It’s no secret around here that our family are big fans of Candlewick Press and of course their adorable Candlewick Bear:

So, when we saw via Facebook and Twitter that Jon Klassen, the author of another favorite of ours I Want My Hat Back, was reading with our beloved bear at first we were very excited.

Quickly that excitement turned to concern when Littlebug began to wonder what happened to her bear? Yes, Littlebug believes that not only is Jon “Team Bear”, but he’s crossed over into “Team Rabbit” territory by kidnapping her bear. Well, she thought she’d send Mr. Klassen a little message…

(Those viewing via RSS or email subscription click through to see the video clip, you don’t want to miss this one!)

So, Mr. Klassen…where is Littlebug’s bear? Hmmmm?

(Update: Littlebug’s Bear has been found though the location of Mr. Klassen has yet to be discovered.)

Boo!

Happy Halloween!

From a Littlebug who decided to go as a Sunflower thanks to her big brother, Turkeybird who had to be a Zombie. Hope you have a fantastically spooky weekend with lots of fantastic treats and minimal limb loss!

Five Little Pumpkins Illustrated by Ben Mantle

Published by Tiger Tales Books

Pages: 22

Ages:  2-5

Publishers Summary:  Five little pumpkins are sitting quietly on a fence when night falls and they are joined by a cast of creepy characters. Witches, spiders, bats, frogs, and ghosts appear, all determined to cause plenty of Halloween mischief. Spot-laminated pumpkins shine on the cover of this spirited padded board book. Wickedly funny with just the right amount of spooky, Five Little Pumpkins is a terrific treat!

Littlebug Speaks: “One…Two…Free…Ffff…Fife! Yep, I can count to Fife! Mom keeps telling me the word over and over again, but I think I’ve got it down, Fife!

“These pumpkins are so cute! We get to pick up our own this weekend and I can’t wait. I want to pick up fife just like in the story so they can sit out in front of our house and sing for the neighbors. Wouldn’t that be fun! Plus, maybe it would bring a kitty our way…maybe?

“My favorite part would definitely be the witch. She flies right over the pumpkins in a whoosh that sounds so neat when my mom says it! Maybe sometime soon I’ll be able to be a witch for Halloween!”

Mom’s Two Cents: “By far one of my favorite Halloween books! As the story opens you find five (not fife) little pumpkins sitting on a farm gate ready to take on the things that go bump in the night. They sing and chatter their way through the witches, spiders, kitties, ghosts, dark and more; laughing and playing all the way.

“Both Littlebug and the Turkeybird are fans of this delightful tale. In fact, earlier today they were both tugging at opposite sides of me to get a better view of all the fun things that happen at Halloween. Littlebug is just learning to count and this was a perfect addition to the sometimes routine counting books you find. She laughs and flips each page eager to count the pumpkins all over again.

“With gorgeous illustrations by new-to-me Ben Mantle, you’ll definitely find a happy crowd around you to read this story over and over again. This sweet pumpkin counting book is perfect for the spooky season with toddlers just learning to count or even those just eager to go trick-or-treating. A must have for the Halloween season!”

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 1 to 5. Get your pumpkin carving tools ready! This sweet tale is perfect for toddlers and early readers learning to count and get ready for the Halloween season.

For the Comments: Do you have a favorite pumpkin tale?

Today’s review is part of our month long celebration of Tiger Tales Books for our monthly feature “Book Publishers 101“. Make sure to stop by the Tiger Tales Books website for more information about this title and more. For more information about our Book Publishers 101 feature take a look at this months opening post. One more thing you might be interested in:

Just in time for Halloween!  Three lucky winners will receive a copy of our “sold out” Halloween title:  Five Little Pumpkins.
The response to this new book has been so great that we don’t have a single copy left in our warehouse, but a copy can be yours when you enter our give-away. There are three easy ways to win:
Comment on our blog at www.tigertalesbooks.com.
Comment on our facebook fanpage.
Re-tweet our giveaway announcement on twitter.
Three winners will be announced on Monday, October 18. Enter before October 17th to be eligible to win! Note:  The winners must reside in the US and have a US shipping address.

This book was provided for review by the publisher, Tiger Tales Books. Thank you!
Find Tiger Tales Books online at their Blog, Twitter and Facebook!
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with IndieBound.

Animals Talk and Animals Go by Emily Bolam

Published by Tiger Tales Books

Pages:10

Publishers Summary from Indiebound for Animals Talk: Buzz, moo, and roar! The very young are introduced to animal sounds in this vibrantly illustrated board book that features an embossed bumpy texture on the cover. Full color.

Littlebug Speaks: “Yep, it’s me! I’m back and this time I’ve got a great read for you! I’ve been a bit more chatty recently and my mom hasn’t been able to get me to stop babbling some days. So, I’m sure she showed me these books for two reasons: one, I love animals (doggies are the absolute best!) and two, I love learning new words and how animals talk. Oh, and did I mention both the books are bumpy? It’s so neat!

“My favorite so far is the snapping crocodile! SNAP! SNAP! My mom always pretends to snap the book at me when we’re reading it and it is so funny! Hehe. My favorite one to say has to be the cow, MOO! We even went to see a cow the other day when grandma and grandpa were here and I said ‘Moooo’ to him. It was great! We also saw a peacock and I learned in the second book that they strut. It was so neat!

“These are great books and I know that if you have a littlebug like me, learning to chatter a bunch, they will love these books!”

Mom’s Two Cents: “Emily Bolam is a favorite author around our house. From the bright colors to the simple, but educational texts her books are perfect for little readers. Initially I purchased and reviewed Colors and Counting by Emily, so when the publisher offered these for review I jumped at the chance because I knew Littlebug would love them.

“Each page of these two great books is full of bright beautiful images enhanced with textures that make each picture come alive for a toddler. Also, with only one word per page the opportunity for teaching moments are endless. These are best read out loud with one or more children. To be completely honest, I should almost have the Turkeybird review these books as well, because every time I read either of them to Littlebug he’s right there enjoying every page; sometimes acting them out for her. It’s fantastic! By far one of the best series of beginning books for toddlers out there.”

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages Birth to 4 years (possibly higher depending on the child). Filled with textures, bright colors and beginning sounds, words and actions these books will have any toddler excited to open them every time.

For the comments: Do you enjoy reading out loud to others? Not necessarily just parents to children. I’d love to know!

This book was provided by the publisher, Tiger Tales Books, for review. Thank you! Make sure to check them out on Twitter, Facebook and their new homepage coming soon!
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with IndieBound.

Picture This… by Alison Jay

Published by Templar Publishing

Pages: 40

Ages: Newborn and up

Publishers Summary: Words and images combine on each page of this breathtaking picture book to create an introduction to everyday words that children and their parents will want to return to again and again. With a wealth of detail, Jay has created a series of pictures where elements cleverly reappear from spread to spread, providing a timeless book to share.

Sweet Littlebug: “Again! Again! Doggie, where’s the doggie!? Oh, and the Bee!!!? This is definitely my favorite book…EVER! Especially the pages with the flower, the kittie and the BEE! If I could talk my mom into reading this book all day long I would sit down in her lap and giggle the whole day away.

“When I do get her to read it to me (let’s just say it’s somewhere in the neighborhood of about 12 to 20 times a day, wish it was more!) I take her pointer finger and point at all the pretty pictures. As I do this, she tells me what all the pictures are and I’m already starting to learn to say most of the words she’s taught me. This is one of the best books my mom has ever brought home, I just love it!”

Illustration from Picture This... by Alison Jay provided by Templar Publishing

Mom’s Two Cents: “Picture This… is by far one of Littlebug’s favorite books ever and I couldn’t be happier about it. When I originally saw this book online I purchased it almost more because I loved the beautiful illustrations and then hoped that Littlebug would also fall in love. Well, it was a match made in heaven for us both. Littlebug especially loves sitting with me to read it to her and tickle her when we get to the picture with the BEE! I’m in love with it because not only is it a beautiful book, but also I am able to share in the joy it brings to her little face, the very beginnings of reading love.

“Alison Jay’s artwork is beautiful! One of the more remarkable things about this book in particular is how each of the pages connect with the others. From the front cover to the very last page you find some piece that connects. As you can see in the above interior artwork, the image of the flower on the left (as well as the cat in the bottom corner) is carried over into the image on the right with the bird carrying the flower in his mouth. From this image you see an airplane in the background that’s carried onto the very next page. It’s truly brilliant! In a book without many words, there’s a connection just through the images on the page directly to your mind.

“Without a doubt, I would recommend this book to every parent of a newborn and older. It’s simple beauty carries itself throughout each page and connects to young and old readers alike. Beyond being simply beautiful, Picture This… is a book I love reading with my Littlebug. The excitement on her face when she finds it on the shelf each day is more than enough of a reason for me to read it to her almost two dozen times a day (and I’m not exaggerating at all). This is a book we will have in our home for years to come and one I will gladly pass on to Littlebug when she has her own Littlebug in many years from now.”

This book was purchased for our home library. All images were provided courtesy of Templar Publishing. Thank you! Make sure to visit their website or follow them on twitter.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Touch and Feel Farm by Dwell Studio

Published by Chronicle Books

Ages: 1-4

Pages: 10

Publishers Summary: N/A.

Littlebug’s Thoughts: “What can I say? I can’t get away from bumpy, fuzzy, scratchy things! I love every page of this book with all the beautiful colors and animals everywhere. Plus every page has something for me to run my fingers over!

“One of my favorite parts about this book is that I can usually persuade my big brother, The Turkeybird, to read it to me! I love it when he does that, because he will point to all of the fun shapes and I think his favorite page is the one with the tractor on it. He always stays there for a long time.

“This is such a fun book and I think any little girl or boy you know will absolutely love it. I know me and my big brother do!”

Mom’s Two Cents: “This is another book that as soon as I saw it I knew I had to get it for Littlebug. She’s such a texture fiend! Each page is based on some situation you would find at a typical farm. With a tractor, a cow, a pig and even a barn all with varying textures. This book will help teach little ones all about textures and help with their tactile awareness. The pages are beautiful colored, simple but just right.

“I’m a huge fan of the Dwell line of products and though I don’t generally appreciate cross-over into book territory from certain companies or celebrities this was one I actually really enjoyed. Dwell products have a way of taking the things kids appreciate everyday and turning them into something beautiful to look at. And in this case not just something to look at, but also learn/teach from.

“This is a great book any toddler could appreciate and every parent will enjoy!”

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 0 and up. Toddlers especially will love the textures and animals on each pages of this delightful book.

This book was purchased for our home library.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.