sleepy sun (review)

sleepy sun
if you have been looking for a classic bedtime story that helps everyone reflect on their day while growing more and more sleepy, this is the book for you.  lavish watercolor illustrations reflect a multicultural and ethnic diversity that obviously stem from kathleen hanson's love for world travel.  tate really enjoyed pointing out the different faces of the sun that change with each location in the story.  i was impressed and surprised that tessa identified the eiffel tower on one page.

the illustrations are wonderful but it is the poetic words of mari hanson that really helped settle my kids down and think sleepytime thoughts as we prepared ourselves for bed.  the book follows the sun's journey around the world as it shines down on various landscapes and countries.  by the end of the book, we can understand why the sun might be ready for a break!

both tessa (age 4) and tate (age 2) seemed to enjoy this book, even though they are at different levels of understanding and comprehension.  they both stayed engaged from the beginning until the end, something that is rare with tate.

i really don't have any criticism of this book.  i can admit that i was wondering how the kids would like this story since the story is more abstract and the watercolor pictures are less defined than what they usually go for.  that concern was quickly put to rest as i started reading.  i'm sure this will be a go-to book for bedtime reading for several more years.

you can find this book on amazon (here: sleepy sun) for $14.99.  if you want to read other reviews of the book, you can look here and here.

i really think this book will be one that you and your toddlers or preschoolers will treasure.

this is a mama buzz review.  a free copy of the book was provided by mari hanson for this review. if you buy the book through the link i've given you here, i might get 50 cents or something...

maybe my best offer ever!

yesterday, i opened my door to find an innocuous looking padded envelope sitting outside my door. i ripped open the envelope only to discover one of the best packages that has ever been mailed to me.

tyndale publishers has recently released a new edition of the New Living Translation of the Bible. it is called Holy Bible: Mosaic. this is the description i found on the beautiful front cover: "encounter Christ on every continent and in every century of Christian history."

this Bible provides a full version of the Bible in the New Living Translation (NLT), as well as a series of devotional writings, prayers, hymns and artwork that follows the church calendar. this is exactly the kind of devotional i have been looking for: something with history, relevance, a calendar and writings that will help me to engage with the words of Scripture.

since i just got this Bible yesterday, i haven't had much time to explore it fully yet. i just wanted to let you know that this fabulous Bible is now available. you can check it out here:
 
i think you will be pleasantly surprised at all this Bible has to offer.

i'm going to be spending some quality time with my own copy. i'll let you know what else i find.

and, i'm very excited to be able to offer you a chance to get your own copy for free so stay tuned for more details!

i received a free copy of this Bible to review, and an opportunity to give away a free copy.  if you buy this Bible through Amazon using the link above, there is a chance i might get a dollar for referring you...

are you up for doing "one nice thing"?

i think that i am pretty nice person in general.  as far as i can tell, people generally like me.  but sometimes i feel like that just isn't enough.  it seems like when it is time to put kindness into action, i'm just not sure where to begin, what to do or how to do it.

debbie tanzer wanted to make a change so she committed to doing one nice thing a week.  i like someone who, like me, keeps the goals small and attainable.  i recently received her book, do one nice thing, and also discovered her website.  in the book and on the website, she has a whole list of ideas from small things to big things that we can do to be nice to someone else.

take a look at her website or follow her on twitter and you too might find yourself inspired to "do one nice thing."