(REVIEW) #BabyLove My Toddler Life by Corine Dehghanpisheh

  

#BabyLove

My Toddler Life

Author & Illustrator: Corine Dehghanpisheh
Category: Illustrated Children's Book

Suitable for: All Ages

My Rating: 4 Stars

Format Read for Review: Kindle copy provided by the publisher/author/agent in return for an honest review.

Pages: 40

Description: Mommy and son have a big day of fun planned together, fun that will be captured by the mom on her smart phone. She posts their pictures on social media as they play. But then when he's alone he finds mommy's phone and plays with it just like mommy. She catches him and he drops the phone! This becomes a learning experience for both mother and son. He learns phones are not toys. She learns that time flies, cherish the time you have with your family, and put down your phone from time to time.

In Short: This is an illustrated children's book that will appeal to parents who love social media. Mommy Bloggers and their kids will be able to relate to this book and will love it and the beautiful illustrations. It is a feel-good family story.

Pros: First of all the art is fantastic. It's attractive and colorful and will be greatly enjoyed by children. The book is also very well written with fun rhymes that flowed wonderfully. As I read the story the first half felt weird and disturbing how you were seeing the child only from the phone's point of view, this made me feel like the mother was glued to her phone and not interacting with her son. As the story moves along I realize this isn't exactly the case. Instead I felt those were just the moments that she took pictures of to capture the memory. Mother and son look through their pictures on her phone and she tells him "These moments with you, I love and treasure." I think that, that statement really expresses the big theme of the book. It is a really adorable story about a mother and child that are spending the day together doing an arrangement of fun things. One subtle lesson kids could take from this story is that phones are not toys. It was very cute though how he was trying to be like his mommy taking selfies, and pics of the dog when he found her phone.    

Cons: The story does lack some depth and blatant lessons for kids. The best lesson from this book is more for the parents than the child, which is: put down your phone! The phone didn't get put down until the very last page, would have liked to have seen that happen sooner. I'm not sure how interested children will be in the plot of this story if they are not very familiar with selfies. I don't know if toddlers will understand the reference of #mommyandme getting 36 likes, but this type of story would appeal to a #socialmediafamily who are #smartphonesavvy. Speaking of smart phones, I read this book on both my iPad and my android phone and I have to say it displayed beautifully on my iPad but the images were a bit small on my phone.

If you are interested in this book you may also be interested in another book with a similar theme that I reviewed here: Put Away Your Phone.

Other Reviews:

#BabyLove: My Toddler Life is the second book in Corine’s #BabyLove Book Series.  The first book in the series, #BabyLove: My Social Life, won the Next Generation Indie Book Award for Picture Books 0-5.

In #BabyLove: My Toddler Life, a curious toddler loves to play… especially with his mommy’s smartphone!

When Mommy finds him using her phone without permission, it’s the perfect teaching moment.  Mommy reminds her little one that what matters most in life is time together filled with love and attention.

Her simple reminder:  Put down our phones.

Praise:

“This light-hearted reflection on social media habits is a great tool for starting discussions with young children.” – 5 Stars, Foreword Reviews

“#BabyLove: My Toddler Life is a fun and timely picture book for 21st century preschoolers.” – BlueInk Review

“The lyrical way in which the story is told keeps the subject light while reminding the audience (adults and children alike) the importance of play time over screen time.” – Eileen Caulfield

“With simple rhyming phrases and the author’s enticing illustrations, the volume should surely appeal to young readers, who have almost certainly been told not to play with a parent’s phone. But the book works on another level as well: the boy teaches his mother a valuable lesson about mindfulness. After perusing the old photos, she tells her son: “These moments with you, / I love and treasure.” This stirring story reminds busy parents that even though those photos they take show how much they love their children, there’s joy and wonder in leaving the technology behind. This poignant and entertaining tale about a playful toddler aimed at young lap readers works on a much deeper level for parents.” - Kirkus

About the Author:

Corine’s inspirations for writing and illustrating come from everyday life.  When she is not busy being creative, she is most likely having fun taking pictures of her family.

Corine is a Mom’s Choice Awards® Silver Recipient and a Next Generation Indie Author Finalist for her debut children’s book Can We Play Again?. Her inspiration for this book came from her work as a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist in NYC. She is also the author of Buddy’s Dream.

Corine recently moved to Dallas, TX from NYC with her family. Readers can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. To learn more, go to BooksByCorineD.com

I Will Love You Forever (REVIEW)

 

I Will Love You Forever 

Author: Tatsuya Miyanishi
Category: Illustrated Children's Book

Suitable for: All Ages, ideal for ages 5-7

My Rating: 2.5 Stars

Format Read for Review: ARC from the author/publisher in return for my honest review.

Pages: 40

Description: A Maiasaura (herbivore) finds an egg in the forest one day. She keeps it safe with an egg of her own until both eggs hatch. When the mystery egg hatches she discovers it is a baby Tyrannosaurus (carnivore). She raises the Tyrannosaurus with her own baby even though he is her natural predator. As the Tyrannosaurus grows he discovers what he truly is and after meeting his biological father in the woods he disappears with him and never comes back.

In Short: Overall I thought this book was too dark to be enjoyable for children. Although it tries to have positive messages of unconditional love and loving others even when they aren't like you, it in the process isolates adopted children. The adopted dinosaur struggled with his identity, was regularly drawn with tears in his eyes, and eventually runs away from the family that raised him and loved him.

Pros: The start of this story was cute and had potential, but I hated how it turned out. Maybe the other books of this series have more uplifting themes. I would suggest, if you are interested in this series, or your child just loves dinosaurs to check out the other books of the series first. I had never heard of the Maiasaura before so I learned something new. I really loved the Maiasaura characters and wish they could have gotten a happier ending.

           

Cons: The art and story are a bit dark and melancholy in my opinion for small children. For me this story is too sad and I think the ending could be confusing for the age group. I didn't feel that there was any sort of resolution by the end or that any valuable lessons were learned. I don't think adopted children should read this book because it could make them feel like they don't belong. Even though the mother Maiasaura raised the baby tyrannosaur with love and said all the right things he left her without any warning. It is a very heartbreaking ending that leaves a lot of questions unanswered and is not comforting.

Parent's Guide: This book contains some cartoon violence and sad themes that may be hurtful to adopted children. 

Little Tails in the Savannah (REVIEW)

Out July 11, 2017
Find it on Amazon here

Little Tails in the Savannah

Author: Frédéric Brrémaud

Illustrator: Federico Bertolucci
Category: Illustrated Children's Book, Educational

Suitable for: Ideal for ages 4 - 8

My Rating: 5 Stars

Format Read for Review: E-book ARC from the author/publisher in return for my honest review.

Pages: 32

Description: Chipper and Squizzo go on another adventure in their paper airplane. This time they are off to the Savannah where they explore and introduce the reader to all the wonderful animals they encounter.  

In Short: The Little Tails books are perfect for children that are very interested in animals because they have the most gorgeous art of animals along with fun, educational facts about various exotic creatures.

Pros: The art is fabulous. Pairs cartoons (Chipper and Squizzo) with more realistic paintings of animals that are just stunning. The book is very colorful and the images fill the pages. At the end there is more information and fun facts about many of the animals. This book is educational in a fun way. Kids who love animals will want to read it over and over.

Cons: I have no notable issues with this book.

Find my review of Little Tails in the Jungle here.

Nickerbacher (REVIEW)

Nickerbacher

Author: Terry John Barto
Category: Children's Early Chapter Book

Suitable for: All ages, ideal for 7-10

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Format Read for Review: Kindle version supplied by the author in return for my honest review. 

Pages: 51

Description: Nickerbacher is a dragon that dreams of going to La La Land to become a comedian, but a dragon has never been a comedian before! He is expected to do dragonly things and stay with Princess Gwendolyn guarding her in her tower from any silly Princes that might come and try to save her. Even though princess Gwendolyn doesn't like La La Land or what it stands for, she puts aside those feelings to devise a plan to get her dear friend Nickerbacher there so he can live out his dream of auditioning for The Late Knight Show.

In Short: This is a great book for kids that is both entertaining and full of positive messages. It teaches the value of friendship, and using hard work to accomplish your dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem. It also battles discrimination and negative stereotypes. The heroes have to overcome many obstacles and others telling them that "dragons can't be comedians" before they can reach their goal and get Nickerbacher on stage at The Late Knight Show.

Pros: This book appeals to both adults and children with modern cultural references woven into a fairy tale featuring a Dragon and a Princess. Adults will catch a lot of the parodies and satires hidden in the story that may go over kids heads but there is plenty of humor for the kids too. The story is easy to follow and fun. There is even a surprising amount of character development. Prince Happenstance really comes around and changes his outlook by the middle of the book, becoming a great ally to his former enemy. I loved the part where Nickerbacher had his first audition with Johnny Kingston. During this audition he wasn't at all funny, but his friends managed to convince Johnny to give him another chance and instead of being upset about how it went Nickerbacher gets a coach to help him improve his act for next time. In the end he proved anyone can be anything they want.

Cons: I do like the art, but something about the size and rough edges of the black and white drawings could make it a little hard for children see clearly. I wish Nickerbacher's final show had been longer, maybe 1 or 2 more jokes. For me, it just warmed up and then was over.

This book is free with Kindle Unlimited. Join Amazon Kindle Unlimited 30-Day Free Trial

(REVIEW) The Day My Fart Followed Me To Hockey

The Day My Fart Followed Me ToHockey

By: Sam Lawrence & Ben Jackson

Illustrated by: Danko Herrera
Category: Illustrated Children's Book

Suitable for: All Ages, ideal for ages 3-7

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Format Read for Review: Kindle copy from the author/publisher.

Pages: 42 (Loc: 26)

Description:  This is the story of Timmy and his best friend, Little Fart. Timmy is very nervous for his hockey try-outs and Little Fart wants to come with him because he loves going on adventures with Timmy. Timmy most definitely does not want the Little Fart to follow him and make all the other kids think that he is stinky. Little Fart tags along anyway and when Timmy is struggling the fart does everything in its power to help.

In Short: This is a fun, short tale of friendship. The story is on the goofy side and I think small children will enjoy it. It might be a bit wordy for the age group who will enjoy it most but the vocabulary is fairly simple and this book could make a good bedtime story for those who can't read it on their own just yet.

Pros: I love the art, the images are large and colorful. There are a lot of positive messages you can pull from this book. Some examples would be, being a good friend, being someone's friend even if they are a bit different, and forgiving others when they say harsh things to you while they are under pressure. Timmy also started to do better at his try-outs when he stopped worrying and started having fun which offers good guidance for kids who are feeling insecure about their abilities. He almost backed out of going to the try-outs but in the end he got picked for the team so it shows the importance of giving it a shot, doing your best, and having fun in the process.   

Cons: I think I may have missed out a little by not reading "The Day My Fart Followed Me Home" before this one. Reading this, I wasn't sure if Little Fart was a real fart, or a little creature of some kind, and I was surprised when it mentioned he was invisible half-way through. So I would suggest getting "The Day My Fart Followed Me Home" first or getting them both together.

Ronaldo: The Reindeer Flying Academy (REVIEW)

 

Ronaldo: The Reindeer Flying Academy

 

Author: Maxine Sylvester
Category: Children's Chapter Book, Christmas Stories, Flying Reindeer

Suitable for: All ages ideal for children 5 - 10

My Rating: 5 Stars

Format Read for Review: Kindle

Pages: 77

Description: Ronaldo is a young flying reindeer cadet who someday dreams of becoming one of Santa's reindeer, just like his hero, Vixen. With the love and support of his friends and family and the great advice of his grandpa he can face his greatest challenge yet, the Endurance Challenge. Ronaldo doesn't have a "traditional" reindeer name (like Dasher) so he faces some bullying from his peers. In the end this little underdog gets to be a big time hero. And despite all his slap-stick humor style clumsiness he gets to enjoy his success with pride. 

In Short: I think this book would make a perfect holiday tradition for every family with children. I look forward to reading this book to my kids every year at Christmas. The story is incredibly entertaining and laugh out loud funny, even for parents!

Pros: My favorite part of this book is the amazing and exciting story. It is highly entertaining and full of positive characters and messages. I found the tale to be a wild ride and it had a wonderful, satisfying conclusion. There is even a great deal of comedy in it! This book is well written and there are occasional images that help the reader feel immersed in the scenes. Some of the images are of the funniest scenes which will really make you laugh!

Cons: Some very minor editing issues.

There is also a book 2!

I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links to Amazon.

Where Do They Go? (REVIEW)

 

Where Do They Go?

Part 1

 

Author: B.D Donaldson
Category: Illustrated Children's Book

Suitable for: All ages ideal for ages 3 to 8

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Format Read for Review: Paperback from the author

Pages: 29

Description: This is a children's picture book about a brother and sister who are in big trouble with their mom because their socks keep going missing. To avoid angering her any further they desperately try to solve the mystery of where their socks are going. This book features large colorful pictures with a few sentences per page.  

In Short: It's very hard for me to review this book by itself. On one hand the art is amazing and the story is intriguing but on the other hand it isn't the full story yet. It ends with To Be Continued and to see what happens you will need to read the rest of the series. I think the story will continue to be fun and exciting so this is a series to keep an eye out for. Alone it could be a teaser for your kids.  

Pros: The art is really top notch, alone I give the art 5 stars. The story is well written with no noticeable errors. The text and images compliment each other well and add detail to the story. The book is colorful and many of the pages feature full page art. It's a cute tale that is very modern and interesting. The smart, creative kids in the story put a camera on their dog to investigate the disappearing socks. I think this series will be very fun for children and spark their imaginations. This series could work well as a bed time story and is a good book for young readers to read on their own. I look forward to seeing how this story develops in the sequel and would definitely read more by this author.

Cons: This book alone does not have a conclusion or lesson which I think is very important even for series books. I think this is especially important for small children who do not always understand that they have to wait for the sequel to be written. It is only Act 1 and your child will need (and demand) the entire series so that they can see what happens. At the time of this review books 2 and 3 are not yet available. Alone I give this book 3.5 stars, but perhaps books 2 and 3 completing the story will make it a 5 star series. It most definitely has that potential.

I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links to Amazon.com.

275+ Halloween Jokes (REVIEW)

275+ Halloween Jokes

Author: Johnny B. Laughing
Category: Children's Joke Book

Suitable for: All ages

My Rating: 3 Stars

Format Read for Review: Kindle

Pages: 55

Review:

            This is a joke book for kids that contains 275 Halloween themed jokes. They are broken up into categories: Monsters, Frankenstein, Vampires, Ghosts, and Witches. The jokes are mostly puns. Some of the jokes are cute or funny but many of them aren't very funny or don't make sense. There are only a few grammar errors and repeat jokes. I found this book for free and I think it's worth getting for your kid to see if they will like it and maybe like the humor of the author who has many other joke books as well. Children who love pun style jokes will probably like this book. If you check the Amazon listing you can read a few sample jokes. I'll include an Amazon affiliate link at the bottom of this post so that you can see the current price and find more information on Amazon. Overall I think the jokes in the book are hit or miss and children will probably have mixed opinions of them. The jokes are clean and in my opinion safe for all ages.

I'll post examples of a joke I liked and another one I didn't like to give you a feel for the overall style of the book.

"Q: What is big and hairy and goes beep, beep, beep?

A: A monster in a traffic jam."

"Q: What is a monster's favorite society?

A: Consumer's Association."

Find it on Amazon here:
275+ Halloween Jokes: Funny Halloween Jokes for Kids (Funny Jokes for Kids)

Don't forget there is still time to enter our Halloween Giveaway Contest to win tons of wonderful prizes! 

A Bookish Halloween Giveaway Contest

Little Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood (REVIEW)

Free Story - Little Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood

Newfangled Fairy Tales 

Author: Timothy Tocher

Editor: Bruce Lansky
Category: Children's Book (Non-Illustrated)

Suitable for: All ages

My Rating: 5 Stars

Format Read for Review: Kindle

Pages: 20

Description: Hilarious twist on a old tale. The Big Bad Wolf has conned his way into a food stealing scheme. In this tale Red doesn't need a huntsmen to save her, only her phone and a quick call to the authorities. Worry not, no grandmas are eaten.

In Short: This book is a quick fun read that I think children will really enjoy reading. It also makes a good bedtime story for younger kids. At only 20 pages it a very fast read and a good length to entertain. For anyone of any age who likes fairy tales and a good short story this is a great book to pick up, for free!

Pros: This book is very fun and enjoyable to read. I laughed out loud when reading the note Grandma left for Red. I think both parents and children will enjoy reading this book together. I loved all the characters, the heroes and the villains alike. I actually grew quite attached to the wolves and was a little disappointed that their elaborate scam wasn't paying off in the end! This book even though it is so short it manages some great morals for children. It teaches that crime doesn't pay, don't talk to strangers, don't steal and don't scam people!

Cons: I have no issues with this book.

Parent's Guide: This book contains no horror, no eating of old ladies and no violence. Safe for all ages.

Free on Amazon.

Release Announcement - Little Tails in the Jungle (Illustrated Children's Book)

Today, an awesome new Illustrated Children's book was released! 

Little Tails in the Jungle

This is an educational and entertaining book ideal for ages 4-8. 

A puppy and a squirrel who are the best of friends go on an adventure together exploring the jungles of the world and learning about the various animals that live within them.

Read my full review of this book here.

Find it on Amazon here.

Topaz and the Plum-Gista Stone (REVIEW)

Topaz and the Plum Gista Stone

(Tales of Topaz the Conjure Cat Book 2)

Author: Pat Frayne
Category: Children's Chapter Book, Fantasy Adventure

Suitable for: All ages, ideal for ages 8-12

My Rating: 5 Stars

Format Read for Review: Kindle copy from the author.

Pages: 170

Description: Otis the owl is cursed with blindness which means he can no longer fly! His brave, loyal friends: Topaz the conjure cat, Daisy the fawn and Dooley the raccoon set out on a dangerous journey to find the Plum Gista Stone and return his vision. Along the way they explore a magical land, encounter dark foes and even meet new allies who are seeking redemption for their past mistakes. Together, using team work, they overcome all obstacles to help their friend.

In Short: This is a face paced adventure with a unique mix of characters and many positive messages along the way. A magical story to rival The Chronicles of Narnia that would also make a great bedtime story for younger children. A must have for those who love fantasy books and cats.

Pros: I love the interesting cast of characters. Topaz, the conjure cat is a magical being with mighty powers who is the last of his kind. He is incredibly brave and always puts others before himself, he even inspires Dooley, who is often grouchy into being selfless as well. Topaz is the king of his land and even though as King he has many responsibilities and places to be, he puts that all aside to help one friend. This book is full of great messages about friendship, courage, loyalty, team work, owning mistakes, redemption, forgiveness, problem solving and critical thinking. Dooley the raccoon is probably my favorite character. Even though he sometimes says funny yet rude things and acts grumpy he does the right thing and is a true friend. This book is well written and full of exciting action. There is a lot of magic and wonder to the plot that will keep any age interested. Even as an adult, I really enjoyed this story. 

Cons: I have no issues with this book.  

Links: 

Learn more about Topaz on Pat Frayne's blog. 

Pat Frayne on Twitter

Pat Frayne Official Site