The Banana Bunch by Dawn Carrol

Title: The Banana Bunch
Author: Dawn Carroll
Publisher: Amolibros
Pages: 120
Genre: Children’s Book
Format: Ebook/Paperback

Purchase at AMAZON

The monkeys have a human friend called Sheila.

Sheila is in hospital – and she hates the hospital food.

The monkeys decide that something simply has to be done…

When their first attempt at delivering bananas to Sheila is thwarted the monkeys decide to form The Banana Bunch, a secret society dedicated to the delivery of delicious, health-giving bananas to Sheila and all the other unwell people at the hospital. Banana delivery proves, however, a little trickier than they had expected…

Dawn Carroll was born in London, to a family who loved to read – and who also moved house with great regularity. One of the first tasks on arrival at each new home would be to find the nearest lending library, with the result that Dawn grew up with a great love of books. Encouraged by family and teachers, Dawn also started to write short stories.

In adulthood, Dawn’s busy life as a hospital doctor left little time for leisure writing. Indeed, The Banana Bunch stories would probably never have been written had Dawn not, one fateful day, discovered that falling from even a very small tightrope can have devastating consequences… but that’s another story!

Unable to return to her chosen profession, things seemed very black for a while. And then The Banana Bunch monkeys bounced into Dawn’s world….

Since then the monkeys (and Dawn) have been having a great time – telling the stories of their adventures in print and online, and also traveling far and wide to source new story ideas and to meet new friends. Find out more about Dawn and the Banana Bunch at here.

If you love the antics of monkeys then you'll love reading The Banana Bunch.  It's a crazy, fun and hilarious bunch of monkeys.  The Banana Bunch is a tight family line that sticks together through thick and thin, good and bad.  They are there for each other.  Encouraging each other and helping out where they are needed, and not needed.  ;P  It's a fun society and you'll chuckle with every stunt they pull as you turn the pages of this book.

Visit the tour page here

This is my country....

well maybe not, but there are some really cool countries to learn about in Carole P. Roman's If you were me and Lived in...series.  I have four more countries that I reviewed:  Russia, India, Portugal and Australia.  It doesn't matter where you live; it is always interesting to learn about other cultures.  I have enjoyed getting to know more about other countries through Roman's books.  You not only learn about their way of life and interesting places to visit, but also learn how to say some words in their native tongue through these books.  Why not make this summer a learning summer and pick up some of Carole's books for this if you were me series. You can visit Carole's web site here.
Read Other views I've done one this series 1, 2.

About the Author:
Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of the If You Were Me and Lived in… series, which won the Pinnacle Award for Best in Children’s Nonfiction in 2012. She collaborated on this installment in the series with her five-year-old grandson, Alexander. Roman also writes the Captain No Beard series, the first of which was named a Kirkus Best of 2012, received a Star of Remarkable Merit, and won the Pinnacle Award in 2012.

Russia
As children ages three to eight take a leisurely stroll around Russia, they will come across some of the country’s most recognizable sites, including the Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral, and the Red Square. Learn about Russia’s yummy delicacies, like borscht and caviar, before playing popular Russian games like chess and “fipe”—a game children may know better as “tag”! Brimming with these and other fascinating facts, If You Were Me and Lived in…Russia is the perfect way to both entertain and educate your children about the great big world that exists outside their windows. From Russia’s festive New Year’s celebrations to popular Russian names, this charming addition to the If You Were Me and Lived in… family explains everything there is to know about one of the world’s most historic destinations.

Australia
Roman recognizes that children love to discover the differences and similarities of other people and places in far-off lands. In this series, she describes details that kids can relate to. Tailored to children from 3-to-8-years old, her writing is simple but does not talk down to youngsters. Among the topics that are introduced in this journey to Australia are the unusual indigenous animals, the extraordinary Great Barrier Reef, the currency, the beloved game of cricket and the national holiday, Australia Day, as well as the special nicknames people have for one another and the curious taste sensation, Vegemite.

India
Let's travel to India! Land of bright colors and delicious spices, If You Were Me and Lived in...India, takes young readers on a road trip to learn about this interesting place. Children will learn how to say mommy and daddy, what type of currency is used, games that youngsters play and a lot of interesting facts about the beautiful land of India. If You Were Me and Lived in...India adds this ethnically diverse country to the growing, award winning series that is out to cover the entire globe, teaching children about culture and customs all over the world. The ForeWord Review, Clarion Review gave "If You Were Me and Lived in...Kenya" a coveted five star ranking.

Portugal
This pro active book invites children to think about Portugal's many wonders from the sunny Azores to the wide variety of food. Roman's If You Were Me books have a simple, winning formula: portray children from other countries and explain how familiar items and customs are the same, and how they differ, in the country being discussed.

A copy of these books were provided by the author and Bostick Communications for the purpose of this review.

Lucy the Dinosaur Series by Joey Ahlbum

ABOUT LUCY THE DINOSAUR

Lucy the Dinosaur is a set of 15 books written by Joey Ahlbum. Moms and dads looking for the best kid’s picture book will love Frederator Books’ newest read along digital book!
Lucy is an explorer and a leader.  She has a natural curiosity about things because Lucy wants to learn.  Meet Lucy and her other dino friends as they learn, joke and skateboard!
Lucy is a larger than life dinosaur who loves adventures.  With Lucy in the lead, her loyal crew crawls, skates, and dances their way to learning.  Lucy’s curiosity holds no bounds—she counts, she hunts for treasure, she even puts on a play!  Veteran animator, Joey Ahlbum will charm kids with his friendly and dynamic art.  Fans of Dinosaur vs. Bedtime, Sandra Boynton & Mo Willems will love these cheerful read alongs.

I was sent ebooks of Lucy the dinosaur to review.   These books would make the best easy readers for new sprouting readers. They are short and very easy to read books.  Good for preschool-K, 1st graders.   Each book has a different theme from leaning to count, learning about opposites, even one about summer games and another about a day at the beach. Why not have loads of learning fun with Lucy the dinosaur and her friends this summer.   You can visit the web site here

 watch video trailers here

Visit the tour here

ABOUT JOEY AHLBUM

Joey Ahlbum is an animator and illustrator who has worked on classic shows Clifford’s Puppy Days and Elmo’s World, a Sesame Street production. He has been featured on Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, MTV, Frederator, and PBS. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and daughter.

More High Seas adventures

 with Captain No Beard and his gang.  I know I've posted about Carole P. Roman's pirate gang before (see post here); however, I was sent a few more books in the series.  They are just as good as the first batch that was sent.  If you have a pirate lover in your clan then they'll probably love these fun, imaginary tales on the high sea with Captain No Beard.  What a way to pass the summer then on the high seas or in Captain No Beard's case on the bed, couch, deck, or porch-maybe even under a tree or in a tent.  These stories are very adorable. Each book has a good lesson for kids to learn.  You may visit Carole's website here.

 Strangers on the High Seas
Captain No Beard and the crew of the Flying Dragon welcome a new crew member, when Cabin Girl Cayla joins the ship. Responsible for his little sister, Captain No Beard is not very happy because he finds his newest charge a distraction. When faced with danger, the captain must find a way to escape. While learning valuable lessons about strangers, the crew realized not to judge somebody because they are young or small. Strength comes in all sizes!

The Treasure of Snake Island
After a fierce battle with a storm, the crew goes in search of treasure. Alexander, that is, Captain No Beard uses a map to locate it on the ominous sounding Snake Island. Bravely they dig until they find the best treasure ever!

The Crew Goes Coconuts!
There is a storm brewing on the Flying Dragon, and it's not about the weather. When the crew finds themselves parched and not enough juice to go around, blame falls on Matie the goat, Hallie's friend. Divided, they square off, ready for a fight and Captain No Beard must teach his crew that not only is bullying wrong, they must learn to value and respect each and every member of the crew. Watch the crew of the Flying Dragon learn an important lesson about being a true friend.

A copy of these books were provided by the author and Bostick Communications for the purpose of this review.

The Funny Aventures of Little Nani by Cinta Garcia de la Rosa

Book Synopsis:

Little Nani is a little girl who likes helping people. However, when she helps people the results can be a bit unexpected. Why is that? Little Nani is a witch! Or at least she wants to be a witch. With her magic wand, she will try to cast different spells to help her friends, but she won’t be successful all the time. Follow Little Nani in her funny adventures and meet her extraordinary friends. Funny ostriches, horses that love reading, super-fast turtles, grumpy zombies… Little Nani has lots of friends! You can also draw your own characters! Little Nani is willing to become a good witch. Will she manage to do it? Who knows? Read the stories and discover what happens next!

The Funny Adventures of Little Nani is an excellent read-aloud book.  I love the way the author keeps the reader engaged in the story, every two pages or so, she has sprinkled spots to stop reading and draw.  The person(s) listening must be paying attention to the story and imagining things. What a creative way to bring in some drawing.  I have found that kids like to draw while being read to. 

Here's an example of the draw time on p.  22

Draw a picture of Drofxo in his cave.  Draw him outside the cave, drinking a cup of coffee while enjoying the sunshine.  What is that?  Is that a turtle?  Draw the turtle too.  Maybe it's Thunder!

See this book tour here
Get more information about this book here

Author Bio:
Cinta Garcia de la Rosa is a Spanish writer who has loved the written word since she discovered she was able to read books at age 5. Since then, she has become a bookworm and reads around 100 books every year. She also writes, every day, compulsively, even in the middle of the night. You cannot control when inspiration hits you, can you? She writes in English because she is convinced that in a previous life she was British, so writing in English feels more natural to her than writing in her native language. Yes, she is crazy like that. Cinta Garcia is the author of “The Funny Adventures of Little Nani”, a collection of short stories for children, and “A Foreigner in London”, a short story published on Smashwords.

Willie Out West by Rhonda Walker

Book Description

Young Willie Walrus leaves his ice home to travel on an adventure to Big West, where the town’s citizens desperately need help. Arriving to cheers, he quickly runs into Old Walter, the One-Eyed Whale. Colorful illustrations and action in Willie Out West takes readers to an old West town where the citizens expect Willie to save them. Can he?

Willie Out West is geared to young readers.  It takes some imagination to think that sea animals can live in the wild west outside of water.  3-5 year olds may like the story.  I'm not a big fan of ebooks yet, since I don't have a reader just a computer app.  Reading a book on the computer just doesn't do much for me.  Reading a book to a child on a computer is hard too.  I'm still a physical book fan.  kindles haven't won me over yet when it comes to reading them to children.  However, this book is very creative, imaginative and the young ones would probably fall in love with the animal characters.  The story line is good, being brave and standing up for what it right. 

click here for more information about this book

an ebook was provided by Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review

The Heart's Pursuit by Robin Lee Hatcher

A jilted bride desperate to save her family from ruin.

A bounty hunter seeking vengeance for a ravaged past.

An arduous trek toward justice–or redemption.


 
Silver Matlock and Jared Newman know traveling together is a bad idea. Bad for Silver’s already tarnished reputation in her small Colorado town. Bad for bounty hunter Jared’s secret, single-minded mission for revenge. But Silver is determined to track down the rogue who left her at the altar and stole the last remnant of her father’s fortune. And Jared’s in a hurry to hunt down the murderer who destroyed his family–even if Silver is too distractingly beautiful for comfort.

The pair takes off over mountain and desert, past bleak homesteads and raw mining towns, hot on the trail of the two villains who took what wasn’t theirs to take. Soon supplies dwindle, secrets emerge, and suspicion leave Silver and Jared at odds when they need each other most. To confront an enemy deadlier than desert rattlesnakes and rocky cliffs, Silver and Jared must learn to forgive and trust and face the question they haven’t dared voice: What happens next?

The Heart's Pursuit is another excellent book by Robin Lee Hatcher.  I have been reading Hatcher's books since 2008.  She actually is one of four authors that got me into doing book reviews; though she doesn't know it.  I was asked to do a book review for some contest and Hatcher's book was one of the four books I was sent to review...from there it is history.  I now have a blog and doing all kinds of book reviews.  Hatcher won't let you down...You'll keep turning the pages and wanting more of her books.  The Heart's Pursuit is no exception.  Awesome book. 

About the Author:
Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heart-warming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. The winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, two RT Career Achievement Awards, and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award, Robin is the author of over sixty novels.

Learn more and purchase a copy at Robin’s website.

A copy of this book was provided for in exchange for my review and hosting this tour by...

Josh and the Gumshoe News Crew: The Super Secret by Melissa Perry Moraja

About the Book Title: Josh and the Gumshoe News Crew: The Super Secret
Author: Melissa Perry Moraja 
Publication Date: May 5, 2014 
Publisher: Melissa Productions 
Pages: 154 
Recommended Ages: 6+ (read-aloud) 

 Summary: Up until a few days ago, nothing extraordinary had ever happened in ten year old Josh Wunderkind’s life - except eating a whole pot of pasta by himself. But that all changed after a mammoth-sized bird hit him smack on the face with a glob of neon green bird poop, triggering his superhuman Wunderkind ability and leaving him with the responsibility of caring for a baby bird he named Max. Now Josh was just like his older brother and twin sister Madison-super extraordinary! But what Josh didn't realize was that being superhuman wasn't all fun and games. And things only got more complex in Josh’s life when his two siblings and a couple neighborhood friends persuade him to lead a super crime-solving, neighborhood news team—the Gumshoe News Crew. But not before they agree on the Super Secret and complete Gumshoe Boot Camp. Find out what the Super Secret is. Will the Gumshoe News Crew complete boot camp? Or will Josh let his team down?  

Purchase

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes

 

* INSERT YOUR REVIEW HERE *

This is a very cute book that tweenies will fall in love with.  It's fun and exciting will all the extraordinary things that are bound to happen to a super human.  A super summer read for those reluctant readers that say, "I'm bored what can I do?"   Pull out Josh and the Gumshoe News Crew and you'll be a super hero mom for the rest of the summer.  

About the Author: Melissa Perry Moraja

Melissa Perry Moraja, Award-Winning Author and Founder of Melissa Productions, Inc., is an entrepreneurial mom, a multifaceted business woman, a creative producer, and an author and illustrator of numerous modern-fantasy children’s books and self-help books. And that’s just the beginning! Melissa also has published articles, appeared on television, been interviewed on radio, has spoken in front of hundreds of people, and held workshops at local schools, discussing creative learning, publishing and parenting. Her desire to make a difference in her four young children’s lives inspired her to leave her six-salary career at IBM in 2007 to become a full-time mom, children’s author, speaker, and consultant. Melissa spends her personal time coaching soccer and softball, painting, and coming up with fun art projects for her kids. She also blogs for Working Mother blog, has guest blogged for Charlotte Observer Mom’s Charlotte, and has her own personal blog at Not Your Ordinary Psychic Mom. Melissa is also committed to building awareness and support for type 1 diabetes. Her twin daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes November 4, 2011. To learn more about Madison’s type 1 diabetes disease please read Madison’s Story. For more information about Melissa and her books, please visit http://www.melissaproductions.com and http://www.notyourordinarypsychicmom.com

Website | Wunderkind Family | Blog | Facebook (Author Fan Page)

Facebook (Book Fan Page) | Twitter | Goodreads | Google+ | Pinterest

 

* Josh and the Gumshoe News Crew Blog Tour Schedule (2014) *

May 5

Mother Daughter Book Reviews (Launch & Review)

BeachBoundBooks (Review)

Bookworm for Kids (Review)

May 6

A Leisure Moment (Review)

Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys (Review)

May 7

Kay LaLone I Love Books (Review)

Brooke Blogs (Review)

May 8

Alwaysjoart (Review)

Chris Weigand, Author (Review)

The Hippie Bookworm (Review)

May 9

Let's Talk About Books (Review)

Sunshine, Bubbles & Books (Review)

May 10

Adalinc to Life (Review)

The World of ContestPatti (Review)

May 11

Oh My Bookness (Review)

Unschooling Mama (Review)

May 12

WS Momma Readers Nook (Review)

The Ninja Librarian (Review)

Kid Lit Reviews (Review)

May 13

Mel's Shelves (Review)

Heart of a Philanthropist (Review)

May 14

Once Upon a Time (Review)

We Are the DinoFamily (Review)

4 The Love of Books (Review)

May 15

Dawn's Disaster (Review)

Purple Monster Coupons (Review)

May 16

Nanna of 3 and Counting (Review)

Musings by Jay Faulkner (Review)

Lisa Cresswell (Author Interview)

May 17

Jemima Pett, Author (Review)

Storytime Books (Review)

May 18

The Squishable Baby (Review)

Stitch Says (Review)

 

* Blog Tour Giveaway *

 

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice) Contest ends: June 3, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Melissa Perry Moraja and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

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an ecopy of this book was provided in exchange for this honest review post by...
 

A Sandy Grave by Donna McDine

A Sandy Grave by Donna McDine has a wonderful adventure and mystery  twist to it that children 7-10 would enjoy.  The book is a short story so it can be read in one setting, but it isn't too short that this age group would feel like it was a baby book.  A nice summer read for students about girls who do the right thing in catching the bad guys there is little adventure and some mystery to solve to catch the men.  Many of McDine's books are about saving the wildlife and environment. 

learn more about this book here
watch book trailer here

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Riley Mae and the Ready Eddy Rapids by Jill Osborne

Book Description:

If you’re gonna run for your life, you gotta wear the right shoes.
Life is rapidly changing for pre-teen shoe spokesperson Riley Mae. After the last photo shoot and trek up the Half-Dome in Yosemite, Riley Mae and her Swiftriver friends find themselves in Northwest Montana, the perfect backdrop for a river sandal campaign. The first problem is a plane malfunction. Then the rigorous raft training for the “Ready Eddy” river sandal campaign brings more bumps and bruises. And given that she is in Montana for a shoe campaign instead of back home with her friends, Riley thinks life can’t get much worse. But then she meets Sunday, a 10 year-old boy from Kenya, who wrestles fish, battles bears, and tackles leukemia. And Riley soon learns that life is as unpredictable as the raging waters, which, if she is not careful, will sweep her away and into the hands of the enemy - who is even closer than she thinks.

This is a totally awesome book for preteens that love adventure.  It's not all about prissy girls, make-up, trying to be in fashion, boys and all the drama that goes with preteens these days.  It's about faith and living it, doing what is right.  The characters are fun and very age appropriate.  I would recommend this book and series to any middle school age child.  We need good clean Christian faith based books for our children.  Look out Babysitter club, Magic tree house and the others FaithGirlz is a super series and going to rise to the top.

About the Author:

Jill Osborne works in children’s ministry and has a passion for telling great stories. She has written plays, skits for youth groups and Sunday morning drama teams, curriculum for children’s ministry, countless articles for her church newsletter, and a blog about taking a sabbatical in a motor home. Good News Shoes is her first series for kids, and she plans to run with it! 

Find out more about Jill on her blog:  www.thegoodnewsshoesblog.com !  Tween girls can also enter to be featured on her blog!

a copy of this book was provided by Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review

Maya & Filippo Make Friends in Auckland by Alinka Rutkowska

 
Embark on a one-of-a-kind, unprecedented, breathtaking adventure with Maya and Filippo as they travel around the globe on board the “Fun Princess” — a cruise ship full of surprises. Discover their fascinating ports of call, find out what the local customs and traditions are, join the kids in activities at sea, and explore the remarkable world they create through the power of their positive outlook.

This time Maya and Filippo discover Auckland and meet different kinds of people depending on…read the book to find out! Spoiler alert: the kids ride a big hop-on, hop-off explorer bus, where strange things happen. They stop at the famous Sky Tower, where they do something very exciting.

If you have a child that loves adventure then they'll enjoy Maya & Filippo:  Make Friends in Auckland by Alinka Rutkowska.  It is a fun way to explore Auckland, New Zealand, if you can't physically go there, with books you can go anywhere.  They'll learn customs and traditions along the way.  Encourage to explore they learn it is more fun to be going an doing than to be complaining.  Learning to have a new look on things is all part of their day of exploration.  Very excellent book just one in a series of adventure books by Rutkowska. 

AMAZON

 Title: Maya & Filippo Make Friends in Auckland
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Author: Alinka Rutkowska
Publisher: Alinka Rutkowska
Pages: 26
Language: English
Format: Paperback & eBook

Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE.

ABOUT ALINKA RUTKOWSKA

Alinka Rutkowska is a “Reader’s Favorite” Five Star Picture Book Author. She writes the “Maya & Filippo” Book Series for Children – travel books for kids with a positive attitude. She takes inspiration from her own travels while cruising with her husband and daughter around the world. She is positive, appreciative and happy 95% of the time and during the miserable 5% she thinks to herself quickly: “things always work out for me” and they do.

Alinka’s doesn’t really have a “to do” list but she does have a “fun things to do” list. It usually consists of writing, reading, reading her writing, writing in her diary, blogging, reading other blogs, commenting, breathing deeply, meditating, feeling the warmth of the sun on her skin, closing her eyes, breathing some more and thinking what a wonderful world she lives in.

Sometimes she takes a few minutes to pause and instead of doing something from her “fun things to do” list she just daydreams a little. She thinks of all the great things that she wants for her to happen and imagines how wonderful it will feel to be interviewed about them in the future. She’s already preparing the answers to those interview questions in her mind. She especially loves the part, in which she says that she achieved all these things because she spent a considerable amount of time visualizing them first.

Alinka loves to ski while listening to music at the same time, she enjoys an occasional glass (or bottle) of Barolo with dark chocolate, she loves cuddling with her husband and daughter. Alinka really likes tea, especially that last sip which is usually the tastiest.

You can visit Alinka’s website at www.mayafilippo.com, where she blogs daily for parents, travelers and authors.

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