Tots and Me... Growing Up Together: blog tour

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Tuesday, December 15, 2015

12 Days of Picture Books Blog Tour Day 10 - The Nonsense Show {A Review}

Welcome to my fourth review post in the Penguin Young Readers 12 Days of Picture Books Blog Tour. I am thrilled to be participating in this event during this holiday season. What better gift to bestow upon your child(ren) than a book (or many books) to instill the love of reading. Not only will I be sharing reviews of some great children's books (6 to be exact for this blog tour), but you will have the opportunity to go over to the Penguin Young Readers Facebook page to enter to win some awesome books for your kids.

I invite you to stop by my intro post to see the list of the books that are a part of this great celebration.

Today I would like to share my review for The Nonsense Show by Eric Carle.

About the book:

"In this book, nonsense and surrealism combine to spark creativity and imagination. What’s true? What’s impossible? What’s absolutely absurd? From Eric Carle, creator of the classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, comes a book to make children laugh and think, preparing them for a lifetime of loving both words and art.

Yes, there’s something strange, something funny and even downright preposterous on every page of this book. But it’s not a mistake – it’s nonsense! And it’s also surrealism. Nonsense lies at the heart of many beloved nursery rhymes. Children readily accept odd statements like “the cow jumped over the moon” and “the dish ran away with the spoon.” This fanciful bending of reality is also basic to surrealism.

Following on the heels of The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse (an homage to the artist Franz Marc and expressionism) and Friends, with its semi-abstract artwork, The Nonsense Show forms a trilogy of sorts, dedicated to introducing young readers to different styles of artwork without ever overlooking the need to, first and foremost, appeal to children and their love of play. One of the true legends and pioneers of picture book making continues to expand and challenge the genre."

I have always enjoyed Eric Carle's books, and this is no exception. It is a fun book of silliness with lots of rhyme. I think the best way to describe the nonsense in this book will be to share the children's favorite pages.

We loved looking at the pictures and talking about what was wrong and how it would have been in real life.

I figured the poor snake in the following picture had 2 heads, but the Tabitha said, "They are each other's tail and if one went one way and one went the other way they would find out."

The children picked up on the fact that the dog was talking while the man was barking in the following pages.

There is much more silliness to be found in the pages of this awesome new children's book by Eric Carle, but I don't want to ruin it for you. Don't open the book expecting it to read like a story where all the pages are linked to the plot. It is more like entering the world of a circus or a variety show, and seeing the different acts. Each page is a separate act of ridiculousness, and each page stands on its own. The book is illustrated with Eric Carle's signature painted tissue paper collages, which I have always enjoyed. I highly recommend picking up this book to share with your children.

You can visit Eric Carle at his website.

Don't miss your chance to win 1 of 10 copies of The Nonsense Show. Just head on over to the Penguin Kids Facebook Page.

Though I won't be posting a review every day of this blog tour, I hope you will remember to head over to their Facebook page to enter to win the books that you are interested in. Be sure to check out my reviews for:

Little Tree
I am Amelia Earhart
Llama, Llama Gram and Grandpa
The Book With No Pictures (posting 12/16)
The Day the Crayons Came Home (posting 12/17)

Also, be sure to check out the Penguin Young Readers Holiday Gift guide where you can build and share your own wish list from a huge assortment of kids’ books for all age groups.

Here are the participating blogs!

Sleeping Should Be Easy
House of Burke
Homegrown Friends

Growing Up Madison
InRandom
Crafty Moms Share
Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Inspiration Laboratories
Clarks Condensed
Book Rock Betty
Kid Lit Frenzy
Bored Mommy
The Delightful Life
Reads and Recipes
Omazing Kids
KidsCreative Chaos
The Chirping Moms
Hello Happy
Spark and Pook
Fun Handprint Art
Mama Smiles
Craftulate
Imagination Soup
Tots and Me
Design of the Picture Book
Gravity Bread
Creative Family Fun
Future Flying Saucers
Mrs. Karle's Sight and Sound Reading
JaMonkey
Coquette Maman
Growing Book by Book
A Little Bit of Everything
Happily Ever Mom
Little Earthling
The Little Tourist

Disclosure: I received a hardcover copy of The Nonsense Show by Eric Carle in exchange for my honest review as a part of this blog tour. No further compensation was given. This did not in any way influence my review. I only recommend products I use personally and feel will be a good products for my readers.

Monday, December 14, 2015

12 Days of Picture Books Blog Tour Day 9 - Llama Llama Gram and Grandpa {A Review}

Welcome to my third review post in the Penguin Young Readers 12 Days of Picture Books Blog Tour. I am thrilled to be participating in this event during this holiday season. What better gift to bestow upon your child(ren) than a book (or many books) to instill the love of reading. Not only will I be sharing reviews of some great children's books (6 to be exact for this blog tour), but you will have the opportunity to go over to the Penguin Young Readers Facebook page to enter to win some awesome books for your kids.

I invite you to stop by my intro post to see the list of the books that are a part of this great celebration.

Today I would like to share my review for Llama Llama Gram and Grandpa by Anna Dewdney.

I have to admit, I have never read any of the Llama Llama books before. When the opportunity came up to review the newest one as a part of this blog tour, I thought it would be great fun to finally read one. You know what else I have to admit? I wish I hadn't waited so long to introduce my children to this cute character.

In this story Llama Llama's mommy is going out, so he gets to go on his first ever sleep over at gram and grandpa's. Such an exciting opportunity. Llama packs his bags and makes sure to take his Fuzzy. He was so excited to arrive and see Gram and Grandpa. It wasn't until he went to unpack that he realized that he forgot something so very important. Fuzzy was left in the car!!

Gram and Grandpa keep him busy, in such places as the garden and Grandpa's workshop, but his mind keeps going to poor missing Fuzzy. After dinner Llama doesn't want to go to bed when it is time to, so Gram and Grandpa take him out to see the stars. He finally prepares for bed (takes a bath, reads some stories, and gets a kiss), but he finally can't hold it in anymore. Poor Llama is in tears, until Grandpa finds a cuddly solution. He finally is reassured that "This is home . . . away from home."

This book is such a cute little story to help a child who may be anticipating their first sleep over. It is exciting to go and visit grandparents, or have a sleepover elsewhere, but it can be scary too. The book shows how Llama was so excited and enjoyed doing things with his Gram and Grandpa. It also showed that it is okay to miss something like a "Fuzzy."

I always love books that have a rhythm and rhyme to them, and this is no exception. The rhymes work perfectly as does the rhythm. I found it was a joy to read. The illustrations alternate between full pages of color and images on a white background. They are bright, created with oil paint, colored pencil and oil pastel on primed canvas. On the pages where Llama is very emotional regarding the loss of his Fuzzy, the background is painted in swirling, slashing brushstrokes of shades of blue and purple. Tabitha thought this was quite "very smart" to show Llama's feelings this way.

We enjoyed this book and definitely recommend the newest addition to the Llama Llama series of books. You can find out more about these books at the Llama Llama website.

Don't miss your chance to win 1 of 9 copies of Llama Llama Gram and Grandpa. Just head on over to the Penguin Kids Facebook Page.

Little Tree
I am Amelia Earhart
The Nonsense Show
The Book With No Pictures
The Day the Crayons Came Home

Also, be sure to check out the Penguin Young Readers Holiday Gift guide where you can build and share your own wish list from a huge assortment of kids’ books for all age groups.

Here are the participating blogs!

Sleeping Should Be Easy
House of Burke
Homegrown Friends

Disclosure: I received a hardcover copy of Llama Llama Gram and Grandpa by Anna Dewdney in exchange for my honest review as a part of this blog tour. No further compensation was given. This did not in any way influence my review. I only recommend products I use personally and feel will be a good products for my readers.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

12 Days of Picture Books Blog Tour Day 7 - I am Amelia Earhart {A Review}

Welcome to my second review post in the Penguin Young Readers 12 Days of Picture Books Blog Tour. I am thrilled to be participating in this event during this holiday season. What better gift to bestow upon your child(ren) than a book (or many books) to instill the love of reading. Not only will I be sharing reviews of some great children's books (6 to be exact for this blog tour), but you will have the opportunity to go over to the Penguin Young Readers Facebook page to enter to win some awesome books for your kids.

I invite you to stop by my intro post to see the list of the books that are a part of this great celebration.

Today I would like to share my review for I am Amelia Earhart by Brad Meltzer.

I am Amelia Earhart is one book in the Ordinary People Change the World series by Brad Meltzer and illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos. The premise behind this biography series for children is that "We can all be heroes." The author has written this series in an effort to answer the question, "What makes a hero?" Each of the books in this series shares the story of great role model, sharing what it was that made them special. In addition to Amelia Earhart, you will find the stories of these famous people:

Helen Keller
Albert Einstein
Abraham Lincoln
Rosa Parks
Jackie Robinson
Lucille Ball

And coming next year, Martin Luther King Jr.

In fact, the first 4 books are available in a boxed set.

I am Amelia Earhart begins in Amelia's childhood. We discover that she loved adventure from an early age. She didn't like the idea of having to be ladylike, and would rather be doing such things as building her own roller coaster using a couple of planks, the side of the shed and a wooden packing box on wheels. Oh, and that was when she was only 7 years old.

As she grew older, she loved going to air shows, and dreamed of becoming a pilot. She got to fly with Frank Hawks when she was 23 years old. We discover that she worked a variety of jobs to earn money for flying lessons. We learn about her very first plane, a biplane named Canary and her flying instructor, who also was a woman. And of course, we learn that she was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic by herself, though she had been told it wasn't a good idea. The books shares a bit about the flight and the records she broke.

The reader learns what made Amelia special:

She didn't let people deter her from trying new things.
She worked harder than anyone else.
She chased her dream.

The book concludes with pictures of the real Amelia Earhart and important people in her life, in addition to a quote from her, "Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn't be done."

The book is written to appeal to young children, ages 5-8. Besides the simple text, the pictures are bright and bold, and they have a "cartoony" feel to them. While the adults are proportioned normally, the children have large, over-sized heads. Additionally, there are little speech bubbles on a majority of the pages, adding cute little dialogue to the story. It is meant to be a fun way to introduce children to biographies.

My daughters enjoyed reading this book independently, though they questioned the fact that Amelia Earhart is shown throughout the book as a child. It just didn't make sense to them. I admit, I have to agree. It was a bit weird. I get that the book is directed at young children, but Amelia Earhart was an adult when she did most of the things mentioned in the book. That said, it is still a great introduction to the life of a famous woman. I would say, a jumping off point to learning more about her life. It is just enough for the youngest readers, however, I would say children who are in the older range (like my girls who are 7 and 8) are going to want to know more.

Personally, I loved the pictures in the back of the book. And Amelia got a kick out of seeing a picture of the real Amelia Earhart at the age of 7 (seeing as that is how old she is right now).

If you are looking for a fun way to introduce your children to biographies, this series may just be the thing for you. They are a great way to show children that "We can all be heroes."

Don't miss your chance to win 1 of 7 copies of I am Amelia Earhart. Just head on over to the Penguin Kids Facebook Page.

Little Tree
Llama Llama Gram and Grandpa
The Nonsense Show
The Book With No Pictures
The Day the Crayons Came Home

Also, be sure to check out the Penguin Young Readers Holiday Gift guide where you can build and share your own wish list from a huge assortment of kids’ books for all age groups.

Here are the participating blogs!

Sleeping Should Be Easy
House of Burke
Homegrown Friends

Disclosure: I received a hardcover copy of I am Amelia Earhart by Brad Meltzer in exchange for my honest review as a part of this blog tour. No further compensation was given. This did not in any way influence my review. I only recommend products I use personally and feel will be a good products for my readers.

Monday, December 7, 2015

12 Days of Picture Books Blog Tour Day 4 - Little Tree {A Review}

Welcome to my first review post in the Penguin Young Readers 12 Days of Picture Books Blog Tour. I am thrilled to be participating in this event during this holiday season. What better gift to bestow upon your child(ren) than a book (or many books) to instill the love of reading. Not only will I be sharing reviews of some great children's books (6 to be exact for this blog tour), but you will have the opportunity to go over to the Penguin Young Readers Facebook page to enter to win some awesome books for your kids.

I invite you to stop by my intro post to see the list of the books that are a part of this great celebration.

Today I would like to share my review for Little Tree by Loren Long.

This story is about a little tree that lives in the middle of a little forest. He loved his life among the other little trees, enjoying the forest animals that spent their time in his branches. He also loved his leaves that kept him cool during the hot summer days.

Unfortunately, he loved his leaves so much that he was afraid to let them go when autumn came. While his fellow trees were losing their leaves, he hugged his tightly to himself. The animals questioned why he didn't drop his leaves and encouraged him to do so, but he refused.

The forest creatures were concerned about him not losing his leaves as the seasons passed. They wondered if he was sick, and continued to encourage him to let his leaves drop. Alas, the little tree continued to hold onto his leaves, preventing himself from growing as all the trees around him had done. Sadly, as the years went by, he no longer had forest animals stopping by to play in his branches, and he couldn't hear the dove's song anymore. He looked like a dead tree in the middle of a forest of big, strong, healthy trees.

Finally, as he looked up, he contemplated the fact that the other trees had once all been his size. He finally gained the courage to let his leaves go and embrace his future. Yes, he had to deal with the harsh cold of winter, but as the seasons changed and the years passed, he finally reached his full potential. He was again among his tree friends, and the forest animals once again wanted to scamper and play in his branches.

Surprisingly, this book touched me more than I thought it would. I have always been afraid of change, but change is a part of life, and this book is a wonderful reminder of that fact. Little Tree was afraid of the unknown, even though he saw his friends growing and thriving, he stubbornly clung to what he knew. It took not being able to feel the sun, or hear the song of the doves, or feel the tiny little feet of his friends to make him gain the courage to do what he should have done all along.

Little Tree by Loren Long contains a wonderful lesson for children. Though change will come and it might be scary, you can't cling to the past, you need to let it go and embrace your future. It is okay to grow up, that is what we are meant to do. Changes should be looked upon as opportunities to grow.

This profound message is told through simple text and charming illustrations. The author/illustrator created the pictures using acrylic, ink and pencil, resulting in bright, bold images upon a white background. I enjoyed seeing the way the author/illustrator included the animals in the story. You can see their concern and confusion on their faces, and you can feel Little Tree's abandonment as the animals move away from him. However, when he finally decides to let his leaves drop and starts to grow, the animals surround him once more.

Little Tree by Loren Long is another wonderful addition to our library and one I highly recommend.

Don't miss your chance to win 1 of 4 copies of Little Tree. Just head on over to the Penguin Kids Facebook Page.

Though I won't be posting a review every day of this blog tour, I hope you will remember to head over to their Facebook page to enter to win the books that you are interested in. Be sure to stop back here to see my reviews for:

I am Amelia Earhart
Llama Llama Gram and Grandpa
The Nonsense Show
The Book With No Pictures
The Day the Crayons Came Home

Also, be sure to check out the Penguin Young Readers Holiday Gift guide where you can build and share your own wish list from a huge assortment of kids’ books for all age groups.

Here are the participating blogs!

Sleeping Should Be Easy
House of Burke
Homegrown Friends

Disclosure: I received a hardcover copy of Little Tree by Loren Long in exchange for my honest review as a part of this blog tour. No further compensation was given. This did not in any way influence my review. I only recommend products I use personally and feel will be a good products for my readers.

Penguin Young Readers 12 Days of Picture Books Blog Tour Introduction

I am thrilled to be participating in the Penguin Young Readers 12 Days of Picture Books Blog Tour. You've heard of the 12 Days of Christmas, I'm assuming, perhaps now the song is running through your head as it is mine. What better gift to bestow upon your child(ren) than a book (or many books) to instill the love of reading. Not only will I be sharing reviews of some great children's books (6 to be exact for this blog tour), but you will have the opportunity to go over to the Penguin Young Readers Facebook page to enter to win some awesome books for your kids.

The neat aspect about this celebration is that each day the number of books Penguin Young Readers is giving away increases. Here is a list of the books you could win.

Dec 2nd- Dewey Bob by Judy Schachner (1 copy)
Dec 3rd- Pom Pom Panda Gets the Grumps by Sophy Henn (2 copies)
Dec 4th- Happy by Pharrell Williams (3 copies)
Dec 7th- Little Tree by Loren Long (4 copies)
Dec 8th- Mitford at the Fashion Zoo by Donald Robertson (5 copies)
Dec 9th- Robo-Sauce by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri (6 copies)
Dec 10th- I am Amelia Earhart by Brad Meltzer & Christopher Eliopoulos (7 copies)
Dec 11th- Ladybug Girl and the Best Ever Playdate by Jacky Davis & David Soman (8 copies)
Dec 14th- Llama Llama Gram and Grandpa by Anna Dewdney (9 copies)
Dec 15th- The Nonsense Show by Eric Carle (10 copies)
Dec 16th- The Book With No Pictures by BJ Novak (11 copies)
Dec 17th- The Day the Crayons Came Home by Dew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers (12 copies)

PLUS… (Dec 18th) One Winner will receive FULL SET OF BOOKS ABOVE plus the Ordinary People Change the World gift box set with the full series.

I do apologize that I neglected to share this intro post last week. I really didn't even think about it, as today is the day for my first review (which will be posted shortly).

Though I won't be posting a review every day, I hope you will remember to head over to their Facebook page to enter to win the books that you are interested in. Be sure to stop back here to see my reviews for:

Little Tree
I am Amelia Earhart
Llama Llama Gram and Grandpa
The Nonsense Show
The Book With No Pictures
The Day the Crayons Came Home

Be sure to check out the Penguin Young Readers Holiday Gift guide where you can build and share your own wish list from a huge assortment of kids’ books for all age groups.

Here are the participating blogs!

Sleeping Should Be Easy
House of Burke
Homegrown Friends