Pea of Sweetness

Reading is Fun with Arlo

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Reading is always more fun with a friend, right? Reading about and going through life experiences like going to the dentist or taking a trip is always nicer with a friend!
Arlo the Elephant
Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate my Arlo Review. Regardless, all opinions are my own and those of my family.
Early Ink Press offers a series of children’s books featuring Arlo the elephant. Arlo goes on every day adventures that most children will experience or have experienced.
From Arlo:

Hi! I’m a little elephant named Arlo, created by Karisa Lowe and Edmund Boey. I love going adventures, but sometimes they can be scary because I don’t know what’s going to happen! Eventually, I figure out how things really go and it’s usually not so bad! I love helping my young friends get through these same situations by sharing my experiences! Hope you guys enjoy!

The series is great for little ones that may be apprehensive about their first trip or first dentist appointment or going somewhere new. It is also ideal for young readers and any children that love listening to and/or reading stories. Having an Arlo plush by their side makes the experience so much more fun!
For our review we received the Arlo series of books, which includes three books (Arlo Goes to the Dentist, Arlo and the Airplane, and Arlo Goes to the Farmers Market) and an Arlo plush.
Arlo Review
All of our kids have been loving the Arlo books and especially love having Arlo by our side when we’re reading them. They find the stories fun and enjoyable. We’ve already read them all several times!
Our older two children (ages 7 and 8) are also enjoying trying to read them on their own. Due to their special needs, they are both delayed readers, but they have really taken to the Arlo books and work hard to read them. I love that they have an Arlo to practice reading them to because it encourages them to try to read out loud when they may otherwise be nervous about making mistakes. I let them have those moments without interruptions!
Reading is fun with Arlo
I love that Arlo’s adventures are ordinary adventures presented in a fun way. Being a mom of three special needs children, I appreciate books that address important social situations in a way the kids can understand and enjoy. I think it’s great for all kids, but we definitely don’t take any opportunities to help the kids learn about social situations for granted!
I think the Arlo books are cute, fun, and encouraging. Having an Arlo plush really helps to make the experience that much more fun!

For More Information:

Visit the Early Ink Press Website
Connect with Karisa Lowe, Author on Facebook and Twitter
Connect with Arlo the Elephant on Facebook

*Giveaway!!!*

Would you like to win the set of Arlo the Elephant books and plush? This giveaway runs through 2/3/15 at 11pm Eastern Time and is open to US residents ages 18+. Enter the Giveaway Now!!
 

I See Me! Personalized Children's Book {Review}

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Disclosure: I received the product mentioned to facilitate my review. Regardless, all opinions are my own and those of my family.
Visit ISeeMe.com for the best personalized children's gifts.
 
There is something special about personalized gifts. They’re special not only for the recipient but the gift giver as well! I See Me! offers a variety of personalized gifts such as: Personalized Children’s Books, lunch boxes, puzzles, coloring books and placemats as well as gift sets. They also have a great Holiday Gift Guide available to make shopping easy for the holiday season! Every child is unique, and personalized gifts really make them feel special!
For our review we received their new 1-2-3 Blast Off with Me – the first personalized book at I See Me to feature personalized photos! When I saw it, I knew it was something I definitely wanted for our preschooler.
Personalized Children's Book
I opened the package, and showed him the book, and his face lit up! He said “Look! It’s MY book!” It was so precious. Chaz is generally not one to express excitement, so to get a reaction like that meant he must really like it! He carried it with him that whole day. We read it that night, and he even took it to bed with him. He felt so special and loved his book.
1-2-3 Blast Off with Me is wonderfully personalized with the child’s picture and name on every page! Chaz is an astronaut, helicopter pilot, riding in a train, and so much more! He loved seeing himself in different places on every page! I loved that each page also had his name with the pictures, too, like “Chaz’s Airline” and “Chaz’s Helicopter Service.” One one page it even uses his birth date as the license plate number! How sweet and creative. I was extremely impressed with the depth of personalization in this book. It is SO much more than I expected!
1-2-3 Blast Off with Me also allows a personal message in the front of the book along with the child’s full name and date of birth. I left this page out of the pictures for privacy reasons, but you can see examples on the virtual tour of the book.
I feel that 1-2-3 Blast Off with Me is perfect for the preschool and Kindergarten age range because it talks about shapes, letters, numbers and colors. You could certainly get it for a younger child (or even slightly older if you believe they would enjoy it)! It is a fairly small size book, which is also perfect for little ones that like to flip the pages themselves! The pages are thick and sturdy, which is also perfect for this age range!
We are so happy with the 1-2-3 Blast Off with Me book, and even still Chaz is so excited to show everyone his book and asks us to read it to him regularly!
I See Me! has a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. If there is something that isn’t quite right like a misspelled name, they will remake the book for free! I was SO impressed with the customer service and their true Satisfaction Guarantee! They stand behind their products so that even if a page rips 10 years from now they will remake the book for free! How amazing is that?
If you have some little ones on your Christmas list, you will definitely want to check out I See Me! Be sure to sign up for their email updates to receive promotions and special alerts!

For More Information:

Visit the I See Me! Website
Connect with I See Me! on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest
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Rufus and Ryan Go to Church! Children's Book Review

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Disclosure: As a member of the FlyBy Promotions Blogger Network I received the product mentioned to facilitate my review. Regardless, I only recommend products I feel would be good for my readers. My opinions are my own.

Rufus and Ryan

In Rufus and Ryan Go to Church!, a little boy named Ryan has a stuffed monkey named Rufus. In the story Ryan tells Rufus all about going to church – what to expect and what is going on as they attend church. He tells Rufus the appropriate times to sing, pray, and be quiet.
The author, Kathleen Bostrom, uses the story as a fun, creative way to introduce children to the experience of attending a church service. Presenting it by having four-year-old Ryan explain it to his stuffed animal friend is also a fun way to make it relatable to children.
I have read Rufus and Ryan Go to Church a few times with our children. Although our church service experiences are a little different (they usually go to children’s church rather than the main service) it is definitely a story we all enjoy! Plus, we can use the story to discuss just how our experience is different and what we would tell our stuffed toy friends if we took them with us for a day! It really helped to open up the conversation! The kids were both asking question as well as talking about ideas!
Children's book
The pictures in Rufus and Ryan Go to Church! by illustrator Rebecca Thornburgh are fantastic. They are cute and definitely appealing to children. The story is in simple sentences that are great for young children, and I definitely think it’s a topic that is important to discuss with children! I’m looking forward to checking out other books about Rufus and Ryan!
Rufus and Ryan Go to Church! can be purchased for $7.99 on Ideal Books.

For More Information:

Visit the Ideal Books Website
Connect with Ideal Books on Facebook

*Giveaway!!* {ended 10/14/13} For more chances to win great prizes check out our current giveaways!

Wouldn’t you like to share this cute story? One lucky reader will have the chance to win the Rufus and Ryan Go to Church! board book! The giveaway will run from September 30th through October 14th, 2013 at 11:00pm Central Time and is open to US and Canada ages 18+. Please refer to the full terms and conditions in the Giveaway Tools. Simply answer the first question in the Giveaway Tools to enter! Additional entries are optional but may increase your chances of winning! Good luck!

 
Pea of Sweetness is not responsible for prize fulfillment.
 
 

What's in Mama's Purse? {book tour}

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Mamas Purse

I was excited to receive the Mama’s Purse ebook to read and introduce to you!
What’s in your purse? Bandages and bananas? What’s in my purse? Bandages maybe, but even bananas would be rare for mine. Yet I find my kids going through it all the time. Your kids will have much more fun discovering what is in this Mama’s Purse! Full of fun, adventure, and rhyming words! It’s just as much fun to read as it is for them to listen and see the pictures! There are so many fun surprises you will never guess what is next!
Mama’s Purse by AJ Irving is a cute little book that takes readers on a fun adventure of discovering what is in Mama’s purse. Our kids really enjoyed the fun illustrations and the unpredictable surprises that came with each page! I love the use of rhyming in Mama’s Purse. Between the rhyming and great illustrations we really enjoy Mama’s Purse! Our kids love pointing out the different things as I read them. They think Mama’s Purse is so fun and silly! Mama’s Purse is definitely a fun, family-friendly book!
Mama’s Purse has received the following Awards:
Top 5 Idaho Book
Top 10 Idaho Author
Mom’s Choice Award
“The Author, AJ Irving, is a mama who always has EVERYTHING in her purse, everything except the kitchen sink. She thought it would be fun to write a book about a mama’s purse that does have a sink, an ice rink, and a mink performing lip sync. AJ received a B.A. in Journalism and Women’s Studies from the University of Oregon. She lives with her husband and children in Boise, Idaho.
Rick Thomson isn’t a mama, but carries a bag that’s a little like a purse and just as full of surprises. He started dreaming of illustrating children’s books when he first became a dad. Rick has been a freelance illustrator for 23 years and also enjoys playing West African drum rhythms.”
book author

Author Bio:

I spent my childhood in Boise, Idaho, catching grasshoppers and writing stories. My biggest dream in the whole world was to be a writer. My first published work, a poem about my mom, appeared in Writing Without Walls when I was in elementary school. My mom still has a framed copy of the poem in the living room.
In junior high school, I played sports and wrote for the school newspaper. When I grew up, I wanted to move to the Big Apple and write for the New York Times. So my grandpa and I took a trip back east to meet the New York Times Sports Editor. I shook his hand and told him I would be back in ten years for a job.
My determination to be a writer continued in high school when I contributed to my school newspaper as a photographer, reporter, and editor. My mom is so proud of all the newspaper awards that I won in high school . . . they are still on display in my old bedroom.
I decided New York City was too far away from my family, so I enrolled in the School of Journalism at the University of Oregon. My desire for a more creative writing style led me to consider a different path: magazine writing. After I graduated, my first magazine article was published in Midwifery Today.
I received a B.A. in Journalism and Women’s Studies from the University of Oregon. My entire family was very excited when I earned membership into Kappa Tau Alpha─a college honor society that recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship in journalism and mass communication.
In 2008, my husband and I started a family. I put down my pen and focused on reading books to our son. The excitement in his eyes inspired me to start writing children’s books. Now I can’t stop. When I’m not writing, I enjoy catching grasshoppers with my husband, Ian, and our son, Mason, in our big back yard in Idaho.

For More Information:

Visit AJ Irving’s Website
Connect with AJ Irving on her Publishing Company’s Facebook Page, the Mama’s Purse Facebook Page, and her author Facebook Page.
Follow her on Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn, and Goodreads.
 
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