Shake Dem Halloween Bones by W. Nikola-Lisa

Summary (from Amazon):

It’s Halloween night. The city is quiet. The city is still. But as the lights go down, the music comes up – and the guests start to arrive at the hip-hop Halloween ball! And oh, what a party it is. Told in hip-hop rhyming text, L’il Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, Tom Thumb, and all of their fairy-tale friends come together for a rapping, stomping, shaking Halloween romp. Scoo-bee-doo-bee-doo-wah. Yeah!

This book is so fun! You just have to get up and shake your own Halloween bones (even our Grandpa got up and shook his bones right along with the kids after reading it)! I love that after a few readings, kids can recite the words with you! And it’s one that my kids love to pull off the shelf and “read” on their own!

Summary:

Witch has made a Halloween pie, but unbeknownst to her friends, she has put a spell on it! As they arrive to take a taste, they get really sleepy and find a spot to sleep in Witch’s house. When Witch gets home, the pie is gone, as are all the visitors. In their places are the ingredients for a pie (Ghost has turned into a smidgen of salt;Ghoul is now a dozen brown eggs). This time, as the pie cools, the creatures all come back in the steam, to head home, their tummies full of Halloween pie.

The illustrations make this one a little “scarier” than most; the storyline a little more complicated. Better for elementary kids than preschoolers.

Activity:

After reading this story, make your own Halloween pie!! The recipe is included at the back.

Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler

Skeleton has the hiccups, which makes for a rough morning. When he takes a shower, he loses the soap! When he goes to brush his teeth, he loses some! His friend ghost offers to help. He suggests that skeleton trying drinking some water upside-down (the water comes out his eye sockets!). He tries scaring skeleton. Nothing works! Does skeleton end up getting rid of these hiccups? Or is he doomed to have them forever?

A fun, non-scary Halloween story perfect for kids of all ages!

Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC by June Sobel

My daughter brought this book home from her preschool library. It is so cute! (I think I might buy it!) The Captain is tired of his pirates only using the letter “Rrr” so he sends them on a quest to find the rest of the letters. Your child can then help the pirates hunt for the requested letter on each page. Do the pirates find all the letters? Or will they have to walk the plank? A must-read, especially for the pirate lovers in your home!

Princess Peepers by Pam Calvert

Summary:

Princess Peepers loves all of her glasses, especially the rose-colored ones that match her roller skates. But when she goes to school, things change. The other princesses make fun of her for wearing glasses. Princess Peepers goes home and puts all of her glasses away, saying she doesn’t need them. She then goes through the day without her glasses, making tons of mistakes. She ends up in the kitchen instead of the dungeon, she ends up in a tower instead of the ballroom, she mistakes the prince as a horse, etc. So funny! In the end, she realizes how great her glasses are, as she meets Prince Peerless, who also wears glasses. They ride off in a carriage (very important to my daughter), living happily ever after!

What a perfect book for a little girl who is self-conscience about wearing glasses. I loved this one!

“I’m not cute!” by Jonathan Allen

Oh, my! What an adorable book! My kids picked this one up at the library, along with corresponding owl doll. We actually renewed this one ’cause my kids have enjoyed it so much!

Summary:

Owl’s friend tell him how cute he is, but he doesn’t want to hear it. He is a big boy! But when Mama comes and tells him he’s not cute but all those other “big” things, he gets upset and insists that he is cute. She then tucks him into bed, telling him how grown-up and cute he is. And he drifts off to dreamland with a smile on his face.

Little kids can relate to wanting to be treated like they’re bigger. I loved Baby Owl’s facial expressions, as well. The storyline is simple so it keeps my 3-year-old’s attention. Cute, cute, cute!

King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Audrey and Don Wood

This book is hilarious! I’d totally forgotten about it and came across it again this week. My kids and I really enjoyed reading it again!

Summary:

The storyline is simple. King Bidgood is having so much fun in the bathtub that he won’t get out. The various members of his court try to get him out with great suggestions. But King Bidgood just won’t have it. They battle in the tub; they eat in the tub; they fish in the tub… You get the idea. Finally, the young page, who has been in each of the pictures along the way, comes up with a great solution!

The pictures are beautiful and entertaining. I love that there is so much of the storyline going on in the pictures. It’s fun to take the time to really look at them and share discoveries with each other. (Notice the Caldecott Award on the cover)

The winners are (selected randomly):

1. Sara Ward

2. Lynda Mountford

3. Yona L. Vasquez

4. Betsy Chalut

5. Gina

(I sent you all emails with the info I need. Please look for it and respond as soon as you can!)

I hope this book makes you smile!

For those who didn’t win, you can purchase the book here or visit the author’s blog here. Thanks again for entering. I wish each one of you could receive a copy.

As Tammi would say, “Have a Cheeky day!”

I have a brand-new book to share with you from a new author: Robin Cheeky and the Magical Smileys by Tammi Titus. Tammi contacted me, asking if I would review and share her new book with my readers. I jumped at the opportunity to read a new children’s book:

Robin Cheeky and the Magical Smileys by Tammi Titus

Summary from book flap:

Robin Cheeky and the Magical Smileys is the first adventure of Robin Cheeky and his friend, Pluxie, the colorful two-tailed cat. The two friends work together as a team, with compassion for each other. This helps them overcome adversity and challenges in life. Robin Cheeky was the author’s imaginary childhood friend. He helped her overcome daily struggles, inspired her to be creative and never let her give up on her dreams. The lively illustrations capture the child’s imagination and sense of wonder. The simplicity of the Robin Cheeky stories encourages children to read. This series is like a fine chocolate bar–cheekyliscious! It will keep you coming back for more.

My review:

When this book arrived in the mail, my children and I ripped open the package, snuggled together on the couch, and got lost in the world of Robin Cheeky. It is a cute book. My favorite part is the bright and colorful pictures; very attractive to children. My children LOVED the book and have begged to read it over and over all weekend! Here are their reviews:

When I read the last page, my 6-year-old says, “No! I wanted it longer!” He is really hoping there are more books that follow ’cause he wanted to read about Robin Cheeky and Pluxie’s adventures and was so sad when they weren’t included in this book! Too cute!

My 3-year-old said, “I like the kitty cat.” When she first noticed there was a black and white cat in the story, she ran straight up to her room and got her black and white cat to cuddle with while we read. She loved it!

Activity Idea:

smileys in my 6-year-old's room

When we were done reading, my son asked if he could paint smileys on his wall, just like in the book. Since we couldn’t do that, I told him we could make them out of paper, and tape them on their walls. My children then spent the next hour (yes, you read that right: the next HOUR) making smileys to put around our house. Every time we see them, we can’t help but smile. And my daughter constantly tells me her room is like Robin Cheeky’s. What a fun extension for the book!

smileys in my 3-year-old's room

Giveaway:

Would you like a copy? Tammi Titus is giving away FIVE autographed copies of Robin Cheeky and the Magical Smileys to YOU! To enter, please leave a comment by Monday, August 23rd at midnight MT. Please tell us who you will be sharing the book with and what makes you smile!

1. For one entry, leave a comment.

2. For more entries, blog, tweet, or FB about it.

Good luck!