Coffee Break: Happy Holidays 2016!

Happy holidays and welcome back! I’m wrapping up 2016 and the monthly author spotlight “Coffee Break With…” by inviting authors who had a spotlight earlier this year to return for a little holiday cheer and share what’s on the horizon for 2017. I’m delighted to welcome back Margaret Locke, whose third book A Scandalous Matter, hit the…

Book Review: Snowmen at Night (Buehner)

Snowmen at Night Author: Caralyn Buehner © 2002 Illustrator: Mark Buehner © 2002 Publisher: Dial Books Genre: Children’s Books Subgenre: Winter Sports, Nature, Beginning Readers Reviewer: Sara Book received by: Gift from family     Synopsis: The often pondered questions of “what do snowmen do at night?” and “why don’t they look quite the same the…

Coffee Break with Josh Funk

  Good morning and happy Wednesday! I’m delighted to introduce my Coffee Break guest today, children’s author Josh Funk. In addition to Pirasaurs!, which was reviewed by The Mom Who Runs this past weekend, he authored Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast and Dear Dragon. Two additional books are due out in 2017, The Case of the Stinky Stench (a Lady Pancake and…

Book Review: Pirasaurs! (Funk)

Pirasaurs! Author: Josh Funk © 2016 Illustrator: Michael H. Slack Publisher: Orchard Books Genre: Children’s Books Subgenre: Dinosaurs, Family Life – New Experiences, Action & Adventure Reviewer: Sara Book received by: Purchased at writer’s conference     Synopsis: The Pirasaurs are a pirate crew of dinosaurs in search of treasure and up for a little…

In the Mom Lane: Dream A Little Dream

No, this is not a post about the dreams I have for my children. Nor for my life in the years to come. This is about the literal dreams. Keep reading. It’s funny, I promise. When Big Dude was a toddler, we were gifted a Richard Scarry book: Cars and Trucks and Things That Go!…

Book Review: Ten Timid Ghosts (O’Connell)

Ten Timid Ghosts Author/Illustrator: Jennifer O’Connell © 2000 Publisher: Scholastic, Inc. Genre: Children’s Lit Subgenre: Halloween, Spine-Chilling Horror, Beginning Readers Reviewer: Sara Book received from: Purchased at book fair     Synopsis (Amazon blurb): “It’s Halloween, and ten timid ghosts in a haunted house have a problem: A mean witch is preparing to move in…

Book Review: Little Blue Truck (Schertle)

Little Blue Truck Author: Alice Schertle  (text © 2008) Illustrator: Jill McElmurry (illustration © 2008) Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers Genre: Children’s Books Subgenre: Early Learning – Basic Concepts, Sounds; Farm Animals; Cars & Trucks Reviewer: Sara Book received by: Gift Synopsis: Travel the country roads with Little Blue. Meet his friends while he bumps…