Dad of Divas' Reviews: May 2020

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Book review: How to Draw Almost Everything Volume 2




About the Book
How to Draw Almost Everything Volume 2—a follow-up to the popular book How to Draw Almost Everything, part of the Almost Everything series from Quarry Books—shows how easy it is to draw even more cute illustrations.
  • Learn to draw each illustration in easy-to-follow steps. Just follow the arrows to complete each step. You’ll also find helpful tips and ideas for drawing variations.
  • Start with basic shapes, such as circles, triangles, and squares, then add special details to personalize your illustrations.
  • Draw animals, people, everyday objects, patterns and borders, and holiday and seasonal themes, along with warm-ups and special lessons.
  • An inspiration gallery offers fun ideas for adding illustrations to everyday objects or creating one-of-a-kind notes, cards, and gifts.
Each book in the Almost Everything series offers readers a fun, comprehensive, and charmingly illustrated visual directory of ideas to inspire skill building in their creative endeavors.



My Take on the Book
If you love to draw, this book will help you to draw a ton of new things. The book is practical in nature and really allows you to replicate easily what you see in the overall book. My daughters love it when I draw things for them and this book gave me a ton of ideas for the future! If you are looking for inspiration, this book will definitely give it to you and offer you some great insights into improving your own artistic ability!


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Book Review - So This is Love: A Twisted Tale

So This is Love: A Twisted Tale




About the Book
What if Cinderella never tried on the glass slipper? Unable to prove that she's the missing princess, and unable to bear life under Lady Tremaine any longer, Cinderella attempts a fresh start, looking for work at the palace as a seamstress. But when the Grand Duke appoints her to serve under the king's visiting sister, Cinderella becomes witness to a grand conspiracy to take the king-and the prince-out of power, as well as a longstanding prejudice against fairies, including Cinderella's own Fairy Godmother. Faced with questions of love and loyalty to the kingdom, Cinderella must find a way to stop the villains of past and present . . . before it's too late.



My Take on the Book
For anyone that loves Disney you will love reading this book. It starts with Cinderella at the ball and you get a similar story to what you have heard in the past, but the change happens when Lady Tremaine locks her in the attic and she does not get out to try on the slipper. Her stepmom tries to sell her and she runs away. This book continues to tell her story and how she has to save her fairy godmother while battling her feelings about Prince Charles.

The characters in this book were a ton of fun and while some of this is similar to the original story, the twists on the original story make you come back page after page to enjoy the whole story. 

The author captures the characters well and if you love Cinderella, you will love this story!

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Thursday, May 7, 2020

Book Review - Eat Your Rocks, Croc!

Eat Your Rocks, Croc!



About the Book

When animals have problems, they call on Dr. Sugar Glider to help!

Help me, Dr. Glider. My stomach is killing me! I eat all the same food as my family, but I'm the only one that feels sick. What's wrong with me?

Dr. Sugar Glider travels around the world to help animals (and, on occasion, plants!) with all sorts of problems. Whether it's a crocodile with a sick stomach, a creeped-out krill, a stressed meerkat, or a male praying mantis trying to date, Dr. Glider is ready to offer advice!

From powerhouse duo Jess Keating (Pink Is for Blobfish) and New York Times bestselling illustrator Pete Oswald (The Bad Seed), Eat Your Rocks, Croc! features hilarious stories, charming illustrations, and awesome true facts that will leave young readers enthralled by the real world of the animal kingdom. Robust back matter, featuring a glossary and a list of the featured creatures, makes this the perfect fit for the school curriculum.


My Take on the Book
This was a great book that had so much information about animals. It was fun meeting Dr. Sugar Glider as he meets with many different patients. With each patient you get to learn about the patient as well. On top of Dr. Sugar Glider helping the patient there are sidebars on each page you will also get to read sidebar information that will also educate and entertain. Get ready for your kids to have a blast learning about animals.


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Saturday, May 2, 2020

Book Review - Slide & Surprise in the Ocean




About the Book

Find out which animals are hiding in the ocean in this novelty book with fun animal facts and big pull-tabs on every page!

Uncover underwater hidden animals in Slide & Surprise in the Ocean! Kids will explore different animal habitats as they turn the thick, board book pages and pull the big tabs to discover adorable new creatures on every spread. Underwater, readers will find animals like seals, whales, clownfish, and more! With a simple animal fact on each spread, this series is the perfect introduction to light nonfiction for this young age group. The call-and-response search-and-find feature will encourage curiosity and interactivity, and Natalie Marshall's bright, playful art will keep them turning the pages! Plus, there is an extra-large reveal on the last spread! Who will you find?



My Take on the Book
This was a great book that had pull tabs that let you explore the weird and wonderful life that is below the surface of the ocean even if you can't see them. The book is vibrant with fun illustrations throughout with detailed information that will let young readers get lost in the pictures while learning too.

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Friday, May 1, 2020

Book Review - Creating Constructive Cultures: Leading People and Organizations to Effectively Solve Problems and Achieve Goals

Creating Constructive Cultures: Leading People and Organizations to Effectively Solve Problems and Achieve Goals



About the Book

Keys to culture change based on 40 years of research
If attracting and retaining talent, encouraging innovation, expediting strategy implementation, and bolstering expansion and growth are at the top of your organization’s agenda, then you need to read Creating Constructive Cultures.

Venture into the culture change journeys of organizations—big and small, global and local, public and private, in various industries and countries—to discover what works and what doesn’t. You will learn the secrets of how leadership teams around the world have successfully shifted their workplace cultures in a more productive direction using a proven methodology.

In Creating Constructive Cultures, you’ll get answers to critical questions, such as:

  • What is the ideal culture for your organization?
  • What do toxic cultures look like—and what are the forces that enable them?
  • What is the biggest obstacle to change that most leaders miss?
  • What are the ways in which leaders purposefully and unknowingly impact culture? (There are probably a lot more than you realize!)
  • How can you and other leaders recognize—and overcome—the negative impact of culture on your own thinking and behavior to create desired changes and achieve goals?


Purchase the Creating Constructive Cultures book now and start your journey towards growth.



My Take on the Book
Culture is not an easy thing to manage or change, let alone measure. This book is an essential read for anyone that is looking to try and examine organizational culture for themselves. The book really allows you to gain some unique insights into how you can measure culture. The interesting part of this book was that you get to see how you can measure culture from both a quantitative and qualitative end. The insights in this book give you practical ideas that will help you make big changes that will really impact your organization. The book gives you a framework to follow that makes sense. It was a great read that will really help you change things for the better.


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Book Review - Advanced Consulting: Earning Trust at the Highest Level

Advanced Consulting: Earning Trust at the Highest Level



About the Book
This is the first book to address the specific needs and challenges faced by high-level consultants, who work on very complex projects and must win the confidence of the most senior leaders in organizations.

Advanced consulting requires both expertise and personal qualifications that are distinct from those needed in everyday consulting. Advanced consultants work with high-level executive teams on complex issues such as strategy, organizational design, merger integration, digital disruption, culture change, and system-wide transformation. While neophyte consultants are often given a playbook to follow, advanced consultants need to invent methods that take full advantage of the opportunities that their work with clients presents.

There is an art to advanced consulting as well as a science; who you are is as important as what you do. Bill Pasmore draws on his four decades of experience as a consultant and teacher of consultants to show readers how to see possibilities that are not evident, conduct analyses that support the value of more comprehensive work, build relationships that engender deeper trust, adapt to changing circumstances, and empower members of their team to take independent actions while maintaining overall control of an engagement. Illustrated with vivid real-world examples and including a self-assessment to measure your progress, this book equips you to advance to more senior positions in your firm or to build a successful independent practice.



My Take on the Book
I have tried my hand at consulting in the past and it takes a special finesse to do it right. This book would have been an amazing asset to have when I first started to consult with others. This book really gives you an inside look into what it takes to consult at the next level. I loved that the book really allows you to experience the author's own journey to advanced consulting. You learn so many practical tips about how to work with others and how to win the trust of the people you are working for and with. This is a must read for for anyone that is currently consulting or looking to do so in the future! You will learn a ton!


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Book Review - American as Paneer Pie

American as Paneer Pie



About the Book
An Indian American girl navigates prejudice in her small town and learns the power of her own voice in this brilliant gem of a middle grade novel full of humor and heart, perfect for fans of Front Desk and Amina’s Voice.

As the only Indian American kid in her small town, Lekha Divekar feels like she has two versions of herself: Home Lekha, who loves watching Bollywood movies and eating Indian food, and School Lekha, who pins her hair over her bindi birthmark and avoids confrontation at all costs, especially when someone teases her for being Indian.

When a girl Lekha’s age moves in across the street, Lekha is excited to hear that her name is Avantika and she’s Desi, too! Finally, there will be someone else around who gets it. But as soon as Avantika speaks, Lekha realizes she has an accent. She’s new to this country, and not at all like Lekha.

To Lekha’s surprise, Avantika does not feel the same way as Lekha about having two separate lives or about the bullying at school. Avantika doesn’t take the bullying quietly. And she proudly displays her culture no matter where she is: at home or at school.

When a racist incident rocks Lekha’s community, Lekha realizes she must make a choice: continue to remain silent or find her voice before it’s too late.



My Take on the Book
This was a wonderful book that truly let you see prejudice in action. You get drawn into the book with its' strong characters but also the amazing characters and the reality that the characters are in. For anyone that has felt bullied, invisible or even targeted in some way, this book is a powerful one. I felt drawn to the characters and their plight and you will too. This is a book that all can learn and grow from!

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