Blog Tour Begins

Join in the fun as Animal Sound Mix-up goes on a virtual book tour October 1 - 15, 2010. Below is a list of the blogs hosting and dates. There will be two drawings from those who comment during the tour for a $10 Amazon gift certificate and an Animal Encyclopedia, and a drawing from those who purchase a copy of Animal Sound Mix-up and send confirmation of purchase (sent to conarnold@gmail.com) for a set of animal ornaments. Extra entries for all drawings by posting about tour on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog (be sure to let me know).

Aninmal Sound Mix-up can be purchased from Guardian Angel Publishing (print, ebook or CD),  Amazon or Barnes & Noble

 October 1:  Beth's Book Basket
                   review by Beth Reinke
October 4:  A Writing Playground
                   interview, bio and book blurb by J. Aday Kennedy
October 5:   Lori Calabrese Writes
                   review by Lori Calabrese
October 6:  Janet Ann Collins
                   review and animal trivia
October 7:  A Writing Playground
                   review and book marketing brainstorm by J. Aday Kennedy
October 8:  Connie Arnold, Children's Author
                   excerpts and illustrations featuring Kit Grady
October 11: Write What Inspires You
                    review by Donna McDine
October 12:  Random Thoughts
                   Q&A by Sharon Mayhew
October 13: Walking on Water
                    interview by Katie Hines
October 14:  SFC: Families Matter
                    review by D.M. Cunningham
October 14:  Rosemary's Reading Circle
                    with Rosemary Marotta
October 15: Beth's Book Basket
                   interview by Beth Reinke
October 16: Connie Arnold, Children's Author
                   blog tour conclusion and prize winners announcement

Meet Me in St. Louis

Recently I went to St. Louis for a gathering of Guardian Angel Publishing authors and illustrators and enjoyed meeting others and the special events. We participated in events at the St. Louis Children's Illustrated Art Museum and Border's bookstore. It was a great experience meeting fellow authors and illustrators and sharing my new book, Animal Sound Mix-up. I especially enjoyed reading to the children, seeing their reactions and letting them share their thoughts. You can see the Guardian Angel 2010 Arch Angel Award and more pictures on my Children's Books and Poems site.

After leaving St. Louis, we traveled on to visit our daughter and family. It's always such a special time together with family, and the three little grandsons aged 6, 5 and 3 make for an exciting visit! Isn't it a joy to see young children enjoying books and learning?

Review and Fun Links

I'd like to share with you a wonderful review just received from Nicole Weaver for Animal Sound Mix-up. Be sure to check out the fun links below the review to find animal games to play with your children!

Do you like reading to your toddlers? Are you a proud grandma and grandpa looking for a good book to read to your precious grandkids? If you answered yes to either question, look no further. Connie Arnold's Animal Sound Mix-Up will bring cheer delight to your little bundle of joy.

Written in beautiful rhyme, the book explores the sound that domestic, farm and jungle animals make. To help young toddlers learn about sounds, the author poses silly questions like: What would happen if a cat were to moo? Or what if a lion said meow... or if a donkey said bow-wow? The colorful pictures on every page will keep a young child captivated while learning what sounds goes with what animal in a fun way.

I can visualize the learning that can take place reading this book to a toddler. The book can be used as a very handy educational tool to teach young children beginning sounds.

Homeschooling has become a viable option for many families; this book would be a good choice for teaching first sounds through rhyming. Some examples of rhyming used throughout the book are: say, day, way- bear, stare- howl, owl- squeak, speak-meow, and bow-wow.

The author graciously provided me with a PDF file of this book for review. After reading it once, I went back and read it again and again. The illustrations by Kit Grady added more depth to the story. I highly recommend this book to any parent or grandparent looking for a good book that can be both fun and educational.

Animal Sound Mix-up is available from Guardian Angel Publishing and Amazon

Here are some fun links for you. Do you know of others you can recommend?

Kid's Corner Animal Games

Switcheroo Zoo

ASPCA Kids

National Geographic Coloring Book