Book Review: The Queen Is Coming to Tea

The Queen is Coming to Tea

by Linda Ravin Lodding
My rating: 4 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

Preparing to host a tea for the Queen, Ellie and her stuffed elephant, Langley, race around the globe for the best food and drink, and also collect an assortment of guests.

Review:

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved reading this book to my kids. It was an excellent read for both me and my little ones. To tell you the truth, even my eldest enjoyed it and has read the story several times to her younger siblings since the first read. The whimsically fun cover image drew them in from the start. My son (5 y) was particularly curious about the Fox carrying the cake. Truth be told, the artwork in this book is beautifully drawn, colored, and rendered. Despite it being an eBook, all the images scaled correctly and appeared in the correct position in relation to the story text for the most part. Although the 1 or two images that appeared out of turn did serve to confuse my youngest reader. The repetitive nature (think Ten Little Monkeys) of the story does leave a bit to be desired for us adult readers, but the tiny ones loved it and even chimed in on the "catch line."

Book Review: Tiger Boy

Tiger Boy

by Mitali Perkins
My rating: 5 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

When a tiger cub escapes from a nature reserve near Neel’s island village, the rangers and villagers hurry to find her before the cub’s anxious mother follows suit and endangers them all. Mr. Gupta, a rich newcomer to the island, is also searching—he wants to sell the cub’s body parts on the black market. Neel and his sister, Rupa, resolve to find the cub first and bring her back to the reserve where she belongs.

The hunt for the cub interrupts Neel’s preparations for an exam to win a prestigious scholarship at a boarding school far from home. Neel doesn’t mind—he dreads the exam and would rather stay on his beloved island in the Sunderbans of West Bengal with his family and friends.

But through his encounter with the cub, Neil learns that sometimes you have to take risks to preserve what you love. And sometimes you have to sacrifice the present for the chance to improve the future.

Review:

I received this book through the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book gets a very loud RECOMMEND! The story touched me from the start. I initially chose it on NetGalley because I was looking for a book to share with my children. Sadly, I had to leave them behind as I got to the meat of this book. I still plan on going back to it and completing it with them, but I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. The first thing that drew me into this book was the cover art. It is both simple and beautiful. The use of bold, ethnic colors keeps with the themes of strength, and nature conservation which throughout the book.

Book Review: I Am: Why Two Little Words Mean So Much

I Am: Why Two Little Words Mean So Much

by Dr. Wayne Dyer and Kristina Tracy
My rating: 5 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

I AM teaches kids a simple but profound message: God is not far off in the distance, or even merely beside us. In other words, we are not separate from God-we are God! Knowing that God's love and strength is a part of everyone can help kids grow to meet their greatest potential in life.

Review:

Yet another home run! This was the second book written by Dr. Dyer that I read with my children. The first was purchased but this one was a gift from a dear co-worker. After reading “the Unstoppable Me!” I knew that I wanted to read more by this author. You can imagine my happy surprise to find it sitting on my desk with a handwritten note to my daughter telling her that she is special and to never stop being herself. This book is beautifully written and illustrated. It probes and answers some pretty heavy philosophical questions that I may not have been able to broach with my little one. It’s very important to give children and anchor, especially in this generation where morals often take a back seat, and our little ones are bombarded by social media. This book is a great tool to help us remind them that not only are they a part of God, but also, the God is a part of them and they are never alone.

See me on GoodReads

Book Review: The Unstoppable Me!

The Unstoppable Me!

by Dr. Wayne Dyer
My rating: 5 of 5 hearts

Synopsis:

In Unstoppable Me! Dr. Dyer teaches children how to hold on to the no-limit thinking he believes they were born with, rather than just trying to “fit in.” In doing so, they can learn to truly enjoy life and become unstoppable as they strive to attain their dreams…

Review:

This book is absolutely awesome. For my family it’s a golden oldie. My daughter (9yo) and I still re-read it whenever she needs a little pick me up. Both the artwork and the writing are amazing. The lessons are easily understood by early and mid-level readers. I plan to start reading this book to my son (4yo) very soon and anticipate reading it to my youngest (1 yo) as well. In this book Dr. Dyer speaks of not just fitting in to society but being true to yourself. He also touches the issues surrounding the value of taking risks and embracing change, overcoming anxiety and just plain learning to enjoy life for all that it has to offer. I love the Q&A topics at the back of the book; they act as great conversation starters for you and your child.

See me on GoodReads

Childhood Innocence

Adults are obsolete children...
- Dr. Seuss

As a mom of 3 I love taking pictures of my little ones … but what mom doesn’t. Children have a way of interacting with the world in a carefree fashion that we, as adults, have long lost. Nothing can match the excitement and wonder of viewing something for the first time. Capturing my children allows me to experience those feelings again. The following are some of my favorites.

My Littles

Who I Am

Window Watching

Happiness