Friday, January 28, 2022

Book Review - At Night by Margaret Peot


My Review

At Night is a beautiful picture book for children about animals and what they do at night. It explores the lives of owls, foxes, bobcats, opossums, raccoons, rabbits, skunks, mice, and porcupines. 

The illustrations are striking and eye catching, with animals seen against dark night time settings.  

The storytelling is lovely with "at night" on one page and then details about the animal on the next page.  The repetition of "at night" and illustrations and words would make this a perfect bedtime read aloud.  At the end of the book all the animals are pictured, sleeping during the day.

The book ends with two pages of interesting facts about the animals seen in the book - i.e. a group of rabbits is called a colony.

I recommend At Night for families with young children, for bedtime story time, and also for preschool story circle (perfect for a study unit on animals!).

Book Synopsis

What animals forage by night and sleep by day? This children’s picture book describes the nocturnal lives of nine common animals: foxes, porcupines, racoons, skunks, opossums, bobcats, owls, mouse, and rabbits. Join the adult animals guiding their children through the forest during the dark of night. The book includes information on the common names of the animal’s offspring (i.e. fox:kit).

Author Bio

Margaret Peot is an artist, writer, teacher and paints costumes for Broadway theater, as well as dance, ice shows and arena shows. She is the author/artist of twelve other books, including Inkblot: Drip, Splat and Squish Your Way to Creativity, which was awarded the Eureka! silver Medal for non-fiction children’s books.


 

Book Review and Giveaway - The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews


My Review

In 1862, Evelyn Maltravers enters a London tailors shop and meets half-Indian tailor Ahmad Malik. Sparks immediately fly between the pair, but a match between them pushes boundaries. Evelyn also pushes boundaries as an equestrienne from a family with a history of scandal.

I wanted to read this novel because I love historical fiction, enjoy Victorian settings, and have enjoyed several Mimi Matthews books in the past.

This was a wonderful, engrossing read.  I loved the pairing of Evelyn and Ahmad. They are an unexpected but delightful match, and I found myself reading past my bedtime to see what would happen next.

As always, Mimi Matthews does a beautiful job transporting readers to the Victorian era with her language and rich descriptions. She has an unusual gift for going beyond mere descriptions to actually evoking a time and place.

I recommend The Siren of Sussex highly for fans of historical fiction, and especially for anyone who loves the Victorian era.  I look forward to upcoming reads in this new Belles of London series. 

Book Synopsis

Victorian high society’s most daring equestrienne finds love and an unexpected ally in her fight for independence in the strong arms of London’s most sought after and devastatingly handsome half-Indian tailor.

Evelyn Maltravers understands exactly how little she's worth on the marriage mart. As an incurable bluestocking from a family tumbling swiftly toward ruin, she knows she'll never make a match in a ballroom. Her only hope is to distinguish herself by making the biggest splash in the one sphere she excels: on horseback. In haute couture. But to truly capture London's attention she'll need a habit-maker who's not afraid to take risks with his designs—and with his heart.

Half-Indian tailor Ahmad Malik has always had a talent for making women beautiful, inching his way toward recognition by designing riding habits for Rotten Row's infamous Pretty Horsebreakers—but no one compares to Evelyn. Her unbridled spirit enchants him, awakening a depth of feeling he never thought possible.

But pushing boundaries comes at a cost and not everyone is pleased to welcome Evelyn and Ahmad into fashionable society. With obstacles spanning between them, the indomitable pair must decide which hurdles they can jump and what matters most: making their mark or following their hearts? 


Author Bio

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning proper Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes a retired Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats.

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Giveaway

Giveaway hosted by Mimi Matthews. No Purchase Necessary. Entrants must be 18 years or older. Open to US residents only. Void where prohibited.

The Giveaway Package:

1 winner (selected at random by Rafflecopter) receives the following:

Signed print copy of The Siren of Sussex
Horse scarf
Pewter sidesaddle brooch (made in Sussex, England!)
The Siren of Sussex tote bag
Three candles in scents: Fresh Hay, New Saddle, and Winter Ride
Box of Ahmad Tea (60 count, assorted flavors)
The Siren of Sussex bookmark

The giveaway is open from 12:01 am Pacific time 1/4/22 until 11:59pm Pacific time on 2/7/22.

The winner will be announced on Mimi's blog - mimimatthews.com – at 8:00 pm Pacific time on 2/8/22.

You can enter here:  

a Rafflecopter giveaway