Escucha Means Listen by Talia Aikens-Nunez - BLOG TOUR AND GIVEAWAY

Tour Schedule

Escucha Means Listen

From the mowing of the lawn to the splish-splashing of rain puddles, Talia Aikens-Nuñez’s bilingual picture book Escucha Means Listen introduces toddlers and babies to the sweet sounds around them.

Take a journey through the world—just listening. Escucha Means Listen helps children discover sounds around them in English and Spanish.





Excerpt
Buzz. Buzz. Qué oyes? (What do you hear?)
Las abejas (The bees) circling the flowers.

Woosh. Woosh. What do you hear?
El viento (The wind) is whistling by.

Shh. Shh. Qué oyes? (What do you hear?)
Las hojas (The leaves) are dancing on the trees.

Purchase

Publisher * Amazon

My Review

This is a beautifully illustrated children’s book, I love how the little girl looks and acts like a typical child. All the sounds that are mentioned are normal sounds found around the average neighbourhood.

Follow the little girl listening to all the sounds around the yard, from buzzy bees to dogs barking, from storms to jumping in puddles.

My five year old son and two year old daughter loved listening to and looking at the pictures. Such a delightful little book that teaches children to escucha (listen).

5 BEAUTIFUL BOOKS

~****~

About the Author

Author Talia Aikens-Nuñez  

Talia Aikens-Nuñez wanted to be a meteorologist, a politician and a lawyer. She never thought she would be a writer. It was the birth of her daughter that caused her to start writing. Raising a bilingual child inspired Talia to write lyrical children’s books. These ‘first experience’ books introduce Spanish to children and parents too! Talia’s family loves nature so much that she and her husband vowed that they will always try to live close to water. She, her husband and daughter live on a river in Connecticut with their daughter Isabella.

Facebook * Website 

Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 1/21/12

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

eBook Review: Code Crimson (Arkie Sparkle) by Petra James

Goodreads:  Eleven-year-old Arkie Sparkle's archaeologist parents have been kidnapped. With the help of her genius cousin TJ and basset hound Cleo, she must find seven treasures across the seven continents in seven days.
Day 1: EgyptArkie must find the first treasure in the temple of the Egyptian Pharaoh, Ramses II. But first she has to find the temple, buried deep in the sands of the Sahara Desert.

Title:  Code Crimson
Series:  Arkie Sparkle, Treasure Hunter #1
Author:  Petra James
Publisher:  Pan Macmillan Australia
Source:  Self Purchase


This is a fantastic action adventure book for middle grades. Arkie Sparkle is a miniature Indiana Jones and she is on a quest to find her parents.

Arkie comes home from school to find the house open and her parents no where in sight.  After eating the last cookie in the cookie jar, she finds a ransom note.  Arkie now has to embark on an adventure to find clues to treasures and her parents. Arkie is no newbie to treasure hunting and has all the gadgets available under the sun.

Book 1 is day 1 of her adventure and sends her to Cairo. After fighting through a sandstorm and making historical friends, she has found what she is after, but this is only the beginning.  The accompanying illustrations and the cover are also great and something kids will love.

4 STARS

You can find Petra James books on Goodreads and Amazon.

eBook Review: The Magic Carpet by Jodie Brownlee

Goodreads:  Ruby’s mouth was open in a silent scream. She dared to look down as the roofs and treetops dropped away. People walking their dogs in the park shrank to the size of ants. Panic struck her numb. 
Ruby is flying! A magic carpet (with attitude) takes her on the adventure of her life to a magical oasis. But a bold misadventure through an underground labyrinth has Ruby andher friends wanted by those in charge. Genies, sand sprites, spells, and dungeons will test all of her powers – including the ones she still doesn’t know she has. 

Title:  The Magic Carpet

Author:  Jodie Brownlee

Series:  The Ruby Series book 1

Released:  9th September 2011

Source:  Author via The Kindle Book Review

This is a very exciting adventure that all children will love.  Jodie has the exquisite talent of creating a world that is real, but has the addition of fantasy fun.  All children and adults alike will want to read this and then dream of flying across the globe on a magic carpet.

Ruby thinks she is an ordinary girl of 11 until she starts to question some funny things that happen around her house.  Her mother, Ann, tells Ruby she is imagining things and of course the teapot runs out, but Ruby knows her mother didn’t refill the teapot even after filing 20 cups.  For Ruby’s 12^th birthday she is given a carpet from her Grandmother and is stored in the attic.  But Ann tells Ruby under no circumstances is she allowed into the attic.  Ruby can’t help herself and goes to investigate.  A magic carpet hovers and Ruby hops on.  The carpet takes off out the window and Ruby is screaming silently. 

Ruby falls asleep and when she awakes she is in an Oasis.  Ruby hasn’t learnt how to control the carpet yet, so covers it with sand in order to find help.  Ruby finds help and then discovers that her carpet has been found and sold to Horas, the conqueror of Oasis.  Everything is not as it seems, there are Genies and little sand creatures called Spriggans.  Ruby finds out she has a whole bunch of relatives and all of them Genies.

Ruby now has the task of recovering her Magic Carpet without being captured.  With the help of her cousin Avalon and her friend Jaffa, they endeavor to break into the palace to steal it back.  Of course it is no easy task.  Will Ruby recover the carpet without casualties?

This was a fantastic story that I highly recommend to all children and adults alike.  Full of adventure, fun and hilarious in the magical items that Jodie has created within her story.  I will certainly be getting the next in the series, The Travellers Telescope, to find out what Ruby discovers next. 

4 EXPLOSIONS - FANTASTIC

You can find Jodie Brownlee on Amazon, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook and her website.

eARC Review: Zachary Pill, the Dragon at Station End by Tim Greaton

Goodreads: Having spent his life pretty much like every other loser kid in the world, Zachary Pill is shocked when a swarm of bats invade his Boston apartment and take his father away. Forced to move to New Hampshire with crazy Madame Kloochie, Zachary soon learns that cleaning her filthy house is the least of his problems. When the evil wizard Krage sends creatures to kill him, Zachary tries to defend himself with the magical items his father left behind, but after accidentally getting poisoned by a dragon and getting his friend turned into a werewolf, he realizes that he is in way over his head. Flying snakes, mysterious shadow hags, orcs and trolls are all after both boys and the beautiful young thief next door as they struggle to stay alive long enough to save the kidnapped little boy next door.

Title: Zachary Pill, The Dragon at Station End
Author: Tim Greaton
Publisher: Focus House - July 2011
Series: Zachary Pill #1
Format: Kindle eBook
Source: Publisher via Kindle Book Review

WOW, I don’t know where to begin.  This book was amazing.  Harry Potter meets How to train your Dragon.  Loved the story and the world that is created within it, so many levels and creatures and Tim’s imagination is just out of this world…..

Zachary Pill is a normal kid, or so everybody thinks.  He gets bullied at school and one day has had enough.  Zachary saw another kid being picked on and decided to stand up for him and himself.  This is the day everything changes.  Zachary started to fight back, literally and ended up with a broken arm and bruising all over.  His father was called to school and demanded that Zachary not be taken to the hospital.  The School was dumbfounded, why would a father not allow his child to go to the hospital?  Well, there is a family secret that has been hidden from Zachary; he is a Wizard, well half Wizard.  Zachary was taken to a special hospital, where wizards and creatures and beasts go, he was patched up and his arm put in plaster.  Everything would be normal again, or will it?  Nope, when they arrive home, his father is vague and wouldn’t answer his questions.  Eating spaghetti for dinner, Zachary looks at his father’s plate and sees worms instead of pasta.  Surely Zachary was just imagining things because of his injury.  Everything went into chaos, bats swarmed the apartment and everything went dark.  Zachary could only use his one arm to find his father.  There was a brilliant blue light and his father disappeared. Poof, gone!

Zachary is now on a journey to find his father, calls in his Uncle who palms Zachary off onto an old woman that lives in a pigsty, Madame Kloochie.  His Uncle too disappears in search for his father.  Zachary befriends the kid from across the road, Bret.  Together they try to work through his father’s belongings and a way to find his father.  Zachary is the last Pill on Earth and is being attacked by all sorts of monsters.  He must survive and find his father and Uncle.

This is quite a long book, but the story is just amazing and I couldn't put it down.  Tim really knows how to draw you into the book and I know there will be a lot of Harry Potter fans that will love it.  There are just so many amazing things happening that you will have to read it for yourself (the nostrils for example, a travelling tunnel system, hilarious but gross).  I can't wait for Zachary's next adventure.

You can find more on Zachary Pill and Tim Greaton on Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook and blog.

4 EXPLOSIONS - definitely worth reading

Ebook Review: Sam, the Strawb Part by Scott Bury

Sam, the Strawb Part by Scott Bury
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a beautifully written children’s book.  Loved the story and can really see the children getting into it.  Their imaginations are fantastic and I am sure there will be a lot of children pretending to be Sam, the Strawb Part.


Sam is a young boy whom loves strawberries and uses his wits and cunning to steal strawberries from unsuspecting mothers at the grocery store.  Because of his appearance they feel for Sam and hand over their strawberries.  The East Canada Fruit (Fool) Company is not impressed and hires a pirate to capture and stop Sam from stealing all the strawberries.  This is where the adventure begins.  The chase sets off around the country and Sam is always one step ahead.


This is Robin Hood meets Pirates of the Caribbean for a children’s book.  Fantastic and another fantastic fact is that all proceeds of this book goes to charity, Children at Risk, a registered charity that supports families and children with autism spectrum disorders.  What a wonderful cause, so please help support and read this lovely story.


View all my reviews

Ebook Review: Skateboard Sam by Samuel Chowdhry

Goodreads: Discover with your child the exciting world of skateboarding and spend a day in the life of Skateboard Sam. 

This brightly illustrated story book teaches children the importance of listening to your parents, good family values and staying healthy with exercise in this fun creative sport.

With simple rhyming text and fun illustrated pictures, makes it an ideal ebook experience for sharing with children.

Title: Skateboard Sam
Author: Samuel Chowdhry
Publisher: Self Published
Type: eBook
Source: Author (via Kindle Book Review)
Rating: 5 STARS



This book is so very beautifully illustrated it takes you along for a ride with Sam on his skateboard.

Sam is a young boy who loves his skateboard.  This story allows the child to see the daily routine of Sam, from getting dressed in the morning, breakfast and taking off on his skateboard for the skate park.  He has fun, but returns at the end of the day to have dinner and go to bed.

My son loved this one and all the great colours in the illustrations.  The rhyming story was fantastic and caught his attention.  Overall a fantastic read for the children.

You can find Samuel on Amazon and Goodreads,.