Blog Tour: Claude at the Circus

Hi guys, welcome to another Peachtree blog tour! Today I'm happy to share a review for Claude at the Circus, the second installment of the super cute adventures of a very spunky dog. Emily's done another great job lining up an exciting tour, so make sure you check it all out after catching my review!

Claude at the Circus
Alex T Smith
Peachtree, 2013

Remember meeting the adorably entertaining Claude and his best friend Sir Bobblysock? Well, they're back! And do they ever return with style -- Claude is nothing if not spiffy, and Sir Bobblysock is so very posh and refined. For a sock, of course. (But how can you not love Claude's beret?) Our dazzling dog-and-sock duo's latest adventure takes place on a lovely Saturday when Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes take a daytrip. Leaving Claude to his own devices. Uh-oh ...

Deciding it's a perfect day for exploring, Claude and Sir Bobblysock wander into the Park, and discover all kinds of wonderful people and places. They even help save the day when a mommy out for a jog loses her baby carriage! The best is yet to come however, when Amazing Alan (of Alan's Amazing Circus) gives them ringside seats for his show. After arriving early, and doing a little spring cleaning, Claude and Sir Bobblysock settle in for a good show. But ... it's not. It's a horrible show, and Amazing Alan quickly sends the pair into the ring, to rescue his circus.

An incredibly fun book for both early chapter book readers and adults, the text is easy to read and the illustrations - simply done in grayscale and red - are hilarious. The chapter length make it feel like a real adventure, building excitement and spotlighting Claude's antics throughout the day. Claude is definitely becoming a favorite, and I look forward to his further adventures.

Galley provided by publisher for review.

Blog Tour: Claude in the City

Whew, it's been a whirlwind spring! And today is, once more, a Peachtree blog tour! These are so fun, and Emily has been one busy lady organizing all the goodness. After checking out my review of Claude in the City, swing by the schedule and see what others have to offer.

Claude in the City
Alex T Smith
Peachtree, 2013

Okay. I'm smitten with Claude, and so very glad Peachtree picked up this adorable early reader series (it came out in the UK several years ago). Claude is, as you may have guessed, a small dog (rather plump), who wears a dashing beret. His best friend is Sir Bobblysock (yes, he really is a bobbly sock), and together they have some wonderful times. Like when they decide to venture into the City.

Claude in the City is actually two stories about two eventful days (presented as "chapters" for that grown-up early-reading feel) in the City. In the first, Claude and Sir Bobblysock take a casual meander through the City, having a fun mix of first time adventures. And then, when you least expect it, they save the day! The next City venture is less fun, but no less heroic: Sir Bobblysock is strangely ill, so Claude takes him to the hospital. There, while doctors are taking care of Sir Bobblysock, Claude takes care of the waiting patients in the emergency room. With dazzling results, of course.

Simple illustrations, but so expressive. I love looking at the facial expressions on the people in the City, as Claude and Sir Bobblysock go about their adventures, blissfully unaware. Claude is such a fun character, I look forward to his future adventures.

Book provided by publisher for review.

Blog Tour: Hey Canada!

Today I'm taking a scenic detour from regularly scheduled programming to be a stop on Tundra Books' Hey Canada! blog tour! Click the banner above to go to the full listing of tour stops, and make sure you check out Cal's twitter feed -- if you retweet one of his factoids, you could win a copy of Hey Canada! for your own collection! Now, let me tell you who Cal is, and why he tweets factoids ...

Hey Canada!
Vivien Bowers & Milan Pavlovi (illustrator)
Tundra Books, 2012

Nine year old Alice is the narrator for Hey Canada!, and she and her cousin Cal (who is 8) are taking a cross-country camping trip with Gran. To record their adventures and what they learn, Alice writes a blog - which is the main text of the book. But there are also tweets (factoids of Cal, who is apparently quite the trivia expert!), poems, and some great illustrations. Featuring a mix of actual photographs and quirky illustrations, Hey Canada! has something of a scrapbook feel to it - something I really appreciated.

Since Alice and Cal are taking this trip with Gran to learn about Canada, visiting every province and capital city (as well as a few other adventures along the way), readers learn about Canada alongside them. In keeping with the scrapbooky vibe, the information is broken down into newsy bits that give tantalizing introductions to all aspects of Canadian life: the history, the trivia, the flora and fauna. Presented in such a way, readers learn a ton of information, without feeling like they're being lectured. It's what I like to call "sneaky learning," if you know what I mean. But seriously: the story itself is fun, and the narrative linking all the "educational stuff" is a little hilarious at times. A Houdini-wannabe hamster, encounters with wildlife and local foods, and a really great family chemistry between Gran, Alice and Cal all make for a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Don't forget to check out Cal's twitter feed and retweet away for your chance to win!

Book provided by publisher for review.

Blog Tour: At the Sea Floor Cafe!

Today's post is part of the "Fins, Wings, and Other Things" blog tour that Peachtree Publishers is sponsoring in honor of Earth Day. Every day between now and Earth Day (April 22nd), there will be special blog tour posts around the blogsophere. For a collective listing, check out the Peachtree Pub blog!

At the Sea Floor Cafe!
Leslie Bulion & Leslie Evans (illustrator)
Peachtree Publishers, 2011

Not only is this a fun, quirky title to fit in with the blog tour theme, but April is also National Poetry Month - and this is a collection of poems! Double win! This book is fun, it's whimsical, it's colorful, and it's educational. Yes, educational. It's very science-y, with each poem focusing on one (or two) ocean creatures that may or may not be familiar. It's also a great resource for introducing young readers to different kinds of poetry, since every poem is in a different form. My inner lit-major was 'geeking out' a little, as I recognized some of the styles, but others were new to me - which was even more exciting! At the back of the book is a glossary of the science-y words that may be unfamiliar, as well as a breakdown of all the different poetry forms represented in the book. This is great resource that is a fun way to 'sneak in' learning.

The poems are fun and humorous, and the illustrations are just as fun. It's a pretty book, with a lot of visual elements. I would caution that very young readers (or older - my Mum saw it and picked it up one day, only to say her eyes were confused) may get a distracted or even a little lost in that on each page there is both the poem and other text - sometimes they are separated by a bit of space, other times they run close together due to illustrations or etc. The 'other text' is a brief description or explanation of the sea creature described in the poem, so it's very helpful, it just might be a bit much for some readers. Overall however, the book is simply fun. I feel like I'm using that word a lot, but sometimes there's only one word that really describes something, and in this case, that's the magic word: Fun!

Giveaway Alert:
Thanks to the generosity of the great folks at Peachtree Publishers, I am delighted to announce that I am going to be giving you the chance to win a copy not only of this book, but of the other three titles I'm reviewing as part of the blog tour also! That's four wonderful new books you could win! Entering is simple: Check back here, and leave a comment on one of the "Fins, Wings, and Other Things" posts - only comments on blog tour posts count, but you can comment on every one (that means you could get 5 entries total!). On April 30th, I will randomly select a winner, and contact you. So please, leave me an email or some way to get in touch with you! Contest only open to the US. Good luck!

For more blog tour fun, check out the next stop: Archimedes Notebook

Book provided by publisher for review. 

It Can't Be Done, Nellie Bly!

It Can't be Done, Nellie Bly!
Nancy Butcher
Peachtree, 2003

In the spirit of Women's History Month (yes, I realize it's actually almost over...), how about an introduction to one of the little known female journalists in American history? But Nellie Bly was not just another journalist - this young woman had an adventurous-streak that prompted her to embark on A Quest: To go 'round the world in less than 80 days, thus beating the record set in Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days. How does a real person break a record set by a fictional character? Especially in 1889! Nellie Bly had some ideas, and she managed to convince her employers - The New York World - to trust her and back the attempt.

It Can't be Done, is an easy-to-read brief biography of Nellie's experiences. Targeted for early-middle readers, it's broken down into short, accessible chapters and the information is presented in a relaxed story-style that is almost conversational. Butcher does a good job of explaining terms and what's going on, without completely spelling it out or watering it down. There are fun details and illustrations scattered throughout, and the reading experience is a satisfying one in terms of both information and entertainment. Having never heard of Nellie Bly before this read, I am now intrigued. As an older-than-intended-audience reader, I appreciated the story and it's "teaser"-aspect - which will make it a good one for the intended-audience, to introduce them to history and biography, without feeling too 'schoolish'.

Book provided by publisher for review.

The Last Polar Bears

The Last Polar Bears
Harry Horse
Peachtree Publishers, 2007

I had never heard of the Roo books by Harry Horse, (I'd actually never heard of Harry Horse - I'm not sure how, now...), until Peachtree Publishers offered The Last Polar Bears as a title for review. Oh. My. Goodness. What initially caught my eye was the title - I'm an absolute sucker for a polar bear. Then I saw the cover, and my heart melted.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Last Polar Bears - it's set up as a series of letters from Grandfather-to-[grand]Child, and chronicles the misadventures of Grandfather and his dog Roo. On almost every page is a pen and ink drawing to illustrate the story at hand, and I loved all the details! There is as much going on in the pictures as in Grandfather's text. Definitely an amusing, light-hearted-but-a-little-serious read. Great for young readers adjusting to reading longer books on their own. Now that I'm made the acquaintance of Grandfather and Roo, I hope to revisit them and join them on their other escapades!

Book provided by publisher for review.