Blog Tour: Reviews of Slothy Claus by Jodie Shepherd and Night Night, Angel by Amy Parker

 

Author: Jodie Shepherd
Illustrator: MacKanzie Haley

Publisher: Tommy Nelson

What will children do when a sluggish Slothy Claus doesn’t make it to their home in time for Christmas morning? This charming story helps kids learn that Christmas is about more than just presents under the tree.
Slothy Claus has lots of presents for good boys and girls this year, but how is this notoriously lethargic animal supposed to travel all around the world in just one night? You guessed it! Slothy takes his sweet time, and when kids wake up to empty stockings and bare trees, it feels like Christmas is ruined! How will they ever find happiness without their chocolates and toys?

Slothy Claus is equal parts humorous and heartwarming. Children ages 4 to 8 will

• learn that the joy of Christmas doesn’t come from material things but from the love between family and friends

• enjoy the delightfully funny one-of-a-kind artwork

• love the classic rhyme that will fill your own family’s Christmas with love, laughter, and a spirit of giving

Slothy Claus concludes with a summer scene complete with flip flops and a barbecue when Slothy Claus finally flies down in his sleigh to deliver gift after gift–for a special celebration of Christmas in July. With a bright, glittery cover, this fun picture book is the perfect gift for advent or Christmas.

My thoughts:

Slothy Claus is an adorable story about a very slow sloth who is tasked with bringing gifts to children on Christmas Eve.  He doesn't quite make it and the kids wake up with nothing under the tree.  After being upset, they begin to realize what the season really means and that they feel blessed with their friends and family.  Slothy does finally show up about 6 months later.  The illustrations are adorable and vibrant.  This is such a cute story and one I would have read to my kids when they were small. 

Author: Amy Parker

Illustrator: Virginia Allyn

Publisher: Tommy Nelson

‘Tis the season for joy! Celebrate the family fun and season’s blessings of Christmas with a young arctic fox as your family remembers that Jesus is the best gift of all. Amy Parker’s delightful rhymes and Virginia Allyn’s sweet illustrations make Night Night, Angel the perfect read-aloud for toddlers and preschoolers enjoying the Christmas season.

Little fox loves all the excitement that Christmas brings to the forest: making creative presents, placing the star on the tree, and making sure she is spotlight-ready for the big Christmas play. But soon she realizes that the perfect gift has already been given through the baby who arrived on the first Christmas night!
As the fourth seasonal title in the hugely successful Night Night bedtime storybook brand, this Christmas board book

• gives families a fun way to say goodnight during the Advent season

• celebrates the special moments of family holiday activities

• gently reminds children that Baby Jesus is the reason for the season

The Christmas theme and sparkling cover make Night Night, Angel perfect for an Advent gift, stocking stuffer, or Christmas morning surprise from parents, grandparents, Sunday school teachers, and friends. Your little angel will be ready to snuggle in for the night as together you celebrate the many blessings of Christmas!

My thoughts:

Night Night Angel is a board book that follows woodland creatures as they get ready for Christmas.  IT has colorfully illustrated scenes  that will definitely keep the attention of any young child.  There is a lot to discover on each page.  The story talks about the true meaning of Christmas. Each page ends with saying Night Night to something on the page.  This is a really cute story and one that is perfect for being used as a bedtime story.

Review tour for SLOTHY CLAUS and NIGHT NIGHT, ANGEL:

Monday, October 25th: @bookshelfmomma
Tuesday, October 26th: @literannie
Wednesday, October 27th: Stranded in Chaos and @sarastrand9438
Thursday, October 28th: @shobizreads
Friday, October 29th: Write Read Life
Monday, November 1st: @irishgirliereads
Wednesday, November 3rd: She Just Loves Books and @shejustlovesbooks
Friday, November 5th: View from the Birdhouse
Monday, November 8th: Blooming with Books
Wednesday, November 10th: A Holland Reads
Tuesday, November 16th: @bookscallmyheart
Wednesday, November 17th: Run Wright and @karen_runwrightreads
Thursday, November 18th: @parksidereads
Monday, November 22nd: Christian Chick’s Thoughts and @cctblog
Wednesday, November 24th: From the TBR Pile
Monday, November 29th: Bookworm for Kids
TBD: Friday, November 12th: @celiamcmahonreads
TBD: Monday, November 15th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Astray by Amy Christine Parker

Author: Amy Christine Parker
Publisher:  Random House Books for Young Readers
Date of publication: August 2014

Lyla is caught between two worlds. The isolated Community that she grew up in and the outside world that she’s navigating for the very first time. The outsiders call the Community a cult, but Pioneer miraculously survived a shooting that should have killed him. Are the faithful members right to stay true to his message? Is this just a test of faith? One thing is for sure: the Community will do anything to bring Lyla back to the fold. Trapped in a spider’s web of deception, will Lyla detect the sticky threads tightening around her before it’s too late? She’ll have to unravel the mystery of what Pioneer and the Community are truly up to if she wants to survive.

I've had this sequel in my TBR pile for a while.  I'm sorry that it took me so long to finish out this duology because Astray was really good. I was a little concerned that I might not be able to enjoy the book because it had been too long since reading Gated.  But, the author did a great job of reminding the reader what happened in Gated, so it didn't take long to reacquaint myself with everything.

I did enjoy Astray.  I felt like this one was a lot creepier than the first one.  Lyla is out of the cult, but she is definitely struggling,  The other members aren't making it easy for her to stay out.   The thing I really liked about this story is that it didn't portray things as all hearts and roses for Lyla.  Sure, she is out, but she still has a lot of inner turmoil about what she believes and if she made the right decision. Her struggle to fit in came across as realistic and believable.  

 I don't think this one would stand up well as a stand alone. If you haven't read this series, I highly recommend starting with Gated. 

Joint Review: Gated by Amy Christine Parker

Author:  Amy Christine Parker
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Date of publication: August 6, 2013

Do the gates keep the unchosen out or the chosen in?

In Mandrodage Meadows, life seems perfect. The members of this isolated suburban community have thrived under Pioneer, the charismatic leader who saved them from their sad, damaged lives. Lyla Hamilton and her parents are original members of the flock. They moved here following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, looking to escape the evil in the world. Now seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:

Pioneer is her leader.  Will is her Intended.  The end of the world is near.

I ultimately enjoyed Gated. But I will admit that the book frustrated me to no end.  I had a hard time reconciling the fact that the parents in this "community" actually bought into what Pioneer was feeding them.  So much that they gave up everything to follow this man.  I found I had to let all of that go in order to enjoy the book.  The scariest part of this book is that it isn't a dystopian present.  Because the reality is that there are people in real life who choose to believe things like this.

I liked Lyla and her strength in questioning Pioneer.  I was really rooting for her to turn things around.  There was the kind of love triangle, but it wasn't as annoying as they usually are in YA books.  The one things that kept creeping me out throughout the book was the quotes from real-life cult leaders that start each chapter.  I swear I kept getting shivers.  Definitely recommend this debut novel.

I, too, enjoyed Gated.  It's all about Pioneer leading these families into his "community" to prepare for Doomsday.  Have you watched Doomsday Preppers?  I don't think this scenario is too far off for some of these people.  It made me question how much of this is going on right now.  Are there groups of people living underground right now living out the apocalypse?  There might be!

This was one of the books Kari and I discussed quite a bit because she had a hard time believing that people would follow some crazy scheme like the Pioneer had, but I pointed out that history has proven that people will do those crazy things.  I think the quotes in the book by real cult leaders, like Jim Jones and Charles Manson, were brilliant to remind the reader that these thing have happened before.  Like Kari, I definitely recommend this book.