Category: childrens books

May 27, 2020

Three Paws’ New Family Book Review

The adventures of Boots, the grizzly bear cub, continues as he befriends a black bear named Sockeye and her Mexican brother, Pepe, the iguana.

About Three Paws’ New Family

Sockeye has lost her mother and is not old enough to live on her own. Her prayers are answered when she meets little Pepe. He escaped his human family’s home in Ketchikan to explore the beautiful Alaskan wilderness but lost his way back home. A lonely bear cub and a lost iguana become a “family” relying on each other for companionship, friendship, and survival skills.

What does a bond of friendship and family have in common? You always know who will be there for you when you need them most.

When Boots, the three-pawed bear cub, comes face-to-face with the open jaws of a hungry lion, he is left to wonder who will help him.

If he survives this attack, how will he defend himself in the future with only three paws? The answer may be waiting for him high above in the mighty Sitka spruce, the official state tree of Alaska.

Our Thoughts

In book two of this beautiful series, we revisit Alaska and Boots’ family. Boots is an unique grizzly bear cub – he had injured one of his paws and was now known as the three-pawed cub. Boots never lets this injury stop him from being just like other cubs, he is resilient and brave – always believing in himself and his own strength.

In this story, his sister hurts herself and Boots sets off to find pine needles to help heal her injury. He sets off and soon encounters danger! To the rescue is an unlikely pair, a bear and iguana. Both of these animals have had their own difficult pasts but have adopted each other as family and take care of eachother.

The trio find more than just friendship in each other, they find a new family and home through their brave adventures. They not only save the day but they find hope and happiness. This is a beautiful story from start to finish, with incredible characters. The characters are full of adventure, strength, compassion and a great example for young children. The book has important lessons for children told in a way that they can understand. The illustrations are lovely and soft, which suits the tone of the book. A lovely story from start to finish.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Karen Struck discovered the joy of children’s literature as she read to her daughter before bed each night. She decided to take writing courses through the Institute of Children’s Literature after being inspired by the Harry Potter book series.

It was after an Alaskan cruise with her family that she had the idea to create a hopeful story about the majestic wildlife she’d seen there. So, for one of her writing assignments at the ICL, she did, and Three Paws was born!

She wrote the Three Paws children’s book series to inspire children to be brave and believe in themselves despite challenges they may face.

Outside of being a children’s book author, Karen is a registered nurse and works in the aesthetic industry. She works with her husband, Steve, a plastic surgeon in Atherton, CA and they live in Los Gatos, California. She has a daughter, Rachel, and two stepchildren, Danni and Evan Struck.

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

May 27, 2020

Yoga at the Zoo Book Review

Yoga at the Zoo gently imparts important lessons about friendship, dealing with new situations, and meeting new people.

About Yoga at the Zoo

Little Mouse is here to help kids use yoga to solve problems and manage emotions in Yoga at the Zoo, the first book in the Little Mouse Adventures series from international bestselling author and Kids’ Yoga Day creator, Teresa Power.

Little Mouse and his family live in a cozy burrow nestled in young Tammy McDoodle’s backyard.

Tammy and her mother love to practice yoga together, and Little Mouse loves to follow along!

In this beautifully illustrated picture book, adorable Little Mouse and the wise and lovable lazy cat, Mr. Opus, follow Tammy on a field trip to the zoo and meet new animal friends, while learning simple yet meaningful yoga poses along the way.

Our Thoughts

This beautiful story features two very unlikely friends – Little Mouse (a young, sweet mouse) and Mr. Opus (a wise and friendly cat). The two make the most unlikely pair but are the greatest of friends. This is such an important message for children – that we are not what society defines us. The best friendships develop when and where we least expect it to. In this book, they go on quite the adventure together – to a zoo!

On a typical day, in the morning Little Mouse goes to school but the afternoons are spent with Mr. Opus. He learns the power of yoga not only from young Tammy but also all the animals at the zoo when they go on their adventure with her. He learns how to calm his mind through his favourite pose (child’s pose), which is so important for children. Our youngest has been learning yoga and meditation at school, which we feel is so important for him. Children, like adults, have strong emotions but sometimes don’t have the tools they need to deal with them and learn how to quiet the stress of their minds (to be honest there are some adults who struggle with this skill too!). Yoga gives them these skills and we see this in this book when Little Mouse encounters an initially perceived scary and stressful situation. As he uses child’s pose, he is able to calm his mind and look at the situation differently. And the stressful situation that was perceived? Not so scary and stressful once we learned both sides.

This is a beautifully written and illustrated book for children that we enjoyed reading together. It was easy to read together, with characters that you couldn’t help but love. Little Mouse is just a lovely and curious character with a good heart – such a positive example for children as they begin to explore their world. This is a wonderful addition to your home library.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Teresa Power’s books have sold over 250,000 copies worldwide. In her roles as award-winning author, renowned yoga expert, and keynote speaker, her mission is to share strategies and tips to help children, parents and educators enrich their lives and manage stress. Teresa has been featured by Good Morning America, Parenting, Reader’s Digest, Fox11 LA, Telemundo, and more. She is also the founder of International Kids Yoga Day, which is celebrated globally on the first Friday in April, annually.

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

May 23, 2020

Puzzle Time in Outer Space with Raincoast Books

With all the extra time on our hands, why not keep little ones (and yourself!) having fun with a challenge? How about a three hundred piece challenge?

About Outer Space 300 Piece Shaped Scene Puzzle

Outer Space 300 Piece Shaped Scene Puzzle from Mudpuppy features a colorful illustration of planets, spacecraft, satellites, and more. The puzzle is in the shape of a spaceship, adding a wow-factor when completed!

Our Thoughts

It has been just over two months since our lives have been turned upside down. We left work and school not realizing that only two days later we would find out that we would not be returning to campus for the foreseeable future. We had to quickly adapt to these changes and while it has not been easy, it has brought with it some benefits.

We now have more time to just be present in the moment and spend time together as a family. While it has been hard balancing work from home and family time, these moments have meant the most to me. It also means being creative to keep the little ones occupied. We love activities that keep us challenged, working together and learning.

We were excited to pull out the Outer Space 300 piece shaped puzzle. We read 300 pieces but still had a bit of a shock when we saw the pieces come out of the box – it just seemed like so much more! At first we felt that we may not be able to complete the puzzle but while challenging it was well suited for older children and the pieces came together easily as we worked together. It was awesome watching the spaceship come to life with its images of planets, astronaut and more, with its bold colours and lines. I enjoyed that we were able to also use the puzzle as a starting point for learning about the planets in our solar system. We were already looking at ways to supplement their learning right now and this was a perfect opportunity for us. It was a definite win-win for our family.

Puzzles are a fantastic way of bringing families together and this one is perfect for young families. It is beautiful, bright and fun with the right amount of challenge for children and adults. Get ready for some healthy competition (we somehow managed to find a way to compete on who could fit the most pieces together!) and build learning opportunities off of this time spent together.

You can purchase this puzzle on Amazon.

Disclosure: I received this puzzle in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

May 15, 2020

We Are Water Protectors Book Review

“Water is the first medicine.
It affects and connects us all” – We Are Water Protectors

About We Are Water Protectors

Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption – a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibrantly illustrated by Michaela Goade.

When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth and poison her people’s water, one young water protector takes a stand to defend Earth’s most sacred resource.

Our Thoughts

This book first grabbed my attention with the front cover. It features a strong, proud and brave young girl with swirling water around her. There was something about her stance and the determined look on her face that grabbed my attention and made me want to read the book.

The story shows us how we come from water in the womb and that water is what nourishes us – water is vital to life. We learn about the black snake, that has been foretold to destroy the land, poison plants and animals and spoil the water. This black snake is found now in our current world and it is our job to have the courage to stand up to the black snake, to come together to defend those who cannot fight and to protect our water and lands for years to come.

This is a beautifully illustrated book with an extremely important message. We are all one living on this land and it is so important to care and fight to protect it. We need to address and speak up about how we are polluting our water and what we can do to stop this. I loved how this book empowers youth to take a lead and to stand up for our home. The flow of words is perfect and I loved how the illustrations captured the meaning of each page. The illustrations are spectacular, they are full of movement and emotion. They help guide you through the page and leave a strong impact. I love art and the attention to detail is incredible, from the details in the animals to nature, they are beautiful (I found myself running my hands over the pages!).

This is a powerful, beautifully illustrated book for children, youth and even adults. It is a definite must have in your home library and would be a great resource to have in a school classroom or library.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Indigo.

About the Author

Carole Lindstrom is Anishinabe/Metis and is a proud member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe Indians. She was born and raised in Nebraska and currently makes her home in Maryland. Michaela Goadeis an artist and graphic designer living and working in Juneau, Alaska, where she was also raised. Her childhood was spent in the forests and on the beaches of Southeast Alaska and her artistic style is rooted in the depth and beauty of its landscapes. Forever inspired by the coastal wilds of Southeast Alaska, she works to capture its magic and honor its vibrant cultures. Michaela is from the Raven moiety and Kiks.adi Clan from Sitka, Alaska.

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

May 14, 2020

The Great Big Search and Find Activity Book

I am sure by now you are looking for new ways to keep your child engaged and learning. The Great Big Search and Find Activity Book gives you so many options to keep your child having fun during this difficult time.

About The Great Big Search and Find Activity Book

This action-packed activity book is full of things to find, amazing scenes to color, and spot-the difference puzzles.

The book features a wide range of topics, from dinosaurs to the solar system, and with fun facts to discover throughout, it is guaranteed to provide hours of entertainment!

Our Thoughts

I am sure that all of you are going through the same struggles we are right now – finding activities to keep your child engaged and busy. Our kids have been home since roughly the second week in March – so almost two months! While the first few weeks were fun, boredom has set in and we have been struggling to come up with new activities that are fun and that we can make last for a good chunk of time.

The Great Big Search and Find Activity book is full of over five hundred activities for your child to do. The book is organized into different sections that include: geography, dinosaurs, ocean, jungle, farm, city life, museums, zoos and even space. In each section, your child will be challenged to spot the differences and find specific items. The book is also full of great facts that help to support learning around a wide range of topics.

Your child can work their way through the book in any order that they feel like, you don’t have to go from start to finish. They can skip a few pages in each section – whatever works for them and you! The images were bright and fun, perfect for young children to help gain their interest and encourage them to do more.

This is a great resource for parents and caregivers as we look to find new and exciting ways to keep our children learning and their minds active. While our son could have easily worked on the activities alone, we had a great time completing them together.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Joelle Dreidemy has drawn and painted ever since she can remember. After graduating from the prestigious Emile Cohl School she moved to Paris, from where she now illustrates for English, American, French and Korean publishers, as well as teaching at Emile Cohl.

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