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Friday, August 26, 2022


Blog Tour: THE ONLY ME by Marissa Bader and Arlene Soto

 

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE ONLY ME by Marissa Bader Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: THE ONLY ME

Author: Marissa Bader & Arlene Soto (Illustrator)

Pub. Date: August 25, 2022

Publisher: Marissa Bader

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 35

Find it: GoodreadsAmazon, Kindle

Be the best you!

Stella and Paige are 7-year-old fraternal twins who don't look alike and have very different personalities and interests. Yet even so, people constantly compare them or comment about how strange it is that they're not more similar. This has Stella feeling frustrated. They may be twins, but that doesn’t make them the same person.

Stella wishes people would see her for who she is, and not just as “Stella and Paige” or as "one of the twins.” All of the comparing and contrasting leaves Stella confused about her own identity—who is she outside of her sibling relationship? She also wonders if perhaps she doesn't measure up to her sister, Paige.

Can Stella find a way to accept and value herself for who she is, and realize that she and Paige can each be their own, special and unique people, and still be twins?

  • Perfect for kids who are trying to find where they belong.
  • Not just for twins; The Only Me teaches the importance of honoring, accepting and celebrating our differences and unique selves in all kinds of relationships.
  • Great resource to help young readers understand their value and worth.
  • Helpful for kids struggling with identity and self-esteem challenges.
  • Ideal for ages 4-8 (or even 4-10).


Reviews
“This book is so fabulous to point out that we are all unique and different in our own special way. Truly such a helpful book for young readers to understand we are all different, we all have our strengths and that our kids can shine in their own special light. I love how this book also teaches young readers of acceptance, inclusion, confidence and growth. Very well written and a positive message and reminder to all!” - Sarajane, parent of two

“The Only Me is a sweet story about a girl named Stella exploring her identity and finding her strengths. As a twin, she feels like she is constantly compared to her sister and sometimes feels less than. She realizes that she has her own identity and with that her own special gifts to offer the world. Kids of all ages will see parts of themselves in her and will love reading this story. Her voice sounds like any young child's and will be relatable for many little ones. A great story with a great lesson.”
- Dana, parent of two and teacher


"A beautifully written, kid-friendly story that so eloquently reminds all of us of our own extraordinary uniqueness. It's a book that I could read over and over to both my children and for myself -- empowering humans of all ages to celebrate and embrace our differences." - Michelle, parent of two and therapist

"Marissa Bader's book is the ultimate endorsement for embracing difference and celebrating children's unique selves." - Kathleen West, parent and author

Reading this made me light up and smile! Being a mom of 4 girls, two different ages and then a set of identical twins, this just hits home. I love how the author gave examples of things each child succeeds at. This is such a useful book to teach my girls how they are all unique in their own way. I am so excited for bedtime with this book! - Michelle, parent of 4 (twins and two singletons)

 

This was a really cute read. I really like the art style in this book too!

The message of this book is the heart of it all though. Twins aren't the same person even if they're sometimes treated like they have to be duplicates of each other. I thought the author worded this really well in the book and touched on the topic with grace.

Even when it's not always pleasant. The character freely admits that some people will continue to lump her and her twin together as the same person, but she knows they're different. They're both special and unique in their own ways.

 

About Marissa Bader:

Marissa Bader is a Minneapolis-based writer who loves writing about mental health and parenthood, and currently serves as the Twins Editor and mental health writer at Lucie’s List (a survival guide for new parents). Her writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including Psychology Today, HuffPost Parents and Twiniversity.com, to name a few. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.

Marissa’s first children's book, The Only Me, debuts August, 2022. When not writing, Marissa enjoys dancing, being outdoors and spending time with her husband and their three daughters, a set of twins and their singleton big sister.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 



About Arlene Soto:

Arlene Soto is the owner of Intricate Designs. She is an illustrator, formatter, graphic and web designer based in Denver, CO. Her background is in Fine Art, and she has a BFA in Sustainable Interior Design. She has been happily working with children’s book authors to bring their stories to life through art and design. She aims to focus her portfolio on projects that center on diversity and inclusivity.

She is also a homeschooling mother to three girls and along with her husband they garden, have chickens, 2 dogs, and a cat to complete their wonderfully busy life.

 Website | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

 

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a finished copy of THE ONLY ME, US Only.

Ends September 6th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/22/22

Yabookscentral

Guest Post

8/23/22

BookHounds YA

Guest Post/IG Post

8/23/22

@jacleomik33

IG Review

8/24/22

Lisa-Queen of Random

Guest Post/IG Post

8/25/22

GryffindorBookishNerd

Review/IG Post

8/25/22

@jael_and_jenessa_reads

Review/IG Post

8/26/22

@froggyreadteach

IG Review/Read Part of Book Out Loud

8/26/22

Nonbinary Knight Reads

Review/IG Post

Week Two:

8/29/22

Littlefreelibrarygrahamnc

IG Review

8/30/22

One More Exclamation

Review/IG Post

8/31/22

Do You Dog-ear?

Review/IG Post

8/31/22

pickagoodbook

Review/IG Post

9/1/22

RavenzReviewz

Review/IG Post

9/2/22

For The Love Of The Page

Review/IG Post

9/2/22

Little Red Reads

Review


Thursday, August 25, 2022


Blog Tour: HOW TO SPEAK ANIMAL by Aubre Andrus & Gabby Wild

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the HOW TO SPEAK ANIMAL by Aubre Andrus & Gabby Wild Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: HOW TO SPEAK ANIMAL

Author: Aubre Andrus & Gabby Wild

Pub. Date: August 16, 2022

Publisher: National Geographic Kids

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Pages: 176

Find it: GoodreadsAmazon, B&N, TBD, Bookshop.org

Learn about the secret language of wild animals in this exciting and informative guide from the experts who brought you How to Speak Cat and How to Speak Dog.

We know animals can’t speak and express themselves in the same way as humans … but even the smallest and quietest animals have incredible ways of communicating with each other. With wildlife veterinarian expert Dr. Gabby Wild as a guide, How to Speak Animal helps kids understand how animals communicate through sound, body language, and behavior. It’s full of expert insights and real-life stories of humans exploring ways to “talk” to animals, from teaching great apes sign language to speaking “dolphin.” Packed with super-engaging animal photography that helps illustrate key concepts, this fascinating bookprofiles more than 60 different creatures―from birds to mammals to reptiles and more―and their amazing ways of communicating with each other.

If you’ve ever wondered why gorillas beat their chests and make hooting noises, what it means when chameleons change color, or why some elephants twist their trunks together, this is the book for you!

 

From birds to penguins to otters to octopi. Lions and hyenas. This book will tell you about how these animals communicate with others of their species. It's a wild world out there!

This book is amazing. I would put it down as upper middle grade, but either way it's a fantastic read. The pictures are vibrant and stunning, and who can resist a book chockful of information about animals?

This is truly a beautiful book. The pictures are probably my favorite part of this book because of how beautifully they were shot. Just stunning!

 

About Aubre Andrus:


AUBRE ANDRUS is an award-winning children's book author with dozens of books published by National Geographic, Lonely Planet, American Girl, Disney, Scholastic, and more. She has also ghostwritten books for young YouTube stars. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her family. Visit her website and portfolio at www.aubreandrus.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 





About Gabby Wild:

DR. GABBY WILD earned her bachelor of science and doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) degrees at Cornell University. She completed her veterinary internship training at Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital in Akron, Ohio, and received her master’s of public health (MPH) from the University of Minnesota. She is a published genetics researcher and uses her research background to screen zoonotic disease transmission among wildlife, domestic animals, and people. To help maintain a healthy planet, she monitors herd and individual health for rising epidemics. Dr. Wild balances her Western medicine practices with traditional Chinese medicine in an effort to blend both methodologies. Acclaimed for her role as “the veterinarian” on Animal Jam, the world’s largest online “playground,” with 54 million players, she creates educational videos and teaches children internationally about wildlife conservation and medicine. When not in the wild, Gabby works as a Wildlife Health Program veterinarian for the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo and is a training veterinary surgeon at the Veterinary Medical Center of Long Island. She lives in New York City. 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Goodreads

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of HOW TO SPEAK ANIMAL, US Only.

Ends September 6th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/1/2022

BookHounds YA

Excerpt/IG Post

8/2/2022

A Dream Within A Dream

Excerpt

8/3/2022

@allyluvsbooksalatte

IG Post

8/4/2022

#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog

Excerpt

8/5/2022

Lisa-Queen of Random

Excerpt/IG Post

8/6/2022

Two Chicks on Books

Excerpt

Week Two:

8/7/2022

100 Pages A Day

Review

8/8/2022

Little Red Reads

Review

8/9/2022

@jaimerockstarbooktours

IG Post

8/10/2022

Girls in white dresses

Review

8/11/2022

GryffindorBookishNerd

IG Review

8/12/2022

Feed Your Fiction Addiction

Review/IG Post

8/13/2022

Bea's Book Nook

Review

Week Three:

8/14/2022

The Momma Spot

Review/IG Post

8/15/2022

hauntedbybooks

Review/IG Post

8/16/2022

Do You Dog-ear?

Review/IG Post

8/17/2022

One More Exclamation

Review/IG Post

8/18/2022

Ya Books Central

Excerpt

8/19/2022

Nerdophiles

Review/IG Post

8/20/2022

Lady Hawkeye

Excerpt/IG Post

Week Four:

8/21/2022

Rajiv's Reviews

Review/IG Post

8/22/2022

Two Points of Interest

Review/IG Post

8/23/2022

pickagoodbook

Review/IG Post

8/24/2022

Momfluenster

IG Review/FB Post

8/25/2022

Nonbinary Knight Reads

Review/IG Post

8/26/2022

@jypsylynn

IG Review

8/27/2022

froggyreadteach

IG Review/Read Part of Book Out Loud

Week Five:

8/28/2022

@enjoyingbooksagain

IG Review

8/29/2022

@crystal.z.lee

IG Review

8/30/2022

@just_another_mother_with_books

IG Review

8/31/2022

A Backwards Story

Review/IG Post


Monday, August 15, 2022


Interview with Esme Symes-Smith, Author of SIR CALLIE AND THE CHAMPIONS OF HELSTON

 



I wanted to try something different this month. I am very excited to be presenting the first, but hopefully not last, author interview!

Esme Symes-Smith (they/them) is the author of SIR CALLIE AND THE CHAMPIONS OF HELSTON. This book is one of my personal favorites, as well as having been my most anticipated read of 2022. I am so ecstatic that Esme agreed to this interview. All of the links to follow Esme will be included at the end of the interview, as will links to preorder SIR CALLIE.

So strap in and join Esme and I as we discuss Sir Callie. I had tons of questions for them, so this might be a bit long. Might want to grab a snack before reading. I've also grayed out one part that might be a bit spoilery. If you want to read it, just click and hold.

SIR CALLIE AND THE CHAMPIONS OF HELSTON is the first book in a fantastical middle-grade series. This book stars Callie, a 12-year-old nonbinary knight-in-training, as they follow their father to Helston. He was summoned to train the crown prince Willow, and Callie lunged at the opportunity to prove themself. But the people of Helston just look at Callie and see girl. Callie finds themselves trapped in the rigid hierarchy of Helston, but Callie also finds that they aren't alone. Elowen, Edwyn, and Willow are also struggling in Helston. There's a war raging against Helston, but they can't defeat the threats outside the kingdom until they defeat the bigotry within first.

Book Tour: DEADENDIA: THE DIVINE ORDER review + favorite quotes

Thank you so much to TBR and Beyond Tours for allowing me to take part in this tour for Deadendia: The Divine Order. I have watched the ...