Contest Win Book Haul!

 

As a reviewer, I try to make sure I get my reviews on book store websites, primarily Indigo Books as I'm in Canada. Periodically, Indigo runs contests where if you review books within a certain time frame, your name gets put in a pot and you have a chance to be randomly picked.

Well, for the December Contest, I was a random winner! This meant a $500 Gift Card to Indigo!

As I'm not reading for myself nearly as much as I used to, I took this opportunity to allow the kids to go on a shopping spree!

Munchie, who is 5, had a plan and knew what she was looking for: Food Group books. She already has The Bad Seed, The Good Egg, and The Good, The Bad, and The Spooky. 

This trip she grabbed:

She walked right past the Gabby's Dollhouse book on the bottom shelf, once I showed it to her it was a must have.

Biggie, who is 2, was much more about pointing at books he liked, flipping through them, then putting them back. That was until he found:

As a kid who has 3 Grandmas who he adores, this tracks.

ABC Black History & Me (Numbers and letters are everything he wants, he saw this one from the end of the aisle and started hollering about ABC!!!! Until we let him have it. The diversity angle is excellent and I hope to go through it with both kids.

Way too advanced for him reading wise, but lots of dinosaur pictures which is really why he wanted it.

Aka the Pickle book! Biggie is obsessed with pickles, not eating, just talking about them. This one is an instant fav.

I grabbed Just One More Story, which I reviewed the ARC of with Munchie earlier on the blog. I look forward to this becoming a family cuddle book.

We also grabbed a couple of board books for their little cousin:

A favourite in our house

 

Picked specifically by Munchie as she thought her cousin would love petting the chick.

Hubby grabbed:

which will allow him to catch up on that series as we've been able to get the galley for the Sub-Majer's Challenge, and he's looking forward to reading through that.

I, am still considering how I would like to spend my riches. After our haul, we still have nearly $200 on the gift card. I have a couple books I'm eyeing coming out in the fall, but for now we'll just see where our current library takes us. 

Review: Dinosaur Pie

Title: Dinosaur Pie Series: Standalone Author: Jen Wallace Illustrator: Alan O’Rourke Publish Date: February 18, 2025 Publisher: Little Island Books Genre: Children’s Fiction Age: 6-10 Started Reading: January 3, 2025 Finished Reading: February 20, 2025 NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

A hilarious and heart-warming story about a boy with ADHD who is transformed into a dinosaur. When Rory's mum gives him dinosaur pie for dinner he doesn't expect to be transformed into an actual dinosaur!

It wasn't really Rory's mum's fault. She just bought Dinosaur Pie for a change and gave it to Rory for his dinner. The next morning he was a dinosaur. Not dressed up as a dinosaur – actually a dinosaur. It's not very funny really. Rory can't talk (because he's a dinosaur). And he can't bear the thought of eating an apple. All he wants to eat is sausages. A lot of things are much harder when you're a dinosaur. Like going to school, or playing with your friends. This is turning out to be a BIG problem.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating:  4 Stars

I got this book to try and read a chapter book with my daughter (5) because she quite enjoys dinosaurs. While she did great for the first 25%, I think the subject matter and writing was a bit advanced for her. For the part that she read with me, she was very interested in Rory's ADHD and we chatted about how different people learn and handle their emotions differently. She also really liked the pictures. After she tapped out, I finished the book because I wanted to know what happened with the Dinosaur Pie. The book is very much written from a child's point of view, using language and thoughts that line up like a child. Slang, usage of filler words, and thoughts about video games rather than serious issues seems like it would really connect with the age group this book is written for. While my daughter wasn't ready for this book yet, she has expressed an interest in reading it again in the future, so we may give it another try next year. We read this ebook through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: An entertaining book for kids a bit older than mine.

Review: Calm Your Roar Like a Dinoaur

Title: Calm Your Roar Like a Dinosaur Series: Standalone Author: Brenda S. Miles; Colleen A. Patterson Illustrator: John Joseph Publish Date: February 4, 2025 Publisher: Magination Press - American Psychological Association Genre: Children’s Fiction Age: 3-6 Started Reading: January 21, 2025 Finished Reading: January 21, 2025 NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Feeling frustrated, frenzied, or full of roar? Calm yourself like a dinosaur!

This book teaches little kids progressive-muscle-relaxation, a mindful self-guiding mediation technique proven to calm and ground the whole mind and body. With its catchy mantra and playful rhyme, Calm Your Roar presents a super fun and playful easy-to-learn skill that benefits dinos of all ages, and guaranteed to turn dinosaurs into relaxosaurs. All dinosaurs have a “roar” inside themselves, from everyday feelings of frustration, anger or stress. Dinos big and small will learn that is OK and progressive-muscle relaxation is a great way to release that roar!

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

If you have a kid who has big feelings and needs some help with how to handle them, especially if they like dinosaurs, this book is a huge resource. I read this to my daughter (5) and as we were going through the motions my son (2) came over and started doing them too. They both love dinosaurs so pretending their body parts were stretching like the dinosaurs' really got them involved. The illustrations were fantastic, both kids enjoyed turning the new page to see which ones were showing up. They both loved the one breathing page where the bird was getting flipped around by the dino's breath. The information at the beginning of the book for parents was great, giving additional tools to help work with the kids while we went through everything. It's a very cute book with an easy to follow pattern to help kids calm their 'roar' and get back on even footing. We read this ebook through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A fun book to help kids learn emotion regulation.

Review: Dinosaur Day

Title: Dinosaur Day Series: Standalone Author: Diana Murray Illustrator: Luke Flowers Publish Date: February 4, 2025 Publisher: Sourcebook Jabberwocky Genre: Children’s Fiction Age: 2-6 Started Reading: February 2, 2025 Finished Reading: February 2, 2025 NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Hooray! Hooray! It's Dino Day! From the best-selling creators of Unicorn Day comes a dino-mite celebration as all sorts of dinosaurs celebrate Dinosaur Day!

On Dinosaur Day, dinosaurs love to stomp and chomp. But they like silly singing, rowdy swimming, and yummy desserts too. All this fun makes the baby dinos want to join, but something unexpected pops up. Will the dinos accept this new addition to keep Dino Day going?

This heartwarming and inclusive story is the perfect companion to the bestselling Unicorn Day and Mermaid Day!

Hooray! Hooray!

It's Dino Day!

The dinosaurs are on their way!

The ground starts shaking-

Here they come!

Thumpa-bumpa,

rum-tum-tum!

The perfect gift if you're looking for:

Dinosaur books for boys and girls ages 4-10
A fun-filled bedtime story
Colorful, beautiful animal stories
Children's books about dinosaurs
Dinosaur gifts for little girls and boys

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

This is an adorable rhyming book about a day the dinosaurs come to play. I read this to both of my kids (5 and 2) and they both enjoyed it, though the 5 year old declared it was more a book for her younger brother at the end. With that said, she did say she thought the lava cake was funny and the duck was a surprise. My 2 year old loves dinosaurs and got up to stomp with them at the beginning. The rhyming is easy to follow, the pictures were cute, and the story was fun. A colourful romp for kids who like dinosaurs. We read this e-book through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A colourful romp for kids who like dinosaurs.

Review: The Last Petal: A Tale of Dilly Daisy

Title: The Last Petal: A Tale of Dilly Daisy
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Shae Peterson
Illustrator: Ila Taylor Bologni
Publish Date: Feb 15, 2025
Publisher: Journey Publishing
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Age: 2-7
Started Reading: February 9, 2025
Finished Reading: February 9, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Teach Truthfulness to Children through a Magical Story!

Everyone loves Dilly Daisy. She's a beautiful flower in a magical land – her friends call her “Princess of the Daisies!” – but when Dilly’s fibs and gossip cause her sparkle to fade and her petals to fall, Dilly must discover the most magical power of honesty.Will Dilly learn her lesson – and get her magic back – on time for the big Daisy Day festival? Will she win the daisy crown?

Accompanied by bold illustrations, this moving picture book imparts a timeless lesson about the grief that comes from lies and the uplifting power of redemption that comes from telling the truth. This emotional journey will be a cherished bedtime read for kids aged 3 to 7 and up.

From The Last “A real princess shines from inside out,
as steady as can be –
because the secret of flower magic
the truth will set you free!”

Values-based Stories Teaching toddlers and preschoolers the value of “don’t lie” is hard. We can wave our finger and say “no lying” as much as we want but, until these values come to life for the child, it can be hard for truth-telling lessons to hit home. This emotional picture book uses story-telling to create an unforgettable experience that helps kids, through kindergarten and beyond, understand the power of honesty on a deeper level.

Dilly Daisy’s story teaches children that, no matter how dark things get, a happy ending is always possible when you admit your mistakes and tell the truth!

Comes with fun maze-game activity, at the end, to keep kids entertained!

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

A very good book to discuss lying and how they can cause issues. My daughter (5) had a lot of questions about what lying was and what was a simple story and what was a mean one that became a lie. She was very invested in what was going to happen, and we paused the story to discuss consequences (losing a petal vs losing play time), as well as how Dilly Daisy tried to use telling a lie to make someone like her, but it didn't work. The illustrations were very cute, and the book gave a starting point for some very good discussions, however I felt the end of the book wrapped up too quickly. A promise to be better, and the love of Mom got her petals to start growing back, but there was no comment on how it would take work and that a promise needed follow through. These were things that we discussed after the book, but I felt a couple more pages to show Dilly Daisy really trying would have benefitted the story. We read this digital book through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A cute story to teach truthfulness. 

Review: My Love is Everywhere

Title: My Love is Everywhere
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Anh Sphabmixay
Illustrator: Anh Sphabmixay
Publish Date: January 29, 2025
Publisher: Independently Published
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Age: 2-7
Started Reading: February 25, 2025
Finished Reading: February 25, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

A heartwarming tale of love and family!

🌙 A Heartwarming Bedtime Story About a Mother’s Endless Love 🌙

"Can you guess how much I love you?"

From the soft glow of the morning sun to the twinkling stars at night, a mother’s love knows no bounds. My Love Is Everywhere is a beautifully illustrated, whimsical journey through nature, where a mother’s love can be found in the rustling leaves, the songs of birds, and the warmth of a gentle hug.

Through poetic rhymes and enchanting artwork, this story is a tender reminder that love is always present—whether near or far, seen or unseen. Perfect for bedtime snuggles, this book reassures children that a mother’s love never fades, never ends, and is always with them.

💛 A must-have for parents, grandparents, and caregivers looking to share a story of unconditional love.
😊For Little Hearts who need to know a Mother's Love Never Fades.
💤 Ideal for bedtime reading, early learning, and strengthening emotional bonds.
🎁 A perfect gift for birthdays, baby showers, and special moments.

For little hearts that need a gentle reminder—love is everywhere.

Snuggle up, turn the pages, and let your little one feel the warmth of endless love. Get your copy today and start a new bedtime tradition—because every child deserves to feel unconditionally loved.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

This book is so vibrant and sweet! My daughter (5) decided she wanted to read it to me, and very much enjoyed doing motions (like hugs and toe tickles) with the poem. She loved seeing all the animals and commented on how pretty the book was. This adorable book was perfect for bedtime and snuggles. The illustrations are beautiful works of art, and I'd honestly be happy with any of them as prints on the kids' walls. This is one I think my son (2) would also enjoy, just due to the illustrations alone! We read this e-book through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A beautiful book, perfect for bedtime snuggles. 

Review: Every Day is a Holiday

Title: Every Day is a Holiday
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Greg Kincaid
Illustrator: Alessia Girasole
Publish Date: February 3, 2025
Publisher: 4U2B Books & Media
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Age: 4-7
Started Reading: January 21, 2025
Finished Reading: January 21, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

A heartwarming tale of love and family!

When six-year-old Allie McCray finds an abandoned puppy in a box outside her local animal shelter, she struggles to give the adorable pup a name. But after bringing the little hound home and reflecting on the most important things in her life, Allie comes up with the perfect name for the new addition to their family!
 
Every Day Is a Holiday is a celebration of the bonds of love and joy we form with the furry friends we adopt into our families. And for longtime fans of Greg Kincaid’s Crossing Tails series, it brings full circle the story of belonging, love, and friendship.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

This book is really cute, with a special visit from the dog Christmas to tie in to the author's adult series. My daughter (5) loved hearing about how Allie took care of the animals at the shelter ("she feeds them like I feed the cats mommy!") and was fascinated by the puppy sling. She loved all of the different name ideas, but Jack was her favourite as Halloween is her favourite holiday. We talked about how some animals go to the shelter and that's how they find their families, and also about the questions at the end and how, with one of the cats we adopted before she was born, we should have verified a bunch of information to know he wouldn't get along with our other cats at home. This book is excellent if you're looking to adopt a new animal. It has an information page at the end with things to discuss and consider, and helps kids understand the process a bit more. The illustrations are adorable, and Allie is just cute as a button. We really enjoyed this book! We read this ebook through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A very cute book that helps teach about adopting pets. 

Top 5: Christmas Gifts

 

With reading to my kids, I'm finding that I start to get a backlog of books we've read but I haven't had time to sit down and do a full review post about. Especially when we've just passed our month of birthdays and Christmas (yes, the kids both have birthdays near Christmas), and everyone knowing how much this family enjoys reading, we have a bunch of new books on our shelves.

To list out everything we've read this month would take eons, so I figured I'd whittle it down to a top 5. All of these books we have in hard copy and are fully released. No ARCs or Galleys on this list. Just plain old fun books that you can run out and get yourself.

These books come in no particular order, because to try and rank them would change by the hour or second. These are just the 5 books received at Christmas that are getting the most requested at reading time.

1. Twinkle Twinkle Dinosaur by Jeffrey Burton, Illustrated by Zoe Waring

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars (We Loved It!)

While this may seem like a simple book, it was a favourite for Munchie. From the age of 3 to just over 4 we had to read this nightly before bed. The board book sadly broke, and it's taken us a while to find another copy. We now have it for Biggie to help him go to sleep, as Twinkle Twinkle is his favourite song, and he just loves dinosaurs. The illustrations are adorable, and the kids like pointing different things out (one dinosaur in the book looks like a favourite stuffy we call Denver). The new lyrics were written well to fit with the song, so the kids can sing along and the rhythm remains the same, no crowding words in to make them fit. We read this nightly for well over a year, and now that it's come back to the house, I'm sure it will be on regular rotation again.

2. Dinosaurs in Trucks Because Hey, Why Not? by Sandra Boynton

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars (We Really Liked It)

Dinosaurs and trucks, Biggie's favourite things! I got him this book for Christmas, and he very much enjoys going through and telling us where all the dinosaurs are. The final page is especially fun as he says goodbye and goodnight to all the dinosaurs on the page. The illustrations are very cute, the story is clear and sweet. I only wish that the dinosaurs weren't given random names, as we don't really meet and follow them, so the names feel just grabbed out of the air. A great board book for toddlers who like dinosaurs and trucks.

3. A Potato on a Bike by Elise Gravel

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars (We Loved It!)

This is currently Biggie's favourite book. He loves to bring it to us, tell us what the pictures are (Carrot, bath!) and exclaim "NOWAY!" until he gets to the end where he tickles the baby in the book while waiting for us to tickle him. The repetition works for him, and the pictures show the words perfectly so even though he's not reading, he understands what's being shown. For me, the pictures are hilarious, and the situations are fun, I love that he's recognizing things in the book and getting used to flipping the pages and following a 'story'. We read this easily a doze times a day, and I'm thinking of grabbing another copy in anticipation of this copy's inevitable demise due to use.

4. The Bad Seed by Jory John, Illustrated by Pete Oswald

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars (We Really Liked It)

The Bad Seed is quickly becoming a very helpful book in our house. We have read it a number of times. Using the Bad Seed's story, we've discussed how his bad feelings came from bad things happening to him, but that the way he behaved in response to those bad feelings made others think poorly of him. Munchie has been having some issues with aggression at school, and this book has assisted us with conversations on how to work through her feelings and that she, like the Seed, can make the choice to be Nice. I appreciate that the Seed doesn't do a complete 180 and he still has trouble with his bad behaviour. This allows kids to learn that perfection isn't expected, and improvement can be small and still noticed. Overall, I'm very glad to have this book on our bookshelves, and also very glad Munchie is enjoying reading it so much.

5. The Good Egg by Jory John, Illustrated by Pete Oswald

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars (We Really Liked It)

The Good Egg is becoming a favourite in my household. We've read it a number of times. Munchie's picking up on how the Good Egg was trying to make everyone behave in ways that might not be who they are, and it's helping us have conversations on how to be aware of her behaviour and not worry about the behaviour of others. This is becoming quite handy to use in regards to her brother and classmates. While the book takes the egg leaving to the extreme, in that he goes on his own journey far away from home, it's a good representation of stepping away and taking some time to yourself. I also appreciate that the book promotes working together in that the Good Egg goes back to those who were causing so much havoc in his life and finding a compromise.

As you can see, we have quite the variety of books, but we're really enjoying going through them together. What is your favourite book so far this year, holiday gift or otherwise?

Review: Ping's Perfect Pot

Title: Ping's Perfect Pot
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Helen H. Wu
Illustrator: Zihua Yang
Publish Date: January 7, 2025
Publisher: Beaming Books
Genre: Children's Fiction
Age: 3-7
Started Reading: December 16, 2024
Finished Reading: December 16, 2024
NetGalley?: Yes 

Book Summary from Goodreads:

 KNEAD, MUSH, MASH. Ping molds a pot for Lunar New Year.

When Ping and Grandpa bring a tangerine tree home for Lunar New Year, Ping decides to make the perfect pot to go with it. But making a pot is hard. With Grandpa's encouragement, she tries again and again to get it just right. The first is too clumsy, the second crumbles, and the third is too flimsy. What if she can't make the perfect pot? Will it ruin the new year?

For anyone feeling discouraged over learning something new, Ping's Perfect Pot reminds them not to give up when something isn't immediately easy. Perfection takes practice, patience, and, in the end, the love and effort you put into it. Backmatter provides more context and the deeper meaning of Lunar New Year traditions and symbols found within the story, as well as around the world.

Munchie and My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars (We really liked it)

This book is great for showing practice makes perfect, but also that there is greatness in imperfection. The traditions and meanings behind Ping's attempts to make the perfect pot were told in a way that was understandable to my daughter (5). We are not from the culture this book shows, but my sister-in-law is and my daughter very much enjoys learning about how her Aunt grew up and what holidays she celebrates. The information section at the back of the book explaining Lunar New Year and the traditions around it was a fantastic inclusion to teach those who don't know and to introduce them to children. The drawings of the people were a bit flat and seemed a tad copy/paste, but that was just something I noticed, it didn't bother my daughter at all. I read this digital book through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A lovely book for teaching practice, traditions, and cultural differences, an excellent learning tool with a sweet story to back it up.