Sparking Peace Blog Tour: Review and Prize Pack Giveaway

Gun violence is a disturbing topic that many parents may find difficult to discuss with their children. Sparking Peace suggests an age appropriate approach to starting that must-have conversation. Learn more about this unique picture book by Teresa Kim Pecinovsky and Hannah Rose Martin and enter to win a signed copy, along with a $50 Amazon gift card!

My Review:

Inspired by the innovative work of RAWtools, a nonprofit that advocates for nonviolence by turning guns into garden tools, Sparking Peace crafts a gentle and thought-provoking tale regarding trauma, grief, gun violence, healing and hope.

A little boy accidentally breaks the window of his neighbor Miss Winifred. As a remedy, he is asked to help clear out the lady's messy backyard and start growing a garden in the newly available space. To the boy's surprise, he sees Miss Winifred at an unusual community event, where people with sad faces gather around a forge and follow a blacksmith's lead to hit a hot piece of metal one by one. What is the purpose of this gathering? Where does the metal piece come from? What is it forged into?

Told from an innocent little boy's point of view, the story develops with an element of suspense that keeps readers wondering what the young protagonist can't fully understand while searching for clues in the pictures that accompany the narrative. With no explicit reference to gun or violence in the main body, it treats the sensitive subject with subtlety, letting parents or educators to decide the depth of discussion they desire based on their children's age and emotional capacity. The book concludes with a brief introduction to RAWtools, advice about how to talk with children about gun violence, and a discussion guide to help readers get the most out of this touching tale.

The delightful transformation of Miss Winifred's backyard from a junkyard to a garden, along with the implicit transformation of a gun part into a garden tool, inspires young readers to make amends for their mistakes, to seek creative solutions to a problem, and to resolve conflicts without the use of violence. Besides, the story showcases the beauty and healing power of friendship and kindness. The illustrations artfully capture the transformative processes through contrasting scenes and changing expressions. Meanwhile, they supplement the text with useful details that help evoke the readers' empathy and deepen their understanding of the underlying message.

Engaging and enlightening, Sparking Peace makes an impactful read for both children and adults, offering great tools and resources to address growing concerns over the prevalence of firearm violence in the country.

About the Book:

Ages 5+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Herald Press | ISBN-13: 9781513813707

Broken into beautiful. A story of friendship and healing.

After breaking a neighbor’s window, a young child discovers friendship, transformation, and new beginnings in an unlikely story of peace. Gentle and moving, this poetic tale offers readers a hopeful path in the face of gun violence and despair, showing kids how peacemaking can turn conflict into friendship and new beginnings—and forge guns into garden tools.

Children grow up with lockdowns and gun violence as part of their reality. As parents, caregivers, and educators, how should we respond? Sparking Peace provides a springboard for those seeking to discuss gun violence and trauma with children in a safe way that highlights help rather than harm. This picture book helps children learn about conflict while also carefully addressing gun violence and peacemaking. It includes resources that equip parents and educators to talk about gun violence and trauma, using a story of a broken window to show kids how conflict can be transformed through acts of peace. Suggested reading for ages 5–9.

Purchase links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org

Living Scriptures+ Summer Special and Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Are you looking for an online platform where both you and your kids can stream family-friendly movies and shows? Sign up for Living Scriptures+ and take advantage of their summer deal today! New subscribers will get their first 2 months for only $0.99/month!

 

About Living Scriptures+:

With over 5,000 titles and new content added weekly, Living Scriptures+ is a streaming platform that’s mindful of what you watch—and what you invite into your home. Each title is carefully selected to promote integrity, courage, compassion, and faith. The platform offers a rich mix of animated films that teach core values to children, uplifting stories for teens and adults that explore real-life challenges through hopeful and redemptive narratives, and a growing collection of critically acclaimed and original titles that continue to inspire families across generations.

My Review:

I was offered a gift subscription to Living Scriptures+. Based on my experience, the platform is well-organized and easy to navigate. One feature that stands out to me is that it allows users to customize the contents they want to watch or browse by creating separate profiles and filters for each family member, including young children.

Besides the option to curate what your little one can watch through his or her own profile, Living Scriptures+ also has a dedicated kids section, where you can find all new and classic shows in one place, including an original animated Bible story series produced by Living Scriptures+. You can easily search for a movie or series by name or genre. In addition, you can create a personalized play list for faster access to all your favorite contents.

At an affordable rate, Living Scriptures+ provides a trust-worthy streaming platform for kids, parents, homeschoolers, and those who prefer entertainment with positive, inspiring messages.

Tiki Time: It's My Turn Blog Tour: Guest Post and Prize Pack Giveaway

Exciting news has arrived about the beloved children's book, Tiki Time: It's My Turn by Creator JJ. A captivating short video/audio read-along version is now available on YouTube. To celebrate, the author is giving away a signed copy of the book and a $200 Amazon gift card! Please enjoy a guest post from the author and then enter to win the awesome prize pack.

Making Independent Reading Time More Appealing for Kids

Independent reading time can be a challenge for many kids or even just an activity they are not particularly too fond of. Some kids may be struggling with reading comprehension or phonemic awareness, or they could even struggle with sitting still and staying focused for a period to read a book. After getting the child the support they need to be able to read independently, it is important to try and make independent reading time a fun and appealing time for kids. In this article, we’ll talk about some of the ways to do that.

Independent reading should be a time for kids to have their own creative space as they dive into a book that has piqued their interest. They should be generally excited about it and ready to give their full attention to that book. Some of the ways you can make it more appealing for the child are to first think about the environment that is for their independent reading time. I recommend creating a fun little reading space that is comfortable and cozy. Think about adding some pillows to that room or space. You could decorate that space with posters or artwork of some of their recent books they read to remind them of why they love reading. Some kids like to read independently in the dark, so consider providing them with a flashlight for some fun nighttime reading.

After the child has their established reading space, provide the child with some different genres of books to try out. This could be fantasy, adventure, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, and so many more different kinds of genres suitable for kids. This will allow the child to develop a sense for what genres they really enjoy and will encourage them to read independently more. Lastly, introduce the child to new book formats. This could be a graphic novel, an audiobook, or even a video read-along version of the book. By introducing new formats, you can provide a multi-sensory experience for the young reader, making reading time even more enjoyable!

In my book, Tiki Time: It’s My Turn, I introduce young readers to a magical world and adventure in a picture book that also has a graphic novel-style layout. In addition to the unique reading experience in this book, I created a video read-along version to accompany the book. Kids get to follow along at an easy reading pace while improving vocabulary and experiencing a multi-sensory experience. This is the type of book that can make reading a very fun experience for the child and encourage independent reading time by wanting to explore other books in similar or different genres.

Animals Are Great Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

Books and songs often work neatly together to boost early language development. Animals Are Great is a lovely picture book featuring lyrics of an original song written and performed by the Tika Tika Time team. Learn more about it and enter to win a copy!

My Review:

Created by musicians and educators, Animals Are Great is a colorful and cheerful read for babies and toddlers, teaching about animal sounds through rhyming words and playful tunes.

With the combination of vivid illustrations and lyrical repetitions, the book introduces early readers to a cute mix of wild and farm animals which appear in different types of natural environment, make distinctive sounds and engage in various amusing activities. A QR code inside the book can be scanned to unlock exclusive music videos, which greatly enhance the joy of reading and learning.

While encouraging curious little ones to explore nature and enjoy the adventure, the story makes them aware that animals come in different sizes and looks. It emphasizes that ALL of them are important parts of our beautiful world and deserve our love and care.

Music, by design, makes an integral part of the reading experience of this interactive book. Multiple versions of music videos are provided to simutaneously stimulate young children's senses of sight and sound, inviting them to sing, dance, imitate, imagine and go wild. They may also learn to communicate through sign language, or be inspired to create their own silly songs with a musical instrument.

Fun to read aloud and sing along, Animals Are Great makes a most entertaining beginner book that fosters a love for animals, for music, and for reading.

About the Book:

Ages: 3-12 | 26 Pages
Publisher: Tika Tika Time (2025) | ISBN: 979-8349311215

Animals are great! In this whimsical book written by the team at Tika Tika Time, children will see a variety of animals. Tika Tika Time is a children’s multimedia entertainment brand filled with fun and silliness. Kids sing along and engage with lively videos featuring original music. The playful animations and whimsical characters spark joy and creativity. Each video encourages movement, laughter, and learning through music. Companion books bring the songs to life with colorful illustrations. Interactive elements keep children engaged and excited to participate. Designed to entertain and educate, tika tika time makes learning feel like play. With catchy tunes and cheerful energy, it’s a magical adventure for kids everywhere!

Purchase links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org