Dad of Divas' Reviews: May 2016

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Book Review - Gary's Garden

Gary's Garden

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About the Book
Delve deep into the undergrowth and meet the crazy critters in Gary's backyard. It's full of the silliest creatures you'll ever meet. The worms think they're caterpillars, the caterpillars think they're acrobats, the spiders are conducting orchestras, the birds are raiding the house for snacks, and the squirrel's lost his nuts! And that's not even half of it! Join the fun in "Gary's Garden."



My Take on the Book
This was a very cute book that will re-conceptualize what you think when you see insects in the backyard. Have fun with these very cool insects and see all of the fun ways in which they not only interact, but also in how they live life - you will love it!


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Book Review - Animals Night & Day Coloring Book

Animals Night & Day Coloring Book

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About the Book
Let your imagination run wild with this stylish and sophisticated adult coloring book that takes you on a glorious exploration of creatures big and small. Colorists the world over will be delighted by Animals Night & Day Coloring Book, which features a unique mixture of three color backgrounds (with colors that include black, gold, or blue) that help enrich different environments, color palettes, textures, and the artistic look of each animal pattern. This first-of-its-kind "night and day" approach allows each intricate design to take on a life of its own. With over 90 beautiful, complex images to explore and enhance, this gorgeous coloring book will take you on a mindfulness journey that will decrease stress, increase creativity, and take you deep into the heart of the natural world. Get ready to create your own vibrant masterpieces of glorious beasts and creatures from the animal kingdom, including the owl, horse, eagle, monkey, tiger, elephant, wolf, fox, lion, koala bear, and so much more.



My Take on the Book
This was a beautiful book that really allows you to bring color to some very intricate designs. With abut 90 pages within it and many different animals you can really try your hand at and play with colors on many of the designs. My daughters were super excited to try out the animals and make them their own and the end result was very cool images that you can keep forever!


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Book Review - 1,001 Best Grilling Recipes: Delicious, Easy-to-Make Recipes from Around the World

1,001 Best Grilling Recipes: Delicious, Easy-to-Make Recipes from Around the World

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About the Book
1,001 Best Grilling Recipes is the definitive book on grilling everything from appetizers to desserts. This second edition of the popular cookbook is enlarged and beautifully repackaged, giving Grilling a sleek new design and a broader width that allows the book to stay open to your chosen page for maximum convenience.

Author Rick Browne is known as one of the country's foremost authorities on grilling. The creator and host of the PBS TV series Barbecue America, Browne is also the author of twelve cookbooks, most of which deal with barbecue and grilling. In this volume, he's created an encyclopedic collection of recipes drawn from cuisines around the world, with a particular focus on North American and Asian traditions.

Browne begins with a brief primer on basic grilling techniques, but the real substance of this book is the dazzling array of recipes. You'll find dishes everyone can enjoy, including standard grill fare like beef and chicken as well as the more unusual shellfish and wild game. There are plenty of vegetarian options too, and a section for sauces, marinades, and rubs.

Never before have this many great grilling recipes been collected into one tome. If you love to grill—or know someone else who does—this is a must-have resource. It's the only grilling recipe book you'll ever need.




My Take on the Book
Talk about complete! This recipe book has so much to offer. It is simply huge and has a little bit of everything within it. The recipes are easy to follow and the instructions are clear. Best of all is the breadth and depth within the book itself. I am really impressed by what I am seeing here and am really looking forward to testing out so many of these recipes over the summer.


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Sunday, May 22, 2016

Book Review - Short Order Dad: One Guy’s Guide to Making Food Fun and Hassle-Free

Short Order Dad: One Guy’s Guide to Making Food Fun and Hassle-Free

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About the Book

There is a new kind of dad, and he’s doing far more domestic duty than at any time in history, including cooking. Although it’s written with a sense of humor, this book is a serious resource for dads and anyone else interested in upping their game to make great tasting food at home, even if they have never used a chef’s knife or a roasting pan before.

Author Robert Rosenthal teaches basic techniques and presents a playbook of simple recipes that achieve the most taste with the fewest ingredients and the least effort.™ The dishes are sophisticated enough for entertaining, yet family table tested as well. Short Order Dad covers all the essentials, from shopping ingredients and cooking tools to appetizers, soups and salads, snacks, entrees, sauces and dressings, sides, desserts, cocktails and more, to make anyone a successful chef.

Good cooking doesn’t have to be complicated to be great. In fact, it’s just the opposite. So whether you’re clueless in the kitchen, pan-fry phobic, or already a skilled cook, Short Order Dad is here to help turn your kitchen into a place to play.

Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Good Books and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of cookbooks, including books on juicing, grilling, baking, frying, home brewing and winemaking, slow cookers, and cast iron cooking. We’ve been successful with books on gluten-free cooking, vegetarian and vegan cooking, paleo, raw foods, and more. Our list includes French cooking, Swedish cooking, Austrian and German cooking, Cajun cooking, as well as books on jerky, canning and preserving, peanut butter, meatballs, oil and vinegar, bone broth, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.



My Take on the Book
WOW, I already had dinner but after reading through this book my mouth is watering and I am already planning out my shopping lists for later this week. The book itself is filled with so many delicious looking recipes. Some of the ones I am looking forward to trying include:

  • Blueberry crumble
  • Not your Momm'a tuna salad
  • Let's Talk Turkey Burgers
  • Osso Buco
  • Margarita
As you can see by the list that I put in here, the cookbook is very eclectic and will not only teach you about how to use all factets of the food you eat but the recipes seem to be very easy to follow.

I met the author a few years ago and have to say that the recipes in this book really do follow the down to earth approach that he was in real life too.

I love that this collection has been created to truly inspire people to take the jump in to great tasting food that everyone will love!

On top pf cooking though, the author also shares valuable insights into cooking itself and how you can learn to afford what you can. 

This was a inspirational book that will tickle your tastebuds as well as broaden you view of what cooking is and what it is not.



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Thursday, May 19, 2016

Book Review - Treasure's Adventures: Whisker Haven Tales with the Palace Pets

Treasure's Adventures: Whisker Haven Tales with the Palace Pets

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About the Book
It's all paws on deck as the Palace Pets and Critterzens prepare for the Glitter Ball! At the event, Ms. Featherbon will launch splendificent Glitterworks to light up the sky using her magical Glitterbits. But when a magic-loving puppy swipes the Glitterbits, it's up to Treasure to get them back! This deluxe box features a storybook with five brand-new tales about Treasure, a collectible toy, fun play scenes, and a punch-out boat. Following the action-packed stories, place the mini Treasure toy inside of the boat and have her set sail for adventure!




My Take on the Book
This was such a cute story. The book is filled with action packed stories that will engage your young reader completely. The toy that came with the book was very cute and my youngest daughter wanted to keep it as hers right from the first moment we opened the book. All-in-all this was a very fun story that you and your kids will enjoy reading together.

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Book Review - Tales from the Haunted Mansion: The Fearsome Foursome


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About the Book
Welcome, foolish mortals, to Disney Press' spookiest chapter book series yet: Tales from the Haunted Mansion! Based on the attractions from the Disney Parks, each new book tells the story of one of the Haunted Mansion's 999 ghosts. With eerie illustrations throughout and a beautiful three-piece cloth cover, the books are designed to look like they came straight from the library in the Haunted Mansion.



My Take on the Book
This book was so much fun! As fans of the Haunted Mansion, I know that my whole family has wondered over the years about the different ghosts that you see on the ride itself. This book explores the stories of these ghosts one book at a time. The book really went into depth, creating a back-story for the ghost in question and my daughters and I left very excited about upcoming books! If you are a fan of the Haunted Mansion, you will love this book!


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Book Review - The Notebook of Doom - Snap of the Super-Goop

The Notebook of Doom - Snap of the Super-Goop

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About the Book
This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow! In this tenth book, Alexander keeps seeing monsters that the S.S.M.P. has ALREADY defeated! But his friends Rip and Nikki think he is going crazy. Could there be zombie monsters on the loose? Or is there a monster that can turn into ANYTHING? Alexander will have to protect the town -- and the notebook -- from Stermont's latest monster!



My Take on the Book
If you have been a fan of this series in the past, this book continues the series in the perfect way. My girls have been BIG fans of the series for a long time and as a father, I love to see them so engaged with their reading. When this book came, they both fought over who got to read it first and they both said how much they enjoyed the book overall! So get ready for suspense, monsters and more in this great new Notebook of Doom!


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Book Review - Sherlock Sam

Sherlock Sam

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About the Book
An exciting new update of the classic Sherlock Holmes detective stories in which Sherlock is a 10-year-old kid living in Singapore and Watson is his trusty robot companion!

Introducing the Sherlock Sam series by A.J. Low—a fresh, cross-cultural twist on the classic Sherlock Holmes stories, tailored for middle-grade readers. Set in iconic Singapore locations, the series follows the mystery-solving exploits of smart, observant, food-loving 10-year-old Samuel Tan Cher Lock (a.k.a. Sherlock Sam), Watson, his reluctant robot sidekick, and the rest of the Supper Club (a “Scooby Doo gang,” of sorts) as they prove that mysteries are best solved through teamwork.

In Sherlock Sam and the Missing Heirloom in Katong, Auntie Kim Lian’s precious Peranakan cookbook disappears, and Sherlock Sam cannot eat her delicious ayam buah keluak anymore! Will Sherlock Sam be able to use his super detective powers to find this lost treasure?




My Take on the Book
While we had never read this series before, my family is all about mysteries and this one delivers. This was a very fun story with some characters that you will not soon forget! My daughters loved the concept of the Supper Club. As big Scooby Doo fans this was a great connection that they had with this interesting group of characters! So get ready for a very fun mystery as well as some good food mixed in for good measure!



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Book Review - Dear Dumb Diary: Dumbness Is a Dish Best Served Cold


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About the Book
Jamie Kelly is back and dumber than ever in this super-deluxe four-color Dear Dumb Diary special edition!

Life at Mackerel Middle School is as dumb as ever -- but Jamie Kelly may have finally found the key to fame, fortune, and fabulousness. Together with Isabella and Angeline, she's come up with a moneymaking idea, and it has to do with food. Everyone likes food! They're going to be rich!

The only problem? They have to come up with something that people actually want to eat.

Jamie has some sophisticated thoughts on food, like, "She was manipulating us like dough. Like the sweet, delicious dough that we are. And she was baking us into the type of delicious cookies you can only get from dough like us. And she was putting sprinkles of us on top of us, and -- forget it. I'm hungry. I want some cookies."




My Take on the Book
This is such a humorous book. I find myself reading it and chuckling along with the story even though it is geared to a much younger audience than I. My daughters really love the reality hat Jamie has and my oldest is a similar age to the main character and she can relate to some of the situations that Jamie is dealing with too. This is a great addition to the wonderful series!

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Book Review - Eerie Elementary: The Science Fair Is Freaky!

Eerie Elementary: The Science Fair Is Freaky!

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About the Book
This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow! Eerie Elementary is having a science fair. Sam, Antonio, and Lucy are hard at work on their projects when they find a strange, old book. Suddenly, the school comes alive! The ground shakes, science projects explode, and the school gym turns into a giant volcano! How will Sam and his friends fight hot lava? And what is hidden in that strange, old book?



My Take on the Book
My youngest simply adores this series and has read every one of them. She was so excited when she got to read this next book in the series. The book continues the great writing of the author and even better brings back the characters fans have come to love. There is some great action in this book also with a mystery, suspense and a bit more. This is an action-packed story that you and your kids will truly enjoy!

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Book Review - Goosebumps Most Wanted: The Haunter

Goosebumps Most Wanted: The Haunter

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About the Book
Sammy Baker is a quiet kid who wishes he wasn't so shy and timid. He is frightened but eager to prove he can be brave. On Halloween night, he follows his friends to the Marple House, an abandoned mansion on the other side of town.

Just past midnight, he feels a cold tingle at the back of his neck. The cold seeps down, a heavy chill he has never felt before. Soon, his whole head feels like a block of ice. He's about to scream-but the cold feeling vanishes. Sammy doesn't realize that he has just met The Haunter, and that his nightmares are only just beginning."




My Take on the Book
Get ready to get a bit spooked with this new Goosebumps book!  The  author has done it again, bringing you a well told story that will leave you on the edge of your seat. While the story is not too scary, there is some spine-chilling suspense that is included so very young readers may not find it appropriate. My girls however loved the story, the characters and found the book to be a fast and enjoyable read!


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Book Review - Geronimo Stilton: The Cheese Experiment

Geronimo Stilton: The Cheese Experiment

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About the Book
New Mouse City was in a panic. A strange epidemic had broken out -- mice everywhere were covered in weird blue spots! Mouse Island's most famouse doctor immediately set to work with his team to try to find the cure... but someone was trying to stop him. Could I figure out who before I ended up blue myself?



My Take on the Book
Another great Geronimo Stilton story with great characters, amazing illustrations and a great mystery too! My kids love to read these books and they simply plow through these as soon as they get them. This book was a fun read for kids to read on their own or with a parent!!

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Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Book Review - Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior

Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior
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About the Book
Minecraft meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid in this journal of a Minecraft villager who dreams of becoming a Minecraft warrior.

In the first in this series of three unofficial Minecraft adventure books, it’s time for our 12-year-old hero to choose his future vocation to study at the Minecraftia school. His options are less than tantalizing: farmer, butcher, crafter, miner. What this noob really wants is to be a warrior like his hero, Steve. So when he learns that the five best students in school that year will get the chance to start warrior training, it’s ON.




My Take on the Book
My girls love minecraft and while this is the first book that I have read in this series of books I found the book to be a fun read with my girls, and they even wanted to take the book and read the book for themselves too. The really liked the main character and all of the other characters in the book and I appreciated the world in which the book was situated too. The main character has to make some big decisions that will lead him into the future. The book was a ton of fun and if you are a fan of minecraft you will completely be drawn in!

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Book Review - The Perfect Dog

The Perfect Dog

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About the Book
Fans of The Pigeon Wants a Puppy and Charlie the Ranch Dog will fall in love with this vibrant picture book about one girl’s quest to find the perfect dog for her family.

When your parents say you can get a dog, you feel so LUCKY.

And after you finally figure out what kind of dog you want, that feels even LUCKIER.

But when the perfect dog chooses you—it feels like you’re the LUCKIEST kid in the world!

Dogs come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities. But which one is perfect for you?


My Take on the Book
Kevin O'Malley has written and delightfully illustrated a book for your young child. It details the thoughts of a little girl as she ponders what kind of dog to choose. She thinks about size, short and long hair, energetic and quiet, fancy and plain, etc. The illustrations show her reactions to her thoughts as the author places different dogs for her to choose from in the process.

I love the ending in which the little girl goes through the entire process of thinking and planning, but a little dog actually chooses her instead. This is a beautiful picture book.


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Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Book Review - If You Were Me and Lived in...Renaissance Italy

If You Were Me and Lived in...Renaissance Italy

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About the Book
Join Carole P. Roman and travel through time to visit the most interesting civilizations throughout history in the first four books of her new series. Learn what kind of food you might eat in Ancient Greece, the clothes you wore in 15th century Renaissance Italy, what your name could be in Elizabethan England, and what Colonial American children did for fun. If You Were Me and Lived in...does for history what her other award-winning series did for culture. So get on-board this time-travel machine and discover the world through the eyes of a young person just like you.



My Take on the Book
This was a very interesting book that explores an amazing time in history!

The book provides you with a ton of information about the world and the life that was the Renaissance. You will learn about the clothes, the food, the people, beliefs and more. This is written for younger children to understand so my kids truly enjoyed it.

What is great about this book is that the author has made learning truly fun and exciting!


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Book Review - If You Were Me and Lived in...Colonial America

If You Were Me and Lived in...Colonial America

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About the Book
Join Carole P. Roman and travel through time to visit the most interesting civilizations throughout history in the first four books of her new series. Learn what kind of food you might eat in Ancient Greece, the clothes you wore in 15th century Renaissance Italy, what your name could be in Elizabethan England, and what Colonial American children did for fun. If You Were Me and Lived in...does for history what her other award-winning series did for culture. So get on-board this time-travel machine and discover the world through the eyes of a young person just like you.



My Take on the Book
This book was a perfect book for a trip we are planning to take soon. My daughter just was learning about this time in our history in school, so she loved to read this and read even more. On top of this we were planning to take a trip to some of the colonial America sites so this was perfect. The book gives you a perfect perspective of what life was like in the 1620's. Life was so hard , but they also had a very unique connection with each other too. This was a very educational book that you will learn a ton from!



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Book Review - If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient Greece

If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient Greece

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About the Book
Join Carole P. Roman and travel through time to visit the most interesting civilizations throughout history in the first four books of her new series. Learn what kind of food you might eat in Ancient Greece, the clothes you wore in 15th century Renaissance Italy, what your name could be in Elizabethan England, and what Colonial American children did for fun. If You Were Me and Lived in...does for history what her other award-winning series did for culture. So get on-board this time-travel machine and discover the world through the eyes of a young person just like you.



My Take on the Book
I have always been a fan of Greek history. his book really allowed me to get behind the scenes to what it was like to live in Ancient Greece. You learn about their Gods, you learn about food, names , clothes and more. The book is filled with great images and you will be drawn into the world and the culture. The information in the book will broaden your perspectives and your appreciation for the Greek world. Get ready to learn!

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