*Review* Little Green Men by Marilee Joy Mayfield

 

Genre: Children's 5-9 years

Published: August 10, 2022

Pages: 33

Have You Ever Wondered What Would Happen If You Were Visited by Aliens?

Michael did. Ever since he looked through a telescope for the first time at the age of three, Michael has wondered what it would be like if he had an encounter with space aliens.

Then they come for a visit and they are not like Michael imagined them at all!

This fun rhyming picture book will take you and your child along on Michael's adventure as the aliens wreak havoc on his everyday life, with funny consequences. Although the aliens are mischievous, they bring an important message too.

Marilee Joy Mayfield entertains and teaches children through her delightful picture books. Little Green Men hope to come flying into your home to be read again and again.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This was a rhyming story about a boy who is visited by aliens from space who are rather mischievous and basically ruin his show and tell at school. The rhymes flowed really well in spite of the formatting issues I encountered by reading a review copy. I imagine the formatting makes the line ends a bit more obvious in the published copy. And the story was fun. 

The illustrations had 50s sitcom vibes. They felt very old school in style choices for the humans at least. They were very bold and colorful too though. Bright colors all over the place. I'd be okay reading this book a few times because it really was a fun story and there weren't serious issues with the rhyming tripping me up. Overall I give this book 3.97 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Amazon had no author info to share. 

*Review* I Love You More Than Cereal by Justin and Alexis Black

 

Genre: Children 3-7

Published: April 2, 2023

Pages: 34

This debut kid's book of the Maeva and Dad Redefine series titled, I Love You More Than Cereal follows Maeva and Dad as they explore the true meaning of love and the amazing impact it can have on all of us if we take the time to redefine it.

Maeva really loves her cereal! Love can sometimes feel awesome, confusing, humbling, or just plain perfect. Can Maeva learn what it means to love her friends and family even more than she loves cereal? Join Maeva and her dad on their journey to explore the true meaning of love.

Breaking down principles in the original twelve-time, award-winning bestselling book Redefining Normal: How Two Foster Kids Beat The Odds and Discovered Healing, Happiness and Love for younger audiences, this book celebrates healthy love, family, community, parenthood, and the value of Black fathers. With vibrant illustrations and lovable characters, this book is sure to be a child's favorite and enjoyed alongside family and friends with their favorite bowl of cereal! It will be enjoyed by children who love a good snack while exploring ideas of love, compassion and empathy.

Who do you love more than cereal? Features a "To" and "From" personalization page, making this sweet offering an ideal gift for baby showers, holidays, birthdays, and more!

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a short story about a girl learning what it means to feel love but also what it means to show love. She has big plans to show off her new bike and not share any of her candy with the kids at the park because they treated her poorly the week before, but her dad helps her to realize that that wouldn't be the nice thing to do. It uses examples that kids can really relate to in order to get the point across as well. 

I remember the illustrations being very pink while still showing the things being discussed between Maeva and her dad. This is a book I could read a few times, especially because the message is a good one and I believe it's relatable for kids. Overall I give this book 4.37 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Alexis Lenderman-Black is a proud foster care alumni, as well as a recent graduate of Western Michigan University Lenderman, who has studied abroad 8 times. Using her years of experience searching and applying for scholarships, in 2016, she founded The Scholarship Expert, a scholarship coaching business, to position students to graduate debt-free while obtaining the necessary skills to maximize their college experience.

With the Scholarship Expert, Alexis and her business partner, Justin Black has developed The Scholarship Blueprint that walks students through how to find and apply for scholarships. This is available as an ebook, paperback book and an online course that Alexis teaches herself.

Alexis was selected as her university’s sole nomination for the 2017 Newman Civic Fellowship. From this, she was one of only two students to receive a full scholarship from the Ronald Reagan Foundation to participate in the Leadership and the American Presidency program in D.C. She was inducted into the Lee Honors College, the National Society of Leadership and Success and Phi Beta Kappa; she received scholarships from the Seita Scholars Program, the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, and was one of 102 selected from thousands of applicants as a Horatio Alger National Scholar. She was awarded the Presidential Scholar Award from the Management and the Global Studies department at WMU.

Lenderman loves to travel and aspires to be a positive example to other foster youth.

Learn more about The Scholarship Expert at www.thescholarshipexpert.com

*Review* Ethan and Mia's Space Adventure by Karin Aaron and Danny Friedman

 

Genre: Children's 3-8

Published: July 31, 2021

Pages: 36

Does your child ever get bored? This book will teach them how to use their imaginations to pass the time.

Mia, Ethan, and Coco the dog, are going on a trip to visit their grandparents. During the long drive, they get bored quickly and need to find ways to keep themselves entertained inside the car. Using their developed imaginations, they meet alien friends and travel on a spaceship.

Through humor, this empowering picture book will encourage your children to think positively, use imagination in everyday life, and be happy and confident. They will remain positive, creative, responsible, and supportive of each other.

They will read this book again and again!

Inspiring creativity, thinking outside the box, and taking initiative, this series is a must-have for parents and teachers.

How will they pass the time on the long trip to their grandparents?

Read the book to find out!

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a short story about a long car ride to visit the grandparents and what a couple of kids do to pass the time. They have a fabulous imagination and turn the car ride in a space adventure where they encounter some aliens on the way. The imagine where the aliens are going, and consider whether they will like earth and even question whether they have an alien dog. It's probably a better way to occupy a kid's time on a long car trip than giving them a screen to play with (and I'm not hating on using screens because my family did that when the kids were little because it works). 

The illustrations were colorful and fun, especially once they started talking about the aliens they encountered. I think this is a book I could read a few times before I got tired of it, especially if I noticed it helping my kids use their imaginations more to occupy themselves considering our screen habit. Overall I give this book 4.12 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Karin Aaron has been a lawyer, social media manager, and Israeli Supernanny. She is the author of two successful books.

There is no boring moment for Karin and her husband while raising three hyperactive children. Sometimes she wishes she had the "Magic Power" herself so she could get away and rest on a desert island. In the meantime, she keeps using her imagination and writes for adults and children.

Visit Karin's website: www.karinaharon.com

Award-winning author Danny Friedman usually writes thrillers, but when his children asked him to write a book they could read, he immediately said yes.

Ten years later—when they were old enough to read his thrillers— The Magic Power series came to life.

Danny is also an editor and an entrepreneur. He has an MBA, and in the past, he was a technology journalist and a programmer. Danny lives with his wife, two children, and their dog.

*Playtpire Read-A-Thon* February Results

 

February is over which means it's time for me to regale you with all the books that I read and reviewed in February (and I should've done this on the first, but at least the blog tells me when reviews were posted so it will still be largely accurate these 5 whole days later). I already know I was several children's book reviews behind for February, and I've been making a mad dash to catch up so far this month, but I still made a pretty good dent in the books if I do say so myself. Shall we get on with it?

R - Read

NR - Needs Reviewed

C - Currently Reading

T - To be Read

Read

*Titles link to reviews*

R - Play with Jay by Pascale Bonenfant

R - The Old Man Eating Alone by Howard Pearlstein

R - Granny Left me a Rocket Ship by Heather Smith

R - The Only Astronaut by Mahak Jain

R - The Shape of You by Muon Thi Van

R - The Van Buren Sisters vs. the Pants Police by J.F. Fox

R - What if I'm Not a Cat? by Kari-Lynn Winters

R - Why Are We Afraid? by Fran Pintadera

R - A Picture Day to Remember by Natalia Paruzel-Gibson

R- Christmas in London by Anita Hughes

R - The Island by Natasha Preston

R - My Name's Yours, What's Alaska? by Alaska Thunderfuck

R - The People We Hate at the Wedding by Grant Ginder

R - Sneak Peek: After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M. Lopez (Feb 23)

R - Foul is Fair by Elissa Hay (Feb 23)

R - The Stolen Twins by Shari J. Ryan (Feb 23)

R - Goodbye Balloon by Adam Ciccio (Jan 23)

R - Mula and the Snooty Monkey by Lauren Hoffmeier (Jan 23)

R - The Unofficial Big Lebowski Cocktail Book by Andre Darlington (Jan 23)

R - Mr. and Mrs. Witch by Gwenda Bond

R - The Hot Cross Bunny by Carys Bexington (Feb 23)

R - ABC: Black History and Me by Queenbe Monyei (Feb 23)

R - Someday is Now: Clara Luper and the 1958 Oklahoma City Sit-ins by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich (Feb 23)

R - You Need to Chill by Juno Dawson (Feb 23)

R - The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood

R - Rise to the Sky by Rebecca E. Hirsch (Feb 23)

R - Mermaid Day by Diana Murray (Feb 23)

R - New Dad, Same Bad Jokes by Slade Wentworth (Feb 23)

Needs Reviewed

NR - Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau (Feb 23)

Currently Reading

C - The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray (Jan 23)

C - The Christmas Keeper by Jenn McKinlay (Jan 23)

C - Hitler's Aristocrats by Susan Ronald (Jan 23)

C - Russia's War on Everybody by Keir Giles (Jan 23)

C - Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe (Jan 23)

C - Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati (Feb 23)

C - Dissonance by Barbara Burt (Feb 23)

C - The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa (Feb 23)

To be Read

T - Bread Machine Baking for Beginners by Beth Hensperger (Jan 23)

T - The Block Party by Jamie Day (Jan 23)

T - Sneak Peek: Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah (Jan 23)

T - Would You Rather: Easter Edition by Lindsey Daly (Jan 23)

T - Hot Dutch Daydream by Kristy Boyce (Jan 23)

T - The Cherished by Patricia Ward (Jan 23)

T - The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix (Jan 23)

T - Stink in Space by Mike Henson (Feb 23)

T - Monsters in Trucks by Laura Baker (Feb 23)

T - Walter the Wonder Snail by Neil Clark (Feb 23)

T - The Unofficial Princess Bride Cookbook by Cassandra Reeder (Feb 23)

T - ABC Love by Christiane Engel (Feb 23)

T - 100 Morning Treats by Sarah Kieffer (Feb 23)

T - I Love You More Than Cereal by Justin and Alexis Black (Feb 23)

T - Butt or Face? by Kari Lavelle (Feb 23)

T - We Waited for You by Cindy Chupack (Feb 23)

T - Wally and the Sweet Candy Mountain by Meghan E Christensen (Feb 23)

T - Ethan and Mia's Space Adventure by Danny Friedman (Feb 23)

T - Little Green Men by Marilee Joy Mayfield (Feb 23)

T - What Cat Likes Best by Erwin Moser (Feb 23)

T - Maisie's Blueprints by Sharon Leya (Feb 23)

T - Lauren the Cow by T. I. Frazier (Feb 23)

T - The Grimoire of Grave Fates by Hanna Alkaf and Margaret Owen (Feb 23)

T - Wings Once Cursed and Bound by Piper Drake (Feb 23)

T - Sneak Peek: A Rulebook for Restless Rogues by Jess Everlee (Feb 23)

T - Medusa's Sisters by Lauren J. A. Bear (Feb 23)

T - A Door in the Dark by Scott Reintgen (Feb 23)

T - Wanderlust by Elle Everhart (Feb 23)

T - Hotel 21 by Senta Rich (Feb 23)

T - The House of Lincoln by Nancy Horan (Feb 23)

T - Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See (Feb 23)

T - The Big Sugar by Mary Logue (Feb 23)

T - The Air Raid Book Club by Annie Lyons (Feb 23)

T - In Feast or Famine by Mesu Andrews (Feb 23)

T - Dissonance by Barbara Burt (Feb 23)

T - The Syndicate Spy by Brittany Butler (Feb 23)

T - Funeral Songs for Dying Girls by Cherie Dimaline (Feb 23)

T - Beauty Reborn by Elizabeth Lowham (Feb 23)

T - Greymist Fair by Francesca Zappia (Feb 23)

T - City of Vicious Night by Claire Winn (Feb 23)

T - Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Feb 23)

T - Tracks to Freedom by Michael Reit (Feb 23)

T - Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller (Feb 23)

T - Sneak Peek: Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez (Feb 23)

T - Sneak Peek: The Romance Recipe by Ruby Barrett (Feb 23)

T - Little Vampire Women by Lynn Messina and Louisa May Alcott (Feb 23)

T - The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly (Feb 23)

T - The Change by Kirsten Miller (Feb 23)

T - NIghtcrawling by Leila Mottley (Feb 23)

T - Sins of the Fathers by Herbert J Stern and Alan A. Winter (Feb 23)

As you can see, I really screwed the pooch on getting my kids books read this month, but in my defense I was busy learning a new position at work and doing other things at home. I have been frantically working to catch up on those children's book reviews however, so you should see way more posted next month, and I will once again not be posting my March read-a-thon post until I've finished reading all of February's kids books. Hopefully I'll have that done by tomorrow evening since I only have ten left to read and review right now. - Katie 

*Review* What Cat Likes Best by Erwin Moser

 

Genre: Children's 3-6 years

Published: April 4, 2023

Pages: 32

The second book in the series of Moser’s rhyming opposites.

The cats are waiting for their tea. The mouse says, "Please don’t look at me!"

What do a polar bear and a hare, a rooster and a panda, and a badger and an elephant have in common? Erwin Moser shows readers just that in eleven spreads featuring his playful rhymes and humorous illustrations.

Also in the series:

What Bear Likes Best

What Hedgehog Likes Best

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a rhyming book that basically just goes through a lot of different animals and what they do. It was translated from German to English, so I imagine some liberties were taken to make the rhymes work after translation, but with the exception of like two pages with longer descriptions, there were really no hiccups in the rhyming. It is very short with each page only having a brief sentence and picture, so reading it multiple times will at least not take up a lot of time. 

The illustrations had a more classic illustration feel, making me think of the Little Golden Books from my childhood. Some of them were rather fun and whimsical, depicting what the animals were doing (like the cockroaches having tea). Overall I give this book 3.87 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Erwin Moser was born in Vienna, Austria in 1954 and grew up in a village on Lake Neusiedl. He trained as a typesetter, and in 1980 began to create and illustrate his enchanting tales. For more than thirty years he published numerous children’s picture books, for which he received many awards and was shortlisted for the German Youth Literature Prize. His books, imaginatively written and illustrated, are remarkable for their warmheartedness and have earned their place in the canon of German-language literature for children and young adults. In 2014 the Erwin Moser Museum was opened in his home village of Gols. Erwin Moser died in 2017.

Alistair Beaton is a book author, playwright and translator, living in London. He speaks English, French, German and Russian.

*Stacking the Shelves* 4 March 2023

(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Stacking The Shelves is a feature/weekly meme created by Reading Reality in which you share the books you are adding to your shelves, both physical and virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Now, I already have a monthly post I do featuring the books I get in the mail (and it's a lot because I have a serious Goodreads First Reads giveaway addiction), and I'm posting my monthly Read-A-Thon posts again too, which covers the books I receive through Netgalley. So my STS post will feature all the books I've been one-clicking on Amazon. 

On that note, here are the books I picked up this week. All Goodreads First Reads ebook wins unless otherwise specified.

Smart Business, Better You by Deniero Bartolini

A Brief History of the Ideas of Western Philosophy by Russell Hasan

Activate Your Inner Power by Lee Milteer

The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon

Where Are You, Jonny? by Sonia Soszna

Masquerade in Chaos by MJ Hutto

A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon - This was my Amazon First Reads pick for March. I have a tendency to pick the historical fiction selections, and when it's Amy Harmon it's a no brainer (which is a little weird because I've never actually read any of the Amy Harmon books I have bought, but the blurbs ALWAYS sound good). 

Edge of Valor by Josh Hayes - I grabbed this as an audiobook during a 2 for 1 credit sale. The fact that I graduated high school with the author's wife may have influenced my purchase slightly. 

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden - This was the second audiobook I choose for my 2 for 1 credit purchase. This book has been on my radar for a while and I've heard great things about it, and since I needed to pick a second book to get the first...well you see where I'm going here right?

Erik (Guards of Clan Ross) by Hildie McQueen

And that is all the books I've added to my digital shelves this past week. I've shifted job titles at work and will now be able to listen to audiobooks during my work day because I'm no longer primary on answering phones, which means I need to beef up my audio library a bit more as the 400+ audiobooks I already have won't last forever. 

What books have you added to your shelves lately? If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can be sure to pay you a visit and see your new pretties. - Katie 

*Book Blogger Hop* Libby? Who's Libby?

We are on to a new week for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by the lovely folks over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This weeks questions is: 

Have you joined the library reading app, Libby? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

The short answer is no, no I have not. 

The long answer is that I'm not interested in joining Libby because I don't like borrowing books. I prefer to have at least the illusion of owning books (if you pay attention to the terms of use on kindle books it indicates you don't really own ebooks, you're just paying for the right to use them, but that can be rescinded at Amazon's discretion, I think). But I also don't like feeling rushed to read a book if it's just not hitting right at the time that I'm working on it. When I own the books, or at least appear to own the books, I can read them whenever I'm in the mood for that type of story. 

What about you? Have you downloaded Libby? If so, do you like it? If you're stopping by from the link-up, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can stop by to pay you a visit. - Katie