April 2023 Book of the Month Giveaway
May 20, 2023 03:52 PM Posted by juliannadouglas
During the month of April, I read three full-length novels, two novellas, a short story and a children’s book. Nearly all of them were good, but there was only one that received five stars from me and it happened to be the children’s books. It’s a non-fiction picture book that teaches kids all about sea horses. They’ll learn things like where sea horses live and how they can hide in the coral by camouflaging themselves to their surroundings, what they eat, who their predators are, and how they swim. It also discusses how these tiny sea creatures mate for life and how they reproduce. After seeing this book pop up a number of times on recent lists of books being banned in schools and libraries, I had to find out what all the fuss was about. IMHO, it’s nothing but that: just a manufactured fuss over nothing. Sure the book talks about how sea horses mate and reproduce, but it’s done so in a gentle, completely age-appropriate and non-offensive way. There’s nothing explicit. It just relates factual information about these wondrous creatures. I thought the book was adorable and the gently flowing narrative soothing. It’s sweet that sea horses mate for life and their courtship dance is cute. I had no idea that it’s the males who gestate and give birth to their young. The illustrations are a lovely compliment to the text, done in shades of bluish-green, to mimic the ocean, with splashes of browns and reds to give it some extra color. I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet book that definitely doesn’t deserve the bad rap that some people are trying to give it. I highly recommended it for early elementary age kids who are interested in animals or sea life. That’s why I’m naming Chris Butterworth’s Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea as my April Book of the Month. If you enjoy books that teach little ones about nature, then you should definitely give this book a try.
I hope that you have a son, daughter, grandchild, niece, nephew, or other child in your life to share this with, but in case you don’t, I realize it may not be to everyone’s reading taste. That’s why I’ll be giving the winner a choice between my featured book and a $10 Amazon gift card. Keep reading to learn how you can win a copy of the book for your own library or a gift card to buy a book of your choosing for your library.
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Cover Blurb- Discover the secrets of the endangered sea horse - one of nature's most mysterious fish - through Chris Butterworth's clear, engaging text and the intricate engravings of award-winning illustrator John Lawrence. |
Dive into the warm ocean and swim around amid the coral and waving sea grass. Do you see an eye like a small black bead peering out at you? Linger for a while and discover the secrets of the sea horse - one of the shyest fish in the sea. With a head like a horse, a tail like a monkey, and a pouch like a kangaroo, the sea horse acts like a chameleon, changing color to ward off danger or to show that he and his mate are a lifelong pair. Watch their fascinating mating dance, as the two of them twine their tails together and twirl, before she places her eggs in his pouch to be born. Could there be a more intriguing creature of the sea?
Read my complete review of Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea.
Giveaway
If you would like to win a copy of Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea to see how wonderful it is for yourself, just enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below. One lucky winner will receive their choice of an eBook or print copy of the book OR a $10 Amazon gift card. If the winner chooses an eBook, I will gift it to them via the eBook retailer of their choice (Amazon or B & N). If the winner chooses a print copy, I will have it mailed directly to them via Amazon. Or if the winner chooses a gift card, it will be sent via email. Good luck!
International Entrants: You are welcome to enter my contest, but please note that not all eBooks are available in all countries due to copyright restrictions. If this is the case, Amazon offers an option to trade for a gift card (I'm not sure about B & N). If you choose print, I can mail it to you via the Amazon website that services your country, pending availability and cost. Otherwise I will mail it to you via U. S. Amazon's standard international shipping, but it may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive, and I may not have the capability of tracking the package. Also please note that if you choose the gift card, it will be issued from Amazon.com (the US site), as I am unable to purchase one on any international Amazon sites. It’s my understanding, however, that the card can only be used to purchase items on Amazon.com, and not any other Amazon sites. So please be aware of this limitation before entering.
Categories: Book of the Month, Giveaways
Tags: Chris Butterworth
