By Summer:

What has been that one special day in your life? Can you at least pinpoint the top three? How about for your child? I can tell you one such day for my 5YO was when his brother’s birth almost 3 years ago. For Spencer, it’s the same!

Everyday Spencer is boy who is as strong as a bear and as funny as a monkey, among other things. BUT his parents have left him with grandma and have returned soon making Spencer something he has never been before … a brother! This One Special Day is a great book for soon-to-be big brother and sisters. My sons (even the younger one) love to read this book over and over. My older can even read it to my younger; and to me it’s just sweet that they’re sharing THIS book in particular.

One Special Day: A Story For Big Brothers & Sisters is all about the specialness of your “bigger” child. The specialness is even echoed in the book’s inner cover starts with Spencer alone doing activities and if you flip to the back Spencer is with his younger sibling riding in a wheelbarrow, banging on pots, mimicking, eating popsicles, playing in the garden, and hugging. If you aren’t captivated yet, you soon will be …

This book is an interactive book giving your child a chance to “read” the book with you as not all of the text is provided. When Spencer is as strong as a bear he is really, “as strong as a” with a picture of a bear; your child is drawn to complete the sentence and read with you. As you can tell from the cover, Spencer is like a bear, horse, giraffe, elephant, monkey, tiger, pig, and bird until one special day!

I just can’t say enough about this book. This is a must own in any children’s library and especially those of soon-to-be siblings, but beyond that it’s a keeper! Just to get your children excited and reading on their own. Not only is One Special Day: A Story For Big Brothers & Sisters cute, it’s very original which is why it will survive the purge of other sibling books from your at-home library. As I said before, it’s a keeper!

One Special Day: A Story For Big Brothers & Sisters is available now at your favorite bookstore or on Amazon. Get it for yourself or add it to your baby registry for the big brother or big sister in your house.

My Mom Start Review Grade of the One Special Day: A Story For Big Brothers & Sisters Book: A+++++

In addition to this review, I’d also like to thank the distributor, Disney, for the extra copy which was donated to an under privileged school in my community.

DISCLAIMER: A book was provided for review, but all thoughts in this post are my own and not influenced by the author, publisher, or distributor.

About Summer:

Summer is very active in our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living while cooking up a storm.

Because your Mommy Loves you By Andrew Clements.

I was babysitting a group of kids and they were getting rambunctious and I pulled out the book Because Your Mommy Loves you. Aww the power of reading a book for this young age calms them all down. Sitting quietly and it’s a great book about how moms teach kids to be self reliant taking care of themselves.

About the Book

In this sweet companion book to Because Your Daddy Loves You, a little boy and his mom go on a hiking trip and camp out under the stars. Mommy is as calm and reassuring, but also goes far to foster her son’s independence in an encouraging and loving way. As heartwarming as its predecessor, this read-aloud book is sure to become a family favorite.

About the author:

Andrew Clements is the author of many best-selling books, among them the middle grade novel Frindle. He lives in Westborough, Massachusetts, and can be found at www.andrewclements.com.

About the illustrator:

R. W. Alley is the illustrator of many beloved picture books, including the Paddington Bear series. He lives in Barrington, Rhode Island. Visit him at www.rwalley.com.

Enter to Win:

One (1) winner from your site receives:

· Copy of Because Your Mommy Loves You

· Customized photo frame engraved with “Because [insert child’s name] loves you!”

Prizing valued at $42

Prizing courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Contest open to US residents only

To Enter:

Leave a comment telling me what something special about a mom

Extra Entries:

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends May 21st. Please see the giveaway rules. We received a book.

By Summer:

No secret we love to read in our family. Today we went to Value Village and bought 10 new books. I love when new books get offered to Mom Start. When I saw this particular book was by Iza Trapani I was so excited! From Iza Trapani we own her first book, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and her third book, Oh Where, Oh Where, Has My Little Dog Gone! Now we own Iza Trapani’s Then Bear Went Over the Mountain.

This well-known little ditty about an exploring bear has now been extended covering not only “to see what he could see”, but the other 4 senses too. The bear wonders around all spring, summer, and autumn, until he hibernates for the winter. I can’t sing, but I love to; my children don’t mind my off key tune, so I always turn out getting caught up in the book and singing it by the end whether I had started the book singing or not.

It’s not necessarily that this book is cute. Rather this book is charming, captivating, and spell binding. The reader wants to finish it time and again. I also love that the text is so memorable that my oldest son has been “reading” it to my younger son. (My Pre-K 5YO is learning to read, but in no way would be able to simply sight read this book yet.) The “level” of this book for independent reading would be Kindergarten with some assistance. I think this is a MUST ADD classic to your at home library. This is also a great teacher appreciation week or graduation gift from a child. If you didn’t know, teachers supply their own in-class library, so you’d be treating the teacher by getting them something they would actually use, and be giving their class the enjoyable gift of literacy.

I’m not the only lover of Iza Trapani’s The Bear Went Over the Mountain, on Amazon the book has a 5-star rating from four reviews (soon to be five with my review). You can own the Hardcover edition of The Bear Went Over the Mountain for less than $13.

My Mom Start review grade for Iza Trapani’s The Bear Went Over the Mountain Book: A+

You can also keep up with author and illustrator Iza Trapani on her website, by Liking her on Facebook, and tracking her on Twitter.

About Summer:

Summer is very active in our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living while cooking up a storm.

First time children’s book author Nick Dazé, is in the final days of his campaign to raise funding to independently publish his children’s book Roger Nix President at Age Six. 

The story is about kindergartener Roger Nix, an ordinary boy: Roger loves kindergarten, playing make-believe, and hanging out with his imaginary friends (a baby donkey named Jack and a baby elephant named Abe). But when he learns about the plans of Old Man Plee, a perennial presidential candidate, to shut down schools and send kids to work in factories as an austerity measure; Roger decides to run against Old Man Plee as a defender of “school and summer vacation, learning and imagination”. Of course Abe and Jack are there to help him every step of the way.

Nick Daze and his incredible Kickstarter campaign (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/787960356/roger-nix-president-at-six) have already raised nearly $22,000 and only has $8,000 more to go in order to put the book into production.  The book has been fully written by Daze and the illustrations beautifully crafted by Bill Robinson www.FlimFlammery.com . Each $30 pledge towards the Roger Nix campaign comes with a first edition hardcover copy of the book, delivered in time for the new school year this fall.  This is a timely story that is fascinating, engaging, and a thought-provoking read for both kids and parents written by a imaginative adult who was encouraged to explore his imagination as a child.

Here is an excerpt from the book:

Roger stood up quickly. He had something to say
With a wink from Jack and a trunks-up from Abe.
“I’ll run against him,” Roger said with a shout.
“I’ll run for president, have you no doubt!
To close school would be nothing short of a crime
You can’t fool all us kids, not all of the time."
He stood on his desk and they all watched and wondered
As Roger kept talking, his voice boomed and thundered.
“We’ll beat him and keep all the schools as they are
Or make them way better. We’ll shoot for the stars!

We go to school so one day we’ll go far,
Not because it is easy–because it is hard!
We are KIDS! The whole point is to learn and have fun
And to use our wee noggins…
THIS RACE HAS BEGUN!"
So Abe, Jack, and Roger got to work right away.
"That kid’s on to something," his parents would say.
He made lots of speeches; he shook lots of hands
He toured a big factory that made rubber bands.
Then one night on the tube, to Old Plee’s disdain,
The news ran a story on Roger’s campaign.
“Roger Nix, daydreamer and ultimate kid,
Is gaining on Plee in his presidential bid.”
But everyone knew that sooner or later
Roger would have to be quite the debater.
Because one night soon, under some bright marquee
A debate would take place between Roger and Plee.

By: Ashley

With all of the cleaning, chaos, and clutter that comes with moving, I have let Atticus watch A LOT more TV than usual. I’ve learned (or maybe “accepted” is the better word) that TV is not the worst thing in the world… it really just matters what is being watched. That said, I have been really happy with Peppa Pig. At first I had never heard of the cute little pig who captivates audience with a perky little British accent. Why a British accent? Peppa Pig has been a favorite in the UK for quite some time. Last year, Peppa and her family made their way onto Nick, Jr. in the US and have been a hit!

I like Peppa Pig because, please forgive my candid comment, it isn’t annoying. Yep, I said it. Many children’s shows can have odd voices, or scenarios that simply don’t make sense. Peppa Pig does a great job of entertaining children. The animation is simple and moves fairly slowly. I think this is great as it doesn’t over stimulate younger viewers. There seems to be a little something for all younger children. There is clear descriptive language that helps little ones build their vocabulary, there are simple cause and effect situations (great for helping children understand causal relationships), and stories that focus on family, friendship… and FUN!

I have to admit that my FAVORITE thing about Peppa Pig is the humor. I am not kidding when I say that I chuckled more than once or twice over some of the silly situations that come up on Peppa Pig. I actually just finished watching an episode called Cleaning the Car with Atticus and couldn’t help but laugh when Peppa accidentally squirted her mother and little brother (George) with the water hose! It’s great to watch silly things that I can laugh about with Atticus and know that there is also a positive message. No, not squirting your family with a water hose! (Though there is a time and a place… ) The Pig family worked together to clean the car… and had a good time doing it. THAT is something that I want him to hold on to.

Great messages and great educational benefits are what make Peppa Pig something that I’m comfortable letting Atticus watch. Thanks to Peppa Pig and her family… they’ve helped our family have fun while working on our own adventure! You should check it out too! Don’t know where? Check your TV listings, order some DVDs online, or even go to Nick Jr. online to meet Peppa and her family. We’ve loved the DVD and goodies that we received for this review. Hopefully we’ll see some more of the Peppa goodies here in the US soon!

About Ashley: Ashley is a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and former teacher working to navigate through the mysterious world of Mommyia. Read more about her adventures at www.Momicles.com.

Disclosure – A product was provided to me by the manufacturer or a representing PR firm. All opinions expressed were my own and not influenced by monetary compensation.

Sports Illustrated Kids’ Pro Files: Baseball – A Great Book for Kids JUST IN TIME for Baseball Season!

By: Ashley

Sports Illustrated Kids has just released a book all about baseball.  Sports Illustrated Kids’ Pro Files: Baseball features statistics and bios from some of the best players in Major League Baseball. The amazing photography, kid friendly writing, and plenty of charts, diagrams, and tables make this a great book for adults and kids alike!

As a former teacher, I LOVE how this book is an interesting non-fiction text for readers. It can be pretty tricky to find non-fiction, but  Sports Illustrated Kids’ Pro Files: Baseball has really delivered. You can use this book to go over so many of the features of non-fiction text that your kids will be studying in school. The amazing colors and captivating design of the pages will keep your readers tuned in and excited to see what’s next. You can even read some of the sections of this book as a directional How To! You can help your little one understand how directions are written, how to interpret them, and how to pitch a ball like a pro all at the same time! Worried that you won’t be able to help much in the drills? Not to worry. Experts have broken down skills and created drills that are easy to follow in this book.

Sports Illustrated Kids’ Pro Files: Baseball highlights many of today’s biggest baseball starts. Included in the book are:

·       Justin Verlander

·       Joe Mauer

·       Evan Longoria

·       Albert Pujols

·       Roy Halladay

And more!

While this book is recommended for ages 8-12, you can definitely make it work for both older and younger readers. My little guy is (almost) 2 and LOVED this book. He’s pretty into anything that involves a ball, and once he saw the pictures… it was all over. He actually likes to turn to different pages and try to mimic what the players are doing. I’m sure that it looks a lot different on him than it would an 8 year old, but it just goes to show you how engaging  Sports Illustrated Kids’ Pro Files: Baseball really is!

By now you are probably wondering where you can pick this up for your own Grand Slammer. That’s easy! It’s available at www.sikids.com/profilesbaseball and retailers nationwide. Get yours before the season really gets rolling!

A product was provided for review by the publishing company or a representing PR firm. No compensation was received for this review and all opinions expressed are my own.

About Ashley: Ashley has a background in teaching Kindergarten and working with children K through 8th grade. She is now a SAHM and writes her own blog at Momicles.

One of Miles’ favorite stories is the one about the monkeys jumping off the bed. We have one that’s 8 little monkeys jumping off the bed but I think the original story is called Five Little Monkeys. He knows the book and can recite it over and over again. I even heard him singing the song to himself as he was getting ready for bed tonight. He’s my silly little monkey you know!

I recently received The Family Storybook Treasury and I was looking through it this evening and saw Five little Monkeys and of course I thought of him. Now my daughter, she just loves any story. She loves to have us read to her and has since she was a baby. So I know she’s going to love this book when she sees it.

 Now what was unexpected was my husband’s reaction to the book.

As I was looking through it he recognized one of the stories in it. He recognized the story Mike Mulligan. He said he can’t remember why he remembers it but he does and he’s going to enjoy reading it to the kids. That’s what The Family Storybook Treasure is all about sharing it and passing it on from generation to generation.

Here is the Full Family Storybook Treasury Synopsis

Family, friends, your favorite characters…bring them all together at story time! Share the book that is sure to entertain, delight, and make the whole gang laugh. The Family Storybook Treasury is a collection of your most well-loved picture books and poetry, now available in one beautiful keepsake volume with bonus audio CD!

Includes eight complete picture books:

•          Curious George and the Firefighters by Margret and H. A. Rey
•          Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh
•          Lyle Walks the Dogs by Bernard Waber, illustrated by Paulis WaberSheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw, illustrated by Margo Apple
•          Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
•          Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
•          The Great Doughnut Parade by Rebecca Bond
•          Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

A beautiful treasure to give, receive, and pass down and enjoy with your children or grandchildren.

All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

We received samples.

By Reviewer Emily:

My 5 year old daughter has informed me that she has a job. I am not sure who is responsible for the paycheck, but she now considers herself an animal scientist. Her “work bag” consists of her field journal, colored pencils, binoculars and camera which she keeps handy to record any new animal she finds. To help support her budding career, we’ve made frequent trips to the library and our local book store so she can read up on her favorite subjects. We’ve now acquired a pretty decent animal book collection in our home and one of our favorites is the recently published Curious Critters by David FitzSimmons. This book is brilliant!

Award-winning author and photographer David Fitzsimmons has created a book that is not only fun to read, but equally fun to look at. The striking animal photography is the main feature of Curious Critters. Each of these animals (many found in your own backyard) is photographed against a plain, white background which brings out the animals’ colors, textures and shapes.

There are twenty-one fascinating critters in all, and each animal tells a story about itself to give young readers an understanding of the animals’ character in real life. For older readers, there is plenty of educational information that features natural history information for each animal, a two-page spread of life-size silhouettes and a glossary.

To my surprise, our little animal scientist enjoyed the bat and spider pages best. She told me these are two scary critters she would not want to find in real life so being able to see them up close in the pages of the book was pretty cool. Since many of these animals and insects are quite common, my two year old daughter liked trying to name each animal on the page and mimic their sounds.

We browsed through the book rather quickly the first time because we couldn’t wait to see what photographed on the next page. With each reading afterwards, my girls continued to become mesmerized with each page, studying all the captivating details the photos reveal.

Curious Critters is a great book to enjoy over and over. It’s a children’s book not just for the young, but for the nature lover of any age and would make the perfect gift for that person.

Curious Critters is the 2011 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards silver medalist among Non-Fiction – Picture Books.

For more information and resources including puzzles, coloring pages, e-cards, teacher aids and stories about the making of Curious Critters. For more information about the author and his photography check out David FitzSimmons.

Samples were received.

About Emily:

Emily is also very active in the local MOMS CLUB. She raises chickens and has 2 shih tzus. Her daughter Caitlyn attends Montessori school and she hates housecleaning, loves wine and enjoys dining out. She would love to find a cure for the depression and anxiety she has dealt with on and off over the past 10 years, just like me. She is an amazing mom and friend.

Zoe loves to read and can sit for house looking at books, reading the ones she knows and looking at the pictures of the rest. So it’s quite a bit of fun when we find a book that is really interactive. Meet Razzle Dazzle Ruby by By Masha D’yans perfect for children ages 4 – 8.

Razzle-Dazzle Ruby is a fantastic book where the kids can not only imagine themselves in a world of snow, they get to play with the pages. Each page is interactive as they can help build an evil snowman, spin him around while making a narrow escape, and sled down the hill.

About the book:

Ruby can make the ordinary extraordinary! Come skate on a shimmering pond, roll a giant snowball, sled down a snowy hill, and create soaring snow angels with her as she becomes a snow queen and transforms a typical winter day into a gleaming-beaming fairy tale.

Combining glorious watercolors, elegant paper engineering, and whimsical storytelling, this joyful novelty picture book is sure to enchant children and adults.

Watch the Razzle Dazzle Ruby book trailer:

Meet the author:

Masha D’yans is an award-winning artist. Her line of greeting cards, clothing, and home décor, featuring her alluring artwork, are sold at Target, Macy’s, Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom, as well as other major retailers and smaller specialty shops. Originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, and classically trained at the St. Petersburg Academy of Art Lyceum and subsequently at Cooper Union in New York City, she now lives and works in Manhattan. Razzle-Dazzle Ruby is her first book. 

All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

We received samples.

Reviewed by Emily:

I have two little girls who are complete opposites when it comes to socializing. My oldest who is five, is an extrovert, a little social butterfly who adapts wonderfully and gets excited for play dates, preschool and now, kindergarten. My two year old on the other hand is the introvert and has clung to my side since day she was born. She plays wonderfully alone at home, but won’t explore in a group setting. As we begin to think about preschool for my youngest, I am a bit anxious for her since I’m afraid the transition will not be an easy one. In the meantime, I am trying my best to expose her to other kids at play dates and local activities. I am also trying to find reading material on the subject of separation at this age; not just for me, but with story books she understands as well. One book we’ve recently read, Cooper and Me, relates well to the fear and anxiety little kids experience with separation.

Through rhythmic verses, Cooper and Me tells the story of a young girl who is nervous as her first day of school approaches.  She is frightened about leaving home and doesn’t want to go without her best friend, her dog Cooper. Fortunately her mother finds the perfect solution to help the little girl overcome her fears – a small replica of her beloved pet she can take to school with her.  In Cooper and Me, the story of a child’s worries about starting school has evolved into a timeless tale about overcoming separation anxiety and trying new things – basic emotions all people experience throughout their lives – but this time, written by a child, for children.

Cooper and Me was illustrated by 11-year-old Alexa Peters and co-written with her mother, Monique Peters.  The idea was inspired by Alexa’s own experiences on her first day of school.  A talented young artist and writer, Alexa wanted to give back to others in a meaningful way through her art.  Starting at a very young age, Alexa created illustrated stories about her daily experiences, and from the pages of her sketchbooks came the idea for her first book, Cooper and Me. Cooper and Me, is the first in a series of books that invite children to explore life the lovable Labrador Retriever, Cooper.

My older daughter thought it was pretty amazing that a young girl had created this book. She assumed all books were written by grown-ups and this opened up a nice bedtime discussion about all the things she can do even as a kid. Cooper and Me also includes some discussion tools at the end of the book to help relate the story with real life situations.

What I thought was great about the book was that in addition to helping young children gain emotional resilience and confidence through their books, Alexa and mom Monique wanted to go beyond that to help less fortunate kids.  Their search for an organization to which they could donate a portion of the proceeds from the Cooper and Me book led to a charitable alliance with the Happy Hearts Fund. Happy Hearts improves children’s lives through education and sustainable programs in areas devastated by natural disasters.

My only negative review about the book is that the rhyming of the words didn’t quite flow smoothly. Each page had a different rhyme scheme which made it difficult for me to read the story aloud. But I don’t think my kids noticed at all, they both liked the story and the pictures even if Mom couldn’t make the rhymes flow correctly.

Cooper and Me is available for purchase at www.cooperandme.com. The book sells for $12.99 and includes a free download of the Cooper and Me theme song, which extends the fun and learning. For more information about the Cooper and Me brand, please visit the website at www.cooperandme.com.

Disclosure – A product was provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the writing of this review; however, opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

About Emily:

Emily is also very active in the local MOMS CLUB. She raises chickens and has 2 shih tzus. Her daughter Caitlyn attends Montessori school and she hates housecleaning, loves wine and enjoys dining out. She would love to find a cure for the depression and anxiety she has dealt with on and off over the past 10 years, just like me. She is an amazing mom and friend.