Review: THE BACKUP BUNNY by Abigail Rayner and Illustrated by Greg Stones (C)

*A finished hardcover copy of THE BACKUP BUNNY was sent to me for free by the publisher NorthSouth Books via its publicist company, Nicole Banholzer LLC, for an honest review. All thoughts here are my very own. Any problems, concerns, questions, etc. please contact me via email - thebumblegirl@rocketmail.com - Thank you!

THE BACKUP BUNNY

Written by Abigail Rayner

Illustrated by Greg Stones

Release date: March 6th, 2018

Published by: NorthSouth Books

Genre: Children's Picture Books

Format: Hardcover, eBook

Format read: Hardcover

SUMMARY

Everybody needs a backup plan, especially when you lose your favorite toy.

When Max loses his favorite toy - Bunny - his clever mom brings out the "backup bunny" - Fluffy - to save the day. Fluffy is thrilled to have the chance to play with Max but is soon rejected by the observant child who notices that his ears are too new and perky.

Can Fluffy find a way into his favorite boy's heart?

THE BACKUP BUNNY will keep you laughing and inspire you to make room for another favorite story.

OUR REVIEW

*A finished hardcover copy of THE BACKUP BUNNY was sent to me for free by the publisher NorthSouth Books via its publicist company, Nicole Banholzer LLC, for an honest review. All thoughts here are my very own. 

This is such a sweet, thoughtful, tender-hearted book! 

THE BACKUP BUNNY is about an adorable stuffed "backup bunny" named Fluffy that secretly lives inside Max's Mom's sock drawer just in case something is to happen to Max's current bunny (named Bunny). Fluffy has been dreaming for the day when Max's favorite stuffed toy goes missing and he can be the one to play and comfort Max... and when that time finally comes, Fluffy is ready! However, Max isn't too happy having a replacement. And now Fluffy has to prove that he's just as good as Bunny ever was, if not more - he's waited long enough and he deserves a chance! But when Max is still upset over losing Bunny, Fluffy only wants what is best for Max and helps him out in the best way... you'll have to read the book to find out how!

We enjoyed Fluffy and Max's story so much! It was completely relatable and reminded us to take special care of our favorite treasures...


 My 4 1/2-year-old has a little-stuffed monkey named Baby and she has been with him since he was just a few months old. And I knew right away that this was going to be his best friend... One night, we misplaced Baby and couldn't find her. I knew then that I waited too long to go back to our local store for a replacement. Luckily, we found her the next day (behind the couch) and I immediately went onto my social media and asked my amazing Instagram followers for help. Within the next few days, we were so lucky to not only have one backup monkey but THREE! And four years later, we have only lost one backup; we still have the original and TWO other backups. Recently, my son discovered the backups and found it extremely funny to have so many. He gifted one to his youngest cousin who is only a few months old, the same age he was when he received his first one!... 

What I'm rambling on about is - I feel that there is a time and place for young children to learn lessons about "love and loss". And as a seasoned mother who has been through this a few times now (my older sons are now 12 and 14 1/2), having to explain this lesson at this tender young age is too hard and devastating! When your little one loses their "stuffy" it is heartbreaking and there is hardly a way to get them to understand that "it was meant to be", or that it is "time to grow up", or that it was "time to let him go" and that "he's gone home", etc. It is a life-changing moment where your child's confidence will be shaken up, his belief, his imagination, etc. are all being questioned and falling apart. They're still too little to be put through such turmoil. Just like they need their parents/loved ones there for them, they are depending on this inanimate object to also be there for them when they need comfort, love, and trust.

When Max has what looks to be a tantrum, Max's mom tries her best to make him feel better, gives him Fluffy (the new replacement) and tries to comfort him. I 100% do not feel that she is rewarding tantrum behavior (I've seen a few reviews mention this), I feel that she is doing what needs to be done to comfort her heartbroken child. He has lost something extremely important to him, losing something that may have been by his side since birth is crushing. How else would he react to all of a sudden not having it by his side? How would you feel, even as an adult, losing your "comfort thing"? 
 
This is the perfect book to give to new parents, as a heads-up for what they may encounter through the toddler years. A helpful hint to prepare themselves in case of a Bunny/Fluffy situation... the book will also help bring the subject up with your/the child in case anything were to happen to their "lovey". It will help them be more responsible in caring for their things. However, if they still lose it, I'm sure that the outcome will still be the same, but the book can help ease the pain when introducing the new "dolly" to the family... and if you find the original, be prepared to probably be naming and playing with both from now on!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Abigail Rayner

Abigail Rayner was born in England where they have lots of history and rain. She spent her childhood visiting castles, picnicking in cars, and getting told off for writing stories during math. When she grew up, she became a reporter and moved to New York City. It was her job to write stories, but not the made-up kind! These days she lives in New Jersey, with her wonderful husband, two brilliant kids, two terrible cats, and an ever-growing collection of stuffed rabbits. She never gets in trouble for writing stories.

LINKS:  GOODREADS 

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR - Greg Stones

Greg Stones was born in Glocester, Rhode Island where a man is a man, a woman is a woman, and babies are sent into the forest at the age of six months to be raised and educated by squirrels. he eventually broke free and went to Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. While at school, he majored in Studio Art, learned to paint photo-realistically, and was the cartoonist for the school paper. Two years after graduating, he began combining his pretty landscapes with his cartooning skills - adding penguins, zombies, and now bunnies to his work.

He lives and works in Rhode Island.

LINKS: GOODREADS 

Review: WINDFALL by Jennifer E. Smith (YA)

WINDFALL

by Jennifer E. Smith

Release date: May 2nd, 2017

Published by Delacorte Press (Random House)

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Format: Hardcover, eBook, UK Paperback

Format read: ARC acquired by another book blogger
My rating: 2 1/2 stars

SUMMARY

Alice doesn't believe in luck - at least, not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for some time now, she's been pining for her best friend, Teddy. On his eighteenth birthday - just when it seems they migh be on the brink of something - she buys him a lottery ticket on a lark. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything changes. 

At first, it seems like a dream come true, especially since the two of them are no strangers to misfortune. As a kid, Alice won the worst kind of lottery possible when her parents died just over a year apart from each other. And Teddy's father abandoned his family not long after that, leaving them go grapple with his gambling debts. Through it all, Teddy and Alice have leaned on each other. But now, as they negotiate the ripple effects of Teddy's newfound wealth, a gulf opens between them. And soon, the money starts to feel like more of a curse than a windfall.

As they try to find their way back to each other, Alice learns more about herself than she ever could imagined... and about the unexpected ways in which luck and love sometimes intersect. 

MY REIVEW

I had such excitement going into this story... as this is one of my favorite authors, the whole concept and summary of this book sounded exactly what she would write and it would be dreamy and amazing! Unfortunately, that's not how it went for me... 

Alice is a very intelligent teen who works hard at everything - after the loss of her parents and having to move in with her uncle and his family, she has done nothing but to continue to try to make her parents proud of her by doing the things that she thinks that they would have liked her to do - excelling in school, volunteering, tutoring... Her best friend Teddy lives with his single mom in a modest one-bedroom apartment and is seemingly happy and content with what he has. When Alice gifts Teddy a lottery ticket for his birthday, and he wins, you can just imagine the excitement that ensues! Everyone wants to know Teddy and be his friend, even his father, who abandoned him, shows up on his doorstep... it takes Teddy a little too long to realize what everyone really wants from him and the truth comes out. Meanwhile, Alice sits on the sidelines waiting for Teddy to get a clue... 
In the end, the one person, besides his mother, that Teddy wants to share his winnings with doesn't want it... confusion, miscommunication, and drama arise from there... 

Parts of the story and the characters were too predictable. Alice is a goody-goody who has had a very sad and traumatizing past and is crushing on her best friend; Teddy is your typical popular/cute boy who gets by on personality and sports who then turns into an attention seeking and self-centered brat (as if he didn't already have enough attention by being popular, etc.); and Leo, the gay artist best friend who understands everything, is supportive and always says the right thing.

Overall, the main characters felt flat to me. Alice was just too good to be true. Even though things are explained, it still didn't seem right; and with Teddy, I just can't put it into words. He just didn't sit well with me. I wanted more from both. The "romance" connection wasn't there... I know that they could have been so much more, especially with their histories - their emotions just didn't reach me... the topics that arose could have been so much deeper and meaningful and it wasn't. I always expect so much when it comes to this author (she's one of my favorites!). Perhaps my expectations were too high... 

Tthe overall moral of the story is thoughtfulness and kindness - and everyone magically delivers in the end. A perfect happy ending... again, predictable.

The one good thing out of this story is Leo. I would LOVE to have a WHOLE book on Leo, please! Leo is quite the teaser - he was mysterious, aloof and gave as much as was needed for Alice and Teddy's story, but kept his own story to himself. His relationship, how he truly felt about everything that was happening around him, his past... I really felt drawn to Leo and feel that his story would definitely be worth knowing about and reading! I hope that this is something that the author is thinking of writing considering that she has only ever published standalone books and not companions or series.

I would recommend this book to all who truly love contemporary's with quick happy endings! Those who need a smile and are looking to just get lost in a story for genuine fun!

*I acquired an ARC from another book blogger through #booksfortrade via twitter.

All thoughts are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Jennifer E. Smith

Jennifer E. Smith is the author of eight books for young adults, including WINDFALL and THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.

She earned her master's degree in writing in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and her writing has been translated into 33 languages.

LINKS: Goodreads / Website / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Tumblr

Review: OXFORD ROALD DAHL DICTIONARY Edited by Susan Rennie

OXFORD ROALD DAHL DICTIONARY

by Roald Dahl 

Contributor and Editor Susan Rennie 

Illustrated by Quentin Blake

Release date: June 2nd, 2016

Published by Oxford University Press 

Genre: Middle Grade - Everyone

Format: Hardcover

SUMMARY

This is not an ordinary dictionary. After all, you wouldn't expect an 'Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary' to be ordinary, would you? 

Lots of dictionaries tell you what an 'alligator' is, or how to spell 'balloon' but they won't explain the difference between a 'ringbeller' and a 'trogglehumper', or say why witches need 'gruntles' eggs' or suggest a word for the shape of a 'Knid'.

All the words that Roald Dahl invented are here, like 'biffsquiggled' and 'whizzpopping', to remind you what means what. You'll also find out where words came from, rhyming words, synonyms and lots of alternative words for words that are overused.

Oxford Children's Dictionaries are perfect for supporting literacy and learning and this is the world's first Roald Dahl Dictionary from the word experts at Oxford University Press. With real citations from Roald Dahl's children's books and illustrations by Quentin Blake. The Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary will inspire and encourage young writers and readers. 

MY REVIEW

Happy 100th birthday, Roald Dahl!!!

And what better way to celebrate this day than with a new book!

But not just any book! A DICTIONARY with all of all the ridiculous, silly words that Dahl ever used in his books!

This book is not to be read from cover to cover since it is meant to be used as a dictionary. It not only has all of Dahl's made-up words, but many additional words that Dahl used in his writing and what he meant them to mean. Many of us forget that most words aren't meant to be taken so literal... However, my children and I did read the majority of it in chronological order, and although it is not a story to follow along, it was very amusing to come across all the amusing words we have grown to use, love and admire. 

Filled with Quentin Blake's illustrations - the perfect touch to make you feel right at home in Dahl's stories and worlds. Where I was able to reminisce all the memories I have reading Dahl's books and my children were able to recall recent readings and add more of Dahl's books to their "soon to be read" lists.  

Our favorite part was that the dictionary comes with instructions in how to use it - implying that "only interesting words are allowed in it" and that the pronunciation of a word can be misleading to what it may actually mean. 

A fun book for everyone! Especially Dahl-followers who want an in-depth knowledge of how and why the author used the words he used... gobblefunking at its best!!! 

*A hardback finished copy of OXFORD ROALD DAHL DICTIONARY was sent to me by the publisher for an honest review. All thoughts here are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer and screenwriter of Norwegian descent, who rose to prominence in the 1940's with works for both children and adults, and became one of the world's bestselling authors. 

Dahl's first published work, inspired by a meeting with C.S. Forester, was Shot Down Over Libya. Today the story is published as A Piece of Cake. The story, about his wartime adventures, was bought by the Saturday Evening Post for $900, and propelled him into a career as a writer. Its title was inspired by a highly accurate and sensationalized article about the crash that blinded him, which claimed he had been shot down instead of simply having to land because of low fuel. 

His first children's book was The Gremlins, about mischievous little creatures that were part of RAF folklore. The book was commissioned by Walt Disney for a film that was never made, and published in 1943. Dahl went on to create some of the best-loved children's stories of the 20th century, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and James and the Giant Peach. 

He also had a successful parallel career as the writer of macabre adult short stories, usually with a dark sense of humour and a surprise ending. Many were originally written for American magazines such as Ladies Home Journal, Harper's, Playboy and The New Yorker, then subsequently collected by Dahl into anthologies, gaining world-wide acclaim. Dahl wrote more than 60 short stories and they have appeared in numerous collections, some only being published in book form after his death. His stories also brought him three Edgar Awards: in 1954, for the collection Someone Like You; in 1959, for the story "The Landlady"; and in 1980, for the episode of Tales of the Unexpected based on "Skin".

Goodreads / Website