Book Review: Little Chick's Bible

Little Chick's Bible

By P J Lyons, Melanie Mitchell
Published by Zondervan

Book Description

The Little Chick’s Bible is a soft, cuddly Bible that children age 2-5 can call their own. Throughout this plush-covered book little ones learn that they’re loved and cared for by God as they hear about God’s faithfulness in stories from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. With sweet, rhyming text and colorful illustrations, this soft and cuddly character storybook Bible is sure to become a classic with preschoolers.

My Review 

The Little Chick's Bible is a wonderful Bible story book for the youngest children.  It is soft and cuddly, with a plush chick on the cover.  Children can pet the chick, open and close his beak, flap his little wings.  This book is immediately child-friendly and accessible to a small child.

This is a board book designed for preschool children.  There is a page with a short rhyming verse that tells a Bible story, and on the opposite page there is a lovely illustration of the story.  Stories in the book include:  the Creation, Noah's Ark, Baby Moses, David and Goliath, the Nativity, compassion to a neighbor (Luke 10:25-37), the miracle of bread and fish, the Resurrection.

Each Bible story is told in a short verse.  For instance, "God's Friend Noah" reads:

"In a time when folks were bad,
Only Noah made God glad.
God said, 'Noah, build a ship.
Pack a zoo, and take a trip.'
God made it rain for forty days.
Still Noah always gave God praise.
'No more floods that big,' God vowed,
And wrote his promise, cloud to cloud."

The illustrations are exceptional.  They are bright and colorful, with details that will appeal to children - cute animals, nature, warm and interesting faces on people.

I would recommend this book highly as a gift, as a Sunday School teaching tool, or as a great read aloud for a preschool classroom.
 
About the Author
PJ Lyons received a Master's Degree in Writing for Children at Vermont College and is the author of The Little Lion's Bible, The Little Lamb's Bible, and The Wonderful World that God Made. She currently resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

I received this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.

Review and Giveaway: Donkey's Kite and The Three Little Horses and The Big Bully Donkey

Book Description for The Three Little Horses and the Big Bully Donkey (Book 1):

A tale (based on the “Three Little Pigs”) about three little horse brothers who suddenly lose their house that is destroyed by a fire. The young horses are totally alone and thrust into the reality of having to depend on themselves and each other against a bully donkey, who wanders the forest wrecking homes and bullying the other animals. This warm-hearted tale promotes strong values and has a fun premise. Written and humorously illustrated in vivid color throughout by Liana-Melissa Allen, the story is a proven winner for reading aloud to children.

My Review of The Three Little Horses and the Big Bully Donkey:

Before I was a blogger, I spent years teaching preschool.  I always looked for great read aloud books.  A good read aloud will have lots of pictures that engage children, lively dialogue, and a fun, fast moving story.  The Three Little Horses and the Big Bully Donkey has all these traits.  It would be a perfect read aloud for a preschool child or classroom.

This book is loosely based on The Three Little Pigs, and it is fun read for young children.   It also has a terrific message:  we are stronger when we work together and show kindness. 

The illustrations are charming, colorful and engaging.  Liana-Melissa Allen captures the different personalities of the three horses, Max, Lax, and Jack, and the bully Donkey too.  I especially loved her illustrations of the different houses the horses build.

This cute book would be wonderful at home or in a classroom.  Children are sure to enjoy it!

Book Description for Donkey's Kite (Book 2):

The three horses Jack, Max, Lax and their friend Donkey are back!

In Horse Valley, it's a perfect day to go kite flying. Jack, Max, Lax, and Donkey decide to get creative by putting together their own homemade kites. However, Donkey's kite doesn't work. No matter how hard he tries to get it to fly, it just keeps tumbling to the ground. How will poor Donkey get his kite to fly? A friendly goose named Gusty is delighted to help him out.

In this Horse Valley Adventure, Donkey learns not to give up when all seems hopeless. The friends all learn a lesson about helping others and true friendship.

My Review of Donkey's Kite:

Donkey's Kite is a cute children's book by Liana-Melissa Allen.   It tells the story of the three horse brothers, Lax, Max, and Jack, and their good friend Donkey.  The animals decide to build kites together.  The horses are so busy building perfect kites that they don't have time to help Donkey, who is struggling.

At the park, donkey meets a bully but also makes a great new friend - Gusty the goose.  Gusty helps him learn to fly a kite, and teaches the animal friends an important lesson about helping each other and working together.

This book has bright, colorful illustrations that children are sure to enjoy.  The dialogue is lively and fast moving;  it would be a fun read aloud for preschool children.

I am so impressed with Liana-Melissa Allen's talent as both a writer and illustrator.  I also love the important messages the Horse Valley Adventure books teach.  I highly recommend this book for young children.  They are sure to enjoy it! 

Author's Bio:

Liana-Melissa Allen is a young author and illustrator of children's books and books for youth. She has written, illustrated and published six books. Her most recent one is the colorfully illustrated children's book "Donkey's Kite", the second book of "A Horse Valley Adventure" series. The first was "The Three Little Horses and the Big Bully Donkey". The lovable cartoon characters, Max, Lax, Jack and Donkey makes them a favorite of first and second grade students. She is now working on her third book of "A Horse Valley Adventure".

The magical world of fantasy has inspired Liana's imagination since as long as she can remember. Part of this was fueled by her dad reading aloud to her every day when she was younger. As a result, reading is her primary passion along with music. These two passions feed her imagination into stories and drawings, which she joyously sketches out into storyboards for a potential book.

Liana-Melissa is also a dedicated classical/jazz pianist, and mostly enjoys older music, especially from the big band era and the 1940's, 50's and 60's. While playing the piano, her imagination often leads to a great amount of improvising. Frequently, Liana will improvise a theme for one of the stories she is writing. Capturing this improvised music became a priority, which ultimately resulted in theme music for "A Horse Valley Adventure". The "Horse Valley" theme will be used for a short animated video featuring her Horse Valley characters.

Liana-Melissa loves to hear from her young readers. Please visit her website at www.lmabooks.com for more information, and to contact her by email. Visit her on Facebook too.

Where to buy the books:

On Author's Website
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

​Giveaway:​

​Prize: ​

Win one of ten sets of A Horse Valley Adventure books! One winner will also get a $30 Amazon gift card. Open internationally.

Ends April 17.

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 I received both books from iRead Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

Release Event and Giveaway: Slayed on the Slopes by Kate Dyer-Seely

Welcome to the release day event for Slayed on the Slopes by Kate Dyer-Seeley! This is the second book in the Pacific Northwest Mystery series. Slayed on the Slopes released March 31st by Kensington Publishing.

About the Book:
After talking her way into a job writing for Portland’s Northwest Extreme magazine, Meg Reed may now really be in over her head. Actually, about 8,000 feet over her head. . .

She’s at Mount Hood’s remote Silcox Hut, covering the seriously hardcore Ridge Rangers—Oregon’s elite high-altitude rescue team–during their four-day winter training. Sure, Meg beefed up her outdoor skills over the summer . . . but she’s still hoping to cover the event with some hot chocolate by the cheery fireplace. Then, during a sudden blizzard, she swears she hears gunshots. No one stranded in the hut believes her . . . until self-absorbed Ridge Ranger Ben Rogers is found outside in a pool of frozen blood. Meg’s now got to find this killer quickly . . . before cabin fever does them all in!

Praise For Scene Of The Climb

“A splendid overview of the greater Portland and Columbia River Gorge region, perfect for travel buffs. Her protagonist shows promise with her determined attitude and moxie.” –Library Journal

Includes Adventure Guides!

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Guest Post

Welcome to the top of the world. Okay, well maybe not quite. Welcome to the top of Oregon. In the second installment of the PNW Mystery Series Meg Reed is on the slopes of Oregon’s highest peak—Mt. Hood. She’s on assignment for Northwest Extreme to cover an intensive training weekend with the Ridge Rangers, a group of mountain guides who are dedicated to helping novice climbers trek to the summit.

Meg has high hopes for her weekend at high altitude. She plans to cozy up in front of a roaring fire with a cup of hot chocolate. She’s thrilled to be spending the weekend at the historic Timberline Lodge, one of Oregon’s most famed hotels and a national monument. 

The iconic lodge sits at 6,000 feet in elevation and is a testament to American craftsmanship and resolve. It was constructed in just fifteen months as part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal. Unemployed workers from all over the country traveled to Mt. Hood to learn a new trade. They carted timber from the surrounding forest to carve out the lodge’s magnificent staircases and wood-beamed ceilings.

Today the lodge houses guests from all over the globe, making it one of Oregon’s most popular tourist attractions. In partnership with the National Forest Service, Timberline maintains the same high-quality craftsmanship as it did back in the 1930s. All the brightly colored Pendleton blankets in each quest room are woven by hand. The lodge is like stepping back in time. Down each cheery hallway you’ll discover Native American artwork, vintage ski photos, wood carvings, and stunning views of the summit and the entire Cascade Mountain Range.

After a long day on the slopes, you can gather in front of the giant basalt fireplace with steaming mugs of hot cocoa to warm your hands, or head to the Blue Ox Bar or Ram’s Head for a pint of Ice Axe Ale. You can soak your toes in Timberline’s outdoor hot tub or take a refreshing swim in its year-round heated outdoor pool. There’s nothing more magical than swimming as snowflakes fall and skiers fly past you.

When Meg arrives at the lodge she learns that the Ridge Rangers are actually meeting at the Silcox Hut, which is located a thousand vertical feet above Timberline and accessible only by snowcat or the chairlift. Meg’s not a fan of heights, so she opts for a bumpy ride up to the remote hut in the snowcat. The SilcoxHut is equally charming and fashioned after the lodge. Maybe she’ll be able to have her relaxing weekend after all… or maybe she’s going to be in way over her head.

Don't miss out on the first book, Scene of the Climb, available now!

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N 

About the Author:


Kate Dyer-Seeley writes the Pacific Northwest Mystery Series for Kensington Publishing. The first
book in the series, Scene of the Climb, features the rugged landscapes of the Columbia River Gorge and a young journalist who bills herself as an intrepid adventurer in order to land a gig writing for Northwest Extreme.

Her work has appeared in a variety of regional and international publications including: The Columbian, The Vancouver Voice, Seattle Backpacker, Portland Family Magazine, and Climbing Magazine.

Kate lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and son, where you can find her hitting the trail, at an artisan coffee shop, or at her favorite pub. Better yet—at all three.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Giveaway:
Winter warmer package- signed copy of Slayed on the Slopes, Signed copy of Scene of the Climb, Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Hot Chocolate Mix, Oregon Chai Tea, 1 Pound of Coffee and Collectable Mt. Hood art coaster (US)
Ends April 21, 2015

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This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Music Monday - "Do I Love You?" by The Ronettes (1964)

Sometimes I choose a Music Monday song for one reason:  it makes me happy.  "Do I Love You?" by the Ronettes is one of those songs.

This girl group started singing together as teenagers.  The singers consist of Veronica Bennett (a/k/a Ronnie Spector), her sister Estelle Bennet, and their cousin Nedra Talley.  They grew up in Spanish Harlem and originally called their group The Darling Sisters.  They started working with Spector as The Ronettes in 1963.

"Do I Love You?" was a Top 40 song for The Ronettes in 1964.   It features everything that made them great:  Ronnie Spector's amazing voice, terrific instrumentals, and the "wall of sound" that Phil Spector engineered.

I heard this song for the first time in a long while on the radio a few days ago, and had forgotten how much I like it.  I hope you do, too.

Friday Fave: Southern Diners

I grew up in the Deep South, so of course I grew up with Southern food.  When I was a little girl, we traveled back and forth between Savannah and Atlanta (and we lived in both these cities at different points).  A highlight of all trips up and down Georgia was stopping at little Southern diners.  There was one I recall near Milledgeville called Tick Tock.

I have been vegetarian for a long time (27 years!), but long before I went vegetarian, I loved a veggie plate.  Thankfully, one of the things that Southern diners specialize in is veggie plates.   If you are vegetarian, you have to make sure you go to diners that do not season vegetables with meat, or they have a "V" for vegetarian on the menu for veggies that are cooked vegetarian style.  Thankfully, there are several great Southern diners in my city that serve vegetarian vegetables.  Hooray!

If you go to a Southern diner, the menu may be printed, or it may be a simple xerox page that lists the veggies of the day.   It may be posted on the wall (also easy for diner owners to change daily).  There may be a little serving line, like a mini-cafeteria, where you pick the vegetables you want.

A veggie plate is typically three or four veggies.  My meal above has fried eggplant, corn, and applesauce.  You will always find a wide variety of vegetables, like: fried okra, fried green tomatoes, squash souffle, tossed salad, collard greens, blackeyed peas, fruit salad, potato cakes, corn-on-the-cob, baked beans, stewed apples, cheese grits, tomato pie, sweet potato souffle, and more.  Most of the diners I go to serve cornbread on the side.  Of course, the beverage of choice is sweet tea (iced tea that is sweetened with sugar immediately after brewing, so it is perfectly sweet).  I rarely get desserts at a diner because I am too full from vegetables!  The most common dessert at Southern diners is fruit cobbler (peach, cherry, blackberry, etc.).  

The restaurants vary, but the atmosphere tends to be casual and cozy, often with old photos or vintage items on the wall.  (Many of these places have been in business for years and years.)   Service is casual and friendly. 

Do you like Southern cooking?  Any favorite Southern diner stories or meals to share?   I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.