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Picture Book Review: A Balloon for Isabel

Sometimes there are books that touch my heart so much, I can’t help but review them. A Balloon for Isabel  by Deborah Underwood is one of these books. Here are a few reasons why I love this book.

1) It has a clever, witty plot and is an all around fun read.
2) The main character is an adorable little girl named, Isabel. She also happens to be a porcupine who wants a balloon, and for obvious reasons can’t have one. Brilliant.
3) It’s filled with vibrant, colorful illustrations.
4) Isabel’s best friend is Walter. His Dad owns a candy shop. But what does Walter love? Broccoli, of course. What a wonderfully fun detail.
5) It’s filled with ingenious ideas, like the pop-stopper, that will tickle the reader’s delight.

I hope I’ve peeked your interest enough to check out this book. Happy Reading!

(I was fortunate enough to meet the author, the lovely Deborah Underwood, at the LA SCBWI Summer Conference. She is pictured below with goofy ol’ me.)

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Author Event: Meet Rick Riordan!

A Whale of a Tale Bookshoppe in Irvine, CA is hosting an awesome author event to meet Rick Riordan. He is the author of the Percy Jackson Series and the new spin off series The Lost Hero. I literally devoured each and every book in the series and am eager to get my hands on The Son of Neptune.  The event takes place Saturday, Oct. 8th, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. at Oso Viejo Park in Mission Viejo. Visit the Whale of Tale Bookshoppe website for tickets.  The ticket price includes a copy of his latest release, Son of Neptune

 
With more and more booksellers going digital, it can be quite easy to go about our daily lives without remembering local independent booksellers still exist.  I know I’ve been guilty of this myself.  A Whale of a Tale Bookshoppe not only sells books but frequently hosts author and book events for children and adults alike.  In the coming weeks their events will feature many prominent authors and illustrators including Robin Preiss Glasser, Hillary Duff, Molly Shannon, Wendy Mass and more.  I encourage you to check it out and support your local bookseller!