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Picture Book Round-Up

Disclosure: I was sent these books in  exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I am going to share some new picture books with you. These books are mostly aimed towards preschool and lower. Each is fun and have good lessons in them. I hope you will read my reviews and check them all out!!

The Year of the Dog--Chinese New Year

Disclosure: I was sent these products in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

It is hard to believe the lunar new year is approaching. This year it is February 16, 2018. This coming year will be the year of the dog in the Chinese horoscope. I always love when it is the year of the dog since that is the sign I was born under. Now this year we had a New Year's Eve themed birthday party for Hazel and one of the things I tried to do was have some different cultures represented so we had a table set up for the Chinese New Year with items from Oriental Trading

Me and My Sewing Machine -- a Crafty Weekends Review and Link Party

Disclosure: C&T Publishing sent me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Purchasing items from some of these links provides Crafty Moms Share a small percentage at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Have you been crafting this week? Most of my crafts this week were restricted to crafts to use in Sunday School. I was home with a sick child and Steve was sick as well. It was not a pleasant time, but everyone is feeling better now!! As a result I don't have any crafts to share, but am going to review Me and My Sewing Machine by Kate Haxell. 

Multicultural Children's Book Day is Here!! Link Party #ReadYourWorld

Share at Sharing Saturday This Week!! 


It is here!! Today is Multicultural Children's Book Day 2018!! As a co-host I get to provide the link party right here, so be sure to check out all the amazing reviews of these multicultural books. There is something for everyone!! Be sure to check out my reviews this year (and past years) as well: Orthodox Christian Holidays, a mystery chapter book about a Chinese American in Australia, Harriet Tubman, STEM book on water cycle, the African-American women computers, engineers, and more of NASA, and a Japanese fairy tale and a picture book about an African-American photographer

The Thrifty Guide to the American Revolution

Disclosure: Penguin Kids sent me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Ready for a vacation? In this new series the year is 2164 and Time Corp. has found a way to travel in time and offers various vacation packages to witness history first hand. In today's book we are traveling to colonial times as the American Revolution is beginning. The book is titled The Thrifty Guide to the American Revolution: A Handbook for Time Travelers by Jonathan W. Stokes and illustrated by David Sossella. 

A Japanese Fairy Tale and James VanDerZee -- a Multicultural Children's Book Day Review


Disclosure: Lee and Low sent me these books in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

Today I get to share my final two reviews for Multicultural Children's Book Day 2018. I am sharing two very different books with you from different cultures. The first book is a classic Japanese fairy tale. It is The Crane Girl by Curtis Manley and illustrated by Lin Wang. 

MCBD Twitter Party is Saturday!!


Twitter Party! Great conversations, fun prizes and the chance to #ReadYourWorld (1/27/18)

Please join us for our Multicultural Children's Book Day Twitter Party

2018 MCBD Twotter Party
Join us on Jan 27th, 9pm EST for 5th annual Multicultural Children's Book Day Twitter Party! We promise it will be a fun and fast-paced hour of great book conversations, sharing of diverse book ideas and lots of prizes. Follow the hashtag #ReadYourWorld to join the conversation and to also win one of 12-5 book bundles and one Grand Prize Book Bundle (12 books) that will be given away at the party!

We will be giving away Book Bundles every 6 minutes!

Twitter Party Details:

When: Saturday, January 27th
Time: 9 pm to 10 pm EST
Where: On Twitter!
Hashtag: #ReadYourWorld
Sponsored By: Scholastic Reading Clubs

Go HERE to see a sneak preview of the Twitter Party questions, topics, and PRIZES~

Hidden Women -- a Multicultural Children's Book Day Review

Disclosure: Capstone Publishing sent me this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Have you seen Hidden Figures? It is in Hazel's top three favorite movies of all times. Our family went to see it on Martin Luther King Day last year. Last year I wrote about the real women in the story for Black History Month. And before the movie I had done a post about Katherine Johnson for a previous Black History Month. Needless to say this is a topic near and dear to us. I jumped at the chance to review a new book called Hidden Women: The African-American Mathematicians of NASA Who Helped Win the Space Race by Rebecca Rissman. 

Water Is Water - a Multicultural Children's Book Day Review

Disclosure: Miranda Paul sent me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

It is hard to believe Multicultural Children's Book Day is less than a week away!! I still have several books to review for it, so keep looking this week!! Today I get to share with you a beautiful book with a STEM focus. I love when picture books have lessons in them and this one does. It is Water Is Water by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Jason Chin

Hawaii Dreaming in our Winter Wonderland a Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

Disclosure: Oriental Trading sent me these products in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This winter we have had unbelievable cold weather and lately several snow storms. It has been a bit of a winter wonderland. Once we got rid of the first snow, it snowed again.

Sharing Saturday 18-3 TWO WEEKS LONG!!





It is time again for Sharing Saturday! This time it will be two weeks long since next Saturday is Multicultural Children's Book Day and I am a co-host!

This is a link party to share all of your child-oriented crafts, crafts made for kids, activities and lessons as well as your parenting and/or teaching posts. So glad you joined us!!

On Sunday night we also host Crafty Weekends for all your crafts (done by any age), patterns, and craft product reviews! It is the perfect place to share your creative side!! This Sunday the Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop will start up again, so stop by to share all your diverse/cultural posts. 

Princess Pulverizer #1: Grilled Cheese and Dragons

Disclosure: Penguin Random House sent me this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am always looking for princess books that star a brave and strong princess. Princess Pulverizer is one such princess. She is not your typical princess. In fact she doesn't want to be a princess at all. She wants to be a knight. In the first book in this series, Grilled Cheese and Dragons by Nancy Krulik with art by Ben Balistreri, we meet Princess Serena, but don't call her that, she goes by Princess Pulverizer. 

Before She Was Harriet -- a Multicultural Children's Book Day Review

Disclosure: Holiday House sent me this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

January 27th is fast approaching!! Today I get to share with you another amazing book for Multicultural Children's Book Day. The book today is about someone I am sure you have heard of, Harriet Tubman. The book is Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by James E. Ransome.

Multicultural Books for Different Ages

Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Today is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday. I have been sharing many of my past posts about Dr. King on my Facebook page this weekend. Be sure to check them all out plus the review I wrote over at Multicultural Kid Blogs this month

Sew Small a Crafty Weekends Review and Link Party

Disclosure: C&T Publishing gave me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The links are affiliate links where I will receive a small percentage of any purchases made through them at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Crafty Moms Share!

Today I am going to share a wonderful book to make 19 different little bags. It has everything from card (credit or business) holders to coin purses and more. The ideas are creative and unique. The book is Sew Small by Jennifer Heynen. 

Sharing Saturday 18-2




It is time again for Sharing Saturday! This is a link party to share all of your child-oriented crafts, crafts made for kids, activities and lessons as well as your parenting and/or teaching posts. So glad you joined us!!

On Sunday night we also host Crafty Weekends for all your crafts (done by any age), patterns, and craft product reviews! It is the perfect place to share your creative side!! 

God's Work with Ministries and Books

Disclosure: BookLook sent me these books in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

My main thoughts for 2018 is to take care of me. I want to find the time to exercise and to get myself healthy and fit as well as find time to connect with God each day. Today I am going to share some of our new endeavors and two great books to help me and Hazel with connecting with God. The other week I was at Hazel's school's chapel service and the principal shared one of the student's own ministries. She collects money to buy items homeless people would need. She packages them in a plastic bag and keeps them in her parents' cars so if they see someone begging on the street they can give them a bag. Hazel loved this idea and so did I. I always feel bad about not giving to them, but I also have heard not to because they buy drugs or some actually make more money then most of us just by begging. So Hazel and I went to Target and the Dollar Tree and bought some items and gallon bags.

Mystery of the Min Min Lights - a Multicultural Children's Book Day Review

Disclosure: Janelle Diller of Pack-n-Go Girls sent me this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

It is hard to believe the Multicultural Children's Book Day is coming quickly. It is on January 27th and I am a co-host so be sure to come back and check out all the reviews at the link up!! 


Gifts for Jesus -- a Sunday School Craft & More -- Crafty Weekends Link Party


Yesterday was Epiphany. In Hispanic countries it is known as el Dia de los Reyes (Three King's Day). This is the day when the three kings visit and bring presents to the children in these countries. In Sunday School this morning we told the Godly Play story of the Mystery of Christmas which goes through the story from Gabriel coming to Mary to the escape to Egypt and beyond. This year I have been finding crafts that tie into the story to give the kids' work time a bit more focus. I came up with a fun craft for the older students and wanted to share it with you. I also thought I would give some background. 

Sharing Saturday 18-1




It is time again for Sharing Saturday! This is a link party to share all of your child-oriented crafts, crafts made for kids, activities and lessons as well as your parenting and/or teaching posts. So glad you joined us!!

On Sunday night we also host Crafty Weekends for all your crafts (done by any age), patterns, and craft product reviews! It is the perfect place to share your creative side!! 

Snow Day Fun

Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Lady Winter seems to have hit the United States pretty hard this week. We are on our second snow day after Winter Storm Grayson hit. And of course to Hazel the worst thing is that the temperature have dropped to dangerously cold levels to be outside for long so there is no playing in it.

With the very cold temperatures which we have had on and off for a couple of weeks and all the snow we need things to keep us busy inside! Today I am sharing three books about winter and snow and one book as an idea of something to do on your snow day!! Our first book is Pigloo by Anne Marie Pace and illustrated by Lorna Hussey. 

Spiritual Growth for Kids -- New Year Resolution #1

Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.



It is hard to believe another year has begun. Hazel turned nine this past weekend and we had two very fun parties to celebrate. It has been a busy time in our house. However now the festivities are over and I am beginning to think about what I want 2018 to be like for me and my family. Have you thought about your new year? I know I want to focus on me and my family this year. I want to take the time to grow in my relationship with God and get myself healthier and more fit. I also want  to grow in my relationships with Steven and Hazel. And I want to help Hazel grow in her relationship with God. To this end I am sharing with you two great books to help her do just that. The first is Jesus Always: 365 Devotions for Kids by Sarah Young and adapted by Tama Fortner.