Goodness on Deposit: The Ginormous Tiny Idea by Mary Argento

 

"Goodness on Deposit - The Ginormous Tiny Idea” is the first in a series of books which promote a child's awareness of other's needs and demonstrates practical ways for children to make a difference in the life of a friend, neighbor or family member. It is a sweet interactive story which teaches children, through M.T.'s journey, to identify acts of kindness that need doing and record them in their Goodness on Deposit bankbook which is outlined in the book. M.T., our 8 year old main character very much admires his mother because she is kind and loving to others and possesses what he believes to be a "heart of gold". A small seed of an idea begins to percolate in M.T.'s head. He has a vision where he, along with his buddies, would open up a Goodness on Deposit Bank where children like himself would deposit their good deeds until they reach a balance which would earn them a heart of gold.

Buy on Amazon

(affiliate link)

I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post. I only share those books that I feel will be of interest to my readers.

Review of SuperScruff (Goat Tails) by P. Lynn Halliday, illustrated by Jupiters Muse

 

Welcome to the review tour for SuperScruff: Goat Tails by P. Lynn Halliday! Read an excerpt and my thoughts on this book for teaching kids a lesson and then download your own copy. Be sure to catch the rest of the tour for more! Best of luck in the giveaway!

Goat Tails are a series of stories all about life on our family farm in Manitowaning. Join with us as we share the entertaining and crazy antics of all the critters that occupied that farm . . . especially the goats.

In our second book, Scruffy the kid arrives back from his BIG adventure. The lost had been found, but would he be welcomed or was it Pen Prison for him again? Scruffy had been in trouble so many times in the past that he began to have doubts. Sure the Maker loved him . . . but did everyone else?

Imagine his surprise when he was greeted at the fence by a churning, hopping, squawking sea of excitement, all straining to get a look at him! Wow, he was a superstar!

It suddenly struck him: now he knew for sure what his purpose was. He was made to be super . . . the super, duper hopping hero of the barnyard!

SuperScruff, the fearless leader of the Scruffkids!

"Oh no," bleated Nellie Nanny, "here we go again!"

Truer words have never been spoken: Scruffy was at it again. Join the fun as SuperScruff learns how to be truly Super!

Read an excerpt:

Scruffy looked around him, searching for the perfect way to show just how Super he was. He spied a ladder leaning against the side of the barn. Papa had been using that ladder to paint the window frames in the loft of the barn. He gazed up to the top of the ladder and an idea began to form. What if he climbed the ladder into the loft of the barn? Surely if he hopped the length of the barn and leapt out of the window, he would be able to fly clear over Poop Hill. It was probably 20 or 30 feet. This was far enough away that no one could claim that he did it only by hopping. They would think he was flying, just like he said he could. This would be the perfect demo to show his Super-Powers.

Calling everyone over, he told them that the barrel-jumping earlier was just a warm-up for the real event. Now he was going to show everyone how Super he was by flying over Poop Hill. Everyone quickly looked at the poop pile. It was a ten-foot-high stinking, steaming pile of poop... way too huge to hop over. Even Hobby had to admit that if Scruffy managed to pull off this stunt, he was really SuperScruff!

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON.COM - AMAZON.CA - BARNES & NOBLE - BOOK DEPOSITORY

(affiliate link included)

**My thoughts**

In an age where we are inundated with superheroes, it's kind of nice to have a story that talks about what a superhero actually is. Now, don't get me wrong, I do love me some Marvel. But you have to look beyond the superhuman feats that these characters perform and into who they are within, what kinds of morals they value. And this story seeks to teach children to look within to be a super person that way.

This is the second story in the series and it sounds like our little friend had quite the adventure in the first one. We don't get too much detail about what happened in that first story, but it isn't necessary to enjoy reading this one. Though you may want to go back and read the first one after this one.

It does have a biblical focus that ties into its lessons. So this would be good to discuss with a small church group or even at home with your elementary-aged children. The cover does make it look like it's more of a picture book geared toward younger children, but it is a sort of mini chapter book.

Scruff learns his lesson as he tries (and fails) to perform superhuman [supergoat?] feats to impress the other animals on the farm. Kids will get a kick out of reading those.

The only part I didn't care for was when he ran away in fear from his mother, who was upset with him, "rolling pin in hand." That's not something that most people would use for discipline these days. But of course, she doesn't use it on him.

Otherwise, I think kids will enjoy this story and learn a lot from it.

Thank you to Goddess Fish and the publisher for providing me with a requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lynn is a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a pharmacist, a storyteller and a Christian, living and working in Northern Ontario. Life on the farm has helped each member of our family to grow in so many different ways. Perhaps the most profound growth has been spiritual, as we have all marvelled while working on our farm at the amazing world that our loving God has made. How wonderful it is that God designed each person and critter for a special purpose—no mistakes and no misfits.

CONNECT WITH P. LYNN HALLIDAY

WEBSITE: P. LYNN HALLIDAY – Author (plynnhallidaybooks.ca) https://plynnhallidaybooks.ca/

FACEBOOK: P.Lynn Halliday Author | Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PLynn-Halliday-Author-107019938161513/

INSTAGRAM: Lynn Halliday (@plynnhallidayauthor) • Instagram photos and videos https://www.instagram.com/plynnhallidayauthor/

GOODREADS: P Lynn Halliday (Author of Finding His Way) | Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15667819.P_Lynn_Halliday

Win copies of the books in the series!

Scruffy Finds His Way entries via this link.

SuperScruff entries via this link.

P. Lynn Halliday will also be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What Christmas Means to Me at the Angel Oak Tree by Mary Lee Kendal

What Christmas Means to Me at the Angel Oak Tree

Doris, the deer, loves to hear all the screams of delight, as
the other animals open the gifts under the twinkling tree light.
All the paper gets thrown this way and that.
Boxes thrown open and some just squished flat.

Join Doris, the deer as she enjoys Christmas with her friends of the forest teaching everyone a valuable lesson about love, giving and family.

Available on Amazon

About Mary Lee Kendal

Move over Dr. Seuss; Mary Lee Kendal is in town. During Mary’s years as a teacher, she found the best way to teach was to be “entertaining without being entertainment.” She saw how children and teens are extremely creative if you give them a chance. Kids learn in many ways. Some learn through reading, playing, singing, dancing, rhyming, or even drawing. They learn visually, and by writing poetry. They love to express themselves creatively, and her classroom was one place they could do that.

So how did she come up with fun quirky Dr. Seuss type rhyming books? As a kid, she loved to rhyme. She was always encouraged to write, read, rhyme, play, act, sing, dance, and be as creative as possible by her parents. Her social stories are meant to be read together aloud with an adult or older sibling and a child bringing the bond between each other even closer.

All her social stories are meant to educate entertainingly. "If I can help one child feel a little bit better about themselves, build self-confidence, increase self-esteem or handle being bullied, or encourage them to stand up for themselves, or a friend, then I have done what I have set out to do."


Author Links:
Website https://MaryLeekendal.com

Facebook: http://Facebook.com/MaryLeeKendal

Instagram: http://Instagram.com/MaryLeeKendal

Pinterest: http://Pinterest.com/MaryLeeKendal







Thank you!

'Trotters of Tweeville: Zavis DaMavis' by Shirin Zarqa-Lederman

Blurb:

Zavis DaMavis is a happy young boy and a proud resident of a whimsical town called Tweeville. He’s off to school one morning when his mom—a very wise woman—gives him an important reminder. But what does it mean to treat others the way you’d like to be treated?

While Zavis ponders his mother’s advice as he walks to school, he’s distracted by an elderly man who needs a hand getting across the street. When he’s done helping, he finds that he’s forgotten what she said. Zavis must remember his mother’s words if he’s ever going to understand what they mean. But how can he think when he’s so busy being kind to his friends?

 Buy links

Archway Publishing / Amazon

Author Bio:

Shirin Zarqa-Lederman is a wife and mother of five children. Shirin lives in New Jersey with her family, where she was born and raised. She is a Board Certified Professional Counselor and is licensed in NJ. Her 17-year counseling career has focused solely on children and adolescents and their families.

Most recently Shirin’s practice has transformed into “mobile” therapy, where she counsels in a clients’ home rather than the traditional counselor office. This allows her to experience a child in his/her element-a much more natural setting. Her attention has been children and adolescents who have difficulty socializing with their peers, developing and maintaining focus on daily tasks, managing behavior within a school setting, as well as a familial setting.

She utilizes experiential therapies, which is a process whereby-as she puts it- “if you can experience it you can feel it, and if you can feel it you can choose whether or not to recreate it.” When asked about her inspiration for this book, she stated, “This book series is my attempt to ‘recreate’ the practice of that infamous ‘golden rule.’"