Bea & Steph Review #BabyLove: My Social Life by Corine Dehghanpisheh

Publisher: My Art to Inspire
Source: the author in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: July 9, 2015
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

A humorous look at raising a baby in the social age.

"Click." "Tap." Tag and post.

An adored baby tells a modern tale about life in today's digital world. #BabyLove: My Social Life highlights the social phenomena of sharing daily activities using technology and social networks.

Steph & Liam Review The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen Pictures by Dan Hanna

Publisher:  Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Series: Pout-Pout Fish
Source: pr firm in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: September 8, 2015
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

"A gift should be big,
And a gift should be bright.
And a gift should be perfect-
Guaranteed to bring delight.
And a gift should have meaning
Plus a bit of bling-zing,
So I'll shop till I drop
For each just-right thing!"

Will Mr. Fish find perfect gifts for everyone on his list? Will he finish his shopping in time?

Swim along with Mr. Fish on his holiday shopping quest. He might just discover that the best gifts of all come straight from the heart.

Steph & Liam Review The Fox Forest Band by Lisa E. Lindman

Publisher: Hugo House Publishers
Format Read: Hardcover
Source: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: March 20, 2015
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

How do you fight an evil wizard when your only weapon is your smarts?

A happy group of forest animals are stopped cold by a wizard’s enchanted fog that whispers their greatest fears. The animals think they have to run away but a brave fox gives them a better idea. He shows them how to stand up for themselves and how to handle the problem at its source.

Join the fox and his friends as they figure out how to defeat a bully wizard—and have fun in the process!

Bea Reviews Mama's Right Here by Susan Kerner

Publisher: Star Bright Books 
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: April 1, 2015
Challenges: NetGalley and Edelweiss ARCs
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | Star Bright Books
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Mama’s Right Here is a gentle reminder that a mother’s love never disappears. Even when a mother is absent, her presence is constant in a child’s heart. With comforting rhyme and gentle illustrations, Mama’s Right Here brings the important message to children that a mother’s love is always with them– in the way they look, and in everything they do.

Bea Reviews Monkey: Not Ready for Kindergarten by Marc Brown

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers 
Source: won from publisher
Release Date: June 23, 2015
Challenges: What An Animal
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit*  | iTunes | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Marc Brown, creator of the beloved Arthur books and TV show, offers a charming new character—and a fun and reassuring story about preparing for the first day of school.

Kindergarten is only a week away . . . but Monkey is NOT ready. What if he gets on the wrong bus? What if they don’t have any red crayons? What if he doesn’t like the snacks? What if he doesn’t make new friends? There are so many thoughts running through Monkey’s head!  But step by step, his family eases his worries: they get him a new backpack, help him read books about school, prepare his lunch, and make sure Monkey is excited—and ready—for the Big Day.

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Two! by Tia Perkin

Publisher: Tia Perkin
Source: the author in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: May 8, 2015
Buying Link: Amazon*
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

"Two!" is a funny little rhyming book about what it's like to spend a day with a toddler - from food eaten off the floor to a child running out the door!

Bea Reviews What's In Your Pocket? by Ruth Symons & Laura Watkins

Publisher: QEB Publishing
Series: Storytime
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Challenges: NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge |  What An Animal |
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Josh loves to be close to his mum at night in her pouch, or ‘pocket', as he calls it. Though, soon he must sleep on the grass like the older kangaroos. One day, Josh's mum has a surprise about what is in her pocket: "It needs lots of love and care." Josh racks his brains to try and think and, after the help of several friends, gives up. What could the surprise be? And will he love it as much as his mother says he will? A sweet story about gaining a new sibling and how children can welcome a new member to the family. QEB's popular Storytime series are charming books that combine colourful illustrations with heart-warming narrative, each with its own unique message or young children. The series is ever expanding and now comprises 36 titles.

Bea Reviews Maya's Blanket/La Manta de Maya by Monica Brown, Illustrated by David Diaz

Publisher: Children's Book Press
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: August 15, 2015
Challenges: May 2015 Clean Sweep ARC Challenge |  NetGalley and Edelweiss ARCs
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Little Maya has a special blanket that Grandma stitched with her own two hands. As Maya grows, her blanket becomes worn and frayed, so with Grandma s help, Maya makes it into a dress. Over time the dress is made into a skirt, a shawl, a scarf, a hair ribbon, and finally, a bookmark. Each item has special, magical, meaning for Maya; it animates her adventures, protects her, or helps her in some way. But when Maya loses her bookmark, she preserves her memories by creating a book about her adventures and love of these items. When Maya grows up, she shares her book Maya s Blanket/La manta de Maya with her own little daughter while snuggled under her own special blanket. Inspired by the traditional Yiddish folk song Hob Ikh Mir a Mantl ( I Had a Little Coat ), this delightful bilingual picture book puts a child-focused, Latino spin on the tale of an item that is made into smaller and smaller items. Maya s Blanket/La manta de Maya charmingly brings to life this celebration creativity, recycling, and enduring family love." 

Bea Reviews Pine and the Winter Sparrow by Alexis York Lumbard, Illustrated by Beatriz Vidal

Publisher: Wisdom Tales 
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: February 1, 2015
Challenges: May 2015 Clean Sweep ARC Challenge | NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge | What An Animal
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Have you ever wondered why pine trees stay green all winter long and don t lose their leaves like other trees? According to an ancient legend attributed to the Cherokee Indians, it was a simple act of kindness towards an injured little bird that earned pine trees this very honor. Retold by award-winning author Alexis York Lumbard, this story invites readers to experience a world where trees and birds speak and interact with each other, and which shows us that no act of kindness and sharing goes unrewarded. Featuring beautiful paintings by multiple award-winning illustrator Beatriz Vidal, you will never look at pine trees in the same way again!" 

Bea Reviews The Kind-hearted Monster by Max Velthuijs

Publisher: NorthSouth (NY) 
Format Read: eGalley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: May 1, 2015
Challenges: May 2015 Clean Sweep ARC Challenge |  NetGalley and Edelweiss ARCs
Buying Links: Amazon*  | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

What do you do with a fire-breathing monster? Adore him! The Monster from Halfway to Nowhere... When the people of a little town discover that the fire-breathing monster in their midst is really a kind-hearted mind mannered monster, they all have different ideas about what to do with him. But the ideas make Mervyn unhappy, until a professor has an idea that lightens everyone's mood especially Mervyn's! The Monster from Halfway to Nowhere... Robbers have kidnapped Mervyn the monster by baking him cakes full of sleeping powder. They think the heist is a success. But the robbers don t know Mervyn . . . and the people from the town that s halfway to nowhere." 

Bea Reviews This Is Sadie by Sara O'Leary And Illustrated by Julie Morstad

Publisher: Tundra Books
Format Read: eGalley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: May 12, 2015
Challenges:  May 2015 Clean Sweep ARC Challenge |  NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge |
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | 
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Sadie is a little girl with a big imagination. She has been a girl who lived under the sea and a boy raised by wolves. She has had adventures in wonderland and visited the world of fairytales. She whispers to the dresses in her closet and talks to birds in the treetops. She has wings that take her anywhere she wants to go, but that always bring her home again. She likes to make things -- boats out of boxes and castles out of cushions. But more than anything Sadie likes stories, because you can make them from nothing at all. For Sadie, the world is so full of wonderful possibilities ... This is Sadie, and this is her story. 

Bea Reviews Bristly Hair and I Don't Care! by Nadia Budde

Publisher: NorthSouth 
Format Read: eGalley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: May 1, 2015
Challenges:  What An Animal | May 2015 Clean Sweep ARC Challenge | NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble | 
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from publisher:

A funny book about liking the way you look! Everyone occasionally dreams of being a little prettier, taller, slimmer . . . And Nadia Budde’s quirky characters are no different. Some wish they had more hair, some wish they had less. The only one who doesn’t care about his appearance is Uncle Ike—he doesn’t care what his looks are like. Nadia’s catchy rhymes and funny characters will appeal to readers of all ages and (hopefully) help us see that we’re all perfect just the way we are!

Dual Review & Giveaway of Daredevil Duck by Charlie Alder

Publisher: Running Press Kids 
Format Read: Hardcover
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: May 12,2015
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit* | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Meet Daredevil Duck
He is afraid of everything. But that doesn't stop him from DREAMING of being brave. Then one day he is given the biggest challenge of all . . . Can Daredevil Duck prove that he is the bravest duck in the whole wide world?

Bea Reviews The Bus Ride by Marianne Dubuc

Publisher: Kids Can Press
Format Read: eGalley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Challenges: NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 
Release Date: March 1, 2015
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Kobo | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

"This is the first time I'm taking the bus by myself. Mom packed me a snack -- and had me bring my sweater in case I get cold." But Mom likely didn't imagine the adventure her little girl would have as she rides to her grandmother's house in this sweet picture book. While the bus is taking her down the streets, through a forest and into a pitch-black tunnel, the little girl encounters an assortment of animal characters who enliven her journey, including a goat who offers her a flower from a bouquet, a wolf child with whom she happily shares her cookies and a fox who attempts to pickpocket a bear. Adding to the fun are lots of running visual gags, such as the changing headlines on the newspaper that hides one passenger's face, a sleeping sloth who mysteriously appears in different seats without ever having woken up and a nervous-looking turtle whose head and arms pop in and out of its shell. The interior of the bus covers each two-page spread, and award-winning author-illustrator Marianne Dubuc uses subtle colors and tiny details to draw in youngsters to the activity happening there. This book offers a potentially multilayered classroom reading experience: there is the terrific main story of the girl's trip, but there are also any number of mini stories playing out at the same time with each of the other characters. It would work beautifully as a jumping-off point for children to do some imaginary storytelling of their own.

Bea Reviews The Dreidel That Wouldn't Spin by Martha Seif Simpson, Illustrated by Durga Yael Bernhard

Publisher: Wisdom Tales 
Format Read: eGalley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: October 1, 2014
Challenge: NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit* | Barnes & Noble |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

This dreidel doesn t work! the father had cried. What do you mean? How can a dreidel not work? the shopkeeper asked. It was certainly the most beautiful spinning top the shopkeeper had ever seen, with magical golden letters on its sides. But it just would not spin for two spoiled children who insisted on owning it! Later, the shopkeeper decides to try it one last time: would it spin for another child, one who carried the true spirit of Hanukkah in his heart? In this beautiful holiday story by award-winning author Martha Simpson, and brought to life by the imaginative illustrations of award-winning illustrator D. Yael Bernhard, the happiness and joy of the Hanukkah miracle will warm the heart of young and old alike with its simple message: wonders still occur for those who are ready for them. Included is a useful appendix that explains Hanukkah, and an explanation on how to play the dreidel game." 

Bea Reviews The Big Snow and Other Stories: A Treasury of Caldecott Award-Winning Tales by Berta Hader & Elmer Hader

Publisher: Dover Children's Classics 
Format Read: eGalley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Challenges: NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge   
Release Date: February 27, 2015
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from Book Depository:

This compilation of Caldecott winners unites three wonderful children's picture books, written and illustrated by a gifted husband-and-wife duo. The stories combine imaginative color drawings with enchanting storytelling, and all three focus on wildlife ecology, depicting memorable scenes from the natural world. "The Big Snow" takes place when the geese are headed south and the forest creatures put on their winter coats. When a blanket of snow covers the hills and valleys, the birds, squirrels, mice, and other animals gratefully gather the seeds, nuts, and other foods that the little old man and woman spread for them. "Cock-a-Doodle-Doo "traces a little chick's journey from a duck farm to the big red barn, where the rooster's cry draws him across the wide meadow and its many dangers, from crows and raccoons to a marauding fox. "The Mighty Hunter" is actually Little Brave Heart, who's reluctant to go to school ― until he encounters a prairie dog, wildcat, buffalo, and other animals that change his mind about the value of reading and writing.

Bea Reviews Dinosaurs from Head to Tail by Stacey Roderick & Kwanchai Moriya

Publisher: Kids Can Press
Format Read: eGalley 
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review 
Challenges: NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge  
Release Date: March 1, 2015
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | 
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

From one dinosaur's head to another's tail, this informational picture book challenges readers to guess which prehistoric creature each of eight different body parts belongs to. (For example, "What dinosaur had claws like this?") For each question, the answer is given on the following spread, with an overview that includes the name of the dinosaur, an illustration of the entire animal in its habitat and facts about the featured body part, such as why it looked the way it did and how scientists believe it was used. The colorful and eye-catching collage illustrations by Kwanchai Moriya offer a unique and friendly approach to the ever-popular subject of dinosaurs. The creatures are a mix of the popular (Tyrannosaurus) and the lesser-known (Therizinosaurus) and allow children the satisfaction of guessing some correctly while learning about others. A pronunciation guide accompanies the first mention of each dinosaur's name. There is also a bonus spread at the end of the book containing a quick look at seven more intriguing dinosaurs. Balancing a captivating picture book experience with just the right level of information, it is an ideal bridge between a basic concept book and a detailed encyclopedic book. It would work perfectly in a group lesson on prehistoric creatures or on animal bodies, with the highly engaging, interactive guessing-game component providing a way of enlivening the classroom discussion. It could also be used individually by higher-level readers as an interesting nonfiction choice or a reference book.

Bea Reviews Eat, Leo! Eat! by Caroline Adderson

Publisher: Kids Can Press 
Format Read:  eGalley 
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review 
Release Date: April 1, 2015

Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble | 
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Leo wants no part of sitting down with his family to eat Nonna's big, delizioso lunch every Sunday. "I'm not hungry," he insists. Not hungry? Hmm. Clever Nonna gets an idea. She'll use a story to lure Leo to her table. And since the pasta in her soup, called stelline (little stars), is woven into the story about a boy who journeys to his grandmother's at night, it works. But again on the following Sunday, Leo doesn't want to eat. So Nonna expands her story, this time adding some chiancaredde (paving stones), the name of the pasta she's serving that day, to create a path for her character to follow. Now Leo's hooked. So much that he begins to badger Nonna every Sunday to reveal more pasta-based details of the story. And week by week, as Leo's relatives crowd around listening to Nonna and teasing Leo to get him to mangia (eat), he slowly comes to realize just how happy he is to have a place at this table. In this heartwarming picture book, award-winning author Caroline Adderson beautifully captures the love and tenderness Leo feels from his grandmother and the rest of his close-knit family through lively, true-to-life dialogue. The playful, detailed artwork by Jos?e Bisaillon helps bring all of them to life. This book offers a perfect framework for lessons exploring the heritage, customs and relationships of families. The unique story-within-a-story concept, along with the idea that Nonna's tale is being told cumulatively, could easily launch a storytelling assignment. Additionally, the section on pasta and the list of Italian vocabulary words make a great introduction to foreign cultures through food and language.

Bea Reviews Dear Dragon Goes to the Aquarium by Margaret Hillert, Illustrated by Jack Pullan

Publisher: Norwood House Press
Series: Dear Dragon
Format Read: eGalley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: January 1, 2015
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

A boy and his pet dragon explore the aquarium and the animal life that lives in water. They learn about various fish, penguins, turtles, and much more. This pre-primer book contains high-frequency and sight words. Teacher resources include reading activities to strengthen phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. Beginning Reader with word list.

Dear Dragon returns with new illustrator Jack Pullan, who brings to life these four stories by adding new friends and a baby sister! This season’s stories are about Dear Dragon going places and having adventures with a boy and his friends and family. These Beginning-to-Read books capture the imaginations of beginning readers and help them on their way to independent reading. This popular series meets the Common Core State Standards for Language Arts and can be used with beginning readers to:

• Practice reading high frequency words

• Expand comprehension

• Improve oral language skillsblah

Bea Reviews The Emperor, His Bride and the Dragon Robe by Lisa Sankar-Zhu

Publisher: Golden Mushroom 
Format Read: eGalley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: February 3, 2015
Buying Links: Amazon* | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords*
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

“The Emperor, His Bride and the Dragon Robe” is a wonderful fairy tale set in ancient China. It tells the story of a brave young emperor and two beautiful young women, who are suddenly thrust the incredible, once-in-a-life-time opportunity of marrying the emperor and becoming the next empress of China. Their journeys take them from their humble homes to the grand palace where their lives are forever changed for the better, and, at times, even for the worse as the competition to win the emperor’s heart intensifies. The young women meet their unexpected challenges in very different ways. But their struggle is the depiction of the fight between good and evil.

The author was inspired by her two sons, who were born in China, to write the story. She also credits writing the book to having lived in China for many years and being warmly embraced by the Chinese people who have willingly shared their rich culture with her.

“The Emperor, His Bride and the Dragon Robe” (limited print edition) was launched at Expo 2010 Shanghai, the largest World Expo ever. In 2013, English and Chinese copies were presented as state gifts to the President of China by the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.