BLURB:
Honey,
an inquisitive young parakeet living in the Australian Outback, decides to
become a superhero after she spies a human family watching Superman. Since she
already has the power of flight, all she needs to do is create a costume to
conceal her true identity and then fly off in search of animals that need
rescuing.
Unfortunately,
every time she tries to help, Honey only ends up making matters worse. She
spoils Kangaroo’s game of hide-and-go-seek by revealing his hiding place to
Wallaby; Mr. Anteater must go hungry when she alerts the ants to his presence,
and Mrs. Koala is made a laughingstock among bears when Honey pretends to be
her Joey. Finally realizing that she’s not as heroic as she’d like, Honey gives
up her day-saving efforts.
But
what happens when someone actually needs Honey’s help? Will she rise to the
challenge?
Honey the Hero by Emlyn Chand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is my favorite of the series so far. I think it has something to do with the fact that my daughter loves super heroes, and this one made me think of her. She would have loved this book when she was an early reader, and the message is fantastic. Again, readers and parents will be reminded of what is really important. It's not always about doing big things, but it is about having your heart in the right spot. There is also something to be said for trying too hard. The pictures really added to the telling of the story in this one in a very real way. I even found the humor in this one.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
View all my reviews
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Davey the Detective
Davey
dubs himself the luckiest crow in the entire world when he finds a wonderful,
shiny object. It even has a fantastic name: “paperclip.” Wow!
One
dark and dreary day, Davey’s treasure goes missing, and he is beside himself
with grief. Luckily, he knows just how he can find out which of the forest
animals is to blame for the theft. Inspired by the torn pages of a Sherlock
Holmes story that were used to fashion his nest, Davey calls on the help of
Sarah the sparrow to investigate the mystery and, hopefully, retrieve his
prize.
Together
the two birds begin to collect clues. Their trail leads them straight to Mr.
Bushtail, a greedy squirrel who keeps a giant store of objects in a
hollowed-out tree trunk. When Mr. Bushtail refuses to cooperate, the two birds
have no choice but to break into his tree house in search of the truth.
Justice
will prevail and treasure will be found in this intriguing tale of mystery.
Tommy Goes Trick-Or-Treating by Emlyn Chand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Nothing like a good detective story, and there are often books with a bit of mystery are not available for this age reader. Emlyn Chand does a great job of keeping the reader in suspense, and at the end, truth is paramount. Children will again learn incredible values, and they will find themselves wrapped up in the mystery. My daughter would have loved this book, and I wish I had found it when she was a little bit younger. The story is one that parents and children will definitely enjoy together.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
View all my reviews
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Poppy the Proud
Poppy
is the prettiest peacock in the entire garden, but one day his privileged
existence is upset when an all-white peacock is born and promptly named the
most beautiful by a smitten flock. Intensely jealous, Poppy no longer knows
where he fits in and decides to reclaim his title as the fairest bird in all
the land, no matter what it takes.
In
a desperate attempt to regain the admiration of his peers, Poppy steals items
from the humans that visit his park. He wraps himself in a beautiful silk
scarf, wears a series of ornate bangles around his neck, and even tries to dye
his feathers with colored dust from a festive Holi celebration. Unfortunately,
each of these attempts not only fails to improve his appearance, they actually
make it worse. What’s a poor bird to do?
In
this compelling tale of self-esteem, pride, and learning what makes each of us
special, Poppy the peacock discovers that true beauty lies beneath the
feathers.
Poppy the Proud by Emlyn Chand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another great "bird brain" book from Emlyn Chand. The book's theme will resonate with children who struggle with self-esteem (and which child does not from time to time?). Children will be reminded that true beauty is not outward but what is inside. The illustrations are gorgeous, and the story is clear and sweet. Parents can feel good sharing the story with their children, and early readers will find this story quite readable.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
View all my reviews
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tommy goes
Trick-or-Treating
Tommy
is a mischievous little woodpecker who loves to fly to the edge of the forest
and watch the people in the nearby suburb. One evening, something strange and
exciting happens—people emerge from their houses wearing costumes and carrying
colorful buckets with smiling faces on them. What’s even crazier is that they
shout a special codeword while standing outside of each house, and are given
delicious-looking candy.
Tommy
simply must join in the fun. He and his friend, Michael the raccoon, fashion
their own costumes and head off to join in the festivities. Thanks to Tommy’s
knock-knocking beak and Michael’s quick paws, the duo is able to heist many a
candy bar from the unsuspecting homeowners and children.
But
are they missing out on the true spirit of Halloween?
Davey the Detective by Emlyn Chand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Very often, children's Halloween stories have no redeeming merits. I have found them to be fun, but there is no teaching involved. Not so with this book! This book is fun, and yet the true spirit of Halloween is emphasized. Parents can feel good about having their children read this book and enjoy Halloween, and there is nothing scary. I wish I had discovered this book when my daughter was younger because she is way past the age of reading it. However, it is the ideal book to read in September/October. I truly enjoyed the illustrations in this one! Excellent values in this one.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
View all my reviews
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Courtney Saves
Christmas
Courtney
is a peppy young penguin who just loves exploring, and is overjoyed when she
receives a compass from Santa on Christmas morning. She’s so grateful for the
gift, in fact, that she just needs to give Santa a great big hug and say “Thank
you!” in person. The only problem is she lives in the South Pole, and Santa is
all the way on the other side of the globe!
With
the aid of her new compass, Courtney sets off on a journey that takes her
almost an entire year. By the time she reaches Santa’s workshop, the elves are
in a flurry preparing for the upcoming holiday. Unfortunately, Rudolph is feeling
very sick—too sick to guide the sleigh. If Courtney can’t find a way to help,
Christmas will be ruined and all the children of the world will be devastated.
What’s a little penguin to do?
With Christmas just around the corner, this is the perfect Christmas book for your kids (or kids at heart). The story is delightful, cute, and sweet. And it is even geographically correct! My daughter only recently taught me that penguins live in the South Pole, so it was neat to see that things were correct. The illustrations were sweet and fit exactly with the story. I thought it was neat to feature a penguin family. Normally, children's books seem to feature dogs and cats. This was a fresh idea, as far as I was concerned. I look forward to sharing it with my daughter even though she is a little bit older than the suggested age for the book--around 5-7.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Emlyn Chand emerged from the
womb with a fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). When she's not
writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author
PR firm Novel Publicity. Best known for her Young Adult novels, she is also
developing a small, but devoted, following to her children's book series and is
beginning to dapple in other genres as well. Emlyn enjoys connecting with
readers and is available via almost every social media site in existence. Visit
EmlynChand.com for more info. Don't forget to say "hi" to her sun
conure Ducky!
ONLINE LINKS:
Emlyn
will be awarding a $25 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during
the tour and a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn host. Follow the entire tour.
