Unexpected Treasure is today’s topic for BBAW!

“We invite you to share with us a book or genre you tried due to the influence of another blogger.  What made you cave in to try something new and what was the experience like?“

Due to the fact that here at There’s A Book we have 3 individual reviewers I thought I’d share a book from each of us. So here goes!

Littlebug’s Choice:
Picture This… by Alison Jay (View her review by clicking on the title!)

Summary: By far Littlebug’s favorite book so far this year. From “d-doggs” to “s-hats” to “fishies” there is everything in this book you could imagine, not to mention the illustrations are GORGEOUS.

Why it makes the list today? This was a book “for” mom. I don’t know about other parents, but I’m definitely one to pick up books based on gorgeous illustrations and then dream about my children loving them one day (perhaps when they have their own children, LOL). Well, low and behold, Littlebug adores this book and to this day brings it to me to read over and over. I love it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Turkeybird’s Choice:
Any book by Mo Willems, suggested by Natasha from Maw Books.
Pick one? I Love My New Toy! (An Elephant and Piggie book) (View his review by clicking on the title!)

Summary: Kids love love love to laugh and this is garaunteed to have them rolling on the floor. Not only that, but if you want a book that will get kids to beg you over and over to read it “AGAIN!” this is definitely the right series. Now that Littlebug is a bit older she’s actually quite fond of Willems’ Cat the Cat series.

Why it makes the list today? Natasha had a review with her boys a little while back of Mo Willems book Leonardo the Terrible Monster and I knew I had to pick up whatever Mo Willems books I could find. Our family has been forever grateful for her recommendation as it has provided numerous chuckles and all out laughing fests in our home. Thank you Natasha!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The1stdaughter’s (Mom’s) Choice:
The Heart Is Not the Size by Beth Kephart (View my review by clicking on the title!)

Summary: Young adult fiction at its best. A journey, a challenge, a place and a story that will haunt you for years to come. Definitely one of my favorite reads, ever.

Why it makes the list today? Fortunately for me Amy from My Friend Amy works with Beth to help promote her books. I have to be honest, I had actually seen this one around quite a bit and wasn’t that interested. Admittedly I’m not a huge “cause” person, I definitely have those that I support, but I’m not usually interested in reading a whole lot about them. (I know, you can all hate me now!) So, when Amy approached me about possibly reviewing it I was a bit hesitant. The description makes it sound like it’s all about Juarez Mexico, which it is quite a bit, and having seen this place often in person I wasn’t inclined to travel back through a book version of this scary place. Boy was I glad I took a chance on this book though! There is so much more to it than the trip of two girls to a small village in Juarez Mexico, so many layers and don’t even get me started on the writing; oh my! This book is the reason Beth Kephart is one of my newly acquired favorite authors. Her writing is beautiful and the stories she tells have meaning no matter who you are. Beth’s writing has touched my life beyond what I thought was possible and I’m grateful to Amy for introducing her to me. Thank you Amy!

**This is a Sticky Post for the Got Books? Event through Saturday the 24th at Midnight EST. For more recent posts, including “A Bit of Me(Me)” scroll down.**

Got Books? is an annual event that, after participating in the wonderful bi-annual event, BLOGMANIA, both Gina from Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers and myself decided we wanted something exclusively book. An event that revolved entirely around everything “bookish”, including the blogs involved. We love books and everything about them and wanted to give them the opportunity to shine!

So, beginning tonight, July 23rd at 12:01am EST until July 24th at 12:00pm EST we will be celebrating everything “Bookish”! Make sure to take a stop at the main Got Books? Event site to find some more amazing giveaways and blogs to discover! The final tally for the number of blogs involved, 111, can you believe it?! Both Gina and myself are so excited for this event and hope we can continue it year after year.

I also would be wrong if I didn’t give a big THANK YOU to Gina for all her hard work! She’s amazing and if you haven’t started following her site, Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers, what are you waiting for?!

Now, on with the giveaway!

We decided that what better than giving away some of our favorite things? Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom for some extra bookish goodness!

As those of you who have stopped by There’s A Book before might know, our reviews come from three very different people: The1stdaughter (Danielle), TheTurkeybird (my 3 year old son), and Littlebug (my 1 year old daughter). We review Children’s books, Middle Grade books as well as Young Adult novels. So, definitely some variety! Because of this, each of us has something we absolutely love and want to share with you! So here goes:

Bookmarks are a Must! Here is our favorite from a little shop called Sweet Harvey:

Notebooks are also a Must! You need something to take notes in for those reviews, right? Here is our favorite from a little shop called Katie Blair Designs:

Book Lights. No explanation needed.

Finally, our Favorite Books:

Cat the Cat Who Is That? by Mo Willems – Littlebug’s Favorite
Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt – The Turkeybird’s Favorite
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins – The1stdaughter’s Most Anticipated Book (or the pre-order book of your choice!)

So, how does this work?

• There will be 2 prize packs with the “Bookish” prizes above that include a “surprise” book from our favorites (they may be different than above).
  
• There will also be a winner for each of the “Favorite Books” above, 3 total. If you live internationally, in exchange for the book you will receive a $10-$15 Gift Certificate to Book Depository, depending on the value of the book being exchanged.

That’s it! What do you think?! Excited for the Pre-Order of Mockingjay or your favorite coming soon?

I currently have two other Fantastic Giveaways going on that you definitely want to enter! Take a look at my Giveaways Page for details!

Details: One winner will be chosen at random for each prize after the contest closes. Five total prizes! You MUST fill out the form below, comments will not count as entries. Only one entry per household. Giveaway is open to US/Canadian Residents for the “non-book” items and Worldwide for the books. The giveaway will run from July 23, 2010 until July 24, 2010 midnight EST.

Thank you so much to all who entered! The Got Books? contest is now closed, please make sure to check back soon for the results!

These items have all been 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 IndieBound.

Cat the Cat Who Is That? by Mo Willems

Published by Balzer & Bray (A division of Harper Collins Children’s)

Pages: 32

Ages: Newborn to 5

Publishers Summary: Cat the Cat sure likes her friends. You will too! Join this spunky feline as she introduces the very youngest readers to her world, where a surprise is waiting in every book!

The Turkeybird Speaks: “So, I’ll be honest, I’m definitely more of an Elephant and Piggie fan, but this is still a great book! Most especially, I love reading it to my Littlebug sister. She loves loves loves Kitty Cats and it’s so much fun to turn each page to see her point and say it over and over. So much fun, especially for big brothers who have little sisters or little brothers who like to be read to!”

Sweet Littlebug Says: “Kitty Cat! Kitty Cat! The Kitty is the absolute best part of this whole book! She is so so cute! But really, what is with that pigeon who pops in and out? Who knew ducks liked pigeons?

“Anyway, this is one of the best books! My big brother Turkeybird likes to read it to me and point out the different animals, even the weird one at the end. It just makes the book that much better when he reads it and mom is there to make sure we don’t miss a page. I can not wait for the other Cat books, I just know they are going to be great!”

Mom’s Two Cents: “Mo Willems has done it again! He is by far the favorite author of many children and parents alike and our household is no different than most. Each of his series have something to offer children of all ages, including laughing and learning all at the same time.

“For those reasons, the second I knew Cat the Cat was released I picked it up and haven’t put it down since. This series is definitely aimed at younger/beginning readers or early readers if you will. So, it’s just perfect for Littlebug’s age group, around one to three years old. In Cat the Cat Who Is That? the main character, Cat, makes new and sometimes odd friends. It’s a simple rhyming – play on words that has kiddos laughing from beginning to end.

“Mo Willems is definitely an author I would recommend to anyone with kiddos around or even just someone who needs a good chuckle. The artwork is simple, but absolutely appealing. And the story lines are always fun and informative. This is a series I can definitely see being added to as time goes on and I know Littlebug can’t wait!”

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages Newborn and Up. This is especially great for little ones with older siblings who would like to read with each other.

For the Comments: Do you have a favorite Mo Willems book? We’d love to add to our collection!

Meet Mo Willems and Cat the Cat:

Other books in this series we can’t wait to read:

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.

I Love My New Toy! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems

Published by Hyperion Books for Children

Pages: 64

Ages: 4-8

Publishers Summary: In “I Love My New Toy!” Piggie can’t wait to show Gerald her brand-new toy. But will an accidentally broken toy accidentally break a friendship?

The Turkeybird Speaks: “Give me a minute…thanks! I needed a second to compose myself. The best part about this book…my mom, reading it to me. She’s amazing! If I could get her to read it over and over for hours every day I would, because it’s great. Hold on, I think I might be able to get her to read it!…

“Hahaha! That was great, I mean really! You are missing out on life if you haven’t read this, because if I’m not mistaken they have studies proving that laughter helps you live longer, right? I can’t stop laughing! Haha! Every time I even see this book I have to chuckle, it’s so much fun. And if it couldn’t get much better, it’s all about a toy! Wonderful. Mo Willems is by far one of my favorite authors and illustrators. He’s a genius! Go out get this book and read it to the nearest 2 to 4 year old you know, they will love you forever for it.”

Mom’s Two Cents: “One of my favorite things about this book, The Turkeybird’s reaction. I honestly can say that very rarely do I see him light up the way he does when I read this book to him. And who doesn’t appreciate that? It was a joy, yet again today when he ran into my room with this book in tow and a huge grin on his face. I’d read it once and then he’d say ‘again! again!’. How could I refuse such plea’s? It truly was the highlight of my day.

“I Love My New Toy! is the story of a little Piggie (insert the nearest preschool age child in your life) and her adventure getting, losing and regaining a toy and more importantly a friend. Piggie initially chooses to share her toy with her good friend Gerald, but he causes strife by breaking it…or so they think. Piggie goes through a range of emotions and eventually finds that it’s better to forgive than hold a grudge. It teaches children that friends are the things to be treasured not just our possessions.

“When we purchased this for The Turkeybird it was in the hopes that it would help him with sharing. I’m not entirely sure that it’s helped so far, but it has taught him some other very valuable lessons. It’s helped him put names to feelings and emotions he’s had. Recently he had a toy break and I think reading the book helped him understand it was okay, he had other toys and friends to play with. He still values the things he has, but I’m pretty sure it’s helping him to see they aren’t what is important in life.

“A great book with a great message that’s also very entertaining. Perfect for reading together between you and your toddler or even a group of toddlers together could be great!”

The1stdaughter Recommends: Toddlers of any age will love being read this book. Also great for teaching children about different emotions by putting a name to them in a way they can understand. And helping them to see what is important in life.

Also check out Mo Willems site for some fun activities for little ones.

Winner of the 2009 Cybils Easy Reader Award. More about this later this week!

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.