I love to add a few books to my girls' stockings at Christmas. Santa handles the toys wishes for them, but I want to make sure that they also have some great edcuational gifts, as I know some of the toys they get will only be played with a handful of times before the newness wears off. And, books are always cool, and something my girls will read time and again.
In addition to reviewing books to include in my Christmas book advent, I also reached out to various publishing groups to see what new children's books they were realeasing, that would make for great gift ideas this holiday season. It has been awhile since I worked with Disney Publishing Worldwide, but after checking out their website last month I was itching to work with them again as they had some amazing titles for kids of ages and reading abilities. I am only sharing a picture and chapter books for young readers in this post, but if you head on over to Diseny Publishing Worldwide you will find books for middle schoolers and young adults, as well.
Check out the books I was recently sent and had a blast reading and enjoying with my girls...
Written and Illustrated by A.N. Kang
Publication Date: September 5, 2017
Publication Date: September 5, 2017
About this book:
"Papillon, the kitty so fluffy he floats, is back! PAPILLON GOES TO THE VET, is the second book in this whimsically charming picture book series. With lively mixed-media illustrations, Kang takes readers on the journey that every fluffy kitty must make when his ability to float drops and the hiccups won’t stop! The encouraging ending will inspire many giggles, and perhaps a kitty hug or two!"
My Thoughts:
If you follow my blog then you know my oldest daughter, Savannah, is a huge cat and dog lover. So, whenever she sees a book with a cat or dog on it, she wants to read it. We were first introduced to Papillon the Fluffy cat with a previous release...
Savannah loved this book, and wanted me to keep an eye out for future releases from the author. So, when I told her that there was a new Papillon book out, she was over the moon excited. This new book, like the last in this cute series by A.N. Kang is perfect for children ages 3-6 years old. My daughters are reading at 2nd and 3rd grade levels, so they are able to read this book on their own. But, we read this book together the first time around, and it was so much fun. I loved seeing the girls giggle and small as they admired the illustrations of this fluffy kitty who needed to see a vet after swallowing a fish which weighted it down. You see, this kitty is so fluffy that it usually floats around. But, one day when Papillon was playing, he accidentily swallowed the fish, which landed Papillon at the vet. How does this cute story end? Does Papillon float again? And, what happened to the fish? I am not going to tell...you will just have to pick up this book and share with your child(ren) to find out. :-) This is definitely one book you will find yourself reading to your children time and again. My girls and I can't wait for more Papillon titles to release in the future so that we can grow our collection of this cute children's book series. Once you read this book, you will see why we and so many other families loves Papillon and want more stories. :-)
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Another cute picture book we were recently sent from the folks at Disney Publishing Worldwide was William's Winter Nap. Even though we aren't in winter yet, the weather is cold enough now that it sure feels like it. Here is more about this children's book, which is also perfect for children ages 3-6 years old...
Written by Linda Ashman and Illustrated by Chuck Groenink
Publication Date: October 10, 2017
Publication Date: October 10, 2017
About this book:
"When a series of animals come knocking at thedoor seeking a warm place to sleep, there’s always room for one more! WILLIAM’S WINTER NAP is the perfect read-aloud for a cold winter night. Ashman’s playful rhymes, paired with Groenink’s irresistible animal illustrations, will have young readers cuddling up to this book with their favorite stuffed animals at bedtime."
My Thoughts:
My girls really enjoyed this cute rhyming book about a little boy who goes to bed, only to find a bunch of woodland friends who come to see if they can cozy up in bed with William and get out of the harsh winter elements. This really is a cute story, which will have young children lingering on each page to admire their whimsical and playful illustrations, and counting along as you turn and read each page, to see how many animals William will be able to fit in the bed.
What will happen with a big bear comes and asks if he will fit in the bed? Will the other animals make some room, or will they send him back out in the cold to hibernate? You will want to pick up this cute picture book to find out. My girls have me read this at bedtime with them, and each and every time, they get excited to see which animals come a calling and how many will fit in William's bed with him.
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The following two books are for children ages 6-8 years old who are moving beyond picture books and into early chapter books. I have found it hard to find good-quality chapter books for Savannah to read, as she still likes to see pictures to help her imagine the story she is reading, but many of the chapter books out there don't have many pictures in them, so she rarely sticks with the book til the end. This book, however, peaked her interest because it had a dog on the cover. Remember how I said she wants to read anything and everything with either a dog or cat on the cover? Well, as soon as she saw this book and the cute dog, she wanted to see what it was about.
By Sara Pennypacker; Illustrated by Marla Frazee
Publication Date: October 31, 2017
Publication Date: October 31, 2017
About this book:
"WAYLON! EVEN MORE AWESOME by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sara Pennypacker and illustrated by Marla Frazee is the second book in this charming chapter book spin-off series of Clementine. Waylon and his friend Baxter continue their mission to free Dumpster Eddy from doggy-prison. The only trouble is, they need to build Eddy a home so he won’t keep running away. Readers will appreciate this realistic story of true loyalty, friendship and teamwork as Waylon and Baxter must tackle some challenging obstacles that they must, of course, try to solve with science!"
My Thoughts:
Savannah started by flipping through the pages and was happy to see all the different black and white illustration filling the pages. And, when she started to read the story, she was hooked, and didn't want to put it down. Savannah read part of this book on her own, and then at bedtime we would snuggle together and read a few chapters together. We would discuss what Savannah had read previously on her own, and what her favorite parts of the book was.
When Savannah was done with the book she asked if this book was part of a series. I told her that there was another book and that we could see if the library had it.
Unfortorunately they didn't, so she added it to her wish list and hopes Santa will bring it for her to read and enjoy.
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And, here is another chapter book perfect for children ages 6-8 years old.
Written and Illustrated by Shelley Johannes
Publication: September 19, 2017
About this book:
Publication: September 19, 2017
About this book:
"BEATRICE ZINKER, UPSIDE DOWN THINKER by debut author Shelley Johannes is the first book in this heartfelt, unique, four-color illustrated Beatrice Zinker series. With adorable four-color illustrations and a corky sense of humor throughout, readers will enjoy this endearing story. Spunky third-grade Beatrice realizes that some friendships are worth risking recess for, and sometimes all it takes is the simplest act of kindness to “turn that frown upside down!”"
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Are you kids into coloring books like my girls? Ever since my girls saw me coloring in the adult coloring books I picked up over the summer, as a way to unwind and relax, they have been all about these coloring books, and looking for fun coloring books we can all enjoy working on together. So, when I found out that the folks at Disney Publishing Worldwide had recently released a few Art of Coloring books, I had to get my hands on a couple of them to not just share with my girls, but to be able to review and include in my holiday gift guide, as I know these types of coloring books are popular with kids and adults of all ages.
By Disney Book Group
Publication Date: July 18, 2017
Publication Date: July 18, 2017
About this book:
"Whimsically macabre artwork, patterns, and designs permeate the story of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. These images are ideal for adding your own brand of color and style. Perfect for cultivating creativity, relaxation, and focus, these pages are filled with artwork evocative of the delightfully frightful world of Jack Skellington."
By Disney Book Group
Publication Date: October 3, 2017
About this book:
Publication Date: October 3, 2017
About this book:
"Fun, funny, and feisty patterns and character designs permeate the near-ninety-year history of Disney's beloved mice: Mickey and Minnie. These images are ideal for taking pencil to paper and adding your own brand of color and style. Perfect for cultivating creativity, relaxation, and focus, these pages are filled with line art from Disney animation, comics, featuring work from Ub Iwerks, Floyd Gottfredson, and more."
My Thoughts:
We are all Disney lovers in our house, so I knew that these coloring books would be a hit, and they were. My youngest daughter, Bella, is a huge Mickey and Minnie mouse fan and claimed this book as her own. She grabbed the book and her colored pencil set and sat at her desk for a few hours the first day we got this book. She was so proud of her work and couldn't wait to show off the different coloring pages she added color to. While Bella was working on her Art of Coloring book, Savannah and I worked on the Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas coloring book. We had just watched the movie for Halloween and were excited to be able to color in some of the pictures to bring them to life.
These coloring books have definitely come in handy and have kept the girls and I busy. The girls pull them out and work on a page when they are bored and just want a quiet activity to do. And, whenever we have to run errands and know we will be waiting somewhere the girls are quick to bring these two Art of Coloring books and their colored pencils to keep them busy and occupied. There are so many pages in both of these coloring books -- perfect for kid and adults -- that they will keep you busy long into the winter months coloring and showing off your Disney coloring.
We can't wait to buy more of these coloring books, including the new The Percy Jackson coloring book.
You can learn more about these coloring books, as well as the picture and chapter books I shared above by visiting the Disney Publishing Worldwide website today. Like I said, there are books for all ages and reading abilities here, so you are bound to find some wonderful titles to surprise your kids with this holiday season.
The nightmare before christmas book is pretty cute. I know she would love the Papillon the Fluffy cat books.
ReplyDeleteI will have to look up all the Papillon books! He is so adorable!
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