Even Superheroes Have Bad Days by Shelly Becker, illustrated by Eda Kaban

Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books
Format: Hardcover
Age Range: 3 – 9 years old
Grade Level: Preschool – 3
Pages: 40
Available for Sale: September 6, 2016

Synopsis
All kids have trouble getting a grip on their emotions, sometimes—even young superheroes! But what do they do when they’re having a bad day? Colorful action-packed illustrations and a dynamite rhyming text reveal the many ways superheroes (and ordinary children, too) can resist the super-temptation to cause a scene when they’re sad, mad, frustrated, lonely, or afraid. From burning off steam on a bike or a hike, to helping others, this energetic picture book has plenty of fun ideas to help kids cope when they’re feeling overwhelmed.

Reflection
Oh, what a fun book this is!  The fun starts as soon as you open up the book and see the beautifully illustrated endpapers which introduces the dynamic cast of superhero characters: Beastie, Zing, Thrash, Laserman, Magnifique, Screecher, Typhoon and Icky.  Next, the whimsical rhyming text of the book starts off:

“When Superheroes don’t get their way,
when they’re sad, when they’re mad, when they’ve had a bad day . . .
. . . they COULD super-tantrum, they COULD but they DON’T,
because REAL Superheroes just WOULDN’T—they WON’T!”

It then goes on to talk about all the things superheroes could do when they have bad days.  Finally, the book concludes by telling kids how superheroes cope when they experience an occasional “bad day”.

“And using their talents as true heroes should,
they battle the urge to do harm (though they could).
They acknowledge their sorrow, their anger, their pain,
as they wait for their super-emotions to wane.”

In addition to the rhyming text, my kids love looking at all of the action taking place in each illustration.  They get a kick out of the superheros causing (potential) destruction all around town like the superhero shown kicking over the fire hydrant on the first page.  They laugh out loud every single time.  I think the illustrations are so well thought out, colorful and detailed.  I also appreciate the illustrator using a diverse set of superhero characters including a mixture of males and females in all different shapes and sizes.

Overall, I think this book does a wonderful job teaching little readers it’s okay to show their emotions like: frowning, sighing, throwing tantrums and crying.  Also, I think parents will appreciate the fact that this book can be used to help children understand their feelings and what it means to have a “bad day”.  In addition, parents can use this book as an opportunity to teach their children how to cope with stress and handle situations that are less than ideal in their eyes. These are important skills they will need as adults.  Check out this fun book out with your little superheroes!

About the Author
Shelly Becker is the author of Mine! Mine! Mine! which has appeared on several lists showcasing the best books that teaches the concept of “sharing”.  Shelly has also written more than 15 children’s novelty books for Tormont, and sold stories and poems to Highlights for Children and Hopscotch for Girls magazine.  She lives in Montreal, Canada.

About the Illustrator
Eda Kaban has done work that can be seen in galleries throughout California in a variety of publications.  Her illustrations have been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, Creative Quarterly, and 3X3.  She was born and raised in Turkey and lives in San Francisco, CA.

Your turn: How do you help your children cope when they have “bad days”?  Feel free to share in the comments.

BeachBoundBooks is pleased to be coordinating a Blog Tour for the charming children’s book written by Sandra L. Richards and illustrated by Megan Kayleigh Sullivan, Rice & Rocks. The tour will run from August 23 – September 13, 2016.

About the Book

Title: Rice & Rocksl | Author: Sandra L. Richards | Illustrator: Megan Kayleigh Sullivan Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing | Publication Date: August 23, 2016 Genre: Children’s Picture Book | Number of Pages: 32 Book Description: Tradition takes flight in Rice & Rocks, a picture book celebrating culture and diversity. Giovanni’s friends are coming over for Sunday dinner, and his grandmother is serving rice and beans. Giovanni is embarrassed he does not like ‘rice and rocks’ and worries his friends will think the traditional Jamaican dish is weird. But his favorite Auntie comes to the rescue. She and Giovanni’s pet parrot, Jasper, take him on a magical journey across the globe, visiting places where people eat rice and rocks. This exciting story celebrates the varied traditions of every culture while also highlighting the delicious similarities that bring us all together.  Take a look inside the book…

Review
Being Jamaican-American I can totally relate to the way Giovanni feels in this book.  Back in the 1980’s it wasn’t “cool” to be Jamaican or Jamaican-American for that matter.  Although I was born in America, my mother was not.  She had a very thick and distinct Jamaican accent.  I remember sometimes asking my mom to keep quiet in public in attempts to save face and stray from being different because I was scared her accent would embarrass me.  Kids would often use the term “fresh-off the boat” when referring to my mother.  Sometimes it felt like I was trapped between two worlds.

Like Giovanni, I also have some embarrassing childhood food memories.  Even today, I’m sure many multicultural children still have food-related insecurities while growing up, like awkwardness about using chopsticks and the custom of eating all parts of the animal — chicken feet, fish eyes and pig head.

I loved when Giovanni’s auntie takes him on a magical journey and all the discoveries that Giovanni makes.  I love the look of wonder in his eyes!  He realizes that some of his friends also eat rice and beans as a traditional dish.  What a revelation!

Overall, we enjoyed this book for several different reasons.  The kids seemed to like pointing to the pictures of Jasper the parrot and little Giovanni.  I appreciate the fact that it was relatable as well as all of the detail included in the warm illustrations and the overall message of this book.  It teaches kids to understand they don’t have to apologize for the scent of their food or the way it looks.  In addition, I think this book does a great job teaching children about feelings, imagination, acceptance, and respecting other cultures and their traditions.

About the Author: Sandra L. Richards

Sandra L. Richards is the debut picture book author of Rice & Rocks. With Rice & Rocks, Sandra brings a unique contribution to the world of children’s books. An American-born daughter of Jamaican immigrant parents, she hopes the book will serve as an educational resource for families seeking to teach their children the value of their heritage and the importance of cultural diversity.

Learn more about Sandra at www.sandralrichards.com.

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About the Illustrator: Megan Kayleigh Sullivan

Megan Kayleigh Sullivan graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in 2012 with a degree in Illustration. She is currently working as a freelance illustrator and storyboard artist, and aspires towards a career in the film and animation industry as a concept artist, character designer, or visual development artist (or d., all of the above). She enjoys traveling, writing, telling stories, and hula-hooping. Visit her at www.357meg.com.

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Blog Tour Giveaway

Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner’s choice

Giveaway ends: September 13, 11:59 pm, 2016

Open to: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Sandra L. Richards and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions feel free to send an email to stacie@BeachBoundBooks.com.

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Daddy Do My Hair? Beth’s Twists by Tola Okogwu, illustrated by Rahima Begum

Publisher: Florence Elizabeth Publishing Limited
Available for Sale: October 2016
Pages: 36
UK & US Pre-orders available now!  Learn more…

Synopsis
It’s Sunday evening and dinner is over.
Beth is excited and heads to the sofa.
Daddy is there with a smile and a chair,
“Daddy,” she asks, “will you please do my hair?”

Join Daddy and Beth on a wonderful hair adventure in this heart-warming story, which celebrates the unique and special relationship between a father and child. The perfect rhyming picture book read for every family, this is a book to be shared time and time again. This is the first book in the ‘Daddy Do My Hair?’ series.

Reflection

I love seeing dads style their daughters’ hair or paint their nails.  I don’t think my dad, in my entire life, ever even tried to do my hair let alone paint my nails.  With the popularity of the recent Pantene Superbowl ad and countless videos on the Internet, I think it’s refreshing to see so many dads who are stepping up to the plate to take on the task of doing their daughters’ hair.  Society has always made it seem like girls’ hairstyles can only be crafted by mothers, grandmothers, and sisters.

In this adorable rhyming book, Daddy Do My Hair? Beth’s Twists, Beth and her dad go on a Sunday evening hair adventure.  First dad asks Beth how he wants her to style her hair.  Beth decides she wants to have her hair twisted.  Dad is shown parting Beth’s hair gently with his fingers before he starts twisting.  Beth and her dad talk, giggle, tell stories and sing songs the entire time.  When the style is finished Beth inspects her daddy’s work and a huge smile spreads across her face.  In the end, Beth is pleased with the end result and can’t wait to go to school to show off her new hairstyle to her friends and let them know her daddy did it.  I love how Beth was involved in the process by choosing her own hair accessories and the style.  I also enjoyed seeing the father give Beth his undivided attention while he styled her hair.

I think this book is such a cute testament to the relationship between fathers and daughters which captures the importance of fatherhood perfectly.  Not everyone is blessed with parents or dads who are active.  Let’s face it, for many dads, doing hair isn’t as easy as most moms make it look. From basic pony tails to buns to complex braids, there’s a lot to learn.  With a plethora of products, accessories and styles available, it’s easy for dads to get caught up in complicated styles that leave their daughters’ looking more chaotic than cute.  However, I think Beth’s dad does a great job making his daughters’ hair look fierce and stylish.  He gets an A+ for both effort and style.  Way to go, Dad!

Overall, we enjoyed this book because it goes beyond the hair and shows the special bond between a father and his daughter.  Beth’s dad shows her that she’s worth his investment and reinforces in her heart that she is important, beautiful and unique.

Learn more about the Daddy Do My Hair book series!
To order a copy of the book click here. (For both UK and non-UK residents)

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Puffy: People Whose Hair Defies Gravity by Aya de León

Synopsis
This is a children’s book of text and photographs featuring kids, teens, adults, and families with naturally puffy hair. Writer/performer/educator Aya de León put out a call for photos. Individuals and families from far and wide submitted pictures that reflect the pride, wonder, and delight that so many people feel in having hair that defies gravity. We live in a world that works to subdue the natural exuberance of children in a myriad of ways, and this includes attempts to subdue their hair. The Puffy Hair Project is a celebration of the authentic, untamed self as expressed through our hair. The selection of photos primarily reflects people of the African diaspora, and it includes people of Asian, Latina/Latino, Arab, and Jewish heritage, as well. It is designed to provide puffy-haired kids with positive images, and to provide all of us with an opportunity to celebrate the wonderful diversity of our world. The text is inspired by the simple yet memorable style of Dr. Seuss: “Puffy here. Puffy there. Yay! I love my puffy hair.”

Reflection
I love the idea behind the Puffy Hair Project!  This book celebrates naturally kinky and curly hair and allows little readers to see positive images of people who look like them.  I’m so happy with the paradigm shift that has taken place over the past few years.  It allowed me to abandon the chemicals, love the natural hair I was born with, and cross over to “team natural”.  In addition, it allowed me to pass on the pride and love I have for my hair onto my two children.

The shift also sparked a movement that encouraged authors like Aya de León to write books about natural hair.  I think it’s important for parents and caregivers to read books like this one with children in order to have open and honest discussions about the unspoken beauty standards that are imposed on young girls (and boys).

I love the catchy repetitive text that’s featured throughout: “Puffy here.  Puffy there.  Yay!  I love my puffy hair.”  The photographs are beautiful and showcase little girls, boys, men and women of different skin tones sporting their natural hair.  While most of the images in the book are of African-Americans, the book also features Jewish, Latina, Arab and Asian people with puffy hair, as well as many different types of families and people with disabilities.  The last few pictures show little sleepyheads who are fast asleep making it a cute book to read for a bedtime story.  My kids love reciting the rhyming text along with me as I read it aloud with them.  A short and sweet story that celebrates diversity and teaches children the importance of loving themselves just the way they are.

About the Author
Aya de León is a children’s book author, writer/performer for adults working in poetry, fiction, and hip hop theater.  Her work has received acclaim in the Village Voice, Washington Post, SF Chronicle, and has been featured on Def Poetry, in Essence Magazine, and various anthologies and journals.  For more information about Aya please visit her website or follow her on Twitter.

Your turn:  Have you read this book yet?  Feel free to share in the comments.

Animals by Ingela P. Arrhenius

Publisher: Candlewick Studio
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 40
Age Range: 3 – 7
Grade Level: Preschool – 2
Available for Sale: September 27, 2016

Synopsis
Know someone who loves creatures? Animal lovers will fixate on this giant book presenting thirty-two big, bold images of friendly beasts.

From a star of children’s design in Sweden comes an exquisite array of animals rendered with whimsy and stylish splendor. Every over-sized page highlights a different specimen, from an adorable sheep to an elegant flamingo, from an endearing hippo to a silly-looking snake. Each animal’s name appears in a different eye-catching type treatment, making for an attractive graphic keepsake sure to find a prominent place in nurseries and bookshelves everywhere.

Reflection
We finally added an over-sized book to our home library!  I think big books are so fun and engaging.  We love checking out the Big Books section at our local library.  I find larger books allow the kids to have more peaceful reading times.  I’ve noticed the kids have a much easier time seeing and staying focused when the pictures are large enough to see from many seating positions in the library.

I’m so impressed with this latest addition to our personal collection of books.  Animals by Ingela P. Arrhenius is absolutely stunning!  It features amazing illustrations of thirty-two animals including a: rooster, cat, cow, turtle, flamingo, toucan and koala just to name a few.

While it’s a rather simple book, I think it’s captivating with engaging and bold design.  Designed by Swedish artist and illustrator Ingela P Arrhenius, this book has a rather unique retro style influenced by her love of design from the 1950’s and 1960’s.  I recently discovered Ingela  and I’m in love with her timeless, fresh and cheerful style.  Her illustrations are full of character and have a happy vibe to them.

The kids love calling out the names of the animals on every poster sized page.  Both of my kids can easily recognize the animals featured in this book based on the illustrations.  The only three they weren’t initially familiar with were the badger, the boar and the meerkat.  My daughter had no problems reading each animal’s name the way it appears in a different eye-catching font.  The over-sized format of this book makes the bright illustrations pop off the pages. The bold typography, retro design and gorgeous end papers make this book a beautiful keepsake for readers of all ages.  You’ll definitely want to prominently display this beauty on your little readers’ bookshelf.  A winner!

Disclaimer: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Connect with Ingela!

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Your turn: Are you looking forward to reading this book?  What over-sized books do your little readers own?

They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel

Publisher: Chronicle Books
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 44
Age Range: 3 and up
Grade Level: Preschool and up

Synopsis
The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws . . .

In this glorious celebration of observation, curiosity, and imagination, Brendan Wenzel’s simple, rhythmic prose and ingenious illustrations take readers on an imaginary walk alongside a cat.  But while a child sees a cat that is soft and fluffy, a goldfish only sees terrible yellow eyes distorted by the lens of the fishbowl, a mouse mostly registers ferocious teeth and claws, and a bat sees a cat-shaped collection of white dots illuminating the dark.

Each animal’s vision of the cat is informed by a combination of proximity, physiology and emotion, in a quietly brilliant demonstration of the power of perception.

Reflection
Have you ever seen 2 babies in a room and when one starts crying, the other starts crying too?  Having kids born 15 months apart, I know this all too well.  This happens because babies don’t know that someone else’s discomfort is not their own. They don’t have the ability to take the perspective of someone else.

Teaching small children about perspective can be tough.  At a young age, children are often unable to put themselves in another person’s position and imagine what they would feel, think, or do if you were in that situation.  It’s not until kids are older that they can begin to imagine a situation from someone else’s perspective.  Only then can they gain a better understanding of someone else’s motives or change their own behavior so they don’t offend others. Fortunately, the older kids get the more they learn to consider other people’s perspectives before they act or speak.

When reading books on the subject of perspective like They All Saw A Cat, I talk with the kids about the characters (or in this case – animals) and how they may be feeling in the book.  I also try to identify and label the emotions and then talk about why the character feels that way or how you know (he/she is smiling, he/she found their lost toy, he/she is crying, etc.)

I absolutely loved this book and the kids seemed to enjoy it too.  However, I noticed my 2.5 year-old son reacted much differently to the book than my almost 4 year-old daughter did.  As I turned each page and we looked at the cat from each animals’ perspective, my son kept asking, “Mommy, what’s that?” as he pointed to the cat.  That’s because the cat looked totally different each time.  My daughter on the other hand seemed to understand it was a cat pictured on each page, but it just looked different to each animal.

I love the beauty and simplicity of this book, especially the cover (minus the book jacket).  Seeing it intrigues me and makes me want to open this book immediately to find out what it’s about.  I also liked how the author cleverly used words in italics and in capital letters as well as vivid and captivating illustrations throughout the book.  It’s a visual delight to look at if you like illustration and design.

Overall, I found this to be a very enjoyable read that’s destined to be a classic.  I’m confident as my kids get older they will love this book as much as I do.  A true winner and perfect new addition to any home library, school or home school!  Check this one out with your little readers when it releases on August 30, 2016.

Pre-Order Campaign from Chronicle Books
Now through August 30th, Chronicle Books is running a special pre-order campaign.  Folks who pre-order will not only get a first-edition book, but a cute pencil case filled with colored pencils like the one pictured below.  Visit http://theyallsawacat.chroniclebooks.com to pre-order a copy for your child’s home library today!

On August 30th
Be sure to celebrate the on-sale day of They All Saw A Cat on Instagram.  Show off your TASAC swag, a photo of your kiddo reading, whatever inspires you!

About the Author
Brendan Wenzel is an illustrator based in Brooklyn, NY.  A graduate of the Pratt Institute, his work has appeared in animations, magazines and children’s books including Some Bugs and Some Pets authored by Angela DiTerlizzi.  They All Saw a Cat is his debut as both author and illustrator.

Your turn:  What are some ways you teach your little readers about seeing things differently from another perspective?  Feel free to share in the comments.