Tiger Tales Fall 2012 - Part 2

Yesterday I told you about some of the titles that we received in the Tiger Tales Books Fall 2012 release box. I promised that today I would tell you about our top three favorites and mentioned that I had copies to give away!

Everything I said was true. ;) These three titles were our top three favorites from the fall line up and I have a copy of each one to give away to one of you! So, which titles were our favorite?

Counting Birds by Jing Jing Tsong is - hands down! - Bookworm3's favorite. This is a counting book which is quite catchy in that it tells a little story of the birds on the singing tree in a sing-song fashion.

One bird singing in the singing tree. Tweet, come sing with me!
Two birds singing in the singing tree. Tweet! Tweet!
Three birds singing in the singing tree. Tweet! Tweet! Tikka-ka-ka!

And so on and so forth with new birds making distinctly different noises to accompany each numbered page spread. In the end, there is one cat napping in the napping tree which is a bit of a surprise. Bookworm3, at age 18 months, absolutely loves this book. There are not many which she will sit and ask for multiple re-reads of, but this is one of them. Her brothers weary of it.

The Really, Really, Really Big Dinosaur is quite popular with my boys (ages 3 and 6) because it is about dinosaurs and one of the dinos is a "bad guy." They don't quite get the fact that this is a story about bullies. There is a really big dinosaur who wants to steal the little dinosaur's candy. The little one insists that this must not be done and mentions that he has a really, really big dinosaur friend who will protect him. The really big and greedy "bad guy" dinosaur ends up learning that he's not the biggest, baddest guy in the bunch. Honestly, I feel sorta "meh" about the storyline but at the same time, I do not object to it. The boys like it a whole heaping lot and we're ok with it so it made it to our top favorites list.

I mentioned yesterday that David Conway had a new book out and this is it! The Great Fairy Tale Disaster is like The Great Nursery Rhyme Disaster in that it has a disgruntled fairy tale character being displeased with its own story. In the case of this new title, the big, bad wolf is tired of being so big and bad and tries to find another fairy tale to join in on. In the end, he too is contented enough with hopping down the chimney one more time. Or two.

This one is very cute and since I tend to like fairy tales more than I like reading nursery rhymes, this is one that I am content reading over again. As this title is liked by all - it is our top favorite book from the latest releases from Tiger Tales.

The happy news, of course, is that Tiger Tales has offered to give away one copy of each of these three titles to one of you! Would you care to win? Simply leave a comment below - including a valid e-mail address! - saying so. This contest is open to U.S. Residents only and will be open through Thursday, November 15th.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER, as selected by Random.org IS #6- BLUEROSE. Congrats!

Thank you, Tiger Tales Books, for sending copies of the above title my way in exchange for my family's honest opinions of them. Thank you also for providing additional copies of the above three titles for one of my readers!

Tiger Tales Fall 2012 - Part I

Tomorrow I'll share our top three FAVORITE releases from Tiger Tales' fall line up and that post will include a giveaway.

Despite the fact that the following titles were not listed as our top favorites (we had to be a bit choosy for the purposes of the giveaway!) we still liked all of the titles well enough to blog about them. We liked them well enough that they have been scattered to the furthest corners of the house for reading and I had to go about collecting them in order to write up these posts!

I love Tiger Tales books - as the regulars around here now. They release new stacks of books in the Spring and Fall and we are always excited when the Tiger Tales book box lands on our porch. This time we ooh-ed and aww-ed over the entire stack! What was inside the box this go 'round?

It's Holiday Time! was the title I was most eager to see as it is written by Elizabeth Bennett, who was my former contact at Tiger Tales and went on to create her own children's book! I knew she was releasing a book and I was even more delighted when I discovered it has sparkles all over it! (Yes, my girly side takes over right quick when I see sparkles on a book!) The snowflakes, the gifts, the stars in the night sky all sparkle as a list of things that we all love best about the holidays are listed. Everything from loved ones dear to scarfs over noses are listed as being welcomed signs of this season. Very, very cute.

The Fox in the Dark is an older title of Tiger Tales but which was just released in paperback. Both of my boys enjoyed this title by Alison Green. In this story rabbit is running home scared, being chased by a fox in the dark. He makes it safely in but various other animals keeping knocking on his door, seeking shelter from the fox. He lets them all and they hunker down for the night when the fox appears at the door, also seeking shelter. But from what? And what happens? Ah, you have to read it to find out.

I Want a Pet! by Cathy Morrison probably has the weakest storyline in the bunch, truth to be told. However, my youngest still enjoyed this one as the boy goes to the zoo and ends up coming home with a pet pooch. Since doggies are very much our favorite animal at the present, it was a hit! The text is minimal, with only a sentence or two per page spread. It's an easy read for young children and is filled with pictures of smiling animals which is sometimes all that is required of a book. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have mentioned this book in my review, except that my youngest dog lover really did like it. (Me? Not so very much.)

With All My Heart is a lovely concept. Brian Rock tells us the story of two little bear cubs who are both vying for their mother's attention. They want to know which one of them she might love best. The main message of the book is that she loves them both equally and with all her heart. I particularly liked this one, as an adoptive mother, because the different skills and traits of both bears were mentioned and valued. However in the end, although they were decidedly different with their own personalities, they were both loved. Great message!

Lastly, for purposes of this post, there is The Great Nursery Rhyme Disaster which was also released in paperback this fall. This story, by David Conway, involves the nursery rhymes you know and love. Little Miss Muffet is a little bored with her own nursery rhyme and decides to check out life in another rhyme. She soon discovers that home - with her little spider - is the best place for her to be! This is a very cute and imaginative tale and has been a requested re-read since it's arrival. The only reason it was not selected as our top favorite is because of the new title by Conway which I will tell you about tomorrow.

So stay tuned!

Thank you, Tiger Tales, for sending copies of all of the above titles in exchange for our honest opinions which we have faithfully given.

Sylvan Dell Fall 2010 Titles

Sylvan Dell Publishing just released their new Fall 2010 titles and I was excited to see them! I love Sylvan Dell (having mentioned them a time or two) but I was most excited to see the newest title by Janet Halfmann. You might recall that she wrote Little Blank Ant on Park Street (click on the title to read my review) which we have read just a time or two this summer. She also wrote Little Skink's Tail which is another of our favorites. I was feeling pretty confident that we'd like this new title and I was right!

In this new story, we meet Sophia, a little girl who is being read a bedtime story by her mother. This story results in her having a dream about all of the animals losing their fur and feathers. Sophia worries for the animals and they take turns coming to her to be redressed in their original outer coverings.

Cute story which points out the uniqueness of the animals in their various skin coverings. As per usual with Sylvan Dell titles, in the back of the book there is additional information about the animals. In this case, the book details a bit more what the differences are between mammals, adult insects, reptiles, birds, fish, snails and amphibians.

A Day on the Mountain is written by Kevin Kurtz who also wrote A Day in the Salt Marsh. If you liked Salt Marsh, the chances of you enjoying A Day on the Mountain is likely a sure bet.

In this new title we take a trip up the mountain, learning about the various animals that live at various levels above the sea. We meet black bears, garter snakes, the yellow-bellied marmot, mountain goats and more! Illustrated by Erin E. Hunter, this book is simply beautiful and, well, it really makes you want to go on a hike up a mountain! The back of the book includes an animal matching game which, of course, provides more information about each creature.

These books certainly testify to the quality of books that Sylvan Dell publishes to open up the world of animals to children. I'm going to keep harping on them, but if you haven't yet checked out their website, you really must! There are plenty of activities available for download and use by parents and teachers on their website. They are a cracker jack publishing company and I hope you'll check them out.

Some additional fall titles you might be interested in include:




To learn more about these and other of their titles, visit Sylvan Dell Publishing.

Penguin Books Anniversary Bash (with a gift for you!)

Any prolific reader would recognize the Penguin book logo when they saw it. It's everywhere - and well it should be. Penguin Books is turning 75 years old! They've been around long enough for anyone to take good notice of them!

Now, honestly, could you spout off a list of Penguin paperback titles if asked? Here are some titles we can thank them for:

At Home in Mitford, by Jan Karon

The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards (which I still have on my TBR list!)

Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson

...and tons more.

Here are some children's book authors you might recognize in their lineup:

The Mitten, by Jan Brett

Animals, Animals, by Eric Carle

Penguin created a 75th Anniversary website if you'd like to learn more about them. One cool feature is the Penguin Timeline. It starts in 1935 when founder Allen Lane published the first Penguin title in England, which sparked a "paperback revolution."

Best yet, they are hosting a huge giveaway and offering bloggers some of their favorite titles. I was asked if I would like to select a title for myself and one of my readers. I picked The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde because I had been wanting to read it! So, I'm being sent a copy and one of you will also be sent one!

I have not yet read this book but was intrigued by the premise. Here is the description from Penguin's website:

In Jasper Fforde's Great Britain, circa 1985, time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously. England is a virtual police state where an aunt can get lost (literally) in a Wordsworth poem and forging Byronic verse is a punishable offense. All this is business as usual for Thursday Next, renowned Special Operative in literary detection. But when someone begins kidnapping characters from works of literature and plucks Jane Eyre from the pages of Brontë's novel, Thursday is faced with the challenge of her career. Fforde's ingenious fantasy—enhanced by a Web site that re-creates the world of the novel—unites intrigue with English literature in a delightfully witty mix.

I have high hopes!

Would you like to win a copy to read alongside me? To win, simply leave a comment below. This contest is open to U.S. Residents only and will be open through Thursday, August 5th. I will announce the winner on Friday, August 6th. This contest is open to U.S. Residents only.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

What I'm most afraid of is that I will absolutely love this book series and then will have to track every title down. Oh the horrors of it all, right?

Here's a HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Penguin Books and thanks for the gift of the book to myself and one of my readers!

Loving God With All Your Mind DVD ( & other various books giveaway)

I've highlighted Harvest House Publishers as being one of my favorite Christian book publishers. One of the reasons why I sat up and took notice of them in the first place was because they published the Elizabeth George books (i.e., A Woman After God's Own Heart®). I DEVOURED Elizabeth George books when I was in my late teens/ early twenties. I've always hoped to be able to hear her speak in public sometime, but unfortunately that just hasn't worked out. So you can imagine my GREAT delight when I saw that Harvest House was putting out the Loving God with All Your Mind DVD containing six sessions with Mrs. George. (Happy Dance!!) Harvest House graciously sent me both the DVD series and the accompanying Interactive Workbook - both of which were just released.

I had read the book of the same title years ago and loved it. Last year I was culling my bookshelves a bit and, knowing that Lauren and Melissa (my pals from 5 Minutes for Books) were also big E. George fans, I sent them some of my titles. I'm not sure who got Loving God with All Your Mind but whichever of you that it was - now there's a DVD series to go along with it!

I think Elizabeth George is meant to be shared with other women. She just has a way of addressing and connecting with women and I really enjoy discussing her books with friends. (We used her books in my "Young Ladies Bible Study" when I was growing up - hence my fond memories and desire to share the lessons that George's book teach.) So, this new Loving God with All Your Mind DVD arrived and I asked Harvest House for permission to delay a review of it until such time as I had the opportunity to go through it with a dear friend who is coming to spend part of our summer with us. They kindly granted permission for a delay and so I'll not be reviewing the DVD series today. I'll be reviewing it at the end of July. (You'll just have to stay tuned!) I'm excited to be sharing this DVD with two friends and then we can give you our various perspectives on it.

IN THE MEANTIME....Harvest House offered a giveaway of one Loving God with All Your Mind DVD and the Loving God with All Your Mind Interactive Workbook to one of you!

But. That's not all! They also offered a copy of the following two books to go along with this amazing gift!




1. A Woman's Walk in Grace: God's Pathway to Spiritual Growth - I received a copy of this book as well but haven't had a chance to read it yet. (Review forthcoming around these parts when I complete it.) The main idea behind the book is to encourage women to grow spiritually. 2 Peter 3:18 is quoted which says, "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." I've never read anything by Catherine Martin before. Perhaps one of you can share something about her? I'm looking forward to hearing what she has to say in this book.

2. What God Really Thinks About Women: Finding Your Significance Through the Women Jesus Encountered - I also received a copy of this book and DID read it. I've read and reviewed some of Sharon Jaynes other books over at 5 Minutes for Books before. My favorite of hers (which also happened to be the most convicting, personally) is The Power of a Woman's Words. (You can click on the title to read my review, if you'd like to learn more about that one!) I had seen What God Really Thinks About Women at the Book Expo and was really curious about it so it was delightful to be able to sift my way through it. I like Jaynes' style and I enjoyed reading this one.
** CLICK HERE to read my review of this title over at 5 Minutes for Books. **

So what do you all think? I think Harvest House is being incredibly generous with this giveaway of some of their new titles. I'm delighted to be able to introduce you to these books, but I hope you will find a chance to seek out the titles on your own. Really, if you've never met Elizabeth George (and I feel like I've met her to some extent by reading, oh, every single book that she has ever penned!) - I sincerely hope you'll give her a chance!

In the meantime, one of you WILL receive that chance. How to win a copy of all four of these titles listed above? Simply leave a comment below. This contest is open to U.S. Residents only and will be open through Thursday, June 24th.

I hope you gals realize that I really try to find and highlight the best of the best - books and items I really believe in! I'd kinda like to offer the disclaimer that I haven't read A Woman's Walk in Grace - because it's not my habit to talk about books I haven't read yet. But I really do tend to trust what Harvest House puts out. So no worries and I'm delighted to share this treat with you all.

Thanks, Harvest House, for making this possible and for being so generous.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

Sleeping Bear Press

This is our last installment in the "Publishers" series (for this go-around at any rate!). This week I've been talking about publishers that really stand out to me as producing consistently good reading materials. This is a children's book publisher that makes my list!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I've talked about Sleeping Bear Press books before. They are most well-known for their Alphabet State Books (which I reviewed over at 5 Minutes for Books). They do the state books well, but they publish a great deal more than just that series. They have a Discover the World series as well as many other story picture books. Two of those books have to do with family and are quite cute.

Recently I was given the opportunity to read Say Daddy! in which every relative of baby bear is trying to share their world with baby bear. The book opens with mommy bear, cuddling and snuggling with her littlest new one. She reads baby bear a book about love, kindness, caring and life. Daddy bear comes home from work and takes over, reading baby a book about promises and how daddies make dreams come true. Brother takes a turn reading baby a book about friendship and so on and so forth as all of baby's close family tell him how much they love him. Everyone is also, of course, waiting to hear what baby's first word will be. Can you guess? Well, you'll have to read the book to find out, of course!

The illustrations by Teri Weidner are soft in nature. They are warm and inviting and a great compliment to the story.

Another picture book which is offered by Sleeping Bear Press is Someday Is Not A Day of the Week. If ever there was a picture book for parents to read - this one is it! Max is a little beaver, excited about life and just wants to play and play and play with his mommy and daddy. He knows he's loved but every time he asks to do something they say that they would be happy to do it - someday. Eventually Max points out the fact that someday is not exactly a day of the week, so when exactly were they going to have grand adventures playing? As parents, it is easy to get caught up in the responsibilities of life. There are jobs to work, dishes to wash, phone calls to make, activities to plan. In all of that, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that there's usually a little person standing right next to you that doesn't really care about everything on the "to do" list. They are happiest just playing and being with you. I know I need this reminder and I so I thought this was a great book. Someday is NOT a day of the week. As people have said, childhood goes by quickly and we should make the most of the time we DO have with our kids.

Thank you, Denise Brennan-Nelson for writing this book and to Sleeping Bear Press for publishing it.

Other titles that you might find interesting by this publisher:



See my review of P is for Pilgrim.



See Dawn's review of The Listeners over at 5 Minutes for Books.

And here are some additional alphabet books that might catch your eye:








Sleeping Bear Press has a very large catalog of books and you can browse their catalog by clicking here. You might be surprised by what you find!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Click on the following links to see the other publishers highlighted this past week:

Kregel Publications

Sylvan Dell Publishing

Harvest House Publishers

Tiger Tales

Tiger Tales

This is our fourth installment in the "Publishers" series. This week I've been talking about publishers that really stand out to me as producing consistently good reading materials. (See Part I, Part II, Part III.) One such publishing company is Tiger Tales. Tiger Tales really focuses on producing books that deal with character education in storybook format. I can't say my three year old has picked up on these, but it becomes obvious to older readers.

We have really enjoyed Tiger Tales around these parts, and have been particularly fond of the following books by Ruth Galloway (see my review of these books over at 5 Minutes for Books):




Smiley Shark is one of our top favorites and we like to read it while using our shark puppet which we've talked about before. As I've mentioned before, in the series by Ruth Galloway the lesson that the books focus on primarily are being confident and comfortable with your individual skills and talents. The way we would approach this is to say, "God made you unique and special and gave you particular skills and talents He meant for you to use." That is what most Tiger Tales books teach.

The illustrations in most Tiger Tales books are bright and cheerful, and also bold and simplistic appealing to even the youngest of readers. Their stories are brief and characters engaging. I've really been impressed at the quality of stories they have produced, from sea creatures to cuddly bears.

Their fall titles have recently been released and I have a few to review for you below.

What if you just can't go to sleep? Do you count sheep? That's what Emma tries to do in The 108th Sheep. She assumes and expects that she will be able to fall asleep by the time she gets to the number ten. However, she is surprised to discover herself still awake at sheep number 107. The problem intensifies when it is discovered that, try as he might, the 108th sheep doesn't have the strength it takes to leap over the bed! Some problem solving must take place in order to get the weak little sheep over the bed before Emma finally falls asleep. Written and illustrated by Ayano Imai, this is a simple story, which has a familiar ring to it, but enough of a twist to keep the reader engaged and interested.

We pulled My Favorite Michael out of the box it came in and read it three times straight. We would have read it again, but I quickly distracted my young reader with a different activity! (I enjoy reading good books multiple times, but not straight in a row!) In My Favorite Michael we meet a young boy who decides that it would be fun to dress up as someone else. First he dresses up as his daddy and "goes to work." Then he decides he needs a vacation and dresses up as a knight and saves the princess (his sister) from the dragon (his dog). Eventually though the princess has to take a nap and so Michael decides he'll be a pirate and steal some booty from the Captain of the ship (i.e., a cookie from his mommy). Cute, cute story which, of course, concludes with the idea that mommy's favorite person is Michael himself. We both really liked this one and will no doubt read it again. Many times over. (As an additional note, the next morning Daddy told me that My Favorite Michael was the requested reading of the morning and daddy himself read it three times straight as well! Obviously, this book is a hit and we like the message.)

One of our favorite titles from last year's offerings from Tiger Tales is A Magical Christmas. Mommy loves this one. It sparkles. Oh yes! Covered in mice, each one taking the time to describe what they think is so magical about Christmastime, this book is a true holiday delight and one I plan on reading multiple times this Christmas season. Love it, love it! (P.S. It sparkles.)



In the meantime, here are some other Tiger Tales books that we have enjoyed that you might find yourself drawn to also: