Blog Tour: Grumpy Monkey Oh, No! Christmas

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the GRUMPY MONKEY OH, NO! CHRISTMAS by Suzanne Lang, Max Lang (Illustrations) Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About The Book:

Title: GRUMPY MONKEY OH, NO! CHRISTMAS

Author: Suzanne Lang, Max Lang (Illustrations)

Pub. Date:  September 14, 2021

Publisher: Random House Studio

Formats:  Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 32

Find it:  Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, BandN, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Jim Panzee, our favorite #1 New York Times bestselling grumpy monkey, is feeling like quite the Scrooge this holiday season!

It's Christmas time in the jungle, and Jim just can't get into the holiday spirit. Then Norman offers Jim a festive green banana and Jim feels sick, making everything seem worse. All the other animals in the jungle are ready and eagerly awaiting Christmas, but Jim feels everything stinks. Norman tries to find the solution...and shows Jim that everything can be solved with a soothing cup of tea and time spent with a good friend.

Get your own Grumpy Monkey stuffed animal!

My Thoughts: Poor Grumpy Monkey. Everything is so terrible. His friends are trying so hard to help him get into the Christmas spirit. I love how one little moment between him and Nathan changes everything. It's easy to be grumpy. It's lovely to have so many friends caring about you. This is a fun book to read - especially to yell. And you can talk about so many things - emotions, friendship, love, and celebrations. A winner of a story.  

About Suzanne Lang:

SUZANNE LANG produces, develops, and writes children's television. Formerly with Cartoon Network, she is presently the story editor of an animated comedy series for Cake Entertainment and Copa Studios. Suzanne has a BFA in film and television from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

 Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon |BookBub

 

About Max Lang:

MAX LANG is an animation director, storyboard artist, character designer, and illustrator. He codirected the adaptation of The Gruffalo, which was nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA, as well as the adaptation of the picture book Room on the Broom, which has won numerous awards, including the Cristal for Best TV Production at the Annecy Animation Festival.

 

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 Giveaway Details:

3 winners will win a finished copy of GRUMPY MONKEY OH, NO! CHRISTMAS, US Only.

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Follow the Tour:

Week One:

12/6/2021	The Phantom Paragrapher	Review
12/6/2021	For the Love of KidLit	Excerpt
12/7/2021	perusewithcoffee	Review
12/7/2021	@bookhounds	Review
12/8/2021	@curlygrannylovestoread	Review
12/8/2021	One More Exclamation	Review
12/9/2021	YA Book Nerd	Review
12/9/2021	Coffee and Wander Book Reviews	Review
12/10/2021	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
12/10/2021	@enjoyingbooksagain	Review

Christmas Picture Book Review: Prissy and Pop Deck the Halls

Prissy and Pop can't wait for Santa to arrive. They're busy getting ready - decorating the house, sending him directions, and baking cookies.

My Thoughts: I really loved this book. The story is cute but it's the photographs that make the book, They're charming and full of Christmas spirit. They will delight readers, making it a perfect book to share especially for those who love animals.

Cover Thoughts: Charming
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation: Highly Recommended for public Libraries 

Christmas Picture Book Review: Maple and Willow's Christmas Tree

Named after trees, sisters Maple and Willow can't wait to have their first ever real Christmas tree. They cut it down and bring it inside. They couldn't be more excited to decorate it - until they realize that Maple is allergic to pine trees. Will Christmas be ruined?

My Thoughts: I adore this series. The sisters are charming and even though they fight a bit in this book (what sisters don't?), they come back together for a sweet ending. The pictures are amazingly fun. Just a wonderful Christmas story for readers of all ages.

Cover Thoughts: Charming

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: Highly Recommended for all school and public libraries.

Top Ten Tuesday: Winter Holiday Books

This week's topic is: Book Quotes. I admit to being a failure at saving the quotes I love from books. So, I'm changing topics. I'm a sucker for Christmas books, so here are the top books I'm looking forward to reading this year.

- meme from The Broke and the Bookish

Christmas Week Review: Santa Clauses

 

Haikus for Christmas from December 1st until the 25th from Santa Claus - just to see how he spends the month of December getting ready for Christmas at the North Pole.

My Thoughts: A fantastic Christmas picture book that made me sigh with happiness. The book is short, but sweet and filled with the Christmas spirit. The pictures are beautiful. When I finished the book I sighed with happiness. This is one book to read again and again every year! A Magical read.

Cover Thoughts: Cute

Source: My Library 

Holiday Review Thursday: Santa's (Zany, Wacky, Just Not Right!) Night Before Christmas

With Mrs Claus not feeling well, Santa has a hard time getting ready for his big trip this year. He even washes his suit in purple paint. This accident has a rippling effect on Christmas - and not in a good way. How ever will he fix it?

My Thoughts: It's an entertaining story and I think kids will really enjoy it - especially all the changes to Christmas. As an adult reader, I wasn't crazy about the message of whose job is should be to do the laundry. I wish that the changes to Christmas happened for a different reason, not a sexist one. The illustrations are great, showcasing all the differences - much to Santa's horror.

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: Sent for Review

Review: Little Santa

 The story of Santa's childhood and how he became the legend! 

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this picture book. It's a different than other stories about Santa. I liked seeing more about this family and how he doesn't fit in with them. Yet he still finds himself and what he's good at. A clever story that made me happy.

Holiday Review Thursday: Magic Christmas Key

 

Andy loves spending Christmas at his grandparents' house in the country. Every year he goes there with his cousins and they all have a great time together playing in the snow. With everyone getting older, the question emerges between the cousins on the magic of Christmas. Andy still believies, but his cousins scoff at the idea, which is why Papa gives Andy the Magic Christmas Key. He asks that Andy keep it safe and only use it on Christmas Eve to ensure that Santa will always find his way to Andy. Andy promises, but later, things get out of hand. Could Andy have ruined Christmas?

My Thoughts:  I enjoyed this Christmas tale. I love the idea of a Magic Christmas Key. I really love the idea of the whole family gathering in the country for Christmas and playing in the snow. I enjoyed the puppy and his role in the story. It's great for older kids starting to question Santa Claus. In some ways, the story reminds me The Polar Express with the question about the magic of Christmas and if there's an age you stop believing. While it's a picture book, it's a little long for readers. I would say it's perfect for early elementary school readers looking for a fun story about family, Christmas, and magic. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute

Source: Sent for Review

Holiday Review Thursday: The Santa Trap

Now that's it's snowed, it's officially time to read and review holiday books! They will range from picture book to teen books to adult romances.

Bradley is a horrible boy, so it's not surprise that each year Santa brings him a pair of socks. Bradley's fed up! He wants something more, something better. He devices a plan to trap Santa to take all the presents in his sack. The plan takes the whole year and involve crazy ideas, that just might work. 

My Thoughts: A funny, clever story about a horrible boy who wants everything he wants at the moment he wants it. Everyone can sympathize with that sentiment. However, his behavior is unpardonable.  I loved this book!

Cover Thoughts: Perfect - love the rest of the illustrations too!
Source: my Library.

Holiday Review Thursday: The Night Santa Got Lost

Now that's it's snowed, it's officially time to read and review holiday books! They will range from picture book to teen books to adult romances.

In the style of The Night Before Christmas, this story shares the night Christmas almost didn't happen. A blizzard moved in causing Santa to disappear from the radar. Instantly fighter jets take to the sky and they recover Santa, who's worried about all the time he lost in the blizzard. He enlists the help of the military to help deliver presents around the globe in hopes of reaching every girl and boy in time. 

My Thoughts: I don't normally review picture books, not be cause I don't read them, but because it's something I'm not used to doing.  I really enjoyed this story. It's a cute picture book that blends perfectly Christmas and the military. The story is clever  and refreshing. The illustrations are bold with the military jets, helicopters, battleships, submarines, and cruisers making their way into the scenes along side Santa's sleigh. My favorite illustration is the second spread of Santa flying beside Big Ben in the snow. It's amazing. I loved the back of the book with the explanations and the history of NORAD tracking Santa's journey.The history behind this story is funny and sweet. The other historical moments concerning Santa Claus were equally interesting and touching. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: Sent for review