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Tuesday Tales – Linnea in Monet’s Garden (#Giveaway)

Posted on October 16, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

As a child, I adored spending time with older neighbors and learning from them. They taught me how to knit, love art, and many other things. In addition to this, I adored Claude Monet. For some reason, I fell head over heals in love with his water lilies. At about the time, I was ready to change my bedroom from rainbow hearts and a set based on Monet’s lilies was out. My parents got it for me for my birthday one year. I bought art to go on my walls and additional books about Monet. These items all went well when I had to write a report in French class during high school. I had Monet post cards, painting replicas, and a variety of books. I vaguely recall a book about a young girl going to visit Monet’s Gardens in France.

Fast forward to the day I received an e-mail from Sourcebook Jabberwocky letting me know that the book I could visualize in my collection was being released again for the 25th anniversary. Yes, Linnea in Monet’s Garden is back and even more beautiful than ever.

Linnea in Monet’s Garden – Written by Christina Bjork – Illustrated by Lena Anderson – Sourcebooks Jabberwocky – October 2012 – ISBN 9781402277290 – Hardcover 48 pages – Ages 4+ – $16.99

Imagine entering a beautiful world where you meet a young girl named Linnea and her upstairs neighbor Mr. Bloom. Together, the two have bonded over their admiration for the artist Claude Monet. They talk about his life, family, artwork, and more. As they chat, they talk about going to Paris together to visit Monet’s gardens. Bjork tells the tale of their friendship and adventure that is mixed with the beautiful illustrations by Anderson. In addition to this, there are photos of Monet, his work, and more.

The story gives readers a chance to learn about the Impressionist art movement, Claude Monet, and Paris. This blend of history and fiction is really a great starting point to introduce children to one of the great artists. Some of the most beautiful pages and memories of the book are when Linnea and Mr. Bloom are actually in Monet’s garden.

Although I can not find my original book, I know the new 25th Anniversary Edition of Linnea in Monet’s Garden is an improvement. I do not remember the colors being this vibrant, the pages being so big, and the experience being so touching. I am happy to report that my love for Claude Monet and his work has been revived and I look forward to sharing with with my boys. It will also be a great book to share over a break and add in some art projects in the Impressionist style.

Giveaway:

Sourcebooks is having a blog tour to help celebrate Linnea’s birthday. They are giving away a copy of the book and a Vera Bradley bad to one lucky person who enters the various giveaways. In addition to this, they would love one of my readers to also have the opportunity to take home a copy of the book. Comments left here for the initial entry before 10/25 will also be entered into the drawing for the prize from Sourcebooks.

Please be sure to see the rules listed within the Rafflecopter widget for details about my individual giveaway courtesy of Sourcebooks.

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section and Rafflecopter. Giveaway begins October 16, 2012 and ends October 24, 2012. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to US and Canada residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received Linnea in Monet’s Garden complimentary of Sourcebooks in order to facilitate this review. This giveaway is sponsored by Sourcebooks who will fulfill the prize to the giveaway winner. An Amazon Affiliate link is included in this post for the book mentioned. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to buy the book through that link.

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books giveaway looking back Product review Tuesday Tales

Classic Tales with Silver Penny Stories (Giveaway)

Posted on October 14, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

As a parent, I think I often take what my children read for granted. I have a lot of books that were from college, my classroom, purchases, and gifts over the years. I never really noticed that the boys had not read many of the classic stories that generations have enjoyed. When Sterling Children’s Books contacted me to review their new Silver Penny Stories, I thought it would be a great opportunity for our family.

The boys immediately took the books and began reading them together. They had read other more cartoon like retellings, along with animated television versions of many of these stories, but some were new to them. The eight books above were released in October and six more will be coming out in April 2013.

Jack and the Beanstalk – Told by Diane Namm – Illustrated by Maurizio Quarello– Sterling Children’s Books – October 2012 – ISBN 9781402784330 – Paperback 40 pages – Ages 3-6 – $3.95

As part of the blog tour, we were asked to review Jack and the Beanstalk. The boys are familiar with the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse version of this story. NHL immediately noticed that the story was the same, but it was not as childish. JSL enjoyed hearing his brother read about how Jack helped his mother and the beanstalk saved the day. What I really enjoyed was seeing how the boys talked about the book. They carefully explored the illustrations. When I asked them how Jack felt with the artwork, JSL quickly could explain it based on beautifully illustrated pages from Quarello.

The boys also helped me to come up with some questions to ask Mr. Quarello. The Italian illustrator has worked on nearly 30 children’s books. He also has work that has been in exhibits around the world.

Right now we are waiting to hear back from Mr. Quarello. Once those questions and answers are back, I will update this post with those items.

The books also helped us to have a chat about different variations of stories. We could compare the one they saw on television and other books about Jack and his beanstalk. The kids agreed that it is fun to compare and contrast the books to see how the author and illustrators see these classic stories. This would be a great activity in a homeschool setting or within a classroom. Imagine what you could do with Venn Diagrams and beyond.

Giveaway:

It is time for another Rafflecopter giveaway for one lucky reader thanks to Sterling Publisher. Please be sure to see the rules listed.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section and Rafflecopter. Giveaway begins October 14, 2012 and ends October 27, 2012. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to US and Canada residents only.

Disclosure: I received the eight books Silver Penny Stories Series complimentary of Sterling Children’s Books in order to facilitate this review. The giveaway is sponsored by Sterling who will fulfill the prize to the giveaway winner.

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Blog Tour books giveaway photos Product review

Tuesday Tales – Get Cooking! A Jewish American Family Cookbook

Posted on October 9, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Growing up in a very close Jewish family, many of my memories revolve around celebrations that were filled with amazing food. Every time we got together to celebrate Shabbat at my Mimi and Poppy’s house, we would have a chicken soup with matzah balls, chicken, and other items along with challah. Thanksgiving would be filled with extended family members and once again delicious specialties. I also remember baking and watching my family members and being involved. Now my boys are making memories of their own with our family. My parents have started a Chanukah tradition at their house with extended family that we have all grown to love.

When I recently heard that Mama Doni (AKA – Doni Zasloff Thomas) would be teaming up with Rachel Harkham (Recipe Rachel) to create a new family cookbook, I was excited. Then, I received a copy of the book to review and I could not stop planning possibilities to make, bake, and share with the kids.

Get Cooking: A Jewish American Family Cookbook – By Rachel Harkham and Doni Zasloff Thomas – Published by Behrman House Inc. – September 2012 – ISBN 9780874419481 – Hardcover 128 pages

As a big fan of Mama Doni, I loved that Get Cooking: A Jewish American Family Cookbook includes a CD with a collection of her songs to listen to during the holidays and beyond. The Get Cooking! A Rockin’ Mama Doni Celebration includes favorites like: “Challah Day” and “Chanukah Fever” on the 29 track CD. I love that “Mission Immaztzoble” is also included along with others for different holidays and celebrations.

The first item that you notice when opening the book is that Harkham and Thomas cover a wide range of Jewish holidays and general celebrations. They begin with Shabbat, move to Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Chanukah, Purim, Passover, and beyond. The recipes are all able to be made in kosher kitchen (which we have) and contain meat, fish, vegetarian, and sweet options.

As I write this post, we are in the middle of Sukkot. I am hoping to get the supplies to make some edible sukkahs with the boys. Check out how adorable they are.

Of course, the timing of this cookbook is fantastic. I plan on talking with my mother to utilize some of the items for our annual Chanukah celebration at the beginning of December. I think the kids will adore the Judah Mac’n’cheese Squares and Chocomallow Dreidels. The Jelly Donut Muffins also look amazing.

If you celebrate Jewish holidays or know someone that does, this book is a great find. The recipes from Harkham truly are family friendly and inspire you to celebrate and make your own memories together. I also know friends that want to share other celebrations with their family. This is a great cookbook for them as well. Thomas is a Jewish educator and shares lots of items in the book and songs.

What are some of your favorite cookbooks? As always, please share what you have read recently. Be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

Disclosure: My family received a complimentary copy of this book from Behrman House Inc. in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed are my own and my love for the creativity of Mama Doni continues to grow with each of her new projects. An Amazon Affiliate link is included in this post for the book mentioned. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to buy the book through that link.

Categories:
books food glorious food holidays Music Product review Tuesday Tales yummy

New Face of Children’s Vitamins – alternaVites Kids (Giveaway)

Posted on September 17, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Taking vitamins is something that we really try to do every day with the boys (I am bad and often forget mine). My five year old son will often get sick of a type and refuse to chew them based on the flavor, color, or any other reason under the sun. Thank goodness NHL is really flexible about vitamins and likes to try different things. He’s also super at reminding us as well. When we were offered the opportunity to try the new alternaVites for kids, NHL said “Yes please!” right away.

This new product for children is a quick-melting multivitamin and mineral crystals that contains no sugar, artificial colors, flavors, or sweetners. One packet a day contains 17 essential vitamins and minerals that are formulated for children 4 and up. There are two kid friendly flavors available – strawberry bubblegum and raspberry cotton candy. They are certified kosher parve (perk for us) and do not contain egg, milk, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, or shellfish.

The packets are versatile and can be taken by kids a variety of ways. The key that NHL learned quickly, you must gently and carefully sprinkle the melts onto the tongue. You can not pour too quickly, or raspberry cotton candy power will fly around the room (we speak from experience here).

Of course, you can be creative when taking them. For kids that may not like the texture of a powder, they can be mixed into smoothies, yogurt, pudding, or shakes. They can be sprinkled onto strawberries or other fruits. You can even put them onto a spoon for a child to carefully lick off. I think we will be trying this for JSL since he is not a fan of the melting on your tongue method and I would prefer not to use gummies. NHL likes them so far in our trial and if he did not, well they he would not remind me and ask for them.

alternaVites Kids Giveaway:

alternaVites would like one lucky reader to try a month of the alternaVites Kids at your home. To enter, please use the Rafflecopter below and be sure to read the rules listed. If you would like to purchase alternaVites, you can use the discount code moms20 for 20% off your order at the alternavites.com website.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section and Rafflecopter. Giveaway begins September 17, 2012 and ends September 25, 2012. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to US residents only.

Disclosure: I received a sample of alternaVites Kids to facilitate this review as part of a campaign for Global Influence. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% my own. This giveaway is sponsored by alternaVites who will fulfill the prize package to the giveaway winner.

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giveaway nhl photos Product review

Tuesday Tales – The Energy Bus for Kids

Posted on September 4, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Today is the start of the 2012 school year for my boys. As they enter fourth grade and kindergarten, we are smiling and positive about everything. Of course, challenges along the way may happen and sometimes it is hard to help children to overcome these obstacles to keep going toward positive thinking. Thanks to Wiley Publishing, I heard about an inspirational new book to read in the classroom, at home, or any other time you need a reminder about being positive.

The Energy Bus for Kids – Written by bestselling author and speaker Jon Gordon – Illustrated by Korey Scott – Published by Wiley – On sale August 21, 2012 – ISBN 9781118287354 – Hardcover 48 pages – Ages 4+ – $16.95

Being a child in school is a lot different these days than it was when we would little. Now, we not only have peer pressure, we have multiple types of bullying situations, social media presence, and beyond. Parents, educators, and other influential adults need to help children to step off on the right foot thinking about things in a positive manner. I have to admit, as someone who often things of things as the glass is “half empty” attitude – The Energy Bus for Kids: A Story about Staying Positive and Overcoming Challenges got me thinking as well.

When JSL, entering kindergarten today, and I read the book together we immediately felt like we had entered the world that George lives in thanks to the beautiful illustrations from Korey Scott. We watched George worry, wonder, and learn in front of our eyes. We saw how he learned to focus on the positive, see the best in others, and not dwell on what could have been. His new bus driver Joy opens his eyes to new valuable lessons that he is able to apply each day at school and at home.

Jon Gordon takes a topic that even adults often need reminders on and makes it perfect for children. As we go through the story, George learns five extremely valuable lessons:

Rule #1: Create a Positive Vision

Rule #2: Fuel Your Ride with Positive Energy

Rule #3: No Bullies Allowed

Rule #4: Love Your Passengers

Rule #5: Enjoy the Ride

My kindergarten kid has years of academics and other adventures in front of him. Reading this book before he starts his academic career was interesting. He truly had a positive view of everything. I do believe The Energy Bus for Kids will be great to keep around in case we have a rough day and need a gentle reminder of positive goals and outlook. My plan is to read this on the eve of fourth grade with my nine year old son. As a child who has had ups and downs and been removed from a school because he was being bullied, this will be a nice conversation starter about letting go of the past and keeping a positive approach to this brand new school year. Jon Gordon reminds us that we have the ability to fuel our lives with positive energy to overcome challenges by using your attitude as your guide.

I would highly recommend this book inside and out of the classroom to use with children. It would make a great beginning of the year character building mini-lesson and can easily be built on for more getting to know you activities and beyond. There is even a free teachers guide (with lesson plans) and activity journal to download on EnergyBusKids.com, along with other resources. There are bus tickets, kindness cards, ticket of appreciation, rules card, license plate, and items for parents/teachers. I may even print out the journal to use with my own boys at over the next week for enrichment.

What books are you reading right now? I would love to know. Please be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

Disclosure: I received this book complimentary of Wiley in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own. An Amazon Affiliate link is included in this post for the book mentioned. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to buy the book through that link.