Sector 7 – David Wiesner

As we patiently waited in line to have Peter H. Reynolds sign our books a few weeks back, we started chatting with a very nice mom who was also waiting in line.  Soon the conversation moved to great books we had shared with our children, and she mentioned a couple by David Wiesner which I will be featuring this week.

Sector 7 is unique in that it has no words.  The story is told completely by the amazing illustrations.  The book has a magical feel to it and immediately captured our daughter’s interest .  A young boy who is visiting the Empire State Building has an adventure beyond his expectations when he is befriended by a cloud and taken to Sector 7 which is home to clouds.  It seems the clouds want to express themselves by changing their respective forms from the traditional white and fluffy variety.  With creativity and artistic flair, the boy helps the clouds realize their dream.  This one is awesome!

Chopsticks – Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Chopsticks is the companion book to an old favorite Spoon.  It is a clever book.  There is much to enjoy for little ones who may have very limited knowledge of chopsticks beyond that they look nifty to adults who will appreciate the humor that is woven into the story.  Ultimately, Chopsticks explores being able to stand on your own as well as being able to stick together.  This is a great one!

North of Hope – Shannon Huffman Polson

I knew North of Hope was going to be an emotionally challenging book, but I had no idea just how difficult it would be.  The book chronicles the loss of the author’s father and step-mother in the Alaskan wilderness by a grizzly bear and the aftermath which includes revisiting the site of their death in Alaska.  The descriptive details in the book are amazing and the juxtaposition of her internal journey with the exterior landscape descriptions is haunting at times.  That being said, it was too much for this reader.

While this complimentary book was provided for review by Handlebar Marketing, no other compensation was given.  All remarks are my personal and honest opinions.

Exclamation Mark – Amy Krouse Rosenthal

We love Amy Rosenthal books at our house, and this new release is no exception!  Who would ever imagine that a book that explains end marks could be so much fun?!  Rosenthal has once again done a terrific job weaving multiple messages into her work.  The reader not only learns how to effectively use end marks but also gets to see that being different isn’t a bad thing.  In fact, being different is also what can end up ultimately making you special.

Lead Your Family Like Jesus: Powerful Parenting Principles from the Creator of Families – Tricia Goyer, Ken Blanchard, and Phil Hodges

Leading Your Family Like Jesus is a a great parent leadership book.  It provides practical advice, personal stories, and content that demands further thought and reflection.   I have always appreciated Ken Blanchard’s work, and this one was another winner.

While this complimentary book was provided for review by Litfuse Publicity Group, no other compensation was given.  All remarks are my personal and honest opinions.

Splat Says Thank You! – Rob Scotton

The newest Splat the Cat book is another winner!  Splat’s friend Seymour the mouse is feeling pretty low and needs to be cheered up which Splat is eager to do.  Splat has been working on a very special surprise for Seymour and now seems to be the perfect time to share it.  Seymour can’t help but feel better when he see the book Splat has created detailing all the times he has been thankful for Seymour.

The Paper Bag Princess – Robert Munsch

The Paper Bag Princess is not your traditional princess story.  Elizabeth, the princess in this story, has a great deal of spunk.  After the dragon kidnaps her potential prince charming, Elizabeth goes out and finds the dragon and ultimately outsmarts him.  She attempts to rescue Prince Ronald, but she quickly learns that he is not a true prince charming at all as he greets her with complaints over her appearance rather than thankfulness that he is being rescued.  Elizabeth quickly determines that she can do better than Ronald.

Ed Emberley’s Drawing Book of Animals – Ed Emberley

Our daughter loves writing and illustrating her own stories.  She was interested in learning how to make some of the animals she wanted to draw look a bit more life like.  This book has been a terrific resource for her.  Each animal is made up of simple shapes and step by step instructions are given for each.  This one is a winner!

Intentional Parenting – Sissy Goff, David Thomas, and Melissa Thevathan

Intentional Parenting is made up of twelve chapters that each address a parenting myth.  Although there was not a lot of new information for me, I felt the points were well presented and meaningful examples were provided.  I also really appreciated the emphasis on recognizing who your child is as an individual and working with him/her rather than providing a “cookie cutter” model.   This book covers a lot of territory with a bit more emphasis being placed on parenting teenage children.

While this complementary book was provided for review by Thomas Nelson Publishers, no other compensation was given.  All remarks are my personal and honest opinions.