TCBR AWARENESS TOUR: My Love for You is Like a Garden by Laura Smetana - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Hello friends!

Happiest of wishes to you this St. Patrick's Day.  Whether you're Irish or simply wearing green, you're definitely in luck because we've got two special books on tour today.  The first visited earlier, feel free to click around to it in a bit, and the second is LIVE and in BEAUTIFULLY LIVING COLOR right now!

This time around, we welcome The Children's Book Review as we shine the book spotlight on a Picture Book that takes a beautiful topic and spins it into storybook gold.  Ladies and gents, kiddos of all ages, prepare to feel the love as we take a peek between the pages of today's blog tour guest and ebook of choice...

My Love for You Is Like a Garden

Written and Illustrated by

Laura Smetana

All Ages | 38 Pages

9781737140962

Flying Cardinal Press

About the book...

With bright, watercolor collages, My Love for You Is Like a Garden celebrates unconditional love with vibrant garden scenes that will delight fans of Lois Ehlert and Eric Carle. Perfect for baby showers, bedtime read-alouds, or anyone you love!

Say “I love you” with this charming picture book families will love reading together over and over again. Bold, colorful illustrations of flowers, butterflies, and animals will inspire readers of all ages to explore the natural world⁠—and maybe even plant their own garden. Children will delight in finding ladybugs hidden throughout, and a glossary provides the names of each plant and animal featured. A beautiful book to share with a child, parent, or anyone who means the world to you!

My Love for You is Like a Garden Activity Kit – Free Download

Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes and Noble | Author’s Website

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This book was equal parts beauty and love.

It's about expressing those emotions that can be hard to describe.  It's about sharing them in a way that seems more tangible than simply a feeling.  It's about making the concept of love, and the perpetual-always-there-for-you nature of it more accessible to little ones, while older ones can appreciate the beautiful words and the gorgeous illustrations that give them wings...in some cases, like the one seen above, quite literally.

I've read my fair share of Picture Books, but they never fail to amaze me with how they can take something as seemingly commonplace as love, and turn it into something even more marvelous, more beautiful, more astounding than it already is.  There were several illustrations we were able to share, but this one was one of my favorites.  The gorgeous colors and artwork are totally on display, while the words share in the magic of the dance.  The starkness of each page let's readers focus on the message, and each individual scene as it unfolds.  There's not chance of getting lost in the background because it simply isn't there and it doesn't need to be because what IS is so much more than a picture to fill a space.  The images create their magic, something to dazzle the eye, and spark the imagination, but when combined with the words shared, and the feelings behind them, you've got a combination that can't be ignored.

A lovely story for readers of all ages to be shared whenever the mood strikes.  I can see it being a bedtime read to reassure little ones that the love shared with them will be waiting for them in their dreams and when they awake.  I can see it being a gift from parent to child or even child to parent...something that gets passed on as an heirloom, or added to with their own sentiments to personalize it further.  What I see the most though is it easily finding a place on bookshelves near and far because the messages it conveys are universal, and the images reaffirm that.

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A Friends and Family Offer

If you’ve already purchased a copy of My Love for You Is Like a Garden, head on over to Laura Smetana’s website to receive two free downloadable 8×10 watercolor collage art prints:

–Print 1 – My love for you is like a garden

–Print 2 – My love for you flows freely

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR-ILLUSTRATOR

Laura Smetana is the author and illustrator of My Love for You Is Like a Garden, a joyful picture book that celebrates unconditional love with bold, watercolor collages of garden scenes. She is also the author of Ice Cream with Grandpa: A Loving Story for Kids About Alzheimer’s & Dementia (illustrated by Elisabete B. P. de Moraes), which was winner of a Northern Lights Book Award, and Little Squiggle’s Lake Adventure, which she co-authored with her son, Stirling Hebda.

When she isn’t writing or painting, Laura can be found talking to kids at school author visits, gardening in her sunhat, and spending time with her family outdoors. Laura lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and son. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Downers Grove Artists’ Guild.

Visit her online at www.laurasmetana.com and @SmetanaLaura on Twitter.

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Enter for a chance to win a glorious garden-themed grand prize, including a hardcover copy of My Love for You Is Like a Garden, autographed by Laura Smetana!

One (1) grand prize winner receives:

A cotton tote bag filled with:

-A hardcover copy of My Love for You Is Like a Garden, signed by author & illustrator Laura Smetana

- 4 oz of tea from Adagio Teas

- A bar of Italian rose soap

- Cherry blossom & tea rose hand lotion

- Sunflower & ladybug garden stake

- A 12 piece colored pencil set

- A mini sketchbook with elastic closure band

- 5 blank cards & envelopes featuring art from My Love for You is Like a Garden

Two (2) winners receive:

-A paperback copy of My Love for You Is Like a Garden, signed by author & illustrator Laura Smetana

CLICK HERE

to access the entry form for your chance to win

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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 the guest post. (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. Be sure to check out the rest of the stops on the tour for more bookish fun!

TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, February 27, 2023

The Children’s Book Review

Author Interview with Laura Smetana

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

The Fairview Review

A book review of My Love for You Is Like a Garden

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

The Momma Spot

A book review of My Love for You Is Like a Garden

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Life Is What It’s Called

Author Interview with Laura Smetana

Friday, March 3, 2023

icefairy’s Treasure Chest

A book review of My Love for You Is Like a Garden

Monday, March 6, 2023

Lisa’s Reading

A book review of My Love for You Is Like a Garden

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Me Two Books

A book activity to pair with My Love for You Is Like a Garden

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Barbara Ann Mojica’s Blog

A book review of My Love for You Is Like a Garden

Thursday, March 9, 2023

Confessions of a Book Addict

A book giveaway of My Love for You Is Like a Garden

Friday, March 10, 2023

Writer with Wanderlust

A book review of My Love for You Is Like a Garden

Monday, March 13, 2023

My Reading Getaway

A book review of My Love for You Is Like a Garden

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

J.R.s Book Reviews

A book review of My Love for You Is Like a Garden

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Cover Lover Book Review

A book review of My Love for You Is Like a Garden

Thursday, March 16, 2023

Crafty Moms Share

A book review of My Love for You Is Like a Garden

Friday, March 17, 2023

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

A book review of My Love for You Is Like a Garden

Monday, March 20, 2023

Joanasbookshelf

A book review of My Love for You Is Like a Garden

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

TLC BOOK TOURS: The Trick by Emanuel Bergmann - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

HI there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

So, as I type this post, I'm freezing my little fingers off.  Yes, my friends, Winter has arrived in all its blustery glory and all at once.  It went from 80's to 40's (or lower) in the course of 24 hours.  No warning.  No time to adjust.  Oh, and did I mention it's RAINING?  Yeah, raining.  So we're talking WET and COLD...aka miserable!  I mean, I love the cold...it's about time...but the wet, I could do without.  Anywho, you didn't drop in to get a weather update, so I'll get back to the original plan for the day...

Today, we welcome TLC Book Tours for a stop along their latest blogosphere endeavor featuring a work of Fiction via Atria Books.  It's the author's first novel, but it's already toting the "international bestseller" moniker (way to go!) and you're about to see why.  Ready or not, here comes today's book of choice...

The Trick

by

Emanuel Bergmann

9781501155826

Atria Books

About the book...

A deeply moving, humorous story of a boy who believes in everything and an old man who believes in nothing.

In 1934, a rabbi’s son in Prague joins a traveling circus, becomes a magician, and rises to fame under the stage name the Great Zabbatini just as Europe descends into World War II. When Zabbatini is discovered to be a Jew, his battered trunk full of magic tricks becomes his only hope of surviving the concentration camp where he is sent.

Seven decades later in Los Angeles, ten-year-old Max finds a scratched-up LP that captured Zabbatini performing his greatest tricks. But the track in which Zabbatini performs his love spell—the spell Max believes will keep his disintegrating family together—is damaged beyond repair. Desperate for a solution, Max seeks out the now elderly, cynical magician and begs him to perform his magic on his parents. As the two develop an unlikely friendship, Moshe discovers that Max and his family have a surprising connection to the dark, dark days the Great Zabbatini experienced during the war.

Recalling the melancholy humor of Isaac Bashevis Singer and the heartbreaking pathos of the film Life is Beautiful—this outstanding first novel is at once an irreverent yet deeply moving story about a young boy who believes in magic and a disillusioned old man who believes in nothing, as well as a gripping and heartfelt tale about the circle of life.

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

This is a story about love...lost, found, personal, and for our fellow man...with a certain amount of "character" to spare.  Surprised?  Don't be.  It's often the most unsuspecting of journeys we embark upon that lead us to those true hidden gems.

Here we have the story of two men, many many moons apart, and yet their lives are going to intersect in ways they can't even fathom.  From the moment young Max beats down the door of the (formerly) great Zabbatini's current home sweet home in a desperate plea for a way to stop his family from dissolving into nothingness to the moment Zabbatini is once again worthy of the "great" title he once wore with pride, I was hooked.  I meandered from page to page with eyes wide open and a heart bursting with joy, sadness, melancholy, magic, awe, and so many other feels that you'd never imagine having for a story dominated by a pleasure obsessed elder and a young man refusing to accept what's in front of him.  Neither of these characters are the same as they once were and the steps and missteps taken or missed along the way, just add that much more to the tale.

We get to know Moshe as a youth and his humble beginnings.  Son of a rabbi (sorta) with a disinterest in learning the ins and outs of his faith, yet a desire to see the world...or at least the portion of it dominated by a "princess of Persia".  Yeah, I'll give you two guesses and one of them are gone as to whether she was truly royalty...but times being what they were (world on the brink of war anyone?), allusions were commonly accepted as truth (which brings me back to the rabbi and his wife conversing about the war front and "the miracle"...that line totally killed me!).  He endeavors to find his own path through life, and yet shall not remain unscathed by the world burning down around him.  Flash over to Max and we find a boy simply wanting his family to stay together, yet wishes are still not horses, so he is unable to ride it into the sunset of his dreams.  His journey is so innocent, so pure in its intent, that is plays a nice balance to the old man's curmudgeonly ways.  When they are woven together to a VERY surprising end, we see the true magic of life right before our eyes. 

All in all, I was enamored with BOTH of their stories from start to finish. Max and the former great magician have more in common than they know, but by book's end, their journeys past, present, and potential future, are revealed in all their many colors, and you'll come to realize that everyone has a story; some just hide the aftereffects better than others.  A tale that is both charming and crass, but with a heart of gold at its core, fit for older teen through adult readers of both Historical and General Fiction genres.

About the author...

Emanuel Bergmann was born in Germany and is a journalist and translator. He has been living in Los Angeles since 1990. His first novel, The Trick, is an international bestseller

Special thanks to Lisa at TLC Book Tours for the chance to bring this tour to you and to Atria Books for the ARC 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 released September 2017, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

BEFORE YOU GO....

DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

ONE COPY OF THIS VERY TITLE IS UP FOR GRABS!

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW AND YOU'RE IN IT TO WIN IT.

Open to US/CANADA residents only; no PO Boxes please.

Entries accepted through midnight 12/15/17.  Winner will be contacted via email and have 48 hours to respond with their full name and mailing information to be sent to the contest sponsor.  If the requested info is not received in the time frame, a new winner will be chosen.  SFIR is not responsible for lost prizes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

They love me, they love me not...

Hi there!

Welcome back to the site that doesn't know the meaning of the words "no time for reading"...or at least faints at the mere thought of them...Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.  

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY...

...to one, to all; the BIG and the small.

Whether you be single, spoken for, or happily hitched, 

may you all have a FABULOUS day filled with love.

In honor of the holiday, the featured title I've selected places love front and center with high hopes, dainty dreams and a great reminder of the magic that love instills in our lives each and every day.  It's for the wee folks, the not-so-wee folks and everyone in between because let's face it...love makes the world go round in all its shapes and forms.  Without further ado, today's book of choice is...

If I Found a Wistful Unicorn

by

Ann Ashford

Illustrated by

Bill Drath

As curious as the title is, the words within match its stride equally creating a harmonious read filled to the brim with expressions of love both ordinary and extraordinary.

It's truly a work of art both inside and out.  The book jacket is simple and unassuming, yet just behind it the cloth covered hardbound work with its wistful unicorn rearing lends it an air of fantasy.  Beyond the cover, we've page after page of watercolor illustrations lending their gentle touch to the warm words of love within.  Each turn of the page reveals another situation to ponder, leading up to a final declaration of love known, valued and treasured simply because of all the revelations made along the way.

"If I picked a little flower up and out it in a paper cup...
Would you smell it?"

"If my nightingale were a monotone and much too shy to sing alone...
Would you hum with him?"

These sentiments and more are worded just so to pique the readers interest, tease their curiosity into wondering just where they are being led and establish a relationship with the recipient that leaves no room for doubt about their status in another's eyes...and heart.  It's beautiful, sweet and curious...the pictures lending your mind's eye a helping hand so that you can explore each page to its fullest.  Speaking of exploring, there is a little surprise on every page just waiting to be found...sort of a magical tag-a-long that stays with you the whole book through; just another pausing point of wonder in this fabulous tale. To say I enjoyed the journey would be a gross understatement but alas, sometimes words fail to express the true beauty of the thing at hand.  I'll close in saying only this...read it.  For yourself, to another, or even as a gift, it's a touching work that works on so many levels and for all ages that will leave you with a smile on your face, a twinkle in your eye and an extra warmth in your heart.

Review copy received courtesy of Emily at Peachtree Publishers.  (THANKS!) For more information on this title as well as their complete catalog, be sure to stop by their official website, pay a visit to their blog, like them on Facebook or follow along on Twitter.  This book is available now so be on the look out for in on a bookstore shelf near you.

Another curious thing to note is that this particular edition of this work is the anniversary gift edition.  What anniversary are we celebrating?  I'm glad you asked.  As it seems, Peachtree Publishers was established way back in May 1977 by Ms. Helen Elliott.  Her dream of establishing a Southern publishing destination finally became a reality after a successful battle with cancer...funny (or rather not) how as we grow older we lose the trail of stardust our dreams left for us to follow and yet extreme crisis will shine a new light on them once again.  Anywho...a dream became reality and with the help of fellow cancer survivor Bill Drath (yep, the illustrator of this work!), she was put in contact with the eloquent thoughts of Ms. Ann Ashford.  Their collaboration became the FIRST book ever published by Peachtree Publishers...the work you are reading about today.  Pretty cool, huh?  ^_^

Until next time...HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY...and happy reading!

Expressions of Love for All Ages from Xist Publishing!

Why hello there!

Happy Monday and welcome back to another week here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.  Before we get started, a reminder that you have TWO great chances to win right now on the blog…both of which end THIS WEEK!  So before you leave today, be sure to get your entries in.  

*checks remind fabulous readers about contest off the to-do list*

Now then, on to today’s post…

It’s February…in case you forgot to change your calendar which would be TOTALLY easy because let’s face it, this year is FLYING by…and guess what that means?  Only so many odd days til the big V…Valentine’s Day.  That’s right.  As of today, you have 10 days left to figure out what you are or are not going to do for that special someone in your life (or for all us singles out there, for yourself) on this Hallmark-ishly charged day.  So, what shall it be?  Candles?  Flowers?  Chocolates?  Dinner and a movie?  Seeing as we’re all a bit on the bookish side, how about a book?  What a novel idea (pun TOTALLY intended) and as it just so happens, that brings me right to today’s featured titles; funny how that happens, no?  ^_^  Now before you head off into uncharted reading waters, no; they’re not THAT kind of book (although to each their own) but rather ones you can even share with the little ones in your life let alone your significant other.  Interested?  I thought you might be so without further ado, let's get down to today's COMBO post.  

Oh.  I did mention this was a 2-for-1 deal, right?  My apologies!  It is in fact a two-fer and a grand one at that because both titles are adorably wonderful image wise and just right to express your sentiments to or about the one(s) you love.  So, ready the count down....here come the books!

I Love You!

by

Calee M. Lee

illustrated by

 Tricia Tharp

This ebook features a collection of similes appearing on torn out sheets of notepad paper (nice touch!) as the giver tries to explain the depth of their love for their child.  A dog and its bone.  A secret to an ear (love that one!).  A pillow fort.  A shooting star (so beautiful!).  Some are more obvious associations, others not so much but they stretch the imagination and paired with the adorably cute drawings that appear as a combination of artistic measure and a child's coloring book, you've got a winning combination sure to warm the hearts of readers of all ages...with children and without because really, who can't appreciate a good picture book?!  In fact, though being featured at this lovey-dovey time of year, I can totally see this being used as a token of love felt, shared ANY time of year.  Now back to the holiday fast approaching and another title primed for the picking...

Be Mine

by Brenda Ponnay

I hesitate to call this one an ebook per se simply because the two page spreads of graphically simple yet enjoyable images and short but sweet sayings make it the PERFECT Valentine card pull out instead.  I mean seriously, who knew a little owl hooting "Whoooo loves you?" could be THAT cute!  From puppies to kitties, foxes to rockets and everything in between, there is something to cover everyone on your Valentine list and if it's not too punny to say...I'll think sharing this book with your special someone's will definitely make you the cat's meow.  ^_^

So, Valentine's Day...it's fast approach can send some running especially if you've no idea what to get or do. How's about sharing the joy of reading with those you love this year and put a smile on the faces of the little ones (and not so little ones) in your life with sentiments straight from the heart?  SO much simpler than flowers (though those do smell nice) and much easier to send across the miles (melted candy...not such a winner)....

Ebooks for review courtesy of Calee at Xist Publishing.  (THANKS!)  For more information on these titles or their complete and growing catalog of colorful digital wonders, be sure to visit their official website.  These ebooks are available now at an online retailer near you.  For a quick jump over to snag a copy to call your own, just click on the links embedded in the titles.

Until next time...happy reading!

Week-END Treasure: I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle

Welcome back for another installment of....hmmm, that sounds a bit to game show host. Let's see...how about we just jump right into the book choice for today, shall we? It may seem a bit strange, compared to my other postings thus far, but it's definitely worth a read and fits the "over-the-weekend" time schedule for completion. Today's week-END treasure is....

I Love You, Beth Cooper
by
Larry Doyle

Browse Inside this book Get this for your site

If you haven't heard of this title yet, you will be in the future. As with many of today's novels, this too has been turned into a movie soon to hit theaters near you. I believe it stars Hayden Panettiere and Paul Rust. Of course, reading the book first is ALWAYS recommended, at least by me, but to each his (or her) own.

Denis Cooverman is captain of the debate team, allergic to just about everything, and also happens to be class valedictorian. It is graduation day and the former seniors are being set loose on the world...so long as they make it through the ceremony being held in the 100 degree gymnasium, which is making everyone share the last momentous sweat session of their high school days. Denis however is sweating bullets due to more than just the heat. The speech he is about to deliver is not your typical "let's look to the future", or "congratulations, we did it" commencement approved writing. No, no, no. Cooverman is about to give one for the record books. He steps forward, careful not to trip on his gown, takes a deep breath, and then....well let's just say to sum it up, he thoroughly exposes the faults of several populars, labels his best bud as gay (Rich Munsch), and announces to the entire student body plus parents and staff that he loves Beth Cooper.

I can pretty much guess....your reaction is either on the "what the @#%$" side or the "awww shucks, that was romantic". I would normally veer towards the later half, however Beth Cooper pretty much has no idea he is alive. She is a popular, a head cheerleader.....did I mention the "owner" of a rather insane boyfriend in the military who can't handle a little nerd intimidation? The rest of the novel encompasses the 24 hours following his declaration. In this small window of time, Denis learns many things. He discovers a whole new level of pain, and fear in his struggle to outmaneuver Kevin, the psycho boyfriend. He unravels the perfectness that he has known as Beth Cooper, to discover there is a lot more (both good and bad) than his imagination lent to her image. In the end, Denis ends up adding many last minute memories of high school days before filing it away for storage.

'I Love You, Beth Cooper' reads as a cross between some of the big screen 'teen' movies of days gone by. If you take equal parts, 'She's All That', 'Fast Times At Ridgemont High', and 'Can't Hardly Wait'...stir gently, let it rest for 5 minutes, and then shake like H-E-L-......you'll get the right result. You get the graduation ceremony, sought after pro-creation between cliques, crazed boyfriends, loose-lipped friends, and innuendos galore. I do feel that I must include a warning to any younger readers out there...it is in the FICTION section, not Young Adult. Adult content is within the pages so be prepared...

Feel free to leave your comments or feedback!

Until next time...happy reading!