Holiday Gift Guide - R&G - Toyland Express (Picture Puzzles)

I love getting books for my kids, nieces and well, everyone!  We're a big reading family and I always look for great books that will keep everyone entertained.  

Right now, Liam is in that wonderful pre-reading phase and finding books that help us to interact with him and keep him engaged are great, so I'm so glad that I've got the opportunity to share our experience with Can You See What I See?: Toyland Express: Picture Puzzles to Search and Solve and offer a giveaway to THREE lucky US readers!

Book Review: Curious Critters

I have to say that I absolutely love children's books that use real photographs in them and when they form the basis of the book, you get a beautiful creation like Curious Critters.

MMMmonday Special!: #Giveaway and Review Handstand Kids

I am pleased this week to have a special Handstand Kids in the Kitchen edition of MMMmonday!


I was sent the Handstand Kids Italian Cookbook to review and can also offer one lucky reader their own copy!

DVD Review: Scholastic Storybook Treasures

I am pleased to be reviewing a set of titles from Scholastic Storybook Treasures.  I received the My First DVD set, featuring Splat the Cat and two other DVDs. Scrambled States...and More Stories by Laurie Keller and The North Star ... More Stories about Imagination.


This DVD collection reminds me of the book and cassette sets that I used to have as a kid, gone high tech!  Each DVD has several stories on it and has a read aloud together component, as well as bonus features like author interviews and more.  My favorite DVD of the series that I received was Splat the Cat which features:

Children's Book Week Giveaway Hop

As part of Children's Book Week, I am going to be giving away two prizes - the first is a copy of my favorite children's book ever - The Paper Bag Princess 25th Anniversary Edition with The Story Behind the Story by Robert Munsch and the second is a $15 Amazon GC to pick whichever children's book you want!

The Paperbag Princess is the story of Princess Elizabeth, whose world is turned upside down by a dragon who interrupts her orderly world, trashes her castle, her dress and her hair and kidnaps her fiancée, prince Ronald.  Elizabeth takes matters into her own hands, finds a paperbag to wear and sets off to save Ronald...
I've loved this story for years and it never gets old in the retelling!


The $15 Amazon GC is limited only by your own imagination....

Entry is simple, just follow my blog in any one way of your choice - 

follow in additional ways for extra entries and tweet daily for another additional entry!  

You must follow AT LEAST ONE WAY to be counted!

Follow Acting Balanced/Chascouponmom on Twitter (leave twitter name)

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TO ENTER PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW - COMMENTS WILL NOT BE COUNTED AS ENTRIES





This is a blog hop!
You can see the list of all particpating bogs here: http://familyliteracyandyou.blogspot.com/2011/04/childrens-book-week-spotlight.html

Review, discount and #giveaway - 5 Little Bunnies Board Book and CD

I am pleased to have been chosen by Twin Sisters Productions to review the Five Little Bunnies Die-Cut Board Book and  CD set.

Product Details:

·         Five Little Bunnies Die-Cut Board Book and CD Set

·         ISBN: 9781599226293

·         Description: The simple rhymes and delightful illustrations in this board book teach young children numbers 1 to 5. The Music CD includes the recorded story plus 19 new and classic children’s songs.

·         CD Details

o   Run Time 32:20

o   20 Songs (Five Little Bunnies Read Along + 19 Additional Songs)

·         MSRP: $9.99, currently on sale for just $6.99!

My Review:


Liam loved the Five Little Bunnies book and cd set from the moment we got it a few weeks ago, but what I love is that the catchy tunes and simple story have also captured Erik's attention!  It's a high quality board book that has stood up well against being read countless times by Liam and drooled on by Erik.

It's a book that we can read over and over again!  The really nice thing is that the story is not just for spring or Easter like so many bunny books are, but can be read throughout the year. 

The CD contains a reading of the story, which has been great for Liam in the car, but in my mind runs just a little fast.  We like to savor the pictures on each page and when he reads the book with the cd, it moves more quickly.

The CD also has 19 songs that put you into mind of Spring!  One of the things I really like is that they've adapted traditional tunes and put their own twist on some of the songs, which makes the kids listen more closely to what is going on!


Five Little Bunnies is only one of a number of great book and CD combinations from Twin Sisters, which include these two great looking books:

   

Twin Sisters has two great deals for my readers right now - 

you can save an additional 30% off Five Little Bunnies or anything else in their store when you use the code FIVEBUNNY from now until March 31st, 2011.

If you spend over $50, your order ships FREE!

You can also win a copy of Five Little Bunnies Die-Cut Board Book and  CD set here on Acting Balanced!  The giveaway will end March 31st, 2011 at 11:59 PM.

WIN THE BOOK!

Rules:

Giveaway is open to US and Canadian Residents only

Mandatory Entry must be completed before other entries count.

Each entry must be made as a SEPARATE COMMENT

Giveaway will end on March 31st, 2011 at 11:59 PM and the winner will be chosen by Random.org and announce on Acting Balanced and contacted by email

The winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize.

You will have a second round of chances to enter on tomorrow's review post.

Mandatory Entry on this post

Visit Twin Sisters Productions and tell me what other product you are interested in.

Bonus Entries *Leave a separate comment for each:

+ 2 Follow Twin Sisters on Twitter

+2 Like Twin Sisters on Facebook 

+ 1 Bonus entry Follow Acting Balanced/Chascouponmom on Twitter

+ 1 Bonus entry Follow Acting Balanced on Google Friend Connect

+ 1 Bonus entry Like Acting Balanced on Facebook 

+ 1 Bonus entry Subscribe to Acting Balanced by email (must be completed)

+1 Daily tweet

I want to #WIN "5 Little Bunnies" from @chascouponmom and @twinsistersprod http://bit.ly/eYTDqk #giveaway ends 3/31/11

Information about Twin Sisters Productions:

For over 23 years, Twin Sisters Productions has been dedicated to producing quality educational and inspirational music resources for children, families, and educators.  Founded by fraternal twins, Karen Mitzo Hilderbrand, and Kim Mitzo Thompson, Twin Sisters Productions has continued to expand its product line to include CDs, read and sing-along books, floor puzzles and educational workbooks, all with the purpose of learning through music.  These products have received over 160 awards for educational excellence and creativity as well as classroom and family fun, thus reflecting Twin Sisters Productions’ commitment to producing educational audio of the highest quality and value.  These awards include nine RIAA (Record Industry Association of America) certified Gold albums and one Platinum album.  With thousands of songs that teach and over 26 million albums sold, Twin Sisters Productions positions itself as the leader in children’s educational music.

Disclaimer: I received this product at no cost for the purpose of completing this review.  I received no other compensation and all opinions expressed are my own.

Book Review: Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle *children's

I am pleased to be part of the Pump Up Your Book virtual tour for:

Nicole Weaver was a guest blogger here yesterday - click here if you missed reading her post

About Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle/María y su amiga la Tortuga del mar/Marie et son amie la Tortue de mer

This story is about the love that developed between a little girl named Marie and a stranded sea turtle.  The story tells the struggles Marie had as she helped the sea turtle back out to sea.

Esta historia es sobre el amor que se desarrolló entre una niña llamaba María y una tortuga que vino a tierra para poner sus huevos. La historia cuenta las dificultades que tenía María para  regresar la tortuga de nuevo al océano.

Cette histoire est au sujet de l’amour qui s’est développé entre une petite fille qui s’appelait Marie et une tortue de mer qui est venue sur le sable  pour pondre ses oeufs. L’histoire raconte les difficultés que Marie a   rencontrées pour remettre la tortue dans l’océan.

My review:

The first thing you notice when you flip through this book is that it's in three languages!  Each page has the same text written in English, French and Spanish.  The story is simple and sweet and, for those of us living in the lowcountry, very near and dear to our hearts - sea turtle rescue!  Marie lives near the ocean and visits the beach in search of shells and stumbles upon a sea turtle in distress.  She can't help on her own and needs to convince others that helping the turtle is important and right.  The illustrations are simple and clear and the story unfolds quickly and easily.  This book would be great for multi-lingual classrooms and homes and for children who are intrigued by languages.  At $14.95, it's a little pricey for a paperback, but I think there's value in the multi-lingual dimension and you're really getting three stories for the price of one.  This is a good read aloud story and offers opportunity for discussion.  If you and your child are exploring new languages, this is a great book for you.

About Nicole Weaver

Nicole weaver was born in Port-au-Prince Haiti. She came to the United States when she was ten years old. She is fluent in Creole, French, Spanish and English. She is a veteran teacher of French and Spanish. She is the author of a children’s trilingual picture book titled Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle.

The story is about a Haitian little girl who resided by the beach in Haiti. Her second trilingual children’s picture book will be published by Guardian Angel Publishing. The book titled, My Sister is my Best Friend, will be published fall 2011.
You can visit Nicole Weaver’s website at http://www.melangeofcultures.wordpress.com and her book’s blog at http://marieandherfriendtheseaturtle.blogspot.com/.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book at no charge for the purpose of completing this review.  All opinions are my own.

Book Review - Blooming Buddies (childrens)

Blooming Buddies in the Garden by Deborah Donner and Wendy Peterson is a lilting series of rhymes surrounded by beautiful floral illustrations.  It is a book best read aloud and shared.  There is something for everyone from pre-schooler to adult in this colorful and magical book.

The illustrations are colorful, unique and provide a foil for the sweetly worded verse.  The story celebrates differences and allows the reader to engage and ask questions.  It would be a great jumping off point for educators who want to talk about diversity and differences.  No two pictures are the same, but all have a magical quality and minute details that help to bring the story to life.

I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a beautiful, hardcover gift of celebration - it would make a good shower, birthday or just because gift for the young person in your life, or those who are young at heart.

Blooming Buddies in the Garden is a 32 pg hardcover book with dust cover and  available from www.bloomingbuddies.com and retails for $16.95

You can also check out Blooming Buddies for stickers, art prints and more!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book at no cost to assist in writing this review.  All opinions are 100% my own.

Book Review - Ten on the Sled (Children's book)

Ten on the Sled (From the publisher)

Certain rhymes are classics. Every kid grows up learning Jack Be Nimble, Little Bo-Peep, Ten on the Bed, they are hallmarks of American childhood. Now, Kim Norman, Crocodaddy, has re-imagined Ten on the Bed as an exciting wintry extravaganza. Ten on the Sled features ten adventurous animals squeezed into a toboggan, flying down a bumpy path.  With each new page, a different character is jostled off the sled and caught in a giant snowball rumbling toward them at great speed. Who will make it to the bottom? What will happen to those that fall off?  The anticipation is as immense asthe fun.

Ten on the Sled is quite a ride. It retains the sweetness of the original version, but adds adventure, speed, memorable characters, and incredible artwork. Illustrator Liza Woodruff has placed this delightful, warm cast of characters amidst thebeautiful and playful backdrop of a snowy mountain. Parents, however, will see more than just an entertaining and catchy book as their children learn basic numbers, counting, and different types of animals

My Review:

You really do want to sing this book out loud... the characters are fun, well drawn and the story is both silly and wonderful for children of all ages... It's a wonderful re-imagination of ten on the bed, and the language is appropriate for little ones to be read to and challenging enough for older children.

One of the differences between this new story and the original is that in the bed, they all fell out - but in this story, each animal leaves the sled a different way - for instance, the wolf wiped out and the hare hopped out... 

This is a fun read, especially as we head into the holidays and I highly recommend it for children from 3 to 93 :)

Where to buy:

Ten on the Sled is available at major book retailers, including Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble where it is available for $8.22

This review is being linked up at:

Book Review and Giveaway - Girlology - There's Something New...

I was sent a copy of Girlology's There's Something New About You: A Girl's Guide to Growing Up to review and can offer THREE of my readers copies of their own!

My first thought when I was asked to review this book was, I am definitely going to get Robyn's perspective on it - even though I knew that we'd already passed the major milestones outlined in the book, I thought that her insights into the Tween world would be invaluable in writing this review... but before we get there, I'll introduce you to what the publisher has to say:

GIRLOLOGY: THERE'S SOMETHING NEW ABOUT YOU arms girls with knowledge and empowerment so they can later make responsible, healthy choices.  The book has great stories in addition to the advice, so readers can relate to the various scenarios the girls in the book are experiencing: Claire thinks she'll never develop; Lily is embarrassed to shop for her first bra; Riley is mortified when she gets her period at her dad's house; Brianna doesn't know what to say when the boys tell her she has a "nice rack"; and Tess is worried about whether or not her tampon will stay in at the swim meet.  With cool graphics, quizzes and tips, Girlology's There's Something New About You: A Girl's Guide to Growing Up will help any girl make sense of a very confusing time.


My review:


I was right, Robyn's perspective was a great asset to writing this review.  The book is aimed at young girls in grades 3-6 (ages 8-11) who are just starting to deal with issues surrounding puberty.  It uses scenarios that girls can relate to, and language that is modern and flows well.  There is enough information contained in the book to provide a starting place for girls to learn about what is happening to their bodies, and those of their friends who might be developing at a different rate than they are, without being overwhelming or worse, patronizing.


Robyn and I didn't really use a book as a starting place when she was questioning puberty - we just jumped right in and dealt with issues as they arose, and kept the conversation flowing with regular check ins to make sure she was okay with her body and its changes.  We were lucky in one sense, that she was on the later end of most of the changes that puberty brought, so she had a ready source of places to look for questions about her friends and their changes, but I imagine that broaching the subject with younger girls who are already experiencing some of puberty's gifts might be more difficult.


I think it would also be great for parents who aren't quite sure what level their girls are at in the learning process - if they've gotten good advice or bad from friends and rumors, or what they've been told in school health sessions.  Reading the book opens up talking points and the quizzes are one way to get honest feedback about how the girls feel and what they know.


Robyn found that she w
as beyond the book, at 12 and having experienced her period, hormonal and other changes already, that there wasn't as much she could learn from the book, but she did say that she'd recommend it for younger girls as a cool way to start talking about the issues to do with growing up.


One of the other things I liked about Girlology's There's Something New About You: A Girl's Guide to Growing Up -is that it's written by doctors so that you know the factual information is as accurate as is available and that research has gone into the writing of the book.


To find out more about Girlology's There's Something New About You: A Girl's Guide to Growing Up you can check out: www.girlology.com

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Melisa Holmes, M.D., is an ob-gyn and a nationally recognized advocate for adolescent health. Trish Hutchison, M.D., is a pediatrician with a passion for adolescents. As trusted physicians with over 25 years of clinical experience between them, both have been named among the Best Doctors in America.  They are the authors of A Girl's Guide to Stuff That Matters and Hang-Ups, Hook-Ups, and Holding Out.  

Now for the giveaway:

There are three copies of Girlology's There's Something New About You: A Girl's Guide to Growing Up available to be won from Acting Balanced.  This giveaway will run until October 25th at 11:59 PM EST and the winners will be announced 

Mandatory Entry: 

Let me know what you think you'll like about Girlology's There's Something New About You: A Girl's Guide to Growing Up and who you plan to share it with.

Optional entries: (Leave a separate comment for each entry)

Follow Girlology on Twitter

Like Girlology on Facebook

Follow Acting Balanced/Chascouponmom on Twitter (leave twitter name)

Follow Acting Balanced on Google Friend Connect
Like Acting Balanced on Facebook 

Subscribe to Acting Balanced by email (must be complete)

Book/CD Review & Giveaway - The Nutria Frog Kingdom (childrens)

The Nutria Frog Kingdom is a children's story with a message.  Set in the swamps of Louisiana, the story follows two children on an adventure to meet King Leo of the Nutria Frogs...


It is written by Bayou Castaine Bennett and illustrated by Pui Choi Lam, Caleb Johnson, Randy Volant, Alvin Forrest, Brian Cannady and Arian Delpha


From the Publisher:
Based on original lyrics by Washboard Leo Thomas from the "Nutria-Frog Story" album.


My review:


This book offers kids a whimsical and imaginative look at serious environmental problems - pollution and lack of conservation for swamps and other natural resources.  From the music to the book, children can blend their imaginations with serious discussions about recycling, water conservation and energy conservation.  


The Nutria Frogs - a very special 'new species' illustrate just how important a specific eco-system can be for the survival of special animals.  


Once the story closes, it doesn't end there - there are several activities that engage the children in thoughtful ways of conservation - one of them asks the kids to think of five things they can do in their own town to help improve the environment and the magical Nutria-Frog kingdom, and another asks them to draw themselves unplugging cell phones, lights and TV's when it is safe and no one is using them.... 


The story was a little complicated for my son who is 4 and has some delays, but he loved the music and the illustrations - I would recommend this book for children 6-9, and the CD is a great tie in for younger children. It would be a great way to introduce conservation and environmentalism to a classroom!


You can enjoy and purchase your own copy of "The Nutria Frog Kingdom" book and CD for only $17.99 on the book’s Facebook page or from the Nutria Frog Kingdom website.


One lucky Acting Balanced follower will win their own copy of The Nutria Frog Kingdom.  This giveaway will end on October 6th, 2010 at 11:59 pm and the winner - chosen by random.org - will be announced on October 7th

Mandatory Entry (must be done before bonus entries will be counted) 

Tell me who you would share your copy of "The Nutria Frog Kingdom" with.

Additional chances to win (please make a new comment for each entry):
Subscribe to Acting Balanced by email (+3)
Like The Nutria Frog Kingdom on Facebook (+3)

Like Acting Balanced on Facebook
Follow Chascouponmom on Twitter
Follow Acting Balanced on Google Friend Connect
Follow Acting Balanced on Networked Blogs
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