Archives for 2015

Here are the favorite books of this week!

Looking for a great series for ages 8+? The Aldo Zelnick series continues with Kerfuffle! This one will have your kids laughing out loud and actually wanting to read about Aldo and his friends! To find out more, visit http://www.aldozelnick.com/

New children’s book says there’s no place like home for the howl-idays!

In “Granny Glitter’s Christmas Story,” artist and graphic designer Andree Siracusa (aka Granny Glitter) tells the true story of her dog Koko, a blind Chow Chow puppy she saved from euthanization at a pet store during a round of Christmas shopping for her other pets.

After his rescue, Koko adjusts to his new home he shares with Venus the Doberman, Twinkie the Pomeranian, Marker the parrot, and the neighbor’s cat, Scratch. After some tender loving care and some eye drops, Koko soon receives the best Christmas present of all — his eyesight.

Through her heart-warming story, Siracusa hopes to teach children and their parents the importance of giving all pets a chance, as well as emphasize the Christmas spirit of giving.

“We, as humans, can learn from the unconditional love we receive from animals,” Siracusa said. “It’s important that we give that unselfish love in return.”

Even though they cannot speak our language, or perhaps it is that we cannot speak in theirs, the true meaning of Christmas and unconditional love can be found within our pets.

Granny Glitter’s Christmas Story
By Andree Siracusa
ISBN: 978-1-4969-3939-5
Available in softcover and e-book
Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AuthorHouse

About the author
Andree Siracusa is an artist and graphic designer in Florida. She has many pets, including dogs, birds and horses. She has published many other children’s books: “A Doberman’s Puppy Days,” “The Hole in the Fence,” “A Horse Named Charlie” and “The Egg Surprise.”

The following books would also make great gift ideas!

This one really is quite clever!

How Machines Work: Zoo Break! (ages 7-10)

This one is from DK, Caldecott-winner David Macaulay and uses pop-ups and illustrations to demonstrate the technology of six simple machines. Follow the hilarious antics of Sloth and Sengi as they try to break out of the zoo with the help of levers, pulleys, screws, inclined planes, wedges and wheels. Packed with engaging, hands-on activities, this book will gear kids up for scientific and engineering greatness. Released this past November.

This is such a delightful story! Great for ages 4-8.

Created by internationally renowned artists Brian Tse and Alice Mak, this China Institute (with Tuttle Publishing) book teaches children about Chinese artwork and culture and their universal spirit of generosity, love, and respect for nature. The loveable illustrations are coupled with photographs of porcelain art found in the Palace Museum’s collection. Kids learn about how bowls are made and be able to draw their own Bowl of Happiness after reading the story.

Engaging stories take kids through the average life of an emperor and learn about the real people who lived in the palace, including the prince who fought off a rebel invasion, the palace maids who lived in the Inner Court, the emperor who ruled twice, and the emperor who loved crickets. From China Institute with Tuttle Publishing. Ages 8+.

The following books are wonderful for young readers!

I love these these beautifully-illustrated seasonal titles from indie authors that are sure to delight children of all ages. Each of these delightful books was published via Amazon’s independent-publishing platforms – CreateSpace for print books and Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) for e-books – and all are perfectly-poised to become the next seasonal classics for generations of children and families to come. These imagination-stimulating stories and the endearing characters they introduce are great for lighting up the holiday season and bringing families everywhere even closer together:

“Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis”—A swashbuckling winter’s tale and the newest addition to the multi-award-winning Captain No Beard book series by Carole P. Roman, finds the daring pirate Captain No Beard and his loyal crew heaving anchor for adventure as they steer a course due north for the icy waters of the Arctic. A prolific children’s book writer, Carole’s work is inspired by the antics of her grandchildren, who she often features in the pages of her books.

 

• “The Fox and the Snowman” – A beautiful story by author Angela Muse about a lone fox and his journey through a year of changing seasons. Along the way, the young fox discovers friendship and family in this colorful seasonal tale that’s perfect for giving and receiving at holiday time.

 

• “The Deep and Snowy Wood” – A delightful picture book about a deer, a squirrel and a mole and the very special person who pays a brief visit to the deep and snowy wood. Penned by author Elwyn Tate, this playful rhyming title is sure to captivate children during the holiday season and all year-round.

 

• “Kat McGee and The School of Christmas Spirit” (A Kat McGee Adventure) (Volume 1) – The first in a series of chapter books for young readers, featuring 5^th grader and holiday-saving legend Kat McGee. In “Kat McGee and The School of Christmas Spirit” by Rebecca Munsterer, Kat travels back in time and through a magical snowglobe to meet Mrs. Claus and experience the true spirit of the holiday.

 

• “The 13 Dog Days of Christmas” – An amusing and engaging counting book for children written by Melanie Johnston and illustrated by Bob Reedy that inserts a variety of adorable dogs into the familiar 12 Days of Christmas rhyme. The giggle-inducing title helps kids with their counting skills, all with a charming holiday theme. A portion of proceeds from this book benefit Tony LaRussa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF).

Look for these books on Amazon.com!

The next one is a great one for both kids and adults!

Life is Good, lifestyle brand spreading the power of optimism, from t-shirts, self-help book, mugs to comfy pj’s, the Holiday collection ($10-78) has something for the kids, mom, the office and even the grinch who could use some positivity in their life! Life is Good donates 10% of their net proceeds to kids in need-–that’s something to smile about. 

Self Disclosure: I received free copies of the above books to facilitate this holiday book post.