Wonders of Creation

 

Wonders of Creation: Illustrations to Color and Inspire by Cindy Wilde and Pimlada Phuapradit, over 90 pages of detailed line art designed for you to “sit back, relax, and experience amazing flora and fauna from around the globe.”  When reading the description for this particular coloring book I assumed that it was more of a spiritual or Christian themed coloring book. But upon receiving it it really doesn’t convey any Christian inspirations throughout although it does depict animals and plant life created by God. The only real mention of anything remotely Christian is in the beginning introduction that mentions God’s creation. Other than that there isn’t any scriptures or any inspirational quotes.

That being said the book is lovely. It kind of reminds me of books such as Millie Marotta’s Tropical Wonderland or others that are similar except this one is slightly more whimsical and not very tiny details. So if you really like those books but are intimidated by the tiny details then this may be more your speed. It’s slightly more whimsical and not as realistic as others, it’s almost cartoonish. The lines are thicker and the spaces are more open and wider. The pages are double sided again like many of my other reviews I wouldn’t recommend markers because of bleed through. I used cheaper Crayola pencils on this one and it took the color very well. The pages are thick cardstock and have a very smooth feel to them. The pencils went on smooth and very bright. It probably is one of my favorites in this respect.

I think this would be a good book for those who have issues with sight and have problems seeing tiny lines.  The lines in this one are very bold and easy to color in. It would probably also be good for those who have issues being able to stay in the lines on more detailed works. The beauty of it these attributes of this book doesn’t change the aesthetics or make it less appealing at least not to me.  I’m very glad to have this in my coloring book library and would recommend it to anyone who likes to color. Especially those who want something a little easier to work in. I do believe the description should be changed if it hasn’t been already. I don’t believe it is very accurate in leading you to believe this is an “inspiration” type coloring book that typically would have scripture or inspirational quotes.

I received this book from www.booklookbloggers.com at no charge in exchange for an honest review.  

Wonderland

Wonderland by Amily Shen an adult coloring book that is based on Alice in Wonderland. Amily Shen is Taiwanese  illustrator who has really outdone herself with this book. I really like this coloring book. An excerpt from the book: Do you know Alice’s story? Do you draw pictures in your head while reading” Strange conversations with a strange cast… has the story been transformed? If you too jumped down the rabbit hole, who would you meet? What colors would you encounter? Take up your colored pencils, and together let’s make a book. Read with your colored pencils and give Alice a new adventure.

This coloring book is a coloring book and story combined. Left to color by your imagination. I wouldn’t say it is what we typically see Alice depicted as. It isn’t the traditional looking or Disney looking Alice in Wonderland. I really like that aspect of the book.  It is broken into 9 chapters In chapter 3 there is an activity that helps make the book interactive. I’ll leave that for you to discover. Don’t worry the answer key is in the back. There are so many different aspects to this book. It isn’t your ordinary adult coloring book.

The book itself has a very nice dust cover that can be colored. The actual book has very interesting cover but I’m not sure it would lend itself to coloring with just any media. Maybe markers but I haven’t tried them. I think it is way too slick for pencils.  The pages are all double sided and printed on very thick pages. There is a slight tooth to the pages. I would be afraid to use markers for fear of bleed through and I wouldn’t want to damage the reverse side page. I will stick to pencils with this one. There are several types of drawings some more detailed than others and some being double page spreads. The pages have lots of details without being extremely tedious to finish. There is a little bit of everything in this book: mandala style pictures, animals, flowers, buildings, etc.  The pictures are quite whimsical and fun. It is going to be a fun book for me to color.

This will make a great addition to your adult coloring book collection especially if you love Alice in Wonderland. I received this book from www.bloggingforbooks.com at no charge in exchange for an honest review. I love this book and you can purchase your very own copy here.

The illustrated Compendium of Amazing Animal Facts

I didn’t really know what to expect when I ordered “The Illustrated Compendium of Amazing Animal Facts” by Maja Safstrom. I can honestly say I love this little book.  It is a small book much smaller than I expected. I haven’t measured it to get exact measurements but I would guess it is 5x7. It is a hardback book with black and white line drawings throughout.

The illustrations are kind of childlike drawings but still very appealing. There is approximately 100 animal and facts about them in this book. My teenage daughter came in and picked it up and said: “I really like this.” I was shocked. The facts are just cute little things such as “If a snail doesn’t like the weather it can go into its shell and hibernate until it gets better.” For up to three years.  Who knew?

I know adult coloring is very popular right now. This book isn’t intended for that purpose but I can see potential colorist wanting to color it.

I plan on using it in homeschooling just for some fun ideas during animal and unit studies. I don’t believe the facts are going to be life changing knowledge but who knows zoology might be in someone’s future. It makes a cute conversation piece. The book price of $14.99 might be a little pricey but if you can get it at a discounted price it is worth it.

I had reservations before ordering wondering if I would like it or not, or if it would be a waste of my time.  I am so glad I ordered! I received this book at no charge in exchange for an honest review.  You can purchase a copy for yourself here.

 

Country Cooking from a Redneck Kitchen

 

Country Cooking from a Redneck Kitchen by Francine Bryson and Ann Vokwein is my kind of cookbook. It is full country cooking and being from the south we love country cooking here. Many of the recipes I am familiar with but there are some that are new to me and I can’t wait to try them out.

Some of the categories are: Redneck Whatnots (dips and salads mostly), Yardbird (for all of you who don’t have a clue that’s chicken), Enough to feed a crowd (living in the Bible Belt we have a lot of after church dinners), Sides, ‘taters & ‘Maters among others.  There are 234 pages of recipes but I didn’t count the number of actual recipes. The food is beautifully photographed although not all recipes have a photo.

I love cornbread salad and the recipe in this book looks wonderful. There are so many recipes I could never list them all but a few that I can’t wait to try: Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Burgers,  Blue Cheese Spicy BBQ Burgers, Chicken Casserole, and surely can’t forget the desserts Brown Sugar Pie, and Oreo Brownies. I’m personally not a big fan of fried green tomatoes but there is a recipe in it for them and if you are looking for something to do with those green tomatoes fresh out of the garden many people love them.

If you are looking for a vegetarian cookbook you may want to stay away from this one. And I would say that if you are looking for low-fat this one isn’t for you. But if you are looking for some good southern comfort food grab it quickly. I wouldn’t suggest eating out of it every day but some indulgence is good for the soul. I believe this is one of my new favorite cookbooks and I will be using it frequently.

I received this cookbook at no charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase a copy of it here..

Pressing Pause: 100 Quiet Moments for Moms to meet with Jesus

 

Pressing Pause: 100 Quiet Moments for Moms to meet with Jesus by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk is a devotional for mothers who need some encouragement and quiet time with God. “Pressing Pause offers you a calm way to start your day, to refresh yourself in Jesus and drink deeply of His presence so that you are ready to pour out love, time, and energy into the people who matter most to you.” Karen Ehman is a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and Ruth Schwenk is a pastor’s wife and mother.

This book has a beautifully done hardback cover. The devotions are short enough for the busy mom but contain enough encouragement to help you through your day.  There are 100 devotions that include a bible verse, the devotion and a prayer. At the end of each devotion there is a question section to help you think about the devotion and then each devotion has a few lines to write notes. The bible verses are from different bible versions . I noticed NLT, HCSB,  and ESV the others aren’t labeled.

I love the messages throughout the book the only thing I wish were different some of the note sections only include a small area to journal in. I wish there was at least a half page or an entire page to jot down thoughts.

If you are a busy mom looking for a few minutes to spend with God to renew your spirit each day I would recommend this one.  I received this book at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review

Sweeter of the Vine

 

Sweeter off the Vine: Fruit Desserts for Every Season by Yossy Arefi is a cookbook of desserts using fruits of the season. It is a beautiful hardback book filled with beautiful photography. The recipes are broken into seasons so that you get the freshest in season fruits for your desserts.

Springtime might bring rhubarb and rose galettes, summers a delicious blueberry skillet cobbler when the blueberries are just right, fall may bring caramelized apple fritters and in. the winter’s cold a cranberry bread pudding to satisfy all. I  can’t say that all of the recipes would be something I would be interested in and I did have to look up some of the ingredients but for the most part ingredients should be readily available. The recipes are straight forward and easy to follow.

The last chapter you will find year-round essentials that is a collection of recipes that can be used all year long such as pie crusts, pastry dough and other essentials. It also  gives descriptions of different flours used throughout. The one thing I wish it had but doesn’t is nutritional information but I guess it is desserts and it includes fruit so it has to be healthy right haha.

If you love desserts and fruit I would say you will like this cookbook. I received this book at no charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.  You can purchase a copy here.

 

 

 

 

Mother's Day Blessings

 

Another great Bearenstain Bears book by Mike Berenstain. Mother’s Day Blessings. “Mama Bear is the best mama in all of Bear Country and the cubs know just how to show her how much they love her. But Mama shows brother, Sister, and Honey that all mamas are very special too!”

This is a great little story to teach kids about Mother’s Day. It helps to bring awareness to children that all moms are different but are to be honored.  As the children plan a lunch for their mother and grandmother they are made aware that some mothers are working hard even on their special day. They all enjoy a morning in church together.

So as Mother’s Day approaches if you have a little one who you want to teach about Mother’s Day this would be the perfect book to show not only a mother’s love but also a way to teach about the love of Christ. There is a short discussion section to help get your children to thinking. It also has a good point that maybe it’s not always just a mother who is taking care of you. It could be a grandmother, aunt or other special person.

I sure hope there is one for Father’s Day. I love this books and highly recommend them. I received this book at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for a honest review.

Cravings

Cravings: Recipes for all the food you want to eat by Chrissy Teigen is a very nice hard covered cookbook filled with beautiful photography. “With more than 100 recipes and Chrissy’s inimitable wit and stories, you’ll learn the importance of chili peppers, the secret to cheesy cheeesless eggs and life tips like how to use bacon as a home fragrance, the single best way to wake up in the morning, and how not to overthinking men or Brussels sprouts.”

She begins with a section called “Before  you start cooking” in this section she gives a description of her commonly used ingredients that is in the cookbook and what brands she typically uses. There is a breakfast section, salads, soups, main, meals etc. I wouldn’t say this will be a book that I will personally use often and if you are looking for exceptionally healthy food I don’t think this would be your go to book either. But if you want to satisfy some of your comfort cravings you will likely love this cookbook.

You will find mostly chicken recipes as well as beef and veggies. There were a couple of fish recipes and a few pork recipes. Sorry sweets lovers there isn’t a dessert section in this one. Again this is not a cookbook that I will probably be keeping in my collection I will pass it along to someone who will more likely use it than I will. But I would suggest looking through it to see if it suits you. It is a very nice cookbook and very well done

I received this book from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase a copy here.

God Bless our Country

 

 

God Bless Our Country by Hannah C. Hall is a children’s board book that is beautifully illustrated by Steve Whitlow. It is a book celebrating our great country. I absolutely love the illustration of the American eagle kneeling and praying with the Stars and Stripes waving above his head and his 2 grand babies by his side.

This book is a wonderful teaching tool for those who want to teach their children God gave us this wonderful land. It’s a great way to teach patriotism to small children. I can’t say enough good about this book. My toddler loved it.

If you home school or want to teach things that will not be ordinarily taught in public school to your small children this book would work well for different holidays including Independence Day, Veterans Day, Flag Day, etc. This is a Christian based book and very God centered. “God showers goodness on this land” one of my favorite lines in the book.

I received this book at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

Doodletopia cartoons

Christopher Hart’s Doodletopia Cartoons: Draw, Design, and Color your own super-fun cartoon creations Is “your first stop in this paradise of creativity?” “The world of cartoons. Your tour guide Christopher Hart is ready to introduce you to the interactive, artistic possibilities of creation your own exciting, hilarious, off-the-wall cartoon characters, gags and more.”

The author starts you with an introduction and warm up exercises then goes on to show you how to fill in the silhouette all the way to completing the cartoons. All through the book he gives advice and hints to make your drawings successful. He makes his instructions clear and easy to understand. Most of the left hand sides of the book are the instructions and hint pages. And the right hand side of the book is practice pages to practice and draw illustrations. He goes step by step through the process so that anyone can be successful.

The majority portion of the book focuses on drawings of people or animals but the last section gives instructions on cartoon lettering.  If you or someone you know would like to learn how to draw cartoon characters this would be a good book to start with. The drawings may be advanced for younger children but if you have a preteen or teen I believe they could easily follow this book. I plan on keeping this book and adding it to my art curriculum for home schooling in the future.  It is very nicely done. The paper quality is nice and thick. It   is definitely a quality book.

The book description also eludes to the fact it includes “doodling” I’m not sure that doodling is an accurate description because in my opinion it is more cartoon drawing and not much in the way of what I would describe as a doodle. You may feel like drawing a figure doodling I feel more like it is just designs. So I will leave that up to interpretation.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn cartoon drawings. You can purchase this book here.

I received this book from www.bloggingforbooks.com at no charge in exchange for an honest review.