Kid Konnection: Steam Train, Dream Train

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you a terrific picture book that's perfect for bedtime!

Summary: The team behind the #1 New York Times bestseller Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site returns with another fabulous book for bedtime! The dream train pulls into the station, and one by one the train cars are loaded: polar bears pack the reefer car with ice cream, elephants fill the tanker cars with paints, tortoises stock the auto rack with race cars, kangaroos stuff the hopper car with balls (while zebras referee). Sweet and silly dreams are guaranteed for any budding train enthusiasts! -- Chronicle

I have been seeing lots of buzz the past month or so for the new picture book STEAM TRAIN, DREAM TRAIN by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld. There is a great deal of excitement that this pair had is back with a new book. They had much success with their last one GOODNIGHT, GOODNIGHT, CONSTRUCTION SITE -- it was a New York Times Bestseller as well as an award winner.

I'm not familiar with GOODNIGHT, GOODNIGHT, CONSTRUCTION SITE, but I can tell you that I adored STEAM TRAIN, DREAM TRAIN. This book is positively adorable for little ones because it features not only trains, but also cute animals. And it's an ideal bedtime book... for both parents and children.

STEAM TRAIN, DREAM TRAIN begins when the train pulls into the station and the animals have to load the various train cars. For example, monkeys load the boxcars with a variety of toys, while kangaroos fill the hopper cars with bouncing balls. Elephants fill the tankers with paint, and turtles stock the autorack with race cars. After all of the work is complete, the animals go to sleep and the train begins its travels. It's just cute on so many levels.

I am pretty sure that STEAM TRAIN, DREAM TRAIN will be a hit with preschool age children, especially those that love trains. The book has rhyming text and beautiful illustrations which should appeal to even the most active kids -- there is plenty to look at on each page. I also like that this book is educational in that it teaches children about the various types of train cars. However, it's the silly aspects of this story that will appeal to every reader!

Check out the book's trailer to see what I mean:



Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this book.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!
 

Review: All You Could Ask For (Audio)

Summary: A tender and wonderfully insightful story of friendship, love, heartbreak, and renewal, played out in the lives of three unforgettable women, from an extraordinary and unexpected debut novelist—the host of the #1 sports talk show in America, ESPN's Mike Greenberg 

All You Could Ask For
Mike Greenberg 

Three women are about to find their lives intertwined in ways none of them could ever have imagined. . . .  

Brooke has been happily married to her college sweetheart for fifteen years. Even after the C-section, the dog poop, the stomach viruses, and the coffee breath, Scott still always winks at her at just the right moments. That is why, for her beloved, romantic, successful husband's fortieth birthday, she is giving him pictures. Of her. Naked. 

Samantha's newlywed bliss is steamrolled when she finds shocking evidence of infidelity on her husband's computer. She has been married for two days. She won't be for much longer. 

Katherine works eighteen hours a day for the man who irreparably shattered her heart fifteen years ago. She has a duplex on Park Avenue, a driver, a chef, and a stunning house in Southampton, and she bought it all herself. So what if she has to see Phillip every single workday for the rest of her natural life? Brooke, Samantha, and Katherine don't know one another, but all three are about to discover the conquering power of friendship—and that they have all they could ask for, as long as they have one another. -- Harper Audio

I'm sure you've heard the saying, "Write what you know," but that certainly wasn't the case with Mike Greenberg when he wrote his latest book ALL YOU COULD ASK FOR. For those of you who aren't familiar with the radio show on ESPN called Mike & Mike in the Morning, Mike Greenberg is the co-host of this very popular sports talk with Mike Golic. I happen to really enjoy listening to these two guys talk sport while also occasionally bantering with each other.

So it wouldn't come as any surprise to me if Mike Greenberg wrote a sports-themed book or even a humorous one (in fact, he's already written two NY Times Bestsellers), but I admit to being a little caught off guard that he wrote ALL YOU COULD ASK FOR, a novel about a special bond between three women! Even more surprising is that he wrote this book in the voices of the three women. Overall, I think he did a decent job.

ALL YOU COULD ASK FOR tells the story of three women whose lives are brought together when they are diagnosed with cancer. The first half of the novel sets up the story of each women's life. Brooke is a stay-at-home mom of twins who is devoted to her husband and keeping her marriage fresh. Samantha is a woman who discovers that her husband has pictures of a naked co-worker on his computer... two days after their marriage. And Katherine is a successful business woman whose life is lacking in other ways. She has few friends and is still bitter over the loss of her boyfriend over 15 years ago.

The second half of the book begins when the women are diagnosed with different forms of breast cancer. Through an on-line support group, these women develop special friendships and they support each other through some very tough times and tough decisions.

I was pleasantly surprised by ALL YOU COULD ASK FOR as well as Mr. Greenberg's writing. I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say that I thought he captured the essence of these women perfectly -- there were a few times when I felt as if what they said (or did) wasn't exactly in keeping with a "typical woman" -- but, for the most part, he did a darn good job. I have to admit, though, that I was probably reading this novel with a more critical eye than I normally would. I seriously doubted that Mr. Greenberg could pull off sounding like a woman... or actually three women!

I found the second half of the book, when the story dealt with these women's cancer battles, to be much more enjoyable than the first half of the novel (if "enjoyable" is the proper word.) I thought their actions and even their dialogue seemed to be more realistic, and I especially appreciated how much their friendships developed. I actually began to understand each of these characters (notice I didn't say like!) and I was definitely rooting for all of them to beat the cancer.

I have to say that one of the characters Brooke bothered me a great deal. I was very uncomfortable with her decision regarding her treatment and I even got a little mad at how she handled everything. I actually wanted to shake her! I don't want to go into details because it will give away a major part of the novel, but I'm pretty sure I'm not alone with this opinion. In fact, Mike Greenberg's wife even agrees with me. What I found interesting is that Mike Greenberg said in the author interview at the end of the novel that Brooke was actually his favorite character (if he had to pick one.) After listening to his reasoning, I began to respect Brooke's decision even though I'm still not sure I totally agreed with her!

What I liked the most about this novel is how it made me feel. I enjoyed that I laughed with these characters while also crying with them. (Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed with the humor in this novel. Mr. Greenberg's personality definitely came through!) I also loved how this book celebrate the strength and resilience of women and their friendships. ALL YOU COULD ASK FOR really was a feel good book despite dealing with a pretty depressing (and scary) issue.

ALL YOU COULD ASK FOR would make a great book club discussion. Since the book deals with so many women's issues, it's perfect for discussion. There is a reading guide available with fifteen questions. Some of the themes you might want to explore include career, family, infidelity, secrets, loss, love, illness, health care decisions, parenting, marriage, and of course friendship. You can also discuss whether you think Mr. Greenberg was effective in writing in the voices of three women!

I enjoyed ALL YOU COULD ASK FOR. It was a touching story but also one that made me smile more than just a few times! Recommended for fans of women's fiction and chick lit!

A final note and one more reason to buy ALL YOU COULD ASK FOR: Mike Greenberg and his wife Stacy created a foundation called Heidi's Angels in honor of one of their best friends who died of breast cancer. The author's profits from the sale of this book will be donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research to combat breast cancer. 

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this audio book.

May 2013 Book Club Meeting

Next month, we will be reading THE GARDEN OF EVENING MISTS by Tan Twan Eng.This novel was nominated for the 2012 Man Booker Prize and it looks fabulous. I can't wait to read it!

Summary: It's Malaya, 1949. After studying law at Cambridge and time spent helping to prosecute Japanese war criminals, Yun Ling Teoh, herself the scarred lone survivor of a brutal Japanese wartime camp, seeks solace among the jungle fringed plantations of Northern Malaya where she grew up as a child. There she discovers Yugiri, the only Japanese garden in Malaya, and its owner and creator, the enigmatic Aritomo, exiled former gardener of the Emperor of Japan. Despite her hatred of the Japanese, Yun Ling seeks to engage Aritomo to create a garden in Kuala Lumpur, in memory of her sister who died in the camp. Aritomo refuses, but agrees to accept Yun Ling as his apprentice 'until the monsoon comes'. Then she can design a garden for herself.

As the months pass, Yun Ling finds herself intimately drawn to her sensei and his art while, outside the garden, the threat of murder and kidnapping from the guerrillas of the jungle hinterland increases with each passing day. But the Garden of Evening Mists is also a place of mystery.

Who is Aritomo and how did he come to leave Japan? Why is it that Yun Ling's friend and host Magnus Praetorius, seems to almost immune from the depredations of the Communists? What is the legend of 'Yamashita's Gold' and does it have any basis in fact? And is the real story of how Yun Ling managed to survive the war perhaps the darkest secret of all? -- Weinstein Books

Last evening, my book club met to discuss THE GARDEN OF EVENING MISTS by Tan Twan Eng. My friend who selected this novel absolutely loved it, and I think it's safe to say that, while we probably weren't as enthusiastic as she was, we all appreciated this story. You can read more about my thoughts here.

I admit that it took us quite awhile to get around to discussing the book. We are all friends and some of us only see each other once a month at our book club meetings. Needless to say, we had a lot of catching up to do with our personal lives (and our kids' personal lives!) After about an hour or so of chit chat, we decided to get down to business. Our leader for the night wasn't able to find a formal discussion guide, but she did have a few questions prepared. We all had lots of thoughts about the novel, though, so I don't even think we needed questions to guide our discussion.

First of all, we thought the author's writing style was very impressive. His descriptions of the setting and especially the Japanese gardens were exquisite. However, he also wove a tale that was extremely complex. I mean this in both a good and not-so-good way. While it was almost amazing how the story (and the side stories) all came together, a few of us found ourselves getting lost at times (but I think the foreign terms and names added to our confusion.)

Another interesting discussion point was how this novel kept us guessing... and thinking. It is safe to say that that we were surprised quite a few times by the actions of the characters. We also discussed the ending and what could have happened to one of the main characters. The story ending was pretty ambiguous, but we agreed that it didn't bother us in this story like it does in some other ones. I'm still not sure we are all in agreement as to what happened!

While THE GARDEN OF EVENING MISTS was a pretty dark and depressing story, we all liked how there were a recurring theme of love woven into it. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I thought the novel was upbeat by any means, but I did appreciate the message that love helps us to survive even the most horrible of circumstances.

Next month, we will be reading TRUTH IN ADVERTISING by John Kenney. I'm pretty excited about this selection because so many of the reviews are outstanding. It's a little outside of our normal comfort zone but I'm sure it will generate a great deal of discussion.

Summary: Finbar Dolan is lost and lonely. Except he doesn’t know it. Despite escaping his blue-collar Boston upbringing to carve out a mildly successful career at a Madison Avenue ad agency, he’s a bit of a mess and closing in on forty. He’s recently called off his wedding. Now, a few days before Christmas, he’s forced to cancel a long-postponed vacation in order to write, produce, and edit a Superbowl commercial for his diaper account in record time.

Fortunately, it gets worse. He learns that his long-estranged and once-abusive father has fallen ill. And that neither his brothers nor his sister intend to visit. It’s a wake-up call for Fin to re-evaluate the choices he’s made, admit that he’s falling for his coworker Phoebe, question the importance of diapers in his life, and finally tell the truth about his life and his past.

In the spirit of Then We Came to the End and This Is Where I Leave You, novelist John Kenney, a regular New Yorker contributor, mines his own advertising background to creating this moving debut, nothing short of “a masterful blend of wit and seriousness, stunning in its honesty” (Booklist, starred review). -- Touchstone

Review: The Edge of the Earth

Summary: In 1898, a woman forsakes the comfort of home and family for a love that takes her to a remote lighthouse on the wild coast of California. What she finds at the edge of the earth, hidden between the sea and the fog, will change her life irrevocably.

Trudy, who can argue Kant over dinner and play a respectable portion of Mozart’s Serenade in G major, has been raised to marry her childhood friend and assume a life of bourgeois comfort in Milwaukee. She knows she should be pleased, but she’s restless instead, yearning for something she lacks even the vocabulary to articulate. When she falls in love with enigmatic and ambitious Oskar, she believes she’s found her escape from the banality of her preordained life. 

But escape turns out to be more fraught than Trudy had imagined. Alienated from family and friends, the couple moves across the country to take a job at a lighthouse at Point Lucia, California—an unnervingly isolated outcropping, trapped between the ocean and hundreds of miles of inaccessible wilderness. There they meet the light station’s only inhabitants—the formidable and guarded Crawleys. In this unfamiliar place, Trudy will find that nothing is as she might have predicted, especially after she discovers what hides among the rocks. 

Gorgeously detailed, swiftly paced, and anchored in the dramatic geography of the remote and eternally mesmerizing Big Sur, The Edge of the Earth is a magical story of secrets and self-transformation, ruses and rebirths. Christina Schwarz, celebrated for her rich evocation of place and vivid, unpredictable characters, has spun another haunting and unforgettable tale. -- Atria

THE EDGE OF THE EARTH by Christina Schwarz is the second book I've read in recent months that takes place on an isolated island with a lighthouse. The other novel was THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS by M.L. Stedman which I absolutely loved -- you can read my review here. While both novels dealt with the theme of isolation and were beautifully written, they actually were quite different.

I remember reading and enjoying Ms. Schwarz's novel DROWNING RUTH when Oprah selected it many years ago for her book club, so I figured THE EDGE OF THE EARTH was definitely worth a peek. And you know what? I was absolutely right in deciding to pick up this novel. It was a lovely story filled with some memorable characters and even a little bit of mystery and intrigue!

THE EDGE OF THE EARTH tells the story of Trudy, a young woman who decides to give up her home and family to follow the man she loves to a remote island in California. It has always been assumed that Trudy will end up with her longtime family friend and live near her family in Milwaukee; however, Trudy has always wanted something more. So when the charismatic Oskar enters her life, Trudy falls in love with him and figures he's the answer to her all of her desires.

Trudy and Oskar move to Point Lucia, California for Oskar's job at a lighthouse. The island is extremely isolated except for the Crawleys. Life isn't what Trudy expected but she finds some pleasure in exploring the island and teaching the Crawley children. She throws herself into learning about the local marine life as well as investigating the children's rumors of seeing a mermaid. However, Oskar's unfulfilled dreams cause him to become morose and distant, and Trudy begins to question her decision to marry Oskar.

I found THE EDGE OF THE EARTH to be a beautifully written novel and I enjoyed it quite a bit. There is no doubt that Ms. Schwarz is an incredible writer. I especially appreciated how she brought the time period and the setting to life. Her detailed descriptions of the remote island were extremely vivid and I could picture the wonder and beauty of this area perfectly. However, I also liked how she captured just how isolated the characters were while living there. I like to say that I'm a loner but I don't know if I'd last more than a week or so without regular contact from my friends and family. The way the author brought to life Trudy's feelings of isolation, both from society on the island as well as her relationship with her husband, was just so well done and so very real to me.

Another aspect of this novel that I enjoyed was the "mystery" surrounding the mermaid. I don't know if mystery is actually the correct word, but I liked following Trudy as she discovered the truth behind the children's rumors. I've seen a review or two that mentioned this aspect took away from the novel and I'm not entirely sure I agree. I think Trudy's desire to learn the secrets behind this woman was one of the things that kept Trudy sane in an otherwise desperate situation. I also think this storyline and character were critical to the tragedy that occurs near the end of the novel.

THE EDGE OF THE EARTH would make a wonderful book club selection. There is a reading guide available with thirteen questions along with some ideas to enhance your meeting. Some of the themes you might want to explore include isolation, love, dreams, hope, ambition, the role of women in the late 1800s, identity, materiality, and redemption. You also might want to discuss some of the major symbols in the story including the concept of light.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE EDGE OF THE EARTH and once again, I was very impressed with Ms. Schwarz's writing. Highly recommended to fans of literary fiction.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this novel.

Review: Lucky Bastard

Summary: Lucky O’Toole, the newly promoted vice president of Customer Relations for the Babylon, Las Vegas's primo Strip property, has never met a problem she couldn't handle. But when a young woman is found dead, sprawled across the hood of a new, bright red Ferrari California in the Babylon's on-site dealership, a Jimmy Choo stiletto stuck in her carotid, Lucky's skills are maxed out.

Of course, her life is already on overload. Her mother, Mona, is pregnant, hormonal, and bored—a triple threat. A song that Teddie, Lucky's former lover, wrote for her is getting national airplay as he hits the talk shows, pleading for her forgiveness. Lucky is less than amused by the high-powered "infotainment" spotlight on her personal life. She's having enough trouble fending off Chef Jean-Charles Bouclet, the Babylon's tasty new dish.  

All of this and The Smack-Down Poker tournament, the second-largest poker tournament in the world, is holding its final round at the Babylon. Hookers, thieves, players, cheaters, media, and hangers-on descend, looking to win or to score. When one of the players turns up dead, Lucky starts to make connections between the two murders, putting her in the crosshairs of the killer. 

Then, just when she's losing control... life deals another major complication to her personal life... and it's not going to be pretty.

Lucky struggles to keep her life in balance, and a murderer from killing again. -- Forge 
 
Each and every year I look forward to the latest release on the Lucky O'Toole Vegas Adventure series by Deborah Coonts. The fourth book in this very fun series is called LUCKY BASTARD and is available tomorrow. I have to say that, once again, I thoroughly enjoyed this Lucky O'Toole mystery; and I truly am a big fan of this series!

LUCKY BASTARD picks up right where the last book SO DAMN LUCKY ended. In fact, if I remember correctly SO DAMN LUCKY kind of left the reader hanging. I don't want to give away too much about what occurred in the last novel (or the prior two ones either) although I think the "official" book description kind of does that anyway. Suffice it to say that Lucky is still licking her wounds from the sudden departure of her boyfriend Teddie, while trying to decide if she wants to take things further with a French chef. Lucky thinks that she has bad luck in the romance department, but as far as I'm concerned, she is always surrounded by some pretty sexy guys!

However at its core, LUCKY BASTARD is a mystery; and in the case of this novel, it's a pretty good one -- one that I found confusing in a good way. (Translation: I kind of figured out aspects of who was responsible but I couldn't piece together the whys.) A woman is found stabbed with a Jimmy Choo stiletto on top of a Ferrari inside the Babylon Casino, and Lucky's "friend" is the prime suspect. Then, a recently fired employee is found dead. And there just might be some truth to the adage that bad things always happen in threes because a poker player arriving in town for a huge tournament at the Babylon dies. It's up to Lucky, with a little help from her friend on the police force, to make sense of these three possibly related deaths.

Overall, I thought LUCKY BASTARD was a very entertaining read. I just adore Lucky, even with all of her quirks. She's smart, sexy, and funny and I love that the stories are told in her voice. Naturally, she's extremely tough as she solves all of the murder mysteries that come her way, but she's also very sensitive and trying to find the right guy with whom she can settle down. Her life is full of ups and downs (and various adventures) -- you wouldn't believe all of the fires she fights in her customer relations job at the casino; and she handles them all in a way that cracks me up. I can't stress just how funny these novels are.

In case you're wondering LUCKY BASTARD would work as a stand-alone. I think Ms. Coonts does a terrific job of filling in the reader with enough details about events in the past books. However, why would you want to start with book four in this fun series? Lucky is a great character and I love how all of these books combine events from her personal life with big-time murder mysteries at the casino. I definitely think it's a winning combination of romance and intrigue!

Once again, Deborah Coonts ended her novel with a pretty big cliffhanger... one which I adored! Of course that means that I will have to read the fifth book in the series, not that there was ever really any doubt about that. 

LUCKY BASTARD and the entire Lucky O'Toole mysteries are a hoot. If you are a fan of Janet Evanovich's books, then I highly recommend checking out this series.

Thanks to JKS Communications for providing a review copy of this novel.

Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read. 

Kid Konnection: My Mom is the Best Circus & Giveaway

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to celebrate moms with an adorable picture book!

Summary: This humorous story celebrates mom as the best one-woman show on earth as she juggles everything that goes on during the day—she's a ringmaster, a wild beast tamer, a magician, and sometimes a clown. But her best stunt of all is the sandman show, when it's time for a good-night story.

Luciana Navarro Powell's colorful, humorous illustrations are a perfect complement to her spirited, rhyming text. -- Robin Corey Books

Around Father's Day last year, I reviewed a very cute board book called MY DAD IS THE BEST PLAYGROUND by Luciana Navarro Powell. I was excited to discover that the author has another book just in time for Mother's Day titled MY MOM IS THE BEST CIRCUS.

MY MOM IS THE BEST CIRCUS is a wonderful tribute to moms and all that they do. I absolutely loved it -- from the comparisons to being a ringleader, a juggler, and magician and even a clown! This board book features just how much moms accomplish everyday and how important they are to their children. I actually had to laugh at all of the things mothers have in common with members of a circus -- right down to walking on stilts (i.e. high heels!)

MY MOM IS THE BEST CIRCUS is perfect for even the littlest of toddlers. In addition to the simple, rhyming text, the colorful illustrations are fun. I especially liked the facial expressions on the mom and the children. I am pretty sure that little ones will laugh at a few of the pictures too!

Highly recommend for Mother's Day and any day that we celebrate motherhood!

I recently had the pleasure of asking Luciana Navarro Powell a few questions about her books...

Booking Mama: You are both the author and the illustrator for the two picture books MY DAD IS THE BEST PLAYGROUND and MY MOM IS THE BEST CIRCUS. I am curious about your artistic process. Do you come up with the text or the drawings first? Or do you work on both at the same time?

Ms. Powell: Thank you for having me on your blog again! I have been illustrating children's books for a long time, writing is more recent. These are the first books I have both written and illustrated, and in this case the text came first, once I was happy with it then I started sketching.

Booking Mama: What was the inspiration for MY DAD IS THE BEST PLAYGROUND and MY MOM IS THE BEST CIRCUS?

Ms. Powell: In both cases inspiration came from pure observation of daily routines in my own house - and then later on, by talking with friends that also have young families, I could "confirm" my "theory".

In the case of My Dad is the Best Playground, the story originated from observing my husband roughhousing with my two sons, ages three and five. One night, I was tucking my sons into bed and my husband got home from work later than usual so he missed our bedtime routine, but he was still full of energy and eager to play with them. I remember thinking, “oh great, they are going to get all riled up again, here comes the playground!” As you know, it’s hard work to get kids settled down and ready for bed, so I was a bit annoyed with this sudden burst of energy.  However, I was still happy to see them play and have always been fascinated by how kids and their fathers play more physically and with more freedom than they do with us mothers- who are usually worried about someone getting hurt! 

With My Mom is the Best Circus, the idea was born from just looking into my own daily routine! It is a positive and humorous look on the challenges that mothers go through every single day. What sparked the idea for this one was a gigantic pile of laundry I had to deal with one day - it looked like a beast that was going to swallow me if I didn't tame it! Also on that same day I had to literally play the clown to cheer up my 4 year-old from some drama - I don't even remember what it was - but I found one of those clown noses lost in a drawer and put it on, and it immediately lifted up his spirits! From there, I kept thinking of all the things a mother goes through every single day and that could be related to a circus - from running the show like a ringmaster to magically making the kids eat their vegetables, while juggling everything else at the same time!

Booking Mama: You are an illustrator for many children's books. Can you describe your collaborative process with the author?

Ms. Powell: Well, this is always a surprise to most people, but very rarely there is a collaborative process with the author, unless of course you are illustrating your own story. Most of the time the book starts with the story, and then the art director at the publisher house picks an illustrator that would be a good match for that story. In the case of the dinosaur series I illustrated for Chronicle Books (Alphasaurus, Countasaurus, Shapeasaurus and Colorasaurus), for example, I never talked to the author at all. In my last project - a children's book app called "Spatter and Spark", by New York Times best seller Deborah Underwood - I ended up getting to meet Deborah, but only after I had started illustrating the story already.

Booking Mama: Do you have more books planned in this "series?"

Ms. Powell: No, I am happy with this little duo, I think I told all I needed to tell with those two! Unless, of course, something sparks a new story for a grandparent book next time my mother comes to visit my boys!

Booking Mama: What are some of your favorite children's books?

Ms. Powell: That is always a difficult question to answer, I own and love so many! So I will mention the ones that have been the most popular at bedtime with the boys lately - and I love all of them, too: Jingle the Brass, by Patricia Newman illustrated by Michael Chesworth; Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown; The Loud Book by Deborah Underwood illustrated by Renata Liwska, Press Here by Herve Tullet, all of the Elephant and Piggie by Mo Willems, The Dark by Lemony Snicket illustrated by Jon Klassen, The Nice Book by David Ezra Stein...

I'd like to thank Ms. Powell for taking time from her busy schedule to answer a few of my questions!

Giveaway alert: Thanks to the fine folks at Random House, I have a copy of MY MOM IS THE BEST CIRCUS to share with one lucky reader. To enter, just fill out the form below before Friday, May 17th at 11:59 p.m. ET. I will randomly select and notify the winner the following day. This contest is open to those of you with U.S. addresses only. Good luck!

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!

Guest Review: Operation Storm

Summary: In 1941, the architects of Japan's sneak attack on Pearl Harbor planned a bold follow-up: a potentially devastating air raid--this time against New York City and Washington, DC. The classified Japanese program required developing a squadron of top secret submarines--the Sen-toku or I-400 class--which were, by far, the largest and among the most deadly subs of World War II.  Incredibly, the subs were designed as underwater aircraft carriers, each equipped with three Aichi M6A1 attack bombers painted to look like US aircraft. The bombers, called Seiran (which translates as “storm from a clear sky”), were tucked in a huge, water tight hanger on the sub’s deck. The subs mission was to travel more than half way around the world, surface on the US coast, and launch their deadly air attack. This entire operation was unknown to US intelligence, despite having broken the Japanese naval code. And the amazing thing is how close the Japanese came to pulling off their mission.  -- Crown

I'm sure you're not surprised that the review for OPERATION STORM: JAPAN'S TOP SECRET SUBMARINES AND ITS PLAN TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF WORLD WAR II by John Geoghegan is written by my dad and not me! When I heard about this book, I had a feeling that he'd appreciate it way more than I ever could. Here are his thoughts:

OPERATION STORM by John Geoghegan is an account of a little known World War top secret plan formed by the Japanese to use super-sized submarines with special designed attack aircraft to attack New York and Washington D.C. The United States was intercepting most Japanese communications at the time but was not aware of this plan

 Japan knew they could not sustain a protracted war with the United States so Isoroku Yamamoto, the mastermind of the attack on Pearl Harbor, devised a plan that would take the war to the United States mainland in an effort to demoralize America’s desire to continue the war. Even though the Japanese had already launched several bombing runs over Oregon, they knew they needed a much more dramatic attack. The plan involved the construction of 18 mammoth submarines each over 400 feet long that could stay at sea for 4 months and carry two aircraft.

In 1943 as the Japanese moved toward imminent defeat, they continued the program as a matter of pride but were forced to substantially reduce the scope. In actuality the Japanese built only three subs, two made it out to sea and neither ever fired a torpedo or launched an aircraft. They also switched their target from the mainland to the Panama Canal.

While the failed Japanese plan probably deserves no more than a footnote in the history of World War II, Geoghegan’s thorough research into the details gives him a basis to create a very interesting story. Geoghegan’s primary focus is on one of the two active super-subs called I-401. While on its final mission I-401 encountered a U. S. sub called Secundo. The signing of the peace treaty with Japan was only five days away but this chance meeting could restart the war if not handled properly.

Two of the main characters from the Japanese side were Nobukiyo Nambu and Tatsunosuki Ariizumi, both commanders on the I-401. Their personalities were absolute opposites and it’s interesting to read how each reacted to the Japanese surrender. The author’s account of their prior war activity highlights the Japanese massacre of American sailors during the war. The personal stories about the Japanese officers, sailors and fighter pilots and their families gives the reader an insight into the Japanese tradition and drive that allowed them to almost pull off this daring mission.

The American commander of the Secundo, Captain Lobdell Johnson, his rise through the Navy ranks and his handling of the potential crisis also add an interesting element to the novel.

John Geoghegan’s OPERATION STORM is a well researched and well written novel that tells an interesting story about a relatively unknown Japanese submarine program. The creative technology utilized in the program is well documented, but the most interesting aspect of his book is the stories about the principle players on both the Japanese and American sides. Anyone interested in World War II history will enjoy this book.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this book and thanks to Booking Pap Pap for his outstanding review.