There's A Book » Turkeybird Speaks

Book Review: The Story of Christmas with Illustrations by Pamela Dalton

the1stdaughter — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 08:30:36 +0000

The Story of Christmas: Text based on the King James Version and Illustrations by Pamela Dalton
Published by Chronicle Books
Pages: 32
Buy It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Powell’s Books | Indiebound | Book Depository
Publishers Summmary:

Pamela Dalton’s exquisite, intricate scissor-cut illustrations wonderfully illuminate The Story of Christmas. Deeply reverent, richly detailed, and teeming with life, Dalton’s images follow the story of the Nativity from the appearance of the Angel, to the shepherds who came from the fields, and to the three wise men who followed the star to pay respect for their new king. Working in a Pennsylvania-German folk-art tradition, rich with lovingly rendered animals and figures, Pamela Dalton has created a book that takes a deserved place among the finest celebrations of Christmas.

Turkeybird and Littlebug Snuggle In: “Christmas is so so neat! We both can’t wait to get all of those neat presents and be super silly all day in our jammies. But mom and dad said that we will also be going to church on Christmas. (Isn’t that kind of funny? We may try and sneak in a couple of toys!)

“This book is all about why we have Christmas and the pictures are so pretty. We really like the pictures of the baby Jesus and all the angels. Mom said that we have Christmas because it’s to celebrate Jesus’ birthday, which seems super super neat to us. This was a very quiet book, but we both really liked seeing what Christmas is all about.”

Mom’s Two Cents: Told through the eyes and hands of the talented illustrator Pamela Dalton, the story of the birth of Jesus Christ comes to life in the pages of this gorgeous picture book.

Pamela Dalton’s illustrated telling of The Story of Christmas is what I would consider a rare find. This is a story that is the crux of most Christian beliefs yet finding a version of the story that is appealing to both children and adults can be a daunting task. Often picture book versions of the story are much more cartoon in nature making them much too young for older readers and more mature versions of the story become quite boring for small children. Pairing the story with Pamela Dalton’s beautiful artwork was a brilliant idea. Not only does the story come to life, but it reaches a far broader audience than most versions have in the past.

Through this version of The Story of Christmas readers follow along with the text from the King James version of the Bible as Pamela Dalton’s gorgeous and intricate art bring the story to life. Our family will be reading this version for many years to come as it has quickly become a family favorite and I’m certain that other families in search of a high quality yet accurate portrayal of this important part of Christianity will love it as well.

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 2 and up. The beauty of the Bible story of Jesus’ birth coupled with gorgeous illustrations that young and old will appreciate. Perfect for the Christmas season.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Chronicle Books, for providing a copy of this book for review! Connect with them on Twitter and on Facebook! Also, don’t forget to look over our special feature of Chronicle Books we did in November for Book Publishers 101!
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our various affiliate relationships.

Book Review: The Lighthouse Santa by Sara Hoagland Hunter

the1stdaughter — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:30:28 +0000

The Lighthouse Santa by Sara Hoagland Hunter and Illustrated by Julia Miner
Published by Flying Dog Stories & University Press of New England
Pages: 36
Ages: 4-8
Buy It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Powell’s Books | Indiebound | Book Depository
Publishers Summmary:

The Lighthouse Santa drops presents to all of us who live alone at the edge of the ocean. From Owl’s Head Light in Maine to our Great Point Light on Nantucket, we wait for the sound of his plane. He has never missed a Christmas…at least, not yet

For Kate, life at the Great Point Lighthouse on Nantucket Island can be exciting, full of stormy seas and even shipwrecks. But it can also be lonely, with only her mother, father, and brother Sam to keep her company. Now it’s Christmas Eve, and Kate waits in her lighthouse as a blizzard threatens to ruin this most special day. For as long as she can remember, the Lighthouse Santa has dropped presents from his airplane for all the lighthouse keepers’ children. But will his plane make it through hurricane winds and blinding snow? Sam says it is impossible, but Kate has been keeping a secret Christmas wish all year long, and she will not give up hope.

Based on the Christmas flights of Edward Rowe Snow, hero to lighthouse children for almost fifty years, The Lighthouse Santa has all the elements of a true Christmas classic: light, love, wonder, and the power of one child’s faith to shine through darkness. From the midst of the howling storm to her own soaring flight with the Lighthouse Santa, Kate must cling to her father’s promise that “Nothing is impossible on Christmas Eve in a lighthouse.”

The Turkeybird Soars: “Santa in an airplane! Wow! I thought he only had a sleigh and reindeer, but in this book he flies a plane and throws gifts out of the windows. Crazy, huh?!

“It gets a little scary when there’s a big accident and they have to search for Santa in a blizzard. Good for Santa that the little girl’s Dad goes looking for him and brings him back to get warm. In the end the girl finally gets her Christmas wish and gets to meet Santa! It’s amazing!”

Mom’s Two Cents: It’s Christmas time again and Kate wants a very special gift this year. When a terrible storm threatens to take away the possibility of even a fly-by from jolly St. Nick her wishes may not come true, but Kate doesn’t give up hope. In the true spirit of Christmas what begins as a tale about gifts and wanting turns into a heartwarming story about helping others. The Lighthouse Santa brings hope to those who shine the way for those lost at sea.

In a season where gift giving is at an all time high sharing the true meaning of Christmas can often be more challenging than fighting crowds of shoppers, or in this case…a blizzard. I’d never heard the story of the Lighthouse Santa before reading this delightful picture book and it certainly brings a different feeling to the image of Santa. It’s easy to pass off Santa as someone who isn’t real, especially when you consider he normally follows a sleigh of flying reindeer. In this case, being that it’s based on a true story, it’s easier to relate a feeling of service to the image of Santa which I believe was the initial intention behind the story of Santa. The Lighthouse Santa brings gifts to the lighthouse families that light the way for so many sailors out at sea and often risks his own peril to bring others joy. It’s a wonderful message of service and giving that young children will appreciate more and more the older they get.

As for the actual story within the pages of The Lighthouse Santa I’d have to say I enjoyed it a great deal. Obviously the message was wonderful and many of the illustrations are quite delightful. If I had any problems with the book it would be that I believe the intended audience may be a little young to appreciate all of the text within it’s pages. At times both of my children would get up and wander away because the text ran a bit longer than most picture books we read. That’s not to say it’s written poorly, because it’s not, it just may need a bit of modification for younger readers or simply an older audience. Otherwise, this is a fantastic book during this holiday season and one we’ll continue bring out year after year.

Share the true spirit of Christmas with young readers as you turn the pages of The Lighthouse Santa by Sara Hoagland Hunter. Filled with delightful illustrations and characters that children will easily relate to, this is a story that takes the attention off the monetary aspects of the season and focuses on service & giving. Based on the true story of Edward Rowe Snow, parents and educators will also be happy to share a bit of a history lesson with young Christmas fans. The Lighthouse Santa is a wonderful picture book that helps to refocus readers on the true meaning of the season, bringing a sense hope and happiness to readers everywhere.

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 6 to 10. A story based in reality that brings the meaning of the holiday season home. Best for older readers with a bit longer attention span, but easily adaptable for younger readers as well.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Flying Dog Stories & University Press of New England, for providing a copy of this book for review! Connect with them on Twitter and on Facebook!
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our various affiliate relationships.

Book Review: Dinosaur Dig! by Penny Dale

the1stdaughter — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:45:02 +0000

Dinosaur Dig! by Penny Dale
Published by Nosy Crow
Pages: 32
Ages: 1 and up.
Buy It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Powell’s Books | Indiebound | Book Depository
Publishers Summmary:

Dinosaur Dig! has everything that boys love — diggers, dinosaurs, and dirt — plus a bit of counting thrown in for good measure. Bursting with energy, noise, and a splashy, surprising ending, this is an absolute riot of a book.

Dino Crazy Kiddos: “What are they building?! Digging digging digging! We love counting all the dinosaurs on every page and they really must be building something super super neat.

“Our favoritest part is when they finally go for a swim in their great big new pool! We didn’t even know dinosaurs liked to swim. How silly! Turkeybird’s favorite dino is the Iguanodon but Littlebug loves the Megalosaurus (because it’s pink!). This is such a fun book and we love counting all the silly dinosaurs as they dig, scrape and crunch in the ground!”

Mom’s Two Cents: Thump! Crash! Clatter! Clunk! Scrape! Sploosh! As the dinosaurs dig away at their construction site their numbers increase and their project gets more & more involved. Count as the number and variety of dinosaurs adds up until the very last page when the final project is revealed.

It’s no secret, our family has a huge reservoir of dino-lovers. Not only has the Turkeybird been a fan since I can remember, but as soon as Littlebug could start playing with his dinosaurs she grabbed them and wouldn’t let go. One of the first series of books we introduced to both kiddos were the “How Do Dinosaurs…?” series by Jane Yolen and they instantly fell in love. So when I discovered Nosy Crow had a new dinosaur book coming out I was obviously interested, as were the kiddos. The illustrations are actually quite similar to the style found in Yolen’s series that’s illustrated by Mark Teague which was a huge bonus because it felt like you were revisiting an old friend.

What sets Dinosaur Dig! apart from other dinosaur books is the brilliant text and gorgeous characterization. Often counting books are either too simple with only three to five word sentences per spread making it somewhat boring for older readers who may be past the “learning to count” stage. Dinosaur Dig! has just the right balance with a well written opening sentence followed up by a rephrasing of the same sentence along with action words on each spread. This set up makes it easy for very young readers/learners to focus on the numbers but also makes it enjoyable for older readers who enjoy reading and interacting with the dinosaurs on the page. There are also the scientific names of the dinosaurs on the inside cover of the book, which the Turkeybird loves learning! In addition to this, each of the dinosaurs are realistic, but not scary at all, making them easy to connect with for young readers who love these pre-historic creatures.

Dinosaur Dig! by Penny Dale is a stand out counting book that not only toddlers, but pre-school age dino-fans will absolutely love! Our family has quickly fallen in love with the delightful illustrations and text by Penny Dale that has reminded us of one of our absolute favorite dinosaur series by Jane Yolen. This is a fantastic book for families with toddlers and preschoolers who love dinosaurs and love to count. Dig, crunch and count through the pages of Dinosaur Dig! as these dinosaurs build their very own surprise ending that young readers will be thrilled to read about!

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 1 to 4. Mix counting with a childhood favorite, dinosaurs! Read along and try to guess what they are building. Perfect for dinosaur fans and readers learning to count!

Today’s post is part of our month long celebration of all things Nosy Crow. Make sure to stop by the Nosy Crow site for more information about this title and more. For more information about our Book Publishers 101 feature take a look at this month’s opening post.

Also be sure to enter our Nosy Crow Giveaway for a chance to win a copy of this book as well as many other fantastic titles by Nosy Crow!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Nosy Crow, for coordinating many of this month’s features and reviews! Connect with them on Twitter and on Facebook!
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our various affiliate relationships.

Book Review: The Woods by Paul Hoppe

the1stdaughter — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:30:53 +0000

The Woods by Paul Hoppe
Published by Chronicle Books
Pages: 44
Ages: 5-8
Buy It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Powell’s Books | Indiebound | Book Depository
Publishers Summmary:

Being afraid of the dark doesn’t mean being afraid alone. When a boy can’t find his favorite stuffed bunny, he bravely heads into the woods to look for it. Instead, he finds a big, scary brown bear! But the bear is just lonely, so the boy shares his night light and forges ahead with his new companion, until…they run into two frightening giants! As the boy continues on, he comes across other seemingly menacing creatures, but finds that—like him—they’re just looking for some comfort and security before bedtime. Simple text and classic European style meet a fresh, modern twist in this delightful picture book.

The Turkeybird Speaks: “Wow! I wish my room had a woods with all kinds of neat animals, monsters and magical creatures! This boy gets to go into the woods right next to his bed if he wants. I think I would stay up all night playing if I were him!

“My two very favoritest parts of the story were when all the creatures jumped out and scared him and the ending. I loved when my mom tried to scare me because I always try and scare her right back! It’s super funny! The ending is the best though because he knows there is nothing to be afraid of at night and it’s even better when you have your stuffed friends to help you out. I think I’ll read this before bed again tonight!”

Mom’s Two Cents: It’s almost bedtime and suddenly none of this boys nighttime toys are anywhere to be seen. With no way of possibly going to bed without them he does what any other boy would do in this situation…he goes into the woods. Along his journey he meets a number of strange creatures from a three headed dragon to giants and even a monster, but are they really so scary or do they just need a little help of their own? In the end he may just learn that it’s better to stick together than face the night alone.

For anyone who has ever had a little kiddo struggle with nightmares or simply being afraid of the dark, you must read this book! Not only do I absolutely love the illustrations and the feel of the pages (it’s less glossy than most picture books), but I love the entire concept. Of course we’ve dealt with nighttime issues since the time Turkeybird was old enough to get out of his own bed, and even before that! What do you say to a child when they are afraid of the dark or have a nightmare? Yes, there’s the traditional comforting and even the more fun “monster spray” in the form of a clean spray bottle that’s been decorated, but sometimes those things simply aren’t enough. When we reached that last stage I was grateful for the many books we discovered that gave him comfort and me ideas to help him with, including this one.

In The Woods by Paul Hoppe this little boy is an adventurer from the start. He sets out to discover the whereabouts of his bunny and along the way makes a few friends to take home. What’s unique about this is that it’s not only an adventure story, but a way to teach children to be kind to others and offer help when you can give it. Instead of the little boy becoming overwhelmed by the things that could potentially frighten him he turns it into an opportunity to make things better. It’s a fantastic concept and one that’s shared simply enough that young readers will love and appreciate it again and again. The Woods by Paul Hoppe is definitely a bedtime book you don’t want to miss!

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 3 to 7. Take an adventure before bedtime with your favorite friends. An excellent choice as a bedtime book for those kiddos that may struggle with the dark & nightmares.

The Woods

Today’s post is part of our month long celebration of Chronicle Books for our monthly feature “Book Publishers 101“. Make sure to stop by the Chronicle Books for more information about this title and more. For more information about our Book Publishers 101 feature take a look at this month’s opening post.

Make sure to take a look at this month’s Book Publishers 101 feature giveaway as well, for your chance to win some fantastic books from Chronicle Books!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Chronicle Books, for coordinating many of this month’s features and reviews! Connect with them on Twitter and on Facebook!
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our various affiliate relationships.

Book Review: E-mergency! by Tom Lichtenheld and Ezra Fields-Meyer

the1stdaughter — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:30:27 +0000

E-mergency! by Tom Lichtenheld and Ezra Fields-Meyer
Published by Chronicle Books
Pages: 40
Buy It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Powell’s Books | Indiebound | Book Depository
Publishers Summmary:

It’s an E-mergency! The letter E took a tumble and the only way to get her back on her foot is for people to stop using her. But who can take her place? The other letters have to make a decision ASAP. Z is too sleepy and Y asks way too many questions. Thankfully, O rolls in to try and save the day. Now E can rost up and got bottor . . . as long as ovorybody follows the rulos. Chock-full of verbal and visual puns, this zany book is sure to tickle both the brain and the funny bone.

The Turkeybird Speaks: “Talk about tough! Trying to say all the words without the E’s was super hard, but pretty funny too. I kept having to ask my mom to read the word without the E and it was super super funny! She had such a hard time because she said always had E’s in all her words normally.

“This poor E got hurt though and it was super nice that the other letters liked to help him out. It would be super hard to not have E’s to read and write with but I had no idea until I read the E’s story. It’s amazing!”

Mom’s Two Cents: In the letter house all the letters work together to have a happy home, but when one of the letters has an “E-mergency” everything gets a bit chaotic. Suddenly there’s not an E in sight and it seems as though there’s a chance he’ll never return without a bit of TLC. As “O” steps in to help everyone gets more and more confused, especially one person in particular…the reader. Once everyone understands they all need to give E his time to rest he gets a full recovery and is back to his normal E-self.

E-mergency! by Tom Lichtenheld is an incredibly original picture book. Omitting a letter in it’s entirety makes readers even more aware of the other letters in the alphabet, parents and children alike. To be honest I had a terrible time trying to read this the first few times I read it, but it was actually to the Turkeybird’s benefit. He kept pointing out to me when I’d accidently use an E in my reading and make me go back and read it again. For him it was hilarious and a fantastic way to learn about the importance of one of our most commonly used letters.

Take a unique look at the letters we use everyday, especially one in particular. E-mergency! by Tom Lichtenheld was one of the most difficult picture books to read a loud, but unbelievably beneficial reading for the Turkeybird and I’d imagine others at his same reading level. As we’d read through the pages he was able to have an even better understanding of how each letter interacted with the others which coupled with the humor of the story became a very enjoyable read for him. Help young readers learn the importance of each and every letter in the alphabet by eliminating one of the most commonly used, the E.

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 5 to 10. A great read for older picture book readers who are will enjoy not only the humor of the story, but the fun of learning how each letter interacts with others.

E-mergency!

Mini Review and Giveaway: Can You See What I See? Toyland Express by Walter Wick

the1stdaughter — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:00:08 +0000

Can You See What I See? Toyland Express by Walter Wick
Published by Scholastic Press
Pages: 40
Buy It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Powell’s Books | Indiebound | Book Depository
Publishers Summmary:

CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? TOYLAND EXPRESS, the eighth title in the bestselling search-and-find series, follows the life of a toy train from the workshop to the attic, only to be rescued at a yard sale and brought to life once again in a new home. As readers search for more than 250 hidden objects, they will also notice how the train takes on various transformations along its journey.

Can You See What I See? Toyland Express by Walter Wick takes vintage Christmas toy magic to an entirely new level! Open the pages and entire a world filled with trains, toys and every imaginable related object will come to life before your eyes. This was our family’s first venture into the world of Walter Wick’s “look and find” style books, but I’m positive I’ll be sharing more with both kiddos. The images are gorgeous! Walter Wick has an incredible talent for capturing the life of a still toy making it seem as if they may begin moving at any moment.

Anyone who’s a fan of vintage toys, train sets or even simply has a kiddo who loves to discover new things should pick this up for the season. We will definitely be adding to our collection and I know that the Turkeybird especially is excited to have another chance to discover a brand new world of toys!

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 4 to 8. Flip through pages of toys and discover the hidden treasures waiting for children of all ages. Perfect for hours of enjoyment seeking and finding.

About the author:
Walter Wick has opened millions of eyes to a world of treasures big and small in his award-winning, bestselling I SPY and CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? picture-puzzle books. Walter discovered his passion for building picture puzzles by accident. One day when cleaning out a drawer, he scattered odds and ends on a glass tabletop and photographed them. The photo appeared in a magazine and caught the eye of Jean Marzollo, editor of Scholastic’s Let’s Find Out. This photo inspired the first I SPY book, with riddles by Jean Marzollo, and led to their long collaboration.

In his more recent CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? series, Walter’s detailed photographs convey subtle hidden stories. Walter meticulously constructs 3-D sets for CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? in his Connecticut studio. For videos and more photos, visit www.walterwick.com or www.facebook.com/walterwick.

Giveaway!

As an added bonus the publisher, Scholastic Press, has provided me with one Signed copy of Can You See What I See? Toyland Express by Walter Wick to giveaway to one There’s A Book reader! Please fill out the form below and good luck!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Scholastic Press, for providing a copy for review & giveaway! Find them on Twitter as well as Facebook.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our various affiliate relationships.

Loading…