Book Review - Keyana Loves Her Family by Natasha Tarpley + Giveaway

 

Keyana is filled with big ideas including, her newest idea of hosting a family movie night. She invites everyone over for a fun filled night. Even though, there is a lot to do, Keyana wants to do it all. However, when the night doesn't go as she planned, will Keyana be able to rely on her loved ones?

The picture book is a cute and fun read. The beautiful drawings were bright and colorful. The book teaches little ones how ask and accept help and dealing with disappointment.

 **Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

 

About The Book:

Title: KEYANA LOVES HER FAMILY

Author: Natasha Anastasia Tarpley & Charnelle Pinkney Barlow (Illustrator)

Pub. Date: December 13, 2022

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 40

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, TBD, Bookshop.org

Natasha Anastasia Tarpley returns with a breakout new picture book series all about Keyana, the protagonist of her bestselling title I Love My Hair!, and the people and places she adores.

Keyana’s always full of big ideas. Her latest and greatest plan is to host a perfect family movie night. From aunts to uncles to her five favorite cousins, everyone is invited! She knows the best way to impress her guests is with a fabulous soiree, and there’s a lot on her to-do list. But when the night doesn’t go as planned, she’ll have to rely on a little help from the people she loves most.
 
With warm illustrations by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow, this character-centric new picture book series from Natasha Anastasia Tarpley will give Keyana a fresh, commercial update that's perfect for today's young readers.

 

About Natasha Anastasia Tarpley:

Natasha Anastasia Tarpley started writing when she was seven years old, and from that young age she understood that stories could change the world. She is the author of the bestselling picture book I Love My Hair!, Bippity Bop Barbershop, The Me I Choose to Be, among other titles. Natasha is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and is the cofounder of Voonderbar! Media, a project seeking to expand the depictions of children of color in media. She lives with her family in Chicago, Illinois. 

Website | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads  

 

About Charnelle Pinkney Barlow:

Charnelle Pinkney Barlow was born and raised in Poughkeepsie, New York. She received her BFA in Illustration from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and her MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Creating images and stories that speak to the hearts of children and those that guide them is her greatest joy. Charnelle currently lives in Indianapolis, Indiana with her husband. She is the illustrator of Remember to Dream, Ebere, The Real Santa, Just Like Mama, and many other titles.

Website | Instagram | TikTok | Pinterest | Goodreads

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of KEYANA LOVES HER FAMILY, US Only.

Ends December 27^th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

12/12/2022	Mythical Books	Excerpt/IG Post
12/12/2022	yabookscentral.com	Guest Post or Excerpt
12/13/2022	Lady Hawkeye	Excerpt/IG Post
12/13/2022	@jael_and_jenessa_reads	Review/IG Post
12/14/2022	Bea's Book Nook	Review
12/14/2022	popthebutterfly	Review/IG Post
12/15/2022	Emily Ashlyn	Review/IG Post
12/15/2022	the book near me	Review/IG Post
12/16/2022	onemused	IG Post
12/16/2022	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post

Week Two:

12/19/2022	Kim"s Book Reviews and Writing Aha's	Review/IG Post
12/19/2022	@carlysunshinebooks	IG Review
12/20/2022	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic
12/20/2022	One More Exclamation	Review/IG Post
12/21/2022	More Books Please blog	Review
12/21/2022	@allyluvsbooksalatte	IG Review
12/22/2022	@froggyreadteach	IG Review/Read Aloud
12/22/2022	Author Z. Knight	Review/IG Post
12/23/2022	Books with Brandie Shanae	Youtube Review/IG Post
12/23/2022	two points of interest	Review

Book Review - Dressing Up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head by Jeanne Walker Harvey + Giveaway

 

Edith Head grew up in the small mining town of Searchlight, Nevada. She had a few friends but, she spent most of her time dressing up her toys, pets, and even wild animals using fabric scraps. She wanted to spend her life surrounded by people and excitement. She had her sights set on Hollywood and managed to talk her way into getting a job sketching costumes for a movie studio. Edith didn't know how to sew or draw but, she didn't let that stop her. Edith worked hard and taught herself until it paid off and she worked with some of the biggest stars of the day.

I thought the picture book was an okay read. I wasn't familiar with Edith Head so, it was an interesting to learn more. The author and illustrator did a good job with the pictures and story. However, I felt that the book was lacking the reason why the author was so interested in Edith Heed. The author did include a line or two but, I didn't see why Edith Head warranted a book over say any other costumer designer. (I am also not saying that Edith doesn't deserve one either!) I wish that there was appendix listing some of Edith's most noteworthy books. I think young readers who enjoy fashion would like this book.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion**

 

 

About The Book:

Title: DRESSING UP THE STARS: THE STORY OF MOVIE COSTUME DESIGNER EDITH HEAD

Author: Jeanne Walker Harvey & Diana Toledano (Illustrations)

Pub. Date: September 20, 2022

Publisher: Beach Lane Books

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 40

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

 Discover the true story of how a shy miner’s daughter became one of the most legendary costume designers in Hollywood in this inspiring nonfiction picture book biography.

As a child in the small mining town of Searchlight, Nevada, Edith Head had few friends and spent most of her time dressing up her toys and pets and even wild animals using fabric scraps. She always knew she wanted to move somewhere full of people and excitement. She set her sights on Hollywood and talked her way into a job sketching costumes for a movie studio.

Did she know how to draw or sew costumes? No. But that didn’t stop her!

Edith taught herself and tirelessly worked her way up until she was dressing some of the biggest stars of the day, from Audrey Hepburn to Grace Kelly to Ginger Rogers. She became the first woman to head a major Hollywood movie studio costume department and went on to win eight Academy Awards for best costume design—and she defined the style of an era.

About Jeanne Walker Harvey:

JEANNE WALKER HARVEY studied literature and psychology at Stanford University and has worn  many job hats, ranging from being a roller coaster ride operator to an attorney, a middle school  language arts teacher, and a long-time docent for school groups at the San Francisco Museum of  Modern Art. She is the author of several books for young readers, including the picture book  biographies Dressing up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head, Ablaze with  Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas, and Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines. Jeanne  lives in Northern California. Visit her online at JeanneHarvey.com.

 

Website | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon

 

About Diana Toledano:

DIANA TOLEDANO is an illustrator, writer, and educator. She is also a Pisces who loves children’s books, patterns, and dancing her heart out. Originally from Spain, Diana (pronounced the Spanish way: dee-ah-na) grew up in Madrid where she studied art history and illustration. Now she lives in San Francisco with her husband and two fluffy cats. Her mixed media art seeks to capture the magic of the ordinary. Diana’s product designs, picture books, board books, and chapter books have been published and sold all over the world. Diana also teaches workshops for kids and adults. She enjoys doing school visits and speaking at conferences. Learn more at Diana-Toledano.com.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of DRESSING UP THE STARS: THE STORY OF MOVIE COSTUME DESIGNER EDITH HEAD, US Only.

Ends September 24^th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/31/2022	@jael_and_jenessa_reads	Review/IG Post
9/1/2022	Lisa-Queen of Random	Excerpt/IG Post
9/2/2022	BookHounds YA	Excerpt/IG Post
9/3/2022	Ya Books Central	Excerpt

Week Two:

9/4/2022	Just Another Teen Reading Books	Review/IG Post
9/5/2022	booksaremagictoo	Review/IG Post
9/6/2022	One More Exclamation	Review/IG Post
9/7/2022	Little Red Reads	Review/IG Post
9/8/2022	Two Points of Interest	Review/IG Post
9/9/2022	Nerdophiles	Review/IG Post
9/10/2022	Do You Dog-ear?	Review/IG Post

Week Three:

9/11/2022	RavenzReviewz	Review/IG Post
9/12/2022	pickagoodbook	Review/IG Post
9/13/2022	Write. Read. Live	Review/IG Post
9/14/2022	A Backwards Story	Review/IG Post
9/15/2022	Nonbinary Knight Reads	Review/IG Post
9/16/2022	For The Love Of The Page	Review/IG Post
9/17/2022	Feed Your Fiction Addiction	Review/IG Post

Week Four:

9/18/2022	@enjoyingbooksagain	IG Review
9/19/2022	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post

Book Review - Dear Substitute by by Audrey Vernick and Liz Garton Scanlon + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

When their teacher Mrs. Giordano is sick and a new substitute teacher, Miss Pelly takes over, things are bound to go wrong.  A student writes in an epistolary poems format, explaining why Miss Pelly is doing things wrong and how she misses her teacher. 

I read this cute picture book to the tots I volunteered with. They thought the book was funny. However, I am not sure they grasped the entire message of the book until we discussed the book. The book had an interesting way to encourage children to try new experiences because they might enjoy it. A good book especially for children who are nervous in trying new things.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

Title: DEAR SUBSTITUTE

Author: Audrey Vernick, Liz Garton Scanlon, &Chris Raschka (Illustrations)

Pub. Date: June 19, 2018

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 40

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD

When a substitute teacher named Miss Pelly comes to class, one student bristles at the change in routine-Miss Pelly doesn't follow the rules like Mrs. Giordano. But in time, our student learns that even though the substitute may do things a little differently, and she may be a bit silly, mixing things up might not be so bad.

Told in a series of epistolary poems, this funny, relatable picturebook is a great fit for classrooms and for any child nervous about new experiences.

About Audrey:

Audrey grew up in Whitestone, New York, where she lived with her parents and two sisters and a not very bright small white dog. She has a freaky memory about the names of the kids in her class at P.S. 184Q, and even remembers where most of them stood in size order. 

She always loved to read and still rereads Harriet the Spy on a regular basis.  She was not one of those children who always knew she wanted to be a writer; she didn't love to write until college. She's been writing ever since. 

In addition to writing for children, Audrey has published more than a dozen short stories for adults in magazines and literary journals. She received an mfa from Sarah Lawrence College and has been honored with two fiction fellowships from the New Jersey State Council of the Arts. 

Audrey divides her time between writing (which is mostly spent revising) and visiting elementary schools to talk about writing and publishing. (For school visit info, click here.) She also speaks at conferences around the country. 

She lives near the ocean in New Jersey with her family and a semi-smart medium-sized dog.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

About Liz:

Liz Garton Scanlon is the author of numerous beloved books for young people, including the highly-acclaimed, Caldecott-honored picture book All the World, illustrated by Marla Frazee, and her debut novel for middle grade readers, The Great Good Summer, as well as The Good-Pie Party; Happy Birthday, Bunny!; Noodle & Lou, and several others. Ms. Scanlon is also a poet, a teacher and a frequent & popular presenter at schools, libraries and conferences. She grew up in Colorado and Wisconsin, and now lives with her husband and two daughters in Austin, Texas.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of DEAR SUBSTITUTE, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rafflecopter Link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba2767/?

Tour Schedule:

Week Two:

6/25/2018- BookHounds YA- Excerpt

6/26/2018- RhythmicBooktrovert- Review

6/27/2018- Book Dragon Lair- Review

6/28/2018- Beagles & Books- Review

6/29/2018- Two Points of Interest- Review