Author/illustrator Tracey M. Cox shows pre-schoolers the perfect way to learn numbers and colors while adding a welcome element of diversity to the mix with Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum in a Dish. 
About the Book Title: Bubble Gum in a Dish | Author/Ilustratior Tracey M. Cox | Publication Date: 2016 | Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc | Pages: 26 | Recommended Ages: 2-7
What Kids Will Like
Bubble Gum in a Dish is a spot-on kid magnet. What youngster doesn't love gum and catchy rhymes? It also delivers fun for children just learning colors and numbers. They'll love its repeating two-page layout that alternates between rhymes featuring its titular snippet….. Bubble gum, bubble gum in a dish.
..... with a new rhyme on the opposite page based on the number and color selected by each of the book's ten children. It also features each child popping a huge bubble.
Chomp, chomp. Chew, chew.
Cox’s colorful comic book-like illustrations add to the charm. Kudos for her drawings of kids representing multiple races and ethnicities.
What Parents, Educators Will Like Cox’s illustrations show the same bubble gum dish filled with goodies for each counting progression. Your young reader can count along and name the colors. Best, the author highlights 10 children representing different races and ethnicities, making this one of the most character-diverse picture books I’ve seen in a long time. Adults will enjoy playing off the rhymes and repetition. Your young readers will be reading along with you and learning in no time.
Recommendation
I recommend Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum in a Dish for helping preschoolers laugh and learn. Tracey M. Cox’s charming picture book is also great reinforcement for primary graders who struggle with colors and numbers. I can envision pairing these older students with preschoolers to lead a read-aloud. Plus, think of all the fun they’ll have popping bubbles. 
Disclosure
I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Meet the Author, Illustrator
Tracey M. Cox is a children's author who also reviews picture books. She is available for school visits, book signings, and as a guest speaker at events. Tracey lives in South Georgia with her husband & three children. She has been writing professionally since 2000.
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I love YA fantasy and am excited to share with you a great new read: Children of Icarus by Canadian author Caighlan Smith. Enjoy the excerpt below, meet Caighlan, and learn more CoI.
You can even enter a Blog Tour Giveaway, sponsored by Caighlan Smith and in partnership with BeachBoundBooks. Enter by 24 August and good luck! 
Photo: Flickr Creative Commons
Excerpt: Children of Icarus
The gods were always jealous
of the angels, or so we are taught.
They captured the angels, envious of their purity and perfection, but in their haste left one free. This was the youngest of the angels, Icarus. When the gods realized their folly, they bade Icarus come to their land to retrieve his people, and so they opened to him the doors to their realm: the sun.
The gods have always been cruel, always tricksters. The sun was no gateway but poor, young Icarus could not have known the gods’ plan for him. He flew into the sky until his wings caught fire and he plummeted back to the earth. Death would have become Icarus had he not been discovered in the field where he had fallen. He was found by the great Daedala, who took pity on the beautiful, innocent creature. She built for him a tomb far underground and crafted for him a sarcophagus, in which he might regenerate over the centuries and one day rise once more. Daedala knew she would not live to see Icarus fly again, and so built for him two more gifts, to protect him from the ruthless, relentless gods. She constructed a giant city over the tomb of Icarus, with walls and towers so high they threatened the territory of the gods themselves. And then, around this city, she built a labyrinth that was thought to never end. There is, somewhere, an end to the labyrinth. Every year those young and innocent like Icarus are sent to find this end. If they accomplish this task they are rewarded with entry into Alyssia, land of the angels, where they themselves will become angels and one day welcome Icarus home.
Or so we are taught.
BeachBoundBooks is pleased to be coordinating a Blog Tour for the young adult fantasy Children of Icarus written by Caighlan Smith. The tour will run from August 10 - August 24, 2016.
About the Book
Book Description:
It's Clara who's desperate to enter the labyrinth and its Clara who's bright, strong, and fearless enough to take on any challenge. It's no surprise when she's chosen. But so is the girl who has always lived in her shadow. Together they enter. Within minutes, they are torn apart forever. Now the girl who has never left the city walls must fight to survive in a living nightmare, where one false turn with who to trust means a certain dead end.
History and Inspiration Behind the Book
Since I was a wee kidlit, I’ve loved Greek Mythology. That love has only grown and nowadays heavily influences my writing, some more than others. Children of Icarus, my new novel, is counted among the “some”. The inspiration for this book was, of course, drawn from the myth of Icarus—the boy who flew into the sun. But a lot of the setting of the book comes from the myths about Icarus’ father, Daedalus, who built the labyrinth. Children of Icarus takes place within a labyrinth, which the main character has been chosen to enter. She was promised paradise should she find her way out of the labyrinth, but paradise seems more unlikely than ever as she’s forced to confront one horror after another. Many of said horrors have been inspired by Greek mythology, mainly the adorable monsters that populate every great hero’s tale. The thing is, I had the idea for Children of Icarus back in junior high. The plot was different in every way back then, aside from the setting of the labyrinth. Even the protagonist was an older, altered version of the way she is now. I actually started writing the story back then, but barely got a page in before giving up and moving on to something else. Fast-forward many a year, and I’m studying Greek mythology for my Classics minor at university. It reminds me of that old idea I had, so I revisit it and decide to tell the story of how my protagonist ended up in the labyrinth. I started writing from there, and everything about the story changed. For the better. And now we have a book. Ta-da! About the Author
Caighlan Smith was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador on June 1st, 1994. She grew up in the scenic coastal community of St. Philip’s, overlooking the dramatic north-west Atlantic. As a kid, she loved to play in the woods around her house, loved to tell stories and believed in magic. Caighlan, who is studying English, Classics and Creative Writing at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John’s, is a supporter of universal girl-child education and has been involved with the Teachers Action for Girls campaign in Uganda. Her great loves are reading, gaming and, of course, writing. The “C” in her name is hard, the “gh” is silent. Blog Tour GiveawayOpen to: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Caighlan Smith and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions feel free to send an email to stacie@BeachBoundBooks.com. a Rafflecopter giveaway 
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In honor of Book Lover's Day on 9 August, my writerly pals and I are having fun by sharing all the ways we adore reading. Please enjoy my first (and likely last) RAP, Really Awful Poem, an Ode to Books, with apologies to Gertude Stein, the Bard, Dr. Seuss and poets everywhere.
Then visit the awesome bloggers listed at the end of this post who share more libre love. 
Ode to Books
A RAP, Really-Awful Poem By Cat Michaels
Books!
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Hmmm: Thrice: A book, is a book, is a book. Alas, I could not read them on a boat ....I get sea sick. Nor on a goat ....I am a city girl. I only do goat cheese. But I read books here and there. I love reading almost everywhere Using all kinds of clever devices Which take away my breath and suffices as my brain's creative spices. 
Books in print are longtime pals Ever since elementary school locales. Dick and Jane started it all. Then the Grinch and Nancy Drew as I grew tall.
Now it's sci-fi.
Mysteries. Historical fiction. But JK's HP is still my addiction. 
I love books most when they talk to me.
In fact ... books even walk with me! Earbuds, sweat, and all. 
Tablet reading!
You turn me on when I plug you in. Your font and light controls are awesome. You make my book world spin.
And what delight to share tablet prose
With that special little one who knows that Reading a great kidlit story makes life way more hunky-dory. 
Photo: B.L. Hall
And my deepest readerly secret?
THE END
I had such fun writing this for you! Thanks for reading my RAP.
What do YOU love best about books and reading? Please join the conversation in the comment section. For more book love, please visit the awesome bloggers listed below. We are most grateful for your likes and comments, too -:D. And hey, if you blog about books and reading, post your family-friendly link about book love in the comment section. We'll give you some blog loving!
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Get monthly updates, special offers. New readers receive a FREE downloadable mini-tale for the young at heart: Driving Down to Dillon: A Very-Short Tale of Love and New Beginnings P.S. I hate SPAM. Your email is confidential and secure. Interview with CL Murphy's Lobo the wolf cub reveals his top tips for taking selfies in the wild8/1/2016
I teamed up with author, illustrator C. L. Murphy this week to bring you the Selfies in the Wild Book Tour. Find goodies for you and your young reader:
INTERVIEW WITH LOBO, THE WOLF CUB
Cat: What's your secret to taking great selfies in the wild?
Lobo: First and foremost, keep your teeth free of bugs, seeds, fur and feathers. Nobody wants to see remnants of what you may or may not have been up to. Let’s call it evidence. Get rid of the evidence. Second of all…smile big. BIG, but not scary big. There are some that think showing teeth is a sign of aggression. You want to make a good impression not give the wrong impression. Cat: What's your favorite pose and why? Lobo: Hands down…I mean paws down, my favorite shots are groupies (images of the picture taken with friends) of footies (shots taken of feet). I find feet fascinating. Don’t you? There are not two that are identical. Check yours out. See! Just like snowflakes. 
Cat: What would you like to tell the Park Rangers about their Tail Cam? Lobo: I’d tell them when they put out a contraption in the woods that they should also leave the instructions for its use. We’re not mind readers. CAT: Now that you're famous on Tail Cam, will you open an Instagram account? LOBO: Famous? Really? The Tail Cam may have captured my spirit but not the path to fame and fortune. Cathy just started posting on Instagram. (C.L._Murphy) She specializes in pollywoppus. Do you know what that word means, Cat? I didn’t. I had to look it up. Cathy thinks you should follow each other on Instagram but if, and only if, you like pollywoppus. Merely a suggestion. CAT: Would you consider taking a photography course? Or do you prefer to stay on the other side of the lens like Smokey the Bear? LOBO: I learn best by paws on experience. Trial and lots and lots and lots and lots of errors. And more errors. That Smokey Bear is a cool dude and what a great spokesbear he continues to be for fire safety in the forest. We love him. He’s beary special. I’d love to be his sidekick and help spread the word, but it appears he’s a lone wolf and not looking for help. Cat: How did you and C.L. Murphy become inspired to write your Selfie in the Wild tail, er, I mean, tale? Lobo: One could say it’s a tale of tails on a trail. Or maybe not. Don’t tell Cathy. She may not like me divulging her secrets. You see, one evening she captured one of her very curious cats on a trail camera. She was surprised and delighted by the image and she began thinking about how cameras may seem to our furry friends. In the back of the book, she placed three real photographs of wild critters that were captured on her camera, too. I’m not going to spill the beans about what critters’ pictures she used. You are going to have to see for yourself. Cat: Where can animals and readers go to learn more about your selfies? Lobo: We’ve had so many people ask about them that we may have to start posting them somewhere. Even my forest friends have become quite obsessed with seeing themselves captured. Some have even started bathing regularly. You have no idea how that has cut down on the fly infestation not to mention that they are all trying to be civilized. No more acting with wild abandon. 
Cat: Who's the most photogenic of your friends, and why? Lobo: Let me think. They’d have to have good bone structure, a pleasing smile, and no unkempt fur. Um…I think that they all are cute in their own way, and therefore I cannot pick just one. I love my forest friends, even the stinky and unkempt ones. Cat: Has fame changed you, and if so, how? Lobo: Again, I’m famous!? You sure? I’m just the same kind little wolf pup that wants to be your lovable friend and hopes to make you smile. Cat: Anything you'd like to tell my readers that we haven't discussed? Lobo: How about just saying that you are super duper for interviewing me, Cat? You are PAWSOME! We thank you kindly from the bottom of our hearts. <3 Cat: Awww. Thank YOU, Lobo! If you have questions for Lobo or feedback about his selfies, please post in the comment section. 
About the BookTitle: The Adventures of Lovable Lobo - Selfies in the Wild Written and illustrated by C.L. Murphy Published by Peanut Butter Prose Date published: August 1, 2016 Recommended ages: 3 to 7 Number of pages: 28 Summary: Lobo and his sidekick raven find a trail camera in their neck of the woods, and it attracts the attention of forest friends. Images captured have never been sillier or more candid. Just as their wild dispositions are exposed, the photo shoot comes to an unexpected end and they're all left wondering why. The reason may be obvious.Take a peek inside... 
About C.L. Murphy
Cathy (C.L.) has been creating with and for kids for many years, and because of it she's ever armed with crayons and not afraid to use or share them. She’s faster than a speeding turtle, more powerful than a newborn bunny, and nearly able to leap tall tales in a single bound. She's in a position to use her unassuming powers in a never-ending battle for good and silliness while traveling to the deepest (sometimes dark) part of her imagination. She’s been a member of SCBWI since 2012. She lives in a wonder-filled forest, amongst the wildlife with her husband and other untamed animals. They have two wildly perfect sons and a scrumptious new granddaughter. Website Blog Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google+ Goodreads Instagram The GiveawayPrize: One winner will receive a $200 Amazon gift card or $200 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice Giveaway ends: August 31, 11:59 p.m., 2016 Open to: Worldwide How to enter: Please enter the rafflecopter HERE. Terms and conditions: There is NO purchase necessary to enter or win. One winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget within 48 hours and notified by email once the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new winner will be chosen.
SELFIES IN THE WILD TRAILER
FREE SELFIES IN THE WILD PRINTABLE
Thanks for stopping by. If you have questions or feedback for Lobo, please share them in the comment section. On 2 August, check out the next stop on the Selfies in the Wild Book Tour, klamb.net
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 Cat MichaelsBlogging about books, writing, family life, travel and more good stuff. Meet Cat Behind the pagesa newsletter for bibliophiles on writing, books and cool stuff readers love
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