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Aeicha @ Word Spelunking

Monday, April 16, 2018

Three Fantastic New Books





An Atlas of Imaginary Places 
By Mia Cassany and Ana de Lima
March 20, 2018 
Prestel Junior 
Amazon / B&N / Indiebound 

This dreamy, gorgeously detailed picture book leads children on a journey to impossible but wonderfully imagined places. 

Upside-down mountains, volcanoes that spew bubble gum, a gentle humpback whale keeping an entire city afloat. These and other wonderful worlds may not exist on Earth, but elsewhere--who knows? Each spread of this captivating book invites readers on a fantastic voyage. Ana de Lima's whimsical, softly colored illustrations are filled with surprising details that reward close examination, while Mia Cassany's soothing narrator is a nameless fellow traveler. A jungle where the animals exchange stripes, spots, and markings each time they sneeze, an archipelago made up of dessert-shaped islands, and a lighthouse so tall you can draw a new galaxy with your finger are just some of the wild places to visit. Perfect for before-bed reading, or daytime dreaming, this stunningly illustrated book will delight young readers and encourage them to conjure their own imaginary places. 

An Atlas of Imaginary Places is wondrously whimsical, captivatingly imaginative, and absolutely stunning! Bursting with lush, intricate, colorful, and unexpected illustrations and dreamy text, this picture book will enchant and charm readers of all ages. 


Colorama: From Fuchsia to Midnight Blue 
BCruschiform 
March 20, 2018 
Prestel 
Amazon / B&N / Indiebound 

When is a blue dress not blue but navy, indigo, denim, or lapiz lazuli? With this fascinating and informative book in hand, young readers will be able to identify the colors that speak to them--and understand the reason there are so many subtle differences between shades. 

What is the color white? The serenity of a snowfall? The peace of a dove? The purity of alabaster? This original and captivating exploration of color delves into the nuances of the universal palette while also explaining the history behind some of the terms used to describe certain hues. Elegantly designed it offers two-page spreads for 133 different shades. Each full-page of brilliant color faces a charming explanatory illustration and text of technical, scientific, historic, etymological, or linguistic terms. Two helpful indices present the colors in the order in which they appear in the book and also sorts them thematically in categories such as "Birds," "Cloth," "Modes of Transport," and "Formulas." The book also offers inspiration and guidance to painters and illustrators. Young lovers of art can understand why artists chose a particular shade over another. As fun to peruse as it is informative, this unique, cleverly designed book offers a wealth of surprises about the colors around us. 

CRUSCHIFORM is a Paris-based creative studio that specializes in illustration and graphic design. It was founded in 2007 by Marie-Laure Cruschi. 

What a surprising delight and treat! Colorama is beautifully executed, wonderfully informative, and just so much fun to flip through. Each color explored is given two pages: a full page featuring a swatch of the color itself and a page detailing its history. Perfect for artists, decorators, and color enthusiasts. My niece and I really loved diving into this color adventure!

 My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton 
By Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie 
April 3, 2018 
William Morrow Paperbacks 
Amazon / B&N / Indiebound 

From the New York Times bestselling authors of America’s First Daughter comes the epic story of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton—a revolutionary woman who, like her new nation, struggled to define herself in the wake of war, betrayal, and tragedy. Haunting, moving, and beautifully written, Dray and Kamoie used thousands of letters and original sources to tell Eliza’s story as it’s never been told before—not just as the wronged wife at the center of a political sex scandal—but also as a founding mother who shaped an American legacy in her own right. 

A general’s daughter… 
 Coming of age on the perilous frontier of revolutionary New York, Elizabeth Schuyler champions the fight for independence. And when she meets Alexander Hamilton, Washington’s penniless but passionate aide-de-camp, she’s captivated by the young officer’s charisma and brilliance. They fall in love, despite Hamilton’s bastard birth and the uncertainties of war.  A founding father’s wife...  But the union they create—in their marriage and the new nation—is far from perfect. From glittering inaugural balls to bloody street riots, the Hamiltons are at the center of it all—including the political treachery of America’s first sex scandal, which forces Eliza to struggle through heartbreak and betrayal to find forgiveness.  The last surviving light of the Revolution…  When a duel destroys Eliza’s hard-won peace, the grieving widow fights her husband’s enemies to preserve Alexander’s legacy. But long-buried secrets threaten everything Eliza believes about her marriage and her own legacy. Questioning her tireless devotion to the man and country that have broken her heart, she’s left with one last battle—to understand the flawed man she married and imperfect union he could never have created without her… 




Disclaimer: I received copies of the books above for review/feature purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own


Thursday, April 12, 2018

Product Review and Giveaway: Canvas Factory

From time to time, Word Spelunking is asked to write product reviews. Sometimes these are book related products, sometimes they are not. Today, I have a non-book related product review to share...



about Canvas Factory, as stated on their website:

Canvas Factory provides high quality canvas prints at an affordable price. We believe in providing the best canvas printing services to ensure that your photos are preserved on canvas exactly as you want them, easily and conveniently. 

"Our goals at The Canvas Factory are simple. We want to make it easy and affordable for everyone to access online photo printing solutions. In addition to providing cheap canvas prints, we also strive to provide top quality materials and flexible options. 

Whether you want to create metal wall art, acrylic photo prints, or stunning canvas prints, we can help. You can upload images from your computer, your social networking profiles, or choose from our large gallery of free to use photos. 

We know that you are using our products to preserve your precious memories and favorite images. We take this responsibility seriously, so we always use the highest quality photo printing materials." 

Connect with Canvas Factory 



For this review, Canvas Factory allowed me to create my very own 16x20 Canvas Photo Print and I used a picture of my adorable niece from Easter this year to create the following:

(this is a picture of my canvas photo print hanging on our living room wall)

The Canvas Factory website is super easy to navigate and creating my Canvas Photo Print couldn't have been simpler! The production and shipping times were quite quick as well, which is always a bonus. I also enjoyed browsing all the other neat products they offer, such as metal and acrylic prints and wall art.

I've never had a photo transferred onto canvas so I wasn't sure what to expect but I was absolutely blown away when I received the finished product above. The print really is gorgeous and of great quality. I love the large 16x20 size and how beautifully it hangs on the wall and how sturdy it feels. The photo quality itself is wonderfully clear and bright, and I love how the photo actually wraps around the edges of the canvas. When my niece saw it she was so amazed and thought being an "art masterpiece" was just the coolest thing ever!

Little A, my family, and I are all just so in love with our Canvas Photo Print and very impressed with the Canvas Factory!



Win your own Canvas Photo Print!
The wonderful Canvas Factory has offered one FREE canvas photo print for one of you!
-US/CAN only
-winner will receive a coupon code for one free canvas photo print and delivery
-ends 4/22/18
-winner will be emailed and must claim prize within 48 hours
-word spelunking is not responsible for lost, damaged, stolen prizes in the mail
Fill out Rafflecopter form to enter:
a Rafflecopter giveaway



Disclaimer: I received the products above free of charge in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own