Summer Reading - Yellow Dog Blues

Today I am happy to share with you another book from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers - Yellow Dog Blues by Alice Faye Duncan and illustrated by Chris Raschka. Of all the books I've reviewed this summer, this one has my favorite illustrations! I love these colorful, detailed, and unique illustrations and recommend Yellow Dog Blues, as the illustrations are enough of a reason to get it!

Today is World Chocolate Day! Celebrate with the Best-Ever Chocolate Cake!

Today is World Chocolate Day, so in honor of this most important day, I'm re-running my recipe for the best-ever Chocolate cake! Don't you just love chocolate cake?!!! Aren't there days when chocolate cake is the best thing you could possibly eat? Well, I do love chocolate cake and there are days when chocolate cake most certainly does put a smile on my face - although since I've been working the past four years to lose weight (and have lost 100lbs), I rarely eat it, but I do fix it for others.

So, when I found the recipe I'm sharing with you today and tried it . . . well, I knew I had to share it with you because it is the best chocolate cake I've ever had! (I found the recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book) What could be a better way to celebrate World Chocolate Day, than with the Best-Ever Chocolate Cake???!!! :-) Or, if you have a special event coming up where a chocolate cake would be the perfect addition . . . or, if you would just like to brighten your family's - and your own - day, bake up this best-ever chocolate cake! But first, some chocolate fun facts . . . did you know -

Summer Reading - The Little Ginormous, Humungous, Hairy, One-Eyed Monsters' Adventures!

Today I want to let you know about another fantastic book for summer reading with the children you love - "The Little Ginormous,  Humungous, Hairy, One-Eyed Monsters' Adventures! and I am happy to share with you a peek into the first story in the book - There are Teeny, Tiny, Itty, Bitty, Not-so-Hairy, Two-eyed People Children Under My Bed!

Several years ago on a sleep-over at my house my sweet, and rascally oldest grandson decided to scare his younger brothers at bedtime by telling them there were monsters under their bed. I told them there could not be monsters under their beds because the monsters were at their poppa's and grandma's house getting ready for bed on their sleepover! We then made up a story about the little Ginormous, Humungous, Hairy, One-Eyed Monster boys who thought they saw teeny, tiny, itty, bitty, not-so-hairy, two-eyed people children under their bed at bedtime and how their poppa and grandma monster told them these people children were very much like little monster boys! I thought I'd share a couple pages from this story with you today . . . 

Summer Reading - Harriet's Reflections

For several weeks I have had the delight to share with you some wonderful books which you could get the children you love to encourage Summer Reading. As I've written, when you surround children with books from their youngest ages and invest time in reading to and with them, they learn to talk sooner, develop a larger vocabulary, begin to read on their own sooner, and do better in school. Reading is essential, so today I'm very happy to share with you another wonderful book - this time from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers - Harriet's Reflections by Marion Kadi.

Summer Reading - The Island Before NO

We all know one of the first words a child learns to say is "No", so a book about an island of walruses where they all say, "Yes", until children arrive who say, "No", is a story children will enjoy! Today I'm happy to share with you another book from Penguin/Random House Canada/Tundra Press - The Island Before No by Christina Uss and illustrated by Hudson Christie.

Summer Reading - Roy is Not a Dog

Among the books I received from Penguin/Random House Canada/Tundra Books was one which creatively introduces young children to "mystery books" - Roy is Not a Dog, by Esmé Shapiro and Daniel Newell Kaufman. Get ready for some fun with this story - do not be surprised if the children you love want you to read this one to them again and again - or choose it to read on their own again and again!

Summer Reading - What Does Little Crocodile Say At The Birthday Party?

I have another book from Penguin/Random House Canada/Tundra Books to share with you today - What Does Little Crocodile Say At The Birthday Party?, by Eva Montanari and today I am happy to let you know about it.

Summer Reading - My Grammie's House

For the past few days I've been sharing with you books from Penguin/Random House Canada/Tundra Books and today I have a sweet book to add to the list of books to check out for Summer Reading with the children you love - My Grammie's House by Lana Button and illustrated by Skye Ali.

Summer Reading - Professor Goose Debunks The Three Little Pigs

While we are all likely familiar with Mother Goose's fairy tales, shockingly, they are not based in science! Well, Mother Goose's great-niece, Professor Goose, is ready to set the familiar stories straight as she fact-checks The Three Little Pigs. Yes, this is a fun story and also an educational read with all the actual "fact-checks" and science, so get ready to enjoy Professor Goose Debunks The Three Little Pigs, by Paulette Bourgeois and illustrated by Alex G. Griffiths as the children you love will love it - and so will you!

Summer Reading - Narwhal's Sweet Tooth

As I wrote yesterday, Penguin/Random House Canada/Tundra sent me books for my Summer Reading Reviews. Today I'm happy to let you know about Narwhal's Sweet Tooth, by Ben Clanton. When my grandsons were young, the loved the books in the Narwhal and Jelly series, so when I saw this one, I knew I wanted to include it in my Summer Reading Reviews.

Summer Reading - Fluffle Bunnies - Buns Gone Bad

Yesterday I received a package of wonderful books from Penguin/ Random House Canada/Tundra and so for the coming week I will share about one book with you each day. As I have been saying, one of the best and most important things we are able to do for the children we love is to surround them with books from their youngest ages, read to and with them, because when we do they will begin talking sooner, they will have a larger vocabulary, will begin reading sooner, and will do better in school. Plus, all this reading and spending time together will help build strong relationships with you and the children you love.

So, this Summer be certain to surround the children you love with books - such as Fluffle Bunnies - Buns Gone Bad by Anna Humphrey and Irma Kniivila.

Make Time for What Really Matters

Yesterday I was thinking about when my grandsons were younger, they spent a lot of time at my house - sleepovers and when their parents were working. Now they are older, so while they still come over nearly every weekend for a sleepover (I am SO blessed!), they do not typically come over in the summer. However, the past couple weeks, on one of the days when both of their parents are working, my youngest grandson - nearly 11 - has wanted to spend the day at my house! Did I mention I am SO blessed!

Pure Joy . . . & Raspberries!

Since yesterday I wrote about the National Day of Joy, today I'm happy to share with you about a time when there was much joy at this grandma's house. Years ago, decades ago, when we moved into the house we live in, my sister (who lived down the street and around the corner at the time) gave me several raspberry bushes to plant in our new backyard. Through the years these bushes produced many, many berries which were enjoyed by my children . . . and then my grandchildren.

Today is the National Day of Joy!

Yes, while it is a wonderful thing for us to experience joy each and every day, apparently today, June 26th, is the National Day of Joy with a focus upon helping us, "enjoy everyday moments to improve our general well-being." So, what is joy?