Tag Archives: picture book

The Adventures of DC Lee: A Story of Adventure for Fathers and Children by Andrew Britton (Book Review)

 

This book is designed for fathers, by a father, and its purpose is to give fathers and their children a chance to learn about each other and the world, and to grow closer together in the process.

Being a father is both a joy and a challenge. You work hard, sometimes over 12 hours a day, to come home to a sleeping family. Fathers take care of their children, stepchildren, the neighbor’s children and scores of youth sports leagues, budding scientists and scouts. Sometimes our fathers were terrible role models, or absent role models, leaving us with no positive training on manhood and fatherhood. It’s not easy being a father, but with a strong connection to your children it can be amazingly rewarding.

This book is dedicated to fathers, of all types: stepfathers, birth fathers, fathers by adoption, grandfathers, chosen fathers, accidental fathers, mother-fathers, guardians, caregivers, fathers by association and all those in between and beyond. This is written by a father to provide a story that you and your child can read together. Throughout the story, you will have many opportunities to explain what things are to your child. In this way, you have an opportunity to do what all fathers want to do: teach their children. At the end of the book will be a series of questions that your child can ask you. These questions relate to the story and will give your child a chance to learn about you. This will help, I hope, give you what is so important to fathers: a chance for your child to learn about who you are, and to respect you for it.

Fatherhood is a gift that the world desperately needs. By taking time with your children to read this, or any, book – you will be making a positive difference in the life of your child, and they will have a chance to know you and love you. I hope you take this chance, and many others, to show a child what a real father can be; change the world for your children and therein change the world for us all.

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

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

 

First, I would like to commend Andrew Britton for his spectacular drawings. They resemble paintings. Seriously, I am blown away by your talent! 

Second, My daughter giggled every time we read, “Beep beep boop boop beep boop.” Anything that makes her laugh or smile is a win in my book! 

Third, she was amazed at how many places she had visited. This added a level of excitement for her. For instance, she’s been to Chicago several times and loves the Shedd Aquarium, which was mentioned in The Adventures of DC Lee. Unfortunately, she couldn’t eat an authentic Chicago-style pizza due to allergies, but she did find a pretzel vendor and gobbled that up. If you haven’t been to Chicago, I encourage you to visit the free zoo (Lincoln Park Zoo); it’s incredible. Oh, and don’t forget to ride on the Centennial Wheel (Ferris wheel) on Navy Pier.

There were many locations we hadn’t visited yet, so we put them on our vacation destination board. Yes, my family has maps marked with places we’ve been and places we want to see. Thank you for giving my daughter new places to dream about. With the way technology advances in space aviation/exploration, I think she’ll have a good chance of visiting other planets one day. If nothing else, she told me she plans to win it big on the lottery, buy a ticket, and travel into space for a few minutes like the other people we watched on tv. This made me chuckle. Everyone has their goals in life, right?! 

Having a child whose parent used to travel a lot before the pandemic, I could relate to the section where a child wonders if the parent misses them when they are gone. As difficult as it is for us to leave them at any time, it’s hard for children to watch us go. The chat between the child and Dad in the story was (pretty much) the same conversation my child had with their father in real life. Sweet! 

I highly recommend others share this story with their youngsters. 

Amazon’s recommended reading age is 7-12 years. 

 

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

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Author

Andrew Britton is a father, artist, engineer, author, goofball, and diabolical conqueror of naps and pizza. As an author, his work focuses on bringing a little grace to the difficulties of navigating childhood and fatherhood – times when things happen to us much more than we happen to them.

Reedsy Author Link

 

 

 

 

 

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Mickey on the Move Farming by Michelle Wagner (Book Review)

MICKEY ON THE MOVE FARMING by Michelle Wagner

Mickey is on the move again!
He and his mom take pride in farming and gardening together, doing everything from raising chickens to growing delicious fruits and vegetables in their backyard orchard.

Mickey, who was born with deafness in both ears, has overcome obstacles to fully enjoy the great outdoors.

His Aqua Cochlear implants allow him to hear and appreciate the beautiful sounds in nature without the worry of weather dampening his day!

Join Mickey for another adventure!

 
 
 
 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book Tours. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
 
I haven’t seen picture books that are solely dedicated to children who are deaf or wearing Cochlear implants. Many children NOW have a character that resembles them or their lifestyle. I know they’d be thrilled to finally see themselves and their condition in a book for their age bracket. 

As an adult, I was familiar with Cochlear implants and their function. However, I never considered weather as a factor that might destroy them. I never knew researchers and developers had created an aquatic version so children could play out in the rain, swim, run through a sprinkler, or do any other water-related activity. What a brilliant and magnificent device! 


Finally, Mickey can do all the things hearing children can do without fear, and his mother is beside him, encouraging him along the way. They played in puddles, water the vineyard together, went sailing, and much more. Mickey’s life is full of possibilities, no more restrictions, as it should be. 


If your child has Cochlear implants or is considering them, I encourage you to share Mickey on the Move Farming with them. Even if your child doesn’t require implants to hear the world around them, I encourage you to share the book with them because they might have a classmate who wears them. 


I think children as young as two will love the fun illustrations by Jenny Phelps. There are some images and activities they’ll be able to recognize: chickens, water, ear, and boat, to name a few. First and second graders should be able to read most, if not all, of the text. 

 

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

 

 
 
 
 
Meet the Author:
 
Author Michelle Wagner

 
Michelle Wagner is a full-time realtor, mom, and award-winning author who dedicates her time and energy to charities and events supporting children with hearing loss. Michelle takes pride in assisting families as they work through the different approaches to raising a special-needs child in a typical environment.

After discovering that her son Mickey was profoundly deaf in both ears, Michelle made it her mission to provide Mickey with the tools to ensure that he would live his best life. Today, Mickey, who wears bilateral cochlear implants, plays tennis and is currently in eighth grade at the St. Helena Montessori Farm School, where he is thriving and is social with his friends. Michelle makes sure that Mickey has the courage to be his optimal self. Michelle is donating 100 percent of proceeds from the sale of Mickey on the Move Farming to the Joyful Life Cochlear Implant Fund.

 
connect with author:
 website facebook instagram
 
 

 

 

 

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Ruby’s Camping Adventure (Shiba of the North) by B.A. Tomka (Book Review)

Roasting marshmallows was the plan, until a rabbit hops by…

Ruby is a cute, cuddly Shiba Inu with a mind of her own and a knack for trouble. When Ruby gets lost in the forest on a camping trip with her best friend, Anna, she comes face-to-face with several forest animals who don’t welcome the fox-like dog. Through the darkness, Ruby searches for a kind friend who will see the little pup for who she really is.

Ruby’s Camping Adventure is a charming children’s book for young readers (ages 3 – 6) that will keep kids in suspense, while delivering a subtle message that stereotypes are hurtful.

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 


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

 

Oh my goodness gracious, what an adorable book. The illustrations of Ruby and Shiba Inu were cute but not as cute as the real-life photos of the two. What an adorable duo! 

Natia Gogiashvili did a fantastic job illustrating all of Shiba Inu’s expressions. Without reading the text, you knew precisely what the dog was feeling. If you have a child who has difficulty reading emotional cues, these images would be a marvelous therapeutic tool. 

Shiba Inu is like most dogs; they love to chase things! Shiba Inu couldn’t resist chasing after a bunny in the forest, which led readers to meet some wildlife characters. For those teaching children the names of animals, several woodland creatures are featured in Ruby’s Camping Adventure. 

I do not have dogs, but I thought it was comical it preferred bacon and popcorn over freshly caught fish. I don’t blame the pooch; popcorn is delicious. Bacon, eh. It’s still better than unbreaded fish, though. 

If you have an early reader in your home, Ruby’s Camping Adventure would be an excellent book for your child to practice their reading skills with. There are a couple of tricky words, but it’s not a complex story to read. Most words are common except for boreal. That one might need explaining. I suggest showing them pictures of the northern lights. They are quite beautiful! 

I loved the B.A. Tomka included a pronunciation key for Shiba Inu because it would be a word that might trip up some early readers. I also liked how they defined Shiba Inu as well. According to the author, it’s a breed of hunting dog from Japan. 

Amazon’s recommended reading age is 3 – 6 years. Depending on your child’s reading level, even second graders could use Ruby’s Camping Adventure to sharpen their solo reading skills. 

I look forward to reading more works by B.A. Tomka.

 

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

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Authors

Mother-daughter writing team Bonnie and Anna Tomka — B.A. Tomka — live in northern Saskatchewan, Canada, with their Shiba Inu, Ruby, and two humans, Michael and Austin. The family shares a love of popcorn, bacon, and a good story. Their first book kicks off the Shiba of the North book series.

Reedsy Link

 

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Pensive Penelope Thinks About Words by Pat Blankenship (Book Review)

“Pensive Penelope woke up one day
Thinking about all the words she might say.
She thought she might mention the words in her head
When Mama and Papa got her out of bed.”

Filled with delightful rhyme and rhythm, this story follows Penny as she finds her voice in a matter of hours, moving quickly from easy basic words to complex concepts and ideas. And isn’t that exactly the way that works? Children go from making basic sounds to talking your ear off in what feels like no time at all!

Amazon Purchase Link

 

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

 

When you’re a parent, there’re many milestones you can’t wait for your child to reach: the first laugh, rolling over, the first step, feeding oneself, and the first word, to name a few. Each moment is filled with laughter, clapping, and shouts of glee from parents (sometimes from the child, too). 

When my children were (about) nine months old, they spoke their first word (Ma). Every day, their vocabulary was building and being shared with us, their parents. We were excited to wake up and see what our babies would say next. The toddler stage was connecting words, and then things got more interesting. This is when real conversations start to happen with our children. I loved this time. 

When kids start verbalizing more, they mimic sounds and words they hear. If you ever wonder if your child understands what you’re saying, this is the time when they parrot back your words. 

Pensive Penelope Thinks About Words by Pat Blankenship showcases all the words and thoughts that zip around a child’s brain and the excitement it brings to them and those around them when they finally can speak. 

Pensive Penelope Thinks About Words captured the realism of how tiring talking can be for a child and those listening to their chatter. I vividly recall when my kids learned to say, “Why?” Man, did they use that word often! “No” was also a favorite of theirs. 

Amazon recommends Pensive Penelope Thinks About Words by Pat Blankenship for birth to eight-year-olds. I think babies and toddlers will like the illustrations by Linden Eller. They were super cute! 

Preschoolers should be able to understand the happenings in the story, and school-age kids should be able to read most, if not all, the words with little to no assistance. 

I highly recommend parents share this book with their youngsters. 

 

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

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Pat Blankenship: I am Leo, Gryffindor, first born, comfortable-casual clothes lover and a huge fan of kids. I am a yogi, a mother, a grandmother and a reader of newspapers and novels. I am an English major, a teacher, a retired lawyer and a writer.

Reedsy Author Link

 

 

 

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Hey Charlie, You’re Next!  by Michael B. Judkins (Book Spotlight / Author Interview)

 
Charlie finds himself in the midst of bullying on Basketball day at school and is unsure of how to speak up for himself. With a little bit of advice from his teacher and some hope, there is nothing that can tear him down.
Hey Charlie, You’re Next offers readers a compelling story about overcoming negativity and gaining self confidence. It is the first book in the Hey Charlie series by Michael Judkins. Stay tune for the next books!
 
BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon Purchase Link
add the goodreads
 
 
 
Meet the Author:
Michael B. Judkins, is a local creative residing in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania. He holds an Associate in Science in Journalism, Bachelor of Science in Human Services, and a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling with over 20 years in the field of Human Services.

Michael self-published his first poetry collection titled, “Introduction to Sentimental Me”. After the release of this collection, Michael was signed to Aois 21 Media publishing house which published his second poetry collection released title, “Interlude to Sentimental Me.” In addition, to the “I Stand- Podcast” and “Interlude to Sentimental Book Tour (Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C, Bethlehem Pa, and Allentown, PA) which also included a virtual book tour (blog sites).

During this time, Michael started his independent film career in 2016, as a script supervisor on a short film produced in the Lehigh Valley area of PA. This project opened the door for Michael in the local film industry in the Lehigh Valley. After this, Michael worked on several film projects throughout the next few years as production manager, production assistant, Key Grip, and Producer. Michael also has written, produced, and directed his first stage play titled, “Interlude to Sentimental Me Stage Play.”

 

Do you have another profession besides writing?

I’ve been a mental health therapist for the past 20 years. I worked in various settings ranging from outpatient, residential, community, Inpatient, and Correctional.

 

How long have you been writing?

My writing journey started in High School.  I’d write short stories and poems and would not share the writing. I wrote a poem on the back of a global studies test and my teacher read the poem and graded me an A.

 

Where do you write?

I like to write mostly on my desktop. I craft out ideas, storylines, and characters throughout my walking day, and when it’s time to write I have my outline.

 

What is your next project?

 I have a short film in post-production titled Lonely Girl. I’m working on the second series to Hey Charlie and editing a potential short film to produce.

 

What is your writing schedule?

I don’t have a writing schedule. I like to draft notes daily and build characters and storylines when something is moving me.  So, I guess every day lol.

 

connect with the author: 
website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ youtube ~ goodreads ~ bookbub
 
 
 
 
 

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