to you.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, feel free to click through the links provided above, or seek the out the other stops on the tour going on RIGHT NOW!

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






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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Journey into the Realm: The Spell Master by Markelle Grabo


Hi there readers!
Welcome back to the site that understands the Barenaked Ladies song "Who Needs Sleep?" a little TOO well....Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Quick reminder....don't forget to check out the right hand side bar for all the contest goodness you can shake a stick at!  FOUR chances to win, FOUR different prizes (or prize packs...depends on the contest!).  Don't miss out!  Now, back to today's post number two....

We've already declared our stand against bullying with this morning's post (click HERE to check it out and make your voice heard), but I simply couldn't leave well enough alone; especially when a recent read that just so happened to need reviewing had a bit of bullying, prejudice if you will, in it as well.  It's the second book in an eventual SIX book Young Adult series (for those of you that prefer to wait til they are all published before embarking on the journey, I highly suggest you break the habit) dealing with magic, fairies both good and not-so-good, elves and elfens, secrets kept, families lost and...well a lot of other really exciting and curiosity inducing things that make this a must read.  If you haven't heard of this series before, it's high time you did (click HERE for a glimpse at my review of book one as an introduction).  Without further ado, today's book of choice is...


Journey into the Realm, Book 2:
by


From the author...
Only one key can unlock the secret...
After discovering her true heritage and rescuing her sister, Ramsey Wilder is finally adjusting to life in the Elf Realm. She still has a lot to learn though, especially about her new power, which makes her start in ability school extremely convenient. But even as she immerses herself in school life, the secret she has yet to learn continues to linger in the back of her mind, as well as thoughts of Finn and his dangerous promise to return. And with Stellan away at war and Zora acting strange, Ramsey has no one to turn to but Nathan, an elf from school with much more to him than spells and a sarcastic sense of humor that Ramsey can't help but gravitate toward. And as danger reenters Ramsey's life, the terror and mystery only brings them closer together, threatening her future with Stellan and jeopardizing her relationship with her sister.
Ramsey can't lie to herself forever about what - and who - she truly desires, but is she ready for more changes to be a part of her already uncertain future? In this thrilling second installment, the key to Ramsey's secret may very well also unlock the secrets to her heart.



So much drama...but in a "I-must-know-what-happens-next" sorta way.  ^_^

Ramsey is the elfen girl we've grown to love over the course of book one; in book two, we find her adjusting to her reclaimed life in the Elf Realm...with a slew of new problems about to befall her.  Finn, the dangerous and evil Element Fairy, is still after her.  Zora, the elfen sister she rescued, is treating her like a stranger not family, holding her at arms length  and still withholding the BIG secret that concerns Ramsey herself!  Of all people, she NEEDS to know (as do we!)!  Stellan, the elf she fell in love with (a little too quickly but I understand), is away at war fighting to keep their realm safe, and his elfen alive.  That enough drama for you?  Oh wait...there's more....

Enter Nathan, the unintentionally (not really) suave, dashing, green eyed Spell Master elf that...oh wait; she KNOWS him!  He's "the Stranger" from book one (and the subtitle of book 2...TADA!  Can we say semi-starring role in this book? ^_^), and yet upon running into him at ability school....he acts as if they've never met.  Strange, no?  More like strange, yes!  KUDOS to our girl Ramsey for letting it go and actually actually learning more about the fellow behind the air of mystery; that simultaneously makes her feel safe, connected...and weak in the knees.  Smell trouble ahead?  You'd be right on that assumption; suspicion too especially when odd elemental occurrences keep randomly popping up throughout the realm (which signifies an Element Fairy in the area...usually...not that I'm gonna ACTUALLY confirm that theory or anything...^_^)...usually in her general vicinity too.  Thank goodness for good friends, right?  ~whistles~

Perhaps a more curious and certainly FUN pair introduced are Ramsey's and Zora's newly hatched dragons.  Yes, DRAGONS!  Imagine having one as a pet/companion?  Well these little guys are simply adorable and thanks to the delightfully described firsts for little Kalani (Ramsey's dragon), I have this little pudgy purple dragon tottling around in my mind's eye.  Mind you, she's not so little anymore, but she is just as spunky, take charge, and save the world as Ramsey...a perfect match.  There are other players here that you will both love and loath.  Some are obvious choices (such as Brielle, princess or not we know she's anything but conventional); others are well cloaked (like Em, what CAN you make of her snarky self?).  One character I was totally right about their true nature (well sorta, there's still things to be sorted there) despite the valiant efforts the author employed to throw us off the track.  Getting back to the story...

It's not all about fairy wars and heartfelt longing; it's also about finding and ACCEPTING your true self.  Allowing others to see those things that make you who you are and giving them the chance to open their hearts to you.  Here's where we get to the bullying part.  When THE BIG SECRET is revealed (thanks to some creative help from dear old mom...wait, wasn't she deceased?  Hehe...), those that know are but a few; by book's end, it's out there for all to see.  Despite how easily she made friends when she arrived in the Elf Realm, they turn their collective cold shoulder to her.  Even Aayliah, the forever bleeding heart of the group ready to make things better with a cup of tea and some kind words, avoids her like the plague.  Grant it, she's grieving right now....whom she is grieving will remain a mystery until you read this one yourself...but still, it's never stopped her before.  The changes in their attitude despite all the changes that have occurred in and to Ramsey really take their toll on her.  She's a stronger version of herself than ever before but even the strong feel the weight of the careless glances and hushed whispers thrown their way.  If I could climb through the pages and offer her a hug in support, I would...it's simply heartbreaking.  Nevertheless, the story moves on as does she because this is hardly the end of things to come for Ramsey.  Oh no...things are JUST getting started and with her Spell Master by her side (mini-spoiler, but only just), there's nothing she can't do.

Author Markelle Grabo
In conclusion, a great addition to the series and one that left this reader satisfied...yet still wanting more!  The only less-than-positive critique point I had was in regards to the flow of the story.  Overall it was good, but there is an abrupt change in direction a time or two that left me wondering if either A) they were simply trying to draw things to a closing point, albeit a tad rushed (even if it IS almost 400 pages), or B) the later half of the story should have been considered for the beginning of the next installment in the series.  Cie la vie...it did not ruin my enjoyment of the adventure within nor lessen my desire to add book three to my reading list.  (Though I'm not certain when it will be available as our young author is embarking on her college journey, I'm keeping a nice spot on my wish list ready and waiting.  ^_^) Recommended read for teens and beyond.  If you're a fan of the Young Adult genre, love a good mystery, a healthy dose of magic, a journey of self-discovery that is laden with danger and a little love for good measure, this is definitely one for you.

Review copy received courtesy of the author's number one fan and great PR presence, Maryanne Grabo (yep...her mom!).  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title as well as the entire growing series, be sure to visit her official website, check her out on BookBlogs.Ning, or follow along on Twitter!

Until next time...happy reading!


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