Friday, March 24, 2023

One Year Anniversary of The Kindness Machine


 The Kindness Machine

Written by Christina Dankert

Illustrated by Chad Dankert

Ages 4+ | 32 Pages

Publisher: Purple Butterfly Press | ISBN-13: 9781955119085

Publisher’s Synopsis: Creative and artistic 2nd-grade teacher, Mr. Wilson, wants to teach his students about kindness. Mr. Wilson creates The Kindness Machine, a special machine that shows the students exactly what they can do to bring kindness to their classroom and into their hearts! Instead of telling his students to “be kind,” which is something children hear from a very early age, they learn exactly what they can do in their own lives by pressing the special buttons. In the end, Mr. Wilson teaches his students that they each have their own Kindness Machine within them to help make kind decisions for others and themselves.

This creative, innovative, and fun teaching method will direct kids to be kind to one another in their classroom and beyond. The book includes discussion questions to help the reader consider not only kindness towards others but also kindness towards themselves, a lesson that is not always taught.

The Kindness Machine is a practical and innovative tool for teaching emotional literacy, kindness, and acceptance of self and others.

Available in hardcover, paperback, and as an ebook.

MY REVIEW

Parents and teachers of young children are aware that guiding them to better social skills and empathy with others can be a difficult process. Some children are slower to mature in those areas of development; others mean well, but are unsure how to support their peers or make a friendly gesture. Christina Dankert, author of The Kindness Machine, has taken her own experience as a second-grade teacher and created a story to help present those concepts in a kid-friendly way.

Mr. Wilson, the teacher in the story,  brings in an invention to share with his class. The machine he has built is covered in buttons of all shapes, sizes, and colors. A message appears on the screen when a student pushes a button. Mr. Wilson talks over each of the suggestions and the class tries them out. The students practice smiling at each other, giving compliments, and similar skills. The last message is to be a chef and mix all those ingredients together. As Mr. Wilson explains, “Each kindness action is great on its own, but the real magic happens when you combine them.”

This book is good for parents to read with their own children and discuss how to be kind to others, or for classroom or guidance lessons on how to get along together at school. Whatever our age, we can all use a few reminders on how to make the world a friendlier place.

PURCHASE LINK


Amazon: https://amzn.to/3COBXwa

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/2078/9781955119085


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christina Dankert is a second-grade teacher. She has a passion for literacy and believes that we can change the world by reading to the children in our lives. This is her debut picture book. She lives in Sylvania, Ohio, with her husband, Chad, and their two children. She has dreamed of collaborating with her husband to merge their two professions of educator and artist into one meaningful product. The Kindness Machine allowed that dream to come true.

Learn more about Christina at www.christinadankert.com.

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Spring Reading 2023 The Nocturnals Explore Unique Adaptations of Nighttime Animals



The Nonfiction Chapter Book Companion to The Mysterious Abductions makes a perfect double-play when paired with the chapter book, but can also be used on its own to satisfy the curiosity of young animal lovers. Readers can explore the adaptations of animals from aye-ayes to woylies. Each chapter focuses on a specific animal and details about its habitat, young, diet, abilities, and even whether they are endangered. Special sections discuss marsupials, "flying" or gliding animals, birds' eyes, and more. The text is packed with information, but at a comfortable reading level for intermediate grades and accompanied by attractive photographs of the animals.

This book is also packed with helpful nonfiction text features. Words found in the glossary are shown in orange text to pop off the page. Besides the glossary of terms there is also "Nocturnal Animal Glossary" with a thumbnail image of the animal and rundown of their scientific name, physical and behavioral characteristics, diet, habitat, and status. This section makes a great review of the facts within the book. Icons throughout the book alert readers to special adaptations and other important info - eyes, ears, nose, hiding/camouflage, whether they ever venture out during daylight, and endangered status. There are also extra "Night Notes" to highlight important details along with other captions and textboxes.

As if all of this were not enough, the Nocturnals themselves - Dawn, Bismark, and Tobin - introduce each chapter. They also pop up to address readers in the chapters discussing foxes, sugar gliders, and pangolins. Not to be left out, the other animals also have an illustrated representative in each of their chapters, too.  An index and research tips round out the book.

Perfect for existing fans of the Nocturnals adventures or for kiddos who can't get enough animal books (who will probably want to read the fiction companion books when they are done with the facts).
 

Sunday, March 12, 2023

My Home Filled with Love Virtual Book Tour

 


My Home Filled with Love Book Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK


My Home Filled With Love

Written by Desiree Blanchard

Ages 3+ | 40 Pages

Publisher: Tabletop Teaching LLC | ISBN-13: 9798985961355

Publisher’s Book Summary: This beautifully illustrated children’s book is more than just another cute rhyming story. My Home Filled With Love shows kids and parents what a nurturing environment at home is all about. With this story, kids will learn more about how much you, as their parent or caregiver, love them with every choice you make.

My Home Filled With Love is a must-have for new parents, old parents, and all the parents in between! Written by Desiree Blanchard, Positive Parenting Instagram Influencer and Early Child Interventionist, this book is a perfect gift for parents looking to create a nurturing and inclusive environment for their kids!

PURCHASE LINKS


Amazon

Bookshop

Barnes and Noble


MY REVIEW


The young girl who narrates this story might have started with the question, "How do you love me? Let me count the ways." This cheerfully illustrated rhyming story provides a list of all the ways the girl's parents show their love for her. It might be something fun like playing hide and seek, or something helpful like walking her to her classroom. There are examples from throughout the day with both the mother and father involved. Even a skinned knee or an illness are opportunities to shower their child with love and care.


Extra features to make the story even more enjoyable include a maze, an alphabet activity, a challenge to find all the pairs of rhyming words in the book, a coloring page, and even a page to draw your own picture and make the book your own. A helpful QR code gives access to a video read-aloud by the author, complete with sound effects and animated details. There is even a page of suggestions for what to talk about after reading and families can go back through the book looking for instances where the story includes what that love can look, feel, or even sound like. Interracial families may find the book especially appealing with its illustrations showing a family similar to their own, but the safe and nurturing environment in the story is sure to engage all young readers.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Desiree Blanchard is an Early Interventionist and a Positive Parenting Practitioner. She completed her Master’s degree in Human Kinetics, where she evaluated certain child health behaviors in a daycare setting. Desiree also has many trainings and certifications in early childhood development.


For more information, visit https://www.tabletopteachingllc.com/author-desiree-blanchard


TOUR SCHEDULE


Wednesday, March 1, 2023

The Children’s Book Review

Tour Kick-Off

Thursday, March 2, 2023

My Reading Getaway

An interview with author Desiree Blanchard

Friday, March 3, 2023

The Momma Spot

A book review of My Home Filled with Love

Monday, March 6, 2023

Joanasbookshelf

A book review of My Home Filled with Love

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

icefairy’s Treasure Chest

A book review of My Home Filled with Love

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Confessions of a Book Addict

A book giveaway of My Home Filled with Love

Thursday, March 9, 2023

J.R.s Book Reviews

A book review of My Home Filled with Love

Friday, March 10, 2023

Cover Lover Book Review

A book review of My Home Filled with Love

Monday, March 13, 2023

The Fairview Review

A book review of My Home Filled with Love

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Me Two Books

A book activity to pair with My Home Filled with Love

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Lisa’s Reading

A book review of My Home Filled with Love

Thursday, March 16, 2023

Crafty Moms Share

A book review of My Home Filled with Love

Friday, March 17, 2023

Heart to Heart

An interview with author Desiree Blanchard

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

An article by author Desiree Blanchard


Virtual tour in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Tabletop Teaching LLC.

Thursday, March 9, 2023

Winter Reading 2023 A Cryptic Clue (Hunter and Clewe #1)

 

Take a retired university librarian, give her a job cataloging the collection of an eccentric rich guy, add in the suspicious death of a guest at a charity event in the mansion, and you have a winning formula to start off a new mystery series. Jane Hunter has the same given name as famous amateur sleuth Jane Marple, and it seems she might have some of the same success in finding unexpected clues. This Jane uses her researching skills to help out her socially awkward new boss when he becomes the prime suspect.

The annals of mystery adventures are full of dynamic duos, some of which are also odd couples. Matching Jane with an agoraphobic collector half her age seems a strange choice of characters at first glance, but it really works. Jane has the experience of life and relationships; Cam has the resources and they are both intelligent and determined. The fact that Cam was recently in a relationship with the deceased gives them both motivation to find other motives and suspects even as readers wonder if Cam is truly the culprit. 

Fans who already enjoy Victoria Gilbert's Book Lover's B&B Mystery series and Blue Ridge Library Mystery series will be pleased to have yet another set of stories featuring characters who have a love of books and the determination to find the truth.

Due out July 11, 2023 (pencil in as a beach read - for sure). I read an advance copy supplied by the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes.

Winter Reading 2023 Dressed to Drill (A Fixer-Upper Mystery Book 10)

 

One would think that contractor Shannon Hammer has the perfect life. Her hunky boyfriend is a best-selling author whose books are also made into blockbuster movies. She gets to spend her days working with a crew she has handpicked for their awesome skills. Together she and her crew restore buildings around their beautiful town to their original glory, as well as doing other satisfying construction. What's not to love?

Sadly, it seems that Shannon is destined to always take the jobs where a dead body is discovered. (What must the alignment of planets have been like when she was born?) So it comes as no surprise to readers of the series that a body does indeed turn up in the Victorian church that her crew is renovating to become a museum. And, as usual, there are plenty of suspects. Does the murder have something to do with the history of the church, one of its congregation, the staff of the new museum, or could it even be completely random?

This tenth installment in the Fixer-Upper Mystery series includes Shannon's first experience attending a premiere for a movie based on one of Mac's books, with the chance to trade her work boots for a glamorous outfit. The previous books haven't shown the characters in Mac's world of publishing and movies, just his involvement in Shannon's world, so this is a nice change of pace.

For return readers there are all the usual characters: Shannon's family, friends, her nemesis Whitney Reid Gallagher, Police Chief Eric Jensen, and Shannon's crew. Newcomers to Lighthouse Cove will be delighted with the attention to detail the author puts into the construction projects and relationships, as well as into the plot of the mystery. 

Due out May 2, 2023. I read an advance copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes.

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Alycat and the Sleepover Saturday Virtual Book Tour

  

Alycat and the Sleepover Saturday: Book Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

Alycat and the Saturday Sleepover 

Written by Alysson Foti Bourque

Illustrated by Chiara Civati

Ages 4+ | 32 Pages

Publisher: Pelican Publishing | ISBN-13: 9781455627233

Publisher’s Book Summary: Alycat hosts a big sleepover, complete with games, s’mores, and ghost stories. A surprise guest adds suspense!

People are talking . . .

The Alycat Series features Alycat and the Thursday Dessert Day, Alycat and the Monday Blues, Alycat and the Friendship Friday, Alycat and the Tournament Tuesday, Alycat and the Cattywampus Wednesday, and Alycat and the Sleepover Saturday.

The books in this series have won more than 17 awards, including the NYC Big Book Award, the Mom’s Choice Awards, and the Next Generation Indie Book Awards; have been featured in Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly; and have appeared in the Oscars celebrity swag bag and the Grammy Awards gift bag. Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, featured Bourque and her life-size mascot, Alycat, on her popular YouTube channel Little Red News.

PURCHASE LINK


Amazon

Bookshop

Barnes and Noble


MY REVIEW


Once again Alycat has an adventure sure to appeal to young readers. This time she has a sleepover planned with some of her friends and is busy with preparations. A tent, a campfire laid and ready to set alight, and a giant layer cake are just some of the supplies she has handy. There is a bit of a damper when her buddy Luna calls and says, “Hi Alycat—I can’t make it tonight—[phone crackles] . . . but I have a big [phone crackles]—to share with you all.” Still, Alycat and the other four kittens gather in the backyard for the night’s fun.


Readers who have been to a sleepover before will recognize the urge to eat too much sugar, tell ghost stories, and give each other the frights and the giggles. The kittens have an especially fun game called Cake Drop in which each player takes a spoonful of cake from the bottom of a tall layer cake, one after another until the cake topples over. An author’s note explains the presence of dogs in the ghost stories the girls share, but not why I never had the chance to play this game at sleepovers. (I guess I should ask my mother.)


For those returning to the series, they will find Alycat and her friends just as amusing as ever. And for new readers, this story is a great read for anyone planning a sleepover or who enjoys stories of friendship, cats, or both.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Award-winning author Alysson Foti Bourque is a certified elementary education teacher and attorney who practiced law for six years before turning to writing full time. Her books featuring Alycat have been recipients of the NYC Big Book Award, the Mom’s Choice Awards, and the Next Generation Indie Book Awards; have been featured in Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly; and have appeared in the Oscars celebrity swag bag and the Grammy Awards gift bag.

Find Alyson and Alycat online at www.alycatseries.com.

https://www.facebook.com/thealycatseries/

https://www.instagram.com/thealycatseries/

https://www.pinterest.com/alyssonbourque/

https://twitter.com/alyssonfbourque

https://www.youtube.com/c/TheAlycatSeries

TOUR SCHEDULE


Wednesday, March 8, 2023

The Children’s Book Review

A book review of Alycat and the Saturday Sleepover

Thursday, March 9, 2023

The Fairview Review

A book review of Alycat and the Saturday Sleepover

Friday, March 10, 2023

Me Two Books

A book activity to pair with Alycat and the Saturday Sleepover

Monday, March 13, 2023

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

A book review of Alycat and the Saturday Sleepover

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

icefairy’s Treasure Chest

A book review of Alycat and the Saturday Sleepover

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Barbara Ann Mojica

A book review of Alycat and the Saturday Sleepover

Thursday, March 16, 2023

Joanasbookshelf

A book review of Alycat and the Saturday Sleepover

Friday, March 17, 2023

Lisa’s Reading

A book review of Alycat and the Saturday Sleepover

Monday, February 20, 2023

My Reading Getaway

A book review of Alycat and the Saturday Sleepover

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Life Is What It’s Called

An interview with Alysson Foti Bourque

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Crafty Moms Share

A book review of Alycat and the Saturday Sleepover

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Twirling Book Princess

A book review of Alycat and the Saturday Sleepover

Friday, March 24, 2023

Confessions of a Book Addict

A book giveaway of Alycat and the Saturday Sleepover

Monday, March 27, 2023

Cover Lover Book Review

A book review of Alycat and the Saturday Sleepover

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

The Momma Spot

A book review of Alycat and the Saturday Sleepover


Virtual tour in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Alysson Foti Bourque.