Books Giveaways

Owlkids Books Spring 2019 Sneak Peek

One of the best parts of my day is lying in bed with my daughters at bedtime and reading with them. Hubby and I take turns reading a picture book every night with the youngest one, and my 9-year-old and I have been working our way through Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix together. We love reading and re-reading old favourites as well as discovering new ones, and we love sharing them with you too.

That’s why we’ve partnered with Canadian children’s book publisher Owlkids Books to share some of our favourite new releases as well as some back catalogue books you might have missed. Take a look at some of Owlkids Books’ most engaging children’s books, then scroll all the way down to enter to win this same collection for your own kiddos!

Click on the titles or cover pictures to see these books on Amazon.

Sprout, Seed, Sprout! by Annika Dunklee & Carey Sookocheff

One pot. Two careful hands. Three scoops of soil.

It takes a lot of time and patience to grow an avocado tree. A curly-haired little boy and his faithful cat wait… and wait… and wait for the avocado seed to germinate, the shoot to emerge, and the sapling to grow.

This slow, thoughtful story relies on rhythm, repetition, and pattern to convey the process and patience needed to stick to a task even when it seems unattainable. Kids will see that the wait is worth the while. (Ages 3-7)

My Cat Looks Like My Dad by Thao Lam

Family is what you make it! Playful paper collages illustrate this cute picture book about a dad and his cat. They both love milk and sardines. They both love belly rubs and boxes. And the narrator? Well, the narrator is like Mom with wild hair, bright green eyes, and a love for dancing.

We don’t discover the narrator’s identity until the very end, and the twist ending will have kids flipping back through the pages looking for clues. (Ages 3-7)

Jammie Day! by Carrie Snyder

As the middle child of five, Cliffy doesn’t get much attention. One morning, Cliffy decides he doesn’t feel like getting dressed. He tells his mom it’s jammie day and heads to school in his favourite fuzzy pyjamas. His parents and teachers don’t seem to notice, so he just keeps going to school in his that way. As jammie day becomes jammie week, then jammie month, the other kids in his class start coming to school in their pyjamas too!

Cliffy’s parents aren’t neglectful, just preoccupied. The final page shows the entire family dressed in their footy pyjamas so despite their busyness, they’ve chosen to join in. This playful story is perfect for reading aloud – at school for jammie day of course! (Ages 4-7)

Little Doctor and the Fearless Beast by Sophie Gilmore

All the crocodiles come from far and wide to see Little Doctor. In exchange for her doctoring, they tell her tales of danger and derring-do. One day, the biggest, meanest crocodile of them all comes to see her. Little Doctor is a little scared, but determined to help anyway. Without Big Mean’s cooperation though, she can’t figure out what’s wrong.

Big Mean isn’t sure whether Little Doctor can be trusted, but after watching her with the other crocs, Big Mean literally and figuratively opens up. Little Doctor accidentally falls into Big Mean’s mouth where she finds three crocodile hatchlings tangled up in a plastic six pack ring. Little Doctor untangles the babies with her small fingers, and Big Mean shows her gratitude with a story about Little Doctor’s great daring and determination.

Gilmore’s pen and watercolour illustrations are full of marvelous details, both in the characters themselves and in the background. A heartwarming story about learning to trust and learning to be brave. (Ages 4-8)

Dog vs. Ultra Dog by Troy Wilson & Clayton Hanmer

Tuffy loves his boy, Tim. And Tim loves his dog, Tuffy. Tim also loves TV superhero Ultra Dog. He watches the show, reads the books, plays the video games, skates on an Ultra Dog board, and wears Ultra Dog gear (including underwear!). When the snide cat next door suggests that Ultra Dog may be stealing Tim away from Tuffy, Tuffy dismisses the idea. But just in case, Tuffy decides he will be the ultra-est at obedience, chores, and love.

When Tim and his family start planning a visit to Ultra Land, Tuffy concludes he must beat Ultra Dog at his own game. But when Tuffy’s attempt to fly goes awry, he realizes that Tim loves him as much as he loves Tim.

This quick-moving story is told in an action-packed comic style with speech bubbles, comic book panels, and sound effects sure to engage even reluctant readers. (Ages 4-8)

Wandering Whale Sharks by Susumu Shingu

Simple, meditative sketches in shades of mid and deep blue sprawl across both pages of each spread and evoke the size and grandeur of the world’s largest living fish as he glides through the ocean deeps. Spare yet lyrical text describes the whale shark’s size, diet, and habitat. The final page provides additional information about these gentle giants for kids interested in learning more. (Ages 4-8)

A Dog Day for Susan by Maureen Ferguson & Monica Arnaldo

When Great-Aunt Alice and her dog Susan come to visit, Spencer is excited to have another dog to play with. But Susan turns out to be a perfectly coiffed, dignified, and rather spoiled Afghan hound who eats cake off china plates, monopolizes the TV, and gets the last piece of bacon. Spencer and his dog, Barney, decide Susan needs to learn how to be a real dog. They take her out to the dog park to teach her how to bark at buses and squirrels, eat garbage, avoid a grooming, and run wild in the dog park. Of course Great-Aunt Alice isn’t happy, but as they drive away, Susan seems satisfied to have reconnected with her inner dog.

Any kid who’s been forced to dress up and sit still will relate to Susan, and they’ll appreciate the gloriously doggy behaviours that Mom and Dad and Great-Aunts alike aren’t thrilled about but kids secretly find hilarious. (Ages 5-8)

You Are Never Alone by Elin Kelsey & Soyeon Kim

This third collaboration between author Elin Kelsey and artist Soyeon Kim explores the ways that humans are inextricably connected to the world around us. It’s both a paean to nature and a practical demonstration of why we need a healthy planet. We drink fresh water that falls from clouds, breathe in oxygen created by plants, and eat fruit from pants pollinated by bees and bats. From the tiny microorganisms that live on our skin and protect us from illness to the very gravity that holds us down, we depend on the natural world around us.

Kim’s unique illustrations consist of paper drawings cut out and strung on line to create complex 3D dioramas that provide a physical representation of the connections and interrelationships between all the moving parts of our world. (Ages 5-10)

Look at the Weather by Britta Teckentrup

Sunshine, rainbows, summer rains, fog, frost, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and blizzards. This beautiful book exploring the wonders of weather sits somewhere between a child’s illustrated reference book and a picture book. Divided into four sections on Sun, Rain, Ice and Snow, and Extreme Weather, Look at the Weather delves into the power and beauty of weather phenomena.

Impressionistic paintings evoke the grandeur and feel of weather events, and the lyrical text invites readers to notice and appreciate the beauty of the natural world while acknowledging the link between human activity and climate change. Brief commentary of the science inspire and inform, but don’t expect an exhaustive explanation. (Ages 6-11)

Camp Average by Craig Battle

Mack and the rest of the junior campers in Cabin 10 love spending their summers at Camp Avalon where they can play sports, have fun, and not worry about winning anything. (That’s why they call it Camp Average and their unofficial chant is, “We’re number two!”) But this summer, the new junior camp director Winston has a different plan. He’ll do whatever it takes to turn them into winners, whether they like it or not.

When the boys no longer recognize their beloved Camp Average, Mack decides he’s had enough and hatches a plan to be the best at losing, including at the big inter-camp baseball tournament. The friends stick together in the face of Winston’s increasing pressure, but Mack soon realizes he may be doing more harm than good and friendship is more important than being right. A smart and funny middle school book with ethnically diverse characters suitable for sports fans everywhere. (Ages 8-12)

Win a Mini Library of Owlkids Books

Books are best when they can be shared, so one of our readers will win the entire collection of books we’ve reviewed here. Enter in the giveaway widget below. This giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the US, 18+. All the winner’s entries will be verified.

Click here to check out my other open giveaways and be sure to follow me on Facebook!

 

Disclosure: I received sample items to facilitate this post. All opinions expressed are completely honest and my own, based on my personal experience. Your experience may differ. This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.

Leave a Comment

39 Comments

  • I most interested in reading You Are Never Alone by Elin Kelsey & Soyeon Kim. It sounds really sweet.

  • While these all look like pretty fun reads, I am most looking forward to reading Jammie Day since my daughters and I have “Jammie Days” of our own!

  • I would read “You Are Never Alone” to the grandkids OR the older ones would read it to the younger ones.

  • I’m looking forward to reading Wandering Whale Sharks and Little Doctor and the Fearless Beast with my grandson.

    • My cat looks like my dad sounds like a fun read! Now I’m curious to find out who the narrator is.

  • My granddaughter would enjoy Look at the Weather as she enjoys everything about science and the outdoors.

  • I am most keen to Read “Dog vs Ultra Dog” as it looks like it would be quite funny and entertaining.

  • I’d really like to read Camp Average with my daughter. She loves to watch sports but not play them and I think she’d get a kick out of reading about underdogs turned winners.

  • I would like to read the book. You are never alone. All children go through a time when they feel alone.

  • II’m most interesting in reading ‘Whale Sharks’ with my niece as she has a love marine life–a passion we share!

  • I totally agree with this post. Both me and my husband take turns to read to our kids at bedtime and it is one of our favorite parts of the day. It’s a great way to spend quality time and bond with the kids. I also agree that books are great for sharing. We read books at playdates too. My favorite among the above books are Sprout, Seed, Sprout!, You are never alone and Look at the weather.

  • I love reading with my son. Its a great family bonding time. I like all the book s but first I w’d read Dog ultra dog with my son.

  • I am interested in reading my cat looks like my dad because I am eager to find out who the narrator is.

  • You Are Never Alone and Jammie Day are two books I would enjoy reading to my grandchildren. All the books mentioned in this blog would be a fantastic read for kids.

  • Little Doctor and the Fearless Beast and Jammie Day are two of the books I would love to read to my grandchildren. I think they would enjoy them.

  • I think my kids would like Little Doctor and the Fearless Beast a lot so I hope I enjoy it! I would also enjoy reading A Dog Day for Susan.

  • A Dog Day for Susan.
    We love dogs in this house and are curious to read how Susan reacts to dogs.