Meet Toby!

Toby by Stacy Nyikos and Illustrated by Shawn Sisneros

Meet Toby, a baby sea turtle that has just hatched from his little egg. He is ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime into the vast ocean. How will Toby learn the difference between his predators and his friends? Written in rhyming verse, this sweet story shows the tale of a baby turtle and his many adventures on land and sea.

Come outside and feel the breezes!

Come outside and see the sun!

Come outside and taste the ocean!

Come outside with everyone!

Toby is digitally illustrated with expressive and colorful full pages spreads. The illustrations truly capture the emotions of this adorable little turtle with his big inquisitive eyes and his happy personality.  

This story is complete with an Author’s note at the back of the book, which includes turtle facts. The author has also included a list of several great non-fiction books about sea turtles for those little inquisitive minds that might just want more.

A sweet story recommended for ages 4-8.

This review was written for the blog tour of Stacy Nyikos, June 8-14 and the launch of this fabulous book. For more information please check http://www.stacyanyikos.com/blog.html.

Some fabulous picture books for summer reading!

Summer reading is upon us. Did you know that if children read at least five books this summer they will prevent learning loss, according to a White House study. If children don’t read or engage with stories over the summer they lose about 2-3 months of reading achievement. The best way to keep your children reading through the summer is to sign up for one of the fabulous summer reading programs. Reading is so important! Here are three of my favorite picture books to check out this summer! Recommended for ages 4-8.

Shoe Dog by Megan McDonald and Illustrated by Katherine Tillotson

The beloved author of the Judy Moody and the Stink series has created a fabulous picture book about a dog that loves to chew. What does he chew, but shoes! He isn’t a dog that chews bones, or toys, or smelly socks, but rather shoes. And lots of them! Especially brand new shoes! Clever and lively illustrations by Tillotson, are created with crayon and charcoal and then combined together digitally. An adorable read aloud story especially for dog lovers who understand dogs need to chew!

President Taft is Stuck in the Bath by Mac Barnett and Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen

We have read about George Washington and his teeth and Abraham Lincoln and his top hat, but what about President Taft. Did you know that he got stuck in the bathtub?  A clever, silly but yet true story of how the 27^th President got stuck in his bathtub and how they got him out. The illustrations are expressive, bold and quite colorful. These gouache caricatures add silliness to a true story. A great Author’s note with facts pertaining to President Taft can be found at the back of the book along with an archived picture of the bathtub in the White House with President Taft and four men from his cabinet.

Share by Sally Ann Garland

Sharing isn’t easy; in fact most kids don’t like to share. Bunny is no different but when her cousin comes to visit she realizes just how much she doesn’t like to share. But her cousin wants to do everything like bunny and bunny doesn’t understand why. A sweet rhyming story that helps children understand the importance of sharing and why it can be so hard. Illustrations are digitally created with a soft pastel palette. This is a great read aloud or bedtime story. It also can be a  useful tool in teaching the importance of sharing.

Poached by Stuart Gibbs

I just recently received and Advanced Reader's Copy of Poached by Stuart Gibbs. This was my first time reading this author and I loved him! Read my review here for Poached which just recently hit the stores. This is not one to miss!

Poached by Stuart Gibbs is a fabulous action-packed middle grade read for those who love animals and adventures. A sequel that doesn’t disappoint and you don’t have to read the first one to really get to know the characters.

Meet Teddy Fitzroy, a 7^th grader who is the primary suspect when a Koala has gone missing from FunJungle, an exact definition of the name but in a zoo-like setting. Teddy’s parents both work at FunJungle and all of Teddy’s life he has spent with animals. Why would he take a newly acquired Koala on loan from Australia. He has been set up and he knows it but all the proof is directed at him. If Teddy doesn’t find the culprit he will be shipped off to juvie as a convicted koala-napper. To top off his bad luck, Teddy is also bullied by the meanest and toughest kid in the middle school, Vance. Teddy just can’t seem to catch a break, yet his perseverance prevails.

An extremely well-written story about mystery, animals, bullying, as well as a sweet coming of age story that will keep you on the edge of your seat guessing who took the Koala from the beginning to the end.

Recommended for ages 8-12.

What is ustyme?

So this is what I have been doing for the past year and a half, working for a very cool new start-up that has created an amazing app for families, connecting them together with books and games. This app has so many possibilities and I hope you check it out and download it today! Better yet, watch this launch video that really shows you how it works! 

Launch Video 

What is ustyme – a great way to create meaningful and deeper relationships by turning screen time into “ustyme”. This is a free communication and publishing platform for rich content, like books and games, through video calls that give friends and families opportunities to engage with each other, even if they live thousands of miles apart.

Read a story to your grandchild and watch the delight in their faces as you turn the pages together. Or read a bedtime story and watch as their eyes doze off to sleep. Better yet, play a game of checkers or chess and watch them as they think out their next move.

How does the app work? Download the free app in the Apple App Store. Or visit www.ustyme.com and visit ustyme online using Google Chrome. Once you are registered browse the store shelves for your favorite stories or games and popular your shelf with them. For first time users, ustyme is giving away three free books and one game to get started. Once your account has been created and your shelf full, add friends. And now we are adding even more free books through this special promo code, good for one week only. PROMO CODE: t0hvyy3z02

Check out ustyme – a new free downloadable app through the Apple Store or available through Google Chrome on the computer!

Then all you have to do is call up your family member or friend and enjoy the “ustyme” experience!

To find out more about ustyme check us out online for more information:

http://www.ustyme.com/index.html

or Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/ustyme

It’s not just screen time anymore, it is ustyme!

Max Makes a Cake

Introducing a Passover PJ library book!

Meet Max, who wants to bake a surprise Passover birthday cake for his mom. Max is a big boy, he can almost tie his shoes, and he even knows the four questions for Passover in Hebrew and English. But everyone knows that baking a cake during Passover is not so easy and one must get really creative. So Max gets to work, only he really needs the help of his dad to pull this off. But dad is too busy with Max’s fussy baby sister and so Max decides to take matters into his own hands. And that is exactly what Max does, starting with the frosting first, just in case dad makes it down in time to help.

“Why is this cake different from all other cakes?” asks Max at the end of the story. The author ties this question in beautifully with the importance of the Four Questions during the Passover Seder. This is a sweet and clever story about baking a cake with lots and lots of matzah as well as capturing a moment when a young boy realizes he can be independent. The author, Michelle Edwards, includes Max’s ingenious cake recipe along with a very brief description of the Passover Story.

Illustrations by Charles Santoso are adorable with warm and cheerful animated expressions. The illustrations were rendered with pencil on paper and then scanned and colored digitally.

Max Makes a Cake is a wonderful story that is perfect for story time during the Passover holiday and welcome in any Jewish library as well as Public libraries collections too. Recommended for ages 3-6.

What is PJ Library®?  It’s a program that mails FREE, high-quality Jewish children’s books and music to families in the San Francisco Bay Area (and across the country!) on a monthly basis.  Sign up here: http://pjlibrary.org/Communities/Enroll-in-a-Community.aspx?id=12 to enroll.  More info at www.pjlibrary.org

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

Meet Prenna and Ethan. Two teens from two different time periods. Prenna is from the future (year 2087) and Ethan is from the present. Prenna has a list of rules to follow and people that are in charge and watch every move she makes. She immigrated to New York when she was twelve from a future that was ravaged by a pandemic caused by the mosquito. Ethan was the young boy that saw her entrance into the world and hasn’t been able to get her out of his mind for years, that is until she sits down in front of him in Pre-Calc.

There is a magnetic pull that Prenna and Ethan feel for each other, yet Prenna must abide by the rules of not falling in love or being intimate with anyone outside of her own community. This is an engaging yet somewhat somber story about the possibilities of our future. Can Prenna make the changes to save the future? And can Ethan help her?

Written by Ann Brashares, the author of the fabulous coming of age series, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, this is a very different story. An exhilarating yet haunting and heartbreaking look into the future. The story was gripping at times and it was definitely a book I couldn’t put down, but it also really brings up issues that we need to think about as we head into the future of the 21^st century.

     “There is Earth Day and all kinds of green products that make people feel good- as though organic        cotton sheets and hemp socks are going to do the trick. But nobody does the hard things. Not if it          costs them anything. Nobody calls for any real sacrifices. Politicians aren’t very brave. I mean,              eventually they will demand sacrifices-they’ll have to, there will be no choice- but by then it will be        too late.“ (pg. 166)

This is a recommended read for Sci-Fi and Dystopian readers. Recommended for ages 12 and up. Look for this book on sale April 8^th! It is one not to miss!

Some Toddler Fun

Some fun toddler books, especially for those with a sense of humor. Read all about bear and his underwear, or shall we say his "tighty whities". Written and ilustrated by pop-artist Todd Doodler, these books are not to be missed. Recommended for ages 3-6.