Kelan and The Magical Glove is a fun adventure for readers who love Legos, Fortnite, and using their imagination. Thank you, Mascot Books, for sending a review copy.
*spoiler alert* Kelan and his best bud love Legos, Fortnite, and hanging out. But after one bullying session by Billy the Bully, Kelan has to use a long stick to retrieve his new Lego set from beneath poison ivy. That is when he discovers a sparkly glove. This magical glove turns Kelan’s creations into real life things! Kelan and his friend are able to soak Billy and his sidekick, but Billy promises revenge.
Kelan and The Magical Glove is full of boy adventures. Legos, gaming, and problem bullies. Using the fantasy of the magical glove, Kelan now has a resource to help him stop the bullies. Creative, imaginative, and full of fun. With illustrations resembling cartoons and graphic novels, elementary-aged readers will be drawn to the story and adventures. Lego lovers will dream of finding their own magical glove.
What I Liked About This Book:
~ Fun, imaginative, and problem-solving
~ The themes of friendship and bullies
~ The magical glove (I want one!)
~ Bright, colorful illustrations
~ The hint of further adventures, since Billy threatens revenge . . .
Amazon Blurb:
Kelan and his best friend Noah are fed up with bullies. At every turn, their tormenters come up with new and creative ways to make Kelan and Noah s lives miserable. Luckily, everything changes once Kelan finds a sparkly, colorful glove in the forest. They soon discover that whenever Kelan wears the glove, magical things start to happen! Finally, Kelan and Noah are able to put a stop to their bullies mean pranks. Join our friends as they figure out how to stand up for themselves with the help of one magical glove, a few Legos, and their imaginations!
Yellow Jacket, An Imprint of Little Bee Books; 2020
Thank you, Yellow Jacket Books, for this review Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Boy Who Grew Dragons. I’m happy to announce that I totally enjoyed reading this middle grade novel.
Honestly, I can’t say enough about this fun read. Dragons with explosive poop, an unsuspecting boy and his friends, an interesting gardening experience, trouble with neighbors, and adventures galore provided a very entertaining read of The Boy Who Grew Dragons.
Why I Love This Book:
~ Dragons! Tiny dragons who bond with humans, drop explosive poop, and get into trouble. Books with imagination always catch my attention.
~ A mysterious tree in the garden grows funny (weird) fruit. Dragon fruit tree? Is there not a real life fruit called dragon fruit? Does that fruit also grow dragons? I digress.
~ Tomas is a believable, interesting main character. I enjoyed all of the characters, even the not-so-nice neighbor.
~ The cover and internal illustrations are fantastic and perfectly compliment the story. Yes, this middle grade novel is illustrated with funny, clever, and enticing artwork.
~ Great writing and engaging story
I think young readers will devour The Boy Who Grew Dragons.
Yellow Jacket Blurb:
This hilarious middle-grade novel with illustrations throughout sees Tomas discover that he can grow dragons in his own garden!
When Tomas discovers a strange old tree at the bottom of his grandfather’s garden, he doesn’t think much of it. But he takes the funny fruit from the tree back into the house and gets the shock of his life when a tiny dragon hatches! The tree is a dragon fruit tree, and Tomas now has his very own dragon, Flicker!
While Tomas finds out that life with Flicker is fun, he also finds that it is very…unpredictable. Yes, dragons are wonderful, but they also set fire to your toothbrush and leave your underwear hanging from the TV antenna. Tomas has to learn how to look after Flicker—and quickly! And then something extraordinary happens: More dragon fruits appear on the tree! Now it’s official, Tomas is growing dragons.
Ribbon’s Traveling Castle was gifted to me for review for Multicultural Children’s Book Day. Thank you, Elizabeth Godley, for sharing your book with me!
Ribbon’s Traveling Castle is an imaginative picture book about a young girl who faces the changes that come with moving (and life). Through creative situations, Ribbon explores what is going on in her life. Each imaginary person Ribbon encounters joins her in this tale as they play together.
Why I Like This Book:
~ imagination is KEY to enjoying this story
~ the story explores change, which is pretty scary to most people
~ clever illustrations, gradually transforming from mostly monochromatic to color
~ the fun story
~ the focus on play, which is pretty important to young readers
~ Ribbon’s trust in her dad to take care of her
Amazon Blurb:
This heartwarming, silly story with a dash of magic, illustrates that a big heart grants you tolerance. And it’s okay if things change, they’re supposed to shift. Change happens to everyone and the solution to the struggle is love, love for yourself and others.
Ribbon, traveling with her father, encounters a group of bizarre individuals in need of simple guidance. Ribbon rises above the worries of the day to day with the joy of play and love as her compass. Her example is an inspiration to everyone.
Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.
Seven years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.
MCBD 2020 is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board
We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.
Happy Book Birthday to Oh, The Places You’ve Been! (February 4, 2020)
Thank you, Mascot Books, for this review copy of Oh, The Places You’ve Been.
I don’t know about you, but I’m one of those people who will stoop to pick up a forgotten coin, no matter the value. Pennies seem to be the most popular coins to leave behind, most likely due to the low value. BUT only 99 more, and I will have a dollar.
The appearance of these dropped or discarded pennies does make one wonder. How did it get here? Why does it look like this? Where has it traveled?
Oh, The Places You’ve Been is told from the viewpoint of a lost penny. With great imagination, the penny tells a young girl about many of the places it has traveled, rested, stayed, and escaped. This story is told in rhyme.
BE SURE to READ all the way to the bottom for an INTERVIEW with Ben Everard.
What I Liked About This Book:
~ the imagination! I love considering where my coins have been.
~ the periods at the end of the sentences are tiny pennies! Very cute.
~ the story of the coin. I mean, if only we could have all of the same experiences, life would be grand.
~ the illustrations are mostly at the eye level of the penny
~ this story is told from the viewpoint of a penny. Now that is unique and fun!
~ lovely colors and a variety of illustrations
~ the ending page asks the reader to consider “Where has your penny been?” I love thinking about this. Great job!
Amazon Blurb:
Where has your penny been?Oh, the Places You’ve Been is a delightful picture book following the life of a small penny. From city sidewalks to snowy mountaintops, fields full of fireflies and all the way to the Moon, a young girl learns this little coin has traveled far and wide to end up in her pocket. But how can something so small have traveled so far? This playful rhyming tribute to Dr. Seuss explores how even small, long-forgotten things have amazing stories to tell.
Welcome, Ben Everard! Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m grew up in Crystal Lake, Illinois, went to college at the University of Miami, then attended law school at The George Washington University Law School. I met my wife, Mary, in college and we were married right after I graduated law school. I began my career as an attorney at Quinn Emanuel in Los Angeles. After three years as a corporate litigator, I left the active practice of law to pursue a path producing films. I’ve been very fortunate to work on a few wonderful films, including LIGHTS OUT and THE LAUNDROMAT. Currently we are filming an upcoming movie called YES DAY with Jennifer Garner, which will be a Netflix original film. We are very excited by it! I have three beautiful children and live in Manhattan Beach, CA.
That’s exciting, Ben!
What was your inspiration for Oh, The Place You’ve Been?
Oh, The Places You’ve Been is inspired by a number of things. I have to give credit to my Grandmother, who taught me at a young age that finding a penny off the ground should be interpreted as someone you’ve lost in your life saying hello to you. Obviously it’s not a literal interpretation, but a metaphor that I think highly of. Because of that lesson, I’ve always picked pennies off the ground when I see them. I remember finding a penny that was from the 1940s one time, and it made me pause and think of all the places that penny must have been in its existence. Once I had children, I started reading children’s books regularly. I love the classics – Dr. Seuss’ Oh The Places You’ll Go is the first book I read to each of my children. And while I am a big fan of quality children’s books, I certainly came across a large number that I didn’t think had a great message and felt like noise more than anything else. Instead of complaining about that, I set out to see if I could do one myself. Whether or not I’ve succeeded others will decide, but it certainly was a more lengthy and complicated process than one might think. I also did it in part as a lesson to my children – if you set your mind on a goal or objective, work hard at it until you accomplish it. I was rejected by MANY publishers, but the book exists. Failure is a part of the journey.
That’s neat that your grandmother inspired this book. I totally agree with you about picking up pennies.
What was the writing journey you took as you wrote this book?
Hard work, editing, more editing, soliciting feedback, then rejection, rejection, rejection, and finally publication. It took well over a year.
Rejection. It’s a part of the process. You just have to keep going forward. And you did!
What special plans do you have to celebrate the birthday of Oh, The Places You’ve Been? (February 4, 2020)
I’d be thrilled to hear that a child or two enjoys the books.
That would be great news!
Surprise us! What else would you like to share?
YES DAY, our upcoming movie, comes from a children’s book by Amy Krause Rosenthal. I hope it helps bring more picture books to the big screen.
I’m very excited to hear this! Fantastic news!
Thank you, Ben, for visiting with us. Congratulations and best wishes with Oh The Places You’ve Been and YES DAY.
I read a blog post about this new picture book and checked my library for a copy. They didn’t have one yet, so I requested the addition. Here it is! I love being the first one to check out a new book.
Hint: If you see a book you want to borrow from your library but they don’t have it, most libraries have a way to suggest new titles. Spread the word. This really helps authors.
I love the imaginative setting of Badger’s Perfect Garden. I know I’m not the only one who remembers being a small child and creating tiny worlds of my own, places where animals talked and anything I dreamed up happened?
Badger’s Perfect Garden seems to be an extension of my early childhood tiny worlds. I love Badger and his plans to plant the perfect garden. He’s been carefully saving seeds and has made plans to prep the soil and plant the seeds just so. Badger has great friends who help him with his gardening adventure. And then they wait. But a summer storm wreaks chaos on Badger’s dream garden. I love the rest of the story, but you’ll have to read it to find out. 🙂
I am Badger, with my perfect garden plans every spring. I’m not beyond experimenting to see what happens. I hoard seeds and plot where they would best grow. But every year, by the end of summer, my brilliant plans have exploded with choatic growth of every which sort. But still, I plot, plan, and dream. Just like Badger.
What I love about Badger’s Perfect Garden:
*Badger and his type A personality feel just like me. 🙂
*The friends and friendships in Badger’s Perfect Garden are wonderful. Badger’s friends live with him through his plans, disappointment, and story resolution. Who wouldn’t want friends who would be right beside us all the way? And help with the hard work of gardening?
*The setting is one of my favorites, imaginative and nature-based.
*The plans and what really happens encourages readers to go with the flow. Some things we just can’t control. Let go and enjoy.
*The writing is simple, easy to understand, and tell the story in the best way.
*The illustrations are colorful and just perfect for this picture book.
You can find Marsha Diane Arnold on Twitter @MarshaDArnold
I hope you’ll buy a copy of Badger’s Perfect Garden or check it out at the library. Great read!
Last January I was elated to learn I had been granted a special writing residency and retreat at Holly House and Hypatia-in-the-Woods. What a great way to begin a new year!
Beautiful tree-lined drive into Holly House. Loved this walk!
Located outside of Shelton, Washington, not far from Olympia, Holly House would be overlooking Hammersly Inlet if it weren’t totally surrounded by a mixed forest of deciduous and coniferous trees. The setting is absolutely gorgeous. Cool, green, shaded, quiet, peaceful. Did I say peaceful? And all mine for the week.
Welcoming front patio. Spiders especially loved this area.
After shopping for enough food to last 3 months, as if grocery stores did not exist 5-7 miles away, I arrived before lunch on my appointed Sunday. Outside appearances did not prepare me for the spacious and beautiful inside environment. Incidentally, Holly House is very close to the small house size my honey and I want to build for ourselves.
Cozy living room. This chair is perfect for reading!
I’ll let the pictures do the talking. I had everything I needed for a creative, imaginative, stress-free week. Loft bedroom, large bathroom, living room, dining area, kitchen, and even a deck with the most perfect table and chairs.
Perfect tiny kitchen. Ignore my mess. It was everywhere!
The side deck let in so much natural, green light. Ahhh. I enjoyed reading and working outside in the soft green sunlight.
The loft bedroom had plenty of storage and space. Wide open windows brought in light and fresh air.
Me and more of my mess. This was my main working area (can you tell????). The view in front of me was a HUGE and very pleasant distraction. I didn’t mind in the least.
TV window. No electricity required.
I was so blessed to visit and stay at Holly House. The neighbors (a couple and their huge dog) were fantastically helpful and reassuring. After all, I was in the middle of the woods in the middle of nowhere. And I heard there had been evidence of a bear. My imagination supplied the rest of the excitement.
The Hypatia-in-the-Woods board was wonderful. I enjoyed a potluck one evening, getting to meet most of the members. I was met by Carolyn at Holly House. She brought me some snacks and gave me a working tour of the cabin. Every single thing I could have wanted or desired was provided. Or all I had to do was ask. Thank you to all who gave me the opportunity and welcomed me to Holly House.
I’m so thankful for my writing residency. Thank you, Holly House, Hypatia-in-the-Woods, neighbors, and the Hypatia board. Thank you!
If you ever have an opportunity to go on a writing retreat or residency, do it! Worth every second.
Last week I had the privilege of enjoying a writing residency/retreat at Holly House through Hypatia-in-the-Woods. I really worked my days, writing, planning, editing, sorting, exploring, eating, and drinking tea. This list was interspersed with moments of complete quiet when I just stared out into the green forest or wandered to the deck or windows to locate who was chasing and chattering. The entire week was lovely and I feel my writing benefited from being at Holly House. (So did my soul and stress level, but more on this in a later post.)
I decided to bring my toys. Rubber stamps, ink pads, papers, tools. I set a goal of creativity one different card each night and make 6 -8 of each design. This plan turned out beautifully. The different type of creativity allowed my brain to wander and my fingers to work away from the keyboard. Lovely! And we all know how much I enjoy making rubber stamped cards. 🙂
Here they are, 7 designs, 50 cards total.
If you ever get the opportunity to go on a writing residency or retreat, go! It’s with every second.
I love bird watching and travel with my falling-apart bird identification book at the ready to help me name the birds I see out car windows.
What about the birds I read about in books? Love, love, love birds!
Remembering Joseph Chickadee is a delightfully illustrated picture book telling the story of a bunch of birdy friends saying goodbye and remembering their friend, Joseph Chickadee.
It sounds sad, but it really isn’t. Instead, I enjoyed the stories of friends sharing happy memories of their friend. A Remembering Celebration was held in the woods where Joseph was a leader, helper, and friend to many feathered community members. The different birds told of their encounters with Joseph and all the ways he had helped them. As I read, I thought this picture book would be a perfect way to gently help young mourners as they face the loss of a loved one. And, of course, readers will learn about birds.
Why I Enjoyed this Book:
~ I loved the imagination in the story. A Remembering Celebration for a beloved community leader-grief and celebration in the bird world. Young readers will be able to put their imaginations to good use as they read Remembering Joseph Chickadee.
~ The illustrations are wonderful! I love the collage, watercolor, cut paper look of the different books. This book is very nicely done.
~ The availability of this book for use with grieving children is perfect. Readers can see how others grieve and remember, and perhaps, with gentle discussion, can apply the ideas to their own lives. Not that this book needs to be read only with grieving children, but all young readers can learn empathy as they hear about Joseph.
~ Birds! I learned new information about different birds. Maybe this book will spark an interest in readers to learn more about birds or encourage them to go outside and go for a bird walk.
I thoroughly enjoyed Remembering Joseph Chickadee. Thank you to Nancy Peck Youngdahl for writing this book for readers. Thank you to Mascot Books for my review copy, which I now get to share with the young readers in my family (we just focused on birds last week, one of our summer weekly themes). Thank you!
Book Blurb:
When wise and kind Joseph Chickadee passes away, other birds of the forest come together to remember him and celebrate all that he did as a leader and friend. Follow along in this story of love, loss, and grace and Joseph’s family and friends say goodbye.
KID KANDY:
Play Dough Nest
Materials: play dough, sticks, leaves, rocks
1. Go for a bird walk. Watch for birds and peek at their nests in trees and shrubs. If you don’t find any nests, look in picture books or online for pictures of nests.
2. Warm up the play dough by playing with it. Form a nest shape on a plate.
3. Decorate the nest with sticks, leaves, or rocks. Birds often add soft materials to the bottom of the nests to protect the eggs and new hatchlings. Find something soft to place in the bottom of the nests. Let your nest dry.
4. Keep watching for birds!
Khloe and her play dough bird nest (the rocks are eggs).
Welcome to my Happy Hump Day Haiku Challenge! Have you ever applied for a job? Followed a help wanted sign? What would it be like if bees had to fill out applications before they got to work on our flowering plants?
Tiny little pens and papers. Background check. Chat with references.
