Review for The Mystery of Journey's Crowne

The Mystery of Journey’s Crowne

by K. Michael Crawford
(Virtual Book Worm, September 2008)

The Mystery of Journey’s Crowne is an amazing adventure drawing game that is unique and different. It begins with Bazel Lark who is confronted by a man who has a box with a mysterious key tucked neatly inside. The key is supposed to unlock the mystery of Journey’s Crowne. So, of course, Bazel, being the adventurer that he is, buys the key from the man and there begins his adventure. The problem is that, after years of searching, he cannot unlock the mystery. So he puts the problem and adventure to the reader to discover its secrets by having them draw in pictures and solve various puzzles that guide the reader along the way inside of the book.

This book is unique because it is a well-developed picture book slash drawing book slash workbook. The beautiful pictures dominate the reader’s view helping them become creative as to the characters and creatures they will be drawing in the spaces provided. Children who love to draw will love a chance at solving this drawing mystery. The puzzles in this book are diverse and challenging for the reader, which makes them fun to solve. This book is definitely for older children. With the diversity of puzzles, not all readers may know how to solve them. Some of the puzzles have directions on how to solve them, some do not. Unless you are familiar with the various puzzles that are out there, without direction, some may struggle through the puzzle portion. However, if the reader is a big puzzle fan like this reviewer, then the reader will have no problem solving the puzzle portion and can figure everything out on their own just fine.

The author gives several opportunities for children to do research on answering the questions and topics the reader is not familiar with and does not know the answers to, which is really fun. It gets the reader into the story even more and gets the reader to learn interesting facts as well.

Overall, K. Michael Crawford’s adventure book is unique and different from the other picture books slash workbooks out there. The author does a great job at creating such wonderful mysteries and interesting characters.

Reviewer Renee Hand is the award-winning author of The Crypto-Capers series. Look for her upcoming release The Adventures of Joe-Joe Nut and Biscuit Bill, The Great Pie Catastrophe.

Review for Racoon Tales by Joy E DeKok

Raccoon Tales
By Joy E DeKok
Jabberwocky Press, 2009
Paperback

Raccoon Tales is a true story about the raising of five baby raccoons. The author shares her experiences with the reader and explains what happened to these little critters in that first year of their lives. In the beginning, they rested a lot and loved being held. Each of the raccoons were different, so they were given names. There was Chatter, Lucy, Shadow, Meeko and RC. The raccoons began to drink milk, but it was soon not enough, so they had to start eating fruit, cereal and other foods. Then Meeko becomes sick, but is nursed back to health. RC escapes from his outdoor cage and begins to wander the world, but soon returns. By the end of a year, it was time for the raccoons release back into the wild.

DeKok tells this story with charming rhyme and with the belief and reassurance that God is watching over all, including animals. Children will find the pictures delightful while the story teaches the reader about baby raccoons and some of the things they need in order to survive without a mother. The bible verses at the end of each chapter will inspire children to look beyond their worries and to be able to put some of them in God's hands. DeKok also leaves a section in the back of her book that gives the reader more information about raccoons.

Raccoon Tales show that we must take care of animals that are in need of help, and though they do not have voices that can tell us how they feel or what is wrong, their actions and unmistakable importance in this world can touch our hearts causing us to do what is right. The rest is in God’s hands.

Renee Hand is the award-winning author of The Crypto-Capers Series.

This review was for Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Tour Promotions!

A Review of Cat the Cat, Who is THAT? by Mo Willems

Cat the Cat, Who is THAT?
By Mo Willems
Harper Collins Publishers, 2010
Sent for review by Harper Collins Publishers

Hardcover

A Cute Read-Aloud Book That Will Delight Young Children

Cat the Cat, Who is THAT? Is a simply written story that teaches friendship to children up to 5 years of age. The energetic Cat the Cat introduces readers to her friends, like Mouse the Mouse, Duck the Duck, Fish the Fish and of course, to someone new. This stranger is quite different than Cat the Cats other friends, but after thinking about it for some time, not sure what to do, Cat the Cat decides to accept the uniqueness of this stranger and wants to become his friend. She instantly welcomes the stranger into her life and the lives of her friends. Cat the Cat shows children how easy it is to make new friends and to accept people who are different than they are.

The artwork guides the reader through the story as they watch Cat the Cat meet all her friends. Very young readers will love the colorful pages and simple text making them smile along with the characters. Mo Willems has other books in the Cat the Cat series including Let's say Hi to friends that FLY!

Renee Hand is the award-winning author of the Crypto-Capers Series.

School Event

I will be at Hemlock Elementary talking about my Joe-Joe Nut Series and Crypto-Capers Series on March 1st. March is the beginning of reading month. I'm kicking it off right with a wonderful school visit to Hemlock. More school visits coming up this week. I will be keeping everyone posted.

Valentine's Day Poem

Valentine's Day will always be special to me because that is the day when my oldest son was born. After seventeen hours of labor, yes seventeen hours, he was finally ready to come into the world. My husband can never, in a million years, top this gift. So today we celebrate my sons 7th birthday along with Valentine's Day. When parents say time flies, they aren't kidding. I remember when my son was born and when he was a baby, and it doesn't seem like it was that long ago. Everyday I see his cute little face change. It is not the face of a baby anymore but a little man. An exact image of his father, whom I adore. My younger son is the same. I think both boys grow in their sleep because when they wake up it feels to me that their faces have thinned out, and they have gotten taller. Oh, the laments of a mother. We want them to grow up, just not so fast.

Today I am going to post a Valentine's Day poem that I was always fond of. I hope everyone enjoys.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!


MY LUV IS LIKE A RED, RED ROSE
by Robert Burns


O, my luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June;
O, my luve's like the melodie
That's sweetl play'd in tune.


As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.


Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands of life shall run.


And fare thee weel, my only luve!
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile.

Breathtaking Bowhunts Review

In Breathtaking Bowhunts, the author Mike Lamade, experiences this collection of bowhunting adventures over a period of almost four decades. Mike takes you along as he stalks a huge bull moose in the Yukon and fights through a blizzard for a record book muley on the Colorado plains. Pope & Young whitetails will fall in Kansas, Illinois and Wyoming, and you'll wait with Mike in a ground blind in South Africa for elusive kudu, gemsbok, and wildebeest. In his 40 years of pursuing big game with his bow, Mike has hunted most of the United States and Canada and traveled to Africa eight times. Most of the stories in this collection have appeared in Bowhunter magazine. If you are an avid bowhunter you will enjoy reading about Mike on over 20 action-packed bowhunts as he looks for whitetail, mule deer, bear, moose, pronghorn, alligator and a wide range of African plains game. He provides specific details of each adventure and really gets the reader involved, feeling like they are almost alongside him on his adventure. His description and love for bowhunting is prevalent throughout the pages.

Tribute Publishing

ISBN:0976507285

5.5" x 8.5",

paperback

172 pp

2007

New Tennis Blog

For all news concerning the Goodrich Girls Tennis Team, check out my new blog designated for that at http://goodrichgirlstennisteam.blogspot.com

Thanks everyone!
Coach