Saturday, June 16, 2012

Fantastic Flight


What's a grandparent to do when watching a child who is homesick and missing her parents? Read Barbara Bockman's book, Fantastic Flight, for an imaginative idea!

Jessica has no clue about the adventures awaiting her when she visits her grandparents at their beach house and is tearfully missing her Mommy and Daddy. Grandpa knows just how to entertain his granddaughter on a fantastic outing. Taking a balloon ride provides an exciting visit to the clouds and some interesting creatures along the way. But oh, no! An unfriendly bird pops their balloon, but what could have been a catastrophe leads to more fun. Children's imaginations can soar along with Grandpa and Jessica as they enjoy the unique and expressive illustrations by Jack Foster along the way.

Fantastic Flight is available from Guardian Angel Publishing and Amazon. Visit Barbara at her blog, Stories a la Mode, and enjoy more of Jack Foster's fun art at Jacktoon's.

Friday, June 8, 2012

My Tooth is Loose


 Can you remember when you were little and had a loose tooth, just waiting for it to come out? If, like me, you can't remember that long ago (although I'm sure it's not so long for you!), perhaps you can think about your children's experiences.

Bill Kirk's new book, My Tooth is Loose, follows a young boy with a loose tooth as each member of his family tries something to get his tooth to come out. I love books that rhyme, and Bill does rhyming very well! Kids will surely relate to the antics and suggestions for getting the tooth out and enjoy the beautiful illustrations by Eugene Ruble while anticipating the outcome.

Also included are fun activities and facts about teeth at the end of the book. This is the newest book of Bill's "The Sum of Our Parts" series. You can find it at Guardian Angel Publishing or Amazon.

Learn more about Bill Kirk and his writing at his website, Bill Kirk Writes

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Cody Knows and Chip's Sharing Day

Guardian Angel Publishing continues to release an abundance of new quality books for children, and below are my reviews for two recent releases. So many delightful, fun, educational books to choose from in such a variety of subjects, for all ages, by talented authors and artists! Please be sure to visit and check out the many wonderful books.


Cody Knows is one of many books by award-winning, multi-genre author, Karen Wiesner. She is joined by Linda Derkez in writing this story about a little boy named Cody and the things he knows. They are the types of things that small children learn as they grow, through what they are taught and their experiences. There are basic things like "blocks are for building" and "books are for reading." My favorites are "Daddies are for piggyback rides" and "Mamas are for hugging." The illustrations by Candace Hardy are filled with colorful details that will give a child plenty to look at while listening to the story. The short sentences and simple text make it good for helping youngsters  learn to read.

 Linda Derkez is also the author of Chip's Sharing Day, a delightful book about a mischievous young bear named Chip whose cousin comes to visit. His mother tells him to play nicely with her and share his toys. Her name is Dorcas, but Chip seems to want to call her "Dorkie" and is gently corrected each time he does so. As they go off to play, every time Dorcus picks up one of his toys, Chip takes it back while Dorcus agreeably moves on to the next one. After this happens several times, Dorcus decides to share something with Chip, and he is in for a big surprise! See what happens to make a change in how Chip views and treats his cousin. Phoebe Doehring provides the expressive illustrations that help bring the story alive.

Cody Knows and Chip's Sharing Day can be purchased from Guardian Angel Publishing or Amazon.