Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Little Lek Longtail Learns to Sleep by Bette Killion & illustrated by Beatriz Vidal [Review & Giveaway]


My thoughts: This fable takes the idea that little ones (our very own children) are afraid to go to sleep or afraid of the dark. The colorful Thai Argus pheasant is the little one that can't sleep in this story and he is afraid of things in the darkness. One of them being that something will eat him - tigers or panthers - if he goes to sleep and isn't alarmed in time to get away from them.

Little Lek Longtail has an exceptionally long and beautifully colored tail and this proves to be a source of not only pride but provides him with a coping skill as well. Bette Killion allows Little Lek to have a longer and more colorful tail than the real Thai Argus pheasant, but the real bird does have a rather spectacular tail and he does perch in trees as Little Lek does. Ms. Killion has aptly provided a bedtime story that will surely help children of the world learn to cope with their fear of the dark while learning about an unusual bird that lives amongst the dense foliage of the Thai rainforest.

The Thai Argus pheasant is a bird native to Thailand which is tropical. The illustrations are lush greens as one would expect the foliage to be in a tropical land. And Little Lek's feathers are bright and colorful. Beatriz Vidal allows the lush illustrations to flow uninterrupted by words and white space allowing the text its own space keeping the illustrations intact.

At the back of the book the author provides facts about the Argus pheasant that are very interesting and will provide a nice teaching opportunity.
"...everyone loved him."




About the book: “I can't sleep, mommy, I'm scared.” Human moms and dads have heard it many times before, and so too, it turns out, has Little Lek's mother. Her little Thai Argus pheasant was so gentle, kind, and handsome with his exceptionally long and brightly colored tail. But he had just one problem: he couldn't get to sleep. Then one day something changed, and Little Lek discovered a strength that lay hidden within, something that gave him the peace of mind to sleep soundly through the night. Find out the secret of how Little Lek learned to trust in himself! Readers will delight in Beatriz Vidal's vivid and expressive art. An appendix of fascinating facts about the Thai Argus pheasant makes this book an educational experience as well.
GIVEAWAY
Begins February 22
ENDS March 16 @ 12:01 a.m. EST
Open to USA addresses only.
  a Rafflecopter giveaway
DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy to facilitate this review. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated. Giveaway copy is provided by Wisdom Tales and shipped directly to the winner by publisher.

28 comments:

  1. 1. At Betty Killion's author's page, I see she's worked for many leading children's magazines, and she's published her own versions of classic fairy tales.
    2. At Beatriz Vidal's page, I see her work has appeared on PBS, and she is from Argentina.
    3. At Wisdom Tales' Web site, I see there is a book on "The Universal Spirit Of Islam." I would love to look at that or read a review of it. I'm also very curious about the books of Hindu mythology.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I learned that Bette Killion has had 800 children’s poems, stories and articles published and her grandfather read many stories and poems to her so she learned to love words.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beatriz Vidal’s work has appeared on several PBS programs and she divides her time between Argentina, New York and France.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child. -- Angels
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera. -- President Lincoln: From Log Cabin to White House

    ReplyDelete
  5. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child. -- The Boy & His Mud Horses
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera.-- Children of the Tipi: Life in the Buffalo Days

    ReplyDelete
  6. As a child, Beatriz Vidal, loved to draw but also wanted to learn to play piano. Since her parents told her she would have to wait she decided to build her own piano out of cardboard. This caused her parents to give in and get her piano lessons. Very cute.

    ReplyDelete
  7. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child. -- The Christmas Horse and the Three Wise Men
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera. -- The Conference
    of the Birds

    ReplyDelete
  8. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child.-- Custer’s Last Battle
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera. -- The Dreidel that Wouldn’t Spin

    ReplyDelete
  9. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child. The Compassionate Warrior: Abd el-Kader of Algeria
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera. - The Essential Charles Eastman

    ReplyDelete
  10. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child. - The Earth Made New: Plains Indian Stories of Creation
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera. - Everyone Prays: Celebrating Faith Around the World

    ReplyDelete
  11. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child. - The Fantastic Adventures of Krishna
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera. - Feathers for Peacock

    ReplyDelete
  12. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child. - The Green Musician
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera. - Horse Raid: The Making of a Warrior

    ReplyDelete
  13. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child. - The Green Musician
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera. - Horse Raid: The Making of a Warrior

    ReplyDelete
  14. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child. - The Hunter’s Promise: An Abenaki Tale
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera. - Indian Boyhood: The True Story of a Sioux Upbringing

    ReplyDelete
  15. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child. - Just Like Me, Climbing a Tree: Exploring Trees Around the World
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera. - A King James Christmas

    ReplyDelete
  16. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child. - The Knight, the Princess & the Magic Rock
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera - The Woman Who Lived with Wolves

    ReplyDelete
  17. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child.- Mahavira: The Hero of Nonviolence
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera. - The Man Who Dreamed of Elk-Dogs

    ReplyDelete
  18. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child. - Never Say a Mean Word Again
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera. - The Olive Tree

    ReplyDelete
  19. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child. - The Otter, the Spotted Frog & the Great Flood
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera. - The Pandas and Their Chopsticks: and Other Animal Stories

    ReplyDelete
  20. 1. She attended Indiana State University.
    2. She's had over 800 poems, stories, and articles published in children's magazines.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  21. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child. - Pine and the
    Winter Sparrow
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera. - President Lincoln: From Log Cabin to White House

    ReplyDelete
  22. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child. - Princess Rosie’s Rainbows
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera. - Princess Sophie and the Six Swans: A Tale from the Brothers Grimm

    ReplyDelete
  23. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child. - Red Cloud’s War: Brave Eagle’s Account of the Fetterman Fight
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera. - The Rock Maiden: A Chinese Tale of Love and Loyalty

    ReplyDelete
  24. 1.--Find 1 book you would like for yourself or your child. - Saint Anthony the Great
    2.--Find 1 book you would like to see reviewed here on Chat With Vera - Saint Francis of Assisi

    ReplyDelete
  25. Ms Killon has rewritten several classic fairy tales.
    I loved her quote about why she wanted to write: “Richer than I you can never be. I had a mother who read to me.”

    ReplyDelete
  26. I'd like The Conference of the Birds for my bird-loving grandson
    I'd like you to review St Francis of Assisi

    ReplyDelete
  27. I would love to read this book "Princess Sophie and the Six Swans:
    A Tale from the Brothers Grimm"
    I also would love to read the review or giveaway about the Feathers for Peacock
    Thank You for the chance!

    Fiona N

    ReplyDelete
  28. The illustrations in this book are absolutely stunning! Thanks so much for linking up at Booknificent Thursday on Mommynificent.com this week!
    Tina

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment here at Chat With Vera. If you need to contact me directly, please use the email associated with this blog and posted in the sidebar.