Catalina and the King's Wall by Patricia Costello with Giveaway

BeachBoundBooks is pleased to be coordinating a Blog Tour for the children's picture book written by Patty Costello and illustrated by Diane Cojocaru, Catalina and the King's Wall. The tour will run from May 3 - May 31, 2018.

Catalina and the King's Wall

by Patricia Costello

Illustrated by Diane Cojocaru

Eifrig Publishing

Children's Picture Book

32 pages 

One day Catalina overhears the king planning to build a wall and fears her family will never be able to visit. Catalina tricks the king into building walls that droop, drip, swirl, and swoosh away. But now the king demands a wall that will outlast even a Twinkie. Luckily, Catalina has the perfect ingredients to bake up a family reunion!

Available on Amazon & Eifrig Publishing

I did get a chance to review this one. . .

You can find my Tidbits here!

Take a peek inside the book...

About the Author

Patty Costello lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, a crazy awesome toddler, a dog named Pippa, and a dog named Spencer. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of St Thomas and a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Minnesota. She currently works in higher education. Catalina and the King’s Wall is her first book. At all hours of the day (and night) she can be found standing at her desk, helping her university run smoothly and working on her next story.

Website ~ Facebook 

Blog Tour Giveaway

Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice
Giveaway ends: May 31, 11:59 pm, 2018
Open to: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
​Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Patty Costello and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions feel free to send an email to stacie@BeachBoundBooks.com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Mystery at Manatee Key by Nancy Stewart

MYSTERY AT MANATEE KEY

by Nancy Stewart

Guardian Angel Publishing

Children’s Picture Book

36 pages

ages 7 to 10

Bella and Britt love to explore along the beach and at more remote places like Manatee Key as well.  It is there that they discover a manatee smuggling ring. 

The manatees have already been netted, so the girls must act fast!  But a kidnapper snatches Bella, hustling her into their hideout.  When Britt sneaks a look in the window, she discovers that the ranger is being held, too.  Now it’s up to Britt.  But what can a single girl do?

Mystery at Manatee Key is available at Amazon

MY TIDBITS

This is the fourth book in the Bella and Britt Beach Series but can be read without a problem as a stand-alone.

Bella and Britt discover a baby manatee swimming near shore all by itself. When they fetch the rangers to help search for its mother, they discover that a ranger has gone missing. Soon, the two girls are involved not only in a mystery but discover unexpected danger.

I have a soft spot for books with lesser known animals, and these manatees don't only fit that bill but are super cute as well. The illustrations are done in water colors, and although rough in some ways, this form proves to be lovely in presenting the manatees. The colorful illustrations cover each page spread and help bring the scenes to life.

This is quite the adventurous book and holds pace the entire way through. Although it's a short picture book at only thirty some pages, the plot, vocabulary and writing level is fitting for ages seven and up. A couple of less known terms could have been defined a bit better, but the dialogue and word choice comes across very natural for the age group. The read, in general, passes over quickly, making it great for more reluctant readers. The stakes are fairly high, but the author makes sure that the characters act with responsibility. The layers of the mystery are fairly thin as the plot is kept simple and quick, and may not hold the attention of true bookworms. However, especially manatee fans will enjoy the jaunt into this world and enjoy the illustrations.

EXCERPT

A dark animal circled slowly in the shallow water of Manatee Key. Walking closer, Bella whispered. “A baby manatee. And it has a patch of white near its snout.” Britt frowned. “But where’s the mother? It must be hungry. We should tell the ranger.”

“Yeah,” Bella said. “This one’s too young to be without her mom. Let’s go.”

The friends worked their way through the jungle-like brush back to their bicycles. Britt took the lead. “It’s really hot, but we gotta make time.” 

After a twenty minute ride down dusty paths leading to the main road in their coastal town, they reached the ranger station. “It’s quiet in here today,” Bella said.

 The ranger’s assistant glanced up from his reading. “Hi, girls. Can I help you?”

“We need to see the ranger and report an orphaned manatee,” Bella said.

He frowned. “She hasn’t come in today, and that’s not like her. I’ve called her phones. Nobody answered. And no one’s seen her. Have you by any chance?”

“No,” they answered at the same time.

 “Well, it’s a mystery,” he said. “I won’t call the police yet. But I’m getting worried. Now, about that manatee. Can you take me to it?”

 “Sure,” Britt said. “If you can bring us back to town. We rode our bikes here.” He nodded. “Of course.”

And here she is . . .

Nancy Stewart has been an elementary school teacher and a professor of education.  Having lived in London for ten years, she was a consultant to the University of Cambridge. She is the author of the Bella and Britt series picture books and the authorized biography of Katrina Simpkins, a young girl whose life was forever changed by Winter, the dolphin (Guardian Angel Publishing.)  Her writing of One Pelican at a Time was featured on the PBS special, GulfWatch in 2011.  Nancy’s YA-LGBT novel will be published by Interlude Press autumn of 2017.  She is a member of the Rate Your Story organization as a critique judge.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

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Sneak Peek: Squirrel Superhighway by Anna C. Morrison

Hot off the press! Anna C. Morrison's SQUIRREL SUPERHIGHWAY is released from Guardian Angel Publishing! Please leave a comment to let her know you stopped by?

SQUIRREL SUPERHIGHWAY: IT’S GOOD TO BE A DOG
by Anna C. Morrison
Guardian Angel Publishing
Children’s Picture Book
16 pages
ages 3+

Squirrel Superhighway features a dog on a self-discovery mission who is surrounded by many graceful squirrels. This is a vocabulary booster in a series of feel-good stories for children of all ages and those who read with and to them. The story includes squirrels, more squirrels, even more squirrels, and a dog who wants to be a squirrel!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

And here she is. . .

Anna C. Morrison is an author of children’s books, including Silly Moments and Green Gooey Goop, with many more to follow.  She is also an adjunct professor for multiple colleges and universities, both face-to-face and online.  While she instructs various levels of English composition, she also teaches classes on literature, film, feature writing, and technical writing, among others.  In addition, she has worked with Adapt Courseware as a writing consultant on three video course projects, including college skills and composition.  Anna received her MFA in Writing from Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky, and her BA in English, Creative Writing, from California State University, San Bernardino.  Anna is an active member of SCBWI and is available for book signings.  She lives in Southern California with her family and pets.   

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK  |  GOODREADS