Book Review - Visual Explorers: Ocean Life

About the Book



My Take on the Book
OCEAN LIFE is full of facts about the ocean, ocean animals and their habitats. Beautiful color photographs are included with the text. The table of contents includes: the marine food chain, ocean animals of the coastal, ocean forests, and coral reefs, information about fish, sharks, crustaceans, echinoderms, and seabirds. There is an excellent glossary included at the end of the book.

I feel this book will be a good introduction to the life in the ocean. Once your and your child read this book, you may want to find other resources to expand your knowledge.

----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - The Berenstain Bears’ Country Cookbook

About the Book
It’s The Berenstain Bears' Country Cookbook! Bear lovers everywhere are sure to find favorite recipes for fun food in this new kid-friendly, cookbook—ranging from Bear favorites that use honey and berries to delicious main meals and breakfasts, and even Berenstain favorites like Jan Berenstain’s famous Green Lasagna.

Featuring breakfast, lunch, main meal, and dessert recipes as well as kid-friendly cooking tips such as food and measurement conversions, this is sure to become a go-to cookbook for delicious and fun recipes kids can cook with an adult.

About the Author
Mike Berenstain grew up watching his parents, Stan and Jan, working together to write and draw these lovable bears. Eventually he started drawing and writing about them too.



My Take on the Book
I have always enjoyed reading the books written by the Berenstain family. When I saw the cookbook, I was eager to view the contents and see the layout.

Mike Berenstain has included recipes for breakfast, lunch, main dishes, desserts and sweets. He has a section with facts about honey, grace before meals, and kitchen measurements.

The book is colorful and easy to use. A color photograph is included with each food entry. They will make you hungry just looking at them. Some of the entries are quite creative, like the TASTY TOBOGGANS. This breakfast item is two pieces of cooked bacon set perpendicular on a plate, with a piece of French toast on top. 

Some of the recipes use a grocery store ingredient that will save you some time: like a box of scone mix for the scone recipe and the tube of refrigerated rolls for the bunny biscuits. Most of the recipes are made from "scratch" which will encourage your child to learn kitchen measurements.


The directions were well written and easy to follow. 

Before each major section, Mama or Papa Bear have a short narration for the adult and child doing the cooking.

I feel the recipes are healthy. I think you and your child will enjoy not only using the cookbook but eating the food you will prepare.
----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - Sniff! Sniff!

About the Book
A lively puppy is on the loose, sniffing his way through town and causing mischief! But what is the pup sniffing? Readers will follow the clues, from bacon and pancakes at breakfast to garbage cans and fire hydrants in the park, to guess where the dog is running to next. Will he finally find what he is looking for? Author and illustrator Ryan Sias uses bright, dynamic illustrations and minimal text to create a delightfully funny story that will have young readers guessing until the very end.



My Take on the Book
This picture book's illustrations definitely tell the story with very little words written. They are full of color and details. You will see the curious and very active dog as he goes through his day and the emotions of his humans as they follow him . They try to keep him out of the trouble he seems to find easily.

Since there are few words but lots of visual action this story is perfect for a young child. The adult sharing the story could get the child into a rich discussion of what is happening in the story. The child eventually could retell the story in his own words.

The dog shows excitement in discoveries and meets every challenge. Lastly the dog shows his disappointment at being caught and having to go home and take a bath. You see the love this family has for its pet in spite of the dog's inquisitive nature which gets him into some challenging situations.

Enjoy this story with your young child.


----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - Whatever After: Bad Hair Day

About the Book
The magical fifth installment of Sarah Mlynowski's hit series Whatever After!

Abby and Jonah are stuck in yet another fairy tale! This time, the magic mirror sucks them into the story of Rapunzel. When Rapunzel lets down her hair for the siblings to climb, Jonah accidentally shreds it with his soccer cleats. But that's nothing a stylish, TOTALLY professional haircut by Abby can't solve, right? Wrong! Now this tale is all tangled up. Can Abby and Jonah turn this bad hair day around before it's too late?



My Take on the Book
The title "Bad Hair Day" does not give away the adventure that Abby and her brother, Jonah, experience in the fairy tale land . The adventure begins in their basement as they walk through a magic mirror and meet Rapunzel.Of course they have to climb her hair to meet her and that is where the adventure becomes exciting for the reader. Rapunzel is the one who has the "bad hair day" due to Abby and Jonah. There is humor, the experience of trying to get to the castle to meet the prince, and of course returning home to their worried parents.

The chapter book was fun to read. There was problem solving by the children throughout their adventures.

The author definitely left the ending open for Abby and Jonah to enjoy more adventures with other fairy tale characters in future books.



----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - Mr. Food Test Kitchen Guilt-Free Weeknight Favorites

About the Book
With the American Diabetes Association’s best-selling cookbook of 2014, and 1.8 million unique visitors monthly to their website, the MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN has been a trusted source of healthful information and recipes for millions upon millions of people for more than 30 years. Therefore, it is my pleasure to introduce their new cookbook Mr. Food Test Kitchen Guilt-Free Weeknight Favorites in partnership with the American Diabetes Association. With more than 34 million adults and children with diabetes in the United States and Canada and an additional 1.9 million newly diagnosed each year; diabetes is a disease that touches us all. This new cookbook will provide those with diabetes and those without with healthful recipes they can make any day of the week when they're short on time, but have a family to feed.



My Take on the Book
There are more than 150 healthy and diabetes friendly recipes in this cookbook. The recipe sections include: breakfast, appetizers, salads, soups, stews and chilies, poultry, beef and pork, seafood and pasta, side dishes and sweets and treats.

Each recipe page has a black and white photograph of the completed food item and a list of ingredients with the preparations steps. At the bottom of each recipe is an explanation of the exchanges and other nutritional information.

I thought the cookbook had a nice variety of recipes to choose from. The recipes used ingredients which can easily be found in your home or grocery store.

I encourage you to read the forward, introduction, and articles on sugar, portion control, and how to read nutritional labels. There is so much good advice at the beginning of this book.

----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - The Wacky & Wonderful World Through Numbers

About the Book
Everything takes on exciting new meaning when you look at it through the lens of numbers. Even boring, everyday stuff like can openers, snowflakes, rain, and honeybees becomes fascinating when you realize that:

• The can opener was created 48 years after food was first put in cans (before that, people were using a hammer and chisel to open their beans)
• It takes a snowflake 1 hour to fall to the ground
• There are typically 16 tons of rain in one small, fluffy cloud
• Honeybees must visit 2 million flowers to make about a pound of honey

More than 2000 entries like these are featured in Numberland. These amazing facts and figures cover just about every topic under the sun including people, animals, events, toys, food, fashion, weather, the solar system, pirates, and much more. With humorous illustrations, clever text, and a great blend of interesting, enlightening, and sometimes just plain gross facts to ponder, this book is hard to put down. (Ages 8+)




My Take on the Book
If you love facts, especially facts that include numbers, you will really enjoy reading this book. There are over 60 different topics to choose from. Some of the topics are of number facts about the Titanic, the Wild West, Wicked Weather, Dangerous Animals, Knights and Castles, and the list goes on.
Her are two examples of facts about the Wild West. There were 28 robberies that were attributed to Black Bart who wore a mask made from a flour sack. Here is another Wild West fact: in 1892, 23 bullets hit an outlaw names Emmett Dalton in a shootout.He survived the shootout. He was in prison for 14 years and then became an actor and real estate agent. 

Another set of pages is devoted to the Arctic and Antarctic. Here is one amazing fact about a caterpillar who lives in that cold area. It takes 14 years for the Woolly Bear Caterpillar to become a butterfly. It freezes solid every winter and thaws in the spring to feed.

Wow, so many interesting facts. Enjoy the book.


----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Blu-ray Review - Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb #NightAtTheMuseum #FamilyMovieNIght

About the Movie

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings back to life your favorite museum heroes in NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OFTHE TOMB available on Blu-ray™ and DVD March 10. Families around the globe have come out to see the hysterical third and final installment in the franchise which has grossed more than a billion dollars2. Now, parents and kids can not only enjoy the best ‘Night’ ever, but also get their hands on a bonus Digital HD movie: their choice of either Night at the Museum orNight at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.

If it’s laughter you’re after, get ready for the most hilarious night ever! Ben Stiller leads an all-star comedy cast, including Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Rebel Wilson and Ricky Gervais, for one final, fun-filled Night at the Museum. This time, Larry Daley (Stiller) and his heroic friends embark on their greatest adventure yet as they travel to London in order to save the magic that brings the museum exhibits to life!

The Blu-ray™ comes with tons of special features that will have the whole family laughing! You can check out how Stiller got into character for his alter ego Laaa, get a behind the scenes look at The British Museum and learn how the film’s iconic fight scene inside an M.C. Escher painting came to light. Best of all, every Blu-ray™ comes with a bonus Digital HD movie – not only do you get a Digital HD version of NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB, but you also get a Bonus digital movie – your choice of one of the other movies in thefranchise.

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB BLU-RAY™ SPECIAL FEATURES
Includes all of the DVD features plus:
● Five More Deleted and Extended Scenes
● Bonus Digital HD Movie1
● The Theory of Relativity
● Becoming Laaa
● A Day in the Afterlife
● The Home of History: Behind the Scenes of The British Museum
● Fight at the Museum
● Creating Visual Effects
● Audio Commentary by Shawn Levy


NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
● Two Deleted and Extended Scenes
● Improv, Absurdity and Cracking Up - The Comedy of Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
● Two Galleries
● A Digital HD Version of the film, allowing fans to watch on their Big Screen TV, tablet or smart phone anytime, anywhere!



My Take on the Book
This is the third of the Night at the Museum movies and if you liked the first two I would have to say that you will continue to like this too! My daughters and I went and found it to be very funny. I will say that personally it was hard to know that this was the last movie ever made by Robin Williams, but even he did a great job again as Teddy Roosevelt.

The movie shares some good family fun, with laughs, and some good messages too. This is definitely a movie that you can share with your whole family and enjoy together!


----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com