How Did That Get In My Lunchbox? The Story of Food by Chris Butterworth and illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti is a book that takes the child from planting wheat to mixing flour into dough, climbing trees to machine-squeezing fruit, picking cocoa pods to stirring a vat of melted bliss. It’s an engaging look at the steps involved in producing some common foods. Healthy tips and a peek at basic food groups complete the menu.

The first thing I noticed about this book is the old school feel it has to it. The retro illustrations brought back memories of when I was a kid watching an after school special on television. The colors were bold and bright, the characters were fun looking, and the foods were easily identifiable.

However, the best part was the educational value of this book. It explained to Kiana how various foods are produced and made available to consumers – bread, cheese, tomatoes, apple juice, carrots, chocolate chip cookies, and even clementines. They take you from the very first step of individual ingredients to the finish product that you see in the stores.

Kiana’s favorite section was the Apple Juice diagram because she just couldn’t understand how someone could squeeze the juice out of an apple. “Isn’t it too hard?”, she asked. The pictures show how apples are picked, washed, mashed, and then go through a huge press where all the juice is squeezed out. A heater then warms the juice to kill any bacteria and the final product is poured into cartons. Voila! Apple Juice!

There’s also a section that talks about food groups and what each one does for your body. Carbohydrates for energy, fruits & vegetables to keep you healthy, proteins to help you grow, and dairy for healthy teeth and bones.

I have to admit that after reading this book to Kiana even I learned a few things. For one thing, I didn’t realize how much work it takes to make chocolate – picked, dried, cleaned, roasted, mixed, squeezed, stirred, melted, cooled, molded. No wonder it tastes so good!

So the next time we buy a chocolate bar or drink some apple juice, we’ll remember everything it went through before it got to the store and into our hands. And we’ll appreciate the process and hard work of everyone behind the scenes.

Purchase your copy of How Did That Get In My Lunchbox?: The Story of Food at Amazon.com for $10.39,

This post was written for Candlewick Press who provided the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

When I first read this book to the girls, they were very intrigued by the story as well as the pull tabs which brought Maisy to life. The tabs were large enough to easily grab and moved smoothly when pulled. Kiana’s favorite page was the skipping activity because when you pulled the tab a jump rope appeared off the page. Even I thought it was pretty cool.

We also liked the very large font used since it makes reading the words easier for Kiana . . . and me. The simple illustrations were dark and bold using mostly primary colors. Each image was outlined in black which made it stand out against the bright backgrounds.

However, my favorite parts were the multiple choice questions located on almost every page. It asked a question along with 3 picture choices. For example, one of the questions was “Who else can jump?” followed by images of a frog, a grasshopper, and a kangaroo. This allowed us to talk more about other animals who hop as well as those that don’t. I really like stories that encourage critical thinking outside the story.

Purchase your copy of Hop, Skip and Jump, Maisy! at Amazon.com for $19.75.

This post was written for Candlewick Press who provided the complimentary copy in exchange for our honest review.

Ever since Kiana has learn to read independently she’s been reading everything in sight. She loves to read books, magazines, signs, and even labels. So when I heard about Sesame Street’s Brand New Readers series of books, I knew she would love them. These books have simple sentences, large fonts, and cute corresponding illustrations by Ernie Kwiat.

There are four very short stories included in the book:

Cookie Monster Cleans Up – Cookie Monster is in the bath washing the various parts of his body – hands, face, arms, belly, knees, & feet.

Cookie and Elmo Eat Their Colors – Cookie and Elmo are on a picnic eating various foods – orange carrot, red apple, blueberries, green peas, purple grapes, yellow corn, rainbow cookie. A great way to teach kids the various colors.

Cookie Monster and the Parade – Learn the different modes of transportation as the Sesame Street gang get together and form their own parade.

Cookie Monster’s Bed – One of the hardest things to get the girls to do is to make their beds. This story shows the step-by-step process and the comfortable end result.

The day in the life of Cookie Monster is a busy one and the kids really enjoyed reading about all his adventures big and small.

Purchase your copy of Cookie Monster’s Busy Day: Brand New Readers at Amazon.com for $5.99.

This post was written for Candlewick Press who provided the complimentary copy in exchange for our honest review.

A bear goes over the mountain to see what he can see, hear what he can hear, smell what he can smell, touch what he can touch, and taste what he can taste; what a busy bear! When he sets out on a sunny morning in spring he uses all five of his senses to explore the world around him. He smells a skunk (yuck!) and sweet honeysuckle vines (yum!). He sees dragonflies and fuzzy ducklings, he hears crickets chirping, he touches a soft flower blossom, and more! When the chill of autumn comes creeping up over the mountain, he goes back to his cave for a snuggly sleep.

courtesy of Sky Pony Press

When we first started reading this book I couldn’t help but sing the song in my head. It’s such a classic tune and one that I fondly remember from my childhood days. In the Bear Went Over the Mountain by Iza Trapani, we follow along with a big brown bear as he uses his five senses – sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste – as he explores his world around him. Whether it’s watching the ducks swimming in the pond, listening to the crickets chirp, smelling the spicy pines, touching a soggy log, or tasting a tangy shrub – good or bad you can tell that the bear truly appreciates every experience. And when he finally goes home to his cave he’s content with all his precious treasures.

My kids and I really enjoyed this book because it was such a quiet and soothing story. We liked how happy the bear was as he made his was around the forest and admired his sense of wonder. Even if he didn’t really know what something was it didn’t stop him from finding out. It taught my kids that if you take a chance you just might find something wonderful.

We also liked the bold watercolor images that really help to bring the story to life. You could almost feel his experiences just by looking at his expressions – happiness, pain, surprise, content.

The Bear Went Over the Mountain is the perfect book to read before bed. What a great way to end the day.

Purchase your copy of The Bear Went Over the Mountain at Amazon.com for $11.16.

This post was written for Sky Pony Press who provided the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

Goodnight, Dragons

What’s the best way to tame a group of fire-breathing dragons? A suit of armor and a mighty sword? Nope. How about a soft blanket and some hot chocolate? Yup! At least that’s what this little boy has in mind. His plan is to enter the forest in search of dragons and cuddle them with blankets, have them rest on soft beds of clovers, and share a cup of hot chocolate. And in the end, he finds that kindness is what tames these big beasts.

Kiana especially liked this book because she thought the boy was so nice to the dragons. She said that most people would be afraid of them but this boy just wanted to be their friend. This is something that I felt Kiana could really relate to since she’s always been such a sweet girl. She’s always the first one to try to make friends even when there are new kids in school.

The large font is very easy for kids who are just learning how to read and the book uses basic words that most kids will be able to pronounce.

The illustrations really bring the story to life and you just can’t help but fall in love with those adorable sleeping dragons. It’s a book I know we’ll be reading again soon.

Purchase your copy of Goodnight, Dragons at Amazon.com for $10.97.

This post was written for Disney Publishing who provided the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

Are you looking for a new book about animals to help with homeschooling?  Or just looking for a book with stunning pictures of animals?  If so you should check out Curious Critters by David FitzSimmons.

First let me tell you a little about David FitzSimmons…

He is a free-lance photographer and writer as well as a university professor. David photographs and writes for various magazines, including Outdoor Photographer, Popular Photography, and Shutterbug, newspapers, and online publications. His 100+ calendar credits include numerous titles by BrownTrout and Barnes & Noble. Dave currently is at work on a handful of books. His most recent books include Animals of Ohio’s Ponds and Vernal Pools (Kent State University Press) and Curious Critters (Wild Iris, October 2011).

One of five Sigma Pro photographers in North America, David presents seminars and workshops to a wide variety of audiences, from public school groups and college classes to nature centers and civic organizations. His works have been exhibited at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, the National Center for Nature Photography, and the Telluride Photo Festival, among other venues.

David, a former high school English teacher, has been teaching for 20 years. He is a professor at Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio. He holds a Ph.D. in English from Ohio State University, with a specialty in narrative theory—investigating the components of storytelling—something that influences his photography and writing.

Dave was inspired to photograph and write about nature by his parents, Mick and Judy FitzSimmons, active environmentalists and life-long teachers, and he is assisted in his natural history endeavors by his wife, Olivia, a naturalist, and his two daughters, Sarah and Phoebe.

To see more of Dave’s work and to know more about seminars and photo workshops, visit www.fitzsimmonsphotography.com.

Curious Critters came out in November of 2011.  This hardcover book is recommended for ages 4 to 8 but I believe it can be for any age.  My 1 and 2 year old love looking at the pictures of animals.  My 2 year old likes to name the animals on each page.  My 5 and 8 year old of course love to learn about the animals.

Being any age you will enjoy the stunning photos of the animals.  I love how you can see every detail in each animal.  You can also imagine yourself reaching out and touching the animals and feeling the texture of their bodies.  At the same time I kind of get the creepy crawly feeling looking at some of the bugs.

So if you are looking for a book to add to your collection then this is one I recommend.  Curious Critters can be purchased for $19.95 here.  The book will also be signed and you can request it have a personalized dedication in it when you send an email when it is purchased.

You can also sample pages from the book here.

* Note this is my honest opinion of this book.  I did not get paid for my review but I did receive a complimentary copy for review purposes.

Are you looking for a new series of books for your children?  If so you should check out the Lima Bears.  Lima Bears is a series of books written by Tom Weck and Peter Weck.  They are a father and son team and the stories are based on stories the father used to tell his son.

I had the chance to review the book The Cave Monster.  I love spending time reading stories to my children and I enjoyed reading The Cave Monster with them.  I also love that at the end of the book there are ways to review the book and ask your children questions about what happened in the story.  I am a homeschooling mom so this is a great book to use for homeschooling.

So what is The Cave Monster about?  The Cave Monster is about a bear named Lima Bear who has to rescue his cousin L. Joe Bean from the Cave Monster.  Lima Bear gathers some of his friends together to help him save his cousin.  Even though all of them are afraid to face the cave monster they know that they must face their fear and save their friend L. Joe Bean.  This is a great story about friends who work together to overcome their individual fears and become brave together as a group.

At the end of reading the story I asked my kids a couple of the questions that are listed at the end of the book.

I asked them what their favorite part of the story was.  My 8 year old daughter said she liked the whole story.  My 5 year old son being all boy said he liked when the cave monster was shot in the toe.

Then I asked them what useful thing they would bring my 8 year old daughter said a sharp knife and my 5 year son said a flash light so he could see in the dark cave.

You can see just from those few questions how you can work in homeschooling.  You have to make them think about what they read and what they would do the same or differently.

So if you are looking for a fun and adventurous book to read with your children then you should check out Lima Bears The Cave Monster.  The book can be found on Amazon here for $11.96.

*Note this is my honest opinion of the book reviewed above.  I also was not paid for this review.

Chicken Soup for the Soul introduces a book filled with stories of love, inspiration, humor, and more for the mature generation out there, called “Inspiration for the Young at Heart”.  This book is all about enjoying your senior years and features such story topics as new adventures, taking college classes, finding love, how to handle a retired husband, and so much more!

* This book is available for purchase on Amazon.com right now for $10.91

I had the great opportunity to review this book myself and I have truly enjoyed reading these stories!  I think this is a perfect book for parents, grandparents, and anyone that loves to read.  I am now going to pass this book onto my mother in law who is in her late 60′s.  Not only does she love to read, she loves inspiring and heartwarming stories like the ones featured in this book.  If you’re looking for a perfect gift for an older loved one, you can’t miss with this book!

I have been a fan of Chicken Soup for the Soul books since they first started out.  I even have my daughter enjoying their Chicken Soup for the Soul “Preteens” book.  There is a book in this series for anyone out there.  I applaude Chicken Soup for the Soul for creating “Inspiration for the Young at Heart”.  This book really helps you see that getting older doesn’t mean the fun stops!

Connect With Chicken Soup for the Soul:

* Website

* Facebook

* Twitter

Disclosure: I received a sample from the above named company in exchange for a review.  All opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and are not a result of any outside influence.

Something I love to do during the holidays is read my children Christmas books,  but I have never had an opportunity to read them a personalized Christmas book until now!  So let me introduce you to one of the best sites on the Internet to purchase personalized books for just about any occasion for children – www.iseeme.com .  Besides personalized books they also offer a wonderful selection of other great personalized items including bandannas,  puzzles,  and more!  www.iseeme.com was  kind enough to provide me with a personalized My Very Merry Christmas Board Book to review with my son.

To begin I was asked to provide a little bit of information about my son so they could personalize it with his personal information.  I was asked his name,  gender,  and date of birth.  Additionally,  I was asked to select a dedication from a drop down list of provided dedications,  the sender,  and the year the book was given.  I had it personalized for my three year old son,  as the book is perfect for ages 0- 6 years old.

Before I knew it the packaged arrive and inside was one of the cutest little books I have ever laid my eyes on!  The book cover features a festive Christmas Tree and read “Zane’s Very Merry Christmas”. The book told a cute Christmas story which included lots of adorable forest animals.  My favorite page by far was the last page because it animals circling the Christmas Tree with my sons name spelled out on the ornaments.  Throughout the book the fuzzy forest friends deliver a note to Santa about your child.  As I read the book to my son he got so excited each time he heard his name and really seemed to enjoy it!

The personalized hard back book is very durable and so far is not at all torn or ripped,  which is somewhat of a miracle in this household!   I believe it would make a great Christmas gift or Stocking Stuffer for any child.

This amazing Story Book is written by award-winning author Jennifer Dewing and illustrated by Mati Rose McDonough.

Buy It:  You can purchase this twenty page personalized hard back book for only $24.95 on www.iseeme.com.  If you purchase

Learn More:  To learn more about I See Me!  Visit their website,  connect with them on Facebook,  or follow them on Twitter.

 This post was written for I See Me who provided the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

A Magical Christmas ($9.99): This oversized holiday-themed board book features beloved Disney characters displayed in large, high-definition lenticulars on every spread!

One look at this book and you know it’s pure Disney. The padded hard cover is filled with bright and colorful images of various Disney characters – Belle, Minnie, Mater, WALL-E, Pluto, and Mickey – that invite you into their worlds. Each double spread is dedicated to one particular theme with a simple 2-sentence story. This is perfect for Kiana (5) who’s just beginning to read independently.

There’s also brightly illustrated holiday images as well as moving pictures which the kids love. It’s the perfect book to put everyone in the holiday spirit!

Baby Einstein: Touch and Feel Christmas ($6.99): Deliver the magic of Christmas to baby’s fingertips with this touch & feel board book!

Kaila loves this book and all the different textures it provides – the glittery ornament, soft Santa hat, satin ribbon on a wreath, smooth foil wrapping paper. Paired with simple words in large font and we have a book that helps Kaila learn adjectives as it relates to objects.

We also like how bright and bold the illustrations are which really help keep Kaila’s attention to what’s going on in the book. And since the font is so big, we also use this book to point out various letters and put them together to form words. All in all, it’s a great educational book for kids 9+ months.

This post was written for Disney Publishing Worldwide who provided the complimentary products in exchange for my honest review.