Monster Doodles For Kids

I have written many posts about C's love of drawing.  Lately, R has been drawing quite a bit too.  They spend a lot of their spare time drawing at the kitchen table.  They both enjoy doodle books that encourage them to complete pictures according to directions, so they were thrilled to review Monster Doodles For Kids by Chris Sabatino.

I love the size of this book because it is big enough to draw in, but small enough to carry in a purse or backpack.  C and R love the pages.  Some of the fun drawing directions are:  "Create a candy bar only a dinosaur would like,"  "What do ogres have for breakfast?," "Design the scariest Halloween costume ever," and "Draw the guts of this mechanical monster".  This book offers over two hundred pages of creative drawing prompts that will be great fun for monster lovers.

This book is recommended for ages eight and up.  C is seven and R is five and a half (that half is important to her!), and they both enjoy the book.  C (the biggest monster lover in the house) is definitely hooked on this book, and has already completed about half of the pages.  Even T (the fourteen year old in the house) has been spotted thumbing through the book and expressing interest in drawing his own monster details.

Chris Sabatino, the author/artist, was kind enough to send us two books (one for C and one for R) in exchange for an honest review.  I have to say that my children are having a lot of fun with it and they both recommend the book.  They also agree that this book is fun any time of year, not just for Halloween!!

Click here to purchase Monster Doodles For Kids by Chris Sabatino!  Click here to visit Chris Sabatino's blog where you can learn more about him, his art, and his books!

The Vole Brothers and an Onomatopoeia Lesson

We recently read The Vole Brothers by Roslyn Schwartz and it is a definite winner with C and R.  If you have read Chirp Magazine, then you are already familiar with the brothers, but this is their first full-length picture book.  C and R laughed through the whole book; they love mischievous characters like these brothers!  The book features two silly rodents searching for food, but every time they think they have found the perfect meal, something goes wrong.  Even I chuckled a few times.

In addition to the humor, the book is full of onomatopoeia - I love onomatopoeia, and think this is a great book for teaching that language lesson.  After we read through the book once, I explained onomatopoeia to C and R, and gave them a few examples.  Then we reread the book and found all of the onomatopoeic words.

Since then, C and R have been yelling out examples whenever they think of them!

This book is from the creators of The Mole Sisters; I think I have to add The Mole Sisters to my list of books to read!

Our copy of The Vole Brothers was provided free of charge by Owl Kids Books in exchange for an honest review.  The free book did not influence my opinion!

Two Good Books

C is really enjoying Smart-Opedia Junior right now.  This is a book for young readers ages 5-8, and it is full of information about things kids find interesting.  From the human skeleton to the Amazon rainforest to a day at the fire station to dinosaurs and royal life, this book has it all.  There is just enough information for young readers to enjoy the book on their own, and I think the table of contents and the index are both great for children just learning how to use these tools.  

C also loves My Beastly Book of Silly Things illustrated by Vincent Boudgourd.  While C loves to draw his own creations, he also loves books like this one that provide a starting point for creativity.  He has a few drawing books along this idea, but this one is full of silly humor that he just loves.  For example, there is a page that instructs the artist to color the dentist's teeth black, a page that instructs the child to trace his foot and then cover the traced foot with warts, and a page with a cup that instructs you to draw something gross in the drink.  C thinks the instructions are pretty funny!  I do have to warn that there is some potty humor in the book, but from what I have seen so far, most of the directions are silly enough to entertain kids without going over the top with the grossness factor.  One more WONDERFUL thing about this book (and other books like this) is that it encourages reading without the child realizing he or she is reading.  You have to read the instructions on each page to figure out what to do, and some of the words are challenging.  C must have read twenty-five pages without the reading aspect being presented as something he "has to do".  C and R sat together and worked on drawings in this book for over an hour today!  So, don't think this is just a book for boys - R thinks it is hysterical too!

Both books were provided free of charge from Owl Kids Books in exchange for my honest review.  The free books did not influence my opinion.  C certainly doesn't care if the books are free, and he thoroughly enjoys both books!  R hasn't had a chance to look at the first book yet, but she is really enjoying drawing in the second book with C!

How to Raise a Dinosaur

How to Raise a Dinosaur by Natasha Wing is a fun, lift-the-flap book filled with information about how to care for a pet.  The pet referred to in the book is a dinosaur, but all of the responsibilities can be applied to other pets.  C and R both thought it was funny that they already know how to care for a dinosaur because we have a dog that needs to be walked, fed, and trained. 

The flaps in this book are very unique and clever, and both of my children love the fact that some of the pages have big dinosaur bites taken out of them.  Pablo Bernasconi won us over with his bright and funny illustrations.  This is one of those books that draws you in with a funny cover, great illustrations, and cool flaps and then holds you with fun text.  

All three of us have enjoyed reading this book over and over since we received our copy last week.  We always laugh at the last page, but you will have to get your own copy to find out why - I would hate to spoil the ending. 

When I asked Natasha Wing about the book, she said, "Dinosaurs always scared me because they were so BIG! I'm a bit nervous around any animal bigger than me that's why I stick with dogs, cats and bunnies, No horses, thank you! So this was a fun way for me to imagine if I could tame a dinosaur, but as you can see, dinosaurs don't tame easily!"


We are fans of Natasha Wing's work.  She is the author of The Night Before series of books.  I have written several posts about The Night Before St. Patrick's Day and this year both, The Night Before First Grade and The Night Before the Tooth Fairy were perfect for C. 

To learn more about Natasha Wing, visit her website at www.natashawing.com and check out her blog at www.natashawing.blogspot.com.  If you like her books as much as we do, become a fan of Natasha Wing books on Facebook.

A free copy of How to Raise a Dinosaur was provided in exchange for this review.  Free products never influence my reviews; the opinions are truly my own and those of my children. 

The Silent Governess

The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen gives the reader a glimpse into the life of a nineteenth century governess in an English manor house.  It is a book about a woman named Olivia Keene who is fleeing her own secret when she overhears the secret of another and finds herself in trouble.  She is forced to accept a post at Brightwell Court where Lord Bradley (the man with the secret) is able to watch over her and ensure that she does not tell his secret.  Lord Bradley struggles to ignore his growing attraction to Miss Keene and she tries to remember her role in the house.

Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and I was happy to read and review this book.  I truly enjoyed every sentence.  I stayed awake much too late many nights because I could not put this book down!  From the very beginning, I wanted Olivia to find happiness.  I felt her pain, her fear, and her affection throughout the book.

This book is very well written and I urge you to read it!  If you like historical/regency fiction, you will enjoy The Silent Governess!

*I was provided a free copy of The Silent Governess by Bethany House Publishing in exchange for this review.  My opinion, however, is completely honest and is an accurate representation of my true feelings!

Hurry Up and Slow Down

Hurry Up and Slow Down by Layn Marlow is a spin-off of "The Tortoise and the Hare".  The story follows the two characters over the course of a day.  Hare is always in a hurry, and Tortoise prefers to take his time.  At the end of the day, however, Tortoise is anxious to drink his chamomile tea and tries to rush through the bedtime story that Hare asked him to read.  When Hare says, "Hurry up and slow down," Tortoise looks longingly at his tea, but realizes what is most important and decides to read the entire book again.

I love this book.  C and R love it too.  The characters are cute, the illustrations are pretty, the text is perfect in length for preschool to young elementary aged children, and the message is one we all need to remember!  This is one of those books that just warms your heart when you read it.  We will definitely be borrowing this book from the library on a regular basis!

A Guest Post by T - The Secret of the Sacred Scarab

A few months ago, I was offered a free copy of The Secret of the Sacred Scarab by Fiona Ingram. In exchange, I agreed to post a review of the book on my blog. Below you will read a completely honest review by my twelve year old son, T. He really enjoyed reading this book and was happy to write a review. I have not read the book myself, but T has convinced me that I should read it soon. If you are interested in learning more about the book, check out the website www.secretofthesacredscarab.com.

So, here is T with his review of The Secret of the Sacred Scarab:


The Secret of the Sacred Scarab is about two boys, Justin and Adam, who are very excited to finally go on a trip to Egypt with their aunt and grandmother. When they get there, they run into a peddler who begs and asks if they are English. They finally tell him, and the peddler drops three scarabs in Adam's hand as he runs away. He also sneaks something into Adam's pocket without Adam's knowledge. What they don't know is that this secret will only lead to more trouble as the story develops.

My favorite part of the book is when Adam and Justin, along with some people they become friends with on the adventure, are led by the villain of the story to the Scarab King's tomb. The book has many exciting and surprising twists.

I think most people would like this book, and I recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting, action packed story that will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. Even if you are not a person who likes books, this is a great book that will inspire a love of books!