Review: I Love My Dragon by Jodi Moore

I LOVE MY DRAGON

by Jodi Moore

Illustrated by Howard McWilliam

Flashlight Press

 Board Book

24 pages

ages 2 to 5

With a little free time, some hands-on play, and a big imagination, magical things can happen. In I Love My Dragon, a dragon-loving boy shares the many ways he and his dragon have fun together. Babies and toddlers will love seeing the pair play together at home, in the pool, at the beach, and more.

MY TIDBITS

This tale of a very special relationship touches the heart and lets imagination have free flight in a simple yet fun way.

The dragon has been this boy's friend since the day he was born. Every moment, the dragon is by his side and definitely gains best friend status. At the beach, the pool and even in the snow, the dragon is always there.

Friendship rings loud and clear in these pages, and a very special kind. Perhaps, the dragon is real, but there's enough to reason to think it might be an imaginary friend. Either way, it doesn't matter. The dragon means the world to the boy and visa-versa. It's inspiring and shows what real love and friendship really is, even if it's with something as wonderful as a dragon. The addition of the little brother adds a nice, family warmth. In other words, this is a wholesome read which leaves young listeners feeling loved, while inviting them to dream away.

The illustrations and book are perfect for the intended age group. While simple, they still bring across the situations and emotions very nicely. It's hard not to wish the dragon were real and give it a huge hug. This is a book young listeners are sure to enjoy, and especially those with an extra love for dragons.


And here they are...

The Author...
Jodi Moore is the award-winning author of When A Dragon Moves In and When A Dragon Moves In Again, and an inspiring speaker at schools and writing conferences. She believes that castles and hearts are best when filled with family, music and love. She is the mother of two grown sons, and lives with her husband in Boalsburg, PA.

The Illustrator...

Howard McWilliam is the award-winning illustrator of  When A Dragon Moves In, When A Dragon Moves In Again, I Need My Monster, That's MY Monster!, and How I Met My Monster. He is the cover artist of The Week (UK and US), and has illustrated dozens of books for children. He lives in Cheltenham, England with his wife an three sons.

Review: Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird and Helen Craig

I can't tell you how excited I am to have a chance to shout-out the relaunching of the Angelina Ballerina series! This first book is only the beginning as Simon & Schuster will be bringing out ten more in 2020 alone, with more to follow.

ANGELINA BALLERINA

by Katharine Holabird

Illustrated by Helen Craig

Little Simon

Picture Book

ages 4 to 8

32 pages

In an encore performance, Angelina Ballerina returns in this refreshed picture book from acclaimed author Katharine Holabird and celebrated artist Helen Craig!

Angelina is a pretty little mouse who wants nothing more than to be a ballerina. She dances all the time—at home, at school, even in her dreams! In fact, she’s so busy dancing that she forgets all about the other things she’s supposed to do, like cleaning her room and joining her family for breakfast!

Her parents don’t know what to do—especially after her arabesques in the kitchen knock over the milk! Then one day they come up with an idea that will change Angelina’s life forever…

With Katharine Holabird’s lively writing and Helen Craig’s charming illustrations, the original story, now refreshed and re-released, will continue keeping a whole new generation of young ballerinas leaping with delight.

 MY TIDBITS

This story is and has been a treat for many children, who not only dream of becoming a ballerina but have a passion they would love to pursue.

Angelina is a sweet little mouse who can only think about dancing. Everywhere she goes, her steps turn into spins and leaps. Unfortunately, this does cause some problems, at times, and small chaotic messes. When her parents enroll her in ballet classes, Angelina has found her place and her dancing along with it.

The is such a lovely book and as relevant for children today as it was over thirty years ago. The tale grabs attention as Angelina follows her feet and heart and brings giggles as some moments don't work out as well as they might. Angelina is a mouse with energy and passion, so much so that it's contagious. It only takes a little redirection, and not only do Angelina's dreams come true, but the rest of her life falls into a little more order as well. It's inspiring and a joy to read.

The illustrations are still from Helen Craig and carry the love and emotion as Angelina Ballerina deserves. A little more traditional, they carry a beauty which is often no longer found in picture books and is sure to entice young listeners. I, myself, enjoyed flipping through them a few times and simply enjoying Angelina's story that way.

Cover Reveal: Solomon's Surrender by Michelle Dare

Solomon’s Surrender

by Michelle Dare

YA Paranormal Romance

Cover Designer: Regina Wamba at Mae I Design

Hosted by: Lady Amber's Reviews & PR

COMING...

OCTOBER 11th, 2019!!!

Cocky. No word better described Solomon. He projected the playboy image, but only he knew the truth. Deep inside, he wanted what his brother and friends had—a mate.

Fifteen hundred years was a long time to be alone. Solomon’s pure vampire bloodline and family name made him desirable, but that didn’t take away the loneliness.

Lilah was fiercely independent and distrusting of paranormals out of necessity. Some treated her with contempt because of her half cheetah shifter/half fae heritage. They thought she was beneath them when she was actually superior.

Someone was determined to take Lilah’s life, but who was behind the attacks remained a mystery. Solomon fought off the first assault then became Lilah’s sole protector until he uncovered who wanted to harm her.

One wanted a mate, and the other didn’t. But fate didn’t ask for their opinion. They could only fight what was meant to be for so long before the inevitable happened. If they managed to stay alive, maybe they would learn what it meant to be fated. 

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Michelle Dare is a romance author. Her stories range from sweet to sinful and from new adult to fantasy. There aren’t enough hours in the day for her to write all of the story ideas in her head. When not writing or reading, she’s a wife and mom living in eastern Pennsylvania. One day she hopes to be writing from a beach where she will never have to see snow or be cold again.

Author Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormichelledare

Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/daresdivas/

BookBub: http://bit.ly/2bgyYn3

Twitter: https://twitter.com/michelle_dare

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/michelle_dare/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/m_dare/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2sHnFJe

Website: http://michelledare.com/

Newsletter Sign-Up: http://eepurl.com/bt14zX

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Review: Duckworth the Difficult Child by Michael Sussman

DUCKWORTH

The Difficult Child

by Michael Sussman

Illustrated by Julia Sarda

Atheneum Books for Young Children

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

Duckworth’s parents think he is a difficult child, so when a snake slides right up and swallows him whole, his parents don’t believe him! What’s poor Duckworth to do?

Duckworth is a difficult child.
At least that’s what his parents think.

So when Duckworth tries to explain that a gigantic snake slithered out of his closet, his parents insist it’s all in his head—he is far too old to be imagining such nonsense. (And will he please do his chores?) But even when the cobra slides right up and swallows Duckworth whole, his parents remain unconvinced! (Where did he find that snake costume, and will he please put it away?)

What’s poor Duckworth to do when his parents just won’t listen? With nods to the deliciously dark humor of Edward Gorey, Florence Parry Heide, and Jon Klassen, Michael Sussman and Júlia Sardà empathize with children everywhere who must find ways to deal with their difficult parents. 

MY TIDBITS 

Children are in for a treat as they learn that they might not be the only ones with difficult parents...and their parents might not be so difficult after all.

Duckworth is a difficult child. Or so, his parents believe. They even have a book to tell them how to deal with difficult children like Duckworth. All's well until strange noises come from Duckworth's wardrobe and a gigantic, huge snake slithers out. His parents attribute his claims of having a snake in his room to his over active imagination, aka being a difficult child. Although the book (they think) tells them how to deal with it, things get much worse for Duckworth. 

These pages flip-flop the usual, wonderful parent setting found in picture books, and demonstrate how some kids feel completely misunderstood (and somewhat ignored). But in a slightly dark and humorous way. Duckworth hits the first page as a very normal kid. He's not mean. He's not disobedient. But his parents are a bit stuck in their own thoughts and ways. It's bitter-sweet, and as a parent, makes you want to give Duckworth a big hug.

While not a feel-good-read, this one will have kids giggling, gasping and wondering how Duckworth will make it (while having a few more giggles in between). Young listeners will connect with it...as every kid feels a bit ignored at one time or the other...but it also ends with humor and a bit of a self-confidence boost. (And a way to keep those snakes from sneaking out of the closet).

The illustrations are lovely but not quite as colorful and bright as many seen in picture books. It fits the stuffy atmosphere of Duckworth's world extremely well. There are small details filtered in, which young listeners will enjoy. And the snake is so big and bold...which might be saying more than what one first thinks.  After hearing the tale, young listeners will grab this one on their own just to flip through the pictures and dive into the story.

And here he is...

Michael Sussman, a clinical psychologist and survivor of difficult parents, is the author of the picture books Otto Grows Down and Duckworth, the Difficult Child, a psychological thriller titled Incognolio, and A Curious Calling: Unconscious Motivations for Practicing Psychotherapy.

Website: MichaelSussmanBooks.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1534405127?tag=simonsayscom

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/duckworth-the-difficult-child-michael-sussman/1129709310?ean=9781534405127#/

Indie Bound: https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=duckworth+the+difficult+child&=Search

Review: Are You My Monster? by Amanda Noll

ARE YOU MY MONSTER?

by Amanda Noll

Illustrated by Howard McWilliam

Flashlight Press

Picture Book

26 pages

ages 3 to 7

In Are You My Monster?, the monster-loving boy from I Need My Monster tries to find his monster. He compares his drawing—showing a green monster with a long tail, pointy nails, and big teeth—with an assortment of amusing monsters, until he finds the perfect match. This turns out to be his beloved STUFFED monster toy. Children will love comparing colors, checking if tails are long or short, if nails are pointy or round, if teeth are big or small until they, too, find the monster who is a perfect match.

MY TIDBITS

This such a cute and fun read!

Ethan makes a drawing of his monster. After all, only one monster is the monster for him. One by one, the monsters appear, and Ethan goes down his checklist to see if they are the one he's looking for. Sharp teeth, a long tale, green and... some criteria are met. Others not. As the monster go by and none seem to fulfill his entire list, the question of whether or not he'll ever find his monster arises.

Not only are the monster super sweet (in a scary, monstery way, of course), but the check list is something readers are sure to enjoy. Every two-page spread has a monster on one side, and Ethan and his list on the other. It's a simple concept and that's exactly what makes it fun. Young listeners will easily be sucked into Ethan's search and join in as each aspect of the monster is explored.

The illustrations are bright and bring across the right atmosphere. Each monster packs their own personality, and young readers are sure to find their own personal favorites. They'll probably want a monster of their own too.

HOW I MET MY MONSTER

 by Amanda Noll

Illustrated by Howard McWilliam

Flashlight Press

Picture Book

32 pages

ages 3 to 7

One night, when Ethan reaches under his bed for a toy truck, he finds this note instead: “Monsters! Meet here for final test.” Ethan is sure his parents are trying to trick him into staying under the covers, until he sees five colorful sets of eyes blinking at him from beneath the bed. Soon, a colorful parade of quirky, squeaky little monsters compete to become Ethan’s monster. But only the little green monster, Gabe, has the perfect blend of stomach-rumbling and snorting needed to get Ethan into bed and keep him there so he falls asleep—which as everyone knows, is the real reason for monsters under beds. With its perfect balance of giggles and shivers, this silly-spooky prequel to the award-winning I Need My Monster and Hey, That’s MY Monster! will keep young readers entertained. 

MY TIDBITS

Monster fans are going to enjoy every page and maybe learn a little more about monsters along the way.

Ethan is looking for a toy and runs across a strange letter. Soon, five pairs of eyes are staring back at him from underneath his bed. These are monsters—furry, cute, long-tailed, and sweet. But these monsters are there for a reason. They need to learn the rules when it comes to kids and bedtimes. One of the monsters is sure to be perfect for Ethan, but it will take a bit of testing to find out which one it will be.

This reminded me a bit of Monsters Inc. but with a sweeter vibe. Ethan finds having monsters under his bed and in his room a little surprising, but he takes it all in stride and enjoys the fun. The monster rules seem sensible, but lead to funny situations and make it clear that finding the perfect monster-kid match isn't always easy. The monsters each bring their own personality and charm, and when Ethan and his monster are finally paired, it's simply heart-warming. Even if it might mean a little bit of a scare along the way.

The illustrations are super fun to gaze through. Each monster is portrayed uniquely and holds enough emotions to make them easy to like/love. There are little details to bring the pictures to life as they follow the tale and help the humor and friendship grow more vivid with each page. It's simply a cute story young listeners are sure to enjoy.