Winner!

Congratulations

Kathy at Bemudaonion

(entry #1)

For winning an autographed copy of Horten's Incredible Illusions! Yay, Kathy! Please reply to my email with your mailing address.

*New giveaway coming right up!*

Winners!

Congratulations to:

Cheyenne Teska
winner of my arc Of Poseidon byAnna Banks
 

and to:

Jess (The Cozy Reader)

winner of autographed copy Poopendous! by Artie Bennett

I have sent emails to the winners.
Please send me your information so I can get these books to you.

*More giveaways coming right up!*

Review: Cows Can't Jump by Dave Reisman

 

Is it really true that cows can't jump, gorillas can't swim and sloths can't leap? 

Yes, but discover what these and other animals can do, as they swing, scamper and glide through Cows Can't Jump! In this humorous and inspirational adventure, animals focus on what they do best, comfortably aware they can t do everything, but proud of their own special skills. Vibrantly illustrated, Cows Can't Jump will help young readers learn diverse and dynamic words, while absorbing a subtle yet powerful message that builds self-esteem and teaches respect and humility.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Review
 This is a delightful children's book with a silly, simple story about animals. Did you know that cows can't jump but they can swim? And gorillas can't swim but can swing? The bright and playful illustrations are fun for everyone. Combined with the repetitive verse they offer teachable moments on every page. Little tots will enjoy learning to identify the animals and their special abilities. 

This is a book that is meant to be shared. My favorite three year-old loved it and we've read it again and again. She took home the boardbook to read herself and I kept paperback copy here for us to keep reading together. I recommend sharing it with the little people in your life!

I also received a nice note from the author on adorable cow stationary. And there was a matching cow return address label! I'll be keeping those forever along with my book.


Publisher

Thank you to the publisher for autographed paperback and boardbook editions to review.

Publisher: Jumping Cow Press
Release date: 10/19/08
Pages: 44
Price/format: $7.99/paperback & $11.99/boardbook
Type: children

Review: Say Hello To Zorro! by Carter Goodrich

Mister Bud had it pretty good.

Mister Bud is a dog of routine. He has wake up time, nap time, rest time, dinner time, etc. And everyone knows to follow his schedule.

Then disaster strikes. A stranger comes home at "make a fuss time" and throws everything off! Zorro is little bit bossy and Mister Bud wants nothing to do with him. But when the dogs discover they like the same things (like chasing the cat and napping), everything becomes more fun. As long as everyone follows the schedule.

Review
You don't have to be a pet lover or a kid to enjoy this book! The story is told with few words on each page while the adorable, colorful illustrations tell the rest. Having two dogs of my own I can tell you that the actions and expressions of the main characters, Mister Bud and Zorro, are spot on! Whether it's lounging on the bed or snarling at the food dish their faces are priceless.

This is a touching story about sharing, compromise and friendship. Even the littlest readers will understand the message and enjoy the relationship that blossoms between these two pups. I read this to my favorite three year-old and she immediately demanded we read it again. I happily obliged her request and plan to enjoy this for a long time to come. We can't wait for the next Mister Bud and Zorro book!

Author Biography

Acclaimed artist Carter Goodrich has illustrated thirteen New Yorker covers and has worked as a character designer on many beloved animated films, including The Prince of Egypt; Shrek; Monsters, Inc.; Finding Nemo; as well as the forthcoming Open Season. He is a two-time gold-medal recipient from the Society of Illustrators in New York and a graduate of the Rhose Island School of Design. His work has also appeared in Newsweek, Forbes, and Time. Mr. Goodrich resides in Los Angeles, California.

Publisher
Author *check out slide shows of his amazing artwork!*

Thank you to the author for an autographed copy to review.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Release date: 3/22/11
Pages: 48
Price/format: $15.99/hardcover
Type: children ages 4-8

Review: Magnus Maximus, A Marvelous Measurer by Kathleen T. Pelley

There once was an
old man who loved
to measure things.

Magnus Maximus is a marvelous measurer. He measures wetness and dryness, nearness and farness, and everything in between. When a lion escapes from a traveling circus, Magnus and his trusty measuring tape come to the rescue. Now a hero, all is well until the day Magnus accidentally breaks his glasses, and he sees—for the first time—that he’s been missing out on life’s simple pleasures.

Kathleen T. Pelley’s marvelous tale and S. D. Schindler's inspired illustrations remind us that the best things in life are not meant to be measured, but treasured.

From the first page, this book reminded me of some of my favorite childhood reads. The classic illustrations took me back to trips to the library, sitting in the little wooden chairs pulling picture books from the shelf.

Magnus Maximus takes his job measuring very seriously. This timeless tale tells of his obsession with his work until he breaks his glasses. His lesson learned is to enjoy life and it's a good example for our workaholic society today. The charming pictures filled with soft colors and delicate details enhance the story. I will enjoy this delightful book with little people for a long time to come!

Thank you to the author for hosting the giveaway and the autographed copy.

Author's site
Jaketflap - Illustrator
Publisher's site

Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Release date: 4/10
Pages: 35
Price/format: $16.99/hardcover
Type: picture book (4-8 years)

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday at The Printed Page (this month at Let Them Read Books) is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

It's mid-December and I have lots of shopping to do and lots of good books to read (guess which one is more fun!) Was your mailbox full last week?

Wither
by Lauren DeStefano

from Simon & Schuster for review

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.

Jinx
by Jennifer Estep

Bought (Brand new $1.25!)

Sparks are going to fly in this new superhero romance from the author of Karma Girl and Hot Mama.

Bella would feel better about being born into a family of superheroes if her own superpower was something she could control-or at least use. But static electricity? That's less a power than a jinx. Then she stumbles on two things no supergirl should be without: an ubervillain and a dashing-if shady-stranger named Debonair. Bella's about to learn just how well love and danger mix.

Allison Hewitt is Trapped
by Madeleine Roux

from Goodreads First Reads for review

Allison Hewitt and her five colleagues at the Brooks and Peabody Bookstore are trapped together when the zombie outbreak hits. Allison reaches out for help through her blog, writing on her laptop and utilizing the military's emergency wireless network (SNET). It may also be her only chance to reach her mother. But as the reality of their situation sinks in, Allison’s blog becomes a harrowing account of her edge-of-the-seat adventures (with some witty sarcasm thrown in) as she and her companions fight their way through ravenous zombies and sometimes even more dangerous humans.

Magnus Maximus, a Marvelous Measurer
by Kathleen T. Pelley

autographed from author

Magnus Maximus is a marvelous measurer. He measures wetness and dryness, nearness and farness, and everything in between. When a lion escapes from a traveling circus, Magnus and his trusty measuring tape come to the rescue. Now a hero, all is well until the day Magnus accidentally breaks his glasses, and he sees—for the first time—that he’s been missing out on life’s simple pleasures.

Kathleen T. Pelley’s marvelous tale and S. D. Schindler's inspired illustrations remind us that the best things in life are not meant to be measured, but treasured.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday at The Printed Page is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

I've got two weeks to catch up on and have lots of goodies! I hope you had a wonderful week too!

Private
by James Patterson

For review from Hatchette

Former Marine and CIA agent Jack Morgan inherits his father's renowned security and detective business--along with a case load that tests him to the breaking point. Getting to the bottom of an NFL gambling scandal and an unsolved LAPD investigation into 18 school girl slayings would be enough. On top of all that, Morgan takes on solving the horrific murder of his best friend's wife. As Morgan fights the urge to exact brutal revenge on that killer, he has to navigate a workplace imbroglio that could blow the roof off his elite agency. And it's an especially explosive situation . . . because the love affair is his own.

Think of a Number
by John Verdon

For review from Crown Publishing Group

Arriving in the mail over a period of weeks are taunting letters that end with a simple declaration, “Think of any number…picture it…now see how well I know your secrets.” Amazingly, those who comply find that the letter writer has predicted their random choice exactly. For Dave Gurney, just retired as the NYPD’s top homicide investigator and forging a new life with his wife, Madeleine, in upstate New York, the letters are oddities that begin as a diverting puzzle but quickly ignite a massive serial murder investigation.

What police are confronted with is a completely baffling killer, one who is fond of rhymes filled with threats and warnings, whose attention to detail is unprecedented, and who has an uncanny knack for disappearing into thin air. Even more disturbing, the scale of his ambition seems to widen as events unfold.

Brought in as an investigative consultant, Dave Gurney soon accomplishes deductive breakthroughs that leave local police in awe. Yet, even as he matches wits with his seemingly clairvoyant opponent, Gurney’s tragedy-marred past rises up to haunt him, his marriage approaches a dangerous precipice, and finally, a dark, cold fear builds that he’s met an adversary who can’t be stopped.

In the end, fighting to keep his bearings amid a whirlwind of menace and destruction, Gurney sees the truth of what he’s become – what we all become when guilty memories fester – and how his wife Madeleine’s clear-eyed advice may be the only answer that makes sense.

A work that defies easy labels -- at once a propulsive masterpiece of suspense and an absorbing immersion in the lives of characters so real we seem to hear their heartbeats – Think of a Number is a novel you’ll not soon forget.

Crescendo
by Becca Fitzpatrick
For review from Simon & Schuster

The sequel to the New York Times Best selling phenomenon, Hush, Hush!

Nora should have know her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

Lobsterland
by Susan Carlton

Win from the author - autographed, plus extra goodies!

Tourists may think life on an island off the coast of Maine is quaint, but Charlotte knows better. She’s tired of her island prison (it has a real name, but she calls it “Bleak”), and she’s sure that a life in the great anywhere-else is heaps better than one that revolves around catching a ferry to the mainland. She even has the perfect solution: boarding school. But who will take care of the siblets? Will clinically crazy Mom or organic-obsessed Dad be able to hold things together without her there? And is Charlotte ready to leave love-of-her-life Noah behind? Susan Carlton has created a remarkably vivid, strong character in Charlotte; her intelligence, charm, and bitingly sarcastic wit are sure to win over anyone who has ever wanted more than Bleak.

Passing Strange
by Daniel Waters

For review from Non-Fiction Books

Karen DeSonne always passed as a normal (if pale) teenager; with her friends, with her family, and at school. Passing cost her the love of her life. And now that Karen’s dead, she’s still passing—this time, as alive. Karen DeSonne just happens to be an extremely human-like zombie. Meanwhile, Karen’s dead friends have been fingered in a high-profile murder, causing a new round of antizombie regulations that have forced them into hiding. Karen soon learns that the “murder” that destroyed their non-life was a hoax, staged by Pete Martinsburg and his bioist zealots. Obtaining enough evidence to expose the fraud and prove her friends’ innocence means doing the unthinkable: becoming Pete’s girlfriend. Karen’s only hope is that the enemy never realizes who she really is—because the consequences would be worse than death.