GREAT AND SMALL PRAYERS FOR BABIES B&H Kids Editorial Staff

ISBN: 9781535948210

My thoughts:  This is one of those simple, beautiful board books that are a joy to place in a baby gift and especially to hand to that little toddler or baby.

Beautifully executed in sturdy board with just a few pages. Each page spread is half of the rhyme with the second half on the following page spread. Each two-page spread has a pull down flap hiding a delightful critter and additional text (but not part of the rhyme).

The conclusion is special in that it directs the wee one's thoughts and thankfulness to God for His love of the child.

I highly recommend this book from the editorial staff of B&H Kids.

About the book: Thank You, God, for great and small animal friends!

Join these adorable animal pairs in a board book that’s meant for little hands to hold and explore. Each spread features a large animal and his little friend, who is hiding under the flap. A short thank-You prayer on each spread models simple thankfulness, and the text includes animal sounds to make the reading even more fun.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from B&H Kids to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and are freely given.

The Missing Money by Okeoma Moronu Schreiner [Review & Giveaway]

My thoughts:  This is a cute book and very nicely illustrated in bold colors. Young Kai is excitable and frantic that his money has been eaten by the ATM machine.

Now I probably wouldn't have a very young child using an ATM machine, perhaps some do since this is a largely cashless society. Nevertheless, this is a cute story that teaches a bit about money transactions and banks.

Kai is fearful, frantic, and fraught with despair over losing his money. The encouraging lesson is taught that ATM machines, armoured trucks, and banks are safe places for one's money. And Kai's parents are really good educators to his excitable child.

This series clearly goes beyond prior teachings for young children of coins, dollars, counting, making change, making purchases with cash, etc. This is a new age of money transactions and the author clearly thinks that children should be adept.

I just love the characterization of the ATM Machine and the Armored Truck.

 From the back of the book the promise of two more books in this children's series of books is upcoming. Paper or Plastic a story about cash versus credit cards and Creeping Costs an exploration of the costs of entrepreneurship. We'll look forward to these.

About the book: The Missing Money is the first picture book in a new three-book series aimed at inspiring young children to learn basic financial terms in a fun and age-appropriate way. The book follows Kai, a young boy on his way to the bank to deposit his newly earned money. While at the bank, a big scary ATM machine eats all of his money! Kai struggles to understand where his money went and creates an elaborate plan to get it back.

Just before attempting to break his money out, his parents sit him down to explain this confusing turn of events and help put his mind at ease. He discovers new findings, such as how money goes from dollar bills to numbers on a banking app. Finances can be a difficult task to navigate, even as an adult, so these books are meant to aid young children through the puzzling world of money.

The series, all three of which are set to publish within the year, emphasizes the idea that you are never too young to learn about your fun and funny finances.

GIVEAWAY

Begins August 22

Ends September 10 at 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open to USA addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy to facilitate this review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winner's copy is provided and shipped directly to the winner by publicist, publisher, or author.

Pavilion books for a better world: The Green Giant & It's Your World Now! [Review & Giveaway]

Frankly, I prefer to not have children's books used as a source of propaganda for any cause even if the cause is one in which I have an interest. The "green" movement is valid and we all need to be concerned about the effect of what we as individuals do that adversely affect this wonderful World in which we are blessed to reside.That being said, I still found The Green Giant and It's Your World Now! quite nice and acceptable even though they are essential kiddie propoganda for the green movement.

The Green Giant by Katie Cottle (Pavilion Children's; ISBN: 9781843654308; Hardcover $16.95; Ages 4-8; 32 pages) 

My thoughts: No, this is NOT the "Jolly Green Giant" from the mega-vegetable company. This is a giant plant "being" that engages the attention of a city girl visiting in the country.

As the Green Giant and city girl, Bea, get to know one another, Bea learns that there is not much that is green in the city. The  Green Giant persuades, or plants seeds of interest (definite pun intended), in Bea's mind so she plans to plant seeds and have her own plants in the city.

A cute story and it never hurts to encourage children to love to plant seeds or seedlings and have their own green spac/e or little gardens.

About the book: is a beautiful eco-tale that encourages us to put down our devices and save the planet - from the winner of the 2017 Batsford Prize and a rising star in the picture book world.

You've met the Iron Giant, the Big Friendly Giant and the Selfish Giant. Now meet the Green Giant!

A young girl, Bea, and her dog, Iris, are staying with her grandad in the country. Bea is bored, but Iris’s adventures lead them to the seemingly small and rusty old greenhouse next door.

Inside the greenhouse, Bea finds... a giant. A giant made entirely of plants and greenery. Bea is scared, but the giant reassures her and explains that he has escaped from the grey city.

Bea and the giant become friends, but can they do anything to make the grey city, and the world, a greener place?

About the author: Katie is an illustrator and print-maker living and working in Bristol, UK. Her work is often informed by the marks and colors created through traditional lithography. She also works digitally, using an iPad, and occasionally paints with gouache. The Green Giant is her first book.

💚-------------------------💚

It's Your World Now! (Pavilion Children's; ISBN: 9781843654315; Hardcover $16.95; Ages 4-8; 32 pages)

My thoughts: Rollicking rhyme is splayed across each of the pages taking the reader and young listener into the concept of who they are and what they can do or can choose to do. This isn't about specifics. It is about the child's being free to discover, try, do, accomplish, succeed, fail at whatever they wish to try.

There are 3 sections and each is a lesson to remember. It ends remembering that the child is loved intensely for just being themselves no matter what they achieve.

The illustrations are cheerful, colorful, and quite whimsical. Each page has a great deal of detail to stir thinking and conversations. A fun book to read and enjoy looking at.

I highly recommend this book.

About the book: Barry Falls' debut picture book is a brilliantly illustrated, funny and thought-provoking celebration of where you might go and what you might do in life that harks back to the Dr. Seuss era of children's books: .

“As for you my bouncing ball, well you can truly have it all. Yes, you can set the world alight, my child-so-small, your future's bright.”

A beautiful, lyrical and funny celebration of the world and the potential of every individual within it, with ;ots of things to spot on each page – cats, birds, flowers, cars, books, castles, rollercoasters and chocolate cake to name a few! Can you spot the ladybug on every page?

This is the perfect book to read to children to help them appreciate the wonderful things that exist in the world, and the wonderful things that they can do, as well as allowing them to understand some of the setbacks that may happen. And in the end, whatever happens, the child is reassured that their parents will always love them.

About the author: Barry Falls is an illustrator, living in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He graduated from Ulster University in 2005 and works for a range of clients in publishing, design and advertising. His clients include The New York Times, Orange, Unicef, NSPCC and The Guardian. He lectures in illustration at Ulster University.

GIVEAWAY

Begins August 19

Ends September 18 at 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open to USA and CANADA and UK

a Rafflecopter giveaway DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary copies to facilitate this review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winners copies are provided by and shipped responsibility of publisher or publicist.

Back-to-school must have! Lip Balms from Good Earth Beauty Exclusives are sure pleasers [Review & Giveaway]

Lip Balms from Good Earth Beauty Exclusives. Featuring Bubble Gum, Pink Lemonade, and Strawberry - perfect for back-to-school!

Girls of all ages are headed off to school. Girls of all ages love a little lip care products. Girls of all ages love the delectable flavors that Good Earth Beauty has whipped up in its line of natural lip balms.

Hey Mom! What are you tucking away inside those backpacks? Inside that little pocket?

I highly recommend you explore the Good Earth Beauty Exclusives line of Lip Balms for your kid's backpack or purse or suitcase surprise.

Be sure you get several. They last a long time but she'll want to have one in her backpack, one in her purse, one on her desk - minimally!

Your check list.....

✔ Backpack
✔ Gym Bag
✔ Music bag
✔ Locker
✔ Home desk 

Look at these lovelies.

Good Earth Beauty Exclusives takes the care of your smile seriously and they make it fun.

The "littlest ones" to the oldest will absolutely love the Good Earth Beauty Exclusives Vegan Lip Balms and happily slather it on to protect those lovely smiles.

And you can't miss with these features.....

• Vegan
• Gluten free
• All natural
• Non Gmo
• Paraben free

Today we're featuring 3 lovely new flavors in their plethora of lip care.....

💜Strawberry Margarita
💙Pink lemonade
💗Bubble Gum

Mild flavored and lightly scented and just simply packed with those oils and ingredients that soften and protect your smiles.

LIP BALM NATURAL VEGAN (Best Seller) 

Vegan - natural -  soothing and moisturizing - helps heal chapped lips

Choose from fun, original scents - Candy Hearts, Bubble Gum, Coconut, Candy cane mint, chocolate mint, Pink Lemonade, vanilla mint, vanilla marshmallow, jelly beans, candy corn or pumpkin pie, Strawberry Margarita! Made by Good Earth Beauty Price $6.25 each Click here to find it

Ingredients: Meadowfoam oil, olive oil, avocado butter, candellia wax, vitamin E, natural flavor oil

You don't have to wait to see if you win the giveaway. You can order your own products and GoodEarthBeauty.com  offers a nice DISCOUNT  CODE - SUMMER10 which nets you 10% discount. And as always, FREE SHIPPING in USA.

Get several and put them in the kid's backpacks!

GIVEAWAY
2 Winners - 3 Featured Lip Balms Each
Begins August 16

Ends September 20 at 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open to USA addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary product to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine alone and are freely given. Winner's prize is provided and shipped directly to the winner by Good Earth Beauty or its publicist.

Weird But True! USA: 300 Fascinating Facts About the Fifty States (Nat'l Geo Kids) [Review & Giveaway]

My thoughts:  This little book is a real jumble of quirky information. Just the sort of "facts" that middle school kids love. Odd stuff. Tickle the brain stuff that really doesn't have a whole lot of value in the scheme of things. But, still it's a fun book.

Kind of like a book of jokes in its value...... it occupies the mind, it fills time gaps when the readers are bored, it doesn't require organizational or mind bending energy. It is just a fun read. A fun bit of information. A simple good-to-have-on-hand type of book.

There is an alphabetized index at the back. Example: I'm from North Carolina and I wanted to see just what this little book has on our lovely state. I see that on pages 45, 56-57, and 168 there are some little known facts:

• Page 45 - A mile long island recently formed off the coast of the Outer Banks. (This one really surprised me as I hadn't heard about this. I will research this tidbit a bit further.)
• Pages 56-57 - The largest private home in America - The Biltmore Mansion. (I knew this and have actually visited.) 
• Page 168 - Thousands of corn chip bags once washed ashore on North Carolina's Outer Banks. (I hadn't heard this and this is absolutely terrible! The Outer Banks are an absolutely beautiful Atlantic Coast treasure.)

So you can find information that pertains to a specific area of the United States, or simply read through the book garnering Weird But True information about the USA. Fun!

About the book: (National Geographic Kids Books, ages 8-12, $8.99)

Filled with wacky wonders, facts, stats, tidbits, and trivia about America's 50 states and territories, Weird But True! USA is great for avid and reluctant readers alike, ideally sized as a grab-and-go book to read in the back seat and also makes for a fun travel companion for the family road trip.
 

Did you know that there is a floating post office in Michigan? Or that a library book checked out by George Washington was returned to a New York City library 221 years late? Maybe you'd be amazed to discover that the ink used to print U.S. paper money is magnetic? Perhaps a visit to Oregon's Great Salt Lick contest will be added to the vacation plans, where visitors can view unique sculptures (ie blocks of salt licked by cows and sheep)  and see which work of art wins! 

Read about all kinds of bizarre people, places, events, and things that make their state — and our country — great.

GIVEAWAY

Begins August 15

Ends September 15 at 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open to USA addresses only.

Open to USA addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate this review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winner's prize is provided and shipped directly to the winner by publisher or publicist.

Fire Storm (Kaely Quinn Profiler #2) by Nancy Mehl

ISBN: 9780764231858
Bethany House
Paperback $15.99

My thoughts:  Having met FBI Profiler Kaely Quinn in Mind Games (#1 in Kaely Quinn FI Profiler series) created by author, Nancy Mehl, it was nice to read of her mental strategy to profile and work through the mind boggling atrocities that have befallen a small town in Nebraska.

Her own personal life and family connections are severely strained and convoluted; but faced with her mother's fight against cancer, she tries to overcome past hurts and disappointments to meet the needs of family.

Fire Storm while a good stand-alone read, would be better enjoyed and understood if the reader has first read book #1 in the series, Mind Games.

The author's talent for fleshing out her characters and balancing descriptions and dialogue allows for a thoroughly engaging suspense read. The realist development of emotionally or mentally flawed characters gives the reader a glimpse into the world of the criminal mind or the mind that evil has gained control.

This is good clean, Christian fiction that is not overly heavy with preaching or theology. Just good clean reading about believable individuals in a flawed world.

I highly recommend this series.

About the book: FBI Profiler Kaely Quinn visits Nebraska to care for her ailing mother. She cant help but notice suspicious connections among a series of local fires, so she calls on her partner, Noah Hunter, to help find the arsonist. Together they unwittingly embark on a twisted path to a mad man who is determined his last heinous act will be Kaelys death.

DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine alone and are freely given.

Delightful picture books for ages 2-5: "Firefly Home" and "The Pawed Piper" [Review & Giveaway]

Firefly Home by Jane Clarke and illustrated by Britta Teckentrup, Hardcover ISBN: 9781536205879, Nosy Crow, Ages 2-5

My thoughts:  The colors used by the illustrator certainly depict the nights during which a Firefly emits its glow.

This little Firefly is lost from its home and is wandering all around, chasing lights of all sorts, to find its way back home and to its own kind.

A bit far fetched, but fun to read. Truly I don't know if Fireflies are drawn to lights other than the light of another Firefly. It seems a bit far fetched, but makes for a fun read.

Ultimately, little Firefly finds its way home.

I love the bright yellow against the blues and purples of the night skies the illustrator has drawn. The drawings are a bit whimsical, but fun and the Firefly has big, bulging "bug eyes."

A fun read.

About the book: There’s no place like home. But poor Florence Firefly is lost, and there are so many bright lights shining in the night sky that she doesn’t know which way to go. She’ll need some help to find her way back home. In this clever interactive picture book, readers can participate in Florence’s journey by encouraging her to fly faster, suggesting which direction to take, and making a wish.

The Pawed Piper by Michelle Robinson and illustrated by Chinlun Lee,  Hardcover ISBN: 9781536201659,  Candlewick Press, Ages 2-5

My thoughts:  This is such a sweet book about a caring child and kitties. I think this perfect for the home that has children and that adores kittens and cats. Beware, if you don't have a kitty and have a sweet child and if you bring this adorable book into your home, you may soon be on the receiving end of having a new kitty in your home.

This little girl plans to lure kitties into her home by various means and does so with the help of her granny's cat, Hector. In the end she discovers that all the lured cats belong to others and seeks to return them. But happily, she finds one has remained behind to be hers, forever.

Cute book.

About the book: Calling all kittens! A little girl longing for a pet of her own gets a bit more than she bargained for in this cat-filled celebration.

A small girl wants a cat of her very own: a furry fluffball to cuddle, just like the one in her book or her grandmother’s cat, Hector. So she lays a trail: balls of wool, saucers of milk, cardboard boxes, and anything else that could lure a feline friend. And who should arrive the next morning but somebody furry, warm, soft, and so very purry. It’s Hector, along with dozens of other cats. The girl is happy as can be, but when “LOST CAT” posters show up all over town, she realizes her plan might have worked a little too well. Will she have to give all the cats back? Will she ever get a cat of her own to love? Sweet and playful, Michelle Robinson’s tale of wish fulfillment will strike a chord with anyone who has ever yearned for a pet, while Chinlun Lee’s exuberantly illustrated felines will delight cat lovers of all ages.

GIVEAWAY

2 Winners Receive Both Books

August 11-September 10 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open to USA/CANADA addresses only.

NO P.O. Boxes, please.

(Canada winners must provide Phone Number)

a Rafflecopter giveaway
DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary copies of the books reviewed to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winners' prize copies are provided and mailed directly to the winners by publisher or publicist.