A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

holidays

Turkey Is The Word

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Andrew’s been having fun choosing words that normally we wouldn’t have as options. Today Turkey is the Word and I used it to poke a bit of fun, and to so some thinking.  As a Canadian we had our “turkey day” a few weeks back.  Holidays can sometimes be a good time to pause and reflect on how we are living our lives, don’t you find?

image of a turkey roast, text: Turkey is the Word

Turkey is the Word

Turkey is the Word
and the food of the day
if you’re American and
rather stuck in your ways.

You could have had ham,
sushi, or roast beef,
but it had to be turkey
what’s the matter chief?

Did you rolls, or green
bean casserole, mashed potatoes,
and pickles? The plate of olives,
and maybe some tomatoes?

What’s part of your
American thanksgiving feast?
I bet you made enough to
feed several beasts!

As you prepared, brave
food explorer or not!
Did you offer thanks
for all that you have got?

My mom reminded me,
just the other day,
it’s harder to be thankful
when all of life feels gay.

It’s the harder times of
life that encourage thankful hearts,
remembering all that God has done
gives us faithfulness smarts!

Let the hard things of life
encourage our faith eh?
Turkey is the word for this
reminder needed today!

How to Catch a Mamasaurus

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product How to Catch A Mamasaurus through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

I don’t know if you remember the fun of How to Catch a Daddysaurus, but today I have another in the series: How to Catch a Mamasaurus.   Just as the first was a quick spin on the attributes of being a dad, this fun romp delights in the joy of being a mom!  Come along for a rhyming good time about the loveliness that is mom! 

how to catch a mamasaurus

The Basic Details for How to Catch A Mamasaurus

Title: How to Catch a Mamasaurus
Author: Alice Walstead
Illustrator: Andy Elkerton
Series: How to Catch
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Pages: 40
Intended Audience: 4-10 Years
Genre:  children’s books, picturebooks, mother’s day, activity book, children parenting
Available formats: Kindle, Hardcover, Audio
Received: Hardcover
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

About the Author and The Book

Author and Illustrator

Alice Walstead (author) and Andy Elkerton (illustrator) have put together several how to catch books.  Children’s book author, Alice Walstead, loves to make kids smile with her stories.
Andy Elkerton, who is based out of the UK, is a children’s book illustrator who loves to create creatures that are impossible to catch! 

How to Catch a Mamasaurus

Filled with brightly coloured illustrations and busy active children, all things mom are celebrated.  Who is mom to you?  It’ll be covered in this fast-paced children’s book.  

how to catch a mamasaurus

Looking More Closely

First thing you’ll discover an any “how to catch” books is the mission.  Today’s mission… catch a mamasaurus.  They’ve tried for many creatures but this one… it’s a special one!!!!  

Colourful images filled with action flood the pages.  

Rhyming text to tell the story and make for ease of reading. 

Most pages are full-colour.  I love the emotion throughout.  Smiles, alarm, dissatisfaction, glee, concern, and determination.  Tons of great adjectives are used bringing home the importance of mom and all the different roles she plays.  Words that could generate great conversations with the children you are reading with.  Questions like how is mom a doctor?  Can mom be a referee? Is Mommy really an alarm clock?  How can mama be a teacher? 

The pages are so full of action they provide lots of talking points?  What kind of trap would you lay to catch a mamasaurus?  What type of meal would you make?  Does your mom like PB and J sandwiches, or would she rather have cheese and crackers?  Do you have a pet?  What kind?  So many ways to engage a child in this fun read. 

Find How to Catch A Mamasaurus before mother’s day this year.  Have fun reading with your children, and maybe they might find their OWN ways to trap their mom! (or their mom-like figure)!!  

A Haunted Ghost Tour in Canada

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for A Haunted Ghost Tour in Canada through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

Oh, what a fun way to take a tour of Canada, just in time for Hallowe’en!   Travel far and wide, have some spooky (because well.. ghosts!) but not scary fun with little Ghost in A Haunted Ghost Tour in Canada.  Can you guess where a Little Ghost might pop up next?  Floating up over a boat, sliding between seats in a bus, or popping up at a concert?  Will he be in Winnipeg, Vancouver or St. John’s? 

a haunted ghost tour of Canada

The Basic Details for A Haunted Ghost Tour in Canada

Title: A Haunted Ghost Tour in Canada: A Funny, Not-So-Spooky Halloween Picture Book 
Author: Louise Martin 
Illustrator: Gabriele Tafuni 
Publisher: Hometown World
Pages: 40
Intended Audience: 3-7 years
Genre: Canada, picture book, halloween, children’s books,
Available formats: Hardcover
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

a haunted ghost tour of Canada

Author and Book Details

Living in England, Louise Martin has written and edited a wide range of books and magazines for children. She is joined in England by her food-motivated whippet and her family. 

About the book

Experience a fa-BOO-lous Halloween with Little Ghost on a tour of all the landmarks you know and love in Canada!     Little Ghost is going on a spooky Halloween tour around Canada, and you’re invited to ride along! Take a trip with the Ghost family as they travel from Ottawa to Vancouver and visit favorite landmarks such as CN Tower and Sambro Island Lighthouse. Along the way, Little Ghost loves tricking everyone . . . until Little Ghost hears the biggest BOO ever! Make this Halloween season spook-tacular with this cute, not-so-scary rhyming picture book that takes you on an adventure through your home.

Looking more closely

Rhyming lyrics lead us on a busy tour all throughout Canada.  This book is fun to read quietly OR aloud.  I find the font a bit small to read with a group of children gathered round.   

But the fun of the lyrics makes it great as you hunt down local landmarks.  The specifically created for Canada illustrations highlight such things as the parliament buildings, totems, and lighthouses. 

Can you find Little Ghost as he tries to scare everyone wherever their journeys take them?  Could he pop out of a bus?  Or perhaps slide around the local lighthouse?   Young readers will have fun find Little Ghost as he careens around Canada helping everyone had a fa-boo-lous Hallowe’en. 

The illustrations by Gabriele Tafuni just add more fun to the pot.  Colours that are bright and inviting, pages filled with lots of talking points for Hallowe’en activities.  You’ll see all sorts of activities that make the holiday season fun, and lots of fun with pumpkins! 

My Thoughts

I’m not a big one for celebrating Hallowe’en.   We have candy here if kids come about the house, but it’s not like we decorate or anything.  And I didn’t read Hallowe’en books with the lad when he was young, but I kinda like this one.  It’s fun looking for Little Ghost, and it’s not spooky scary.  And it takes children around the best country in the world!  🙂    If you aren’t adverse to Hallowe’en completely and want a fun way to look around Canada… pick up A Haunted Ghost Tour in Canada.  You and your children should have fun with the lyrics, have lots of talking points in the pictures, and maybe even learn a thing or two. 

Love is for Roaring

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Love is for Roaring) through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

Want a cute picture book that speaks to the power of good friends in your life?  Check out Love is for Roaring! Because you know what?  Not everyone expresses love in exactly the same way!  Sometimes we need some help to figure out how each person (or even yourself) expresses love.  

Love is for roaring

The Basic Facts

Bloomsbury Children’s books together with Raincoast books sent me this wonderful picture book entitled Love is for Roaring.  This hardcover book with dustcover is written with children 4-8 years old in mind. At 32 pages it’s a bit shorter than some of the picture books I’ve reviewed lately. 

Written by Mike Kerr and illustrated by Renata Liwska.  These Canadian people also put together Crafty Llama which looks like one I’d like to read as well!  🙂  Renata is an award-winning illustrator of many books. Mike is an instructor of illustration at the Alberta University of the Arts.

Learning more about Love is For Roaring

Imagine a scenario where, when you think of love you just think of foofy things.  Flowers, rainbows, chocolate, or hearts.  Imagine you are asked to complete a project that focuses on love.  You are supposed to show your love.  This is an impossible task!  However will you complete it???   

This is where the beauty of friendships (and this book) come into play.

But you have a brave friend.  A friend willing to risk your wrath by asking questions.  I LOVE just love how Lion’s friend mouse chose to ask questions instead of making assumptions.  These are questions based on how mouse understands his friend.  But they lead to Lion better understanding himself and what LOVE means to him.    Such an excellent win!

The illustrations fit the mood and story perfectly.  You see all the emotions from disgust and anger to laughter and fun.  (and yes, here I’m claiming that fun is an emotion!).  🙂  

The use of colour and memory is just spot on.  A truly lovely little picture book. 

Should you get it?

Oh yes!  Have fun with your littles and learn how people can be so different in how they express love.  And even better yet, how we can all be the same.   

Love is for Roaring is by no means a complicated picture book, but it is a fun one that I think children and their caregivers will like equally well.  

This would be a fun book to use for teaching the letter R or working with a valentine’s day unit study, or just for reading with your children. 

My Christmas Wish For You

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (My Christmas Wish For You) through Raincoast Books.  Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so.

My third Christmas book for you this year is My Christmas Wish For You. Obviously, sharing christmas books during the Christmas season is a no-brainer and it’s great to give you options!  You’ll find this is a smaller sized picture book filled with all things Christmas and a message of good cheer.   My delight is to share this one with you.  Starting with the glittery Christmas tree cover to the multicoloured doodles within, this a cheery book to share with littles. 

My Christmas Wish for you

My Christmas Wish For You

Bright images and colourful doodles fill the pages of My Christmas Wish for you by Lisa Swerling and Ralph Bazar.   Raincoast books sent me a copy for my review.  It’s a small picture book (about 8 in x 6 in) for reading with a child, or having an older child read to a sibling. The wonderfully glittery cover with a starlit Christmas Tree, undoubtely, my picture does not do it justice.

My Christmas Wish for you

Published by Chronicle Kids, your children will delight in 60 pages of good cheer and rhyming lyrics.   It should be noted that most sentences flowed off the tongue easily.  I did find some did not!

Don’t you just love those whimsical drawings?  The fun of snowmen and sledding.  Reading this with a child would bring out the stories of the snowmen (or snowdogs) I built as a child, and the fun of sledding with friends.  Oh the fun I had with my siblings!  Building snow dogs, games of fox and goose, snow forts, caroling, star gazing are just a few ideas, for instance.  The variety of Christmas activities offered provide ample opportunity to share one’s history.  

Although there is much to applaud in this small picture book.  I failed to see included was any message of faith. Activities of all sorts were included, but participating in a religious service, or performing deeds of cheer and mercy were missing. 

Should you get it?

Wanting a fun book to share some Christmas cheer with a child three to five years old?  My Christmas Wish for you will definitely fit the bill.   Lots of talking points, great illustrations, and the good cheer offered makes it a winner.   Not only do you find Christmas Cheer throughout the pages of this book, but the authors cleverly extended that message throughout the year.. 

In conclusion, if you are searching for other Christmas books for your children, you might want to consider these ones as well.  Having seasonal books to read with children provides lots of opportunities to share your heritage with the next generation.  One story lends itself to the telling of others, don’t you find? 

All I Want for Christmas is Ewe

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (All I Want For Christmas is Ewe) through Raincoast Books.  Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so.

What do fox, sheep, bears and cats have in common?  They all have Christmas greetings for you!  Sometimes clever, sometimes silly, but always suitable for little ones.  I thought it was adorable…and a bit little clever… and laughingly read it to a friend of mine. 

All I want for Christmas is Ewe

The Fun of a good Christmas book

Based on the ARC I received from Raincoast books I never would have thought this was a board book!  I can totally understand it though when I read the lyrics.  They are short, sweet and rhyming.  The words fit well with the thinking ability of toddlers.  What do wolves do?  Howl.

So when we meet the wolves the verse we read is “Howl be home for Christmas, this you know is true, To hooold you close, I just adore you!”  Isn’t that a clever way of using a well known song and fitting to the right animal?  

You’ll find that cleverness to hold true for each animal on the 20 pages of this toddler focused book.  Each page hosting a rhyming couplet.  All I want for Christmas is Ewe is a very easy book to read, the words rolling off the tongue smoothly. 

Published by sourcebook kids, and written by Rose Rossner.  Illustrator Gail Yerrill does a fantastic job of bringing each set of parent/child animals to life.  Vivid, realistic colours help teach young children what each of these animals looks like.  The Christmas highlights on the prose page just add to the fun. 

Should All I want for Christmas is Ewe be yours?

If you know a toddler, or have a toddler, particularly one that likes animals… get this short read.  Have fun with it!  Laugh about the animals with their Christmas greetings.  Marvel at the love shown.  Enjoy the Christmas illustrations and simply…love on that little one.  Enjoy spending time with them.  This book is a fun, silly read… perfect for reading with a young one in your lap! 🙂 

Find other Christmas reads here. Having good books to read at Christmas is just one of the joys of the season!

Now as I’m thinking about it as I sit here I think… it might be fun to have older children see if they can figure out some of the clever twists in the lyrics. Can they figure out if the line came from a Christmas song, or how a line was changed from a popular Christmas greeting?  Might be a fun Christmasy challenge eh? 

Prepare Him Room

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Prepare Him Room) through Nuts about Books.  Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so.

Travel through the birth, life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ during this advent season.  Susie Larson walks us through the book of Luke in her daily advent devotional entitled Prepare Him Room.  Multi-page devotions that help you think more deeply on each chapter in Luke.  Prayer and encouragement to look more to God a daily encouragement indeed. 🙂 

Prepare Him Room

Prepare Him Room is an daily advent devotional written by Susie Larson who takes us on a meditative journey through the book of Luke.  Within the pages you’ll not find short, pithy devotions. Instead you’ll find meaty articles to help you think more deeply on the birth, life and death of Christ.  Included in the readings is an encouragement to fast, to use that fasting as a time to reconnect with God.  Bethany House published this 192 page, 24-day devotional.  My review for this well made, beautiful book is for Nuts about Books. 

Digging Deeper into Prepare Him Room

There is so much to like in this devotional.  From the beauty of the cover, to how it feels in the hands, and to the lovely bookmark ribbon included.   You’ll find the font clean, the use of white space helpful, 

It’s fantastic that not only do we study our way through the book of Luke, but the Ms. Larson also includes other scriptures for the readers consideration.  Scriptures are normally taken from The New Living Translation, but The Voice, the Amplified bible, the NASB, and the NIV are also quoted. 

Most scripture is quoted fully, with the context being used as well.  Is there some cherry-picking of verses?  Yes, but that’s pretty normal in most any bible study.  I love that often context is used as well.

Occasionally text is pulled out and highlighted so one can pay special attention to it. 

You’ll also frequently find quotes included.  Some from people I recognized (like CS Lewis) and others from people I haven’t the foggiest who they are!  🙂 

Each study ends with a prayer and an encouragment to fast.  These aren’t your normal fasting options but include such things as fasting from doubt, cynicism,  worry, obligations, busyness and the like. Always, the encouragement is to give up these harmful elements and to see God more clearly.  LOOK UP!  See God, not your anger, resentment, fear etc. 

Should Prepare Him Room be on your shelves?

I’m a hard one on devotionals eh? I always expect too much from them.  But this one?  I pretty much like!   Shocking eh?  I HAVE NOT read it all the way through.  That would take 24 days and that would bring us well into Advent and really close to Christmas!  Not really in time for you to see it and decide to use it as an Advent Devotional.  

BUT I do think it would be good any time of the year.  Seriously.  This is not just an advent/Christmas devotional even if Christmas thoughts creep into many of the messages.  It’s a lets spend some time seeing Christ, through the book of Luke, devotional.  I love that the readings aren’t short, pithy things.  Instead they are 3-4 pages of thought and encouragement to see Christ more clearly, to see GOD at work!

Now, just as with all devotionals you will occasionally run into things that are assumed by the author.  For instance, the author assumes that Christ was born in a cave.  The bible doesn’t tell us that.  Some ancedotal evidence encourages that idea from history, but we don’t know for sure.  Making assumptions can change how we read the bible and interpret it’s messages.  So pay attention, just as you always have to do when reading anyone’s work. 

Prepare Him Room, a devotional that encourages us to do just that.  Prepare Christ room. Fast from the ills of this world.  Look up and see God at work, Christ living his life, dying for us.  This is a good thing to take the time to do. A good devotional, like this one, just helps us do it more easily.