You may remember that a while ago I mentioned how I wanted to get Little Arizona for Eleanor. Well, lucky for me, Sleeping Bear Press, the publisher of the Little State series, sent me several books for review.
Where to Sleep is a pretty board book starring a little cat looking for a place to sleep. The kitten tries lots of places, but some are "too crowded with toys and things", and sleeping with the chicken flock doesn't work, because those chickens "stay up late and talk, talk, talk." But finally the kitten finds the perfect place to sleep: "All curled up at my best friend's feet." The illustrations are beautiful, and the text is cute. This book would great for anywhere from about 9 months on up.
The other three books are all part of the "Little" series, and follow the same format. On each page is a close-up of part of an image, and a riddle. Once you turn the page you'll find the full picture with the riddle's answer. The riddles are a little tricky for tinies, so I wouldn't recommend this book for less than two year olds. The illustrations are brightly colored, almost like paintings, and the comparison between the close-ups and then the full-scene shots is interesting.
Little Arizona features riddles like "Yip and howl, hunt and roam. A desert den is my home" superimposed over some eyes staring. Flip the page, and "Answer: Coyote" is revealed.Another riddle says, "I need little water, lucky for me. Green trunk and twigs, I'm the state tree." The "Answer: Palo Verde" page has a painting of an adobe house surrounded by palo verde trees.
Little America starts with, "On America's birthday, the Fourth of July, colorful colors explode in the sky." (Answer? Fireworks)I particularly like the page, "Baked in the oven, round and sweet, try a slice for a tasty treat." (Apple pie)
Little Baseball is equally cute - but I'm not a sports person and Noel's a football guy, so it's not really for us. "'Stee-rike!' he shouts. And then, 'Strike two!' 'Strike three. You're out!' shouts the man in blue." (Umpire). The book ends, "'Yea, yea, yea!' yells the crowd. You've read this little book out loud. Now grab your bat and a ball; baseball is a thrill for all!" I think if you're a baseball kind of family you'd love this one.I decided I couldn't keep all these great books just for us, so in honor of Eleanor's 2nd birthday I'm giving away TWO books to you! One commenter will win both Little Baseball and Where to Sleep
UPDATE: The winner is commenter #9 Lynda who loves to watch college basketball & pro football!
I'll be emailing you soon Lynda!
This post contains affiliate links. I requested and received review copies of these books. To enter to win, leave a comment by midnight on Sunday April 29th. I will randomly choose 1 winner and contact you via email to get your address (US addresses only please). For up to 2 additional entries, tweet about this giveaway, mentioning @quirkybookworm in your tweet, or mention the giveaway in your status on Facebook, and come back and leave separate comments telling me that you did so.
