Book Review - The Power of Piggie Bear by Mara James + Giveaway

 

The cute illustrated book helps little readers understand and process their feelings in a fun and loving way. Piggie Bear helps little ones recognize their feelings and how to use words to express themselves. The book includes self-calming exercises that they can utilize. I thought the book was a cute and fun read along with being an important resource for little ones. The book will help enable young children to put their feelings into words and help them process their feelings.

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

 

 

About the Book:

Title: THE POWER OF PIGGY BEAR

Author: Mara James, Matthew Mew (Illustrations)

Pub. Date: March 2, 2021

Publisher: Brown Books Kids

Formats: Hardcover

Pages: 32

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

Extraordinary Lives Foundation Founder and CEO Mara James releases her debut children’s picture book to promote Mental Health Awareness and Wellness!

Do you ever feel sad, lonely, or worried? What about angry, or scared? These feelings can be hard to fell, can't they? It would be much easier to just feel happy all the time! But everyone feels these ways sometimes, and it's nothing to be scared or worried about. As long as you know helpful ways to handle your feelings, everything will be OK! And that is what Piggie Bear is for! Piggie Bear shows children everywhere just how amazing they are, each and everyone. And Piggie Bear also shows children different techniques they can use to work through emotions that are hard to feel and understand. The Power of Piggie Bear is an important emotional tool, created for young children to learn how to identify, process, and manage their own feelings in a healthy way.

Mara Reads THE POWER OF PIGGY BEAR

 

 

About Mara James:

Originally from New York, Mara James relocated to California with her husband and her three children in 2007. They established Dr. James’s OBGYN practice, and for seven years, Mara managed the busy office. Then, in 2014, Mara unexpectedly experienced a manic episode and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Through her battle with mental health, many wellness professionals helped Mara heal and transform her life. Mara established the Extraordinary Lives Foundation and created Piggie Bear to promote mental health awareness and provide both children and their parents with the resources needed to pursue holistic wellness. Mara lives with her family in Orange County, California.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

 

About the Illustrator Mathew Mew:

Matthew Mew has been working with children’s books and materials as an author and illustrator for over thirty-five years. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in design, he worked for six years as a character illustrator in the Disneyland Creative Services Department. For the past thirty years, he has been a freelancer, designing and illustrating children’s products and print media for companies both large and small.

 

Website | Goodreads

 

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will win a finished copy of THE POWER OF PIGGY BEAR, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

5/3/2021	TravelersWife4Life	Excerpt
5/4/2021	YA Books Central	Interview
5/5/2021	Jill Piscitello	Excerpt
5/6/2021	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt
5/7/2021	cindysloveofbooks	Review

Week Two:

5/10/2021	Little Red Reads	Review
5/11/2021	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
5/12/2021	@minnesota_mailer	Review
5/13/2021	Midnightbooklover	Review
5/14/2021	two points of interest	Review

Week Three:

5/17/2021	michellemengsbookblog	Review
5/18/2021	Jazzy Book Reviews	Review
5/19/2021	BookHounds Ya	Review
5/20/2021	The Momma Spot	Review
5/21/2021	Momfluenster	Review

Week Four:

5/24/2021	@bookshelfmomma	Review/Spotlight
5/25/2021	She Just Loves Books	Review
5/26/2021	Simply Daniel Radcliffe	Review
5/27/2021	Jaime's World	Excerpt
5/28/2021	I'm Shelfish	Review

Week Five:

5/31/2021

Nerdophiles

Review

Book Review - 'Round Midnight by Laura McBride

 

Twenty-one-year-old June Stein is bored of her safe world and decides to move from New Jersey to Las Vegas in the 1950s. In the span of 60 years, June tries to live her life as she pleases and she tries to push boundaries. She goes against the norm for what she believes in.

June's story intertwines with three strangers: a woman who was a mail-order bride from the Philippines, a young mother who is working as a hotel maid, and a high school music teacher. The three women are connected by a secret June has kept.

I wasn't a fan of this novel. I felt like the story had too many characters and it seemed pointless and jumbled together.  The story had tons of random details that sometimes made the story hard to follow.  I did like the premise of the story but, I felt like the execution wasn't great.

Book Spotlight - America by Mike Bond + Giveaway

ASIN : B08XDZCJ4Q
Publisher : Mike Bond Books (May 4, 2021)
Publication date : May 4, 2021
Language : English

Praise for MIKE BOND

"Master of the existential thriller" —BBC

“One of the 21st Century’s most exciting authors … spellbinding readers with a writing style that pits hard-boiled, force of nature-like characters against politically adept, staccato-paced plots.” —Washington Times

“One of America’s best thriller writers.” —Culture Buzz

“A master of the storytelling craft.” —Midwest Book Review

“Bond never loses the reader’s attention … working that fatalistic margin where life and death are one and the existential reality leaves one caring only to survive.” —Sunday Oregonian

“One of the best thriller writers, in the same league as Gerald Seymour and Frederick Forsyth.” —NetGalley

“Mike Bond is not only an acclaimed novelist… His intellect and creativity dance together on the pages, braiding fiction into deeper truths about ourselves, our nature, our government, our history and our future.” —Where Truth Meets Fiction

“Bond touches on the vast and eerie depths that lie under the thin crust of civilization and the base instinct within man to survive.” —Nottingham Observer (UK)

“Mike Bond’s books are a national treasure.” —Art Zuckerman, WVOX

“Bond uses his gift for fiction to teach us hard truths about religion, human nature, and warfare.” —Masterful Book Reviews

“A highly distinctive writer.” —Liverpool Daily Post (UK)

A decade that transformed America

The Sixties shook America to its foundation – the assassination of an idealistic young president, a tragic and unpopular war, a battle for civil rights, a cosmic clash of riots and burning cities, and an explosion of sex, drugs and rock’n roll.

For four young people, the Sixties is a decade of promise and freedom. For orphaned Troy, it’s the joy of living with his new family and exploring the world of flight and outer space. For Tara, the girl he loves, the power of song as she evolves into a rock’n roll star. For his new brother, Mick, a football hero and rebel, a time to question everything, including the fast-growing war in Vietnam. And for Daisy, the girl Mick loves, a chance to fight for equality, join the Peace Corps, and expand her study of the human mind.

America is the first of Mike Bond’s seven-volume historical novel series, capturing the victories and heartbreaks of the last 70 years and of our nation’s most profound upheavals since the Civil War – a time that defined the end of the 20th Century and where we are today.

Through the wild, joyous, heartbroken and visionary lives of four young people and many others, the Sixties come alive again, as do its questions: what is life? What is freedom? What was lost, what was won?

You can purchase America at the following Retailers:

  

Photo Content from Mike Bond

Bestselling novelist MIKE BOND has worked in many dangerous and war-torn regions of the world. His critically acclaimed novels portray the innate hunger of the human heart for good, the intense joys of love, the terror and fury of battle, the sinister conspiracies of dictators, corporations and politicians, and the beauty of the vanishing natural world.

    

WEEK ONE

MAY 3rd MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW

MAY 4th TUESDAY Pages and Pugs EXCERPT

MAY 5th WEDNESDAY BookHounds INTERVIEW

MAY 6th THURSDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW

MAY 7th FRIDAY Gwendalyn's Books REVIEW

MAY 8th SATURDAY Books and Zebras REVIEW

MAY 9th SUNDAY Two Points of Interest REVIEW

WEEK TWO

MAY 10th MONDAY A Dream Within A Dream REVIEW

MAY 11th TUESDAY Rajiv's Review REVIEW

MAY 12th WEDNESDAY Ya It's Lit REVIEW

MAY 13th THURSDAY Casia's Corner REVIEW

MAY 14th FRIDAY TTC Books and More REVIEW

MAY 15th SATURDAY Movies, Shows, & Books REVIEW

MAY 16th SUNDAY Insane About Books REVIEW

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

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Book Reviews - The Toot Fairy by Mark Huffman and Cheesemaker Durdsden by Mark Huffman + Giveaways!

 

 

About The Books:

Title: THE TOOT FAIRY

Author: Mark Huffman, Dawn Davidson (Illustrator)

Pub. Date: February 9, 2021

Publisher:  Brown Books Kids

Pages: 32

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

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

 'A good giggle. In this day and age, it's fun to read something so...'refreshing'!''

- Craig Smith, Award-Winning International Bestselling Author of The Wonky Donkey

''Sorry, Walter the Farting Dog. I think it's fair to say that this is probably the best picture book about toots I've ever read. Take my advice and put away your scruples. You shouldn't turn up your nose at this.''

- Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production, School Library Journal

''Wish I had thought of it first!''

- Adam Rex, Author/Illustrator of On Account of the Gum

When it's time for Jessa the fairy to proclaim what kind of fairy she wants to be, she accidentally says ''toot'' instead of ''tooth!'' Now she'll be in charge of finding all the toots from all the bottoms in the world. This is not exactly what she had in mind..

My Thoughts -

Jessa is a fairy and she is excited that she will get to choose what type of fairy she wants to be. However, she was so nervous she said "toot" instead of "tooth!" Now Jessa is tasked to finding all the toots from the bottoms of people all around the world.

The book was a fun and cute read. It was colorful and had a cute message. Little kids will love the humor while parents can appreciate the message, sometimes things don't work as planned but, you can make the best out of a situation.

 

Title: CHEESEMAKER DURDSDEN

Author: Mark Huffman, Dawn Davidson (Illustrator)

Pub. Date: May 4, 2021

Publisher:  Brown Books Pub Group

Pages: 32

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

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

 

Cheesemaker Durdsden could hardly be called a cheesemaker, with how bland, rubbery, and flavorless his cheese tasted. And so, in order to better his skills and silence the critics, he went in search of any and every cheesemaking technique he could learn. That way, he could make cheese to be envied by every cheesemaker, and savored by every cheese enthusiast. Now he's back with new skills, and some suspiciously delicious--deliciously suspicious--cheese to prove it. How could a man with such boring cheese before now make this tasty cheesy treat? You'll never guess what fabled creature holds the secret to Cheesemaker Durdsden's sudden success!

My Thoughts - 

Cheese-maker Durdsden isn't known for his cheese. His cheese is bland, flavorless, and has the consistency of rubber. He decides to go on a journey to improve his technique. He hopes to become the envy of every cheese-maker and taster.  Durdsden has returned with a new cheese that is delicious and everyone wants a piece of. The townspeople are suspicious because he was known to having yucky cheese before and now he has the most delicious cheese.

I thought the book was a fun but, a gross read. The illustrations were beautiful but, I wish that the illustrations were a bit more diversified. I had a feeling I knew where the book was going but, it was still a fun reveal. Young readers will enjoy reading the story while, adults might lose their appetite for cheese.

 

About Mark:

Mark Huffman writes about our shared human experiences, which is a pretentious way to say that he writes about toots and bottoms and food. He prepared for writing children's books by spending much of his early life as an actual child. Unlike other children's authors he might name who have spuriously claimed the title, he is a real doctor. He lives with his family in Texas.

Website | Twitter |Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

 

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a finished copy of THE TOOT FAIRY & CHEESEMAKER DURDSDEN, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

4/26/2021	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review
4/27/2021	Lisa-Queen of Random	Guest Post
4/28/2021	Jazzy Book Reviews	Review
4/29/2021	A Dream Within A Dream	Guest Post
4/30/2021	Two Points of interest	Review
5/1/2021	LittleRed Reads	Review

Week Two:

5/2/2021	@bookshelfmomma	Review
5/3/2021	The Adventures of a Travelers WIfe	Review
5/4/2021	pick a good book	Review
5/5/2021	michellemengsbookblog	Review
5/6/2021	The Momma Spot	Review
5/7/2021	BookHounds Ya	Review
5/8/2021	Nighttime Reading Center	Review

Week Three:

5/9/2021	I'm Shelfish	Review
5/10/2021	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt
5/11/2021	Jaime's World	Excerpt
5/12/2021	cindysloveofbooks	Review
5/13/2021	booksaremagictoo	Review
5/14/2021	Do You Dog-ear?	Review
5/15/2021	Nerdophiles	Review

Week Four:

5/16/2021	Jillpiscitello	Spotlight
5/17/2021	celiamcmahonreads	Review
5/18/2021	My Fictional Oasis	Review
5/19/2021	Geauxgetlit	Review
5/20/2021	Books and Zebras @jypsylynn	Review
5/21/2021	Book-Keeping	Review

Book Review - The Pocket Wife by Susan H. Crawford

 

Dana Catrell is shocked when her neighbor, Celia, has been horrifically murdered. Dana was the last person to see Celia alive. Dana suffers from mania because of her bipolar disorder. She has holes in her  memory and she has trouble remembering what happened during the afternoon of Celia's death. She is afraid that she might have played a role in her demise.

Dana tries to search for answers but, her husband is acting odd and the detective on the case is suspicious of her. As she dwells deeper into the day, she finds herself coming apart at the seams.  She questions if she could be the murderer or is someone else lurking in the shadows?

I thought the book had an interesting premise but, I had a hard time getting into the novel. I read more than half of the novel and decided this wasn't the book for me. I didn't care for any of the characters or the plot because it was dreadfully boring. Definitely glad that I borrowed this book from the library instead of purchasing.

May 2021 Empties!

 

 

 

May? Is that you? I thought it was just April. The year has gone by with the blink of an eye. I feel like the month goes by fast when you least expect it. I managed to finish quite a few things this month and hopefully, I finish more things next month...cause I bought over 400 new things this month already....

I liked the Elemis Superfood Cica serum. It went on smoothly but, it was a bit tacky. It felt nice against my skin during the warmer days. I liked the Evolue super oil but, I am not sure if it did much. It had a bit of a greasy feeling on my fingertips.

I heard good things about Micellar water and thought I would get on the bandwagon. I am not impressed with the Hello Fab makeup melter. It took several applications to remove my eye makeup and I had to follow up with additional cleanser.  I had a similar experience with the Pacifica makeup wipes. I had to put additional makeup remover on each wipe to remove my eye makeup.

Here is everything I finished this month -

Evolue Super Oil

Skinceuticals Phyto+ Correct

Akar Skin Pure Lip Restoration

Native Deodorant

Neogen Dermalogy Real Vita C Serum

Elemis Superfood Cica Calm Hydration Juice

Macadamia Healing Oil Spray

Sabon Anti-Aging Smoothing Night Cream

Cargo Cosmetics Lip Gloss - Vienna

Merci Handy Hand Cream

Hello Fab Coconut Micellar Makeup Melter

Fekkai Glossing Cream

Purenskin Natural Effect Real Oatmeal Mask

Facetory Woah That H20 Hydrating Mask

SpaLife Tell Your Blackheads to Stop Being So Nosy Mask

Avette Daily Fresh Squeeze

Ojena Moisture Essential Vita Mask Water Hydrating

MediHeal Warming Eye Mask

Bonvivant Botanical Mask Pack Sodium Hyaluronate + Lotus

Pacifica Purify Facial Cleansing Wipe

Bonvivant Botanical Mask Pack Chamomile + Tea Tree

MediHeal N.M.F Intensive Hydrating Mask

Jayjun Cosmetics Rose Blossom Mask

Niveola E.G.C 3D Festival Mask Pack