Review: (The) Clown of God by Tomie DePaola #AtoZBlogChallenge #C

Summary:
In this retelling of the old French legend, a juggler offers to the Christ Child the only Christmas gift he has.

My review:
This beautifully illustrated story is what Tomie dePaola does best. I admit I am a huge fan of this author for his writing styles and his incredible illustrations.

This supposedly known legend, tells the story of Giovanni from his poor childhood through his death. That may seem odd for a children's book but the life the character leads is nothing but happiness and his pursuit to make people happy.

I wondered throughout the book why Giovanni was considered a clown for God. This was not really revealed until the very end which was so beautiful, I almost teared up.  Even in the middle where he meets some priest, is this not revealed but it does lend a hint to and underlying pursuit.

This was also a nod to Tomie DePaola's own life when he briefly entered a seminary. Surprise!
The story also reminded me of the story of "Little Drummer Boy" and could be very closely related.

This is one winner of a book and a must have. Highly recommended with 5 stars!

Disclosure: I obtained a copy of this book from my local library. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~M.M.

Review: Bad River Boys:A Meeting of the Lakota Sioux with Lewis and Clark byVirginia Driving Hawk Sneve #B #AtoZBlogChallenge #Multicultural

Summary:
Much has been written about the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark expedition, but few authors have considered the effect it had on the Native Americans already inhabiting the "uncharted" territory it explored. Basing her story on actual events noted by William Clark, Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve tells a fictional account of the encounter from the point of view of three young Lakota boys. Her story explores the wariness and misunderstanding each side experienced and the trouble that ensued.

My review:
As stated in the summary, Bad River Boys is a fictionalized account of a real story. The major problem highlighted within the book was the lack of good translators. Lewis and Clark were only mentioned by name one time and shown to be rude and almost cruel in their treatment of the Sioux. They seemed unprepared to have come across this nation, although, historically, the nation were well known up and down the river for trade.

It was also noted that their only translator was a slave. This was not surprising to me but did highlight the fact that slave trade was common and used by Lewis and Clark. They are not made to be the heroes they are often portrayed in history. This would maybe anger an adult reader to this children's book. This reviewer finds it to be more accurate.

The book had a brief history of the visit as noted in journals by Lewis himself. The author is also quick to note that Lewis and Clark purposely went out of their way to not encounter this tribe again. It was also noted that due to their encounter, bloodshed almost happened because of the misunderstandings and lack of interpreters.  A short glossary is also found in the back to help with definitions from the Lakota Sioux, which I found helpful.

The illustrations were all in muted brown and yellows. Very little other color was added. This was not only intentional but purposeful as well. 

Overall, I liked this book and think it could find its place. However, I think since it is mostly fictionalized book, it might get lost among other books of the Lewis and Clark expeditions. I do applaud the author for trying to portray a much more accurate account of them and certainly for highlighting her own nation at the same time with honesty and forthrightness.
3 stars.


Disclosure: I obtained this book from my local library. All views are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~M.M. Hudson, #AtoZBlogChallenge

Review: Aboard A Paper Plane by Joseph and Allison Kelly #A #A-ZBlogChalleng

Summary:
Husband-and-wife duo Joseph & Allison Kelly present Aboard a Paper Plane – a quirky, whip-smart collection of forty-eight illustrated poems. At once whimsical, incisive, and laugh-out-loud funny, these poems are sure to spark the imagination of the child in all of us!

My review:
This sweet little gem of a book is so quirky that I never knew what the authors were going to write about with just a turn of the page. You might find the slickest igloo salesman on the planet, a giant bear talking with a tiny ant, interesting dead people's epitaphs, or you just might be riding on a paper airplane.

Some poems are just a few lines while others are a few paragraphs. All of them made me go "hmm", while others caused me to laugh out loud. The poems do not always rhyme and that is a-okay! I loved this book of poetry and I think you will too.
4 stars.

A-Z Blogging Starts...NOW!

Hello everybody! I hope you will be joining me for A-Z Blogging Challenge which officially begins April 1st. Just a reminder to people who I hope are reading this, please comment. I love comments as I am sure you do too.

I will come by your blog and say hello and you could possibly even have return trips from me if you get on the list over there to the right------------------->

In case you are new here, I am blogging children's book reviews all month long.
Just a shout out to authors: If you would like for me to review your book, I prefer a physical copy of your book and will review on Amazon and Goodreads. My blog gets cross posted in numerous social media too.  email me at nailamoon1968 at gmail dot com

I look forward to this fun yearly event. Whoo hoo...

And, I, Am, Off!

~M.M.

PS>To follow others on Twitter go to #AtoZChallenge

A-Z Blog Challenge Theme Reveal 2017 #atozchallenge

Hello, all. It is approaching April again and that means it is time to do the annual A-Z Blog Challenge that I participate in every year. This year I thought I would change it up and do something different but alas, my mind says, "nope!"

So, what am I going to do? Well, that is the whole purpose of the theme reveal. Of course, me, being me, is a bit behind as we were supposed to reveal on Monday and here it is Thursday. Okay, okay, I plain forgot that we do this and barely am remembering that it is almost April.

So, get on with it...right?

Here it is...my big reveal...drum roll, please

...I said, DRUM ROLL!   bah, dah, dah, dah....bing...

I am doing a children's book review every day beginning with the letter of the day. 

1. I reserve the right to leave off the words: the, a, and an
However, I also reserve the right to keep them if it fits the letter of the day. HA!
2. The review will likely not be as extensive as I usually would write for a book. This means I may or may not add the author or his/her links to a buy now page. The only exception to that will be if it is a book tour that I am part of.
3. There may or may not be giveaways attached to a book, again depending on if I am with a tour.
4. Some of the books that I will be reviewing will come from my own TBR pile and others will come from the library. All will get an Amazon review.
5. If you comment with a link, I will come visit your page and reciprocate. I appreciate you commenting and reading as I am sure you do too.
6. If you would like to be added to my sidebar linky for this challenge, let me know in a comment only with your link and I will add. I will not add however any kind of adult theme related links. This is to my discretion after I visit your blog.

HAPPY BLOGGING! Until then, keep visiting my page for new reviews, spotlights, and giveaways!
~M.M.

#Review & #Giveaway: How To Find Your Dream Dog by Dixie Tenny #nonfiction

Summary:
How To Find Your Dream Dog is here to fix the disconnect of dog ownership. It walks you step-by-step through the process of choosing the right type of dog for you—not only exploring the canine qualities that can determine your perfect puppy, adolescent, or adult dog but also assessing your lifestyle to make sure you’re a good match for the dog too. The book also looks at good (and bad) sources for finding healthy and sound pet dogs, gives guidelines for evaluating individual puppies, and warns of some red flags to watch out for during your dog search. With this guidebook in hand, you can be confident that the next puppy or dog you bring home will be the right companion and friend for you for the rest of its days.

My review:
I have been wanting a dog for awhile now. I do realize that there are all sorts of sizes of dogs and breeds but other than that, not much more do I know. Reading this book, opened my eyes to many things a potential dog owner should think about. 

The author wrote a comprehensive book in just a few pages, less than 150 to be exact. She includes everything from breed types, to temperament, to care, and owner lifestyle. She is quick to point out that a new puppy is like having a new baby in the house, it takes time and patience to train to be with you and your household. The author is quick to tell the reader that this puppy is meant to be with you for the rest of its life. This is the sole purpose of the book so that the owner picks the right dog for him/her and does not have to return the dog to a shelter.

The author's years of training dogs are exemplified throughout the entire book and is a good guide to picking just the right dog. For this purpose, it is worth buying the book.

The only negative that I do have is that the book is meant to be just a guide. For reading other than that, it serves no other purpose. Also, the book could have been shortened even further into a novelettish or pamphlet size if the pages had been written in 12 point font and not larger font. The larger font to extend the book was unnecessary. 

3 stars.

Buy the Book:  Amazon  

Where to find the author:

​Dixie Tenny is a Certified Training Partner with the Karen Pryor Academy of Animal Training and Behavior. During her 30+ years spent working with people and their pets, she has seen again and again how mismatches between dog and its owner can create “behavior problems” that never would have happened if the right dog had been matched to the right owner in the first place. She wrote this book to help puppy buyers and dog adopters start out on the best possible foot with their new pet dogs, and stay on that path for years to come.
Website  ~  Facebook

Disclosure: The views contained here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. This review is also part of the iRead Book Tours.
~M.M. Hudson aka Naila Moon

Giveaway: Win one of 5 Dream Dog prize packages! Each package includes a copy of How to Find Your Dream Dog, a $15 Amazon Gift Card and an Outward Hound Slow Feeder Dog Bowl)

Open to USA & Canada. M.M. Hudson is not responsible for prize shipment. This giveaway is not associated with any social media outlet.

Ends April 8, 2017

a Rafflecopter giveaway

KID LIT BLOG HOP-March 2017 #KLBH #KidLitBlogHop

HAPPY SPRING! We welcome you to the March 2017 Kid Lit Blog Hop. Apologies for missing last month's blog hop but life sometimes gets in the way. This hop takes place every 3rd Wednesday of the month. It is designed to engage a  group of people who love everything that has to do with children's literature. Everyone is welcome to join us: bloggers, authors, publicist, and publishers!

This month I want to point you toward a review I did for the Multicultural Kid's Book Day that I did in January. This children's version of the story of Malala is excellent. Check it out! REVIEW HERE

Have you seen the  Kid Lit Blog Hopper Facebook fan page? This page has all the news and information related to the hop plus ongoing posts, giveaways, news articles, etc. related to Kid's Lit. Check it out and of course, please like the page.

So for our hop, please make sure that your posts are related to Children’s literature only and add it to the linky. (Please make sure to add your direct post only) If you are an author, feel free just to link to your blog. Once you are done, then hop around to visit others. Please follow the co-host and visit at least the one or two people above your link. Please leave a comment when you do visit, we all like those.

Also, it would be appreciated if you grab the Kid Lit Blog Hop Badge and display it on your blog and/or your post. Note: Make sure you have the newest badge as the old one goes to the wrong page.

We would also be grateful if you tweet and/or posted on Facebook about the blog hop. Let’s grow this wonderful community.

Thanks for sharing your great children's books with all of us! The hostess will be around to see you.

Happy Hopping!

Reading Authors, Hostess

The Bookshelf Gargoyle, co-host

BeachBoundBooks, co-hostess

Pragmatic Mom, co-hostess

The Logonauts, co-hostess

Spark and Pook, co-hostess

Carpinello's Writing Page, co-hostess