Showing posts with label dark times. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dark times. Show all posts

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Book Review - God Bless America: The Story of an Immigrant Named Irving Berlin by Adah Nuchi and Rob Polivka + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Izzy Baline and his family emigrated from Russia to America. Shortly after arriving, the Baline family falls in love with their new country. His family never had much. When his father passed away, Izzy decides to run away and try to make his own future. Izzy has a passion for music and creates beautiful songs that his fellow citizens enjoy. When Izzy joins the army, he realizes he can put his passion to better use and creates an inspiring song that can rouse the entire nation.

The book was beautifully drawn. The characters had a comic book feel. I found the book to be fun and engaging. However, some of the pages were a bit confusing and lacked context. I would recommend reading the last few pages in the book before reading the story to make it easier to understand. This was definitely a fun book and I look forward to reading more books like this.

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

GOD BLESS AMERICA: THE STORY OF AN IMMIGRANT NAMED IRVING BERLIN
Title: GOD BLESS AMERICA: THE STORY OF AN IMMIGRANT NAMED IRVING BERLIN
Author: Adah Nuchi, Rob Polivka (Illustrations)
Pub. Date: June 5, 2018
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 40
Find it: GoodreadsAmazonB&NiBooks,  TBD
An inspiring portrait of an immigrant and the gift he gave his new home.

Persecuted as Jews, Izzy Baline and his family emigrated from Russia to New York, where he fell in love with his new country. He heard music everywhere and was full to bursting with his own. Izzy's thump-two-three, ting-a-ling, whee tunes soon brought him acclaim as the sought-after songwriter Irving Berlin. He ignited the imaginations of fellow countrymen and women with his Broadway and Hollywood numbers, crafting tunes that have become classics we still sing today.

But when darker times came and the nation went to war, it was time for Irving to compose a new kind of song:

boom-rah-rah song.

A big brass belter.

A loud heart-melter.

A song for America.

And so "God Bless America" was born, the heart swelling standard that Americans have returned to again and again after its 1918 composition.

This is the tale of how a former refugee gave America one of its most celebrated patriotic songs. With stirring, rhythmic text by Adah Nuchi and delightful, energetic art by Rob Polivka, readers will be ready to hum along to this exuberant picturebook.


About Adah:
Adah Megged Nuchi was first introduced to the children's publishing world at home, as the daughter of a children's book art director. She began her own publishing career at the National Book Foundation, and later at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers, where she was an acquiring editor of picture books, middle-grade, and young adult fiction for seven years. Her books have been named to the Kids' Indie Next List, YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, and Indies Introduce New Voices lists. As an editor, she most loved finding new talent and working with authors to shape a story.

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Giveaway Details:
3 winners will receive a finished copy of GOD BLESS AMERICA: THE STORY OF AN IMMIGRANT NAMED IRVING BERLIN, US Only.

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Tour Schedule:

Week Two:
6/11/2018- Savings in SecondsReview
6/12/2018- Little Red Reads- Review
6/13/2018- Reading Is My SuperPowerReview
6/14/2018- Two points of interestReview
6/15/2018- A Dream Within A DreamExcerpt