Tag Archives: outdoor fun

Dazzling Daisy Playing Outside In The Four Seasons by Risa Bardo (Book Review)

Dazzling Daisy is a picture book about an energetic girl who likes to play outside in 4 seasons and different weather— a perfect gift for young children who are inspired by outdoor adventure.

Daisy is a dazzling and cheerful girl who is always smiling. She always finds something fun to do! Daisy enjoys many activities outside of her home with her family and friends. Each page is filled with colorful and imaginative illustrations. Every page introduces new ideas and provides an opportunity to expand vocabulary!

It is an educational and fun story book for children aged between 3 – 6 years old.

This story was created by Risa and Mike Bardo who were inspired by the love for their children. This story is meant to inspire children to re-engage with outdoor activities.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

Dazzling Daisy Playing Outside In The Four Seasons begins with Ollie, a red-headed woodpecker, introducing Daisy to readers. With her parent’s permission, Daisy enjoys spending time outdoors. Rain, snow, cloudy, or full of sunshine, Daisy is ready to enjoy what each season offers. Michael D Bardo’s fun illustrations show Daisy zooming down a hill on her side and chasing after butterflies with a net. He drew Daisy at the beach and the park. These are outdoor activities that a lot of children have partaken in. 

Risa Bard wrote a lovely story explaining the four seasons in a fun and exciting way that children will understand and enjoy. Young listeners will learn that spring rains help flowers grow. They also learn a new and creative use of a rain poncho. 

Summer means warmer weather and more time spent outdoors: parks, beaches, and water toy fun. This time also means more clothing choices, which Daisy adores! Me too! 

Michael D Bardo’s illustrative introduction to fall was very creative. I like how he spelled out “FALL” using leaves. The color choices were spot on too! Through drawings and text, children will learn that fall brings a color change in our leaves and layered clothing. It is also the best time to roll around in leaves and harvest all the big fruits and vegetables. The last part is a fun fact that many children might not know. 

Dazzling Daisy Playing Outside In The Four Seasons finishes the story with winter. Michael D Bardo gave us another magnificent introduction to the season, too. Depending on where you live, winter might mean snow and cold temperatures. With snow comes snowpeople, sledding, and snowball fights. The artist drew out each activity beautifully.

No matter the weather or season, Daisy is always ready to make the most of her day with family and friends. 

Dazzling Daisy Playing Outside In The Four Seasons is an educational and fun storybook for children aged between 3 – 6 years old. The author wrote the story to inspire children to re-engage with outdoor activities. It will do just that! 

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤

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The Lizard Who Loves A Blizzard by Shelley Larkin and Michael John Sullivan (Book Review)

THE LIZARD WHO LOVES A BLIZZARD by Shelley Larkin and Michael John Sullivan

 
Larry the Lizard has always dreamed of snow. The only problem is, he lives in Australia. Find out what happens when a lizard gets a very silly idea… and it finally comes true. Join Larry and his friends as they skid, skate, slide and have an adventure in this wonderful ride. ​
 
 
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I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book Tours. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
 
 
My family has grown up with snowy yards. It’s rare for us not to have a white wintery season. My kids love the stuff and can’t wait for it to fall from the sky. Like Larry the Lizard, they can’t wait to grab a sled and fly down the hill. 


However, like Larry and his Australian friends, some people’s homes have never been touched by snow. We have friends who travel to colder areas, so their kids get to experience playing in the snow. 


To very young kids, snow seems magical. To older kids, it’s a reason to get out of school and join their friends outside for wintery fun. No matter a child’s age, their face will beam when they experience snow for the first time. Yanaisy Puentes Cruz delivered marvelous illustrations where a reader could feel every Australian animal’s joy and excitement over the winter miracle. We also felt Larry’s sadness when the ground stayed green, year after year. 


The Lizard Who Loves A Blizzard by Shelley Larkin and Michael John Sullivan was more than a story about snow in Australia. No, it was a story about following and never giving up on your dream(s) — an important life lesson. 


My daughter and I enjoyed the story and images very much. The text was large and easy to read. There are a couple of words a young reader might need help understanding. For example, many young children might not know the definition of lore and derriere. I doubt many will be able to pronounce derriere either. And, cafeee threw my daughter for a loop. She thought the authors meant coffee. She also noticed the banner spelled the word differently. 


While some lines rhymed, as a whole, this story was not set up as a traditional rhyming book. 


Other than the items mentioned above, we (my daughter and I) had no issues with the story’s contents. We loved it and will be reading it again and again. 


Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤1/2

 
 
 
 
 
Meet the Authors:

Author Shelley Larkin

Michael John Sullivan is the co-creator of The Lizard Who Loves a Blizzard, Nick Knitley and The SockKids. He is also co-developing three other animation series, including the Dr. Neverme and Dinomike projects. Sullivan has written several children’s books, including a Digimon series book with HarperCollins Publishing. In addition, Michael has written five novels, receiving awards and best-selling status.His first book, Necessary Heartbreak, was published by Simon & Schuster and was named by the prestigious Library Journal as one of the best books in 2010. Sullivan previously advocated for the homeless, drawing off of his own experience of riding the New York City trains at night for one winter. He has written articles about the plight for CNN.com, The Washington Post website, The Huffington Post, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Patch.com. Before he took up living among his animated characters, Michael worked for ESPN, Rival.com, Scout.com, and the Sporting News, covering high school and college basketball. He is a former board member of the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless. 
 
 
 

Picture

Shelley Larkin is the co-creator of The Lizard Who Loves a Blizzard, Nick Knitley and The SockKids, and is co-developing other animation series with Michael, including the Dr. Neverme and Dinomike projects. Shelley is involved in all aspects of the animation ventures, including marketing and promotions, and merchandising of books, videos and other products.One of Shelley’s passions is the Destination Imagination (DI) worldwide learning program for kids K-12, where she served as Director in the greater Sacramento area. Focused on creative problem-solving techniques, hundreds of thousands of children are served by the program each year, supported by thousands of volunteers. Shelley was presented with the DI Spirit of Discovery Award in recognition of her outstanding commitment and devotion to the global program. Michael and Shelley’s initial collaboration was co-authoring a children’s short story, “The Sock Kids Stand Up Against Bullying”, a nationally distributed book developed in concert with Destination Imagination. This story creates awareness of an important life lesson for children, and shows how The SockKids can deliver these messages through animation and books. ​
 
 
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