KISSES FOR KINDERGARTEN by Livingstone Crouse [Review and Giveaway]

My thoughts: Often books about going off to kindergarten with reluctance focus on the child's inability to separate from home and family to venture into the strangeness and unfamiliarity of kindergarten. In Kisses for Kindergarten the vibrant Stella Isabella Harden simply has another solution - her dog is going to hold classes and her dog says she doesn't need to go. Well, that is until the end of the book when they both realize that her dog can't help her with books.

I found the illustrations to be lively and cheerful - well, alright, downright funny. The joy exuding from the pages is sheer happiness. Stella Isabella is a cute, active, happy child and young readers will fall in love with her.

The rhyming lines and alliteration are fun and catchy. Rhymes always capture a child's attention when infused with rollicking rhythm and lively cadence.

Stella Isabella Harden

contemplating kindergarten

declared she didn't have to go,

because her puppy told her so.

This is a fun book and helps generate interest in going to kindergarten and presents it as a good opportunity for the child. After all, who doesn't want to learn to read the words on the pages of a book?

About the book: School is about to begin, and Stella Isabella Harden decides that kindergarten just isn't for her. Instead, she decides to spend the day learning from her puppy named Buster. Together these two adventurers plan a day full of playtime, teatime, naptime, and storytime.

After every "lesson," Stella gets the best reward: a kiss from her best friend and favorite puppy. But will she change her mind about kindergarten before the first day of school? Join Stella and Buster in this lyrical read-aloud and uplifting story about growing up.

About the Author and Illustrator:

Livingstone Crouse has spent the last 20 years either selling, editing, or writing books for children. He's even done all three at once! So recently he decided he'd focus entirely on writing the kinds of books he likes to read, books in verse that are filled with heart, word-play, and lots of laughs. Books like this one. Livingstone lives in a large, 200-year old farmhouse in New York's Hudson Valley with his husband and a dog named Kat. (And you can be fairly certain that Livingstone Crouse is not his real name. But don't tell anyone!)

Macky Pamintuan was born and raised in Davao, a city in the southern Philippines. As a young child, drawing was his favorite pastime and an activity that brought him delight and satisfaction. Early on, his parents discovered that giving him paper and pencil was a sure way to keep him busy, quiet, and out of trouble. He still remembers the day when he successfully drew Mickey Mouse and Superman, a huge breakthrough and a sweet triumph. He moved to San Francisco at age 21 and in 1998 enrolled in the Academy of Art College to pursue illustration. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in December 2003. When not illustrating, Macky enjoys playing basketball, his other true passion.

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Begins July 21

ENDS August 4 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT

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a Rafflecopter giveaway DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy on behalf of the Silver Dolphin Books and the author to facilitate a review. Opinions are my own and freely given.