This is a children's book review blog, and a chance for readers to keep up with their favorite books in the Crypto-Capers and Joe-Joe Nut Series. This is also a platform for the Stories From Unknown Author's Radio Show.
Come join me for my booksigning event this Friday July 26th at 2pm est. I will be discussing my new release, What Would You Do If You Were At The Zoo?
Do your kids love animals? Do they love going to the zoo? Come join award winning author Renee Hand for some Zoo fun. She will read her new picture book," What Would You Do If You Were Left At The Zoo?" and involve the kids in some zoo activities and discussion that will be sure to please all children ages 6 and up. www.reneeahand.com
The Michigan Book Boutique is in Pontiac, Michigan and supports Michigan authors. Please visit the following link for the bookstores address. https://www.facebook.com/events/520327851356132/?ref=22
June 1, 2013 ISBN-10:
0500650160 ISBN-13:
978-0500650165 Ages
4-8 years 64
Pages Education & Reference, Earth Science
Reviewer:
Renee Hand
“. . . offers
a unique way for children to make connections with their world.”
My
Big World
is a new approach for young children to learn about geography and the science
of our planet. Starting with a child named
Koko and her friend Alex, the book goes on to explore the horizons of the wider
world. The reader follows along with three explorers who love nature: one who
grows things, one who loves animals, and one who looks after the planet. This
trio will show the reader what they discover throughout the book, including
information about plants and animals, rivers and oceans, mountains and forests,
weather and seasons, the sun, the moon, and the stars.
Featuring imaginative and humorous images, My
Big World offers a unique way for children to make
connections with their world. This book can be used as a reference book,
but is unique because it contains not only facts but has pages filled with fun
activities. The activities extend the
learning even further, helping with comprehension. There are things to do both
on and off the page, including games, recipes, and crafts.
Children
ages 4–8 will get the most use out of this 64-page book. The topics on each
page are brief, not in-depth only scratching the surface, igniting curiosity in
the reader along with a bit of familiarity. Parents will also appreciate the
variety of content.
Reviewer Renee Hand is the award-winning
author of a newly released picture book What Would You Do If You Were Left At
The Zoo?
I Wish I Had by Giovanna Zoboli Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
March 1, 2013 ISBN-10:
080285415X ISBN-13:
978-0802854155 Ages
4-8 years 26
Pages
Children’s Picture Book Reviewer:
Renee Hand “The author plants the seed for dreams of fantastic possibilities.”
I Wish I Had . . . is a thoughtfully told story pointing
out the unique features of certain animals that separate each from the rest,
making them special.
The author has chosen to emphasize the animal’s strengths:
the keenness of a blackbird’s eyes; the feather light steps of a tiger; the nimble
tail of a lemur that helps it swing from branch to branch.
Each animal mentioned correlates to some part of the body.
If the reader took on all the attributes, the result would be amazing indeed.
The artwork by Simona Mulazzani is colorful and bright, drawing in the reader
to its eclectic beauty.
This
is a simple, easily read, 26-page illustrated picture book. Children ages 4–8
will wonder what it would be like to have each animal’s unique gift, making
their imaginations soar with the many possibilities.
Despite his idyllic island life, young Bob yearns for a greater sense of
fulfillment. With his guardian, Xena the hummingbird, at his side, Bob sets out
to seek guidance from the wise and happy creatures of the sea.
From the joyful secrets of Al the dolphin to the insightful advice of Doc the
turtle, Earl the clam, and Wallace the walrus, Bob uncovers great wisdom. But to
complete his journey, he'll need to overcome his fears - and Xena's doubts - and
prove himself to Mary Marine, the Island of Roses's leading marine biologist.
The Adventures of Blue Ocean Bob: A Journey Begins is the first
episode of a colorful, early chapter book series that provides children with an
introduction to timeless principles of achievement derived from the teachings of
Bob Proctor, Earl Nightingale, Napoleon Hill, Wallace D. Wattles, and
others.
Brooks Olbrys As a lifelong
student of achievement philosophies, Brooks Olbrys was inspired by his young son
to make these philosophies accessible to children. With encouragement from
best-selling author and personal development coach Bob Proctor, Brooks created
the children's book series, The Adventures of Blue Ocean Bob.
A graduate of Stanford University, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
at Tufts, and the University of California at Berkeley School of Law, Brooks is
the founder of Children's Success Unlimited and a managing director at
investment bank Ion Partners. He lives with his wife and son in New York City
and greatly enjoys escapes to the North and South American coastlines.
Kevin Keele (illustrator of A Journey Begins chapter book) From a
young age, Kevin Keele has enjoyed creating artwork in many forms: drawing, oil
painting, digital painting, even stained glass. His work has been featured in
numerous picture books, magazines, board games, and video games. Though he lives
far from any coastlines, he has always been fascinated by the ocean and enjoys
illustrating its various creatures.
Kevin is currently an artist for Disney Interactive Studios. He lives in Utah
with his wife and two sons. They're the caretakers of one grouchy cat, three
chickens, and thousands of Italian honeybees.
Review:
The Adventures of Blue Ocean Bob is a chapter book with many different lessons. It is unique because it is a chapter book developed in rhyme. The author takes the reader on a journey of self discovery through its main character, Bob.
Feeling discontent with his life, Bob decides to go off on an adventure into the world to talk with other creatures to see how they live their lives. Soon, his path becomes turbulent because he tries to figure out what his purpose is in life, which then leads to more questions and more creatures to see.
Xena, the hummingbird, helps guide his way but is also the one who fills his mind with doubt and begins to second guess his journey at every turn. She represents the doubt that we feel in our minds that prevents us from pushing ourselves to do better. Doubt can be a very powerful thins.
But Bob lingers on and his first conversation is with a dolphin. The topic is about appreciating life's every moment. Then onto a turtle named, Doc, who departs the wisdom to look inside yourself and find what motivates you, then dive in and go with that goal. In this case, it is obvious that Bob loves the sea and all of its creatures so wants to be a marine biologist.
But of course to become a marine biologist one must develop a vision and follow it through. But we all know that it's not easy to do. Each chapter is filled with a new challenge that Bob must over come to find his true course in life. The question is will he be able to do it or will he just keep making excuses of why he can't?
This story reflects everyone's life at some point. From doubting our abilities to meeting certain people who guide us in the right direction, to working hard and accomplishing our goals--this book combines it all.
Many children are going to love this 56 page chapter book with its amazing illustrations. The illustrations by Kevin Keele really make the story what it is. The reader feels as if they are right along with the character meeting the sea creatures as he does. Parents are going to love the messages this story brings.
There are a few quibbles. The rhyming is fun, but in a chapter book readers might find it distracting. Some readers will be looking for a tale with adventure and adversity, and though there is much adversity as well as many life lessons, that alone consumes the story as the boy searches for his purpose in life.
Readers will enjoy the animal characters, the amazing illustrations, and the great messages. A delightful story for anyone who loves the ocean and wants to protect all wildlife.
Summary: What's funnier than a pie in the sky? A pie in the face!
How the pie gets
there - along with three other pies flying in V formation during the twelfth
annual Worldwide Dessert Contest - is a double scoop of a story.
It
begins with John Applefeller, the annual last-place finisher in the celebrated
event that every July draws hundreds of international dessert chefs to compete
for the coveted Silver Spoon (and to compete against Sylvester S. Sweet, the
self-proclaimed King of Dessert, who always wins).
There's something
fishy about Sweet's success, but only Josiah Benson, the Worldwide Dessert
Contest janitor, seems to know what's up. And who listens to him? Certainly not
the four judges, experts on ice cream, sugar, cakes, and dessert history.
Stanley listens, Applefeller's ten year old assistant, who has helped
his boss with his newest and most original contest entry - the world's largest
apple pancake. If it weren't for Stanley, Applefeller - and you - would never
journey in an apple-souffle balloon to the island of Iambia, or meet Captain B.
Rollie Ragoon, the dessert-making genius who has his own reasons for suspecting
Sweet of sour deeds, or discover how important heart is to winning.
"The
Worldwide Dessert Contest: Enhanced Multimedia Edition" features all the text of
the 1998 Orchard Books release, as well an original musical score from the play
that the book inspired. Read the story, then click on a link to listen to the
companion songs in this cutting edge, one of a kind, 21st Century children's
fantasy novel from Alina Adams Media! Author Bio: Dan Elish is the author of the novel Nine Wives (St. Martins Press, 2005) and The Misadventures of Justin Hearnfeld (2008), both published by St. Martins Press. Dan is also the author of Born Too Short, Confessions of an 8th Grade Basket Case, which was picked as a Book for the Teenage 2003 by the New York Public Library and won a 2004 International Reading Association Students' Choice Award. He has also written several other novels for young adults including, The Attack of the Frozen Woodchucks, 13, The Worldwide Dessert Contest, Jason and the Baseball Bear, and The Great Squirrel Uprising. "13," the musical for which he co-wrote the book with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown ran on Broadway from September 16, 2008 through January 4, 2009. In his career, Dan has also written non-fiction books for young adults, scripts for kids' TV shows (in particular Cyberchase (PBS)), music and lyrics for six musicals, funny corporate videos, and played piano for various Off-Broadway productions. He has received fellowships and scholarships to the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, the Sewanee Writers' Conference, and is a member of the Dramatist Guild. Dan lives in New York City with his wife, daughter and son.
Current and upcoming projects include a children's novel, The School for the Insanely Gifted, and the forthcoming YA comic-thriller, The Family Hitchcock, based on an upcoming movie. Dan is also working on a musical version of his novel Nine Wives and has been commissioned by Theater Aspen to write a play.
Review:
The World Wide Desssert Contest is a funny story about a man named Johnny Applefeller. Inspired by the zany work by Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the reader will be taken on a journey of friendship, determination, and self discovery as Johnny works hard to win The World Wide Desssert Contest with his humungous apple pancake. But will his wonderful creation change into something else entirely and ruin his chances like so many times before?
Children ages 8 and up will enjoy this wonderful story. Weaved inside the story is also a unique find. Readers will get a chance to listen to some original music written by the author for this book. As certain parts are read the music will help enhance the reading, giving the reader the feel as if they were watching a musical. A true gem in the e-book world. The World Wide Desssert Contest is a delightful mix of Dr. Seuss meets Roald Dahl. A true dessert-scruptious delight.
Little Meg finds the outside world a bit too loud and far too scary!So, she’s going to stay inside her safe white shell, thank you very much. But then the Howl breaks into the barn and steals Mother Hen! What is she supposed to do, still holed up in that egg of hers? She can’t run and she certainly can’t fly. Well, never get between a chick and her momma, cause this little bird’s got a can do spirit and a whole lot of courage that she didn’t know she had before! A tale of self discovery that speaks to all children’s fears of the unknown, Ms.Borg delivers a great read –aloud resource for parents and teachers alike. With an onomatopoeic construction that gives life to the story and encourages children to participate through repetition of words, noises, and actions, MEG THE EGG is the perfect story for beginning readers
Author Bio:
Rita Antoinette Borg was educated in New York and now resides on the
Mediterranean island of Malta. She performs storytelling and creative writing
workshops in schools across the country and works as a freelance writer for
local magazines and newspapers. Ms. Borg has published four picture books aimed
at early readers as well as an anthology of short stories for older children.
Her books have been recognized by the Malta National Annual Literary Awards. Her
book “Don’t Cross the Road, Holly!” was chosen as the year’s best Children’s
Book in English. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Writers &
Illustrators. More information can be found at www.ritaborg.us
Come and join me as I talk with author J.E. Rogers for her Austrailian Fantasy
Novel The Sword of Demelza on Stories From Unknown Authors http://blogtalkradio.com/storiesfromunknownauthors
@ 1 pm EST.
Based on a private journal, memories, and a blog that chronicled her
adventure to India, Sandra Bornstein wrote May This Be the Best Year of Your
Life to serve as a resource and guide to help others overcome the challenges of
living outside their comfort zone. When her husband accepted a job that required
extensive international travel, the author was living her version of the
American dream in Colorado, never imagining she would be faced with several
dilemmas that left her feeling uncertain. After a series of events, she found
herself in a life altering experience that placed her alone in a
three-hundred-square-foot dorm room while teaching at a renowned international
boarding school in Bangalore. This compelling, honest, and edifying memoir
shares everything she learned about perseverance, travel, education, faith, and
family. Had Sandra never resided in India, she would have missed out on an
experience that ultimately enhanced her resiliency, confidence, and passion for
life.
