BEDTIME FOR SWEET CREATURES

Nikki Grimes, author

Elizabeth Zunon, illustrator

Hardcover, 32 pages

Published January 14th, 2020 by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky  

ISBN: 1492638323 (ISBN13: 9781492638322)

Such a treat! A beautifully illustrated hardcover book by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon. Zunon's illustrations use brilliant colors that lift right off the page. Her sweet creature's expressions are beautifully done. Grime's mommy is admirably calm and patient, and her sweet creature is full of spirit. The language used is alive, active and strong. The story and the illustrations perform well together, making Grimes and Zunon a talented team.

***Thanks to Nikki Grimes, Author, Elizabeth Zunon, illustrator, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky and Multicultural Children's Book Day for the opportunity to read and review this book. I won this through an MCBD giveaway.***

THE AMAZING LIFE OF AZALEAH LANE

Nikki Shannon Smith, author

Mari Lobo, illustrator

Picture Windows Books, a capstone imprint (January 1, 2020)

Age Range: 6 - 8 years

Grade Level: Kindergarten – 2

Lexile Measure: 0610

Series: Azaleah Lane (Book 1)

Hardcover: 112 pages

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1515844641

ISBN: 9781515844648 (hardcover)

ISBN: 9781515844686 (eBook PDF)

 +++I was gifted this book by Capstone Publishers for my review for a Multicultural Children’s Book Day event.+++

Azaleah Lane is the middle child of 3 African-American girls. She goes to the zoo on a field trip at school and is given an extra credit assignment which she is excited about doing, but her younger sister lost her bear and needs Azaleah’s help. Her older sister is too busy practicing for a play at school, and mom and dad are working over the weekend. When will Azaleah get her extra credit done?

Azaleah’s story begins at school on a Friday, and ends Monday morning when she arrives at school. Author Nikki Shannon Smith kept Azaleah moving from excitement to worry when her parents ask her to be responsible for helping her sister. Azaleah is written as having some spunk, all while trying to be responsible and successful all while trying to be herself. The storyline moves quickly, so I can see a young reader staying interested throughout the book. Mari Lobo’s illustrations are colorful and bright. The expressions on the characters’ faces are wonderfully accurate for each part of the story.

Nikki Shannon Smith included a glossary of “new” words for the reader, instructions to make a diorama, and questions to answer verbally or written.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7^th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.  

Seven years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.

MCBD 2020  is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board

Super Platinum

Make A Way Media/ Deirdre “DeeDee” Cummings,

Platinum

Language Lizard, Pack-N-Go Girls,

Gold

Audrey Press, Lerner Publishing Group, KidLit TV, ABDO BOOKS : A Family of Educational Publishers, PragmaticMom & Sumo Jo, Candlewick Press,

Silver

 Author Charlotte Riggle, Capstone Publishing, Guba Publishing, Melissa Munro Boyd & B is for Breathe,

Bronze

Author Carole P. Roman, Snowflake Stories/Jill Barletti, Vivian Kirkfield & Making Their Voices Heard. Barnes Brothers Books,  TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee & Low Books,  Charlesbridge Publishing, Barefoot Books Talegari Tales

Author Sponsor Link Cloud

Jerry Craft, A.R. Bey and Adventures in Boogieland, Eugina Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Kenneth Braswell & Fathers Incorporated, Maritza M. Mejia & Luz del mes_Mejia, Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Josh Funk and HOW TO CODE A ROLLERCOASTER, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove,  Lauren Ranalli, The Little Green Monster: Cancer Magic! By Dr. Sharon Chappell, Phe Lang and Me On The Page, Afsaneh Moradian and Jamie is Jamie, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, TUMBLE CREEK PRESS, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Gwen Jackson, Angeliki Pedersen & The Secrets Hidden Beneath the Palm Tree, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 by Mia Wenjen, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher (Founders of Inner Flower Child Books), Ann Morris & Do It Again!/¡Otra Vez!, Janet Balletta and Mermaids on a Mission to Save the Ocean, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo & Bruna Bailando por el Mundo Dancing Around the World, Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, Sarah Jamila Stevenson, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Teresa Robeson  & The Queen of Physics, Nadishka Aloysius and Roo The Little Red TukTuk, Girlfriends Book Club Baltimore & Stories by the Girlfriends Book Club, Finding My Way Books, Diana Huang & Intrepids, Five Enchanted Mermaids, Elizabeth Godley and Ribbon’s Traveling Castle, Anna Olswanger and Greenhorn, Danielle Wallace & My Big Brother Troy, Jocelyn Francisco and Little Yellow Jeepney, Mariana Llanos & Kutu, the Tiny Inca Princess/La Ñusta Diminuta, Sara Arnold & The Big Buna Bash, Roddie Simmons & Race 2 Rio, DuEwa Frazier & Alice’s Musical Debut, Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series  Green Kids Club, Inc.

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.

Co-Hosts and Global Co-Hosts

A Crafty Arab, Afsaneh Moradian, Agatha Rodi Books, All Done Monkey, Barefoot Mommy, Bethany Edward & Biracial Bookworms, Michelle Goetzl & Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Educators Spin on it, Shauna Hibbitts-creator of eNannylink, Growing Book by Book, Here Wee Read, Joel Leonidas & Descendant of Poseidon Reads {Philippines}, Imagination Soup, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Serge Smagarinsky {Australia}, Shoumi Sen, Jennifer Brunk & Spanish Playground, Katie Meadows and Youth Lit Reviews

FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day

• Free Multicultural Books for Teachers
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• Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators
• Free Understanding Developmental & Physical Challenges Classroom Kit

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I really enjoyed the poems and the illustrations are lovely. I was happy to learn there are more Danitra Brown books. I'll have to see if the later two books (Danitra Brown, Class Clown and Danitra Brown Leaves Town) are easier to find (neither of my libraries owns a copy for some reason). 

This book would have been perfect to read before I ever went to a dispensary. 

It was filled with recipes, science and an explanation of everything you need to know about what's in weed. And it was all written in a way I could understand. Now I get why a lot of people claim CBD doesn't work. Most CBD you see is actually Hemp oil, which is different and not effective. 

I skipped the section on edibles because I can't eat them. I learned from a budtender that my stomach won't digest and absorb the THC since I have no gallbladder and have had a lot of stomach surgeries. Trust me, I tried edibles several times with little to no effect, and only after wasting money was I informed WHY I wasn't feeling anything. Now I know better.

I vape. Although given our financial situation, I may do both vaping and flower. Flower is cheaper. I just have to adjust to the burn in my throat. I cough a lot and my hubby, who cannot smoke legally due to his job) keeps asking me if I'm dying. Lol This read really helped me understand all the components that give a high or a relief from aches and pains. Now I know what I need to function at work and also what I need to get myself wasted safely. Or just to help me sleep. 

If you are considering doing weed for the first time, I really think this will help.

This is the weakest of any of the books by Ellis that I've read so far. The mystery made very little sense and the characters were pretty universally behaving like idiots (except for Cat). 

The Nikki Galena books are not nearly as good as the Jackman & Evans books - but they were her starting place and she's improved a lot as a story teller in the interim. I'm not giving up on Nikki Galena, and I'll be curious to see the series develop.