Operation ResCUTE Book & Plush Set – Gives Back to Pets @OpResCute

November 12, 2015 by Samantha 3 Comments

Have you heard of the inspirational non-profit called Operation ResCUTE™ ($29.99), packaged for young readers as a book-and-plush set. It stars the true-life-story of Jingles, a homeless puppy in New York City that gets to live happily ever after. Youngsters discover (as they snuggle with their plush pup) that shelters are full of friendly faces. With the purchase of this boxed set, they become a ResCUTER.

It’s no wonder Operation ResCUTE is getting two paws up from animal lovers of all ages. The illustrated book is written from the dog’s point of view, in her own voice. After reading the storybook, kids will want to share the importance of being a ResCUTER, a solution to shelter dog adoption. Packaged in a cage-like gift box, the book and plush pal opens their eyes to the many four-legged friends locked away in cages, longing for a loving home. And it really happened to Jingles.

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We have our own adopted dog, and usually a foster dog as well, so we loved this story as well as the idea of ResCUTE. Giving a gift that is not only cute and sweet but also gives back is one we can fully support. Kids on your list and any animal lover would appreciate this adorable gift set.

Like many happy-ending stories, this one began tragically when NYC marketing powerhouse Laurie Brown-Nagin spotted an Animal Control Officer carrying a puppy to a pro-bono veterinarian. The animal lover and mom fell in love with Jingles, the shelter pooch that desperately needed a warm, loving home. As a marketing researcher, Brown-Nagin discovered only 30 percent of pets in homes come from shelters and rescue organizations. Worse, an estimated 2.7 million healthy pets remain in shelters each year! She started a non-profit, www.OperationRescute.com, and used her years of marketing prowess to package this inspiring boxed set for the next generation to read and feel empowered to make a difference.

During this season of giving, parents and grandparents can give a pawsitive present, with 100% of profits going directly toward helping shelter dogs get adopted. Brown-Nagin reports that profits will be used by shelters for marketing /outreach efforts for placement of dogs with families.

Operation ResCUTE Book & Plush Set • $29.99 • Ages 3+

Jingles the dog, the first in the Operation ResCUTE series, shows youngsters the value of opening their hearts and helping someone/something less fortunate. Each boxed set includes an illustrated book and huggable plush pup. Animal shelters give it two paws up! For sale at Amazon.com.

Filed Under: animals, book review, Holiday Gift Guide, Holiday Gift Guide 2015, kids, review, toys Tagged With: books, charity, holiday gift guide, kids books, pets, toys

Win National Geographic Kid’s Books

October 28, 2015 by Samantha 11 Comments

National Geographic Kid’s Books Fall season is in full swing with several titles that are perfect for holiday gift giving as well as year round reading. Long after the video games and toys have lost their allure, kids will keep coming back to big, bold, and beautiful books that catch their eye and capture their imagination. Below are a selection of topnotch books for kids of all ages — and also one great recommendation for a memorable and thoughtful teacher’s gift.

Treasury of Norse Mythology: Stories of Intrigue, Trickery, Love and Revenge by Donna Jo Napoli (ages 8-12, $24.99) — Kids are fascinated by Norse mythology and thanks to the blockbuster movie franchise The Avengers and Rick Riordan’s highly anticipated Norse mythology fiction series debuting this Fall, these ancient tales of Scandinavia have never been hotter. The Treasury of Norse Mythology makes a great gift for fans to delve more into their favorite characters, like Thor, Loki and Odin. The classic tales come to life with page after page of beautiful illustrations featuring the gods, goddesses, heroes and monsters of Norse myths.

Ultimate Weird But True! 3 (ages 8-12, $19.99) — Have a fact-loving tween? Over 1,000 of the weirdest facts coupled with amazing graphics and photos packaged in an oversized gift-giving-worthy format makes this book a slam dunk selection for avid readers, reluctant readers and boys and girls alike.

NG Kids Why?: Over 1,111 Answers to Everything by Crispin Boyer (ages 8-12, $19.99 ) – The concept is simple. Got a question? Well now you have an answer! 1,111 of them, in fact. Want to know why your snot is yellow? Flip to the human body chapter. What’s on the inside of a turtle shell? The animal section’s got you covered. What’s in the deepest part of the ocean? Why doesn’t Earth just float off into space? Check, check, and check. With hundreds of topics ranging from silly to serious, this book has the expert information kids need in a fun and entertaining format that will keep them digging for answers.

Ultimate Reptile-opedia: The Most Complete Reptile Reference Ever – (ages 7-10, $24.99) – Snakey, slimey, scaley, and sensational! Welcome to the amazing world of the most popular reptiles on Earth. With colorful photographs and fun facts, this easy-to-use encyclopedia profiles snakes, lizards, amphibians, turtles and tortoises, crocodilians, and tuatara. Profiles are accompanied by Did You Know? details and fast facts including scientific name, size, diet, and habitat.

STOCKING STUFFER – 100 Things to Make You Happy (ages 8-12, $9.99) – Sized perfectly to fit into a stocking, this cheerful and inspirational book will make kids go “WOW!” and “Awwww” in equal measure. It’s packed with adorable animal facts, heartwarming nuggets from history, snippets of cool new science, amazing photography, inspirational advice from Nat Geo explorers, and fascinating weird-but-true facts. Sprinkled throughout are expert tips, jokes, quotes, and exercises to boost kids’ dose of daily joy and get them actively involved in their own well-being.

GREAT FOR TEACHERS — National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry (ages 4-8, pub date 10/13/15, $24.99) – Beloved former U.S. Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis curates a collection of over 200 poems celbrating the natural world, coupled with photographs that float, zoom and bloom!. From trickling streams to deafening thunderstorms to soaring mountains, discover majestic photography perfectly paired with contemporary (such as Billy Collins), classics (such as Robert Frost), and never-before-published works.

One of you can win these books. Feel free to enter below using the RC form. Good luck! Ends Nov 23, 2015.

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Filed Under: book review, giveaway Tagged With: books, kids books, national geographic

Review and Giveaway- Little Gestalten Books

February 5, 2015 by Samantha 34 Comments

There are seemingly no end to the good reasons that parents should read to their children, not the least of which is the simple act of bonding time. I read with my son all the time, but he knows that as part of his bed time ritual, he gets his song, his story, his “made up” story, and then we have to put good dreams into his head. It’s kind of a long story how that came about, and bedtime starts about 40 minutes before actual bedtime, but it’s a nice way to end the night.

We are always looking for great new books. We find them everywhere- the bookstore, the library, book sales at his school book swaps- you name it. His newest books are really beautiful, and something a little different. If you are a big reader, and have little ones who love to read (or to be read to), you will want to check out the new Berlin-based children’s book publisher Little Gestalten and their debut line of beautiful, high concept, totally unique picture books. Critically acclaimed, The New York Times Style Section says “Little Gestalten….marries thoughtful storytelling with supercool visuals.”

Issun Boshi: The One Inch Boy – This classic Japanese fairy tale tells the story of Issun Boshi, the tiny son of an old, long childless couple. His mother had longed to have a child for so many years that she finally added “even if it is a very small one” to her wish. When the elderly couple did in fact bear a son, he turned out to be only one inch high. He was thus called Issun Boshi, Japanese for one-inch boy. Tiny and brave — these are the two most striking characteristics of Issun Boshi. Although his parents raised him very lovingly, Issun Boshi realized one day that he would not grow any taller. He then left his home to set off on a journey to find his place in the world.
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Filed Under: book review, giveaway, kids, review Tagged With: books, kids, kids books

Stocking Stuffers for Dad

December 7, 2014 by Samantha 1 Comment

Looking for a few little “somethings” to stuff in dad’s stocking this year? Check out these fun books that are sure to make him laugh- and be fun (and even useful) as well.

World Bottled Beers: 50 Classic Brews to Sip and Savour

This is actually what the book looks like- a bottle of beer 🙂

“A delightful gift for any discerning beer drinker, this shaped book features 50 of the world’s best brews from Adams Broadside in the UK to US classics such as Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA and Sierra Nevada Bigfoot and the unmissable German lagers and wheat beers that include Ayinger Celebrator and Schneider Weisse. For each beer, a shaped bottle image is accompanied by detailed tasting notes and a list of other similar beers to try. Beers range from best bitters and IPAs to stouts and porters, Trappist ales and oak-aged brown ales to lagers and wheat beers. The author, Adrian Tierney-Jones, is an award-winning beer writer.” The book is available for $10.72 at Barnes and Nobel.com.
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Filed Under: book review, Holiday Gift Guide, review Tagged With: book, books, Holiday Gift Guide 2014, men

Belfry’s Christmas Gift – Children’s Book

November 26, 2014 by Samantha 2 Comments

If you are looking for a sweet book to add to your Christmas collection this year, Let me suggest “Belfry‘s Christmas Gift“, the second book in the ‘Tales of Little Overhill’ series. Written by Mike Joens, this adorable tale revolves around Belfry, a cute woodland animal who is trying to think of the perfect gift to give to Theo for Christmas. Along the way, he comes across the village curmudgeon, who he tries to befriend.

According to my son (7 years old), he says that in the book, “it shows just because you look mean on the outside, doesn’t mean that you are really a bad guy. And God loves you how you are, no matter what.”

Belfry’s Christmas Gift is a really great book for kids of all ages, to tell the true meaning of Christmas. The book is also fun for them to hear, and the animals are always a good touch for children (what child doesn’t love animals?). The book is beautifully illustrated by Len Simon, with the images and expressions just right for kids. The animals are cute and cuddly (well, most of them!) and the scenery is pretty- we all know that we are visual creatures, and that the illustrations for kids especially are nearly as important as the story to keep them interested. They will love both the pictures and the story here, and it’s available now in time for the holidays for just under $15.
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Filed Under: book review, Holiday Gift Guide, holidays, kids, review Tagged With: books, Christmas, kids books

Sparkup Reader–Outstanding Toy for Kids

November 13, 2014 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Disclosure: The SparkUp Reader mentioned below were provided for me in order to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.

I absolutely love reading to my children. Occasionally I am gone at bedtime or have to be out of town. I always want to still be able to read with my children as they are going to bed. I know that it isn’t always possible, but it would be great if it was. SparkUp Reader has made it possible to read a variety of books to your child at anytime.

About SparkUp Reader:

Sparkup is a privately-held company based in Israel. It is managed by young parents who understand first-hand the challenges facing children’s reading and playtime experiences in a digital era. The investors and management team are passionate abou enhancing the lives of children and their families.

The SparkUp Magical Book Reader is a revolutionary devices that clips directly on to any picture book and reads it aloud in your voice. You can record the book yourself, in any language, and add your own personal touches, or download professionally recorded stories, complete with sound effects, directly from the Sparkup website. While recording, Sparkup’s tiny camera takes a picture of the book’s front cover and each page. later on, when a child connects Sparkup to the book, Sparkup immediately recognizes its front cover. Sparkup follows the child’s place and reads aloud as he or she turns the pages – even out of order.

Beerlicious- A Fun New Cook Book

September 4, 2012 by Samantha 7 Comments

There are very few things that go as well together as grilling, summer, and beer. There is a great new cook book by the grill master Ted Reader called Beerlicious Volume 1. This fun book teachers readers not only how to grill like one of the best, but how to grill with beer as one of the ingredients. Yay, this was a hit with daddy! Sometimes as a marinade, sauce, or even an ingredient in a grilled cake.

Double chocolate stout German chocolate cake is one of the most interesting dessert recipes. I have to be honest in my house we love the grill and nothing beats a nice barbecue on a warm summer night. But we have never had cake on the grill and this book opens up [Read more…]