I received a copy of The Perfect Name For You for my 5 year old son, assuming he’d like it, but I wasn’t expecting him to completely fall in love with the book. Like most kids his age he just loves seeing his name on just about anything, and to have it printed on his own picture book is the best thing that’s ever happened to him.

Having read a multitude of alphabet books, many of them using animals for each letter, it’s always refreshing to see a new twist on the genre. To celebrate the child’s birth, each animal brings something for each letter in their name – the moose brings an A for antlers, the lion brings an M for mane, the ant brings a P for picnic. There are multiple animals for each letter, so even though my son’s full name has 5 As in it — first, middle and last are all used — there were no repeats. Adding to the fun is a ladybug that can be found in each picture, and at the end is each letter of the alphabet brought by a different animal. My son loves to go through that list and point out the ones included in his book.

The Perfect Name For You is a wonderful gift for a new baby or preschool-aged child that will be cherished for years.

Birthday Keepsakes is offering a free personalized storybook to 1 winner, US or Canada only. Please leave a comment below and the winner will be announced on in this weekly book giveaway column on Monday February 6.

• The winner of House of Secrets is #26 Christina Gould.

 
Nancy is happy her son loves his name as much as she does. She writes about her 2 boys, books and life in Colorado at Life With My Boys and Books.

Thankfully there are people in the world who are always looking for faster and easier ways to do things! The good people at TechSmith are those kind of folks and they have come up with a great screen capture software called Snagit.

Snagit is an easy and fun to use screen capture software that lets you capture, edit and share images on your computer screen. Their cute little video will give you a quick overview of a few things you can do with the software:

So how did I use Snagit? I made a quick little Christmas list for The Man to give him some very specific ideas of items I might want to find under the tree this year!

It’s simple and easy to use Snagit

It was simple to use the Snagit capture button to grab an image, then I just switched over to the Snagit Editor to add comments and effects to give my hubby some hints about where to find these items. The whole thing took about 15 minutes from start to finish. Easy-peasy!!

My efforts were a little rudimentary compared to some of the examples I saw on the Snagit website, but with time, I’m sure I can do something more than a small Christmas tree and some “snagged” clips with callouts. Maybe something more like this sample:

I love that Snagit is so user friendly! The Snagit website has a library of short, easy to understand videos to assist beginners with screen capture and editing techniques. I was able to create my Christmas list in a few short minutes using basic tools after watching the “Introduction for New Users” video. By the time you’ve watched them all, you’ll know how to:

• Take a photo of your computer screen, including long webpages
• Enhance your image with arrows, text, and effects in the Snagit editor
• Share your creation – to documents, email, social media sites, and more!
• Organize your captures with easy auto-storing and tagging features

The cost for the software is $49.95, but Snagit offers a free 30 day trial so you can try it before you buy it. It’s available for both Windows and Mac users. I’m pretty excited to experiment with Snagit to see what kinds of fun things I can create.

How will you use Snagit?

Enter to win a subscription to Snagit

One lucky winner will be getting their very own subscription to Snagit. . . just in time for the Christmas holiday! To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment here letting us know how Snagit will help you plan those special Christmas lists.

This giveaway will end on December 27thth, 2011 at midnight ET and a winner will be chosen at random and announced shortly after. Please see our site’s terms and conditions for more information.

Written by 5 Minutes for Mom contributing reviewer, Geri. When I’m not busy picking up Legos and army guys, you can find me blogging at I Am Boymom.

Disclosure: This is part of a promotional campaign with Snagit.

So that’s one thing I love about digital books, They take up very little room. I know a lot of people want to say that digital books don’t hold the allure of a real book in your hands and maybe they’re right …. but they also might not have a book collection like I do. And honestly as long as you have a good story I don’t care how I read it.

I found out about an awesome site with a large collection of digital picture books for kids by authors worldwide that I really think you’ll want to check out.

Utales.com offers free sign up with a 15 days of unlimited access. Afterwards a full subscription is only $9.99. They also have apps for your iPad or iPhone. Now you can have your stories on the go!

Both children really liked the books available and it was quite hard to get Gracie away from the computer. She wanted to read all the books. Matthew liked the pictures best I think. They are so bright and inviting that you can’t help but want to look at each book.

This is a great way to get children interested in books and inspire them to read. Reading with your children will be something they remember forever.

Enter to win a full year subscription

10 lucky winners are going to receive a full year subscription to Utales.com. To enter the giveaway, simply tell us what your child’s favorite book was when they were little.

This giveaway will end on December 23, 2011 at midnight ET and a winner will be chosen at random and announced on Sunday in the weekly Around The Blogosphere. Please see our site’s terms and conditions for more information.

I was provided a free trial of Utales.com for review. All thoughts and opinions stated above are my own and were in no way influenced.

The Family Storybook Treasury is a beautiful treasure to give, receive, and pass down.

Each wonderful picture book in The Family Storybook Treasury is followed by a poem, some a few lines, some in unique sentence structures, and one with a riddle. The poems were perfect for those nights my kids wanted to squeeze in one more story. The audio CD is a delightful bonus with the storybook, each book is accompanied by music and some also have sound effects, such as sirens in Curious George and the Firefighters.

Includes eight complete picture books:

• Curious George and the Firefighters by Margret and H. A. Rey
• Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh
• Lyle Walks the Dogs by Bernard Waber, illustrated by Paulis Waber
• Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw, illustrated by Margo Apple
• Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
• Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
• The Great Doughnut Parade by Rebecca Bond
• Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

 
From the publisher:

Family, friends, your favorite characters. . .bring them all together at story time! Share the book that is sure to entertain, delight, and make the whole gang laugh. The Family Storybook Treasury is a collection of your most well-loved picture books and poetry, now available in one beautiful keepsake volume with bonus audio CD!

Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, we have a fantastic package for one (1) winner (U.S. addresses only):
 

• Copy of The Family Storybook Treasury
• Kid-safe headphones
• $50 American Express Gift Card to stock up your child’s library

 
Leave a comment to enter to win (U.S. shipping only), and the winner will be announced on December 26 in our weekly book review giveaway column.

Though this giveaway won’t be over by then, this is a great gift idea for a family or young child on your list, so consider buying one now, and if you win, you’ll be able to enjoy it yourself.
 

• The winner of the Richard Scarry’s Busytown Town Hall Deluxe Playset with DVD is #10 Melissa Nathan.

 
5 Minutes for Books reviewer Nancy loves reading these storybooks to her kids. She writes about her 2 boys, books and life in Colorado at Life With My Boys and Books.

With nearly half a billion people visiting its sites each year, Nextag offers three savvy online shopping tips for the holidays:

Tip #1: Create a budget. Already have a holiday shopping list? By knowing how much money is available to spend, you can effectively make decisions on the best thing to buy.

Tip #2: Make a list, check it twice, do something nice — and find the best price. Research and compare prices and gifts through online comparison shopping so you can splurge on more items. Nextag Radar is now available as a free iPhone app that lets shoppers search and compare products, organize their searches, and set shopping alerts to receive notifications when prices drop or new products become available. Nextag Dealforce is a free, social shopping app for the iPhone that provides up-to-the-minute deals posted by local shoppers. Both apps are available through the iTunes store and Android Market.

 Tip #3: If you prefer to shop in person, consider an app for your phone that can help you shop smart. Nextag Mobile is a free shopping app for the iPhone and Android that offers consumers product price comparison, research and shopping tools with barcode scanning, and image recognition technology.

Tip #4: Make money conversations fun – which will better engage your kids and avoid the eye rolls that tend to accompany these types of discussions.

Do you do anything to teach your kids about money?

Every year my kids are given a big can of change from my dad. It is their “official” yearly Christmas present. In that jar they both get well over $200 each. My husband and I do not allow them to just go hog wild. We make them sit down and write a list of some things they need such as socks, or something like that. Then we tell them that they need to put some aside for savings to use at a later date, and then the rest is free for them to use on a few wants.

By doing this we are teaching them that we don’t just blow our money because we have it. We need to use it wisely.

So how are you going to teach your child this Christmas season? Are you going to let them spend their money unwisely or are you going to teach them how to shop like a pro?

This post is part of a promotional campaign with Nextag.

For me, this is frustrating, so I was super glad to hear about UPS My Choice.

UPS is committed to making the on line shopping experience better – not just for shippers, but for the consumers who receive packages at their home as well. That’s why UPS is transforming the package delivery experience with a first-of-its kind, customizable delivery service for residential receivers called UPS My Choice.

UPS My Choice helps avoid the disappointment and hassle of missing a home delivery by empowering you, the shopper and consumer,  to take control of your UPS deliveries. This ground-breaking service increases the likelihood of a successful delivery on the first attempt by providing delivery alerts, specific delivery time frames, reroute options, a visibility dashboard and electronic signature release – all by accessing ups.com through a computer or mobile phone.

If you are like me and live a very busy lifestyle, then UPS My Choice could not have come at a better time! With expensive holiday packages arriving quite frequently, it’s nice to know that there is a program that will stop my worrying by ensuring that my package arrives when I am at home, or that I can re-route it to where I am at.

Which Membership Option Will You Choose?

UPS My Choice provides convenient options that align with the way people work and live. There are  two levels of membership:

oUPS My Choice members receive phone, e-mail or text alerts notifying them a day in advance of when packages will arrive and providing a four-hour approximate delivery time frame. They also have the option to electronically authorize release of packages that require a signature and, for a $5 transaction fee, to reroute a package to another delivery address or have it delivered to the nearest The UPS Store® location.

oUPS My Choice Premium Membership, available for a $40 annual subscription, provides all the benefits of a regular UPS My Choice membership at no additional cost and in addition, members gain access to an online delivery calendar that shows the status of UPS home deliveries. Premium members also are offered a two-hour delivery window. A $5 transaction fee is charged only upon successful delivery of the package within the two-hour commitment.

As a Premium member, consumers can even provide their UPS driver with detailed instructions on where to leave a package. They  just select from a drop-down list of location options like — leave it at the Side Door…the Garage…on the Porch…in the Management Office of my apartment complex or the Shed out back!

To register for UPS My Choice or for more information, visit UPS.com.

Enter to Win

UPS My Choice is giving away a $25 American Express gift card. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment here letting us know how UPS My Choice will make your life easier.

This giveaway will end on December 20, 2011 at midnight ET and a winner will be chosen at random and announced on Sunday in the weekly Around The Blogosphere. Please see our site’s terms and conditions for more information.

Disclosure Statement
UPS provided the gift card I am using as the prize in this promotion. All opinions are our own.

Those are the words that I hear whenever my children and I bring home another book from the incredible Can You See What I See? series. I’d be lying if I said that they are the only ones who lean over the pages with excitement, eager to be the first to find the hidden items. The kids and I have been enjoying Walter Wick’s latest “Picture Puzzle to Search and Solve” that shows a train set’s journey from workshop to gift table through a lifetime of play in Can you See What I See?: Toyland Express.

I love that Wick’s series goes beyond the simple search and find concept, for there is a sequential story depicted in every book. In Toyland Express, children will delight in seeing a wooden train set originate in the workshop, on display in a toy store window, get unwrapped on a happy birthday, and get played with in a variety of ways over the years. In our family, there is a consensus for favorite page, for the “mountain pass” spread is adorable in its simplicity, with a white comforter transformed into a miniature winter wonderland, and the train driving over a suspended bridge overhead. And, as always, in addition to the listed items to find on each two-page spread, there is always the little wooden man to find, too. We call him “the little guy,” and he’s often the first thing that we search for!

I’m always in awe over the sheer number of items in each picture, and I’ve often thought that the folks who put together the scenes must have a really, really fun job. From this video with Walter Wick talking about the ideas and inspiration behind Toyland Express, I am confident that they do indeed have a blast. Oh, and I found out that “the little guy” actually has a name! I can’t wait to show my kids the video and let them find out, too, but I bet we’re still going to stick with our pet name for him. Watch and find out for yourself:

With more than 250 items to search for, as well as a lovely story of the life of a toy train, don’t you think your kids would love a copy of Can you See What I See?: Toyland Express?

We’re happy to be hosting an incredible giveaway, and one lucky winner will receive a copy of this delightfully creative and fun book, along with FIVE other titles in the Can You See What I See? series! Please leave a comment to be entered, U.S. mailing addresses only. (I’ll think you’re extra cool if you tell me that you knew “the little guy’s” name before watching the video.)

For even more Can You See What I See fun, check out info about the series and give Walter Wick a like on Facebook.

• The winner of the The Ultimate Cake Mix Cookie Book is #70 Leslie Silva.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again – I LOVE BOOKS!

And one thing that makes them even better is if they are personalized just for you.

When I was small my aunt purchased a book for me that was personalized and it was one of my favorites to read over and over again. To this day I always feel quite special when reading it.

So when my daughter was born I immediately ordered one for her and I was recently just thinking about how my son was going to have to get a personalized book soon. Then I was given an opportunity to do a review for Champion Me Books.

Champion Me Books allows you to personalize a book for your child by adding their name and designing a unique character look. They have four original stories to choose from such as: {Your Child’s Name} and the Stonkeropolous, {Your Child’s Name} vs the Scribble Monster, {Your Child’s Name} in Gadgetland, and {Your Child’s Name} n the Great Escape of Mighty Star! These stories allow your child to become their very own super hero!

You also have the choice of a softback copy or an e-book copy.

I was provided with a softback copy and three digital copies; one of each story.

I just have to say these are some seriously cute stories and the kids loved hearing their names read and seeing the character created after them. The softback copy we received is a very good quality and for the price ($24.95) it’s a great deal.

If you’re looking for a special gift for a child in your life, whether it be Christmas, Birthday, etc., this is definitely something to think about. They will treasure the story book for a long time after they are grown.

Giveaway Time!

2 winners will get to spend $40 on creating personalized stories for their avid readers. To enter, visit the Champion Me site and tell us which story you think your child would like best!

This giveaway is a part of the 5 Minutes for Mom Christmas Giveaway 2011. Please follow the link for more information, as well as for a complete list of all giveaways as they post throughout the month of November. Entries for all giveaways will close Saturday, December 3rd at 7pm CST. Winners will be drawn randomly and we will announce the winners Monday, December 5th. We will email winners at the address accompanying the winning comments.

I was provided the books for review. My opinion stated above was in no way influenced in any way.

Be sure to subscribe to 5 Minutes for Deals e-mail or RSS newsletter so you don’t miss a single Christmas holiday deal.  And, to join in on the conversation (plus get more deal updates),  “Like” 5 Minutes for Deals on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter!

How are you going to know that perfect present for all of them?

Well, if they are anything like my family, everyone is on Facebook.  Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a way to have everyone’s wish lists right on Facebook?  And wouldn’t it be nice if you could just buy those wished for items right from Facebook?

Now there is!  It’s called Shopcade.

What is Shopcade?  It’s a social media shopping experience.   Shopcade’s social shopping application provides users with their own virtual shop to personalize and fill with the products they love.  They can even recommend the items to their friends and followers.

I’ve had the chance to play around with Shopcade for the past few days and it is so much fun.  It’s like having my own giant virtual mall filled with the things that I love.  Some of my (random) items that I’ve put in my store include flame-less candles, a wooden advent calender, an iphone 4, and more.

I’ve even tried to make a small wish list for my children’s Christmas.  Instead of sharing a ton of links with their aunts and uncles about what they would like for the holiday, I’ve put some puzzles, games, and craft supplies into my store.  Then I shared the link with my family.

Do you know what is even more fun about this application?  Every time someone buys something from my store, I earn money.  This is great for us bloggers who recommend things because you can link right back to your own store.  Everyone benefits financially when there is a sale, because both the buyer(Fan) and recommender receive a commission.  You can even personalize your store to make it reflect your own personal style.

Best of all?  The app is totally free.  The item is purchased on the retailer’s site, so there is no hassle or fees for Shopcade shop owner.  And with over 40 million products from leading brands and retailers, there’s always something for everyone.

Share, Shop and Prosper with Shopcade!

Disclosure: This is a paid campaign with Shopcade but all opinions are my own.  Happy Shopping!

This post was written by Guest contributor Safire.

I don’t know about you, but I am really tired of shopping in stores lately. Every year, the crowds seem to get meaner and the holiday spirit that used to be there just isn’t anymore. I ask myself all the time, what has happened to our generation?

I proposed last year that most or all of my holiday shopping was going to be done online. By doing it this way, I will be able to avoid long lines, shoving shoppers, and keep a handle on my budget!

This year, Mastercard is going to help me out–and pay me $20 extra for doing so!

All I have to do is shop online through their awesome program. It keeps track of my puchases and when I hit a certain goal, they will email me a code to claim $20. It’s a very simple and secure process. It is almost like signing up for a rewards program–without having to carry an extra card!

Here is the information straight from Mastercard:

Today I have a special holiday gift for all the hardworking moms out there!

MasterCard wants you to relax this season so why not take some time for yourself, avoid a trip or two to those overcrowded malls and get some of your shopping done online in the comfort of your own home, and get rewarded for it? Beyond that, you’ll also enjoy the ease of budget management through simplified online tracking of your purchases!

Signing up is easy!

All you have to do to receive your $20 MasterCard gift card is go to this link , enroll with your MasterCard card (credit or debit) and e-mail address, shop online with that card between November 15 and December 31, 2011. After spending $200 online you’ll receive and e-mail where you can redeem your gift card reward.

So what are you waiting for? Go sign up NOW and get started on your holiday shopping Mom! You deserve a break this year too.

This promotion is only for U.S. residents.

Happy Holidays!

This is a paid campaign through Mastercard. All opinions are our own.

Now, it’s not every day that a new book gets an endorsement from Eric Carle on the back cover, but Razzle-Dazzle Ruby receives this incredible honor, and it’s one that is well-deserved. When Ruby awakens to a snow-filled outdoors, her imagination immediately jumps into action. With her scruffy puppy pal Rocket by her side, she’s ready for an adventure that sees her as a snow queen and Rocket as her “knight in barking armor.” Soon enough, she meets up with a friend who shares in her skating, snow angel-making, and sledding fun. By the end of the day, Ruby is ready to head home, but she’s already got plans brewing for the next day’s play!

Ruby definitely lives up to her Razzle-Dazzle name, both in spirit and in appearance, with her stripey tights, fluffy winter coat, and brightly colored scarf and hat. Throughout the book, children can share in the Razzle-Dazzle as well, for each page includes a special pull-tab, rotating wheel or pop-up feature that only heightens the magic. Want to see the book in action for yourself? Check it out:

Would you like to win a copy of Razzle-Dazzle Ruby and bring the magic of a snowy day’s adventure to a child in your life? Two lucky winners will receive a copy of the book, along with a $25 Visa Cash Card and a pair of red and white striped tights! Please leave a comment here to be entered– we’d love to hear about your own childhood snowy adventures! (US mailing addresses only, please.) Winners will be announced here on 11/21.

The winners of Running Away to Home are #14 Tami M. and #15 Idaho Jill and #31 ibeeeg (#4 from the extra entry at 5M4B).

5 Minutes for Books staff reviewer Dawn splits her time teaching preschool, parenting three wacky kids and occasionally blogging at my thoughts exactly.

We are huge book lovers around here. We read all the time, and that includes the wee ones. I encourage that whenever I can. We make weekly trips to the library, and we have a huge bookshelf filled with their books. I’ve even passed along some of my books that I grew up reading. They love looking at the books I have that were personalized, and I’ve purchased a few for them, as well. Those are the books they read over and over again.

“I’m In It!” eBooks for kids

I recently had the opportunity to create a personalized book for Mister Man that was an ebook, which was new for me. I love that it’s instantaneous – as soon as you complete your purchase, you download it and voila! I’m In It Books allows you to download your book to a NookColor, iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac or PC. If the book isn’t for your child, you can also send it as a gift by simply entering the recipient’s email address for that person to download.

There are currently five books available from The Yeti, where you have to save your town from the Yeti, to First Day of School where the child attends an underwater school for the first time.

Each book costs only $3.99, with an additional $1 if you want to customize the character to look more like your child. The customization isn’t worth it in my opinion, as the choices are very limited and don’t do much to look more like your own child – and for 25 percent of the cost of the book, I’d rather buy an additional book. That said, I really like that most of the books are available in Spanish and English, with Captain Boon and the Neptunians also available in French. Little Miss is in a Spanish school, and we’re always struggling to find more and new books in Spanish for her to read, so this is a great way to do something special for her, too.

It’s easy to create a personalized book

The process of creating the book was easy, as well. You simply choose the book you want and the language, then enter information about the child star – name, nickname, gender, and any personal message up to 250 characters that you want at the start of the book. There is a function to preview the personal message and the book itself, but though I tried repeatedly, I couldn’t get anything but a blank page to load. Fortunately my book turned out well, so not previewing it was not an issue.

Both Mister Man and Little Miss loved the book I downloaded – Volcanoes with Dr. Sparx!. The book contained a lot of factual information about volcanoes, although Mister Man claimed he already knew everything in it except that the lava that comes from underwater volcanoes turns into lava pillows. He’s read the book multiple times and now asks to read it on my iPad when we’re at Little Miss’s gymnastics instead of wanting to play a game. I’m all for that! Even though this was a “boy” book, Little Miss enjoyed reading it, as well. She wants to know when she gets a book starring herself.

Enter to win your own personalized ebook!

“I’m In It!” books has given us an ebook to give away. The winner will receive a book from the I’m In It catalog to personalize for a child. All you need to do to enter is leave a comment below telling me what your favorite book was growing up.

This giveaway will end on November 1, 2011 at midnight ET and a winner will be chosen at random and announced the following Sunday in the weekly Around The Blogosphere. Please see our site’s terms and conditions for more information.

Disclosure: I received an ebook for purposes of this review. I was also compensated for writing this review, but all thoughts and opinions remain my own.

Written by 5 Minutes for Mom contributing reviewer, Michelle. You can find her with her nose stuck in a book somewhere or possibly blogging at Honest & Truly! or hanging out on Twitter @honestandtruly.

Stock photo of mother and children reading from 123RF Stock Photos.

Poor little Llama Llama, he woke up feeling not so good, and has to (gets to?) stay home with Mama Llama until he’s feeling better. Mama takes good care of her little llama, and he’s feeling better after a nap. Unfortunately poor Mama is also coming down with a cold, so Llama Llama decides it’s his turn to be the caregiver.

The Llama Llama books are so cute and tons of fun. We love the way his tongue pokes out when he realizes he’s sick, or when he’s concentrating, or when he has to take the gucky medicine. There may even be a “bleh” kind of sound that goes with it in our house. There’s also the obligatory “freak-out,” although with the subject of runny noses, it’s not the most pleasant of spreads. But of course that’s why kids will love it!

Llama Llama Home with Mama is a bit calmer than previous books but I think the subject lends itself to a quieter presentation. The pictures, done on canvas, are a little more muted, but still provide the perfect background for the story. Kids will sympathize with Llama Llama, both with his illness and boredom.

Penguin is providing us with a wonderful package for (1) winner (U.S. address only), who will receive a copy of Llama Llama Home With Mama, PLUS every other title in the Llama Llama book series (4 additional titles), AND the adorable Llama Llama Plush! Leave a comment to be entered to win. The winner will be announced on October 3.

Check at Dawn’s post over at 5 Minutes for Books today encouraging parents and kids to Read for the Record (and telling you how you can get a free copy of another Llama Mama book!).

The winner of Yankee Doodle Dixie is #25 Suzanne.

5 Minutes for Books staff reviewer Nancy admits to enjoying the downtime that comes with sick kids. She writes about her 2 boys, books and life in Colorado at Life With My Boys and Books.

Meet Bailey, a dog who surprises and charms his fellow human classmates with his irrepressible antics. In this funny new book from the bestselling children’s illustrator Harry Bliss, school proves to be an unexpected place for Bailey to do all sorts of things he loves: reading, fetching, painting, digging, singing — and making friends!

From chasing the bus in the morning (because he was running late) to chewed up homework (the dog ate his own!), Bailey’s school adventures are funny, and what young child wouldn’t love to have an adorable canine classmate like him? Math, art, lunch and recess are among his favorite times of day, which no doubt will be something many kids can relate to. Short lines of text move the story along, but the details are in the “speech bubbles” that appear in all the illustrations. The inner thoughts of some children are shown, as well as the conversations that are had by the students and teachers at school, and it’s clear that Bailey has a great impact upon this school community! Harry Bliss’s humor shines here, guaranteeing giggles from the children who hear or read it. Attention teachers, this picture book will definitely make for a great read aloud option during this time of year!

Want to see Bailey in action? Check out the cute short book trailer:

Feeling dog-gone lucky? We’re happy to have three chances for you to win a copy of Bailey by Harry Bliss, along with a $25 Visa Gift Card, perfect for last minute school supply shopping. Please leave a comment here to be entered, U.S. mailing addresses only. We will announce our winners on September 26.

The winner of Where You Left Me is #29, Natalie Krusemeier.

5 Minutes for Books staff reviewer Dawn is experiencing her own back to school fun these days, with her return to teaching preschool. Sadly, there are no canine members of her class. She does still strive to blog again someday at my thoughts exactly, once she gets this full-time work thing down again.

You can read Lauren’s review to get her impression of these two stories, and I’d like to add my own praise to hers. My two youngest children, aged 3 and 5, are huge fans of Ladybug Girl, and have been since we borrowed the first picture book from the library a couple years ago. You can see this character’s spirit from the cover images above, and I think that’s what is most appealing to young kids about these books. Lulu is a regular little kid, just like them, whose experiences mirror their own- whether it’s about a first trip to the beach, with its overwhelming size that can initially worry a small child, or it’s about figuring out how to be a good friend during a playdate. These gentle stories are realistic and reassuring for children, and it’s easy to love Lulu in every story.

For even more adventures, check out Ladybug Girl online. Try the Bug Squad Rock Painter game, or the “Ladybug Girl is Definitely not LITTLE game” for fun art and action games. For offline activities, print out one of the fifteen Ladybug Girl activity and color pages, and your kids can give Lulu their own look.

Giveaway time! Two lucky readers will win copies of Ladybug Girl at the Beach and Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad, as well as Lulu herself in doll form! Please leave a comment here to be entered, open to U.S. and Canada residents. We’ll announce our winners here on 9/4.

The winner of the NIV Bible is #51 Kristin.

Dawn and her children share a love for books, and picture books line many, many shelves in their small home. They also get special attention on her blog, my thoughts exactly, each week in the series friday’s five.