Brave Girls Never Give Up - A Children's Book Review

The Adventures of Lucy Snigglefritz: Book One

Author: Patrick Milne

Illustrator: Stephanie Faye

Publisher: Fayemous Books

Publication Date: September 16, 2013

Age Level: 4 - 7 years

 
About the Author
Patrick Milne is the author of two Kindle books for kids.
 
A Brave Girl Never Gives Up!
Lucy Snigglefritz is a star performer in Amazing Avido's Circus. She is famous for her daring tricks and magnificent performances.

As Lucy grows older, her popularity declines. She is eight years old and could no longer perform the "puppy tricks" she once did with ease.

"You're not as young as you used to be," snarled Avido Padrone.
"No one wants to see an old dog doing puppy tricks."

Lucy is abandoned at the side of the road when the circus moves to their next destination. She is heartbroken.

Lucy's future is not as bleak as it first appears. She wanders into a fire station and befriends Sooty, the fire dog. Lucy discovers her inner courage when she accompanies the fire fighters to a burning house.

My Thoughts
Lucy Snigglefritz...I love the name and I think kids will love it too.
I am a long-time proponent of Kindle books for kids. 

I read this digital book on a 7" Kindle screen. At first, the illustrations and print seemed very small. However, I discovered you can "drag" the image with your fingers and make it fill the entire screen (kids will probably figure this out much faster than I did.)

Lucy is a strong and lovable female character and the story is extremely entertaining. Even though Lucy is abandoned by her owner, she overcomes her difficulties and uses the skills she learned in the circus to save a stranded kitten in the house fire. 

This book touches on the following issues that children may want to think about:

• Animal abandonment and care.
• Age discrimination.
• Gender equality.

 Lucy proves that old dogs CAN do puppy tricks and much more!

MY RATING:  5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I borrowed this book with my Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Thank you for reading my book review. Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Kindle Books for Kids: Jump! by Julia Dweck

Jump

Author: Julia Dweck
Illustrator: Brian Allen

Publisher: Sleepy Sheep Productions

Date: September 1, 2014

Grade Level: PK - 3


About the Author
Julia Dweck writes children's stories for digital and traditional publication. Her stories span the spectrum of humor, fantasy, and edutainment in rhyme and in prose. Julia's background in elementary education affords her the opportunity to be in touch with what children want to read about and what makes them giggle.

"When You Believe In Yourself, You Can Jump With Your Eyes Open."
A timid Jack-In-The-Box toy was frightened and confused when he accidently jumped out of his box. He felt disgraced outside the safety of his familiar box.

As Jack was looking for his box, he met a new friend named Barker. Jack and Barker embarked on many "jumping" adventures. They jumped a skipping rope, they jumped on a trampoline and even jumped out of an airplane!

Jack learned that you must take a leap of faith if you are going to move out of your comfort zone and discover a whole new world.

My Thoughts
"Jump" is a charming and refreshing rhyming picture book for young children. It is published for the Amazon Kindle and the formatting is excellent for young readers. The full-screen horizontal illustrations are colorful, entertaining and humorous. The illustrator did an excellent job portraying the personalities of the characters in this story.

Jack shows children how much fun it can be to get out of everyday routines and take some risks. Life is full of adventures when new faces and places are explored and investigated.

Jack and Barker exhibit a poignant bonding and connection. They bring out the best in each other and have a ton of fun on their journey.

Ms. Dweck provides some valuable teaching tools at the end of the story. There are true facts about amazing jumps, scrambled words from the story and instructions on how to write a simple story using two characters, a setting, a plot and a solution.

"Jump" will entertain, inspire and educate young readers. This book could be used for independent reading or incorporated into a language arts class. It would also be a charming read-aloud selection for pre-school children.  Highly recommended!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI - I borrowed a digital copy of this book with my Amazon Kindle Unlimited membership.

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Kindle Books For Kids: Mary had a Sleepy Sheep by Julia Dweck



Mary had A Sleepy Sheep

Author: Julia Dweck
Illustrator: Wilson Williams, Jr.

Publisher: Xist Publishing

Date: September 5, 2013




About the Author
Julia Dweck writes children's stories for digital and traditional publication. Her stories span the spectrum of humor, fantasy, and edutainment in rhyme and in prose. Julia's background in elementary education affords her the opportunity to be in touch with what children want to read about and what makes them giggle.

A New Twist on a Beloved Nursery Rhyme
Ms. Dweck has written an entertaining "altered nursery rhyme" that kids will absolutely love.

Mary had a little lamb...and a big problem. The "sleepy sheep" was always falling asleep in the wrong places and sleeping way too much. I am not a doctor, but it sounds like this poor lamb was suffering from narcolepsy.

Mary tried everything she could think of to keep her lamb awake. Nothing seemed to work until she remembered what people do when they CAN'T sleep.

My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this rhyming story about Mary and her "sleepy sheep".  I read the book on my Kindle Fire. There are four lines of text with each full-screen color illustration. The formatting is excellent and the illustrations are outstanding. I love the landscape orientation and the way the pages fill the entire screen.

This is a fun and light-hearted story. There might be children who can relate to the lamb's problem of sleeping too much. This is also a good lesson in problem solving...Mary was very persistent.

There are some surprises at the end of the story. The author shares the text of the original "Mary had a Little Lamb" nursery rhyme. She also reveals that a little mouse named "Whiskers" is hidden on each page. This will have kids eagerly searching each and every page until they locate the mouse. The final treats are Activity Pages and a list of the author's favorite links to fun sites on the Internet.

This story is appropriate for reading aloud to young children or independent reading for older students. I don't think kids ever get tired of reading/hearing a beloved Mother Goose rhyme.

Highly Recommended!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher. This book is available to pre-order on Amazon.Com and will be released next week.

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Kindle Books For Kids: The Snake Who Wanted To Be A Horse by Valerie Harmon

The Snake Who Wanted to Be a Horse (Wants To Be)

Author: Valerie Harmon
Illustrator: Carol Stevens

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Date: February 10, 2013



About The Author And Illustrator
The concept for the WantsToBe Series (and this is book #1 in that series) came about when the illustrator, Carol Stevens, told bedtime stories to her youngest son. He'd pick two animals and she'd make up a story about them, ending with a mashup of the two animals. He loved those stories and they turned out so hilarious that Stevens wanted to share the story with more children.

She approached author Valerie Harmon, and together they are writing and illustrating stories about animals who imaginatively solve their problem with lots of hard work and sacrifice.

A Snake and a Horse
A colorful snake is not happy with his life. He has a tender tummy and he hates to crawl on rough and rocky roads.

One day the snake meets a friendly horse. The snake thinks that if he could become a horse, he could travel across the dirt and stones without any pain. The horse tells the snake that he needs to eat grass, neigh and gallop if he wants to be a horse. It is very hard for the snake to change but he is very determined to be a horse.

The snake is just about to give up when something magical happens! He does not exactly change into a horse, but he is much closer than he was before. The snake's hard work and determination pays off and he lives happily ever after as a "Snorse".

My Thoughts
This is a very imaginative story about a snake and a horse. Kids always love to read about these animals and I believe this story will be very popular with young readers.

The color illustrations are excellent and add a great deal of value to the text. I read this ebook on my Kindle Fire. The illustrations filled half the screen on my ereader. I would love to see this book formatted so that the illustrations fill the entire screen. 

The determination of the snake and the encouragement of the horse are great examples for young readers. I look forward to reading more books in the "WantsToBe" Series. Highly Recommended!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a digital copy of this book during a free promotion on Amazon.Com. Please check the current price before purchasing.

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Kindle Books For Kids: Where Are The Dinos? by Julia Dweck

Where Are The Dinos?

Author: Julia Dweck
Illustrator: Bob Ostrom

Publisher: Kite Readers

Date: March 28, 2013



About The Author
Julia Dweck writes children's stories for digital and traditional publication. Her stories span the spectrum of humor, fantasy, and edutainment in rhyme and in prose. Julia's background in elementary education affords her the opportunity to be in touch with what children want to read about and what makes them giggle.

Questions and More Questions About Dinosaurs!
A young pup goes to the zoo in search of dinosaurs. He asks the tour guide many imaginative questions about where the dinos are and what they are doing.

• Where do dinos shop for food?
• What do dinos find in shops?
• Where do dinos head at night?

The tour guide is confused and annoyed by all these questions because dinosaurs are EXTINCT....or are they?

My Thoughts
Kids love dinosaur books. When I worked as a school librarian, I could never keep the dinosaur books on the shelves. "Where Are The Dinos? is a delightful picture book in rhyme for young boys and girls. Children learn by asking questions and this book is full of questions about DINOSAURS!

I read this ebook on my Kindle Fire. The landscape orientation makes the full-page color illustrations very appealing. Bob Ostrom's humorous illustrations add a great deal of value to this story. Each screen view features a full-screen illustration with two or four lines of text.

Young children will be delighted with all the "dino" questions in this book. Older readers will also enjoy the enthusiasm, persistence and inquisitiveness of the young zoo visitor in this book.

Kids should be encouraged to ask questions. This book will entertain and teach children that questioning is very important in the learning process.
Highly recommended!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the author to read and review.

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Kindle Books For Kids: BeeWitched by Julia Dweck

Beewitched

Author: Julia Dweck
Illustrator: Aida Sofia Barba

Publisher: KiteReaders

Date: February 28, 2013



About The Author
Julia Dweck writes children's stories for digital and traditional publication. Her stories span the spectrum of humor, fantasy, and edutainment in rhyme and in prose. Julia's background in elementary education affords her the opportunity to be in touch with what children want to read about and what makes them giggle.

Bees Are Nice!
Beetrice adores honey bees. She knows everything there is to know about them. She even slightly resembles a bee with her yellow shirt and her huge black glasses.

One day her school class goes on a field trip to the country. While the rest of her class plays games, Beetrice watches the honey bees hover over the honeysuckle flowers. Beetrice wonders if she would have been better off being born a bee!

With a little help from some magic honey, Beetrice changes into a honey bee and learns that a bee's life is not all fun and games. Beetrice learns that the grass is not greener on the other side of the bee hive.

My Thoughts
Beetrice is a wonderful character. Her green eyes are bee-lightful and she is the local expert on honey bees. Ms. Dweck does a wonderful job  mixing fiction and facts about honey bees in this picture book for children. This story is both educational and entertaining. This author does an awesome job writing "edutaining" books for kids.

Beetrice learns a valuable story about life in this story. She learns that life as a honey bee is not as wonderful and carefree as she imagined. She learns that honey bees work very hard and face many challenges and dangers. She realizes that she still loves bees but she is perfectly content to "bee" a girl.

I read this ebook on my Kindle Fire ereader. Ms. Barba did a beautiful job with the full-screen color illustrations. The landscape orientation makes this ebook a perfect fit for the Kindle.

"BeeWitched" is a great selection for spring reading. Children will love Beetrice and will learn from her experiences. Highly recommended!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I purchased this ebook during a FREE promotion on Amazon.Com. Please check the current price before ordering.

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Kindle Books For Kids: Caarina the Cooking Fairy by Julia Dweck

Caarina the Cooking Fairy (KiteReaders Fairy Series)

 

Author: Julia Dweck
Illustrator: Gemini

 

Publisher: KiteReaders

 

Date: December 1, 2012

 

 

 

About The Author

Julia Dweck writes children's stories for digital and traditional publication. Her stories span the spectrum of humor, fantasy, and edutainment in rhyme and in prose. Julia's background in elementary education affords her the opportunity to be in touch with what children want to read about and what makes them giggle.

Fairy Cook vs Gremlin
Caarina is the best cook in the fairy kingdom. She lives among the master chefs and learns all of their techniques.

One day, the Fairy Queen decides the fairies need a special feast. Caarina is given the honor of cooking for all the other fairies.

Unfortunately, a wicked gremlin decides to ruin everything that Caarina cooks. He dumps salt into the food cooking on the stove, he pricks her yeast bread and makes it fall and he pours hot pepper onto her honey cake!

Caarina does not know what is causing all of these mishaps. She is confident in her cooking skills but can't understand what is going wrong.

Suddenly, she hears a small gremlin laugh. She knows that she must use her wits to defeat this pesky little creature. Caarina cooks up a special brew that she hopes will cause the gremlin to flee.

Will Caarina outsmart the gremlin? Will Caarina prove that she is the best cook around?

My Thoughts
This is an excellent story for the young cooks (both male and female) in your family. Caarina is determined to prove that she is up to the task that the Fairy Queen assigned her. Caarina demonstrates intelligence, determination and persistence is this delightful story.

I read this story on my Kindle Fire. The story is designed with a landscape orientation and full-screen illustrations. There are four lines of rhyming text on each screen view.

Gemini did a fantastic job with the illustrations in this book. The soft colors in the background contrast with the bright facial features of the characters. Children will notice the details in the pictures...it looks like Caarina is always surrounded by fairy dust.

I recommend this book for children of all ages. Caarina demonstrates what it takes to overcome adversity and make a dream come true!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ This story is a FREE ebook on Amazon.Com TODAY! These promotions do not last long so grab a copy NOW!

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Kindle Books For Kids: Emily's Valentine by Elizabeth Purcell

Emily's Valentine

Author: Elizabeth Purcell
Illustrator: Alex Ferri Land

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

Date: January 26, 2013



A Handmade Valentine
Little Emily makes a handmade Valentine card for her mommy, daddy and grandpa. She wants to buy her beloved Granny Boo a gift but she does not have enough money in her piggy bank.

Emily makes a beautiful handmade Valentine for her granny and signs it "From Emily with love."

On Valentine's Day, Emily and all her cousins go to visit Granny Boo and give her their gifts. The cousins laugh at Emily's handmade Valentine, but Granny Boo likes the handmade card the best.

Emily gave the gift of love...the greatest gift of all.

My Thoughts
This is a short and sweet rhyming story about a little girl and a handmade Valentine card. I have been making handmade cards for several years so this story is near and dear to my heart.

The lesson in this story is that it is the feelings behind the gift that counts. You don't need to spend money to express your love to those near you. A small handmade item means more than an expensive gift purchased with little thought or emotion.

I read this ebook on my Kindle Fire and found the formatting appropriate for young readers. There is a small color illustration and four lines of rhyming text on each screen view.

This is a wonderful story for Valentine's Day or any day. Highly recommended!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

DYI ~ I ordered this ebook from Amazon.Com during a limited-time free promotion. Please check the current price before ordering.

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Kindle Books For Kids: Zombie-Kids Go Green by Julia Dweck

Zombie-Kids Go Green (KiteReaders Monster Series)

Author: Julia Dweck
Illustrator: Mark Draisey

Publisher: KiteReaders

Date: February 2, 2013



About The Author 
Julia Dweck writes children's stories for digital and traditional publication. Her stories span the spectrum of humor, fantasy, and edutainment in rhyme and in prose. Julia's background in elementary education affords her the opportunity to be in touch with what children want to read about and what makes them giggle.

Zombies Save The Planet
The 3R's....Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

This is a rhyming story about a group of Zombie kids who are green all over.
Their skin is green but they are also dedicated to preserve the earth's natural resources.

Each night, these kids go all over the community cleaning up trash, turning off dripping facets and taking care of the young plants in their gardens.
A zombie kid's age is marked and recorded by Earth Days. They celebrate with a birthday cake that is shaped like the earth.

The book is illustrated with beautiful full-screen color "zombie pictures" by Mark Draisey.

My Thoughts
I am totally blown away by this author's imagination. This is the kind of story that kids will love. They always want to find a "scary book"....the more monsters and zombies the better.

The nice thing about this story is the zombies stay very busy doing good deeds for our planet. There are many examples of reducing waste, reusing worn items and recycling discarded materials in this story. 

This book would make an excellent science lesson about ecology and conservation. It is both educational and entertaining (edutainment?).

I read this book on my Kindle Fire and found the formatting (landscape orientation) appropriate for sharing with a group or individual reading. The illustrations fill the entire screen and are very entertaining. Children need to take extra time just to enjoy these pictures! Each screen view features twelve lines of rhyming text in white print that contrasts with the background illustration...very easy reading.

*Parent Alert ~ It seems like young kids go crazy when they read/hear a story with a reference to "passing gas" in it. This book has one page that refers to a "zombie-kid's fart". There is a pictures of a girl zombie passing gas and a boy holding his nose. I think this is appropriate for a story like this and kids will find it hilarious.

I highly recommend this book for children of all ages. This is a perfect selection for Earth Day (April 22). 

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5  

This book is available as a FREE Kindle book at Amazon.Com TODAY! These promotions don't last very long so grab your copy NOW.

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Kindle Books For Kids: 14 Days of Valentines by Big Red Balloon

14 Days of Valentines (Big Red Balloon)

Author: Big Red Balloon

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Date: January 27, 2013




About The Author
Big Red Balloon is dedicated in aiding parents and teachers to bring out the best in children. They strive to nurture thoughtful, responsible children by introducing quality, captivating books that will encourage imagination and creativity. 

Mice Are Nice
A charming blue mouse sends his true love (a cute pink mouse) 14 yummy sweets for Valentine's Day.

This story was inspired by the classic "12 Days of Christmas" and can set to music for added enjoyment.

The gifts include cotton candy, lollipops, cakes, gummi drops and much more. Each day the pink mouse receives more sweets from her sweetheart.

The last page of the book features the two mice surrounded by all the gifts that were given in the past 14 days. 

My Thoughts
This book is an excellent book to share with children. I think I would read the story aloud and then invite the children to sing it with me. The full-page color illustrations are perfect for sharing with individuals or a group of children.

The themes of love, generosity and friendship are evident in this story. This is a wonderful book for children of all ages.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

This book is available as a FREE Kindle book at Amazon.Com TODAY! These promotions don't last very long so grab your copy NOW.

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Kindle Books For Kids: My Dog's Got Fleas by Julia Dweck

My Dog's Got Fleas

Author: Julia Dweck
Illustrator: Mark Aardvart

Publisher: KiteReaders

Date: January 11, 2013


About the Author
Julia Dweck writes children's stories for digital and traditional publication. Her stories span the spectrum of humor, fantasy, and edutainment in rhyme and in prose. Julia's background in elementary education affords her the opportunity to be in touch with what children want to read about and what makes them giggle.

Fleas With ATTITUDE!
Have you ever had a problem with fleas?

If you have a pet, your answer is probably "YES!"

A young boy takes his dog to a veterinarian and is told that his dog is covered with RARE fleas.

These are no ordinary fleas. Each of the fleas have a unique personality and occupation.

There is ArtFlea. He is an artist who likes to draw and doodle atop a purebred poodle.

There is GleeFlea. She sings inside the shower and tub and is the director of the flea glee club.

There is a super hero flea named WonderFlea. He is stronger than 1,000 fleas and wears a long red cape. 

Some fleas are not very nice. There is BreadFlea. He is a nasty flea who is always plotting evil schemes.

The vet comes up with a plan to rid the dog of these rare fleas.
Where did they all go? 
Where are they living now?
You will get a good giggle when you discover who is itching at the end of the story!

My Thoughts
I have several pet dogs so I can definitely relate to the problem in this story. Children know that fleas are pesky parasites that need to be avoided at all costs.

The fleas in this rhyming story are very different. Each flea has a talent and plays a role in the flea community. Children will relate to the different kinds of fleas and will recognize the good and bad behaviors that exist in any social  setting.

I really like the way the story ends in a humorous manner. The fleas are not killed with harsh chemicals, they just find a new, unexpected home. 

The color illustrations are awesome and add a great deal of value to the story. Mr. Aardvart took a somewhat difficult subject (fleas?) and created original and unique animated illustrations that will delight readers of all ages. The formatting is very professional with full-screen color illustrations and four lines of text on each page.

This book will appeal to children on many different levels. A dog and a group of charming fleas. What more could you ask for?
Highly recommended for children and the entire family.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI - I received a complimentary digital copy of this ebook to read and review from the author.

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Kindle Books For Kids: Eville, USA by Julia Dweck

Eville, USA (KiteReaders Monster Series)

Author: Julia Dweck
Illustrator: Fian Arroyo

Publisher: KiteReaders

Date: September 30, 2012


About The Author

Julia Dweck writes children's stories for digital and traditional publication. Her stories span the spectrum of humor, fantasy, and edutainment in rhyme and in prose. Julia's background in elementary education affords her the opportunity to be in touch with what children want to read about and what makes them giggle.

Monsters On Vacation 

Question: Where do monsters and zombies go to play?

Answer: EVILLE, USA!
 

Monsters and zombies need a vacation just like the rest of us.

"Evil-doers cross the nation
take a sinister vacation,
away from plotting, planning, lurking,
These villains need a break from working".

The monsters have all kinds of fun in Eville, USA. They relax by a swimming pool with a refreshing beverage, they attend a monster's convention and they compete in athletic contests. 
 
This rhyming story with colorful full-screen illustrations will have children laughing out loud and begging for more. 

My Thoughts 
I worked as an elementary school librarian for 30 years and read many, many, many monster picture books. This ebook is right up there with the best of them! 

Ms. Dweck writes original, entertaining and humorous text that will delight young readers. The monsters in this story have unique personalities that children will find playful and even lovable. These are NOT frightening monsters. 

Mr. Arroyo has done an outstanding job with the illustrations. Children will be captivated with the details in these monster drawings. I spent an extra 20 minutes looking at these pictures after I read the book.

I read this book on my Kindle Fire HD. The formatting is superb and a perfect fit for the Kindle. There are four lines of rhyming text with each full-screen color illustration. The text is bright and an appropriate size for easy reading.

Kudos to Julia Dweck! She is one of the bright shining stars in the digital publishing revolution. She is taking children's book publishing to the next level and I applaud her.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out of 5

This book is available as a FREE Kindle book at Amazon.Com TODAY! These promotions don't last very long so grab your copy NOW.

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Kindle Books For Kids: Donuts by Julia Dweck

Donuts

Author: Julia Dweck
Illustrator: Adam Duff

Publisher: KiteReaders

Date: September 20, 2012


About The Author
Julia Dweck writes children's stories for digital and traditional publication. Her stories span the spectrum of humor, fantasy, and edutainment in rhyme and in prose. Julia's background in elementary education affords her the opportunity to be in touch with what children want to read about and what makes them giggle.

I have reviewed the following books by Ms. Dweck on this blog;
Cat or Dog for President
Hugo's Cat Circus

Donuts don't grow on trees...or do they?
Merl the Squirrel was alone because all the trees had been cut down and his friends were gone. Merl was searching for something to eat when he found a tiny acorn on the ground.

Merl closed his eyes, held the acorn tight and wished for a tree. Suddenly, a tree sprouted out of the ground. It had long branches but held no nuts for Merl to eat.

Merl guarded the tree from danger, watered it and polished it's leaves each day. One day when he was searching a near-by park for nuts, he met a man sitting on a bench. The man gave Merl a donut and he hurried back to his tree with the treasure.

As Merl ate the donut, an amazing thing happened. Donuts sprouted from the tree branches. The tree was covered with donuts!

Merl learned that living in a donut tree was not always easy, but true happiness came from the love and friendship of his tree.

My Thoughts
Children will love the idea of donuts growing on a tree. They will also realize that it is possible to have too much of a good thing.

Merl loved the tree just for being a tree...that is what friendship is about. Friends are there for each other in good times and bad. This story could also be used to discuss ecology and how Merl had to wish for a tree because all the trees had been cut down.

The color illustrations are absolutely beautiful. I read this book in the landscape orientation on a Kindle Fire HD. Each page had four lines of rhyming text over a full-screen illustration. 

This book will make a wonderful read-aloud for young children. Older children will enjoy this selection for independent reading.  I can't think of a better bedtime treat than a glass of milk, a donut and this book. Recommended for all ages!

My Rating: 5 Stars out of 5

This ebook is available as a FREE digital download on Amazon TODAY! These promotions do not last long so check the price before ordering.

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Kindle Books for Kids: Shoes...Are You My Mate?

Shoes...Are You My Mate?

Authors: Camille Brown and Jennifer Moran
Illustrator: Nurbanu Asena

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Date: December 22, 2012



The Right Mate
Most people need a PAIR of shoes...one for the left foot and one for the right foot.

What if your shoes did not like each other? What if they were always bickering and fighting with each other?

This is the story of two soccer shoes that do not get along. Lefty is a very daring player on the soccer field and he loves to win. Dex is a team player and likes to see tie games because no one loses. They are complete opposites.

One night, Lefty decides to run away to look for a new mate. He meets many different shoes but none of them want to be his mate because they are not soccer shoes. They have no interest in soccer or playing games.

Lefty hears about a shoe down at the practice field who might be looking for a new mate.  Viper is a green snaky-looking shoe who believes winning is the ONLY thing and he will do ANYTHING to win.

Lefty finds himself in a very dangerous situation and is very surprised to see his old mate Dex coming to his rescue!

My Thoughts
This is a very entertaining story that will teach children lessons about friendship, sportsmanship and loyalty.

The dynamic color illustrations are perfect for this story and add real value to the text. Children will love the expressions on the faces of the characters in this story.

There is just enough adventure and suspense in this book to keep children's attention to the very end. Highly recommended as a read-aloud or for silent reading. An excellent selection for children of all ages!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review from the authors.

Special Note From The Authors ~ We've scheduled a free promotion on Kindle Jan 19-21, 2013.

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Kindle Books For Kids: Cat or Dog for President by Julia Dweck

Cat or Dog for President

Author: Julia Dweck
Illustrator: Bill Bruning

Publisher: Kite Press

Date: October 29, 2012

 

Dog or Cat?

A father tells his child that two men will run for president. A race? The child says his cat and dog are pretty fast.

 

This story features a dog and a cat running for president. The two pets are very different but they both seek to win the same prize. They hit the campaign trail and try to convince the voters that they are the best candidate for the job. However, they realize that they should be working as partners instead of against each other.

 

My Thoughts

Children love to learn about politics during an election year. Many schools have school-wide elections with authentic-looking ballots so children can learn about our government and how our leaders are chosen.

 

This story features a dog and a cat running for president. Many children will have a preference for a cat or dog based on their experiences with family pets. Dogs and cats are different but they are both great pets.

 

This rhyming story is a great way to teach children about politics and have some fun with the comparisons. How are dogs and cats similar? How are dogs and cats different? How are Democrats and Republicans similar? How are they different?

 

I read this book on my Kindle Fire HD and loved the color illustrations. I used the landscape orientation and the illustrations filled the entire screen. There are two lines of rhyming text on each page and you can enlarge the type by tapping on the screen.

 

This story offers an opportunity to have some fun with the presidential election. Will kids be able to choose? Dog or cat?

Wait! Maybe they won't have to choose after all.

 

Highly recommended for kids of all ages.

 

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

 

FYI ~ The author sent me a complimentary free copy of this book to read and review.

 

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Kindle Books For Kids: Human Day by A.J. Cosmo

Human Day

Author: A.J. Cosmo

Publisher: Thought Bubble Publishing

Date: October 19, 2012

11 Pages


About The Author
A.J. Cosmo taught second grade special needs children. Now he spends his days helping people find their way in the world. He loves to write and entertain.

The Day After Halloween
One day a year, the day after Halloween, monsters dress up as human beings and pretend to be people for a day. They put on smiling human masks and go about doing things like shopping, going to school and driving a car.

This book is illustrated with colorful illustrations that are delightful and hilarious.

My Thoughts
Halloween is a day for children to dress up like monsters. The day AFTER Halloween is a day for monsters to dress up like humans. Great fun!

This story is sure to stimulate the imaginations of young children as they think about all the things that the monsters might do on "Human Day".  I read this story on my Kindle Fire and loved the color illustrations that seem to bring the monsters to life. This story is a good fit for the Kindle (landscape orientation works best). Each screen view has a color illustration and one or two lines of text.

At the end of the story, the monsters are sad to see the day come to an end because they have had so much fun. They mark the date "November 1" on next year's calendar.

Children tend to feel a little sad when Halloween is over and they have to put their costumes away for another year. This story is a wonderful day-after-Halloween book that is sure to put a smile on young reader's faces.

This story is very short but it is sure to be a hit with the kids. The illustrations are really remarkable ~ Children will be able to re-tell the story over and over again just by looking at the pictures.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

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Kindle Books For Kids: The Hungry Dump's Revenge

The Hungry Dump's Revenge ("The New Roald Dahl" Children's rhyming stories and poetry for ages 7 to 107!)

Author: Jason Hall

Publisher: Jason Hall

Date: July 20, 2011

Length: 15 Pages

 

 

About The Author

Jason Hall is an established writer and illustrator of children's rhyming stories and poetry. It first started with a poem for his daughter called "The Magic Watering Can".
He has performed many readings and poetry workshops in schools and libraries across London and Surrey. His rhyming stories are descriptive, imaginative, thrilling and funny - having audiences captivated from start to finish.

The School Built On A Trash Dump
Mr. Chisel, a dishonest builder, puts a new school right on top of an old trash dump. He has ignored all the rules just to save a few bucks.

The Head of the school tries to call Mr. Chisel when mold covers the entire building. Unfortunately, Mr. Chisel is always busy and does not plan to make things right at the school.

The old trash dump is angry because the people of the town never reused and were never thrifty. The dump decides that it wants to get revenge by eating a huge human snack. The dump wants boys, girls, teachers and even the Head of the school.

I won't spoil the ending, but I don't think Mr. Chisel will be building any other schools for a very long time.

My Thoughts
I love the recycling theme in this rhyming story. The story makes it clear that waste is everyone's problem and we should all reduce, recycle and reuse.
This book includes seven pictures that do a good job illustrating the story. The formatting could use some work but the print is clear enough to easily read.

"The Hungry Dump's Revenge" was written by an English author so there are a few words that might be unclear to American readers. This could be a good learning experience to compare the words used in England with words and expressions used in the United States.

Parents and children will enjoy the review questions and activities at the end of the story. This is a good way to teach a valuable science lesson while having fun and some good laughs. I recommend this ebook for children ages 7 and up.

My Rating: 4 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ Today this ebook is offered as a FREE download on Amazon. If you want this book, please grab it NOW because these promotions only last a few days.

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