Archive for the ‘Tour of Books’ Category

Most if not all children grow up being told and taking to heart the story of the Three Little Pigs and that big bad wolf that would huff and puff and blow all those houses down. My children know this story well in and out with no surprise in-between. That is until just recently when I introduced a version of this tale called “Huff and Puff” by author Claudia Rueda that puts a fun unexpected twist on this classic story!

In this version of the Three Little Pigs, it allows for the children being read to as well as the reader, to play the part of the big bad wolf. Through this tale children can interact thanks to the unique three interior die-cut holes to blow the houses down created by the little pigs. My daughter got a real kick out being able to interact and giggled till the story ended!

The illustrations are done in watercolor style with a soft pale pen outline. And the story is written very simply and would be a great early reader book, in my opinion. Myself and my children loved the surprise ending we received as we huffed and puffed after the last little pigs home. We’ve read this book numerous time and would highly recommend it as an engaging book that any young child would enjoy.

You can purchase Huff & Puff: Can You Blow Down the Houses of the Three Little Pigs? for $10.36 and it’s also eligible for free shipping at Amazon.com.

Get Connected with Abrams Books:  Twitter |  Facebook | Sign up for their newsletter | Check out their online catalogs

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned products in exchange for my opinion of them. This review is 100% my opinion and has not been edited or reviewed by anyone. I was not compensated in any other way for this product review.

My children so enjoy and look forward to their evening bedtime stories. As a mother, I see bedtime stories as a wonderful opportunity and privilege to spend time in building memories that will last a lifetime in being passed down from generation to generation. One of our new favorites for bedtime recently is a from the Abrams Books For Young Readers line called “Sweet Dreams”.

Sweet Dreams is a endearing bedtime story about a mother preparing her daughter for bed by telling her about all the near by animals and their nighttime activity. I appreciate how the story is written in lyrical rhyming way that makes the book flow rather nicely when reading aloud. And the illustrations are simply beautifully done in pen, ink, and watercolor. I honestly wish I could frame some of pictures of the animals in their natural environments from the book on my wall . My favorite picture by far in the book is one of three baby owls sitting in their nest waiting for their mother to return with a meal.

I so adore this book and am pleased my daughter has asked to have it read several nights in a row. I ponder if after hearing this story if she is whisked away into dreams filled with of all the animals mentioned in the story starting at dusk and ending at dawn. The book as a whole is comforting, sweet, and will leave your child feeling safe and secure all snuggled up tightly in bed.

You can purchase Sweet Dreams  on Amazon.com for $10.95 and it’s also eligible for free shipping.

Get Connected with Abrams Books:  Twitter |  Facebook | Sign up for their newsletter | Check out their online catalogs

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned products in exchange for my opinion of them. This review is 100% my opinion and has not been edited or reviewed by anyone. I was not compensated in any other way for this product review.

I am a graphic designer. Though after the birth of my children, designing has taken a backseat because it consumes a lot of time, time I’d rather be spending shaping my children. My love however to continue to create in many ways still remains and designing illustrations will return in the right season and time. But until then, I will continue to let everything around me inspire for future projects, you honestly can never really turn that off. Anything can spark an image, an idea, and so on. And speaking of inspiration, have I ever found a book after my own heart in Abrams Young Readers Spring collection called “Pantone’s Colors “.

Pantone Colors is beautifully done in a style that not only children but adults will delight in. Throughout this book, the 9 basic colors, each represented by an image such Pink for Pig, Red for Wagon, Green and there’s a frog pictured and so on. Where this book takes a twist not seen any many if any other color themed children’s book is that it displays 20 different shades of each main color. It’s a great way to teach children about lighter and darker shades and the fact that with any color, there are numerous color tones within.

My children adore this book, especially my three year old daughter. She points to the different shades of colors and asks me what the name for it is. She’s even started telling me what her favorite shades are and which one she doesn’t like as much. A feature I am extremely partial to is that the actual Pantone Number is included on each color swatch in the book making this a great reference that I’ll be looking to use in the future of my illustrations works as a graphic designer.

I highly recommend this book for those of all ages. It’s a wonderful learning tool, a conversation starter, and a work of art all by itself to display proudly in your home.

If interested, you can purchase Pantone: Colors on Amazon.com for $9.95 and it’s also eligible for free shipping.

Get Connected with Abrams Books:  Twitter |  Facebook | Sign up for their newsletter | Check out their online catalogs

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned products in exchange for my opinion of them. This review is 100% my opinion and has not been edited or reviewed by anyone. I was not compensated in any other way for this product review.