Review of A Kid's Guide to Drawing Cartoon Animals by Vicki Whiting

Exciting, simple, and full of fun!

• 28 cartoon animals to draw including crocodiles, cats, sea horses, sharks, elephants, tigers, pandas, and more
• Step-by-step drawing instructions are followed by full trace-and-draw sketches to put it all together
• Educational activity book for boys and girls aged 5-10 provides plenty of space to practice their own free-hand drawing
• Author Vicki Whiting, a former teacher, is founder and president of Kid Scoop, a weekly educational page syndicated in over 200 newspapers

This engaging activity book for boys and girls aged 5-10 helps kids learn how to draw 28 cartoon animals, from crocodiles and cats to sea horses and sharks!

With step-by-step, trace-and-draw instructions and plenty of room to practice, kids will be able to draw animals all by themselves in no time.

Author and former teacher Vicki Whiting is the founder of Kid Scoop, an award-winning weekly activity page that promotes standards-based learning. Parents and teachers around the world use Vicki's fun activities to stimulate academic success and a joy of learning.

With this expansive collection of exercises from Kid Scoop and Happy Fox Books, kids will have hours of fun creatively drawing all their favorite animals!

Book Links

Goodreads * Amazon * Barnes & Noble

(affiliate link included)

**My thoughts**
I loved to draw as a kid. Sometimes I get a chance to draw with my friends' kids when I am hanging out with them babysitting. It's a lot of fun! And I definitely prefer drawing cartoon animals over trying to draw more realistically. I think I do better with this.

This book is so much fun with the cartoon drawings. Each drawing is broken down into super simple steps that make it easy for just about anyone to become an illustrator. And then you have coloring suggestions and practice pages. You can even practice tracing one of hers right there in the book. 

The pictures do vary in difficulty and you can't be too upset if yours doesn't look exactly the same as the one in the book. You can even spread your wings and make your own variations. And there's no rule that says you have to go completely in order of the way they are presented in the book. Poke around and decide where you want to start and go from there. There's an animal for everyone!

As a bonus at the back, there are some cheesy animal jokes that kids love to share over and over again. 

Overall, it's a very fun book that even this adult enjoyed!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review of The Gracie Guide to Naples by Anne E. Moses

CIAO GRACIE! THIS TIME THE PERIPATETIC POOCH GUIDES US THROUGH THE FASCINATING STREETS AND HISTORIC SITES OF NAPLES. SHE SAILS OFF TO EXCITING NEARBY ISLANDS, ENJOYS A POOCH PICNIC IN POMPEII, CLIMBS MT. VESUVIUS AND SAMPLES HER FAVORITE PIZZA AND GELATO ON THE WAY. GRACIE LEAVES NO COBBLESTONE UNTURNED AS SHE UNEARTHS THE QUIRKS AND UNIQUE TRADITIONS OF "LA PARTHENOPEA" - THIS GLORIOUS, MYSTERIOUS CITY ON THE BAY - BELLA NAPOLI!

THE AUTHORS
GRACIE IS AN ENGLISH COCKER SPANIEL AND WAS BORN IN PEÇ, HUNGARY. SHE HAS LIVED IN MANY INTERESTING PLACES AND LOVES TO TRAVEL AND GO ON ADVENTURES. SHE ALSO LOVES SWIMMING IN THE SEA, PLAYING IN THE SNOW AND CHICKEN.

ANNE E. MOSES WAS BORN IN THE U.S. AND HAS LIVED IN THE UK, ITALY, SWITZERLAND AND GREECE. SHE AND HER HUSBAND, BILL, TRAVEL EXTENSIVELY WITH THEIR VERY CREATIVE COCKER SPANIEL, GRACIE. SHE PROVIDES THE ILLUSTRATIONS FOR "THE GRACIE GUIDES". FOR DOGS & HUMANS OF ALL AGES.

Book Links

Goodreads * Amazon

**My thoughts**
This is a sweet story of a dog named Gracie who is exploring the city of Naples, Italy. She takes us around the city and introduces us to the places and cultural experiences that make Naples such a wonderful place to visit. You get to learn some vocabulary and some history as well.

The drawings are very sweet and cute. But I found it kind of hard to read the text. It's all handwritten and kind of mushed into the illustrations. It makes the pages seem cluttered. I think this would be much better if each of these pages was split into two. Then you could read it and appreciate it much more. I would have ranked it higher if I could have read it more easily, because it definitely has some great potential here.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for fulfilling my review request. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Review of Sophie Washington: My BFF by Tonya Duncan Ellis

Welcome to another stop on the tour for one of my current favorite middle grade series! The latest Sophie Washington book is My BFF, and it's one that I think kids of all ages are going to relate to. Read more of my thoughts after an excerpt and then be sure to grab your own copy. Leave comments and questions for the author as you follow the tour. And of course, there's a great giveaway!

Review of Trouble With Treasure (Undersea Mystery Club Book 2) by Courtney Carbone

The Undersea Mystery Club is going on a treasure hunt! In Book 2 of the series, Violet and Wally discover an old chest hidden in a sea cavern. In order to uncover who put it there and why, they’ll have to figure out how to open its rusty lock!

The mystery of the hidden chest sends Violet and Wally on a deep dive into the history of Aquamarina. Along the way, they learn about the importance of staying connected to the past and the value of real treasures—like cherished memories with friends. After the adventure, readers can flip the to the back of the book to learn more about the job of a historian and follow instructions to create a time capsule of their own!

Book Links

Goodreads * Amazon * B&N * IndieBound

(affiliate link included)

**My thoughts**
It's a cute story about a mermaid and narwhal who go on a treasure hunt. What they end up finding is better than a treasure of gold in many ways, because it's a lesson on the importance of history and connecting with your past. It's totally the kind of treasure hunt that I would have loved to take at that age. And at the end, you get to learn how to make your own time capsule, which I think would be a lot of fun to do.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for fulfilling my review request for this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review of Lost Cities by Giles Laroche

Combining world culture, history, geography, and architecture, this visually stunning look at ancient cities around the globe takes readers to such places as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde, and the mysterious sculptures of Angkor Wat. Perfect for fans of This Is How We Do It and Atlas Obscura.

What would it be like if you lived a thousand years ago? To pass through the Hanging Gardens of Babylon on your way home? Or gaze at the stars from your cave dwelling in Mesa Verde?

On mountaintops, deserts, and the banks of rivers, ancient cities that once thrived have become lost to time. But in their ruins, we can find clues of the past and the extraordinary lives their residents lived. All it takes is a simple question: What was life like before?

Beautiful illustrations, masterfully crafted from layers of cut paper, ask readers to spend a day in the footsteps of someone from thousands of years ago.

Book Links

Goodreads * Amazon * BN * IndieBound

(affiliate link included)

**My thoughts**
This one is going to appeal to all of the history buffs out there. Giles takes us through time, visiting lost cities from ancient (and a couple more modern) civilizations that have been rediscovered by explorers and archaeologists over the years. Each city is introduced with a simple paragraph about it. And then for those who want even more information, down below are more detailed answers to the questions of location, who lived there, why the city was lost, how it was discovered, and then what makes the lost city so mysterious. There's a lot of information without being overwhelming and boring.

It's all actually quite interesting to read. I have always been fascinated by the lost cities. But this book includes ones that I had not heard of before. So even this adult was able to learn something new inside these pages. 

The illustrations are quite detailed, trying to show what we know of the daily life within these cities. They pop up from the page, almost looking 3D at times. They are even more impressive at the end when you get a breakdown of the intricate and time-consuming work put into each illustration. 

Also included at the end is a world map that shows where each of the cities is found in relation to each other, and a timeline showing where each of them fall in history.

I would love this book in an elementary classroom for independent research and enjoyment.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Land of Twilight Trilogy by Charmayne Hafen Tour Grand Finale #LOTPrism

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

We hope you enjoyed the tour! If you missed any of the stops
you'll find snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:

Launch - Author Interview

What inspired you to write the Land of Twilight Trilogy?

I am a child of divorce and know how difficult it can be to navigate the issues that accompany divorce. I also know that my faith in Jesus is what brought me through severely difficult times in my childhood. It is for these two reasons that I wrote this trilogy. I want kids to know they are not alone and that they have an ever-present Help to rely on and rest in.

Locks, Hooks and Books - Excerpt from Journey to Twilight

Moving to Phoenix, Arizona felt like the worst thing that could happen to Lorna. Leaving her home and friends in California was the hardest thing she’d ever done in her life.

Rockin' Book Reviews - Reviews

"This story has some fun mythical characters and Twilight is an interesting place. I like the friendship that built between Sam and Lorna. I really like the illustrations. They are awesome. . . . The characters are well-developed and it's easy to feel their emotions. . . . I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a great adventure."

Hearts & Scribbles - Excerpt from Journey to Twilight

Lorna looked down and saw that the ground was as blue as a sky on a clear day. She grabbed a clump of grass and dirt. It felt like grass and dirt, but the color was all wrong. And the sky? The sky was green like the color of summer grass. Looking at the sky was a lot like looking at the world through a green glass bottle.

Remembrancy - Excerpt from Return to Twilight

Jenny turned her attention to a pack of six chocolate doughnuts sitting on the shelf in front of them. Flicking her hair from her face, she stared back at Lorna. “I dare you to put those doughnuts in your bag and walk out.”

Lorna frowned. “What do you mean…without paying?”

Splashes of Joy - Excerpt from Return to Twilight

Lorna sighed. Warm tears slid down the sides of her face. She felt lonelier than she had ever felt in her entire life. Sam knew she’d mistreated him. He was no longer her friend, and now Jenny was ignoring her, too. Ally hadn’t written or called her in over a month. She was probably loving her new town and school. She’d probably long forgotten Lorna wasting away in Phoenix. She had no one.

Wishful Endings - Excerpt from Return to Twilight

Lorna wiped her eyes with her free hand and smiled at her grandmother. “You can’t always be with me, grandma. I haven’t seen you for so long!”

Grandma Nila smiled and shook her head. “I’m not talking about me, Lorna Loon, although I will be with you as much as I can. I’m talking about the Savior. He is always with you, not just in places like this.”

Christy's Cozy Corners - Excerpt from Trouble in Twilight

Stealing a quick, concerned glance at Sam, Lorna asked, “What are you talking about, Trix? What is the Whatever?” Lorna made quote marks with her fingers.

“The Land of Twilight is dying. The Whatever has taken over and Twilight is dying!”

Baroness' Book Trove - Reviews

"It was so good from the first moment Lorna is introduced to Sam being introduced. I loved every moment of it. Ms. Hafen did a great job of spinning this tale. I am giving this novel five stars and recommend it to any parents that think that their child would love this book."

Hallie Reads - Excerpt from Trouble in Twilight

“What did you mean when you said that the Whatever is invisible to those who have no faith? Faith for what?” Lorna hung on to this question as if it where the last one she would ever get to ask. She couldn’t get it out of her mind.

Teatime and Books - Reviews

"Each book is filled with lively characters that boys and girls will be able to relate to, they also go through many of these situations that our youth today are going through . . . Truly inspirational books for young kids today! I would highly recommend this whole series!"

Reading Is My SuperPower from Trouble in Twilight

“That’s Socrates! Oh my gosh! I can’t believe this.” Lorna was more excited than she’d been in days. Things were getting good. Would a mystery be revealed in the darkness?

Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of this post...

Journey to Twilight

(Land of Twilight Trilogy #1)
By Charmayne Hafen
Middle Grade Fantasy
Paperback & ebook, 113 Pages
November 1st 2019 by Capture Books

Sam and Lorna’s bike challenge becomes far more than a neighborhood race in this action-adventure fantasy for intermediate grades.

Riding over a cairn at sunset, Lorna surfaces in Twilight, where she is given three impossible tasks to complete before her heart's desire is granted.

Story Line: Avid sixth-grade mountain biker, Lorna Wilson, moves to Crestwood, Arizona, after her parents' divorce. Unpacking, Lorna seeks a way to fit into the new crowd when a girl named Ally knocks on her front door.

Splashing in the pool at Ally’s house, Lorna learns about the bike challenge created by a scar-faced neighborhood legend, Samuel Black. She hears herself boasting that she can take on Samuel Black in his own race and win. Lorna's words quickly come back to bite her.

Although none of the kids will root for the new girl, an ancient cairn opens to the Land of Twilight giving Lorna an opportunity to win anything her heart desires.

Illustrations are by award-winning artist, Brianna Osaseri.

Thematic: Time travel ages 9-12; action-adventure; Female protagonist survives parents' divorce; confidence and friendship; conflict opens to opportunity; Celtic; Jamaican; Multi-racial; coming of age fantasy for pre-teens with some paranormal, magical or mystical places and events. Intermediate grades. Book 1 in a series.

(Affiliate links included.)

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Target | Book Depository | Kobo

Return to Twilight

(Land of Twilight Trilogy #2)
By Charmayne Hafen
Middle Grade Fantasy
Paperback & ebook, 142 Pages
January 21st 2020 by Capture Books

In this second book of the Land of Twilight Trilogy, seventh-grade Lorna struggles with the meaning of friend like, how to be one, how to choose one, and how to keep one.

Lorna rejects her dad, deceives her mom, and turns her back on the ethereal Land of Twilight. She even turns on her best friend, Sam, in favor of gaining the attention of a new girl in the neighborhood, Jenny. Lorna sheds her own social norms, stealing and hiding as she pretends to enjoy her second year in challenging Crestwood, Arizona.

It has to be Sam's turn to do what true friends do.

An exciting read for readers ages 9-13 who enjoy Celtic mythology, magic, and busting the dust of the Arizona desert with your best friend.

(Affiliate links included.)

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Trouble to Twilight

(Land of Twilight Trilogy #3)
By Charmayne Hafen
Middle Grade Fantasy
Paperback & ebook, 129 Pages
April 1st 2020 by Capture Books

How can the most colorful world in the universe turn hapless and gray?! That's what mystifies both Sam and Lorna.

Trix falls from the Land of Twilight, showing up at the discarded camper shell in the Arizona desert where Sam and Lorna are making their secret plans.

Trix and Melvin focus on the Land of Realtime because the lives of both Lorna and Sam have interwoven with the Land of Twilight. How can the four unravel themselves?

A tragic accident forces Sam to again realize that life can change suddenly. Now he and Lorna must rethink what in life is most important to them.

History, philosophy, and faith enter the scene through interdimensional time travel. The Land of Twilight Trilogy is filled with adventure and supernatural elements for readers ages 9-12. With its relatable characters and fast-moving plot, Sam and Lorna discover their priorities. As Sam faces unbearable consequences, he learns the bonds of true friendship and personal truth are real.

Readers are given not only an interesting story filled with allegorical elements about the meaning of faith, but are also challenged to think about their own ideas of reality and meaning.

(Affiliate links included.)

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

About the Author

Charmayne Hafen has been writing since she was nine years old when she kept a private journal documenting love and loss in her fourth-grade class. In 2016, she published her first book, The Land Of Twilight, which was selected as a winner in the category of Juvenile Fiction in the Winter 2017 NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards. Using knowledge and skills acquired from her MA in counseling, Charmayne wrote The Land Of Twilight series to help kids navigate the sometimes difficult waters of divorce. Her love of Celtic mythology also influenced the book. The first book in the series has been republished under a new title called Journey To Twilight which will be available November 1, 2019. There will be two more books in the series coming out early [2020].

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Tour Giveaway

One winner will receive an ebook of Journey to Twilight and a $50 Amazon eGift Card
Open internationally
Ends April 30, 2020

ENTER HERE

Review of Hidden Pictures at the Zoo by Liz Ball

Bust out your binoculars to find these hidden items!

• 50 fun puzzles filled with hidden objects at the zoo
• Over 400 hidden animals and items within each illustration
• Seek, find, and color, as these fun black & white puzzles double as coloring pages
• Learn fun facts about the animals at the zoo, from monkeys to lions

Hidden Pictures at the Zoo is filled with 50 black and white hidden puzzle pictures—all from inside the zoo!

With more than 400 secret items and animals for children to find within each illustration, from cute monkeys to tough lions, kids will be on the prowl for hours!

Kids will also learn while they play, with mini "fun facts" in the margins that are all about zoo animals.

But the fun doesn't stop there! These black and white pages double as coloring activities—seek & find, then color—so go wild!

Author and illustrator Liz Ball has over 3,000 hidden pictures published in more than 150 newspapers, magazines, and publications both across the U.S. and internationally. Her work has also been recommended by doctors, teachers, and parents to help improve eye coordinating, spatial skills, memory retention, and concentration. A member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, she is a frequent speaker at schools, libraries, and writers' conferences.

Find the hundreds of cool animals and secret items hiding inside Hidden Picture Puzzles at the Zoo!

Book Links

Goodreads * Amazon * B&N * IndieBound

(affiliate link included)

**My thoughts**
When I was a kid, I loved doing the hidden pictures in my monthly Highlights magazine. This is a whole book dedicated to those, with even more intricate pictures and a ton of information. Visit various exhibits in the zoo and find a bunch of objects hidden in the drawings. It's not as easy as you think it's going to be! At the same time, you get to learn some fun facts about the animals featured in each exhibit. Kids will especially love all of the poop facts! And there is an answer key in the back in case you really get stuck on finding a picture. It will keep kids busy for weeks!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review of Dog Town by Debbie L. Richardson

Welcome to the book blast for Dog Town by Debbie L. Richardson! I have an excerpt and my thoughts for you today on this middle grade adventure. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for even more and then enter the great giveaway!

Harry loves to race around the streets of Dog Town. When he stumbles upon the lost city of cats, he finds himself in a race against Dog Town’s fastest canine, Grizzly.

The winner of this race will have the power to save Cat World, or destroy it.

Harry wants to win, but there is one small problem. The race is in the ocean, and Harry is terribly afraid of water.

Can Harry overcome his fear of the water and save Cat Town?

Read an excerpt:

HARRY was dreaming that a cat fell out of the sky and landed on his head.

He woke at once. It was dark inside his kennel. He was uncertain if it was very late or very early, but he was wide awake and puzzled about the cat in his dream.

Cats were unheard of in Dog Town. The way summers without mosquitoes were unheard of. Or non-fattening chocolate bars were unheard of.

Baffled, Harry tried thinking about something else. Instead, he became consumed by visions of cats. As he struggled to find meaning behind his odd dream, he became convinced it meant something horrible for dog-kind.

The blanket at his feet offered a good place to avoid thinking on his dream any further. He hid under the blanket, until the heat of the summer’s night made it hot enough to cook a roast.

Harry pushed his nose outside his kennel. It was hot and humid tonight, and there wasn’t a breath of wind. Vastly different to that afternoon when the wind’s temper had set every door in the house banging.

Even though it was too hot inside his kennel, he didn’t want to leave it. Outside in his backyard, shadows skipped across the treetops. Shadows that didn’t belong to the moon or to the wind.

Book links:

Kobo  * Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Smashwords * iBooks * Goodreads

**My thoughts**

This middle grade story is for those who love to read adventures, especially involving animals. I felt like there were elements of Secret Life of Pets as the adventures of the animals happen unbeknownst to the "Furless Ones" or humans in their lives. 

You have three worlds: Little Rover for the small dogs, Big Rover for the big dogs, and Cat Town for the cats. All of these animals used to coexist in the same world until something happened that determined they needed to be separated with lots of extreme rules and laws. And they do not mix. In fact, dogs have been taught for years that cats are extinct. So imagine Harry's surprise when he ventures off into forbidden territory and comes across Cat Town!

He also finds a rather sinister statue there, the description of which actually kind of grossed me out, personally, but a lot of kids will get a kick out of. I don't really understand the meaning of it, though they do explain its importance later on in the story.

Overall, it is a story about the importance of friendship and not letting fights get overly blown out of proportion. I could actually see this one getting turned into a movie or something that kids would enjoy.

Thank you to the author and Goddess Fish for fulfilling my review request. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About Debbie L. Richardson

Debbie Richardson has published fiction novels as D L Richardson. She has published three young adults supernatural fiction novels, and science fiction and supernatural thrillers for adults. This is her first children’s book.

She was born in Dublin, Ireland and grew up in Australia. It was always crowded and noisy in the family home. At one stage there were also three dogs, a cat, a budgie, and three mice living with seven people the same house.

Debbie learned to find a quiet space within books.

She now lives in the south coast of New South Wales with her husband and a small dog named Teeka.

Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/DogTownKidsbook

Website:
www.dlrichardson.com

Debbie L. Richardson will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review of What Can You Do With Only One Shoe? by Simon & Sheryl Shapiro

One can, two can. Who can? You can!
Using junk from the landfill site.
Rusty cans and wood and wire,
thrumming, strumming, day and night.

In this inventive new collection of verse, Sheryl and Simon Shapiro introduce readers to 13 everyday objects that have been ingeniously reimagined into something else altogether.

Color photographs of recycled objects are accompanied by lighthearted, jaunty poems in a variety of lengths and rhyming patterns. Kids will love identifying each reinvented item, and will marvel at how a shoe makes a great bird’s nest, how old tin cans make a guitar, or how a car can be transformed into a bed!

Complete with Francis Blake’s lively color illustrations, What Can You Do With Only One Shoe? will delight young readers while introducing the idea of recycling and repurposing in a new and innovative way.

Book Links

Goodreads * Amazon * B&N * IndieBound

(affiliate link included)

**My thoughts**

This book is really cute! It combines poetry, crafts, and just plain silliness that is sure to appeal to kids of all ages. To capture their attention, it does start with a silly poem with some clever puns about repurposing a toilet into a planter. I don't know that I would want such a thing in my garden, but some of the other ideas, such as the shoe as a birdfeeder, may work. 

The poems offer up some silly suggestions for what to do with these found treasures. Those ideas are shown in clever drawings, with the real project being shown in a photograph.

The big problem is, there are no instructions as to how to make any of these fun projects! I do appreciate the inspiration, but now I want to know how to make a couple of them. Yes, some things like the aforementioned toilet planter and shoe birdfeeder are easy enough to figure out. Some of the later designs, though, such as a boat turned into a bench, a real life car as a bed, or a shopping cart chair would definitely be more complicated. A more practical idea is the purse made out of an old pair of jeans. That is something I could see myself making as a gift. My guess is that the authors simply wanted to share some fun ideas upon which they have come across. I just want more!

I gave it 3.5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for fulfilling my request for a review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review of 'The Last Akaway'

2013 Bronze Moonbeam Award Winner (Pre-Teen Fantasy)

What's an Akaway?

An Akaway is a rare and magical creature that connects you to your spirit animal. Once you've connected, you have all the special powers that your spirit animal possesses.

But those powers are in serious jeopardy when the diabolical Uncle Skeeta tricks 11-year-old Brody Boondoggle into helping him steal the Akaway's spirit.

Now, aided by his skeptical big brother, Jake, and guided by his quirky Grammy, Brody must lead the way on an adventure to defeat Uncle Skeeta, save the last Akaway, and protect the special powers of kids everywhere.

Book Links

Goodreads * Amazon * B&N * IndieBound

**My thoughts**
It's a cute fantasy story about two brothers who are seeking help for the last Akaway, a mythical creature that connects people to their spirit animals. Brody is extra special, because he and the Akaway are forever connected. Their grandmother, who gets them involved in the whole situation, is failing, yet still clinging to her wisdom and funny ways. As Brody connects more with the spirit of the Akaway, he learns more about himself and gains much wisdom about life.

The chapters are nice and short, which is great for the middle grade reader. The book shows a lot of imagination on the part of the author, with all of the quirky characters the boys meet along the way and the crazy situations in which they find themselves. (I really enjoyed the part about the 13 puppies.) You may snort in amusement here and there, especially when Grammy drops some of her long phrases. I also enjoyed a lesson in how some words that are potentially swear words really aren't, and how to get yourself out of trouble should you call your big brother one (such as bunghole, which is actually a hole through which you empty a keg). Fun quips from the narrator about the behaviors of children were reminiscent of the Lemony Snicket series.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for fulfilling my review request. All thoughts and opinions are my own.