Book Review & Giveaway: Pretty Please Press

Years ago, I remember reading a story about a study that had just been completed, and the end result was basically that the more books a child had access to in the home, the brighter that child's mind was and the more intelligent the child would grow up to be. At the time, having children was definitely NOT on my mind, but the study has stayed in my mind over the years, and I made it a point to always gift kids with books. Now that I have my own munchkin, books are definitely not something we will ever say no to. I'm always on the hunt for wonderful books when we are out shopping.

Pretty Please Press is a small publishing company that has good children's books full of lovely pictures, and stories that contain messages of values our children should have. The books are designed to be read aloud to children by parents, grandparents, and teachers too. On their website, you can download free vocabulary building cards, concept cards, and if you're a teacher or homeschooler, you can even download lesson plans to go along with the books (all for free!)

I was absolutely delighted to have the chance to receive and review several of the books from this small company. I was pleased at the beautiful pictures, and the stories that could be read over and over again. Now, I believe that each child has different interests, and so maybe they might love a book, and maybe they don't. On that end, it gets kind of hard to review a certain title when it comes to kids books. All I can do is tell you really if the books have a good story and beautiful pictures, really. So here are the books and a short blurb about each of them:


Bella Basset Ballerina by Laura Aimee Garn:
Bella, a Basset Hound, falls in love with the ballet when her mother takes her to see the Royal Borzoi Ballet, and wants to become a ballerina. But in this world, only Borzois can dance, so she has many obstacles to overcome to realize her dream. This story shows kids that they CAN do anything they want if they don't give up! (A very important message!)


The Scritchy Little Twitchell Sisters by Laura Aimee Garn
This story is about two sisters - Lavinia and Emmeline Twitchell - who look like the perfect children, but are out of control. They are argue and fight all day long, draining their parents and every one else. Suddenly they are "discovered" and their antics give them a career in entertainment. This book helps show that arguing with your siblings is normal, but that it also helps you understand and appreciation your brothers and sisters as well.


Kick Block Punch by Jacquie Hann
Sam starts his karate lessons impatiently thinking he will walk right in and get his black belt right away. As we all know, it doesn't exactly work that way. ;) His very patient instructor helps him learn lots of new skills and he learns his way to his goal. This book teaches patience, and practice makes perfect.


Pynx by Jeffrey Greene :
A purple creature called a Pynx settles into her new home in the jungle on a distant planet somewhere out there. Her arrival upsets the creatures already living there, especially when her family grows as she has babies. Pynx, who is very vocal, has had this problem before, but luckily she ends up finding a real home this time. This story talks about being tolerant to differences and learning to understand them, as well as finding ways to communicate with others. The illustrations are wonderful!

Out of the books, I think that Pynx and Bella Basset Ballerina ended up being our favorites. Now these are longer stories, and appropriate for the ages 5 to 9/10 range. You can read them to younger children, of course, but their attention span may not always last. They would make an excellent gift for young reader in your life!

Right now, Pretty Please Press is offering a wonderful deal - purchase three books, and you'll receive the fourth one free! The free book will automatically deduct from your shopping cart, with no promo code needed - it's hassle free!

Win it! One lucky reader will win a copy of each of the books I've shared in my review. To enter, I'd like to know how often you read to your child, or how often you visit the library. Do they have a favorite book they ask you to read over and over? Are you like us with several bookshelves full of books to choose from?

As always, you can receive extra entries for:

-Subscribing to my feed or following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway (leave the link or @psychotichouse me)

That's four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends November 21st at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US only, sorry :( Good luck everyone!! :)

(Just a quick note: as I was sent the second copies to ship myself, I will be sending these MEDIA mail. It may take 4 to 6 weeks to arrive to you. They should arrive in time to gift give this holiday season. I hope you understand.)