How to Make a Sandwich Blog Tour: Review and Prize Pack Giveaway

How hard can it be to make a sandwich for lunch? It depends on whether someone keeps messing with the process. Check out Lorena M. Proia's lovely debut picture book How to Make a Sandwich and enter to win a fun prize pack including a signed copy of the book, matching t-shirts and more!

My Review:

Brimming with love and kindness, How to Make a Sandwich tells a cozy and sweet story about food, family, friendship and forgiveness. Feeling hungry, Rae invites her cat Nero to watch her make a turkey sandwich while passionately explaining why making a sandwich reminds her of families. Her creation can't go exactly as planned though, with the key ingredients missing one after another. Can she solve the mystery? Will she finish making her sandwich anyway?

Through interesting monologues and vivid illustrations, the story brings to life a cute little girl and her adorable furry friends. Rae tries to act and talk like a grown-up, but the oversided rope she wears and the step stool she has to stand on to reach the kitchen counter give her away. Her cat Nero is a patient, attentive listener, while her dog Phebe is an avid yet mischievous food lover.

The analogy Rae makes between family and sandwich is clever and creative, suggesting the different roles family members play and how love holds them together. The way Rae handles the challenge of making a sandwich with limited resources inspires young readers to be flexible, to improvise, to make do with what you have, and to solve problems in constructive ways. Moreover, the ending of the story illustrates the joy of sharing and forgiving.

As an integral part of the book, the engaging and expressive artwork provides revealing details about each character and encourages young readers to observe and search for clues that help unravel the puzzle of missing ingredients. It also makes the loving relationship between Rae and her family members evident and compelling.

Amusing and captivating, How to Make a Sandwich is sure to charm young foodies and pet lovers!

About the Book:

Ages 4+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: PnM Publishing | ISBN-13: 979-8-9885730-0-5

Making a sandwich is fun and easy! And Rae knows just how to do it. The bread is like the parents, it keeps the sandwich safe and happy. The turkey is the love, the lettuce is the fun. But every time Rae adds an ingredient, it disappears, and she soon realizes there is a sandwich-stealing thief intent on eating her creation! Will Rae ever get to eat her lunch? Suddenly making a sandwich isn’t so easy after all!

Purchase links: Amazon | Author's website

Milo and His Magic Skateboard Blog Tour: Review and Prize Pack Giveaway

Do you think that who you travel with matters more than where you go for a vacation? If so, Milo couldn't agree with you more, judging from his experience in Milo and His Magic Skateboard by Kristina Tanso. Enter to win a autographed copy of this fun-filled book as well as a customized sketch of Milo!

My Review:

Revolving around an adventurous French Bulldog, Milo and His Magic Skateboard shares a cheerful and charming travel tale accentuating the significance of friendship, companionship, and togetherness. Milo enjoys living with his best friend in Milano and doing all sorts of fun things together. On one rainy day, to bust the boredom of being stuck indoors, Milo sets out on a solo escapade around Europe on his magic skateboard. While making exhilarating discoveries, Milo can't shake off the feeling that something is missing. What could it be?

Narrated in rhymes by Milo, the story takes us on a virtual tour of famous cities across various European countries, showcasing their most iconic landmarks and tourist attractions through detailed, realistic illustrations. Young readers thus get informed about splendid places to see and fun things to do, along with each location's signature art and architecture. Milo's eye-opening adventure may spark their interest in international travel and in finding out more about different cultures, countries and natural landscapes.

Milo's sweet recollections about his human friend and the big reveal about what makes him homesick highlight how friendship enriches his life with care, support and a sense of security. The presence of his best companion could help boost his confidence and courage and get him ready for his next magical trip.

With the cute, curious and comical Milo in every picture, the book is sure to attract and delight young explorers and animal lovers who can't wait to travel around the world with their furry friends.

About the Book:

Ages 4+ | 36 Pages
Publisher: Life Unfiltered Books | ISBN-13: 9781738414000

Join Milo – an adorable French Bulldog – as he embarks on his very first adventure! Simply by clapping his little paws together and jumping on his magic skateboard, Milo takes flight and explores Europe! This fun, heart-warming adventure will charm children and adults alike, while exploring different iconic places and cultures!

Purchase links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org

Mama's Love Language: Sometimes Love Tastes Like Hainan Chicken Rice Blog Tour: Review and Prize Pack Giveaway

Is there a special home cooked meal that represents your family's cultural background as well as mother's taste? The answer is positive for Jade from Elisa Stad's picture book Mama's Love Language: Sometimes Love Tastes Like Hainan Chicken Rice. Enter to win a signed copy as well as a $50 Amazon gift card, just in time for Mother's Day!

My Review:

Inspired by the author's family history and personal experience, Mama's Love Language hosts a heartening celebration of cultural diversity and self-discovery. Born into a multicultural family, Jade feels confused about her real identity. Unlike her American dad who hugs her goodbye and kisses her goodnight, her mama, a Chinese immigrant who speaks English with an accent, seems to be concerned primarily about whether Jade has eaten all her food and finished all her homework. Driven by her desire to be more American like her dad, Jade draws herself as a blonde girl in her self-portrait and refuses to eat her favorite Hainan Chicken Rice for dinner. After mama shares her unusual life story however, Jade starts to undertand mama's special love language. The delicious dish mama cooks tastes better than ever!

Told from a little girl's perspective, the well-paced first-person narrative brings out strong emotions that many of us can relate to. As they follow Jade's anxious search for her cultural identity, young readers become aware of cultural differences in food, traditions, ways of thinking and expressions of love. While Jade's initial inclination to identify with just one culture reflects the societal and peer pressure to assimilate, her transition to acceptance of both cultures encourages everyone to embrace their own cultural heritages, American or not. Meanwhile, it helps multicultural parents realize the challenges their children have to grapple with and urges them to proactively familiarize the little ones with their family history and legacy. Food stands out as an enjoyable and effective way to discover and preserve one's cultural heritage and identity.

By comparing and contrasting the parenting styles of Jade's mama and dad, the story makes the point that love language can be unique and universal at the same time. Love can be communicated verbally and passionately or gently and subtly. No form has to be considered superior to another.

Employing vibrant colors and lifelike, expressive drawings, the book's illustrations help readers empathize and connect with the characters, while exhibiting the beauty of love, family and diversity.

Endearing and empowering, Mama's Love Language makes a timely read for Mother's Day and a cherishable addition to any culturally conscious family's book collection.

About the Book:

Ages 5-10 | 31 Pages
Publisher: Ginger Lotus Press | ISBN-13: 9798988378518

Jade is a girl who lives in two worlds and, coming from a multicultural family, she’s on a quest to understand her identity and where she truly belongs.

She is trying to find her place in the world but feels different from the other kids at school. Back home, Jade’s parents have their unique approach to love and care. Sometimes Jade is embarrassed by Mama’s accent and she can’t understand why she is not just like any other mother she knows.

The real adventure unfolds when Jade starts rebelling against her mother’s traditional ways of showing love, especially through food. It’s a struggle that takes her on a path of discovery, as she learns about her family’s rich heritage and her mother’s challenging past in Vietnam and as an immigrant.

Jade then discovers that even though Mama doesn’t hug or say I love you, the healing aroma of ginger, green onions, and chicken broth does.

“Mama’s Love Language” is a heartwarming children’s book that addresses the universal theme of belonging and the beauty of cultural diversity. Through Jade’s story, children will learn that being different is not only okay but something to be celebrated, and that love can come in many shapes and forms.

Purchase link: Amazon

The Hopeful in Theaters Soon! Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

Inspired by real persons and events, The Hopeful traces the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which observes Saturday, the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath. Buy tickets today to see The Hopeful in theaters ONLY on April 17 & 18th!

Synopsis:

William Miller’s faith is in ruins. After miraculously surviving a fierce battle in the War of 1812, Miller questions why God spared him. His search for wisdom leads to an astonishing prophesy — the world is going to end. The Hopeful unfolds as a story of a man burdened with the knowledge of Christ’s return. Miller’s message resonates with some—even as it is scorned by others. When a young woman named Ellen Harmon listens to one of his sermons she is transformed. And through her witness the message begins to take flight. The preaching grows beyond prophecy and develops into a more holistic vision for how Christians should live and worship. We see blossoming the seeds of a new global movement of faith —the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The Hopeful is the true story of a community whose lives were transformed as they learn what it means to truly wait for Jesus. This sweeping drama, set in 19th century New England, invites audiences of all ages to imagine how hope can change the world.

My Review:

Set in the 19th century, The Hopeful is an inspiring and informative historical movie that retells a true story of hope, faith, courage and endurance. It follows the incredible experience of Ellen White, a strong woman with visions and insight who plays a pivotal role in the formation of the denomination. Named by The Smithsonian Institution as one of the 100 most influential Americans of all time, Ellen inspires us to stay firm and hopeful in the face of doubt, disbelief, disdain and hardships. I'm particularly impressed by the beautiful music and angelic voice of Grammy Award winning singer and songwriter Jonas Myrin. In sum, The Hopeful is a family friendly film that touches the heart and soul.

Official links: Website | Trailer | Instagram | Facebook