humor

Extra! Hot Flash! For Your Reading Pleasure …

Crones Among Us: A City Slickers for Menopausal Women

113532252Lindy Michaels, a regular contributor to Good Reads With Ronna, and all-around amazing woman, has written a new novel.   Crones Among Us is available for download from bn.com.  First download a FREE Nook app and then you can download the novel to Nook, PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or an Android. It’s so easy and costs only $2.50!

This is a tale about coming of age. No! The other age. Old age, well, older age. This ‘City Slickers For Menopausal Women’ relates the story of becoming a Crone. A witch, you say? A hag? A withered old woman? Absolutely not! This tale involves mature women, females whom yes, have passed their child-bearing days and truly believe the best part of their lives ended birthdays ago, only to learn they are actually on the cusp of a new beginning, a new life as an elder, a wise one to be revered and respected… and reckoned with, damn it!

Here’s an overview of the story:

Sara, due to be 50 at any moment, has just had a devastating blow. A love affair has gone rotten, stinking up her life. After promising her marriage and happiness ever after, in the end he couldn’t, wouldn’t leave his wife. She now faces the depressing prospect of living her Golden Years alone, the love of her life lost forever. Her newly married daughter’s elation at the break-up certainly doesn’t help.

Carol has the just opposite problem. She would love some “alone” time. Still married to her college sweetheart, as she ages, he understands her less and less. Then there’s Carol’s demanding son who has decided that home is a good place to remain until he finds himself. It’s obvious he isn’t looking very hard. Carol is also experiencing her change of life and boy, is she ever changing. She had no idea it would be quite so hot or wet.

Both women feeling unhappy and desperate to make some sense of their wrinkling lives are drawn to a week-long retreat aptly entitled, ON BECOMING A CRONE. Under the gentle tutelage of their guide, Christina, something magical begins to happen to the women. It is called acceptance. And for the first time in their aging process they learn how to celebrate all their years of living upon this earth.

lindymichaelspic2Once back in civilization the two women remain close, while trying to integrate all they have learned into their daily lives. Easier said than done, they discover, especially when Sara’s old love once again comes by to muck up her life, and Carol’s husband wonders if she has gone off the deep end with her new Goddess loving philosophy.

CRONES AMONG US treads where most do not dare to go. Filled with laughter and tears, it is a story of women trying to cross over into Cronehood gracefully, yet with their spirit’s wild, as they try their damnedest to buck what society tells us about this third portion of our lives. Oh yes, it most certainly is a struggle, but look out world, for there are Crones among us, and we should be so lucky to meet up with one of them.

Share this:

Bad Kitty Meets The Baby Giveaway

What Happens When The Kitty Meets Her Match?

98232199In six short illustrated chapters, Bad Kitty Meets The Baby ($13.99, Roaring Brook Press, ages 7-10) author/illustrator Nick Bruel manages to get in so many laughs both with his story and drawings that we are left wanting more. No wonder there are more than 2.5 million Bad Kitty books in print.  Thankfully there’s www.Badkittybooks.com for videos, games, activities and more to hold us over until the next book!

Meet Kitty, Puppy and Uncle Murray. Mom and Dad are heading off with lots of luggage and soon will be bringing plush-bad-kittyhome a new addition to the family, so Uncle’s in charge. Kitty does not like surprises since the last slurpy one was Puppy.  Who is this creature? What is this creature? Cat? Dog? We know it’s a baby but the fun is following along with Bad Kitty as she tries to figure things out. There’s also Uncle Murray’s Fun Facts, the Pussycat Olympics and a whole lot more shenanigans so suited for elementary-schoolers who enjoy fast moving, bad-kitty-meets-baby-arc-int-p118-119slapstick humor with a cast of endearing characters who will simply crack you up!

Good Reads With Ronna is giving away one Bad Kitty Meets The Baby along with a Bad Kitty Plush to one first place winner and one book each to two second place winners. To enter just click here and provide your name, address and telephone number. Please remember to write ‘Bad Kitty’ in the subject line. For rules click here. The giveaway ends on Tuesday, July 5, 2011 and winners will be notified on July 6. Good luck!badkittymeatsbaby

Share this:

Talk To Me. Please!

51mz7dm2fil_sl500_aa300_WOOF!  WOOF!! Translation from Dogease to English – I want to go out. I want food. I love it when you rub my belly. Whoa, will you take a look at that lovely little poodle.

WOOF, WOOF!!  There you again. I know you are capable of making more than those same old sounds. Say something substantial, would you please, Oscar! Guest reviewer Lindy Michaels of BookStar on Ventura Blvd. in Studio City, thinks this book is a howl and so will you!

Talk, Oscar, Please! ($14.95, Sterling, ages 3-6) was written by Karen Kaufman Orloff and illustrated by Tim Bowers.  Ah, there are so many ways for humans to communicate to each other these days. There’s the tried and true, albeit archaic, looking face to face with someone and actually speaking. Then there’s the, also seemingly archaic, phone conversation. And then there’s emailing, texting, tweeting, ‘face-booking’… have I left anything out?

Yes, that’s all well and good for humans, but the boy in TALK, OSCAR, PLEASE! wishes more than anything, that his doggie, Oscar would, could, oh please, talk, really talk to him. Imagine the conversations they would have. Oh, sure, Oscar yips and howls and barks and whimpers and wheezes, but… “Oh, boy, how I wish you could talk, Oscar – please?”

Not only would that be oh, so cool, but then Oscar could help the boy with his ABC’s, could help coach his soccer team, could crack some jokes, could explain to the vet that it’s fleas that’s really bothering him and even sing his little master some doggie lullabies at bedtime. “You’d lull me to sleep if you’d sing, Oscar – please?”

No, Oscar doesn’t become some magical pooch, in this adorable story, actually yapping in English, but the boy finds there are other ways to communicate with his best friend that are just as satisfying and he realizes that somehow they always know exactly what the other is thinking. Yes, sometimes real love needs no words, at all. A wag of the tail, a jump in the lap, a nuzzle on the neck, a sloppy lick on the face can be even better.

Now, try tweeting that and in rhyme, please!

lindymichaelspicThe very versatile Lindy Michaels aims to inspire young minds through children’s literature. Lindy owned L.A.’s first children’s bookshop, OF BOOKS AND SUCH (1972-1987) where she did storytelling, taught drama to children, had art and poetry contests and the like. According to Lindy, “It was truly a ‘land of enchantment.” She also spent years lecturing on realism in children’s literature at colleges in the state. For close to five years Lindy has worked for Studio City Barnes and Noble (BookStar) in the children’s section and does storytelling every Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

Share this:

One Dark And Stormy Night …

QUACKENSTEIN HATCHES A FAMILY (Abrams Books for Young Readers, $15.95, ages 4-8) written by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, and illustrated by Pasadena-based Brian T. Jones is reviewed by Lindy Michaels of BookStar on Ventura Blvd. in Studio City.

9780810989733_s3
When a mommy and daddy are expecting their joyful event, they are well aware of, at least, some things. The baby might have mommy’s nose (yes, before she had it ‘done’), or daddy’s eyes, or mommy’s ears, or hopefully not daddy’s bald head, well, at least later in life!

Now, for whatever reason, if couples, or singles, for that matter, decide to adopt a baby, the above, obviously, is not the case. No, baby might not look like you at all, but baby was so wanted that upon arrival, will be smothered with hugs and kisses and love.

Quackenstein was all alone. “He was the hermit of the zoo and faced a lonely struggle. ‘It isn’t fair! My nest is bare!’ He had no one to snuggle.” All the other zoo animals had herds and litters and gaggles and packs. ” ‘Everyone has someone, except me,’ Quackenstein mumbled.” Yes, in his solitary state, he had become quite bitter.

One day he happened by a sign that stated, “Orphaned Eggs. Homes Needed.” Yes! Quackenstein would adopt an egg, sit on it, tend to it and soon would be hatched a fluffy ducky, just like him! A little Quackenstein Junior or Juniorette, but hopefully with a better personality!

And then the great day arrived when the egg cracked open and out came a… ” ‘I’ve hatched a… MONSTER!! You’re no duck,’ Quack screeched and went quite pale. The thing had fur and legs with spurs and some poor beaver’s tail.”

What exactly was this… this…. this strange, scary looking animal? And would Quackenstein’s heart ever warm to it? Read this wonderfully illustrated, funny take on the (sort of) tale of Frankenstein and find out. It will certainly warm the cockles of you and your little one’s hearts.
To watch the video on YOUTUBE click here.

lindymichaelspic1The very versatile Lindy Michaels aims to inspire young minds through children’s literature. Lindy owned L.A.’s first children’s bookshop, OF BOOKS AND SUCH (1972-1987) where she did storytelling, taught drama to children, had art and poetry contests and the like. According to Lindy, “It was truly a ‘land of enchantment.” She also spent years lecturing on realism in children’s literature at colleges in the state. For close to five years Lindy has worked for Studio City Barnes and Noble (BookStar) in the children’s section and does storytelling every Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

Share this:

Put on a Hoppy Face!

Regular Contributor Lindy Michaels of BookStar on Ventura Blvd. in Studio City claps her hands with approval for IF YOU’RE HOPPY ($16.99, HarperCollins/Greenwillow Books, ages 2-5), written by April Pulley Sayre with illustrations by Jackie Urbanovic.

9780061566349_0_cover

Who doesn’t know and love the musical ditty, “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands…?” But what if you’re HOPPY and you know it? What are you? Are you a frog? A bunny? What, I ask! Since they’re all HOPPY, you could be any of them or more, right?

Now, let’s see… what if you’re SLOPPY and you know it, what are you? No, no, your extremely messy children don’t count. But they will love this sing-songy, adorable, colorfully illustrated book as they try and guess who is GROWLY and FLAPPY and… well, you get the picture.

What I love about IF YOU’RE HOPPY is that it’s fun and silly and will even encourage little ones to come up with their own thoughts on who is hoppy and floppy and so on and so on!

But a warning! You can’t just read IF YOU’RE HOPPY. No, no, no. I insist that you sing it! And that will make you and your tots… happy. And if you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!

lindymichaelspic1The very versatile Lindy Michaels aims to inspire young minds through children’s literature. Lindy owned L.A.’s first children’s bookshop, OF BOOKS AND SUCH (1972-1987) where she did storytelling, taught drama to children, had art and poetry contests and the like. According to Lindy, “It was truly a ‘land of enchantment.” She also spent years lecturing on realism in children’s literature at colleges in the state. For close to five years Lindy has worked for Studio City Barnes and Noble (BookStar) in the children’s section and does storytelling every Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

Share this:

Born To Run Wild!

cvr9781442406735_9781442406735CHICKS RUN WILD ($15.99, Simon & Schuster, ages 2-6), written by Sudipta Bardan-Quallen and illustrated by Ward Jenkins, really tickled guest reviewer Lindy Michael’s fancy! Find the enthusiastic Lindy at BookStar on Ventura Blvd. in Studio City and she’ll take you right to where a copy of this terrific new children’s book can be found.

I think we all know how hard it is to get a wee one to go to bed, especially if they don’t want to, which as a parent and grandparent, I know is almost all of the time. After yet another story, another drink of water, another song, how many times have we kissed our child’s forehead, hoping, beyond hope, for not another peep out of them?

Well! What if you’re a mama hen with five little chickies, none of whom want to lay their little feathered heads on their pillows? After mama tucks them in their feathered beds and kisses them for the umpteenth time, then tip-toes out of the room for some much needed rest, yes, those CHICKS GO WILD!

“First they wiggle and they jump
Then they giggle and they thump,
Playing, swaying in pajamas,
when they hear their tired mama…”

Now, of course, like all smart little ones, they fake “catching zees” when mama peeks in the room and is finally satisfied her babies are indeed, asleep. But then, wait for it… CHICKS GO WILD, yet again… and again… and again.

But don’t mess with mama. She has a plan to finally get her babies off to dreamland. And she’s one smart, albeit, weary and worn out mama hen.

After reading this delightful story, I give all of you frustrated and tired and at the end of your rope mamas (and papas, too), permission to definitely try this at home. Then you can drag your exhausted selves onto your living room couch and run wild, also, just like mama hen does!

lindymichaelspic2The very versatile (and energetic) Lindy Michaels aims to inspire young minds through children’s literature. Lindy owned L.A.’s first children’s bookshop, OF BOOKS AND SUCH (1972-1987) where she did storytelling, taught drama to children, had art and poetry contests and the like. According to Lindy, “It was truly a ‘land of enchantment.” She also spent years lecturing on realism in children’s literature at colleges in the state. For close to five years Lindy has worked for Studio City Barnes and Noble (BookStar) in the children’s section and does storytelling every Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

Share this:

Still Noisy After All These Years

NOISY NORA, written and illustrated by Rosemary Wells ($15.99, hardcover; $6.99, paperback, Viking, ages 1-5), is a tried and true classic according to guest reviewer Lindy Michaels of BookStar on Ventura Blvd. in Studio City.

What in blazes does it take to get a little attention from one’s parents when one has two needy siblings? That’s what little mousy Nora wonders. No, she’s not actually ‘mousy.’ She IS a mouse! “Jack had dinner early. Father played with Kate. Jack needed burping and Nora had to wait.” But Nora certainly did not go quietly into that good night.

9780670887224l“First she banged the window, then she slammed the door. Then she dropped her sister’s marbles on the kitchen floor.” This is what highly paid child psychologists like to call “getting negative attention,” big time. Sound familiar, mommies and daddies with multiple little ones? What could it possibly take for Nora to get any kind of attention, positive or negative? Here’s a hint. There’s a mad search and then, wait for it… a “monumental crash!”

All I can say, good children, everywhere, is please don’t try this at home. I’ve been reading NOISY NORA to little tykes since it was first published in 1973 and I never tire of telling this tale, nor laughing at adorable, albeit, noisy Nora’s antics, as she tries everything in her power just to get noticed. And trust me, get noticed she does! lindymichaelspic1

The very versatile Lindy Michaels aims to inspire young minds through children’s literature. Lindy owned L.A.’s first children’s bookshop, OF BOOKS AND SUCH (1972-1987) where she did storytelling, taught drama to children, had art and poetry contests and the like. According to Lindy, “It was truly a ‘land of enchantment.” She also spent years lecturing on realism in children’s literature at colleges in the state. For close to five years Lindy has worked in Studio City for Barnes and Noble (BookStar) in the children’s section and does storytelling every Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

Share this:

This One Takes The Cake

CLEVER JACK TAKES THE CAKE, ($17.99 , Random House/Schwartz & Wade, ages 4-8) written by Candace Fleming with illustrations by G. Brian Karas, is reviewed today by Lindy Michaels of BookStar on Ventura Blvd. in Studio City.

1What do fairy tales all seem to have in common? Hmm … well, there was poor Cinderella who needed a fairy godmother to help her meet the rich and handsome prince. Then there was poor Sleeping Beauty, who simply couldn’t wake up until the rich and handsome prince kissed her. Okay, you get the idea.

But what happens when Jack, a very poor boy, is invited, along with all the children of the Realm, to the rich and beautiful princess’s birthday party? What possible gift could he bring, befitting a real princess? With not a dime to his name, he decided to make her something. A cake! Since his cupboard was bare, he had nothing but his ingenuity and creativity to make a cake fit for the princess.

For eggs, he gave the hen extra feed, a kiss on the cow’s nose got him her sweetest milk, he gathered walnuts in the woods, dipped his own candles and found, in the strawberry patch, the “reddest, juiciest, most succulent strawberry in the land.”

After toiling over his delectable creation, he set off for the royal party. I could tell you that she loved it, that Jack and the princess, when of appropriate age, eventually fell in love and got married, which made Jack a prince and they lived happily ever after, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

On the way to the palace, Jack encountered four and twenty blackbirds, an ugly troll, an old, mean gypsy and her large bear, Samson and a palace guard, who wasn’t the nicest of fellows. Needless to say, by the time Jack got to meet the princess, he was empty-handed. But while the other children had presented the princess with jewels and other magnificent treasures, which quite frankly bored her, what Jack was able to give her, well, let’s just say, money couldn’t buy. And I do believe that eventually, they did fall in love and yes, lived happily ever after.

A delicious tale with a yummy moral you and your little princes and princess’s will want to read over and over again.

lindymichaelspicThe very versatile Lindy Michaels aims to inspire young minds through children’s literature. Lindy owned L.A.’s first children’s bookshop, OF BOOKS AND SUCH (1972-1987) where she did storytelling, taught drama to children, had art and poetry contests and the like. According to Lindy, “It was truly a ‘land of enchantment.” She also spent years lecturing on realism in children’s literature at colleges in the state. For close to five years Lindy has worked in Studio City for Barnes and Noble (BookStar) in the children’s section and does storytelling every Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

Share this:

An Illuminating Tale

MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMP, written by Jack Lechner and illustrated by Bob Staake

9781599901695Now we all know cutie pie, Mary, had a little lamb and yes, her fleece was white as snow and sure, little lamb followed Mary everywhere, which when Mary became a teenager and started dating, it became incredibly annoying to her.

Well, there’s another Mary and she had a little… LAMP “…the bendy gooseneck kind, and everywhere that Mary went, she dragged the lamp behind.” And so we follow Mary and her lamp at school, on the playground, all over the place.

You can only imagine how worried Mary’s parents were about this inanimate pet situation. “We told her she could have a dog. She wanted this instead!” And so they finally took little Mary to the doctor, who gave his professional opinion. “I’ve never seen so puzzling a condition. But lamps are not my specialty. You need an electrician.”

But good news eventually came. Mary grew out of her lamp phase, which was a great relief to her family. But not so fast, Mom and Dad, because “…Now Mary doesn’t take the lamp out sledding on her coaster. She’s much too big for stuff like that. Now Mary has a toaster!”

I love and kids will love the absurdity of this wonderfully illustrated picture book. But I’m afraid I have to go now… and take my electric toothbrush out for a walk!

lindymichaelspic2The very versatile Lindy Michaels aims to inspire young minds through children’s literature. Lindy owned L.A.’s first children’s bookshop, OF BOOKS AND SUCH (1972-1987) where she did storytelling, taught drama to children, had art and poetry contests and the like. According to Lindy, “It was truly a ‘land of enchantment.” She also spent years lecturing on realism in children’s literature at colleges in the state. For close to five years Lindy has worked in Studio City for Barnes and Noble (BookStar) in the children’s section and does storytelling every Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

Share this:

Is it a Bird? A Plane? No, it’s Look! A Book by Bob Staake!

 

LOOK! A BOOK!

Written and illustrated by Bob Staake

(Little, Brown BYR; $16.99, Ages 4-8)

 

Today’s guest reviewers are editor Carolyn Graham’s husband Steve and son, Jack.

My son Jack (6) and I sat down to read a new book last night and thought we would share it with you. It’s called Look! A Book!: A Zany Seek-and-Find Adventure by Bob Staake. It was just published by Little, Brown and it’s $15.99. More about Bob at http://www.bobstaake.com/

Jack:
Well this book is quite good. It’s fun and you have to look for things. It’s about finding things. Each page shows you something peeking through holes in the pages and you have to find things in the drawings.

Dad:
Bob Staake’s artwork is genius. I loved this book. He had me at the cover. With spaceships and a giant dinosaur, a swinging ape, a pirate, a guy in a jetpack, and a tiger on a pedal-powered helicopter, how could it miss?

Jack:
What was my favorite drawing? It’s tough to choose, but I like the dinosaur and I like the donkey in the hot tub. I pretty much like everything.

Dad:
Me too. We spent a long time on each page, marveling at the crazy and imaginative detail. There are tons of great little jokes and cool ideas packed into every huge two-page drawing.

Jack:
There is very little typing.

Dad:
Yeah, but what’s there is perfect. It’s got just enough great rhyming story to keep you moving through the book.

Jack:
I think it’s very funny at the end because a policeman says “No No No Stop!” It’s not the end of the book.

Dad:
And at the end, there is a whole page of cool hidden items that you can go back through the book to look for, like 3 pigs and 5 doughnuts. (So that’s why the Abraham Lincoln riding on the back of a jetliner on page 7 was holding a doughnut!)

Jack:
We found lots of hammers. I love the robots they draw.

Dad:
I think we’ll keep going back to this one pretty often.

Jack:
I recommend that you should have this book. It’s a good book and fun to read with your Dad or Mom.

 

Share this:

Point and Twirl

BRONTORINA, written by James Howe and illustrated by Rand Cecil is reviewed by Lindy Michaels, a woman with a dream.

0763644374medBrontorina had a dream. She wanted to dance! And so she enrolled in Madame Lucille’s Dance Academy For Girls and Boys. There was just one teeny, tiny problem. Brontorina was… wait for it… a huge dinosaur! When Madame Lucille pointed this fact out to her, she replied, dreamily, “True, but in my heart I am a ballerina.”

The children in the dance academy didn’t seem to care about Brontorina’s dream, at all, chiding her with taunts of, “She is too big!” And “She does not have the right shoes!” Although Madame Lucille had to agree with them, never one to crush another’s dreams, she accepted the dinosaur into her ballet class, but with the warning, “Please try not to squash the other dancers.”

Well! Amazingly, Brontorina proved to be quite the “little” twinkle toes, graceful and agile, although she did crash her head through the dance studio’s ceiling while doing relevés and jetés:  And no boy could possibly lift the humongous beast over his head, as is often the necessity in the craft of ballet dancing.

With a tear in her eye, just when Brontorina’s dream was about to fade away, a solution was found that not only allowed the dinosaur to continue her pliés and arabesques, but also encouraged others of largeness, like cows and hippos and other dinosaur friends to have the opportunity to ‘point’ and ‘twirl,’ also.

And just think, it all began with a dream. So children of all ages, listen closely and never, ever give up on your dreams, even if you bang your head on the ceiling trying to fulfill those dreams.

lindymichaelspicThe very versatile Lindy Michaels aims to inspire young minds through children’s literature. Lindy owned L.A.’s first children’s bookshop, OF BOOKS AND SUCH (1972-1987) where she did storytelling, taught drama to children, had art and poetry contests and the like. According to Lindy, “It was truly a ‘land of enchantment.” She also spent years lecturing on realism in children’s literature at colleges in the state. For close to five years Lindy has worked in  Studio City for Barnes and Noble (BookStar) in the children’s section and does storytelling every Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

Share this:

Everything Started Somewhere!

FIRSTS is reviewed by mom, artist, author and regular contributor, Debbie Glade.

45399858I simply cannot get enough information about the origins of people, places and things. And if you have a curious child who asks you a lot of questions about the first time an event took place or the first time a product was used or any other milestone in history, this is the perfect book. After you read Firsts, you won’t be surprised to learn that the author, Wilson Casey, is cited in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest running radio trivia broadcast at 30 hours.

The 220-page book is organized alphabetically, and you will find short paragraphs on every subject from Animated Cartoons to the Zipper, and everything in between. How about these fascinating firsts? High Heel shoes were first worn in Crete by the Minoans around 2100 BC. Popsicles were the result of an accident in 1905 when a boy left a fruit drink with a stirring stick in it outside at night only to freeze. And the very first x-ray dates as far back as 1895. I am partial to the facts about the first dental floss created by a dentist in 1819, since I have a slight obsessive compulsion with brushing and flossing myself. (Okay, maybe more that just slight, like after every single time I eat.)

The back of the book has a fabulous index of topics, and I imagine older kids can use this book as a reference for a variety of research papers. But the best thing about Firsts is that every member of the family will love reading it.

debbieglade24Debbie Glade, today’s guest reviewer, is the author, illustrator and voice talent of the award-winning children’s picture book The Travel Adventures of Lilly P Badilly: Costa Rica, published by Smart Poodle Publishing. She visits South Florida schools with her reading, writing and geography programs. For years, Debbie was a travel writer for luxury cruise lines. She writes parenting articles for various websites and is the Geography Awareness Editor for WanderingEducators.com. She blogs daily at smartpoodlepublishing.com.

Share this:

Dragon? What Dragon?

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A DRAGON, written and illustrated by Jack Kent is reviewed today by reading enthusiast Lindy Michaels of BookStar on Ventura Blvd. in  Studio City.

Sometimes oldies are indeed goodies. And this one certainly is. Billy Bixbee  awoke one morning to find a kitten-sized dragon beside his bed. He didn’t know where it came from, but being so cute, he gave it a pat on its head.

14755257Downstairs having breakfast, Billy told his mother about his new friend. “There’s no such thing as a dragon,” she told him. “Yes there is!” answered Billy. “No, there isn’t!” And so Billy heeded his mother’s advice and ignored the animal. Now, listen closely children (and that goes for you parents, also), because the more Billy’s mother denied there was, in fact, a dragon in the house, the more the dragon grew and grew… bigger and bigger and bigger, until he was bigger than their house!

Mayhem arose when the friendly bread truck drove through the neighborhood. The very hungry dragon, now so big the house was perched on its back, raced after truck for a snack! When Father Bixbee came home, imagine his surprise to find his house atop a dragon, blocks from where it was supposed to be.

Unfortunately, Mother Bixbee was still in dragon denial until Billy screamed, “Yes, there is such a thing as a dragon and he’s right here!” And then Billy patted the humongous beast on the head and low and behold, the dragon starting shrinking and shrinking, until it was back down to the size of a kitten.

Mother Bixbee admitted, having a little dragon wasn’t so bad and wondered why it had gotten so big. And out of the mouths of babes, Billy told her, “Well, maybe he just wanted to be noticed.”

lindymichaelspicThe very versatile Lindy Michaels aims to inspire young minds through children’s literature. Lindy owned L.A.’s first children’s bookshop, OF BOOKS AND SUCH (1972-1987) where she did storytelling, taught drama to children, had art and poetry contests and the like. According to Lindy, “It was truly a ‘land of enchantment.” She also spent years lecturing on realism in children’s literature at colleges in the state. For close to five years Lindy has worked for Studio City Barnes and Noble (BookStar) in the children’s section and does storytelling (with no interruptions!) every Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

Share this:

Meet The New Boss

Debbie Glade raves about The Boss Baby from Simon & Schuster ($16.99, ages 4-8).

cvr9781442401679_9781442401679I recently reviewed All the World, a book illustrated by the two-time Caldecott Honor Medalist, Marla Frazee, so I was excited to read another book she not only illustrated, but also wrote. The Boss Baby is just downright adorable. It is so darn cute that I promise you will laugh out loud while you read it and look at the pictures. It is a story about how a new baby takes over everything and everyone in the household and essentially becomes the “boss.” The baby even wears a suit (with a diaper flap, of course) and a tie. The artwork is incredibly charming and I can never get enough of Marla Frazee’s illustrations. The Boss Baby is the perfect book for a child who has a new baby sister or brother and for the parents of a newborn. I’m going to buy a stack of these to have on hand when a friend brings a new baby home from the hospital. I have a feeling Marla Frazee has many more great books in her future. I for one can’t wait to read them and admire the illustrations. You can visit Marla’s website here http://www.marlafrazee.com/marlafrazee.html.

debbieglade1Debbie Glade, today’s guest reviewer, is the author, illustrator and voice talent of the award-winning children’s picture book The Travel Adventures of Lilly P Badilly: Costa Rica, published by Smart Poodle Publishing. She visits South Florida schools with her reading, writing and geography programs. For years, Debbie was a travel writer for luxury cruise lines. She writes parenting articles for various websites and is the Geography Awareness Editor for WanderingEducators.com. She blogs daily at smartpoodlepublishing.com.

Share this:

Dino Dear

9780375856082DEAR TYRANNOSAURUS REX, (Random House, $16.99, ages 4-8) written by Lisa McClatchy and illustrated by John Manders, is reviewed today by Lindy Michaels of BookStar on Ventura Blvd. in Studio City.

How does a little girl turning six years old persuade, of all things, a dinosaur, to come to her birthday party? Well, she writes him a letter, of course! She encloses a map to her house and vividly describes all the fun and games that will ensue, if only he would join her celebration.

“If you come to my party, we’ll play pirates on my play set.
Your tail will make a great slide!”

The colorful and hysterical illustrations illuminate all the fun to be had, if only Tyrannosaurus Rex would show up. And oh, what a puss this guy has!

But would he be big hearted and make an appearance? After reading this delightful book to little ones, don’t be surprised at whom your children might want to invite to their next birthday party!!

lindymichaelspic3The very versatile Lindy Michaels aims to inspire young minds through children’s literature. Lindy owned L.A.’s first children’s bookshop, OF BOOKS AND SUCH (1972-1987) where she did storytelling, taught drama to children, had art and poetry contests and the like. According to Lindy, “It was truly a ‘land of enchantment.” She also spent years lecturing on realism in children’s literature at colleges in the state. For close to five years Lindy has worked for Studio City Barnes and Noble (BookStar) in the children’s section and does storytelling every Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

Share this:
Load More
Back To Top