Children's Books Review Round-Up!!!!

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Paddington Bear had traveled all the way from Peru when the Brown family first met him in Paddington Station. Since then their lives have never been quite the same.... For ordinary things become quite extraordinary when a bear called Paddington is around.

This sumptuous treasury celebrates Paddington's enduring popularity by bringing together six of his most popular stories:

PaddingtonPaddington at the PalacePaddington at the ZooPaddington in the GardenPaddington and the Marmalade MazePaddington the Artist

My Review:

Brilliant, classic and something to be cherished!  Paddington is what childhoods are built around, reading this treasury was like stepping back into the days of youth.  Watching my children's eye expand and interest peeked when reading this aloud to them was such a gift.  This is a book that needs to be in every child's library and one that would make a perfect baby gift!  5 stars!

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Snakeopedia tells the whole story of these amazing creatures. From the enormous Green Anaconda to the tiny Zootaxa, the book includes hundreds of snakes and all 12 families. You an learn about identifying features, habitats, their dangerous venom, how they can swallow such large prey, and unusual snake behaviours. Along the way, colourful callouts offer tons of cool facts. You can meet pythons that can survive as long as a year between meals, spitting cobras that can squirt venom eight feet away, and even flying snakes, which can sail from branch to branch to catch lizards! From vipers to rattlesnakes, boas to cobras, Discovery Channel Snakeopedia is the ultimate encyclopaedia for snake fans of all ages.

My Review:

Slithery, sneaky and quite frankly fascinating Snakeopedia is a informative, interesting book a all things snakes.  What I loved about this book is the colorful pictures, the easy to read facts and the wide variety of snakes covered.  My boys loved looking at the pictures and reading all the facts.  I will never look at snakes the same way again!  This was a great book to have over the summer on long car rides.  It keeps interest and there is so much to look at and learn time just flies when you are reading it!  4.5 stars!

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Sports Illustrated Kids!!!!

How often do golfers make a hole in one? What are the chances you'll catch a foul ball at a baseball game? How often do Number 1 draft picks become Super Bowl winners? 

This book is the perfect combination of little-known stats, amazing plays, and fun facts. Not only will we address all the burning questions that curious sports fans want to know, this book will highlight some incredible moments and underscore exactly how special those highlight-reel plays are.

My Review:

I just have to say that Sports Illustrated Kids has some of the best books out there for lovers of the game, no matter which game it is that you love.  What Are The Chances?  The Wildest Plays in Sports is jam packed with some of the most amazing plays in history from rare, to really rare, to super rare to nearly impossible to never happened!!!!  Any sports fan is going to eat this book up.  My kids could not get enough of all plays.  They were blown away by the fact and figures and the great and colorful pictures added so much to the reading experience!!!!  5 stars

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See how all aspects of football have evolved in this highly visual book filled with history and trivia about the game. You'll see a football transform before your eyes from a melon-like ball crudely stitched together to the aerodynamic pigskin it is today; or watch as a quarterback evolves from a scrawny helmetless player of the 1930s to a hulking play caller of the modern era. 

From rules to equipment to the all-time greats, this book is a journey through the game spanning the years

My Review:

Are you ready for some football??????  Yes, it is that time of year again and I am so pumped up, as are my kids.  Football:  Then to WOW!  is a great book to introduce a child to the game of football.  This book covers it all from the basics, to the players, to the strategy to the fan experience and so much more!!  It takes you on a time line of how the game has evolved over the years!  It is such a perfect book for the coffee table in your sports room or the gathering place of sports fans.  I really loved seeing all the Super Bowl tickets from 1967  to 2014.  You will be amazed in the how much money one ticket was back in the day compared to now!!! I just think this book is AMAZING!!  5 stars! 

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Join Tako on an adventure as he makes a brave choice and proves that heroes come in all shapes and sizes 
When little Ricky Lee finds a puppy on the side of the road, he takes him home and names him Tako. Ricky's parents say that they will allow Tako to stay only if he is a good dog and follows the rules--or it's off to the pound he goes! 
Tako wants more than anything to be a good dog and stay with Ricky, but when greedy Mr. Prichard hatches a plan to put the Lee family's bakery out of business, Tako has to break the rules to protect his new family. Will he be able to spoil Mr. Prichard's plan and be a hero, or will he end up in the pound?

My Review:

A heart warming story about a sad and lonely dog that eventually finds himself a family and becomes a hero.  The illustrations are beautiful and the story original.  As a mother and a teacher, I just loved this book.  There is a lesson of love, compassion and caring wrapped up in the the story that any child or parent would appreciate!!!  5 stars!

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There is a storm brewing on the Flying Dragon, and it's not about the weather. When the crew finds themselves parched and not enough juice to go around, blame falls on Matie the goat, Hallie's friend. Divided, they square off, ready for a fight and Captain No Beard must teach his crew that not only is bullying wrong, they must learn to value and respect each and every member of the crew. Watch the crew of the Flying Dragon learn an important lesson about being a true friend.

My Review:

4.5 stars SERIES REVIEW: An awesome adventure books that my kids and I have read over and over again! Great stories, amazing pictures and a great cast of characters! The books are more than just books...they are hours of fun. After we read one of the books I created a treasure hunt for the kids, with a map and real treasure! Such fun when books becomes more than just books and become bonding moments and amazing memories! 4.5 stars

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Join Whaley on his big adventure in the ocean as he meets Whales of all different sizes. Written by 5 year old Alexander Luke and presented by his grandmother, award-winning children's author Carole P. Roman, this oceanic adventure of whale sized proportions will teach youngsters about the different whales that live in the oceans.

My Review:

Charming and adorable, this story was written in story form, but is filled with amazing facts about whales.  An adventure in friendship and facts Whaley's Big Adventure is one worth checking out!  4 stars

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