Tell Me A Story Tuesday- Enchanted Thyme

This weeks Tell Me A Story Tuesday is a tasty adventure! Enchanted Thyme, Book 1 in The Delicious Adventure Series is the story of Belinda and Peter, a brother and sister who set off on an adventure in the land of Enchanted Thyme. The Queen of the land has been cursed by the Fricassee Fairy; she can eat and eat and eat but never feels full. The more she eats the hungrier she gets, and unless the royal chef (who looks amazingly like Belinda and Peter's father) can create a special meal that will break the curse, she is doomed to hunger! Three mice appear in Belinda and Peters room and whisk them off to the land of Enchanted Thyme in order to help the royal chef in his quest to create just the right dish.

Giants, talking mushrooms and giant green gargoyles help

Belinda and Peter in their quest. Will they solve the riddle and create the perfect dish, helping the Queen, or will the Queen be doomed to a life of constant hunger? Find out by purchasing your own copy of Enchanted Thyme!

A tasty adventure wouldn't be complete without food, would it? Well this adventure is chock full of delicious sounding recipes for you to make with your children. The recipes are by Chef Michael Wilson and they aren't your typical children's recipes; they use wonderful fresh ingredients and are sure to please parents and kids alike. My daughter decided that we should try the recipe for Chef Michael's Macaroni With 3 Gooey Cheeses for our dinner tonight! She helped me every step of the way and it was a definite hit! My oldest son ate three plates worth and my daughter was the last to leave the table, gobbling up tons of gooey, cheesy pasta!

The story is on the short side, but very cute and great for kids! I really like the note to readers at the beginning of the book. Author Ariane Smith says, "I like to use big words, especially when they're part of a big adventure." She includes a glossary in the back of the book, with definitions of big words used in the story. This is great and encourages children to try to read harder words, and gives them the definitions so they can expand their vocabularies. My daughter loved this book so much (she has wanted to be a chef since she was five years old, so she loves anything to do with cooking and food) that she has chosen it as the subject for her book report!

Learn more about the book, a future PBS series and more by heading to enchantedthyme.com . You can purchase copies of the book at Amazon.com

Thanks to Big Word Press and Kate at KSB Promotions for sending me a copy of this book to review. No further compensation was received. As always links to Amazon.com will result in compensation through the Amazon associates program.

Tell Me A Story Tuesday coming soon!

Just a quick note to let you know that Tell Me A Story Tuesday will be a bit late today (I know, I know I was late last week too).
Today's book includes some fun recipes and my daughter and I will be giving one a try
when she gets home from school today
(I finally made a trip to the grocery store last night)!

So PLEASE come back this evening for a fun taste of
Tell Me A Story Tuesday!

Tell Me A Story Tuesday (yes I know it is really Wendesday!) Peel The Extraordinary Elephant

I know, it is Wednesday, but I had a super busy day yesterday and didn't want to wait until next week to share this adorable book with you! So, I hope you will allow me to be a day late with Tell Me A Story Tuesday this week! I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of Peel, the Extraordinary Elephant by Susan Joyce. I love the colored pencil/crayon style illustrations by Doug DuBosque. They give a softness to the story that traditional illustrations would not have given.

This book follows a little Elephant on a journey of discovery. He meets many friends along the way who help him discover who he is and what makes him extraordinary. Peel's story is told in rhyme, which is wonderful for reading aloud (my daughter thought that it was great that the book was a long poem)! Peel remembers a lullaby that helps him through tough times, and at the end of the book you will find the lullaby and basic sheet music so you can learn to sing along with Peel(one line, treble clef only).

The story is broken up into several chapters, making it a bit long for a single reading for very young children. Older children will enjoy it in one sitting, while younger children may need you to read the story over a couple bedtimes. Your children will enjoy following Peel on his journey and learn with Peel that we can learn from both the good times and the bad.

You can find copies Peel's story for sale on Amazon.comor directly from Peel Productions.

Thank you to Kate at KSB Promotions and Peel Productions for providing me with a copy of this book to review! Look for another review of a Peel Productions book coming later this week!

I received a copy of this book in order to provide a review. No further compensation was received. As always, purchases made through amazon.com links will result in compensation. The above review reflects my honest opinion.

Tell Me A Story Tuesday Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

Today I am sharing a favorite book from my childhood. There are several books that stand out in my memories of my childhood, and one of those is the story of Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel Mary Anne. Mike and Mary Anne are a great time, digging canals and cutting through mountains for the railways. But, as time goes by, gasoline and diesel are introduced. Nobody wants to use an old steam shovel anymore when these new shovels can do the work so much faster. Mike and Mary Anne are forced to look for work far away, and end up in the small down of Popperville. They make a deal with the city, that they can get the whole basement for the new town hall dug in one day or the town will not have to pay them for their work. The whole city comes to see if they can finish in time. Find out if they succeed or fail by picking up a copy of Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel available at Amazon.com or other retailers of children's books.

A funny little tid bit..when I was younger we switched Doctors for a short time (we changed insurance shortly after switching to him, so we had to change again) to a pediatrician who's name was Dr Mike Mulligan. I remember thinking that was so cool that his name was the same as the character from this book...

No compensation was received for this post, but I am an Amazon Associate, so any purchases made through the links in this post will result in compensation. This has no bearing on my opinion.

Tell Me A Story Tuesday...The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR

This weeks Tell Me a Story Tuesday is a book that is, sadly, no longer in our family library; not because it is no longer loved, but quite the opposite. Back when my oldest child was a toddler, we purchased a super sized version of this adorable story at Sam's Club. When I say super sized, I mean super sized...about 3 feet tall by 2 feet wide. I can't tell you how many evenings this story was our bedtime story of choice, and not just because of its unusual size. But unfortunately this book was so well loved that is simply fell apart (helped along by #4, who is quite destructive, who decided that it was very fun to tear out the pages).

This story follows a cute little mouse who just wants to eat this big, juice strawberry. The narrator warns the little mouse that a Big Hungry Bear who LOVES red ripe strawberries, will be arriving soon to steal the juicy fruit. Mouse tries many ways to protect his treasure. Will the big hungry bear get the strawberry, or will mouse find the secret to protecting his treat?

Find out when you get your copy of The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear (unfortunately, you will have to purchase a normal sized version of this book, as I have been unsuccessful in finding the supersized one). Available at Amazon.com

I recieved no compensation for this review monetary or otherwise. However, I am an Amazon associate, and any purchases made through links will result in compensation. The opinion stated is completly honest and my own.

Tell Me a Story Tuesday! How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?

Starting today I am adding a new weekly feature! Each Tuesday I will be sharing some of our favorite bedtime stories with you! From board books to young reader novels, I will be sharing fun, entertaining books for all ages! Please join me each Tuesday as I share Tell Me a Story Tuesday with you.

This week I am sharing our bedtime story from last night (and honestly, many nights). With four boys (ages two to almost eight) dinosaurs are a huge hit in our house. The How Do Dinosaurs books by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague are perfect for my dino-crazy boys! This one in particular is great for boys who are learning to count. These lovable (seriously, how can you be afraid of an Anklyosaurus with two balloons tied to his bed?) dinosaurs count objects loved by boys the world over: bouncing balls, toy trucks and and train cars. This book is in board book format, helping to avoid torn pages with toddlers and babies in the house. Definitely a plus in our house where I have both a two and a three year old.

You can purchase your copy of <How Do Dinosaurs Count To Ten? at Amazon.com for $6.99 or at your local book store!

I received no compensation in order to provide this review. This is a book from our family library of children's books that we enjoy. However; I am an Amazon.com associate, and any purchases through the links above will result in compensation. This has no bearing on my opinion. The purpose of this review is simply to share a family favorite book.