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| This post is being shared on a "blog hop" hosted by Mama The Fox. A blog hop is a grand opportunity for you to see several fun giveaways in one spot and enter many. |
Grandparents’ Day is Sunday, September 10, and Candlewick has the perfect cozy stories for reading and sharing with loved ones! You can celebrate this generational love by providing opportunities for children and grandparents to join together and engage in activities.
Betty and the Mysterious Visitor By Anne Twist | Ages 3-7
The mysterious night visitor that's tearing up the flower garden is a badger. Sweet Betty devises a plan to scare the badger away and save the fruit and berry crop. She's successful.
I like the book's bright and cheerful illustrations. I like the depiction of an English village and rows of houses with garden plots.
I enjoyed the loving relationship the child and grandmother have and how the grandmother is teaching and letting the child help in the preparation and sale of jellies and jams.
A sweet story.
About the book: An exciting debut author, beloved on social media, spins a delightful homegrown mystery for young readers
Betty loves visiting Grandma and playing in her beautiful garden, Acorn Hollows. It is her most favorite place in the whole world! Together they tend to Grandma’s wildflowers and berry bushes, and even make jam to sell at the local farmers market. But when a mysterious creature starts destroying the Hollows, Betty is determined to find a way to stop it. Can she come up with a plan to save their beloved garden?
Debut author Anne Twist creates a truly touching celebration of nature and time spent together, lovingly brought to life by renowned illustrator Emily Sutton’s exuberant, joyful images.
Masala Chai, Fast and Slow By Rajani LaRocca | Ages 3-7
My thoughts: This is a story about a child from India and his grandfather, his Thatha. They enjoy each other's company so much and while Aarav in his boyish zeal zips and runs about, his grandfather paces himself as he strolls, saunters, and shuffles. Daily they enjoy a late afternoon tradition - making masala chai (spiced tea).
Thatha slowly and deliberately prepares this treat which is his, and perhaps the way of India, method of making the chai. But young Aarav is impatient and wants to hurry along the process.
After grandfather has an accident, Aarav decides to make some chai himself. The process is a disaster.
A cute and sweet story of intergenerational love.
Aarav loves his grandfather very much, but they’re as different as water and molasses. Where Aarav runs and races, Thatha likes to saunter and stroll. Every day at five o’clock, Thatha makes masala chai for the family, and no matter how much Aarav urges him to hurry, Thatha insists on taking his time. “Masala chai cannot be rushed,” says Thatha. “It must be made carefully.” One day, when Thatha sprains his ankle and must rest on the couch, Aarav eagerly decides he’d like to make the chai himself—after all, what would make his grandfather feel better than a cup of warm, spiced sweetness? But no matter how hard Aarav tries, his rushing causes him to miss some crucial step. Will Aarav be able to slow down and get the recipe right? With charming illustrations by Neha Rawat that are as enticing as the aroma of spiced tea, author Rajani LaRocca invites readers in for a visit with Aarav and his family—and shares her favorite masala chai recipe at the end.
Grandpa is Here By Tanya Rosie | Ages 3-7
My thoughts: This story and the accompanying illustrations is filled with sweetness. Generational relations are grand in this story. The young family is awaiting the arrival of Grandpa from Iran to their home for a visit. It is a mixed international family (so I gather) of English and Iranian nationals. The sweet little girl doesn't speak Grandpa's language but they understand each other. She shares her home and environs with him. They have a nice family gathering.
She is sad because he will only be visiting for the Winter.
The story is woven in lines of gently cadenced words that have a naturally flowing rhyme. So the "read" is a lovely experience as well as the story and illustrations.
We speak different languages, Grandpa and I, but how we laugh and laugh and laugh.
Grandpa is finally here to visit! He’s brought a suitcase smelling of Persian spices, walnuts picked from his trees at home, and sparkly saffron to make yellow rice. And Grandpa and granddaughter have so much they want to see and do together. She shows him all her favorite the mountaintops, the tunnel she discovered, and the horse in the field. If only Grandpa could stay longer, then he could see the spring—but when time together is limited, it feels all the sweeter and more special. In a touching follow-up to Mum, Me, and the Mulberry Tree , Tanya Rosie and Chuck Groenink deliver a tenderly told and beautifully illustrated picture book about the magical bonds between families, even those spread out across the world.
A Gift From Abuela By Cecilia Ruiz | Ages 4-8
My thoughts: This is a somewhat sad children's book. Set in Mexico City (one of the largest cities in the World), it begins with the birth of a baby girl and her dear grandmother, her Abuela, taking care of her. This continues through her toddler years. The visits, care, and relationship wane as the child, Nina, begins school.
Governmental change comes and is expressed, for the sake of this story, as a change in money. So the old money is out and the new money is in. Nina's Abuela had been saving (in a jar atop the refrigerator) bits of money for years for something special for Nina. She forgot the money and neglected to change it.
One day after school Nina discovers her Abuela has grown older and careless and helps her out by cleaning and cheering her up.
A sweet generational story.
The first time Abuela holds Nina, her heart overflows with tenderness. And as Nina grows up, she and Abuela spend plenty of time together. Abuela can't help thinking how much she'd like to give Nina a very special treat, so she saves a little bit of her money every week -- a few pesos here, a few pesos there. When the world turns upside down, Abuela's dream of a surprise for Nina seems impossible. Luckily, time spent together -- and the love Abuela and Nina have for each other -- could turn out to be the very best gift of all. With a soft and subtle hand, author-illustrator Cecilia Ruiz draws from her own history to share a deeply personal tale about remembering what's most important when life starts to get in the way.
GIVEAWAY
2 Winners will Win All 4 Books
Value about $70
Open September 1 - 15 @ 11:59 p.m. EDT
Open to USA & CANADA addresses
Canadian winners must provide phone number. NO P.O. BOXES.
This hop is hosted by MamatheFox 🦊
MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations. Click the blogs/links below to open other giveaway opportunities you can enter.
DISCLOSURE: I received books to facilitate a review. Opinions expressed are mine, alone and are freely given. Prize for Chat With Vera contest/giveaway is provided and shipped directly to the winner by publisher or publicist. Chat With Vera is not responsible for lost or misdirected prizes.
letters to heaven
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about this, aperry. I removed this comment because of the secret word answer but I will count the entry as a verified entry. The box is fixed on the Rafflecopter widget. Thanks for the input
DeleteThe secret word entry does not have a box in the widget. The secret word starts with g.
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
Sorry about that Nancy. I've fixed the box. I'll keep it in mind and check here for winner validation if your entry is a winning one.
DeleteIn our family, grandparents and grandchildren like to read together and do crafts together.
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
Oops, no box: g********s
ReplyDeleteThanks, I've fixed it on the entry form now. Sorry about that.😔
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ReplyDeletejjmon2012 sorry I had to remove the comment as it revealed the secret word. I'll count it as an entry. The box as now been added to the Rafflecopter entry form so info on secret word can be input.
DeleteNo, I wish. We live far from the grandparents. They send birthday and Christmas gifts.
ReplyDeleteMy sons were very close to their grandparents. They visited each other often.
ReplyDeleteTo remember their Birthdays
ReplyDeleteI had to go back & check but the Mama the Fox giveaway still isn't open.
ReplyDeleteI taught my sons to be respectful to their elders through conversations with them, by spending time with their grandparents, books etc.
ReplyDeleteI live in a senior high rise and great niece has been coming here since she was a baby. She has great grandmother that lives here and there is a lot of love. Facebook memories of there time together makes you smile. Her grandmother (father) lives her now and zay spends a lot of time with her. And I great aunt spend a lot of time with zay. She has other grandparents that don't live here. Zay has been coming in since she was baby and has grown up here. When she comes into the building she hugs so many people, dances with the maintenace men. People see her and her red head mommy coming and they open the door for them. She has love and respect for so many people.
ReplyDeleteThis is so sweet. Good for her and good for these seniors.
DeleteWe have encouraged our grand children to live by the words to the song "That's what friends are for". Our 4 year old sang it to everyone at his party.
ReplyDeleteI will check in on a friend today
ReplyDeleteI made soup for a friend
ReplyDeleteMy daughter (8) shoveled snow for our neighbor When she came in I said that was nice she replied she is old and her sidewalk had lots of snow
ReplyDeleteSpending as much time as possible with grandparents and encouraging them to participate in shared hobbies together!
ReplyDeleteI'm a grand parent and I encourage my grand kids with a welcoming and goodbye hug.
ReplyDeleteMy six kiddos at home only have one grandparent alive, and she has dementia so I don’t make them do anything for her.
ReplyDeleteWe try to have them get to know them and how they came to be - what their lives were like and how they lived. We, as adults, show respect and in doing so, hope the children will learn by example.
ReplyDelete