PAWsitive Vibes Dogs

PAWsitive Vibes Dogs by Kathleen J. Shields is a collection of motivational stories based on the habits and behaviours of dogs.

 

Here is an example:

 

Can You Dig?

Digging is an instinctual activity, written deep in a dog’s DNA. It is especially strong in terrier breeds. Dogs in natural packs will dig to hide food or to uncover food such as small rodents. A den dug in the cool earth can also provide shelter from the heat.

Dogs like to dig, even though my husband is not fond od of the holes in the lawn, the mud in their paws, or the flying dirt they kick our from underneath them flying onto the porch.

But sometimes, you just have to go for what is calling you and dig in. Can you dig it?

 

Kathleen J Shields loves dogs and had rescue dogs as part of her family. Her observations of their antics is the basis behind these inspirational one page stories.

 

I recommend the beautifully presented PAWsitive Vibes to any dog lover looking for positive reinforcements. Whether you sit and read it in one go or dedicate time to one or two stories a day you will get much from your reading.

 

My rating 5*

Snowball Unwrapped is a light romantic read set in a perfect Christmas backdrop.

There are earlier books about Snowball and her matchmaking. I haven’t read them but this one is certainly a standalone story.

 

Ilse is the host of a TV show called Home and Hearth that features cooking and craft segments. Her fiancé is double timing her, so she convinces her identical twin sister Jocelyn to stand in for her while she sorts her personal problems.

 

Not only do they have vastly different personalities, but Jocelyn also lacks the craft and culinary skills of Ilse.

 

The episodes are to be filmed in the grand Victorian building Weber Haus that has been converted to a up market B&B.

 

Ilse is always at odds with her male co-host, Ben, who she thinks is trying to take over the show. Whereas there is a romantic spark between Ben and Jocelyn. Snowball recognises the signs and sets out on her matchmaking endeavours.

Ilse’s career is on the line but will Jocelyn’s lack of talent and friendship with Ben completely destroy Ilse’s future.

Many amusing moments threaten to
expose the secret Jocelyn is trying to hide and foil Snowball’s
matchmaking between Jocelyn and Ben, all set in a picture-perfect winter
wonderland.

The story is so much fun it is easy to forget you are reading a romance novel. I loved the intrigue surrounding Jocelyn’s deception and the comical moments it produced.

 

Living in Australia we don’t get to experience the perfect white Christmas (or even a cold one) but we can dream. The Christmas themed setting with snow falling Christmas lights and holiday shopping is beautifully portrayed around the Victorian.

 

The story line moves along smoothly with no slow patches. The dialogue is believable. For the most it is told in the 3^rd person with a scattering of 1^st person paragraphs by Snowball.

 

Characters are relatable and well portrayed. The nice ones are fun and easy to like, and the nasty ones perfectly depicted.

 

Snowball, the resident cat is very sweet and makes you want to pick her up for a cuddle but be warned there is an evil look alike lurking.

I rarely read romance these days but love animal stories. It is a book I was happy to relax and ignore problems around me while being transported to a Christmassy winter wonderland. 

I loved the characters and the delightfully different storyline.

Highly recommended for romance readers.

Even though I’m not a great romance reader I’ll be keeping an eye open for books by this author.

My rating 4* as a light holiday read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the advance reader copy.

#netgalley #kensingtonpublishing

Tatum Comes Home by Tatum Talks; Mica Stone

Tatum Comes Home is a fictional story about a real dog called Tatum. It is an uplifting story of the adventures of a dog who gets separated from his family and the people who do everything in their power to help him return home. 

I had never heard of Tatum, a social media star, so I came to this book without preconceived expectations. 

I felt so silly when reading the end of a book through tears of joy but that’s what Tatum’s story did to me.

The story begins when Tatum Jumps out of his Dad’s truck. When a violent electrical storm hits he hides in the to the back of another truck and ends up miles from home. 

The truck owner, Jed, tries to find Tatum’s family but although he is microchipped the internet is out due to the storm and no one can discover his home address.

While travelling to another vet with Jed to have the chip read, Tatum thinks he sees  his Mum in the bush and chases after her.

I enjoyed reading Tatum’s adventure immensely and it was heart warming reading the commitment of his new friends in their attempt to get him home. 

Other messages are there also – making new friends and helping not just a dog but also fellow humans.

All the characters felt real and shone through.

Each chapter begins with. We get insight into Tatum’s thoughts through his notes in his ‘diary’.

Here’s an example 

Dear road trip diary, Val is just like all the vets where I live cuz she seems nice and gives me tweats but also none of the other animals is happy to be there. Jed looks at Val like Dad loks at Mum, which is the same as me when I look at the lady in the drive-fru window at the nuggets place. Val and Jed and me is gunna get more food, so I fink I’m on vacation like Mum and Dad.

When I finished the book, I checked out his social media post to see if the characters (Tatum and his Mum and Dad) came across the same. They do.… and yes, I am now following Tatum on social media.

You certainly don’t need to be a Tatum fan to enjoy this captivating story. It is not just for Tatum fans and followers but any dog lover who likes a sweet positive dog story.

My rating 4*

Thank you to Netgalley & Kensington Books for the opportunity to get to know Tatum through this delightful story.

#netgalley #kensingtonbooks

Sunny Bunnies: My Book of Feelings by Carine Laforest, illustrations by Animation Café is a delightful, cute, colourful book that helps children understand their feelings and emotions. 

Each page features a different emotion linked with a colour and an adorable Sunny Bunny. The page describes emotional and physical examples of how you are feeling with each emotion 

They are good examples of the emotions that a young child can relate to. It also provides ways a child can deal with negative emotions such as sadness, fear, and anger. 

I always appreciate children’s books that provide an opportunity for children and their parent/carer to discuss important topics. 

At the end of each page, there is a question to ask the child. For example, the page for joy is “When do you feel happy? This gives the child an opportunity to express their feelings and the caregiver to help with the development of expressing feelings. The book describes not only the emotional side of feeling but also the physical. (eg sadness may make you feel like crying). This also helps the child to recognise how others are feeling.

Another opportunity for carers to discuss the topic of feelings is the four exercises at the back of the book.

The target audience is pre-schoolers and kindergarten children but would be beneficial reading for older children with disorders such as autism.  I also believe in reading to children before they can fully understand any messages in a story, so they grow up knowing the lesson. It’s how my son learned he was adopted and never had any related issues. The lessons in this book could also be helpful for older children learning to read.

Thank you, NetGalley, Chouette Publishing, and CrackBoom! Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

My rating 4*

#netgally #chouettepublishing