Monsters, Goblins, Trolls, Zombies and More Scary Stuff - Kindle Book for Kids

Title: Don't Ever Look Behind Door 32

Author: B.C.R. Regan

Illustrator: Lenny Wen

Publisher: Teleblade Press

Publication Date: March 14, 2018

About the Author

BCR Fegan is a multi-award-winning author who has written a number of fairy tales and fantasies for children and young adults.

Monsters, Goblins, Trolls, Zombies and More Scary Stuff

This story begins with a picture of two wide-eyed children standing in front of a huge magical castle. Welcome to the Hotel of Hoo. Mr. Nicholas Noo escorts the children to their room number 1. 

Mr. Noo encourages the children to explore the hotel. However, the children are warned to never look behind door 32. The curious children explore rooms number 2 - 31. They discover a wide array of colorful creatures, monsters and treasures.

Will the children look behind the forbidden door 32? What will they find there?

My Thoughts

What happens when you tell a child NOT to look at something?

The banned subject is much more appealing to a curious child. 

The children in this story are fearless explorers. They discover an entire world of delightful and frightful characters behind the doors of the Hotel of Hoo. Some of the discoveries are fun but some have them running for safety. There is a surprise behind each door!

This is a counting book in two different ways. The rooms are numbered from one to 32. When you go inside the room, you find a matching number of items to count. For example, when you open door number five, you find five dancing zombies. When you open door number 30, you find two old trolls who have a total of 30 spines protruding from their bodies.

I read a digital copy of this book on a 7" Kindle screen. The formatting is excellent. The details of the illustrations are captured in the digital edition and the rhyming text is an appropriate size for easy reading.

This book is designed to entertain and educate children. I am very impressed with the quality and presentation of this book. Children will read it over and over again...discovering new details in each reading.

Oh, what or who is behind door 32? Children will discover the answer to this question when they read the book.

MY RATING: 5 Stars Out of 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from Teleblade Press in exchange for a fair review.

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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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Book Review: The Day I Met Dr. Seuss by Anne Emerick

The Day I Met Dr. Seuss

Author: Anne Emerick

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

Date: September 8, 2012

Print Length: 22 Pages



About The Author
Anne Emerick is a self-published author of 10 books for the Kindle e-reader. She writes a blog that helps other authors with self-publishing and marketing issues.

A Dream to Meet Dr. Seuss
This ebook began with an "Author's Note" that told about Ms. Emerick's admiration and strong desire to meet Dr. Seuss when she was a child. She actually wrote a letter to Dr. Seuss in 1989 and asked for an appointment and interview. She received a polite letter from a secretary saying that Dr. Seuss was not available for an interview.

This is a rhyming fiction story about a girl who met Dr. Seuss.  The girl in the story was named Annie G. Magee and she had her heart set on meeting Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss).

Annie traveled to California and did not give up until she met Dr. Seuss and asked him to reveal his secret for coming up with the ideas for his stories.

The author listed some interesting facts about Dr. Seuss at the end of the story.

My Thoughts
I am a HUGE Dr. Seuss fan and I loved reading his books to children when I worked as a school librarian. I could never go wrong with a Dr. Seuss book!

"The Day I Met Dr. Seuss" was a delightful story with rhyming words and a very believable plot. The girl in this story displayed persistence and perseverance in her quest to meet and interview her favorite author.

The Author's Notes at the beginning and end of the story were very interesting and showed that Ms. Emerick also displayed persistence and perseverance in her quest in getting this story published.

This would be an excellent story to share with children and encourage them to think about questions they would like to ask their favorite author.

I recommend this short story to readers of all ages. 

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI - I downloaded this ebook during a free promotion on Amazon.Com. Please check the current price before purchasing.

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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.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Children's Book Review: Ole! Cinco De Mayo! by Margaret McManis

 

 

Olé! Cinco de Mayo!

Author: Margaret McManis
Illustrator: David Harrington

Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company

Date: February 27, 2013











About The Author
Margaret McManis, a former children's librarian, serves as a guest lecturer at schools, museums, libraries, and bookstores. Ms. McMannis is a graduate of the Vermont MFA Writing for Children and Young Adults Program and a member of the Writers' League of Texas, Texas State Historical Association, and Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Cinco De Mayo Fun!
Pablo takes his pet calf, Rodeo, to school for the Cinco De Mayo celebration. Rodeo makes a mess of Pablo's classroom, the gym, the library and every other part of the school building that he visits.

The teachers and principal are very angry because Rodeo is ruining Cinco De Mayo for the entire school. When he makes a mess of the celebration stage, it is the last straw for the frustrated principal. Finally, the music teacher finds a way to calm Rodeo and the little calf leads the festive Cinco De Mayo parade down the school hall.

Readers are encouraged to sing the words of this story to the tune of "B-I-N-G-O".  Here is the first verse of the song;

Pablo has a little calf,
Rodeo is his name-o.
R-O-D-E-O
R-O-D-E-O
R-O-D-E-O
Rodeo is his name-o.

There is a Glossary of Spanish words used in the text at the end of the book. There is also an "Easy Flan Recipe" and a short explanation of the Mexican Army's 1862 victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867).

My Thoughts
When I worked as an elementary school librarian, I was always looking for books like this to share with students during story time. This book has a wide variety of learning opportunities for students. The story is entertaining and humorous. Children and adults can join together in singing the joyful song...some of my happiest memories are singing with the children in the library.

There are many Spanish words in this story that should be introduced and the meanings discussed. There is a recipe at the end of the book for a dessert that little Rodeo found very tasty when he visited the school cafeteria. Finally, the historical events that led to to a yearly Cinco De Mayo Celebration can be shared with the children.

The full-page color illustrations in this book are just delightful. My favorite picture is the angry "book boss" in the school LMC...she was not happy about Rodeo making a mess of the library.

I highly recommend this book for all elementary school students. Children in bi-lingual and ESL programs will fall in love with Rodeo. This book is perfect for read-aloud and sharing with large or small groups the year round.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ The author gave me a print copy of this book to read and review. This book will be dedicated to a library so children will have an opportunity to enjoy it as much as I did.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

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: 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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Kindle Books For Kids: C Is For China

C is for China
By Robyn Chance

Publisher: Rhemalda Publishing
(March 1, 2012)

About The Author
Robyn Chance lives in Olympia, Washington.  She is a teacher and an artist. Over the years she has developed a real passion for telling stories about the enchanting world in which we live. Her goal is to help children explore and become curious about the world around them.

Rhymes and Pictures
 "C Is For China" is a beautiful picture book that features some of China's history, mythology, language and character. The author wrote this book for her adopted daughter and for all children. She used rhyming text and beautiful watercolor paintings to illustrate the geography, history, people and culture of China.

This book consists of several lines of rhyming text and an illustration for each letter of the alphabet. Here is an example of the rhyming text;

G is for the Great Wall, which took years to create.
It was built for protection, and is anything but straight!
It careens through the mountains and dives through the valleys.
It was made from strong stone and it has many alleys.

The author encourages the young readers to look for Chinese characters that appear on each illustration. The Chinese character that appears on each page represents the main idea presented in that narrative.

My Thoughts
This ebook is a real visual feast. The watercolor illustrations are superb and the rhyming text is an excellent way to engage children in facts and fun.

I viewed this book on the small screen of a Kindle 3 with black-and-white illustrations. The illustrations were printed on the top 1/3 of the page and the text appeared under the  picture. The formatting was good and I could easily view the picture and text on each page. I also read the book on my Kindle for PC application on the big screen of my laptop computer. The large color illustrations were outstanding on the larger screen and I enjoyed seeing the details that were not visible in the smaller images on my Kindle.

It really is a small world and a book like this is a great way to make learning an enjoyable experience for kids. I loved this ebook and I think it is a valuable resource for children of all ages. Highly recommended.

My Rating:  5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I ordered this book when it was offered as a free download from Amazon.Com. Please check the price before ordering.

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Children's Book Review and Giveaway: Scribbleville

Scribbleville

Written and Illustrated by Peter Holwitz

Philomel Books, 2005

ISBN: 0-399-24303-8

 

About the Author

Peter Holwitz is a published author and an illustrator of children's books. Some of the published credits of Peter Holwitz include Scribbleville, Stick Kid, and The Big Blue Spot.

Everyone Is The Same In Scribbleville

Scribbleville is a pleasant little town where everyone and everything is scribbled. The people have scribbled houses, scribbled pets and they walk with wiggles. There is not a single straight line in Scribbleville.

One day, a stranger moves into town and Scribbleville is never the same. The newcomer is straight, not scribbled, and drives a big yellow truck that is as straight as a stick. The man builds a perfectly straight house with a white picket fence around the yard. The people in Scribbleville are shocked and upset.

Wherever he went, the people would stare.

"Look at his clothes." "Who cuts his hair?"

"He doesn't fit in. He looks all wrong.

Should someone tell him he doesn't belong?"

The Scribblers shun the newcomer with the straight house and the straight picket fence. Then a woman walks up to the straight man's fence and begins to talk to him. She has a big scribbled smile and a red scribbled dress. They soon become friends. The folks in Scribbleville are furious.

"I admit", she said, as her

scribbled head shook.

"on the outside he's odd, but

that's not where I look."

Children are often the first to accept changes. A youngster in school draws a picture that is part scribble and part straight. A teacher wears a straight tie around his scribbled neck. Soon the kids begin to wear straight lines too.

It's tough to say - to pick one day.

Things never change overnight.

But before too long, what once felt wrong,

Started to feel a bit right.

The stranger isn't strange anymore. He marries the woman in the red scribbled dress. They have two kids...one is scribbled and one is not. Now, Scribbleville is a town where everyone fits in.

My Thoughts

I really like this book. It deals with prejudice, racism, change, acceptance, tolerance and friendship. These are all social issues that children must deal with on a daily basis. This book is written in rhyme and reminds me of the way Dr. Seuss would deal with social issues in a light-hearted manner.

The scribbled illustrations are excellent and children should be encouraged to create their own scribbled drawings. These illustrations really make this book unique and wonderful.

Scribbleville is about accepting other people who are different than the majority. They might be a different race, have a disability or speak with a foreign accent. The world would be a better place if every town would follow the example of Scribbleville. I highly recommend this book for children of all ages.

Book Giveaway

Would you like to have your very own copy of Scribbleville? I found this book at a Friends of the Library sale and would like to pass along my good fortune to one of my blog readers. This is a former library book. The front blank page has been removed and the word "DISCARD" is stamped on the title page and inside the back cover. The name of the library has been marked out.

This book is out-of-print and somewhat difficult to find at a reasonable price.

You must do the following TWO things to enter this contest;

(1.) Leave a COMMENT in the Comments Section of this blog post and include your email address so that I will have a way to contact the winner.

(2.) FOLLOW this blog with Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs.

(3.) Each entrant must be at least 18 years old...Only ONE entry per person.

(4.) This contest is worldwide. I will ship the book via USPS Priority mail at my expense.

I will randomly draw a winner from all the blog comments at noon (Central Time) on Tuesday, May 15. I will email the winner and that person will have 48 hours to respond by sending me their shipping address. If I don't get a reply from the winner, I will choose another name on Friday, May 18. I will announce the winner of the contest on this blog the following week.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.