Two new children's books from The China Institute in America: Bowls of Happiness & What Was It Like, Mr. Emperor? [Review & Giveaway]

The China Institute in America has created four books to aid children as an  introduction in today's diverse communities to the Chinese culture. The “We All Live in the Forbidden City” four-book series is part of the institute's children’s programming aiming to bridge the Asian culture gap through educational resources and regional workshops.

The first two titles, In the Forbidden City and This Is The Greatest Place! was reviewed on Chat With Vera (click titles for my reviews) launched last fall. School Library Journal praised In the Forbidden City for taking a “potentially complicated and confusing subject accessible and fascinating without oversimplifying it.” Kirkus Reviews called it “an impressive introduction to the Forbidden City.”

Two more installments continue the tradition of “We All Live in the Forbidden City” books: Bowls of Happiness (ages 4+) and What Was It Like, Mr. Emperor? (ages 8+) celebrate the Forbidden City, and the study of architecture, imperial life, and Chinese cultural history in an attempt to make it accessible, appealing, and relevant to children, parents, and teachers.

Bowls of Happiness (ages 4-8)

ISBN13: 9780989377645

Created by internationally renowned artists Brian Tse and Alice Mak, this China Institute book teaches children about Chinese artwork and culture and their universal spirit of generosity, love, and respect for nature. The loveable illustrations are coupled with photographs of porcelain art found in the Palace Museum’s collection. Kids learn about how bowls are made and be able to draw their own Bowl of Happiness after reading the story.

Piggy's mom loves her so much that she has decided to make a special porcelain bowl just for her. As mom makes the bowl, Piggy enters the world being painted on its outside. There she meets and learns about the animals used on these Chinese artworks and the messages of happiness and good-fortune that they convey.

My thoughts: This is not your typical children's book though it is slated for ages 4-8. It is a sweet story of a mom and her little one, Piggy. Mom is making a Bowl of Happiness for Piggy and it is replete with symbolism particular to China's culture. On the pages before the actual picture book section, there is information for the parents on the establishment of The China Institute and of cultural symbolism in China. This is followed by the beautifully illustrated of Mom and Piggy and happiness.

The next section shows various bowls and details the symbolism of the shape, color, and designs. This is interesting and educational. I venture to say we won't pick up a bowl in the future without contemplating what it represents.

I think that the cutoff age of 8 is a bit young as older students and adults will benefit from the educational aspects of this small book.

The story is sweet and cute and will make everyone look at the designs on bowls a bit differently in the future.

What Was It Like, Mr. Emperor? (ages 8+)

ISBN13: 9780989377669

Engaging stories take kids through the average life of an emperor and learn about the real people who lived in the palace, including the prince who fought off a rebel invasion, the palace maids who lived in the Inner Court, the emperor who ruled twice, and the emperor who loved crickets.

Author Chiu Kwong-chiu is an artist, designer, and professor who explores Chinese traditional visual arts and adopts groundbreaking methods to interpret and promote Chinese art and culture.

My thoughts: Illustrated with strong colors and bold black lines, the history of China's emperors is show in brief descriptions of each emperor from about 4,000 BC until the demise of the line of emperors. Some were liked and some were not. Some were successful and some were not. They were considered to be endowed with power bestowed by Heaven and revered. They were the highest. I feel that from this treatise of emperors leadership in China there is very little take away information from which the reader will profit. There is satirical humor. Bubble captions. Mentions of eunuchs and concubines. And then of concubines racing to see who could provide an heir first.

As with other royals, the emperors had food tasters because they feared being poisoned. They were well taken care of by the court physicians. Some lived and ruled long and some very short periods. I learned that the original five emperors ruled over five areas (like chiefs) and then there was a unifying to become China.

There was some interesting information about palace life and the love of beauty. The concubines or women must have specific types of beauty, wear certain attire and jewelry, etc. Life in the palace for the emperor and all those who serve him was certainly different from life today - even "royal" life.

GIVEAWAY: A copy of each of these books will be sent to one winner here at Chat With Vera. Begins 12/13 & ENDS 12/28 @ 12:01 A.M. ET

a Rafflecopter giveaway
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of each book to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review. Giveaway is provided by publicist, PRbytheBook.

Fur, Fins, and Feathers: Abraham Dee Bartlett and the Invention of the Modern Zoo by Cassandra Maxwell

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

ISBN13: 9780802854322

A young reader's non-fiction biography of the man who helped to create the modern zoo, Abraham Dee Bartlett. It begins when he as a young boy was fascinated with animals and read all he could about them. He later pursued caring for them long before there were veterinarian doctors who took care of animals located in zoos. 

The illustrations are interesting and of mixed mediums. They clearly depict the era of the 1800's when Abraham Dee Bartlett lived. The expressions shown on Bartlett's face as a boy and young man are happy and pleasant. The animals are pictured as happy and cared for.

Bartlett was first to acknowledge and act on the fact that wild animals need an environment where they could roam, play, and hide that would be similar to where they lived in the wild. I liked that he discovered how giraffes were frightened when he happened to approach them on quiet slippers. He reasoned that because they were prey to lions who crept silently up on them, that his quiet approach brought out this fear.

An interesting book that is well done for the young reader to delve into the non-fiction world of reading.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own. I was not compensated.

Mr. Zip and The Capital Z by Kimberly Bryant-Palmer & illustrated by Jerry Palmer

About the book: After a terrifically hard and terribly disappointing day before the Fourth of July, Peanut Johnson, wandering aimlessly down Main Street, stumbles upon The Capital Z, a This and That Shop. Stepping inside, he meets Mr. Aloysious Zip, the kind and eccentric shopkeeper, who introduces Peanut to a most extraordinary place. There are toys and trinkets, model cars and miniature wagon trains, even memorabilia from days gone by. Discovering the wonders of The Capital Z, Peanut finds not only anything and everything a young boy could imagine or want, but also history unfolding before his very eyes.

My thoughts: In Mr.  Zip and the Capital Z you have two main characters: Peanut and Mr. Zip. Peanut is from a Southern African-American family and his whole family is introduced in the first chapter with little descriptions of how they were named and what they were like. Mr. Zip runs the Capital Z which is an unusual place where strange things happen or strange experiences happen to visitors. And this is what Peanut and Mr. Zip experience throughout the book.

As Peanut ventures into the Capital Z he touches things and they appear to come to life with historical figures from the early days of the American Colonies. He “experiences” history with Mr. Zip meeting a variety of individuals well known and not so well known. The primary historical figure is George Washington and several scenes involve him and life-lessons are clearly drawn from his life.

Bits of historical information are scattered throughout the book and in Peanut’s experiences. These are backed up in the back of the book with end notes referencing materials used for research. I am a bit of a lover of history so I enjoyed this aspect of the book.

The illustrations are deftly done in black and white and are very well done. Mr. Zip is depicted as a gentle old soul and Peanut is as a sweet young boy.

The story has Peanut and the members of his family speaking in a manner that some might find offensive and condescending. I found it o.k. and not offensive seeing it as a regional and societal manner of speech.

I give it a 5-star rating for the presentation of historical information to the age level the book is intended. I give it a 3-star rating for the story of Peanut’s family as it detracted somewhat from the main emphases of the book. All-in-all, I would say this is a strong 4-star book and will be enjoyed by many young readers. There is a soon to be released second Mr. Zip book which we shall look forward to reading.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from BookCrash to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own. I was not compensated.

The Abbess of Whitby: A Novel of Hild of Northumbria by Jill Dalladay

ISNB: 9781782641544
$14.99 Paperback | Lion Fiction

About the book: Chosen as Eostre's handmaid, Hild will serve the fertility goddess for a year before being wed. Her future is predictable--until King Edwin claims her as kin and she learns that her father was murdered.

Her first love is given a command in Edwin's forces and vanishes from her life, wed to her sister. The court is baptized, ending the old religion and Hild's role. Life looks bleak. She can't stop wondering who killed her father.

Suspecting Edwin, she challenges him, only to be married off to safeguard his northern frontier. Struggling in a loveless marriage, she is intrigued by the Iona priests making pilgrimages to spread Christ's love. When home and family are lost in Oswy's sack of Edinburgh, she finds herself in enemy hands, but meets the charismatic Aidan.

Inspired and guided by him, she builds communities to live and teach Christ's love. She attracts followers. Even her old enemy, King Oswy, entrusts his child to her, gives her Whitby, and seeks her help to reconcile divisions in his kingdom.

She never ceases battling against old superstitions resurrected by storm, plague, and solar eclipse, but at last she receives a bishop's blessing--from a man she trained herself.

My thoughts: I have recently read several novels written by individuals highly involved in the histories of the medieval period. I have found them interesting though a bit difficult to read because of the names of the people and places. I personally like to actually involve myself a bit in researching a period in which a story is immersed to garner more information on said period and to judge the authenticity of it as well.

The Abbess of whitby is staged in the 7th century of medieval Britain. It involves an actual historical individual - Hild of Northumbria. The author, Jill Dalladay, has extensively researched other author's works including the venerable Bede. I found that Hild's story parallels previous works, Edwin: High King of Britain and Oswald: Return of the King by Edoardo Albert. I found it interesting to again meet these ancient kings in Hild's story.

While Hild is actually born into the royal line, her plight is not easy. Life was very rustic and hard in Northumbria in the 7th century. It was interesting to read about the life and activities of the times fleshed out by the author who based much of it on archeological finds and her own imagination. The peoples of Northumbria worshiped the ancient gods but were gradually being introduced to Christianity.

I found it interesting how the transition from pagan religion to Christianity took place. How Christianity was spread and how whole clans or "countries" accepted it. Hild's story is just that - transition or transformation from pagan worship to acceptance of the Christ as Savior. It is about how Hild became a leader through her very humble servant's heart, and of the eventual establishment of a very important religious house in Northern England.

I found this an easier to read than other medieval historical novels, yet still I flipped back and forth a bit to review people and places on the informational maps and lists in the front of the book. These were a big help.  The author gives a short dialogue in the back on her research of the period and her reading list of helpful works.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Kregel Publications on behalf of Lion Fiction to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

EarthEasy LifeStraw Go water filtering system [Review & Giveaway]

The EarthEasy LifeStraw
makes a superb Christmas gift!

Clean water! Our survival depends on clean water!

Here in America it is so easy to take the blessing of clean water for granted. Of course, most folks realize that it is pretty "iffy" to drink from a creek or mountain stream and any of the rivers that flow so abundantly throughout our land. We turn a faucet, we get clean water. We visit a park, we have clean water in fountains. We dig wells, we find clean water in abundance.

But this is not the case in many places around the world. Our focus is on America and having clean water with us when we're on the go - especially if we go hiking, backpacking, hunting, camping. That is where the EarthEasy LifeStraw becomes your "go-to" product of choice. In case you're wondering what the "LifeStraw" is, just read on!

This beautifully designed, function take-along is a fantastic piece of equipment. Simply fill the container with the water at hand (stream, creek, etc.) insert the LifeStraw, drink through the straw. Your water is transformed through this magnificent filtering system into drinkable water. When you finish drinking, you simply remove the straw and blow through it to remove the filtered materials (dirt, germs, bacteria) and then reinsert the straw for next time. Fantastic!

$29.95 Buy Here

Details: The award winning LifeStraw water filter has now been incorporated into a sports bottle to give users access to safe drinking water even when there is no water source nearby. Simply use the bottle to scoop water from any pond, stream or river, and you will have a supply of fresh, clean drinking water. Take the LifeStraw Go with you when you go hiking, camping, or travelling to areas with poor water quality. Use the carabiner to attach to your backpack, or store in your preparedness kit to ensure access to safe, clean drinking water in an emergency.

Features & Benefits:

• Filters up to 264 gallons or 1000 liters of water down to 0.2 microns
• Removes 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria (> LOG 6 reduction)
• Removes 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites (>LOG 3 reduction)
• Zero aftertaste as it contains no chemicals or iodine
• Durable, leak-proof bottle made of BPA-free Tritan
• Filter and mouthpiece detach for easy cleaning
• Includes carabiner for easy carrying

Bacteria removed include:

• Escherichia coli
• Campylobacter
• Vibrio cholerae
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Shigella
• Salmonella
• Protozoa removed include:
• Giardia lamblia (Beaver Fever)
• Cryptosporidium Parvum
• Entamoeba histolytica

The LifeStraw filter is the most advanced personal water filter available on the market today. LifeStraw has been rigorously tested to surpass EPA standards for removing E. Coli, Giardia and Cryptosporidium oocysts, and many other waterborne contaminants.

LifeStraw Go filters water down to 0.2 microns without the use of chemicals. When the filter has reached capacity (264 gallons) it will stop taking in water. Since the water filter is detachable, you can simply purchase a replacement filter when the filter has reached capacity. The bottle can be reused indefinitely, saving waste from disposable plastic water bottles.

Specifications:

• LifeStraw Filter Capacity: 264 gallons (1000 liters)
• Capacity 23 oz
• Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Dimensions: 9" L x 3" W
• Material: BPA-Free Tritan
• Mouthpiece material: Food Grade Silicone
• Included: 2.6'' x 0.2'' Carabineer

Made of BPA-free Tritan, the LifeStraw Go is extremely durable. The built-in LifeStraw filter is securely fitted, lid is leak-proof, and the mouthpiece hinge is robust enough to withstand frequent use in rough conditions. The food-grade silicone mouthpiece is flexible which prevents it from chipping or cracking.

GIVEAWAY 

Begins December 6
ENDS December 21 @ 12:00 a.m. ET. 

 Open to USA addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Another Chat With Vera review for EarthEasy was for the Sun Turtle Solar Lamp - Read it here

DISCLOSURE: I was provided a LifeStraw Go to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

New novella from Richard Mabry, MD - "Silent Night, Deadly Night" Giveaway of a signed copy

ISBN-13: 978-1518641091

Rolling headfirst into the Christmas season, it is great to know that beloved medical suspense doctor, Richard Mabry, has penned a novella for us to read. Available on Amazon to purchase, you also have an opportunity to try to win your own, signed copy here on Chat With Vera. Here is what it is all about..... (my thoughts...)

In just under 100 pages, Richard Mabry takes the reader on a chilling ride replete with mystery and chilling events. After a body is found precisely laid out in the front yard and under a mound of fresh fallen snow, the officials begin the task of determining how the lady died and at whose hand.

Per usual procedures, the detectives begin their investigation by first questioning family members. This involves one niece and two nephews and each is a respected professional in either the legal or medical professions. As alibis and time lines are worked out, the detectives narrow the field for possible candidates for the identity of the murderer. For yes, it was murder.

This is another suspenseful read by Richard Mabry in which he incorporates his medical expertise and deftly weaves it into the story. The action is swift and enthralling. A quick and entertaining read that will capture the reader’s attention and hold it until the culprit is captured.

About the book: The colored lights on the snow gave it a holiday appearance, but the dead woman’s body in the yard added a grisly touch. How did Ina Bell Patrick die?

Who killed her? And why?

The dead woman had no direct heirs, so two nephews and a niece stood to inherit. Dr. Laura Morris was left to make all the arrangements, attorney Roger Morris could certainly use the money, and Zack Morris had disappeared two years earlier. Then there was neighbor and “best friend” Fay Autrey, who was certain the woman intended to leave her some money—a great deal of money.

The police were still looking for the killer who left the frozen body in the snow when it became apparent someone was trying to pick off the heirs, one by one. Who would win the race—the police or the killer?

GIVEAWAY of A SIGNED COPY

Begins December 4
ENDS December 19 @ 12:01 a.m. ET. 

 Open to USA addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author information: Dr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician, past Vice-President of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and the author of five published novels of medical suspense. His books have been finalists in competitions including ACFW’s Carol Award and Romantic Times’ Inspirational Book of the Year, and have won the Selah Award from the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. He and his wife live in north Texas and are active members of Stonebriar Community Church, pastored by Dr. Chuck Swindoll.

Disclosure: I was provided a complimentary copy to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and I was not compensated.Winner's copy is provided by and will be sent by the author.

A Dozen Cousins by Lori Haskins Houran, illustrated by Sam Usher

ISBN: 9781454910626

About the book: What's life like for one little girl with TWELVE male cousins? Not easy! "They read her secret diary. They used up all her paint. They put a lizard in her hat to see if she would faint." Loaded with infectious humor, this rollicking, rhyming picture book features a happy heroine who adores her big, boisterous boy family.

My thoughts: A Dozen Cousins is a cute, silly book that focuses on the abundance of testosterone when there is a bunch of boys – albeit, little boys – around. Sweet little Anna  is the only “girl” cousin amongst 13. No playing with dolls in this group. It is full of mischief, energy, worms, lizards, rockets, and used up paint supplies.

Anna manages to cope with all this boy-stuff by being a good sport.

Delightfully silly story written in short rhymes brought to life by the colorfully sketched illustrations that show us the full-throttle-all-boy messes and playfulness.

Illustration © 2015 by Sam Usher (image source)

This fun book encourages tolerance and lessons in how to get along at play time.

Look for it in libraries everywhere.

DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy was provided by Sterling Books to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.