Category: Raincoast books

June 9, 2016

Celebrate Dad With A Meaningful Book Collection from Raincoast Books

Our Dad’s have been there every step of the way from pregnancy through childhood. From late night food deliveries to Mom when she had crazy cravings to driving colicky infants around the block to soothe them. Dads build our confidence up and love us in a way that only they can.

On Father’s Day we get to show them just how special they are (even if we should be celebrating this every day of the year!) but this one day allows us to push aside our crazy lives and focus on the special bond between Dad and child. Raincoast Books has selected their top books that focuses on this special relationship and helps celebrate Dads. Here they are:

Tell Me A Tattoo Story

A bestselling author-illustrator duo join forces to create a modern father-son love story in Tell Me A Tattoo Story. The father tells his little son the story behind each of his tattoos, and together they go on a beautiful journey through family history. There’s a tattoo from a favorite book his mother used to read him, one from something his father used to tell him, and one from the longest trip he ever took. And there is a little heart with numbers inside-which might be the best tattoo of them all. Tender pictures by New York Times bestselling illustrator Eliza Wheeler complement this lovely ode to all that’s indelible-ink and love.

When I saw this book, I knew this one was for us. My husband has several tattoos that our boys are just amazed with. Tattoos tell a deeper meaning for the person who carries them, they tell of love, achievement, family and loss. We love talking about tattoos and tracing our husband’s ones on his arms and back. He has one that represents his move to Canada and another for our eldest son. He has the design ready for our youngest one – he just needs to figure out where! I loved the simplicity, honesty and love that was shown in this book. It was a great read for all four of us to sit down and read together, while sparking a conversation about my husband’s tattoos. I love how this book takes into consideration the new norm by talking about tattoos – tattoos aren’t a bad thing or mean a bad person. More and more people have them now and they represent so much meaning behind them. It was a truly special book.

Monster & Son

In Monster & Son, romp along with parent and child yetis, werewolves, giant lizards, and more as they stir up some monster-sized fun! Readers big and small, young and old, wild and tame, will roar with laughter and take this book by the horns, teeth, and fur… discovering that monsters and humans aren’t so different-especially in the ways they love each other.

A truly lovely book about the relationship between son and Father. It suited my boys perfectly! It was darkly coloured, with scary monsters (with smiling faces), a great rhythm which made reading aloud so much easier and the perfect story line. We followed Father and son as they played games, joked and bonded until Dad tucked little one into bed. It showcases the love between Father and son perfectly regardless of being human or monster! This will make the perfect bed time story.

Commando Dad New Recruits

This essential guide to pregnancy offers everything the expecting father needs to know in the run-up to the birth, or deployment day.” Packaged like an army training manual and written in guy-friendly, no-nonsense military speak, it presents month-by-month overviews of the baby’s development, the lowdown on pregnancy symptoms, tips for supporting the mom-to-be, a guide to prenatal care, and what to expect during labor and beyond. With expert advice, easy-to-follow information, and commentary from other first-time fathers, it’s the go-to reference for the dad-to-be who wants to prepare himself-mentally, physically, and emotionally-for the arrival of his new recruit.”

Letters to My Dad

This book of twelve letters (ten prompted, two blank) makes it easy for children of many ages-from tween to adult-to show Dad how much they care. Once filled out, sealed, and postdated, the letters become handwritten time capsules to give to Dad for Father’s Day, holidays, or milestone birthdays. When he breaks open the seals in the future, he will find a priceless keepsake.

This is a beautiful series of books that will honestly be treasured forever. My boys filled out the Letters to My Mom and it made my heart melt!

Gator Dad

From seemingly mundane tasks such as grocery shopping to more active pursuits like a romp at the park and fort-building, a loving and playful father alligator shows his gator kids that the simplest pleasures done together can make for an incredibly fun day in Gator Dad.

Presented by New York Times bestselling author Brian Lies ( Bats at the Beach ), this heartwarming story demonstrates a series of very special ways children can connect with their fathers and should appeal to parents and little readers everywhere.

A Perfect Father’s Day

An engaging family portrait and a winning tribute to ‘Dad.'” – School Library Journal

Four-year-old Susie gives her dad her idea of the perfect Father’s Day: A fast food restaurant for lunch, feeding birds at the park, a ride on the carousel, the swings . . . they even top their day off with balloons! Eve Bunting’s tongue-in-cheek story is sure to resonate with the loving, exhausted parents of charming preschoolers. Susan Meddaugh contributes ample subtle humor to the reading experience in the details of her illustrations. This sweet treat of a book, in a new paper-over-board gift edition with foil cover accents, is the perfect story for dads and kids to share on a perfect Father’s Day.

Raincoast Books now wants you to win four of your choice of the above titles to give to the special Dad in your life. Enter now via the Rafflecopter form below – good luck!

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Disclosure: I received Monster & Son and Tell Me A Tattoo Story in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

June 8, 2016

Make Parenting Simple Again with These Top Picks from Raincoast Books

When we first find out we are pregnant, we know that we just want to succeed in parenting and raise the healthiest and happiest child. We want to get all the safety, health and nursery right. We want to stimulate our babies mind while encouraging growth. So we probably read many parenting books, websites and blogs all in the hopes of learning how to succeed in parenting.

While these books are great (and honestly you really should read them), they miss out on some important aspects of parenting: letting your child play, imagine, create and how to just sit back and have fun. Too often we want to break up play we feel is dangerous (I know I has this habit!) even when it was something we did as a child ourselves. Sometimes we may be holding our child back by not allowing them that same freedom we had as children. These incredibly helpful parenting titles explain why.

Balanced and Barefoot

In this important book, a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of TimberNook
shows how outdoor play and unstructured freedom of movement are vital for children’s
cognitive development and growth, and offers tons of fun, engaging ways to help ensure
that kids grow into healthy, balanced, and resilient adults.

Today’s kids have adopted sedentary lifestyles filled with television, video games, and computer screens. But more and more, studies show that children need rough and tumble” outdoor play in order to develop their sensory, motor, and executive functions. Disturbingly, a lack of movement has been shown to lead to a number of health and cognitive difficulties, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), emotion regulation and sensory processing issues, and aggressiveness at school recess break. So, how can you ensure your child is fully engaging their body, mind, and all of their senses?

Using the same philosophy that lies at the heart of her popular TimberNook program-that nature is the ultimate sensory experience, and that psychological and physical health improves for children when they spend time outside on a regular basis-author Angela Hanscom offers several strategies to help your child thrive, even if you live in an urban environment.

I fell in love with this book, literally could not put it down as the facts and strategies were fascinating. She looks at important statistics like how our children are weaker physically than children in the 80s and more to help us figure out where we need to change our parenting style. While some of the statistics are shocking, I am sure once you read them you will be able to see the truth in them. You may recognize other children or even your own (the child that does not like to touch grass or certain textured food). She uses examples of her own children, her own parenting experiences and practice experiences to guide us. She speaks in an open way that you feel as though it is a conversation with her and she truly gets your struggles. I found myself nodding a lot at times and I am sure my husband and kids thought I was a tad bit strange!

She even had me examining my own parenting and stopping me from interrupting disputes, organizing play for my kids and stopping play that I deemed unsafe (not to the extreme level but rock jumping and tree climbing should be okay for kids). I looked at my kids and for the first time I understood why they were happiest outside and why they get angry and have outbursts after too much screen time. It just clicked. Since then, we have spent more time outside on the field, in the front yard and just letting them choose what they want to do. I have held myself back more instead of trying to organize activities and instead encourage them to use their own minds to create games.

This is an excellent book for parents to be, parents of toddlers and young children who may be struggling. She gives helpful ideas, explanations that you can truly understand and real world advice.

Let’s Color Together

Scribble your way to fun with your kids through face-to-face colouring in Let’s Color Together!

Colouring books are all the rage with everyone from preschoolers to grandparents, so why not share the joy of coloring with those you love the most? Featuring beautiful spreads specifically designed for two people to color at once and enjoy at once, Let’s Color Together is the perfect opportunity to sit down, connect, and share some fun with your kids.

Who doesn’t love a good colouring book? It’s even more fun when you get to enjoy it with your child (or in our case they didn’t even wait for me and started colouring before I could join them!). The designs ranged in difficultly and size of the lines/spacing so that this book could be appreciated by a wide age range of children and adults. It is the perfect unwinding tool from a long day at work and at school and an even better way of spending some quiet time with your child.

Mothers of the Village

So many mothers feel like something is out of joint, something is missing – and maybe the truth is that we’re all just missing each other.

C. J. Schneider found herself in the middle of a perfect storm after giving birth to her third child and moving to a new neighborhood. Conditions for misery and postpartum depression were ideal: she was isolated, lonely, and exhausted with three young children at home. As she started talking with other mothers, she realized that she was not alone in her experience of feeling alone.

In her unique voice, Schneider intelligently and compassionately offers practical advice on how to create the essential community that mothers need. Given the many examples of communal mothering from the past and around the world, as well as modern examples of communities in which mothers are thriving, the research is clear: since the beginning of womankind, mothering has been a communal effort.

Mothers of the Village affirms that as mothers connect with each other and learn to work with each other, despite the challenges, they may find a piece of themselves that they have felt missing all along.

Why Can’t We Just Play?

Facing summer with her two boys, ages ten and seven, Pam Lobley was sifting through sign ups for swim team, rec camp, night camp, scout camp, and enrichment classes. Overwhelmed at the choices, she asked her sons what they wanted to do during summer: Soccer? Zoo School? Little Prodigy’s Art Club?”

“Why can’t we just play?” they asked.

A summer with no scheduled activities at all . . . The thought was tempting, but was it possible? It would be like something out of the 1950s. Could they really have a summer like that?

Juggling the expectations of her husband (“Are you going to wear garters?”), her son, Sam (“I’m bored!”), and her son, Jack (“Can I just stay in my pajamas?”), Pam sets out to give her kids an old-fashioned summer. During the shapeless days, she studies up on the myths and realities of the 1950s. With her trademark wit and candor, she reveals what we can learn from those long-ago families, why raising kids has changed so drastically, and most importantly, how to stop time once in a while and just play in Why Can’t We Just Play.

Parenting your child shouldn’t be a rigid schedule of to-do lists, sports events and music. Sometimes we all just need to sit back, be in the mood and play. Now you can enter to win a copy of Let’s Color Together and one of the above mentioned titles. Enter via the rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

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Disclosure: I received Let’s Color Together and Barefoot and Balanced in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

May 25, 2016

Celebrating Graduation Milestones with #WishYouMore and Raincoast Books

Graduation is a special time of the year where as parents we can reflect on how much our child has grown both physically and mentally over the last couple of years and as the student it marks an important milestone in their life. Whether it is a kindergarten, elementary, high school, college or university – a graduation marks an important stepping stone in a person’s life and should be celebrated as such.

Many of us want to buy the graduate in our lives a special gift to mark this time. Something that offers wisdom, advice but still keeps it light and fun. I have always found that books are the best way to say the words that sometimes are hard for us to be able to get out. Raincoast Books has a fantastic collection of books that will help you to #WishYouMore to your special graduate during the upcoming graduation season.

Advice from My 80 Year Old Self

What advice would your 80-year-old self give you? That is the question artist Susan O’Malley, who was herself to die far too young, asked more than a hundred ordinary people of every age, from every walk of life. She then transformed their responses into vibrant text-based images. From a prompt to do things that matter to your heart, to a reminder that it’s okay to have sugar in your tea, these are calls to action and words to live by-heartfelt, sometimes humorous, and always fiercely compassionate. This stirring celebration of our collective humanity unveils the wisdom we hold inside ourselves right now.

Susan O’Malley (1976-2015) was an internationally exhibited artist and curator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. As curator and print center director at the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, she worked with hundreds of artists and organized more than fifty exhibitions and public programs. As an artist, she made work that brings a sense of interconnectedness into our lives, from conversations with strangers to installations in public places. The impact of her work has traveled far and wide. O’Malley’s artwork has been exhibited in public projects across the United States-San Francisco, New York, Nashville-and around the globe in the United Kingdom, Poland, and Denmark. She exhibited at alternative spaces and cultural institutions including, in California, the Montalvo Art Center, Kala Art Institute, and Palo Alto Art Center, as well as the Contemporary Art Museum (Houston, TX), and the Parthenon Museum (Nashville, TN). Her participatory installation Finding Your Center , a collaboration with Leah Rosenberg, was recently featured in Bay Area Now 7 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and her project A Healing Walk is permanently installed at Villa Montalvo. The powerful optimism of her work lives on.

I fell in love with Advice From My 80 Year Old Self the moment I opened it. It is a wonderful collection of short quotes and sayings from a broad age and both gender groups. They are honest, they are real, some make you laugh and some make you cry. Most of all they bring home the reality that most of us don’t live in the moment. We so easily find ourselves caught up in work, social media that we miss those special moments that are around us everyday. I know that I am guilty of this and it has reminded me to put away my phone, put away my work and to be present in every moment and put away my to do list. This was an honest and heart warming book that held so much meaning for me. It is one to open up when you are unsure of yourself, when you need that motivation and to even copy that one quote that inspires you every time. It is bright, bold and unique. Reading the afterword, I was saddened to read that such a talented artist and visionary had passed suddenly at such a young age before her book was published. Her work is an inspiration to all and is especially important for youth and adults alike. I wouldn’t even wait for a graduation to give this as a gift but to give it as a gift to all youth to know that they are not alone, to have faith, to be present and to be inspired. It is a message we all need to know and understand and this book is done in such a way that all age groups will love and appreciate its meaning.

Keep Curious and Carry a Banana

For more than seventy-five years, the world of Curious George has delighted readers with its playful charm and deceptively simple wisdom. Fans of the Keep Calm and Carry On craze will find comfort in this Georgified version of the popular book format. Each inspiration is humorously accompanied by an illustration from the original works of H. A. Rey’s Curious George books.
Sure to make readers chuckle as only George can, this book is packed with inspiration and humor. It’s the perfect gift for all the curious people in your life!

I love Curious George ever since I was a young girl, so I could not wait to see what this book held. In Keep Curious and Carry a Banana, George uses his wit and humour to see the light in every situation. Your favourite childhood character comes alive on the pages with some of the best quotes and sayings. This book stayed true to the original Curious George in illustration, colours and humour. It is a fun book but full of wisdom that will suit youth of all ages (even adults definitely need a healthy dose of George!).

Do Your Laundry or You’ll Die Alone

No matter how hard they try, parents never have time to teach their children everything they need to know before they leave home. Luckily, Becky Blades has compiled the best tidbits of advice into one thought-provoking, conversation-starting book. Covering everything from posture to finances, with a hint of motherly sass, Do Your Laundry or You’ll Die Alone is the perfect gift for leaving-the-nest kids, or anyone in your life who could use a little bit of coming-of-age common sense.

Letters to Me, When I Grow Up

This kids’ version of the bestselling Letters to My Future Self brings young writers a fun new way to capture their childhood. Twelve prompted letters bound into a keepsake book invite kids to share stories, draw, or make lists reflecting on what they know now, and what they imagine for their future. When they’re grown, this paper time capsule becomes a cherished-and likely hilarious-look back on who they once were and who they have become.

The Big Trip

This comprehensive companion, now in its third edition, provides essential pretrip planning advice, regional overviews with maps and itineraries, and practical resources for finding work abroad. Now in full colour packed with inspirational images.

I Wish You More

A New York Times bestseller!

Some books are about a single wish. Some books are about three wishes. The infallible team of Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld have combined their extraordinary talents to create this exuberant book of endless good wishes. Wishes for curiosity and wonder, for friendship and strength, laughter and peace. Whether celebrating life’s joyous milestones, sharing words of encouragement, or observing the wonder of everyday moments, this sweet and uplifting book is perfect for wishers of every age.

Inspire, motivate and show your love to a child in any stage of their life with these inspirational books from Raincoast Books. You can use them to guide, to educate and to start a conversation. The important part is in the meaning of the words. Whether a graduation or another important milestone in a child’s life, celebrate with meaning.

One lucky winner will win their choice of three of the above six books. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below – good luck!

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Disclosure: I received Advice From My 80 Year Old Self and Keep Curious and Carry a Banana in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

January 22, 2016

Rodale Celebrates a New Year, New You Review and Giveaway

The new year is a great time to sit down and focus on what you want and need to accomplish during the year. Whether it is to focus on clean eating, getting active or leading a more natural lifestyle.

Books are a great resource for gathering ideas, recipes and encouragement to accomplish these goals. I was recently invited to review two new books from Rodale, The Year of Cozy and The Detox Prescription. Keep reading for my thoughts and enter to win your own copies of these two books!

About The Year of Cozy

From the author of the popular blog, A Cozy Kitchen, comes a beautifully photographed one-stop-shop book with all the recipes and projects you’ll need for some cozy inspiration this holiday season and all year-long. You’ll love Adrianna Adarme’s easy-to-follow instructions and will enjoy getting lost in her warm and comforting photographs. Organized by the months of the year and by categories as “Live,” “Do,” and “Make, ” this book offers ideas for activities, recipes, and DIY projects that make the little moments in life just as exciting as the big. Adarme gives us special (but totally doable) things we can do for others and ourselves. From quick recipes to easy crafts, she focuses on simple, inexpensive undertakings that have a big reward: happiness. The Year of Cozy will surely inspire you to march into your kitchen and craft closet to make something you can truly be proud of.

My Thoughts

Adrianna has excellent writing skills and truly reaches out to her audience in a unique way to speak to them in a manner that we can relate to. The book contains 125 recipes, crafts and other homemade items that are divided by season.

The imagery is incredible, the recipes make you want to drool while the other images are breath-taking. All of the recipes and crafts are simple to follow and with items that you most likely have at home (so no going out having to stock a pantry!). Adrianna also includes easy notes and suggestions to help you with her recipes and crafts.

The Year of Cozy will be a great addition to your craft and recipe books in your home library.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About The Detox Prescription

The human body has an extraordinary ability to detoxify itself. However, we live in a world that is increasingly polluted, exposing our bodies to thousands of harmful chemicals that lead to obesity, diabetes, arthritis, allergies, and heart disease. The good news is you can optimize your body’s natural cleansing system for weight loss, greater energy, and better health.

In The Detox Prescription, Mary Beth Augustine, MS, RDN, and Woodson Merrell, MD, offer more than 100 delicious and nutrient-rich recipes incorporating juices and whole foods, broken into 3-, 7-, and 21-day cleanses. Dr. Merrell’s holistic system of light yoga, meditation, and other stress-reducing practices will help reset your body, mind, and spirit–and allow for control of genetic destiny.

My Thoughts

I tend to be hesitant with any book that proclaims or uses words like detox, mainly as many times the detox is based on starving the body. What I loved most about the Detox Prescription is that this was one of the first topics it addressed, a detox should not be about starving the body! Instead it should focus on eliminating toxins from your environment and nourishing with healthy, nutrient rich foods. This is far more in line with my own beliefs that we need to feed our body nutrient rich items and to cherish our body.

The book spends several chapters going over toxins in the environment, how to eliminate them and what to look for before diving into the ‘prescription’. The prescription comes in three forms: three, seven and twenty-one day cleanses. Each one of these cleanses prescribed in the book comes with recipes, suggestions and meal preparation guides. This made it easy to follow and understand. Meditation, cherishing and even yoga are prescribed as well!

The Detox Prescription is a great resource to start you off on the path to eating clean and nourishing your body with the food that it needs.

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

The Giveaway!

My Canadian readers can now enter to win these two books from Rodale! You can enter via the Rafflecopter form below – GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received the two books listed above in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

November 18, 2015

Beautiful Creatures A Boundless Coloring Book Adventure by Nicole Stocker

Colour over the greys to bring the images to life in this unique adult colouring book by Nicole Stocker.

About Beautiful Creatures

Immerse yourself in the space between black and white and explore the many shades of your imagination. Unique in its sophisticated grayscale format, Beautiful Creatures is deceivingly simple. Using the gray as your guide, you will feel like a professional artist, bringing depth to each image and creating lifelike artwork that is uniquely yours. Take a moment of solitude to rediscover your creativity, and replenish your calm.

Optimized for coloring, each image is printed on acid-free, archival quality paper, perforated and watermarked for framing. Simply select your palette and color over the gray, letting the depth of shading guide your choices as you bring this thoughtfully curated collection of 48 striking images to life. Feel the thrill of artistic accomplishment that comes from creation, and the pride of seeing your work framed and displayed. Where the simplicity of coloring meets a refined aesthetic, Beautiful Creatures opens the door to artistic expression and all the joys that come with it.

My Thoughts

Colouring is one of my favourite calming activity. It helps me unwind from the day, clear my mind and even spend some time with my boys!

Beautiful Creatures is a whole new concept for colouring books with a grey scale that you colour on top of. Which at first sounds confusing but the end result is stunning. The grey scale helps with the tone of the image, helping those that may have little experience with colouring and painting. It can sometimes be hard to remember to shade depending on the light source so this was a fun way to get back in to drawing for me. It brought back all of my art classes while giving me artistic freedom with colour. I was easily lost in my colouring and spent over an hour colouring with the news on in the background. Even my children were jealous of the book and wanted to colour in it (I was a meanie and said no!).

Beautiful Creatures will make an excellent gift for the budding artist in your home as it allows them to improve on their skills while giving them artistic freedom in how they make the picture come alive. It was so much fun watching my image pop up on the page. The book itself is professional and even has a place for your signature waiting for you.

You can purchase a copy of Beautiful Creatures on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

As a young girl, Nicole was enchanted by a black and white photograph hanging in her parents summer cabin, wishing she could bring it to life with color. An artist at heart, Nicole imagined a collection of coloring books filled with inspiring, carefully curated photographs. The first in a series, Beautiful Creatures marks her publishing debut. A mother of two young children, Nicole treasures any moment to lose herself in color and creation in her Vancouver home.

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