Category: Giveaway

Bella and I are howling with excitement to be part of the blog tour for To Dogs, with Love written by Maria Gianferrari and illustrated by Ishaa Lobo. This picture book honoring all the ways dogs celebrates its book birthday on December 5, 2023. Thanks to author Maria Gianferrari for sharing an e-copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Confession. I was late to the dog loving party. As a child, I didn’t have much interaction with dogs and when I did, I was scared. When I met my husband 23 years ago, his dog, Beaglie, changed my whole perspective which is now evident with my blog. As I read To Dogs, with Love, I kept thinking about Beaglie as well as Etta and Bella and how grateful I am for their unconditional love.

Beginning with the words, “Dear Dogs,” Gianferrari directly addresses our canine companions. On each page spread, she thanks dogs by identifying one of their features and how it brings us joy. Lobo’s warm, expressive artwork perfectly complements Gianferrari’s concise, melodic text. I especially love this illustration which brings together kids, dogs, and books, all things I love.

As other physical characteristics such as fur, paws, and tongues are thanked, Gianferrari weaves in different jobs that dogs perform to support humans but especially kids. Dogs provide comfort to kids testifying in court, experiencing grief, and battling illness. Pups also provide purpose to adults in prison who train them to be therapy dogs. As always, Gianferrari consciously chooses vivid verbs such as nuzzling exposing kids to rich vocabulary.

Gianferrari’s heartwarming tribute continues by recognizing dogs’ daily behaviors such as playing, sitting and staying. And the best of all, snuggling in bed. Readers can see the sheer love between the dog and boy in Lobo’s gorgeous artwork.

At the end of the book, back matter shares more information on therapy dogs including websites. As advocate of animal rescue, Gianferrari reminds readers to adopt, not shop which is also conveyed in Lobo’s final illustrations where many have gathered for a dog shelter fundraiser. In fact, the Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry is an organization that inspired this book.

Grateful to Gianferrari and Lobo for creating the love letter all our dogs deserve. And thanks to Beaglie, Etta, and Bella for your warmth and love.

About the Author:

For Maria Gianferrari, dog love is the most pawsitive medicine of all! To Dogs, with Love is Maria’s seventh book featuring beloved canine characters, following Being a Dog: A Tail of Mindfulness, Operation Rescue Dog, Hello Goodbye Dog, Officer Katz and Houndini, and the Penny & Jelly series.

About the Illustrator:

Ishaa Lobo is a children’s Book Illustrator living in London. She is the illustrator of The Mystery of the Love List by Sarah Glenn Marsh; To Dogs, with Love by Maria Gianferrari; and There’s Always Room for One More by Robyn McGrath. Her next book, Bigfoot’s Big Heart, written by Sarah Glenn Marsh, will be released next year. In her spare time she likes to visit galleries, go to the cinema, and go on walks. See her work at ishaalobo.com.

Enter Beagles & Books’ Giveaway!

• Follow me @lauramossa on Twitter and retweet my To Dogs with Love  giveaway tweet.

Review:

Buttercups are beautiful, but to a chimpanzee, the flowers caused her to sneeze so hard that her friend, a kinkajou, flew into the sky.  Zenz’s bright illustrations show how quickly the scene changed from calm to chaotic.  Kids will be able to identify kinkajou’s range of emotions through his facial expressions. Zenz introduces his first play on words-CHIMPANSNEEZE.

Review:

After Bunny hears a voice telling him to find a safe place to grow, he hops quite a distance until he sees Willow, a tree full of height and strength.  Willow welcomes Bunny opening her branches to a grassy area which he now calls home. Schulte’s gentle text and Denise’s soft illustrations evoke a sense of warmth as Bunny and Willow become friends spending each day together.

But the calm fades when a storm rolls in.  Loud thunder and strong winds startle Bunny who seeks refuge under Willow.

Review:

Whether she is at school or home, Ruby has a problem, but doesn’t know how to fix it. Once her teacher, Mr. Garcia, discusses how naming a problem can help you solve it, Ruby has a tool to help her.  After some reflection, Ruby decides to name her problem Lonely and speak to it directly. Harren’s depiction of Ruby confronting Lonely is powerful with Lonely reflecting in black and white.  

Once Ruby names her problem, she brings Lonely to school and plays with her at recess.  At home, Ruby and Lonely reads, paints, and dances together causing Ruby to smile. Not long after, Ruby asks a new student to play with her, runs with her dog Lola, and shares a dessert and artwork with her family. Astute readers will notice that Lonely is no longer black and white, but a mirror image of Ruby full of color and confidence. 

With Lonely’s support, Ruby has the courage to ask her siblings and her parents to do things like go out for pizza, make crafts, or read a bedtime story.  Even Ruby’s dog, Lola is aware of her change joining her on her bed.  As Ruby’s confidence builds, Harren shows Lonely becoming transparent. Ruby and Lonely are now connected forever. 

Karst’s tender narrative brought on tears of both sadness and joy.  My heart hurt for Ruby when she felt so alone, but once she took Mr. Garcia’s advice, my heart quickly healed.  Lonely was always inside of Ruby, but until she named her, Ruby couldn’t successfully confront her problem. I appreciated how Karst made the decision to have Ruby take the initiative which makes Ruby and Lonely is a great read aloud to support children’s self-sufficiency in problem solving.  At the end of book, Karst writes a note to readers sharing the inspiration for the story as well as questions to promote discussion. 

About the Author:

Patrice Karst is the bestselling author of The Invisible String, which has sold more than a million copies and been translated into fifteen languages, and its companion titles, The Invisible Leash, The Invisible Web, You Are Never Alone: An Invisible String Lullaby, and most recently, The Invisible String Backpack. She is also the coauthor of The Invisible String Workbook with Dr. Dana Wyss. She also wrote The Smile that Went Around the World. Patrice is passionate about spreading her message of love across the planet. Born in London, England, she now lives in Southern California. Learn more at www.patricekarst.com.

Instagram: @theinvisiblestringinsta

Facebook: @TheInvisibleString

About the Illustrator:

Kayla Harren is an award-winning illustrator of children’s books, including A Boy Like You, written by Frank Murphy, and The Boy Who Grew a Forest, written by Sophia Gholz, among other titles. She recently illustrated Thursday, by Ann Bonwill, which Midwest Book Review called “an impressively presented picture book of healing and hope for young children.” Her work has been featured in the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, Communication Arts, and 3×3 Magazine, and she won the Highlights for Children Pewter Plate Award. She lives in Minnesota. Learn more at www.kaylaharren.com.

Instagram: @kaylaharren

Facebook: Kayla Harren Illustrator

Bella and I are honored to be part of the blog tour for Marker written by Anna Kang and illustrated by Christopher Weyant.  It will celebrate its book birthday next week on June 20, 2023. Like its companion picture book Eraser, Marker teaches children a valuable life lesson.  Thanks to Two Lions Publishing and Barbara Fisch of Blue Slip Media for sharing a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The first day of school has almost arrived and the teacher supplies are busy.  After Pencil writes the title on a poster, Marker is chauffeured in to trace the words.  Her work is praised for being bold and impressive which makes Marker feel proud.

On the first day of school, a new supply, Pinking Shears, arrives on the desk.  All the sudden, Pink has captured everyone’s attention with her creative cutting.  Due to lack of room, Marker loses her spot in the Teaching is My Super Power mug and is moved to a plain green cup with random supplies.  Marker’s face clearly shows that her confidence has been curtailed.

Later in the day, when asked to ink the class rules on the poster, some of the other supplies are captivated by Pink.  Marker tries to maintain her concentration on her task.  Weyant’s facial expressions on the school tools not only bring the supplies to life but also a smile to my face.

Marker gets distracted by everyone admiring Pink’s snowflakes. As a result, she misspells a word when she writes Rule #2.  Although Eraser reminds her that mistakes make us great, Marker is devastated.  Will Marker’s fear of failure be passing or permanent?

Once again, Kang and Weyant have written a sweet and humorous story that has earned a permanent place on my read aloud book shelf.  Full of puns that bring on the laughter, Kang’s text also teaches kids that errors are ok. Weyant’s anthropomorphic school supplies are both adorable and expressive.  I love the way how the supplies work together to remind Marker not only her vital role as a member of their team but also the importance of trying something new. As I was reading Marker, I kept thinking about what my good friend who is an art teacher always says to kids “If you mess it up, dress it up.”  Mistakes do make us great because it allows us to see something with a different perspective.

Meet the Author & Illustrator:

Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant are the creators of Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner You Are (Not) Small and five more books in that series, as well as Christopher Award winner Eraser, Hudson and Tallulah Take Sides, Can I Tell You a Secret?, and Will You Help Me Fall Asleep? Christopher’s work can also be seen in The New Yorker and the Boston Globe, and his cartoons are syndicated worldwide. This husband-and-wife team lives in New Jersey with their two daughters and their dog, Hudson. Visit them at www.annakang.com and www.christopherweyant.com.

Twitter: @annakang27 @ChristophWeyant

Instagram: annakangbooks; christopherweyant 

Facebook: Anna Kang – Author; Christopher Weyant

Bella and I are honored to be part of the blog tour for Being a Cat: A Tail of Curiosity written by Maria Gianferrari and illustrated by Pete Oswald.  This energetic picture book celebrated its book birthday on April 4, 2023.  Thanks to author Maria Gianferrari and Harper Collins for sharing a eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review:

I am a big fan of Gianferrari’s books because not only do children learn facts about a topic, but also they are always exposed to vivid verbs (lurk, inspect, scout, twine, bunt) which enhances their oral and written vocabulary.  I love that even as an adult, I learn from reading the back matter which share facts about cats’ tongues, their smelling superpowers, their “seeing” whiskers, and sharp and curved claws. I never knew that a group of cats is called a clowder or a clutter.

Gianferrari’s love for animals is at the heart of all her books.   She always highlights how we can learn from our furry friends.  I love the page spreads explaining how cats communicate their love, for they show their affection through both actions and sounds.    At the end of the book, the cat and its human peer inside a box delivered to their door which makes me wonder…What is making them smile? 

With a melodic text and expressive artwork, Being a Cat is a tale that gives kids “paw-sitive” advice to “purr-fect” their probing skills.

About the Author:

Maria Gianferrari is a picture book reader/writer, tea-drinker, dog-lover, and birdwatcher. Maria writes books that honor our bonds with creatures both domestic and wild, and that celebrate the wonders of the natural world around us. Curiously, though an unabashed dog lover, this is Maria’s third book featuring cats as main characters, most recently Bobcat Prowling, as well as Officer Katz and Houndini. She lives in Massachusetts with her inquisitive scientist husband. You can learn more about Maria at her website: www.mariagianferrari.com.

Enter Beagles & Books’ Giveaway!

• Follow me @lauramossa on Twitter and retweet my Being a Cat giveaway tweet.