When I was a little girl, I loved Danny and the Dinosaur by by Syd Hoff. When I discovered that Candy and the Cankersaur pays tribute to this very book, I was so excited to read it!

Candy and the Cankersaur written and illustrated by Jason Sandberg
Self-published on June 17, 2012
Pages: 32
Format: eBook
Source: From the author
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This is the sweet and funny tale of a young girl named Candy and a Cankersaurus Rex! Candy receives a dinosaur as a gift and is determined to train him to be a good pet.

This book is so much fun, and so cute! It totally and completely reminds me of Danny and the Dinosaur. The colors and the illustration style are just like those in Syd Hoff’s book, and I could not help but think of Danny when I read about Candy.

Candy lives in a mansion with her rich dad. All she wanted was to be able to spend more time with him, but since he was always so busy, he decided she needed a really cool pet to keep her company. All of a sudden, a plan lands in her yard carrying a Cankersaurus Rex from The Island that Time Forgot. Candy was scared at first, but decided her new dinosaur, Cank, would be fun to train. They had a lot of fun together, even though Cank kept biting things, until her jealous neighbor, Chucky, decided to kidnap Cank. If he can’t have a dinosaur, then nobody can. Chucky sells Cank to a circus. But then he felt bad because he took his little crush on Candy too far. Candy, Chucky, and her dad decide to save him.

Candy and the Cankersaur is a sweet book for boys and girls. The colorful pictures and silly story will keep them captivated to the very end. I also love the message the book portrays: friendship is better than having the best toys. That’s something all children can learn. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a fun, colorful story and a good teaching opportunity.

City Cat by Kate Banks, illustrated by Lauren Castillo
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux on November 19, 2013
Pages: 48
Format: ARC
Source: From the publisher
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A family prepares for a European vacation, and a stray cat stows away among the luggage. As the family journeys from one city to the next, the clever cat finds its own way to follow–by boat, bus, train, truck, and bike. Children will delight in cat spotting as they visit and learn about landmarks, from the Colosseum to Notre Dame Cathedral to Buckingham Palace, on this colorful tour. Rhythmically told and masterfully illustrated, City Cat will keep readers dreaming of adventure–long after the family returns home, cat in tow.

City Cat is absolutely adorable. I loved following City Cat as he traveled across Europe to places in Italy, France, Spain, England, The Netherlands, and Germany. Each page colorfully illustrates where he is, and what he’s up to. You see City Cat scaling the Colosseum walls, drinking from Parisian fountains, shopping in markets, standing at attention during the changing of the guards, and and trotting across the Bridge of Sighs. Along the way, readers learn a little about each location. There’s a picture glossary in the back that sums up the facts from each place. There’s also a map that show readers how much of Europe City Cat traversed.

The illustrations are very cute and full of character, done it what looks like a mixture of pastel and crayon. The lines whimsically scratchy, like a child could have done them but much more advanced. The artist took some liberty with the colors and the architectural renderings, but that’s what makes it fun. City Cat has the sweetest little face, as you can see on the book’s cover. I particularly love the picture in Venice of The Bridge of Sighs. I’ve been to Venice and stood in this exact spot, and this image makes me want to go back right away!

City Cat is such a cute book, is written very well, and made me want to travel to all these places again! And I love cats, so this book was just perfect for me. I know children will enjoy finding this sweet little kitty in all the pictures as they learn about Europe!

Title: Riding on a Beam of Light
Author: Ramsey Dean
Illustrator: Noah Hamden
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Publisher: The Light Beam Riders
Format: PDF
Source: JKS Communications (thanks!)
Buy It: Amazon
Add It: Goodreads

Albert Einstein adamantly emphasized the importance of imagination. In this vividly illustrated storybook, lights-out turns into learning as we’re swept away by young Albert Einstein’s fantastical, and ultimately world-changing idea in an adventure that’s reminiscent of classics like Harold and the Purple Crayon and Where the Wild Things Are. At it’s heart is a story about imagination and dreaming, adventurous and engaging, with gorgeous illustrations that captures our grown-up hearts and our children’s curiosity.

I’m so happy to be here today with another fun book for children! This one is all about young Albert Einstein, a boy who grew into a man whose ideas changed the world. I have always been fascinated by him. I think we all remember the days when mom would come in and turn out the lights, plunging our bedrooms into darkness in the hopes that we would drift off to sleep soon. Did that ever really happen? No. Some of us pulled out flashlights and read under the covers. Some of us jumped out of bed and built a fort in the dark. Albert went on space adventures, and this book takes us along for the ride.

I think the thing I love most about Riding on a Beam of Light is the strong emphasis placed on curiosity, discovery, imagination, and free thinking. Albert is proof that young minds can do great things, and that message is conveyed to readers. The whimsical rhyming and illustrations bursting with color strike up a feeling of awe and excitement. It’s absolutely magical. I also think that this is a wonderful way to introduce science at an early age. I’ve run across many Einstein wannabes in my years of teaching and working with kids, and I can just picture a few of them absolutely LOVING Riding on a Beam of Light. I’m going to end with my very favorite illustration from the book. I think Mr. Einstein would agree that this is where it all started.

Title: Bronte & Frank Go to Beverly Hills (Children’s Traveltivity Guides)
Author: Megan Worthy
Design and Characters: Danielle Forrest
Illustrator: Nicole Moon
Series: Yes!
Release Date: November 11, 2011
Publisher: Worthy Hen Productions
Format: Finished hardcover (signed by Bronte!)
Source: The author (thanks!)
Add It: Goodreads
Buy it here

BRONTE & FRANK GO TO BEVERLY HILLS – takes you on a fun-filled adventure around the city of Beverly Hills in California. The heartwarming story of a little girl and her teddy bear is a hardcover picture book, featuring stunning illustrations, is packed with educational activities, stickers, postcard, 3D map, insider recommendations and a bonus CD – Ages 3+.

SYNOPSIS – Bronte & Frank arrive in Beverly Hills in spring and although Frank is not fond of busy cities, he agrees to head outdoors with Bronte to explore some famous landmarks – during their adventure to Greystone Mansion, Frank must face one of his most secret fears…

I am Bronte and Frank’s biggest fan, and wrote a review for their trip to Moscow last year. I was positively delighted when Megan wrote to me and asked if I would review this one for her.

This book is just as adorable as the first one, and I think what I love most is all the little extras that come with it. It’s not only cute and funny, it’s educational and entertaining. It is perfect for a little one who is interested in traveling or learning about new places, and particularly for families heading to Beverly Hills themselves. The book provides Beverly Hills information websites, a map, packing list, jet lag tips, news, emergency numbers, medical information, activity pages, and Spanish words to practice. It even comes with a post card to send to your friend, and a CD with sounds of Beverly Hills. Bronte sings a very passionate rendition of The Star Spangled Banner for us on this CD, and it’s too cute for words. Also included on this CD is Bronte reading her book to you, with her cute little expressive voice and musical sound effects. Give your child the book, some crayons, and a CD player and headphones, and they will be entertained for quite a while, singing along and giggling.

The story is so sweet. Bronte is the adventurous traveler, and scaredy-cat Frank is there to be reluctantly dragged through all the excitement. Readers will join them as they explore Rodeo Drive, Roxbury Drive, creepy Greystone Mansion, the Beverly Hills Children’s Library, learn some Spanish, take a Trolley Tour, scope out the celebrities, and Julie Andrews’s home (and Bronte sings Doe, a Deer from The Sound of Music for us). All the while, Frank is too scared, too bad a singer, and too shy. I think it’s so cute how Bronte is always getting Frank to go out of his comfort zone. And I also love that no matter how much they love going on vacation, they are always happy to return home again.

Honestly, this book is going into my pile of favorites, and I hope Megan continues writing more installments in this series. I just know children will love going on all these fun trips with Bronte and her little bear, Frank.

And, I will leave you with an adorable page from the book. This image, and more, can be found at bronteandfrank.com.

Oh, and Megan has also started making special bags for kiddos to take their traveltivity guides everywhere! They are adorable! This one here is my favorite. You can choose from a number of different fabrics here.

Homemade with love in Beverly Hills by Megan Worthy (author of the global adventure series – Bronte & Frank), designed particularly for little people to tote their TRAVELTIVITY GUIDES around town.  With reinforced straps, these fully reversible bags are made from 100% cotton and utilize locally manufactured fabrics.