Good Night, Little Sea Otter by Janet Halfmann Book Review

Another great children's book written by Janet Halfmann is the best way to sum up Good Night, Little Sea Otter.  Janet's books are engaging since they center around wildlife which most children enjoy.  Little Otter is a story of a cute little otter who is about to go to sleep.  Little Otter, like many children, don't always want to go fast to sleep and are clever with finding ways to stay up a little later.

The illustrations by Wish Williams are equally impressive and also entertain the children as they hear the story of Little Otter.  Both my girls listened intently and smiled at the illustrations.  It was a delightful little tale and ideal for bedtime since it wasn't too long.

Overall, we enjoyed Good Night, Little Sea Otter and would definitely recommend it for anyone with children.  The suggested ages were 3 to 6 but even my 7 year old enjoyed the story.  Priced at only $5.95, it would even make a great stocking stuffer or a book swap for Christmas gift giving.

Good Night, Little Sea Otter was provided by Star Bright Books for the purposes of this review.

America The Story of Us: An Illustrated History by Kevin Baker Review

Have you had a chance to watch the History channel and view America The Story of Us?  I have and loved it and when I was provided an opportunity to receive a complimentary copy, I was more than happy to read and provide my thoughts.  The author, Kevin Baker, wrote this great supplement to the History channel special that chronicles the United States from colonial settlement to modern day.

The book is broken down into 12 chapters with numerous illustrations supporting the stories.  The illustrations range from drawings to photos from objects to maps and so much more.  The illustrations were a treasure to this book given how much it added to the entire book.  The insightful stories provided an almost first hand account of what it must have been liked to have been in some of the situations described along the way.

 

This is 400 page powerhouse follows the series along thus reinforcing what the viewer watched if for educational reasons or just for pleasure.  America The Story of Us: An Illustrated History is perfect for the novice or historical buff.  My favorite chapter was on WWII and I particularly liked seeing an actual copy of Roosevelt's address to Congress. There is a final section for extended reading should the reader like to find additional information to supplement the book.

Overall, I would recommend this book as an educational aid or just for pleasure.  Very well written, informative, factual and excellent complimentary illustrations that keep you wanting more.


Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

Fur and Feathers by Janet Halfmann Book Review

In this complimentary delightful e-Book that I had a chance to review, I found another great example of how author, Janet Halfmann, can make learning fun with the use of animals.  Janet captures the magic of animals in such detail that it brings them into a whole new light.  I always enjoy reading the books by Janet and can't wait to read them to my daughters.  In Fur and Feathers, Sophia has a dream of great winds whisking the fur and feathers off all her animal friends.  Faced with what to do for these helpless animals, Sophia's creativity uncovers beautiful new ways to cover her friends and teaches a great lesson on sharing, giving and helping others.

Another great feature of Janet's books end with a learning experience for children.  For Creative Minds further challenges children to learn in a fun way with four pages of fun learning activities at the back of the book.

This book is recommended for ages 4-9 and is published by SylvanDellPublishing..

Both my girls enjoyed the story as did I and I think you will too!

You can purchase Janet's book online or any of Sylvan Dell Publishing books here.

Dear Baby It's a Colorful World by Carol Casey Book Review

Product Details

• Author: Carol Casey
• Illustrated by: Jason Oransky
• Reading level: Baby-Preschool
• Hardcover: 28 pages
• Publisher: DearBaby Books (May 16, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0982097220
• ISBN-13: 978-0982097229
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches

The Review

I received a complimentary advance copy of Dear Baby It's a Colorful World by Carol Casey.  The jacket cover of this perfectly sized hard back book was full of bright colors and included a multi-cultural cast of children.  The colors used are perfect to stimulate and peak a little one's curiousity. 

I may be one of those old fashion type but I like my little children's books to rhyme and this one does a perfect job.  I love to be able to read to my children with a whimsical type voice and when the words go together, it makes it more fun.  

Here is an example:

I'm ready to go,

my eyes open wide.

A colorful world is

waiting inside!

It's chalked full of bright colors, familar shapes and fun pictures.  Each set of pages consists of a different scenes with this host of cute characters.

Another great feature is the back page that allows for those that read the book to the child to sign.  This is a great memory to have as the child turns into an adult and hands over to his own child.

I would definitely recommend this wonderful and colorful book to any parent and if you don't have children, it would make an ideal gift!

About the Author

Carol Casey began her writing career in Chicgao as a news writer and editor.  Over the past 15 years she has worked with women's and children's charities in the areas of fundraising, media and event planning.  She has two children and a grandchild and lives in Atlanta with her husband.  This is Carol's third collaboration with illustrator Jason Oransky.

About the Illustrator

Jason Oransky is a lead graphic artist for Carter Clothes, Inc.  He is an avaid Florida Sate alumni and lives in Atlanta.  Jason is an active participant in an Atlanta Big Brother mentoring program.  He has illustrated for three Dear Baby books.

Extras

• Fun games are available online for babies and toddlers here.
• Check out Carol's blog.
• News and Events 
• Available online and at many retailers.  For a list, click here.

Don't miss out!  This is a definite for your library!

Dinosaurs on the Move by Cathy Diez-Luckie Review

Dinosaurs on the Move

by Cathy Diez-Luckie

Product Details:

• Reading level: Ages 9-12

• Paperback: 48 pages

• Publisher: Figures In Motion; 1st edition (April 15, 2010)

• Language: English

• ISBN-10: 0981856616

• ISBN-13: 978-0981856612

The Review:
Dinosaurs on the Move is a book full of movable paper figures that can be cut, colored and assembled for hours of fun.  The creativity allowed in this book is a great resource for not only educating children on the various types of dinosaurs but it allows them to decide how they want them to look.  What I liked about this book is it's arranged by a table of contents listing each dinosaur, the page to find the cut out and a list of facts for each dinosaur.  Children will not only practice small motor skills by coloring and cutting but they get to learn at the same time.

The author provides detailed instructions on how to construct the movable dinosaurs with tips even for smaller children.  My daughter loved the book as she is interested in dinosaurs right now and coupled with her creativity, this was ideal for her.  

The author, Cathy Diez-Luckie, brought these ten dinosaurs to live with her engaging ability to entertain and teach.  Her art has appeared nationally and internationally in numerous illustrated reference books, children's books and magazines.  The illustrations are alluring to children with the bold, colorful patterns of the dinosaurs.  The ability to fasten them to allow for movement was a hit with both my girls.

I would recommend this book for any child interested in dinosaurs or one that enjoys creativity and the ability to make things.  Both my girls enjoyed the book and couldn't put it down.




*Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Chaos, Confusion, and Political Ignorance: June 28-August 5, 1914: The Untold Truth about the Start of World War II Book Review

Product Details

• Paperback: 386 pages
• Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Co. Inc. (August 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1434900592
• ISBN-13: 978-1434900593
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 7.2 x 1.1 inches
• Author:  John Hance
• 
  

This was an interesting book detailing three primary events that led up to the start of WWII.  Mr. Hance's thirty years of experience studying World War II provided the necessary background to write such a comprehensive book on the war.  What started out as a mission to determine what started WWII, he began the journey that led him back to WWI and this book.

What he found was that WWII started because of WWI, the Franco-Prussian War and the Treaty of Versailles.  All three events are covered with great detail that exemplified his knowledge on the subject matter.  The inclusion of countless number of documents brings the history to life by giving the reader a first hand account of what transpired.

I would recommend this book for history buffs especially those that want to learn more about the starting events of WWII.

I received a complimentary copy of Chaos, Confusion, and Political Ignorance: June 28-August 5, 1914: The Untold Truth about the Start of World War II by John Hance as a member of the Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team.   Visit dorrancebookstore.com to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team.

A Most Vivid Day by Justin Young

A Most Vivid Day by Justin Young is a delightful book about a little black bat who encounters colors for the first time.  The author, Justin Young, takes an interesting spin on life as a bat and how they don't see colors due to their sleep habits.   It's a great story filled with new revelations, greedy animals and initiative to teach a valuable lesson.  This isn't your ordinary children's book and was very entertaining.  The illustrations are colorful and beautiful and capture the attention of all ages.

Justin Young studied fine art and printmaking in Seoul and eventually moved to New York study to study toy design.  He now resides in California and has worked as a fine artist, graphic designer, photographer and illustrator.

I would recommend A Vivid Day for the creativeness of turning something like a sunrise into such a fun experience with children.  Mr. Young has a very creative imagination to write such a fun book with equally wonderful illustrations to accompany it.  It's truly a must have!