Book Spotlight, Review and GIVEAWAY: I Wanna Be A Great Big Dinosaur by Heath McKenzie

Title: I Wanna Be A Great Big Dinosuar

Author: Heath McKenzie

Release Date: May 17, 2016

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Want to find out what it takes to be a Great Big Dinosaur?  This book is for you!

More than anything in the world, one little boy wants to be a great big dinosaur. And he’s in luck! A great big T. Rex shows up to teach him how to stomp and roar just like a dinosaur. But dinosaurs aren’t so great at soccer or video games… Maybe being a little boy isn’t all bad?

A story about being whoever (or whatever) you want!

Review: Pickin' Peas by Margaret Read MacDonald, Pat Cummings (Illustrations)

Title: Pickin' Peas
Author: Margaret Read MacDonald
Illustrator: Pat Cummings
Pages: 32
Published: Sept. 16, 2014
Publisher: August House Publishers
Genre: Children ages 3 on up
Review: Paperback sent from publisher
Buy Links: Amazon

A clever, singing rabbit eats his way through the pea patch until Little Girl snatches him up and he is soon singing a new tune as he plans his escape. With a nod to Brer Rabbit, Pickin Peas is adapted from two folktales collected in Alabama and Virginia. The lively storytelling voice of award-winning author Margaret Read MacDonald, combined with Pat Cummings' bright, bold contemporary illustrations, makes this timeless battle-of-wits an instant classic.

Review: A Natural Man: The True Story of John Henry by Steve Sanfield, Peter J. Thornton (Illustrations)

Title: A Natural Man: The True Story of John Henry
Author: Steve Sanfield
Illustrator: Peter J. Thornton
Pages: 48
Publisher: August House Publishers
Published: Sept. 16, 2014
Genre: Fairy Tales, Myths Children
Review: Paperback received from publisher
Buy Links: Amazon, Amazon.uk 

This timeless ballad has been part of American folklore for over a century. Born with a hammer in his hand, John Henry discovers his true calling as a steel-driving man but he inevitably meets his match in a race against a steam drill that provides a powerful metaphor for the disruption and loss of innocence created by the industrial age. Thorne's soft charcoal drawings deftly capture the triumphal spirit of this cautionary tale.

Review: P.I. Penguin and the Case of the Lost Little Penguin by Bec J. Smith, Adit Galih (Illustrator)

Title: P.I. Penguin and the Case of the Lost Little Penguin
Author: Bec J. Smith
Illustrator: Adit Galih
Published: May 24, 2015
Publisher: Aulexic
Review: ebook provided by author
Buy Links: Amazon, Amazon.uk 

When a baby penguin goes missing at Perth Zoo, P.I. Penguin is there to help his friends. Who knows where the lost little penguin might be? Can P.I. find him before night falls?

Join P.I. Penguin as he solves crimes and mysteries for his animal friends while trying to discover the truth of the mystery that set him on his path, that of his missing parents.

Aulexic titles are all carefully crafted to encourage language and literacy learning. Each story is rich with rhyme and rhythm, vivid concrete words, vibrant images, and dyslexia-friendly text and formatting. We focus on creating engaging stories to inspire even the most resistant readers

Review: Discovering Harold by Hannah England

Title: Discovering Harold
Author: Hannah England
Illustrator: Stephen A. England
Pages: 36
Genre: Children ages 7 on up
Review: ebook provided by author
Buy Links: Amazon, Amazon.uk 

Frightened off the meadow by the sounds of gunshots, attacked by dogs, and captured by Man, a young deer finds himself face to face with humans. In time, he learns to trust and love them as he becomes part of their world. As the seasons pass, Harold grows bigger and wiser, but will he ever see his family again?

Review: Dragons Are Real by Valarie Budayr

Title: Dragons are Real
Author: Valarie Budayr
Illustartor: Michael Welply
Published: Ma5, 2016
Publisher: Audrey Press
Pages: 32
Review: ebook provided by author to give an honest review
Buy Links: Amazon

What if I told you that all of the fairy tales, myths and legends that have been told about dragons over the years are WRONG? What if I told you that Dragons are indeed REAL and that they are different than you've ever imagined?Did you know that Dragons are the master of disguises? Did you know that they love sugar and sweets (at unacceptable levels) and will do anything for treats? Award winning author Valarie Budayr brings us this fairly true story based on her childhood friendship with a REAL live Dragon

NetGalley Review: Is A Worry Worrying You? By: Ferida Wolff, Harriet May Savitz

 Title: Is A Worry Worrying You?
Author: Ferida Wolff and Harriet may Savitz
Illustrator: Marie LeTourneau
Pages: 34
Published: Tanglewood
Genre: Children ages 5 on up
Review: Ebook provided by NetGalley and publisher
Buy Links: Amazon, Amazon.uk 

This critically acclaimed title addresses common childhood worries--a bully, a first day at school, and a monster residing under the bed--with the not-so-common worries--an eagle making a nest in your hair, a rhino walking down the street, and a herd of elephants waiting for their tea. This entertaining and humor use of perspective and creative problem-solving will appeal to children and parents looking for help in dealing with a universal issue.