Over the Moon: The Broadway Lullaby Project is both a timeless benefit effort and a uniquely compelling multimedia experience. The project—which incorporates a 2-CD, 26-song set; a lavishly illustrated hardcover book of 17 songs from the album; a corresponding e-book encompassing the entire collection; and a documentary film and web series —gathers many of contemporary musical theatre’s greatest composers and vocalists, as well as illustrators, all of whom have donated their talent to deliver an emotionally affecting set of new lullabies, some written specifically for this project. Proceeds from sales of the book and 2-CD set will benefit breast cancer research, support and education.

Here, for your viewing and posting pleasure, is a behind-the-scenes look at the recording session for “Lucky” (Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, from the opera Seance on a Wet Afternoon). Schwartz, who was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and the Broadway Hall of Fame in 2009, is the composer of the smash Broadway musicals Wicked, Godspell and Pippin.

The song is performed by Tony Award-winning actress & singer Donna Murphy, with Gil Goldstein (piano), and Jody Redhage (cello), produced by Matt Pierson. Illustration by three-time Caldecott Medal winner Marc Simont.

My two children have enjoyed both mommy and daddy reading the Over The Moon book to them before bedtime. And my daughter whom always goes to sleep listening to music has insisted on the accompanying CD many times. I highly recommend the CD to help calm your children into a more restful sleep and in help to calming the business of each day far away.

The book itself is quite a work of art. I enjoyed reading the lullabies and getting lost in the beautifully expressive heartfelt lyrics and illustrations. The lullaby It’s Time Little Man brought a whirlwind of emotion to me making me realize how fast my 16 month old baby boy is growing up and that before I know it he’ll be big and grown. There are many other titles in this book that really touched me as well but that one just really stood out.

I would highly recommend the Over the Moon: The Broadway Lullaby Project. You can purchase Over the Moon: The Broadway Lullaby Project on Amazon.com for $12.89 right now! I promise it’ll be a special collection that you’ll enjoy just as much as your children ( maybe even more too!)

Disclaimer: I was sent the above mentioned product to review. 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.

Chicken Soup For The Soul: The Magic Of Mothers & Daughters

Mothers and daughters. They are, at the same time, very similar and completely unique. This relationship — through birth, childhood, teen years, adulthood, grandchildren, aging, and every step in between — can be the best, the hardest, and the sweetest. Moms and daughters will laugh, cry, and find inspiration in this collection of entertaining, poignant, and heartwarming stories that remind them of their shared love, appreciation and special bond. A great gift for Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day is just this weekend and I’ve been enjoying  Chicken Soup For The Soul: The Magic Of Mothers & Daughters quite a bit. This book is filled with so many wonderfully inspirational stories that are heartfelt and encouraging.

I like how this title has been put together, for instance, there are 10 sections each with a little over ten true life stories from both mother’s and daughters. Some of the sections you’ll find are Rites of Passage, A Daughter’s Love, and Dreams Fulfilled just to name a few. I found myself deeply touched and many of the stories reminded me of my mother as well as being a mom myself and seeing already what an impact my daughter has had on my life.

I guarantee you’ll be touched and encouraged sharing in the stories found in Chicken Soup For The Soul: The Magic Of Mothers & Daughters. I highly recommend it. You can purchase these or any of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books at your local bookstore, online on their website and more!

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Chicken Soup for the Soul has generously offered 3 of my readers their own copy of this fantastic book! 

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The Farm Fresh Southern Cooking cookbook for me is a taste and reminder of home. My mother being raised in the deep south brought to the table food that was just as tasty as it was comforting. I grew up enjoying meals that included many fresh pickings from our own and family and friends gardens. And am thrilled to be reminded and challenged to bring to my own family’s table delicious meals that are healthy and encourage us to know where our produce is coming from, supporting our own local farmers thanks to this great cookbook by Tammy Algood.

As you open the book, you’ll find a table of content which includes; Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Sides, Breads, Entrees, Desserts, Breakfast and Brunch, and Canning Instructions followed by acknowledgments and a helpful index. Each food catagory has a list of all the recipes in that section followed by Spotlights. The Spotlights are of local farms sharing about various fruits, vegetables, etc. For example one of the first spotlights in the book is on “Honey” the farmer being interviewed talks about how they craved a simple life of making honey and how and why they chose to do that. Reading the Spotlights in the book whether on honey, figs, herbs, or pecans, has been a real treat. In my eyes, this a cookbook that keeps on giving in more than one way.

The photos of the food are warm, inviting, and real. I love real photos when it comes to food! No airbrushing, or photo tunning. Real because that’s the way it should be presented as that will be how it looks coming to our own tables.

There are many recipes in this book, I’m just dying to whip up! The ingredients are usually something that I have in my own home and easy enough to find in your local store or farmers market. Over Easter, I happened to make the “Orange Hugged Carrots” and it was a hit with my family. So glad that even my very picky three year old even gave them a thumbs up!

If you are looking for a taste of home or just inspired to bring to the table something different from down south, I highly recommend this book. And with Mother’s Day around the corner, I’d think about presenting her with this one for sure.

Buy it: You can purchase Farm Fresh Southern Cooking: Straight from the Garden to Your Dinner Table on Amazon.com for 11.99 (Kindle Version) or $16.49 (print version.

I received this book free from the publisher through the Book Sneeze, book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

As children continue through the book, they’ll learn about the anatomy of bees, the different types in the hive, the bees life cycle, how they bees navigate, and much more! The short poems and the educational facts, open the door for many questions. My daughter for one that’s almost four years old, really enjoyed this book. And I know for a fact that she’s begun to see bees in whole new light!

Being fun, interesting and informative, this book would be wonderful for home or school use.  Hands down a great resource for scientific exploration and lesson plans. I recommend picking up a copy for yourself, especially with the Summer season right around the corner!

You can find UnBEElievables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings on Amazon $11.55 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.00.

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.

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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.

 Can you believe that in about two more weeks that Spring will be upon us? Spring is one of my favorite seasons and my children are getting pretty excited about the season too. I don’t know about you but ways I like to welcome the season in is by doing crafts, decorating the home, and reading seasonal appropriate books to my children. And speaking of reading, I’m thrilled to be spreading the news about two brand new puzzle books that are perfect for children ages 2-4 years old in welcoming the Spring and Easter season from Abrams Appleseed books for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

My Birdie and My Bunny Puzzle Book by author and illustrator Jessie Ford were a hit with my children, ages a little over 1 and nearly four years old. Each book is in hard cover format and the thickness of the pages ensure that these books will last for a very long time. The illustrations have the look of trendy stationary and design making these boards book quite stylish! I for one as a graphic designer welcomed the different textures and the spring color palette which gives each book a very sophisticated feel.

These books are great for early learning concepts with the single pull-out puzzle pieces on each page spread of the book. Your child or you can remove each piece as you read through the story and at the end the puzzle can be completed. In the My Birdie book, children will learn how to count up to the number four as well as learn different colors. And in the My Bunny book, senses are covered such as smelling, tasting, listening, and so on.

I highly recommend My Birdie and My Bunny Puzzle Books to share this Spring season. I think these would make wonderful additions to any child’s easter basket too. You can purchase these books right now on Amazon.comfor $6.95.

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.

Peepsqueak is a cute story that teaches and reminds us the importance of never giving up on your hopes and dreams no matter how big or small that they may be. This story is written by Leslie Ann Clark an artist and designer whom has worked on books, magazines, greeting cards, puzzles, fabric designs, and more. This is her first book and I’m sure it won’t be her last.

Peepsqueak went over well with both of my children ages three year old and a little over 1. The colorful full page illustrations of the farm and surrounding areas were fun for the kids to look at. And my daughter even pointed out that there was a little gray mouse that made an appearance on almost every page in which the little chick was on.

The story isn’t too long or to short. I would say it’s just right. This book would be great for a beginning readers too, in my opinion. I like how certain words in the text stand out and go along well with the story being told. For example with Peepsqueak falls down the text gradually goes in down toward the bottom of the page and when he’s going up, the text rises up to the top of the page. Also certain phrases that are repeated in the story stand out with color and size.

This would be a cute book to give either a young boy or girl during the Spring season. I know both my kids enjoyed the simpleness to it and I’m sure others will too.

You can see a book trailer for Peepsqueak  and download a maze based on Peepsqueak! [PDF] for the kids too!

Buy it: Peepsqueak! can be purchased at Amazon.com for $9.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping as well as other well known book stores.

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.

Fancy Nancy meets Martha Stewart in Crafty Chloe, the adorable DIY star of a new picture book series!

As a do it yourself artistic person, I’m rejoicing with a book I can share with my nearly four year old daughter that  wants to be just like me embracing being crafty and creative in numbers of ways. Kelly DiPucchio the author of Crafty Chloe has done a wonderful job in presenting a book that is geared toward children of the artistic persuasion and personality.

Heather Ross, illustrator of Crafty Chloe has done an exceptional job in bringing the characters of this story to life and keeping children engaged in the story. I also learned she is a fabric designer, so it’s no wonder her designs really stand out!  I loved the illustrations and the style was really fun and done in neat artsy way.  I’ve caught my daughter sitting in her room with this book just looking at the illustrations since she can’t read yet.

The story of Crafty Chloe is about a a girl that isn’t the star athlete or ballerina dancer but one who loves to create! When we meet Chloe, we see that she has plans to make a unique gift for her friends birthday even though another girl she knows turns her nose up at the very idea of it!  The story is quite fun and children can learn valuable lessons such as love, value, worth, and care. My daughter loves Crafty Chloe and has been brining the book for me to read to her everyday!

I highly recommend gifting this book to the crafty little girl in your life! An added bonus to the book is the website of Crafty Chloe which features fun crafts suggestion and ideas to create just like the ones seen in the book! I am sure my daughter would thrilled if we decided to make Glow in the Dark star PJ’s Chloe’s.

This 40 page hardcover book can be purchased at Amazon.com for 11.55 right now and it’s eligible for free shipping. This book is perfect for little girls ages 4-8 years old, so don’t miss out on title that will be well loved by the glue and glitter loving little girl in your life.