Brave Like Mom by Monica Acker and illustrated by Paran Kim [Review & Giveaway]

My thoughts:  A look into the family as they deal with small children and parental illness. In the home the young child is so dependent on the mother that seeing them sick for an extended period, and even worse - a terminal illness, can be a life-changing devastation. So being able to live bravely through such an event is best demonstrated via the sick parent staying strong and brave. Then the child can see and emulate bravery as they live through their parent's illness. 

This is a softly sweet little book centered on the small child's experience through a parent's chronic, or terminal, illness. The bravery of the sick mother is first presented and its impact on the family. Then the young child's bravery as they face everyday fears is given. The child has learned to be brave as is the mother and so both face their fears.

This is not a book for every home, but will be a real asset in those homes with young children impacted with the chronic illness of a parent. Beautifully written and illustrated, the  book delivers an important message of courage to live through difficult situations. This is a very special book.

About the book:  (Beaming Books; November 1, 2022; ISBN: 978-1506483207; Hardcover $17.99; Ages 4-8; 32 pages). 

She cradles my sister and me and tells us she’s sick.
Sicker than bubblegum medicine can fix.
She tries different treatments now, hoping one day they will make her feel better.

My mom is strong.

As one girl watches her mom battle illness, she sees Mom being strong, brave, and fierce on both good days and bad ones. Mom is fierce as she catches and wrestles a fish and brave as she endures needles from the doctor. The girl wants to be brave like Mom! As she worries about her mom's health, the girl realizes that bravery comes in many forms and that she can be brave too.

Brave Like Mom teaches children courage, empathy, compassion, and about female strength and endurance. It is a poignant and sensitive story about a loved one living with a chronic illness, and an important lesson about how being brave doesn't mean you aren't scared.

About the author: Monica Acker is a writer and educator. She holds a BA in creative arts and a MAT degree in childhood education. Monica is a member of SCBWI, 12x12, and Children's Book Insider. She lives in Reading, Massachusetts, with her family.

About the illustrator: Paran Kim grew up in Seoul, South Korea, but moved to Tokyo when she was twenty to study fine art. She realized her true passion lay in making picture books and became a full-time illustrator. Paran now lives in Dresden, Germany, with her husband.

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Dates: November 3-26
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DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.

A Beginner's Guide to Being Human by Matt Forrest Esenwine & illustrated by André Ceolin [Review & Giveaway]

A Beginner's Guide to Being Human, ISBN: 978-1506481739; Hardcover $17.99; Ages 4-8. 32 pages)

Welcome to Humanity!

You’re really going to enjoy it.

The human species has so much to offer:

Imagination.

Opposable thumbs.

And a tremendous amount of diversity.

Put these all together and you’ve got an amazing life ahead of you!

However, to get the most out of your human experience, there are a few things you should know.

Being a human is a lot of work! Thankfully, humans experience many of the same feelings, situations, and challenges, so we don't have to figure it all out on our own--we can help each other navigate the ups and downs. Full of humor and heart, this engaging guide inspires kids to be humans who are kind, empathetic, and thoughtful. No matter what our day brings, we can choose to practice self-control, compassion, and forgiveness. Don't worry, young human, it's okay to make some mistakes along the way--just remember that it's love that keeps us all afloat at the end of the day.

Matt Forrest Esenwine is an author and poet from Warner, New Hampshire. His debut picture book, Flashlight Night (Boyds Mills Press, 2017) was selected by the New York Public Library as one of the Best Books for Kids of 2017. His picture book Once Upon Another Time (Beaming Books, 2021), co-authored with Charles Ghigna, was deemed "a necessary addition to picture book collections" by ALA's Booklist. His poetry can be found in numerous anthologies including The National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry (National Geographic Children's Books, 2015) and Construction People (Wordsong, 2020).

André Ceolin, illustrator, studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He has illustrated over twenty books for children. André lives in Brazil with his family.

My thoughts: The concept of the book is good in that it teaches that humans experience behaviors and emotions that set them apart from the animal kingdom. We do, as humans, need to learn and practice these differences because we are prone behave or feel the opposite of them.

I am sure that parents and teachers can find good use for this book.

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Begins October 18

Ends November 4 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open to USA addresses only.

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DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Prize is provided and shipped directly to the winner by publicist or publisher. Chat With Vera is not responsible for lost or misdirected prizes. NOTE: I personally do not care for the "two-daddies" illustrations on several of the pages. I personally believe in the Biblical construct of marriage and family which differs. The text does not indicate the different style families, just the illustrations.

Gritty and Graceful: 15 Inspiring Women of the Bible by Caryn Rivadeneira

Buy it on Amazon
ISBN: 9781506452067

My thoughts:  Illustrated with bold colors and characters that exude strength of purpose, the assorted women and girls from the pages of the Bible, Old and New Testaments, come to life. The theme that permeates each story is what the woman or girl did for God and what God did for the Woman.

It is not an "if you do this, I will do this" situation. It simply states that the action of the woman/girl was meaningful and purposeful and looked upon favorably by God. It also simply states that God moves in the lives of women and does great or wonderful things.

Short, tersely written text fleshes out the basics of each story as is appropriate for young listeners or young readers.

This is a nice book to teach our young girls that they are of much value to God and can be used of God.

About the book: God gave girls grit and grace. From the very beginning, God looked to girls and women to teach, to lead, to love, to change the world.

We know because we can read their stories in the Bible. From Eve to Mary and everyone in between, the Bible is full of gritty and graceful women who faced tough circumstances with courage, toughness, intelligence, and faith.

This companion to Caryn Rivadeneira's critically acclaimed Grit and Grace: Heroic Women of the Bible combines exciting storytelling with the vivid illustrations of Sonya Abby Soekarno to bring the stories of these biblical women to life. Gritty and Graceful: 15 Inspiring Women of the Bible will inspire the gritty and graceful girls in your life to imagine their place in God's story, how they can make a difference in the world, and do great things for God.

Author Caryn Rivadeneira said that "Boiling down these women’s complex and difficult stories was hard! Each woman deserves her own book. But it was fun looking at these women, 'listening' to them and honing in on the most important (or one of the most important) things they had to say."

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from PRBytheBook on behalf of Beaming Books and the author to facilitate this review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.