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Friday, September 30, 2022

Book List: Cooking Books

 

Yesterday, I talked about Selena + Chef, so today I'm sharing some of my favorite (or soon to be favorite) cooking books


I'm a sucker for foodie books. 

Book List:
Salty, Bitter, Sweet by Mayra Cuevas
Taste Test by Kelly Fiore 
Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff that Made me Famous by Kathryn Williams 
A Taste for Love by Jennifer Yen 

Soon to be favorites: 
If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth  Acedevo 


Thursday, September 29, 2022

Review: Selena + Chef




Ok, this is NOT a movie. Selena + Chef is a cooking show with the amazing Selena Gomez. 

During the pandemic, she decided to learn how to cook and asked famous chefs to teach her via zoom.


This is a promo for the second season.

There are currently four seasons, but I'm hoping there will be more. 

While this is a cooking show, it's also a humanitarian show as the show donates to foundations of the feature chef's choice. It's also pretty funny and sweet. Plus, you get a glimpse into Selena's life.

And there is a Taylor cameo! 

I love Papa and her little sister. They were both sweet and funny. 

I loved the Okie Dokie jar - it's fun to say that. I'm going to start using it....

Since she's learning, of course, Selena makes mistakes. And I love that they keep those in the show. I love that chefs teach her a variety of dishes and use many different ingredients. 

As I'm more into baking than cooking, I found myself picking up some tips that I can't wait to try out.
Also, I have terrible knife skills too and these tips were helpful. 

They had big name chefs (Gordon Ramsey and Rachel Ray) and chefs I wasn't familiar with. 

And yes, I did have my favorite chefs:
Ludo
Matty Matheson 
Jon and Vinny
Jamie Oliver
Paola Velez

I binged this show and really hope they make more seasons!

I would enjoy Paul Hollywood and a bread making episode....

Have you seen this show? If not, give it a look.

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Picture Book Review: King Kong's Cousin



King Kong is magnificent, but his cousin feels inferior. But he does save the day!

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the message of how it's hard to compare yourself to others. It's easy to feel inferior. But there are moments when it's easy to be brave - especially if you're helping someone you care about. This one also has some laugh out loud moments that kids are sure to love!

 

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Top Ten Tuesday: Fonts

 This week's topic is all about fonts on the cover.



I like the road sign as part of the title!

This one is also a sign - like the Hollywood sign. It's clever.

The text just looks cranky - I love it!

I love how the font slants.

Creepy in the best way

The font stands out. And I love the texts in background.

Bold and blends with the cover colors.

I love the way the font matches the shape of the house. 

Saturday, September 24, 2022

TBR Check-In



Since we just did our Fall TBR list, I thought I would check in and see how I'm doing reading my summer books.

And I have to admit, not very well. I have read 5 and have 5 out from the library currently. Hopefully I will get to them soon. 

My library has a budget freeze until the town passes a budget so we are not able to purchase new books. 

And this little one makes it hard to read as much as I used to, but he's so cute, I don't mind.

Friday, September 23, 2022

Blog Tour: How to Speak Animal

Welcome to the How to Speak Animal Blog Tour!

To celebrate the release of National Geographic Kids' How to Speak Animal on August 16th and World Animal Day on October 4th, this week blogs across the web will feature special excerpts from the book, sharing fascinating insight into the secret language of animals of all shapes and sizes. If you’ve ever wondered why ants touch antennae when they meet, what it means when a cichlid fish pees, or why turkeys gobble, this is the blog tour (and book!) for you!

How to Speak... TURKEY

Turkeys are known for their “gobble,” but did you know that hens (female turkeys) can’t make that signature sound? They make a clucking noise instead, which is used to get the attention of another hen or a tom (male turkey). Turkeys can make about 15 different vocalizations in the wild. A loud series of yelps is an “assembly call” for when a hen wants to gather her flock together. When turkeys are content—when they are being fed, for instance—they make a soft purring sound. 

Male turkeys use the sound of gobble, gobble to keep other males away and to attract the attention of a female. They combine this vocal communication with an impressive display of body language: a dance called tidbitting, in which the turkey bobs its head while its red wattle, a fleshy piece of skin that hangs from its chin, flops around. Male turkeys will also strut, fan out their tail feathers, throw their head back, and walk with their wings low, dragging on the ground. A wattle may even turn a deeper red as blood rushes to it, which helps attract the attention of hens. 

This is called multimodal communication because it combines two kinds of cues—in this case, auditory and visual—to communicate a message. The turkey’s message is “I’m a great mate.” Multimodal communication increases the chance that the message will be received even if there are distractions or disturbances nearby.

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INSIDER INFO
A turkey has a wattle, skin that hangs down from its lower jaw, and a comb, which is the growth on the top of its head. It also has a snood, which is the flap of skin that hangs over its beak. These features, as well as the turkey’s feet, keep it cool because the bare skin is exposed directly to air, while the rest of its body is covered with warm feathers.

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DID YOU KNOW?
Male turkeys poop in the shape of a J, and female turkeys poop in a spiral shape. 


BuyGoodreads

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!

 About the Authors

Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

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 | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

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. 


GIVEAWAY

  • Five (5) winners will receive a copy of How to Speak Animal
  • US/Canada only
  • Ends 10/2 at 11:59pm ET
  • Enter via the Rafflecopter below
  • Visit the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 


Blog Tour Schedule:

September 19th Susie's Reviews and Giveaways
September 20th Pragmatic Mom
September 21st Mom Read It
September 22nd Randomly Reading
September 23rd YA Book Nerd

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Book Tok: More about Taylor Swift

 



Yes, we are getting a new album. No, we don't know the song titles 
(Except for one).
But here are some book titles that would make great Taylor Swift song titles.

@yabooknerdlibrarian Book titles that could be Taylor Swift song titles #swifties #booktok #midnight #midnightmayhem #YAbooks #booknerds #taylorswift ♬ Marianelli: Dawn - From "Pride & Prejudice" Soundtrack - Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Picture Book Wednesday: Pairs of People



This book showcases pairs of people working together and showing kindness. 

This was a really great picture book. The illustrations are bright and colorful. The characters are diverse. The message of kindness and sharing is great. There's also a STEAM piece of math where the pairs are multiplied. I love how this book shows that two people or one hundred people can make a difference.

* Book sent for review.

Library Recommendation: Grab this one for your school and public library - highly recommended. 

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Top Ten Tuesday: Fall TBR List

 This week's topic is Fall TBR pile - so for me that means books out in September, October, and November. I'll skip the holiday romances because that will be a separate post. 

 

Picture Books:
 

Kids and Middle Grade:

 


YA:

 



Adult:














Nonfiction:

Any of these on your list too?