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Mailbox Monday #507

Mailbox Monday has become a tradition in the blogging world, and many of us thank Marcia of The Printed Page for creating it.

It now has it’s own blog where book bloggers can link up their own mailbox posts and share which books they bought or which they received for review from publishers, authors, and more.

Leslie, Martha, and I also will share our picks from everyone’s links in the new feature Books that Caught Our Eye. We hope you’ll join us.

Here’s what my daughter received in the last two months from her Scholastic book fair and order form:

Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Peter Brown

Jasper Rabbit loves carrots—especially Crackenhopper Field carrots.
He eats them on the way to school.
He eats them going to Little League.
He eats them walking home.
Until the day the carrots start following him…or are they?
Celebrated artist Peter Brown’s stylish illustrations pair perfectly with Aaron Reynold’s text in this hilarious picture book that shows it’s all fun and games…until you get too greedy.

Dogman: Lord of the Fleas by Dave Pilkey

When a new bunch of baddies bust up the town, Dog Man is called into action — and this time he isn’t alone. With a cute kitten and a remarkable robot by his side, our heroes must save the day by joining forces with an unlikely ally: Petey, the World’s Most Evil Cat. But can the villainous Petey avoid vengeance and venture into virtue?

Money Math: Addition and Subtraction by David Adler, illustrated by Edward Miller

Trusted team David A. Adler and Edward Miller continue their series of popular math books. Amusing cartoon versions of American presidents guide children through this lively introduction to currency values and adding and subtracting money. Topics covered include an introduction to American units of money; the many ways these units combine to make a price; basic money symbols such as the dollar and cent signs; and the math inherent in shopping. After reading this, kids will be confident with their pocket change! A Junior Library Guild Selection.

Kitty’s Magic 4: Star the Little Farm Cat by Ella Moonheart

Kitty has always thought she was allergic to cats, but during a midnight sneezing fit at a sleepover, she learns that the truth is far more magical–Kitty is able to turn into a cat! She eagerly takes her place as the Guardian of the local cats’ Cat Council, using her human knowledge to help them solve their feline problems.

Kitty is going to her cousin’s farm for the weekend! There are lots of animals to meet, including Daisy, an adorable black and white puppy, and Star, the old farmhouse cat. Star’s job is to chase mice away from the strawberry harvest–but it’s become hard now that he’s older. Daisy wants to help, but cats and dogs can’t be friends . . . can they? Will Kitty be able to solve her toughest problem yet–without the help of the Cat Council?

The Sun Is Kind of a Big Deal by Nick Seluk

Oh hey, guess what? The Sun never stops working to keep things on Earth running smoothly. (That’s why it’s been Employee of the Month for 4.5 billion years.) So why does the Sun get to be the center of attention? Because it’s our solar system’s very own star!

This funny and factual picture book from Awkward Yeti creator Nick Seluk explains every part of the Sun’s big job: keeping our solar system together, giving Earth day and night, keeping us warm, and more. In fact, the Sun does so much for us that we wouldn’t be alive without it. That’s kind of a big deal.

Each spread features bite-sized text and comic-style art with sidebars sprinkled throughout. Anthropomorphized planets (and Pluto) chime in with commentary as readers learn about the Sun. For instance, Mars found someone’s rover. Earth wants the Sun to do more stuff for it. And Jupiter just wants the Sun’s autograph. Funny, smart, and accessible, The Sun Is Kind of a Big Deal is a must-have!

Dork Diaries 1-6 by Rachel Renée Russell

Let your inner dork shine bright with these six—count ’em, six!—bestselling Dork Diary books, now together in one dorktastic boxed set.

Join Nikki Maxwell as she navigates the halls of middle school, mean girls, BFF drama and first crushes in this collectible boxed set that includes books one through six in the wildly popular New York Times, USA TODAY, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Dork Diaries series!

This boxed set includes:
Dork Diaries #1: Tales From a Not-So-Fabulous Life
Dork Diaries #2: Tales from a Not-So-Popular Party Girl
Dork Diaries #3: Tales from a Not-So-Talented Pop Star
Dork Diaries #4: Tales From a Not-So-Graceful Ice Princess
Dork Diaries #5: Tales from a Not-So-Smart Miss Know-It-All
Dork Diaries #6: Tales from a Not-So-Happy Heartbreaker

101 School Jokes by Lisa Eisenberg , Katy Hall

Jokes poke fun at aspects of school life such as teachers, homework, lunch, and report cards.

 

 

Spy 101: Codes and Ciphers by Kris Hirschmann

The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Princess Magnolia is excited. Excited and nervous. She’s going to the Interkingdom Science Fair today to present her poster about seeds and plants, and when she arrives, she sees that her friends are there too! Princess Honeysuckle made a mole habitat, Princess Sneezewort has built a blanket fort, and Tommy Wigtower has a talking volcano that’s saying “EAAAAT!” Wait, what? A surprise goo monster makes this a job for the Princess in Black, and the Princess in Blankets is on the scene to lend a hand. But will two masked heroes be enough to save the science fair? A little scientific problem-solving — and a lot of princess power — will make the sixth entry in the New York Timesbest-selling series a smash hit.

How to Catch Santa by Jean Reagan, illustrated by Lee Wildish

After waiting for days and days and days, it’s finally Christmas Eve. And that’s when you can try to catch Santa. . . .

From Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish, creators of the bestselling HOW TO… series, comes a delightful new offering, written again in a hilarious instructional style. Two sibling narrators give clever tips for “catching” Santa (be crafty! be clever! be gentle!) on Christmas Eve. Filled with humor and holiday warmth, this is a jolly read-aloud for the whole family to enjoy!

The Christmas SElfie Contest by Rosie Greening and Clare Fennell

Santa is holding a Christmas selfie competition, and one particular elf is determined to win! But what will he do when things don’t go to plan?

Shimmer and Shine: Kitchen Magic

All throughout the genie world, there are delicious dishes to make and eat—and Shimmer, Shine, and Leah are ready to try them all! From Rainbow Pizza and Sparkle Cakes to Beautiful Noodles and Bela Beach Coolers, there are tons of tastes to explore.
Shimmer, Shine, and Leah’s magical morning begins with a healthy best friends’ brunch, including Egg Cups Divine, Pretty Pet Portraits on toast, a Brrr-eakfast Sundae (a healthy smoothie), and Pizza Pancakes. Then the girls hop on their magical carpet to discover the many tastes of Zahramay Falls: They drink a Bela Beach Cooler, and then taste Zahramay Zucchini Fries and Cheesy Noodle Flowers (made with lasagna noodles) at the Genie Market. They have Gooey Gummy Genie Jelly (fruit juice gummies) as a snack on their way to the Azar Bazaar in Rainbow Zahramay, where they taste Fruit Stripe Delight, Beautiful Noodles (which change color right before your eyes!), and Rainbow Pizza. They join Princess Samira for a tea party, complete with Teenie Tea Sandwiches, Sparkle Cakes, and Cinnamon Tea. The day ends with a super sleepover, where they make Genie Bling Apple Rings for a snack, Fish Stick Tacos for dinner, and Cutie Pies for dessert.

Pete the Cat’s 12 Groovy Days of Christmas by Kimberly and James Dean

Pete and his friends are rockin’ and groovin’ while counting down the days to Christmas! Who needs five golden rings, when you can have five onion rings?

Join Pete and the gang for one-of-a-kind holiday cheer. He adds a cool-cat spin on a well-known Christmas carol, bringing a hip and energetic spirit to the season.

What did you receive?

The Sun Is Kind of A Big Deal by Nick Seluk

Source: Purchased
Paperback, 40 pgs.
I am an Amazon Affiliate

The Sun Is Kind of a Big Deal by Nick Seluk imagines the sun as a rock star of sorts in the solar system where everyone knows his name and his importance. Even Pluto is in the background of this one. My daughter loves books where she’s learning without realizing it. Nonfiction told in a way that’s fun and engaging will always be a big hit with her. Seluk achieves that for the most part in this book.

The book includes a main dialogue about the sun as well as some sidebars about specific facts on the solar system and space terms like “asteroids.” The pictures are colorful and fun, especially since space can be very black and colorless.  My daughter loved how the planets introduced themselves, with Saturn being the “Hula-Hoop Champion.” And Seluk uses a racetrack to illustrate the rotation of the planets around the sun. Very helpful for younger readers just learning about space. The visuals explaining direct and indirect sunlight and its affect on Earth were helpful as well.

However, there are some larger words like Condensation, Evaporation, and Precipitation that make an appearance in the water cycle section, which younger readers may stumble over. Challenging words, however, should never be a discouraging thing. My daughter and I made a game out of mispronouncing the word and breaking each down into smaller, more pronounceable parts until she got them right.

One of our favorite parts of the book is the visual of the sun’s roll in the water cycle where the sun is putting raindrops down an enclosed slide for precipitation. It’s cute. At first my daughter thought the book was too challenging until she realized how fun the pictures were and the thought bubbles became amusing to her.

The Sun Is Kind of a Big Deal by Nick Seluk is chock full of facts about the solar system, nature’s cycles, and so much more. The pictures are bright and engaging, and the characterizations of the planets and other elements are amusing for young readers.

RATING: Quatrain

About the Author:

Nick Seluk worked as a graphic designer before becoming a full-time illustrator. He is the creator of the popular Awkward Yeti comic and author of the New York Times bestselling Heart and Brain, and its follow-ups Gut Instincts and Body Language. His work has appeared on CBSNews.com, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, reddit, and blogs across the internet. Nick lives in Michigan with his wife, three kids, and a very awkward dog.