Review: Sleep Tight, Anna Banana! by Dominique Roques

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Anna Banana can't settle down tonight, even though her stuffed animal friends are tired and just want to sleep. They suffer through delay after delay and excuse after excuse, until Anna Banana is finally sleepy. And then . . . it's time for their revenge! Anna Banana is about to get a taste of her own medicine.   Anna Banana is a fantastic character—a lively little girl and a fearsome tyrant to her stuffed animal pals. The first of two picture books featuring this character, Sleep Tight, Anna Banana! is sure to be a hit with the youngest of readers . . . and with their parents!

MY TAKE:
I'm always on the lookout for gorgeous picture books and I'm so glad I found this one.

In Sleep Tight, Anna Banana!, Anna is a little girl who is so hooked on the book she's reading that she ends up keeping her stuffed animals from sleeping.

Let me just say that this book really exceeded my expectations. I can relate to Anna not sleeping just to keep reading an awesome book. She seems like such a sweet girl, and her animals are all cute too.

Anna's relationship with her stuffed animals reminds me of Calvin and Hobbes' relationship a little bit. There's a lot of love but also a bit of teasing. The illustrations, on the other hand, reminded me of Dr. Seuss, for some reason. The coloring looks like it was done with watercolors and they are absolutely beautiful.

I read this to my son and he looked at it for a little bit before losing interest. Of course, given that my son is only 6 months old, I doubt that that means the book isn't attractive to kids.

Thanks to NetGalley and First Second Books for the e-ARC. Publication date of Sleep Tight, Anna Banana! is on June 17, 2014.

THE GOOD:

1. The illustrations are beautiful.
2. The characters are lovable.
3. The plot is something new.

THE BAD:

1. Some of the illustrations are grouped 3 or so to a page so they appear a little bit smaller than I would have liked.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

ARE YOU NUTS?

READ IT IF:

1. Your child likes reading after lights out.
2. Your child has a close relationship with his or her stuffed animals.
3. You like beautifully illustrated children's books.

RATING:


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Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

You'll find that the commonest number of petals on a flower is five.

Review: Go Green! A Family Guide to a Sustainable Lifestyle by From Disney's Mickey & Friends Collection

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

The first in a new brand series, Go Green! is not only a guide for families to take steps towards transforming their lives to live a healthier, greener and more sustainable lifestyle, it also explains sustainability in a simple and fun way, putting the concept into perspective for children and families by showing easy and fun ways of making sustainable choices. Jam-packed with fun facts, tips and unique green activities, Go Green! takes readers through detailed green practices that include: understanding your ecological footprints; the three R’s of sustainability (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle); creating seasonal crafts; the importance of eating locally; how to grow your own organic garden; and so much more. Further, the book explains that adopting a sustainable lifestyle will not happen overnight. It starts with one step, then another, and another. The important thing is to remember that you are on your way, no matter how slow the journey feels, or how difficult the steps. Go Green! breaks down this complicated process into easy-to-achieve individual steps for the whole family.

MY TAKE:
Lots of people have started getting into the green movement, but for young kids and families who are just thinking about going green, this book may be worth a look.

In Go Green! A Family Guide to a Sustainable Lifestyle, kids learn not just about reusing, reducing and recycling, but also how to live in a manner that supports your new sustainable lifestyle and your relationship with others in your community.

I had expected the book to really just focus on the basics of green living, namely the three Rs of reduce, reuse and recycle, plus the other things mentioned in the summary. The inclusion of the sections on connecting with others and being physically active was unexpected. I think it's good for kids to read up on things like that although I'm not sure they were 100% necessary to this book.

The book did include a lot of things that I did like, such as healthier alternative to cooking ingredients, how to create your own watercolors using berries and plants, arts and crafts activities for every season, and a list of plants that grow well in containers.

There were also environmental trivia, plenty of tips for recycling or reducing waste, suggestions for what you can do with old materials, information on farming and composting, as well as a few recipes to try.

Overall, the book was very thorough, although I think some kids may find the long blocks of text a bit boring.

As for Mickey and the rest of his friends, I was expecting their cartoon versions but what appeared in the book were sort of 3D, computer-generated versions. Personally, I prefer the cartoon versions, but most kids probably won't mind.

Thanks to NetGalley and Edda USA for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. There are plenty of useful information.
2. The trivia are new and interesting.
3. There are plenty of activities and tips to try.

THE BAD:

1. Some kids may find the book to be boring. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

What did the snowman say to
the other snowman?
Can you smell carrots?

READ IT IF:

1. Your child is interested in going green.
2. You're interested in your family going green.
3. Your child is a fan of Mickey and his friends. 

RATING:


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In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

FROM NETGALLEY:

Go Green! A Family Guide to a Sustainable Lifestyle by From Disney's Mickey & Friends Collection
Why Do Buses Come in Threes? The Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life by Rob Eastaway & Jeremy Wyndham
The Wedding Secret by Jeannie Moon

Review: Matched to a Billionaire by Kat Cantrell

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Wanted: one convenient wife
Venture capitalist Leo Reynolds is married to his work, but now he needs a wife. Someone to run his home, host his parties—and accept a marriage that's strictly business. His one rule: love will play no part in their union. At least that's the lie he tells himself, until he meets his match….
Enter Daniella White—handpicked by the matchmaker as the perfect wife. Marriage to Leo means security, and she's willing to give up passion for friendship. But the moment they meet, sparks fly. And now temptation—and Leo's own heart—have the billionaire ready to change all the rules.

MY TAKE:
It's been awhile since I've been interested in reading a romance novel but I just couldn't pass up this one after reading the premise.

In Matched to a Billionaire, Leo Reynolds is a billionaire workaholic looking for a wife who can understand that his priority is his job. The role is more personal-assistant-meets-public-relations-specialist, but Daniella White is happy to accept, especially if it means security for her and better care for her ill mother.

If you've read Harlequin romances before, you already pretty much know how this book is going to end. However, the getting-there part is interesting. The tone is what I've come to expect from a Harlequin novel. The romance, the conflict, the characters are sort of standard (but not stock) for Harlequin novels and are very comforting especially if you like your romance novels a certain way.

I've always liked the whole matchmaking-and-arranged-marriage/relationships plot because there's usually a lot of things that can happen and ways for the characters to react to each other. One of my favorite Korean movies is My Little Bride. If you haven't seen it yet, don't be put off by the title. You should definitely go and watch this one as it's a cute rom-com with lovable characters.

Anyway, in the novel, despite their instant spark, Daniella and Leo try to stick to their business-arrangement marriage. Eventually, though, they want a little more and things get complicated.

There were a couple of parts that felt a little too melodramatic to me and cutting them down a little bit would have made the story feel a little tighter and maybe a little more focused. I could definitely see this as a movie.

Leo was an okay guy, although there were moments when I felt like shaking him and telling him that he should act like a businessman and find ways for him to get what he wants. Daniella was a strange character for me, in the sense that, sometimes I liked her and sometimes I disliked her. Her desire to be a housewife might not sit well with everybody, but even though I like having a regular job, I would have been just as happy managing a household the way she does. There were other moments when she was perfectly agreeable and witty and I liked that. The thing I didn't like about her was all the constant references to her feisty side being Scarlett (as in Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind). The first few mentions of Gone With the Wind characters was cute. However, in time, it started to feel like Dannie had a split personality.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlewuin Desire for the e-ARC. Publication date of Matched to a Billionaire is on July 1, 2014.

THE GOOD:

1. Dannie and Leo have excellent chemistry.
2. It's nice to live vicariously through Dannie.
3. The plot is predictable but the story itself has interesting developments and is, overall, a fun read. 

THE BAD:

1. There are moments that feel a tad too dramatic. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Fairy tales were stories about magical solutions to problems and full of people who fell in love, but whose real relationships couldn't possibly stand the test of time.

READ IT IF:

1. You like stories with arranged marriages or matchmakers.
2. You secretly dream of being a wealthy socialite wife to a caring, passionate husband.
3. You like characters that have a lot of chemistry. 

RATING:


SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Review: Stars of the World Cup by Illugi Jökulsson

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

World Soccer Legends
Everything you need to know about most exciting clubs and the best players on the planet.
Stars of the World Cup
Learn all about twenty-eight of the best players competing for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, from unstoppable scorers like Messi and Ronaldo to crafty playmakers like Iniesta and Modric, and ironclad defenders like Philipp Lahm and Thiago Silva.
Get the inside scoop on their strengths and weaknesses heading into the showdown in Brazil.
See incredible action shots of their on-field wizardry.

MY TAKE:
If you only have a passing knowledge of soccer and you want to prepare yourself for the upcoming World Cup, this book is a must-read.

Stars of the World Cup provides an analysis of the top players from the different countries competing in the World Cup. Some of the information included for each player are birth year, team during the World Cup and during regular seasons, and childhood backgrounds.

All the players have positive and negative points mentioned, so just reading the book can give you at least basic knowledge on the strengths and weaknesses of the players. Based on what I read, the top players are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, which is consistent with what I know from occasionally reading international sports news.

Based on what I read from the book, it also seems to me like the teams to beat are Spain and Brazil. We'll find out if these analyses are correct once the World Cup opens.

Thanks to NetGalley and Abbeville Kids for the e-ARC. Publication date of Stars of the World Cup is on June 10, 2014.

THE GOOD:

1. We get to learn about the players' backgrounds.
2. The book lists each player's strengths and weaknesses.
3. You get a feel for which teams will do well in the World Cup. 

THE BAD:

1. As with most sports, you never know if some unknown or unrated player suddenly does well and becomes the deciding factor in his team's victory. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Interestingly, even though Ronaldo has been overshadowed by Messi for the past couple years, this has not discouraged him at all but only spurred him on to greater achievements. 

READ IT IF:

1. You want to participate in World Cup conversations.
2. You want to learn more about soccer's star players.
3. You want to seem knowledgeable about current soccer superstars. 

RATING:


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Review: Cozy Classics: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Jack Wang, Holman Wang

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Give a kid a classic! Cozy Classics is the popular board book series that presents well-loved stories to children aged 0+ through twelve child-friendly words and twelve needle-felted illustrations. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is Mark Twain’s American masterpiece about one boy’s struggle of conscience as he ventures down the Mississippi River, and is one of the world’s most beloved classics. Now you can share this classic with children of any age. www.mycozyclassics.com

MY TAKE:
This book is another great addition to this series.

In Cozy Classics: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the story of Huckleberry Finn is retold in a few words and illustrated by photographs of felt-covered dolls.

Like the other books in the series, this book does a good job of picking words and important scenes that help tell the story of Huckleberry Finn. The pictures are as cute as ever and should appeal to kids, especially those of younger age.

This is a nice read for very young children, even if you don't really remember everything that happened in the novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simply Read Books for the e-ARC. Publication date of Cozy Classics: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is on May 23, 2014.

THE GOOD:

1. It can help increase a child's vocabulary.
2. It's able to tell the story using only a few words and pictures depicting key scenes.
3. You can read the book as is or include a little more detail. 

THE BAD:

1. If you don't know or remember the novel, you may not be able to answer questions about the particular scenes depicted. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

pal 

READ IT IF:

1. You want to introduce your child to the classics.
2. You want to help increase your child's vocabulary.
3. Your child likes board books. 

RATING:


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