June 19, 2019
Okko’s Inn Review and Giveaway
Kitaro Kosaka’s stunning anime feature Okko’s Inn from the famed studio Madhouse will be released on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download on July 2, 2019 from GKIDS and Shout! Factory.
About Okko’s Inn
Kitaro Kosaka’s stunning anime feature Okko’s Inn from the famed studio Madhouse will be released on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download on July 2, 2019 from GKIDS and Shout! Factory. Nominated for the 2019 Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year, the filmcomes to home video following its nationwide theatrical release earlier this April.
After losing her parents in a car accident, Okko goes to live in the countryside with her grandmother, who runs a traditional inn near an ancient spring said to have healing waters. Okko soon discovers there are spirits living there only she can see – welcoming ghosts who keep her company, play games and help her navigate her new environment. Okko strives to be a gracious host, and this is soon put to the test by a string of challenging guests with different stories. But ultimately Okko discovers that dedicating herself to others becomes the key to taking care of herself, in this beautiful tale from Kitaro Kosaka, who was a key animator on numerous classic films at the venerable Studio Ghibli.
Bonus Features
- Interview with the Director
- Interview with Seiran Kobayashi (Okko)
- Q&A with Directors and Producers at Japanese Premiere
- Trailers
Our Thoughts
This is an excellent movie for young children as it touches on some pretty important topics that may be difficult to discuss in an age appropriate manner.
Okko loses the people who are the most important to her, her parents. She must learn how to cope with her loss and grief. This is never easy for anyone to do, let alone a child. She moves in with her Grandmother after their deaths and we are with Okko as she learns ways to cope and move forward.
After the accident, she develops a rather unusual talent – she is now able to see ghosts! One of these ghosts was there with her on the fateful day her parents died. Many enter and exit her life but she learns many valuable lessons from them.
Okko learns to deal with her grief through service to others and finds joy in this. She discovers that being there for others helps her feel as though her parents are still with her.
You can order a copy of this DVD here.
The Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveawayDisclosure: I received a copy of this DVD in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
June 17, 2019
The Setpoint Diet Spotlight
Join the 27,000 people who have achieved dramatic and long-term weight loss with The Setpoint Diet, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Calorie Myth.
About The Setpoint Diet
Your body fights to keep you within a range of about 15 pounds–also known as your “setpoint weight.” New research reveals that you can lower your setpoint and end that battle for good by focusing on the quality of calories you eat, not the quantity. With The Setpoint Diet, you will reprogram your body with a 21-day plan to rev up your metabolism, eliminate inflammation, heal your hormones, repair your gut, and get your body working like that of a naturally thin person–permanently.
The Setpoint Diet is a lower-carb menu that focuses on specific anti-inflammatory whole foods, including tons of produce, nutritious proteins, and therapeutic fats. Its creator, Jonathan Bailor, founded SANESolution, a weight loss company that has reached millions of people. Proven to help you lose weight naturally and maintain it, The Setpoint Diet is your new blueprint for healthy living.
About the Author
JONATHAN BAILOR pioneered the field of wellness engineering and is the founder and CEO of one of the world’s fastest-growing permanent weight loss and diabesity treatment companies, SANESolution. He authored the New York Times best-seller The Calorie Myth, has registered over 26 patents, has spoken at Fortune 100 companies and TED conferences for over a decade and served as a Senior Program Manager at Microsoft, where he helped to create Nike Kinect Training and Xbox Fitness. His work has been endorsed and implemented by top doctors from Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins, the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, and UCLA. A summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of DePauw University, Bailor lives outside Seattle with his wife, Angela, and daughter Aavia.
You can connect with the author on his website, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
The Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveawayDisclosure: This is a spotlight tour, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.
June 13, 2019
Butterflies and Second Chances
Butterflies and Second Chances is the inspiring true story of a mother’s special needs journey, and her struggle to secure the best possible life for her child in the face of bureaucratic resistance and marital crisis.
About Butterflies and Second Chances
The world Annette Hines knew exploded when her infant daughter Elizabeth was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease–a degenerative, life-limiting illness. Annette’s joy quickly turned to apprehension and she knew nothing would ever be the same again.
Butterflies and Second Chances is the inspiring true story of a mother’s special needs journey, and her struggle to secure the best possible life for her child in the face of bureaucratic resistance and marital crisis. It is a story of sacrifice, dedication, and the life-altering adjustments a special needs parent has to make when confronted with the unthinkable. But most of all, it’s about love and an extraordinary mother-daughter relationship that flourished without words in the darkest shadows of adversity.
Annette and Elizabeth’s powerful story provides hope, solace, and a path forward for parents of special needs children, and it will resonate with families everywhere.
My Thoughts
I have to disclose that I am not the parent of a special needs child but there was something about the book description that really touched me. I had to read this book but I could not quite put my finger on it.
Parenting is hard – we struggle as parents, we have to be an advocate for our child’s health and education, we hurt at their pain and all we want to do is see them happy and healthy. Having had four miscarriages before I became pregnant with my second son, it was a constant battle of fear that I would lose him and that something would go wrong. He was born healthy but has his own health conditions, with food and seasonal allergies, eczema and asthma, we spent a lot of the time at the doctors office. This felt like a non stop upwards battle everywhere we turned, but I can’t even put into words the struggles that Annette went through. I find it hard enough to have someone listen to me about my son’s breathing and allergies – I can’t even begin to imagine myself in her shoes fighting to have someone listen to her concerns and what she felt was right for her daughter or the diagnosis for her.
Her story is beautiful, honest, raw and painful at times. I found myself crying throughout various stages in the story and at other times my heart full of joy for the kindness others can show. Annette shares the good, the bad and the ugly in an honest open manner. You feel like it is a conversation rather than a book and I loved this.
Mother, daughter and sister are fighters and their story is powerful and so very important for everyone to read. We need to understand the emotions, the difficulties but also the beauty that is raising a child with a disability. We as a society need to learn to show compassion and understanding to others – we may never be in their shoes but we can learn to help them. She offers such simple solutions – like going to the parent, preparing paperwork to make their life just a little bit easier. Simple things that others take for granted.
This is a beautiful, raw story of the love between a parent and their child. They fought a courageous battle and I felt so sorry for their loss. I could not put this story done – it is beautifully written and perfect for all adults and even young adults.
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Annette Hines is a founding partner of the Special Needs Law Group of Massachusetts. She brings personal experience to her practice as the mother of two daughters, one of whom passed away from mitochondrial disease in 2013. This deep, personal understanding of special needs fuels her passion for quality special needs planning and advocacy and drives her dedication to the practice. Recognized as a Distinguished Citizen by ARC Massachusetts and cited for public service by both the Massachusetts State Senate and House of Representatives, Ms. Hines works tirelessly on behalf of people with disabilities.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
June 11, 2019
Sockeye Silver, Saltchuck Blue
With vibrant illustrations and a glossy tactile finish, this sturdy board book introduces babies and toddlers to a kaleidoscope of colours and the rhythm of changing seasons on the West Coast.
About Sockeye Silver, Saltchuck Blue
Sockeye Silver, Saltchuck Blue follows the shifting spectrum of the Pacific Northwest including the quiet grey rain of winter, the verdant growth of spring, the jewel red tones of tart summer huckleberries and the shimmering scales of a spawning sockeye salmon as it turns from silver to red in fall. Like Hello Humpback! and One Eagle Soaring, this board book will be sure to enthrall the very youngest readers while introducing the delights of the natural world.
Our Thoughts
This is a beautiful, stunning work of art that you will just treasure.
You have bright, bold colours with great contrast which is perfect for young readers but that adults can appreciate too. The imagery is simple but full of expression and meaning at the same time. We are taken on a journey through the Northwest as we discover its seasons and wildlife. We experience the bright, warmth and the chillier side of all that the Northwest has to offer.
The words are simple which is perfectly suited to the imagery of the book. It really helps to drive home the perfectness and simplicity of nature – we can truly appreciate the beauty of the land. Make sure you run your hands across each page, as some of the images are raised. This should bring some delight to young readers who love to also touch and feel as they read along.
This book will make a perfect gift and addition into a child’s library which will be cherished for years to come.
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.
About the Author
Roy Henry Vickers is a renowned carver, painter and printmaker. He is the co-author of Harbour Publishing’s popular children’s Northwest Coast Legends series, all of which were shortlisted for the Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award: Raven Brings the Light in 2014, Cloudwalker in 2015, Orca Chief in 2016 and Peace Dancer in 2017. He lives in Hazelton, BC.
Robert (Lucky) Budd is the co-author of the Northwest Coast Legends series and the author of Voices of British Columbia (Douglas & McIntyre, 2010), which was shortlisted for the 2011 Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award, and its sequel, Echoes of British Columbia (Harbour Publishing, 2014), which won second prize in the BC Historical Federation’s writing competition in 2014. He lives in Victoria, BC.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
June 11, 2019
Knowledge Genius
Open the pages of Knowledge Genius to find out what you know, and challenge yourself to learn even more!
About Knowledge Genius
A fun general knowledge quiz book for kids – test their brain and see who will be crowned a genius!
Children won’t be able to resist the Knowledge Genius brain-busting challenge. For every topic, pages are packed with eye-popping pictures – but do you know what they show? To help you, “Test Yourself” panels list what you’re looking for. With three levels of difficulty, the challenge gets harder as you work your way from Starter, to Challenger, and finally the truly tricky Genius category. If you need it, there’s a fun fact with every picture to give a helpful clue.
With more than 60 topics, from across the encyclopedia, there’s something for everyone. Can you name the most famous rivers worldwide? Do you know your cranium from your clavicle, or do you need to bone up on the parts of the human skeleton? Are you a demon on dinosaurs, and able to spot the difference between an archaeopteryx and an allosaurus? Perhaps you’re a brain box and can do all of this standing on your head? You can!
Our Thoughts
This amazing hard cover book was so much fun learning both together and on my own (I say on my own because I wanted to cheat a bit and study before we quizzed each other the second time!).
In order to use this book, you start off each chapter with learning about the basics of that chapters (chapters include: space, nature, geography, history and culture). Then comes the harder parts, you need to challenge yourself by looking at the test yourself section and then the quizzes. Each page has helpful pictures and clues to help guide you to your answer, along with increasingly difficult questions. You can find the answers at the bottom of each page upside down. Each chapter starts with its own picture quiz, which I didn’t realize at first!
This is an excellent learning tool and activity to play together as a family and especially for those little ones who may not be always so keen on reading by themselves. They will truly enjoy the challenge of answering the questions, reading the clues and looking at the pictures. You definitely don’t have to do the whole chapter at a time – you don’t even have to go in order. The learning should be fun – I started with History which I love (and knew I could beat those kids with!!) but they loved the nature section. This will become a true family favourite in all homes.
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Indigo.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.