Author: cvegnad

October 16, 2019

There Was a Black Hole that Swallowed the Universe Book Review

Spark creative conversations about celestial beings with this clever parody from the number one science author for kids.

About There Was a Black Hole that Swallowed the Universe

There was a black hole that swallowed the universe.
I don’t know why it swallowed the universe―oh well, it couldn’t get worse.
There was a black hole that swallowed a galaxy.
It left quite a cavity after swallowing that galaxy.
It swallowed the galaxies that filled universe.
I don’t know why it swallowed the universe―oh well, it couldn’t get worse.

Using the familiar rhythm of “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly,” follow along as the black hole swallows up the universe and everything that exists in it, from the biggest to the smallest pieces of matter. The silly, vibrant artwork is sure to make stargazers of all ages smile.

Our Thoughts

This beautiful rhyming book follows the story of a goofy black hole that goes about first swallowing the universe, then a galaxy and then a star and so on until all there was, was dark.

This is a simple, rhyming book for children that introduces them to some simple concepts (atom, molecules, cells, planets, etc..) with some neat black hole facts at the end of the book. I did have to do look up a few concepts to make sure I was explaining them right to my son (I didn’t know what a quark was). It gave us the opportunity and time to learn together, which is the sign of a great book – when you want to learn more about a topic and it sparks an interest. It may have been helpful to have their own glossary at the end of the book to help parents but it wasn’t necessary.

What was really neat about this book was that you can also read it backwards. There is a hidden message that you can reveal with a black light from back to front so that you get to read a whole different story (similar concepts). While I didn’t have a black light, you can turn your cell phone into a black light using tape and a highlighter and voila! A whole new story full of fun and rhyme.

This is a fantastic read aloud book that will get stuck in your head (yes I was rhyming all about the black hole for the rest of the day). We had so much fun reading the story, appreciating the illustrations (that suited the story so well) as well as learning more afterwards (although I am still not quite sure I understand what a quark is!).

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Chris Ferrie is a physicist, mathematician and father of four budding young scientists. He obtained his doctorate in Mathematical Physics from the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Canada and is currently a faculty member at the Centre for Quantum Software and Information in Syndey, Australia. Chris believes it is never too early to introduce children to the wild and wonderful world of science!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 16, 2019

Very Lulu: The (Mostly) True Story of a Training School Dropout

A heartwarming and funny tale, based on a true story of a dog named Lulu who learned that the best job is being yourself!

About Very Lulu: The (Mostly) True Story of a Training School Dropout

A heartwarming and funny tale, based on a true story of a dog named Lulu who learned that the best job is being yourself!

Lulu is training to be a police dog. But while the other dogs sniff out clues and follow orders, Lulu likes to run, play, and chew things instead.

She’s different from the others―she’s just very Lulu.

Our Thoughts

We are a dog family – we have two beautiful dogs whom we love very much. One is quiet, older and likes to do her own thing while the younger one is full of cheek and free spirited. She likes to get dirty and be sneaky (if you don’t pay attention to her get ready for a swipe at your toes or her pulling down towels!). It is just so hard to get mad at her when she looks at you with such love and pride with her tail wagging. She reminded me very much of Lulu, we constantly shake our head at our own dog and say ‘she is just Kay’.

Lulu is a free spirited, full of energy and love of life dog. She is smart, kind and loving with a spark of mischief. Lulu is being trained to be a police dog but the academy is not quite sure if this is what Lulu is meant for. She is definitely not like the other dogs – she is clever but she doesn’t quite follow instructions. When it is obvious that Lulu is not happy with the training, her trainer takes her home to do what Lulu does best – love her family.

This is an absolute adorable book for young children. We loved the story and found it quite relatable. It made us laugh between the words and the illustrations – we could not wait to see what Lulu would do next. Lulu has this adorable, loving look to her in the illustrations that makes you want to just pick her up and give her a squeeze, even if she is not quite following the rules. You can see how good and kind Lulu is – something that is special for her and allows her to share her love with others.

This is a great reminder to children that it is important to be true to yourself. We should always be proud of ourselves and never be shy to be who we are. We are perfect the way we are and should never forget this.

Very Lulu will make an excellent addition to your home library and will be a book that you and your child will love to read over and over again.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Stephanie Campisi is an Australian-born author currently living in the US. When not writing picture books, she works as a copywriter in California. Very Lulu is her fourth book. You can visit her at stephaniecampisi.com

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 15, 2019

Christmas Angels Book Review

A heartwarming Christmas story filled with the magic and miracles of the holiday season by USA Today Bestselling author, Nancy Naigle.

About Christmas Angels

Growing up, Liz Westmoreland dreamed of taking over her grandparents inn located in the small mountain town of Antler Creek only for it to be sold before she ever got the chance. While browsing the internet, she stumbles upon a listing for what looks to be the picturesque inn and it’s set to go to auction. Liz places a bid, and by a miracle, wins the auction. But when she gets there she finds the property in significant disrepair.

When Matt Hardy narrowly lost the inn and property that butted his land, he just hoped it wasn’t another city slicker coming to make matters worse after the previous owners gutted the place for an art gallery. But the minute he recognized the sweet, freckle-faced girl from his childhood and heard her plans to reopen the inn, he jumps at the chance to help his childhood crush restore a place where he made so many fond memories.

While working on repairs, Liz and Matt discover her grandmother’s collection of angels in one of the cabins. When the angels start mysteriously showing up all over the inn, she begins to look at them as reassurance—that restoring the inn is what she’s meant to do. But when an accident leaves Liz feeling like she made a mistake, will Matt—and the residents of Antler Creek—be able to show Liz that she’s found a home? And possibly true love as well?

My Thoughts

Liz did not have the typical childhood that you would expect and this has influenced the way she lives her life. She loves her parents but it was her grandparents that instilled the importance of family and what a family really means. Her best memories from her childhood were centered around her grandparents and the inn that they ran in their small town.

When she finds that the inn is up for auction, she bids for it and is successful. She does this against the advice of her friends, colleagues and even her own parents. There is something about the property that makes her feel at peace and at home. Nothing could have prepared her for what she was about to see. The previous owners gutted and tore out so many features of the home that she loved. She is devastated and unsure if she can accomplish everything that needs to be done.

When all seems impossible enter Matt – sweet, kind and thoughtful (he melted my heart!). He had a huge crush on Liz as a child and is more than happy to help her with her new project (and you can see how much he still cares for her even if Liz has blinders on). He wants her to remember her family, the good in people (you can rely on others) and the joy in the simple moments.

This is an absolute beautiful novel that makes you laugh, cry and hope for the best. Family is so important and this novel reminds you of all those cherished memories from years ago. You are rooting for Liz and Matt – you want her to find her happiness and dreams, even if she is stubborn to see it right in front of her. It is a beautiful story of starting over, finding happiness and peace in the storm of life. It not only makes a great holiday read but a fantastic year round read.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author NANCY NAIGLE whips up small-town love stories with a dash of suspense and a whole lot of heart. Now happily retired, she devotes her time to writing, antiquing, and the occasional spa day with friends. A native of Virginia Beach, she currently calls North Carolina home. Some of her other titles include The Secret Ingredient, Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa, and Recipe for Romance.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 14, 2019

Come the Eventide

In his first novel, Chris Riker conducts an opus in voce giocoso that grins at the inevitable, but reminds us of the heart that all life shares.

About Come the Eventide

A century has passed since the fall of humanity changed the natural landscape. The oceans are poison, and a fraction of Earth’s magnificent creatures remain. The only surviving humans squabble over limited resources as they cling to a fragile peace. Yet in this bleak landscape hope lives on in Earth’s other intelligent life. It all begins when Septielle, a seven-armed octopod, has a vision of a world restored—a world she will not live to see. Inspired by her vision, a dolphin named Muriel shoulders her mission and enlists any humans who will listen—including Anadare, a young islander with an ax to grind against the oppressive ruling class of tourists turned bureaucrats. An invasion of cannibalistic pirates complicates things as they declare war on a world that rejects them.

As tensions rise to a crescendo, islanders, tourists, and pirates alike must put aside their differences to send Muriel on her greatest journey yet—beyond the sea, beyond form, beyond time itself.

My Thoughts

Come the Eventide is an interesting book set in the future – where mankind has destroyed our home (plant Earth) and are struggling to survive in a landscape that is hard to imagine. This is a topic that hits home especially now as we see our planet suffer from our actions. All of the ways that humans destroyed our planet are still alive and present after the catastrophic events – greed, jealousy and inequity, as it seems we tend not to learn from our past mistakes. The story is told from two viewpoints – humans and animals.

The children in this story take centre stage as they are charged with the important task of uncovering the pirates and their plans by the cruel ruling class. They meet a few dolphins who they can communicate with in such a unique manner. It is almost as if the dolphin becomes one with their minds and can speak and see their thoughts and feelings. The dolphins assist them on their task but I did not see the pirates plot coming at all and how it would impact their lives.

We learn of a bleak history for the humans (starvation, turning on each other, water that has been so polluted that fish no longer swim there) and a plan from the pirates that can be hard to read at times. The pirates are not for the faint of heart – my stomach turned at some of their acts (reader beware!).

While I really enjoyed the plot and idea behind the story, it was a bit hard to follow at times and I found I had to back track a bit to ensure I remembered the names of the characters and how they were connected. It was a busy plot so this was important, I am not sure if a character list may have helped in the beginning of the novel so that you could refer back to it if you became lost.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Barnes & noble, BookLogix.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Chris Riker is a writer, father, and journalist. He grew up in Rhode Island and now makes his home in Georgia with his wife, Ping. He has always loved books, from science-fiction and fantasy to historical novels and biographies. Building on a background in broadcast news, including a stint at CNN, he is now focused on telling stories with strong characters and moral resonance. His premiere effort blends a love for our beautiful Earth and her myriad life-forms with a sense of wonder at our shared purpose and fate. Connect with Chris on his website, Facebook.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 10, 2019

Bad Day Book Review

Popular children’s book author-illustrator Ruby Roth gives us the heartening story of a little boy who’s had a very bad day and just needs some quiet space to work out his feelings in his own way, on his own time.

About Bad Day

What do you do when you’re feeling overwhelmed?

In Bad Day, things are not going well for Hennie. Small things loom large, going from bad to worse as the day-that-never-ends goes on. But with a deep breath and some quiet reflection, Hennie begins to make sense of his feelings and discovers the power of turning inward. Affirming and funny at wonderfully relatable moments, this timely mindfulness resource helps children process their inner lives, guiding them toward self-empowerment and resilience.

Our Thoughts

I think as parents we can relate to a bad day. Those days where we can’t say why we are feeling so down and frustrated but everything upsets us and everything seems wrong. I have had so many of those and even when I try to remind myself to be rational, it can be hard to control those feelings of hurt and frustration.

Now imagine those feelings in a child. A child can find it hard sometimes to express exactly how they are feeling or why they are upset. Sometimes they are just to young to even understand these feelings or even to know the words to describe those feelings. So instead they act out, they may yell, they may cry and they may say things that are not the nicest. As parents, we need to teach them to listen to those feelings, learn how to express themselves and understand that it will get better – all while keeping our own cool, not the easiest task!

This beautiful book is cleverly written so that your child will relate very easily to our main character, Hennie. He is just having the most awful day and all he wants is for everyone to ignore him. I could actually see my own kids in him (and maybe even a bit of myself if I am honest because how many times do we just want to hide some days?). It takes a bit of time but Hennie, after spending some time reflecting, realizes that even bad days have good lessons for us and that we can overcome the worst days by looking at the positive.

I loved how this book gets you talking with your child – use the book to identify some similarities, how we react when things don’t go quite our way or when something hurts us and how can we face these feelings and turn our day around. It is that excellent reminder to young children (as well as older children who may need that reminder) that we have the power to turn our bad days into good ones by using positivity and seeing the good in every situation. This is a great tool to start those important discussions with children around feelings, sharing how we feel and how we overcome disappointment.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Featured on Today, FOX, CNN, and other major media, Ruby Roth is a Los Angeles-based artist, author-illustrator, activist, and former teacher whose groundbreaking children’s books have received international attention and have been translated into multiple languages. She holds degrees in art and American studies and speaks at conferences nationwide. Weaving art together with health, wellness, the environment, and society at large, Roth’s work connects the dots between our personal choices and the public realm, showing how our habits can change our lives—and the world we live in. Bad Day is Roth’s fifth picture book and her first on issues of emotions and neuro-diversity. For more info, visit http://rubyroth.co.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review.