Perfect Picture Books from Silver Dolphin Books

Does your little reader love fairy tales and/or animals?! Well, then I've got some FABULOUS books from Silver Dolphin Books that you and your tiny readers will LOVE...

Beauty and the Beast: A Coloring Book

Author: Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve

Ages 5 and up

Silver Dolphin Books

This enchanting coloring book is full of wonderful pictures, patterns, and borders to be colored in, as budding artists immerse themselves in the story of Beauty, who goes to live with the terrifying Beast in order to save her father…and then gradually learns to love him. All the key scenes and characters are here to color in as you relive this most romantic of fairy tales.

Wowza! This coloring book is gorgeous, y'all!! The story of Beauty and the Beast comes to life through romantic, enchanting, and fun illustrations to color and the wonderful story quotes included throughout. Readers of all ages will be captivated by and enjoy this coloring book.

First Stories: Beauty and the Beast

Illustrated by Dan Taylor

Ages 0-3

Silver Dolphin Books

"Do you love me, Beauty? Will you marry me?" First Stories: Beauty and the Beast is a perfect introduction to this classic fairytale. Push, pull, and turn mechanisms bring the story to life and introduce all the main characters: Beauty, her father, and of course the Beast! This well-loved fairytale is beautifully imagined for a new generation by children's illustrator Dan Taylor.

First Stories: Cinderella

Illustrated by Dan Taylor

Ages 0-3

Silver Dolphin Books

"Cinderella, you shall go to the ball!" First Stories: Cinderella is a perfect introduction to this classic fairytale. Push, pull, and turn mechanisms bring the story to life and introduce all the main characters: Cinderella, her stepsisters, the handsome prince, and of course the fairy godmother. This well-loved fairytale is beautifully imagined for a new generation by children's illustrator Dan Taylor.

First Stories: Rapunzel

Illustrated by Dan Taylor

Ages 0-3

Silver Dolphin Books

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your golden hair!" First Stories: Rapunzel is the perfect introduction for young children to this classic fairytale. Push, pull, and turn mechanisms bring the story to life and introduce all the main characters: Rapunzel, the handsome prince, and of course the wicked witch! This well-loved fairytale is beautifully imagined for a new generation by children's illustrator Dan Taylor.

What fun these Fairytale First Stories are! Each board book explores its fairytale through charming rhymes, bright; lovely illustrations, and exciting; engaging push, pull, and turn mechanisms that allow little readers to bring the stories to life. These are sure to be a bedtime favorite!

Search and Find: Animals

Author: Libby Walden

Illustrator: Fermín Solís

Ages 0-3

Can you find a pair of birds playing badminton, a gibbon with a ribbon, and a starfish shining in the spotlight? In Search and Find: Animals, young children are prompted to search six busy foldout scenes to find the illustrations highlighted on the large flaps. Each colorful spread features 20 things to find, plus additional amusing animals on a farm, in the Arctic, under a jungle canopy, beneath the waves, across the savannah, and in the nighttime woods. As readers explore the pages and find the animals, they will encounter other creatures scampering about—so parents can help children identify and learn the names of even more animals.

I just love this Search and Find book! Bursting with large fold out scenes, adorable critters to find, and humorous, brightly colored illustrations, this sturdy book will provide hours of entertainment for your little readers.

Silver Dolphin Books

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For nearly 20 years, Silver Dolphin Books has published award-winning activity, novelty, and educational nonfiction books for preschoolers to 12-year-olds. Our focus is to create books that engage and inspire children to learn more about the world around them while fostering a love of reading, exploration, and creative expression. From adorably-illustrated board books for toddlers, to interactive play and building sets, to sound books made for story time, we develop innovative books that both enlighten and entertain.

Holiday Picture Book Reviews: Sharing the Bread, Santa's Sleigh Is On Its Way To My House, The Night The Lights Went Out On Christmas

With Thanksgiving and Christmas fast approaching, I have three books to share that are perfect for this holiday season...

Sharing the Bread: An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Story

by Pat Zietlow Miller

Sept. 22, 2015

Random House Kids

Celebrate food and family with this heartwarming Thanksgiving picture book. We will share the risen bread. / Our made-with-love Thanksgiving spread. / Grateful to be warm and fed. / We will share the bread. In this spirited ode to the holiday, set at the turn of the twentieth century, a large family works together to make their special meal. Mama prepares the turkey, Daddy tends the fire, Sister kneads, and Brother bastes. Everyone—from Grandma and Grandpa to the littlest baby—has a special job to do. Told in spare, rhythmic verse and lively illustrations,Sharing the Bread is a perfect read-aloud to celebrate the Thanksgiving tradition.

PRAISE

"A warm and wonderful holiday treasure." —Publishers Weekly, Starred

"Captures the spirit of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner." —School Library Journal

"A delightful holiday book that shows the heartwarming tradition of food and family." —Booklist

*************************************

Sharing The Bread transports readers back to the 19th century and follows one family as they prepare a magnificent and yummy Thanksgiving meal!

Told through sparse, lyrical rhymes, Sharing The Bread is a heartwarming and charming picture book. The simple, yet descriptive, rhymes are sweet and amusing in their sing-song flow. Little readers will easily be able to memorize their favorite lines and “read along”. From putting the turkey into the oven to making all the fixings and setting a gorgeous table, Sharing The Bread explores it all, and it does so with a lot of heart!

The bright, captivating illustrations wonderfully capture the story and will engage little eyes, as young readers have fun pointing out all the clever details.

Sharing The Bread is a beautiful and entertaining story that does a wonderful job of capturing the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

MY RATING

Pat Zietlow Miller knew she wanted to be a writer ever since her seventh-grade English teacher read her paper about square-dancing skirts out loud in class and said: “This is the first time anything a student has written has given me chills.” (Thanks, Mrs. Mueller! You rock!)

Pat started out as a newspaper reporter and wrote about everything from dartball and deer-hunting to diets and decoupage. Then, she joined an insurance company and edited its newsletter and magazine.

Now, she writes insurance information by day and children’s books by night. Her first picture book, SOPHIE’S SQUASH, is illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf and published by Schwartz & Wade. Her second picture book, WHEREVER YOU GO, is illustrated by Eliza Wheeler and will be released April 21, 2015 by Little, Brown. SHARING THE BREAD, illustrated by Jill McElmurry, will come out from Schwartz & Wade in August 2015. THE QUICKEST KID IN CLARKSVILLE, a fiction picture book inspired by Olympic sprinter Wilma Rudolph, is under contract with Chronicle.

Pat has one wonderful husband, two delightful daughters and two pampered cats. She doesn’t watch much TV, but she does love “Glee” and "Chopped." Pat lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

Santa's Sleigh Is On Its Way To My House: A Christmas Adventure

by Eric James

Oct. 1, 2015

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

It's a magical Christmas Eve, and all of the children in your town are sleeping. Well, all of the children but you! How could you possibly fall sleep when you know Santa and his sleigh are on their way?

Eric James follows up his spooktacular A Halloween Scare, with the immensely adorable and enthralling Santa's Sleigh Is On Its Way To My House!

Through pitch-perfect and utterly charming rhyming text, Eric James wonderfully captures the excitement and anticipation of Christmas Eve. Little readers will easily relate to the "just can't wait" feelings the young characters in the book experience and will love the thrilling and humorous adventures of Santa as he makes his way to your little one's house. The way the narrator directly addresses readers, and places them within the story, creates such a fun, engaging story! The gorgeously rendered illustrations are soft, yet eye-catching and full of whimsical details. 

And like Eric James' A Halloween Scare, this Christmas picture book is a location based book with over 100 different versions, taking place in different states/countries and featuring location based text and pictures, available.

MY RATING

Eric James is a children's book author, word tickler, and champion asparagus thrower. You can find him online at www.ericjames.co.uk. He lives in Bath, England, with his family.

The Night the Lights Went Out On Christmas

by Ellis Paul

Oct 1, 2015

Albert Whitman & Company

Based on acclaimed singer-songwriter Ellis Paul's Christmas song, this hilarious tale focuses on an inevitable part of the holiday season--lights! Year after year, the neighbors on one suburban street try to outdo one another with their holiday decorations, until one night their efforts take out the world's power grid. Once the neighborhood is dark, though, they're finally able to clearly see the stars above--a simple, perfect Christmas show. 

The Night The Lights Went Out On Christmas takes Ellis Paul's famous song and turns it into an endearing and unforgettable picture book that captures the true essence of Christmas!

Told through sing-song rhymes and silly text, little readers will have a blast watching this Christmas decorations extravaganza unfold and implode in darkness. The jewel toned, filled to the brim illustrations perfectly bring Paul's charming and funny words to life. Every page is a glowing, colorful explosion of Christmas lights, blow-up decorations, expressive faces, and more, and young readers will enjoy pointing out all the holiday details.

MY RATING

Ellis Paul is a singer and songwriter whose style bridges pop and modern folk. In a career spanning more than twenty years, he has released 18 albums, including The Day After Everything Changed. The first of his two children’s albums, The Dragonfly Races, was one of NPR’s top ten picks for 2008. He grew up in northern Maine and is now based in Boston. He spends much of the year on the road, playing nearly 200 tour dates around the country. The Hero in You is his first picture book.

Picture Book Review-- #BabyLove: My Social Life by Corine Dehghanpisheh {giveaway}

Don't forget to enter the giveaway below my review...

#BabyLove: My Social Life

by Corine Dehghanpisheh

July 9, 2015

My Art To Inspire

“Click.” “Tap.” Tag and Post. An adored baby tells a modern tale about life in today’s digital world. #BabyLove: My Social Life highlights the social phenomena of sharing daily activities using technology and social networks.

AMAZON / GOODREADS

PRAISE FOR #BABYLOVE

"A charming modernization of the traditional bedtime tale.”- Reviewed by Kirkus

“#BabyLove: My Social Life is a clever and entertaining look at raising children in the age of social media… The author's story flows beautifully, and her illustrations are brightly colored, cheerful and humorous… Dehghanpisheh's wry and subtle humor is evident throughout this story that will entertain adults as well as the children they share the book with. #BabyLove is highly recommended for tech-savvy parents and their babies.” – Reviewed by Readers’ Favorite

"#BabyLove offers a hipster view of contemporary parenting. Beneath the story of technological trendiness, however, lies a more enduring portrait of nurture and joy." – Reviewed by Foreword Clarion Reviews

****************************************

Corine Dehghanpisheh's #BabyLove: My Social Life is a hip, witty, and modern take on parents and social media. The author perfectly captures what it's like having an adorable baby in this social media age and wanting to share every precious, funny, and unforgettable moment of their little one's lives with the world...something I've been ALL too familiar with since my niece (now 2 years old) was born. With a gaggle of grandparents, aunties, uncles, and her mama and daddy of course, my sweet niece is definitely used to having a camera in her face and being Instagram famous ;)

Told from a baby's perspective and through clever, fun rhymes that flow effortlessly, #BabyLove: My Social Life is as smart as it is entertaining. The sing-song text will sound pleasant and lulling to little ones' ears, while providing plenty of laughs to parents. The bright illustrations, with their expressive characters and humorous details, create a happy, cheerful atmosphere.

Dehghanpisheh definitely explores modern parenting with gently, wry humor, but #BabyLove: My Social Life if full of a lot of heart as well and wonderfully captures the true essence of love, family, and joy.

This charming and amusing picture book is a fun choice for both parents and little ones.

MY RATING

Corine Dehghanpisheh is a children’s book author and illustrator. Her inspirations for writing and illustrating come from everyday life. She was a Mom’s Choice Awards® Silver Recipient and a Next Generation Indie Author Finalist for her debut children’s bookCan We Play Again?, which was published in March 2012. Her inspiration for this book came from her work as a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist in NYC. Corine published her second children’s book, Buddy’s Dream, in November 2013, and her third children’s book, #BabyLove: My Social Life, in July 2015. When Corine is not busy being creative, she is most likely having fun taking pictures of her family. Corine lives in Manhattan, NY with her husband and new baby. Readers can connect with Corine on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. To learn more, go to BooksByCorineD.com

Win a copy of

#BabyLove: My Social Life!

Thanks to Corine and Book Publicity Services, I have one Kindle copy of this cute picture book to give away.

DETAILS

-open to anyone who can read Kindle books

-ends 11/13

please read all rules below

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

Picture Book Review: I Want To Eat Your Books by Karin Lefranc

With Halloween fast approaching, I have the perfect spookalicious picture book to share with the little readers in your life...

I Want To Eat Your Books

by Karin Lefranc

Sept. 22, 2015

Skypony Press

He’s limping strangely down the hall with outstretched arms and a groaning drawl. A zombie! Could it really be? You race to class, but turn to see he’s sitting in the desk right next to you!

But odds are you’ll probably be okay, because this is no ordinary zombie. This zombie doesn’t want to eat your brains—he wants to eat your books! Hide your textbooks and your fairy tales, because the little zombie is hungry and he doesn’t discriminate between genres. Will the school library be devoured, or will the children discover something the zombie likes to do with books even more than eating them?
amazon/b&n/indiebound/goodreads

watch the book trailer

Get ready to meet the cutest, hungriest little zombie ever! In Karin Lefranc's adorable and entertaining I Want To Eat Your Books, young readers are introduced to a one-of-a kind zombie who doesn't want to eat brains, but wants to devour books...omnomnom!

Told through charming, silly rhymes, I Want To Eat Your Books is frightfully fun (heavy on the fun, very light on the frights) and amusing from beginning to end. The rhyming text is quite clever and wonderfully funny. Little readers will be both delighted and deliciously aghast by the zombie's book eating ways.

Illustrator, Tyler Parker captures Lefranc's addicting story with big, bold pictures that will engage and captivate the imagination with their use of whimsical colors and exaggerated details. 

I Want To Eat Your Books does three things (and does them wonderfully):

1. it celebrates the awesomeness of books and reading
2. it encourages kindness and friendship
3. it never gets old, no matter how many times you read it

Number three on that list is important because the little readers in your life will want to read I Want To Eat Your Books again and again...but that's okay, because so will you!

Karin Lefranc grew up all over the world, living in Sweden, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, before moving to the U.S. to attend Bard College in New York. She now lives in Connecticut with her three girls and one boy, who all love devouring books in all shapes and sizes. Karin is also a certified children’s yoga teacher.  This is Karin’s debut picture book.

Tyler Parker received his BFA in illustration from the Maryland Institute College of Art and also has an MA in sequential design and illustration from the University of Brighton. He is the illustrator of more than seven children’s books including Monsters Meet on Mondays and The Ice Cream Shuffle. He currently lives in Seattle, Washington.

Back To School Personalized Books Blog Tour from #PutMeInTheStory {review and giveaway}

I'm thrilled to have the Back To School Personalized Books Blog Tour stopping by today! Below you can learn all about Put Me In The Story, their new books, and enter the awesome giveaway...

Put Me In The Story is excited to announce three new books just in time for back-to-school that feature favorite characters along with your child as they head off to school in:

Sesame Street: Off to School!

Dora Goes to School

Let’s Go to School: Hello Kitty & Me

Let your child grown and learn alongside Elmo, Dora, and Hello Kitty just in time for school!

Grab your backpack and lunch box! It is time to get ready for the first day of school with

your friends on Sesame Street. Elmo is so excited to go back to school, but he needs your help. Everything is easier with a friend by your side. Follow Elmo from bedtime to breakfast then ride the bus to see what a blast school can be! If every day is like this, you are sure to have a shining school year.

Personalize this book with a great picture and encouraging dedication message for a special reminder before your cutie heads to class.

Personalize your copy here

Adventures can happen at any time, especially on the first day of school! Join your new classmates, Dora and Boots, as they journey back to school. First, you must help your teacher get to the classroom before the last bell. No problem is too big for a curious adventurer. You will run into old friends and learn fun, new things along the way. Dora will help you read, count and speak Spanish.

Personalize this book with a picture and a message to help your explorer on the path to learning. Every stellar student loves a good adventure!

Personalize your copy here

Head back to school with a bright bunch of characters. Hello Kitty and her twin sister,

Mimmy, have saved a spot just for you! You will count fun objects, find letters of the alphabet, paint colorful pictures, and play with your classmates. From breakfast to the last bell, Hello Kitty turns every second into a learning moment. Show your little scholar that sharing special moments and spending quality time are lessons that do not need to be taught.

Personalize this vibrant book with a picture and dedication message for the smartest student that you know!

Personalize your copy here

The wonderful folks at Put Me In The Story sent an adorable copy of their new book, Let's Go To School: Hello Kitty & Me, for review. I had the copy personalized for my two year old niece, Aeicha. 

We love personalized books, and Put Me In The Story creates some of the best we've ever seen! Let's Go To School: Hello Kitty & Me is a charming and darling book that is filled with bright and engaging images, simple and fun text, and adorable characters. From the very first pages, your child is the star of this cute story!

Little readers will love exploring each colorful and exciting page, pointing out their name and the fun objects they find. And your child will be delighted to discover their own image on one of the pages:

(see the picture hanging above Hello Kitty's bed?!)

Of course, as awesome as they illustrations are, it's all the wonderful learning found within the pages that makes this personalized book stand out! From counting, colors, and shapes, your little readers will learn so much and have a blast while doing it. 

my final thoughts: I've read many personalized books and Let's Go To School: Hello Kitty & Me is definitely a shining example of how a company does personalized AND educational right. My niece loves the captivating pictures, the unforgettable characters, and seeing herself in the pages. And I love how the book engages her mind and imagination!

I give it 5/5 yummy cupcakes

About Put Me In The Story

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Put Me In The Story creates personalized versions of bestselling books featuring your favorite characters. Our gifts capture moments that matter and memories that last. With each touching picture and special dedication message, our readers have become our most dynamic characters. Don’t tell just any story, tell your own!

Put Me In The Story inspires a love for reading, across all ages and generations, through the experience of shared, personalized stories. Share a story with your family now at www.PutMeInTheStory.com.

Put Me In The Story is also hosting an Off to School with Elmo Sweepstakes! Enter via the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win:

One Grand Prize: Sesame Street Prize Pack

·         Off to School with Elmo personalized book

·         Sesame Street Hello Elmo Red Toddler Backpack

·         Sesame Street Elmo and Friends Red Lunch Bag

·         Sesame Street Elmo 12x12 Canvas Wall Art

·         Sesame Street Elmo and Friends Throw

Three Runner-up Prizes: Personalized Elmo Book

·         Off to School with Elmo personalized book

Winners will be notified September 17, 2015.

(this giveaway is not run by Word Spelunking)

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