Bizzy Bzzz the Bee and Grandpa's Tea Blog Tour: Review and Prize Pack Giveaway

Looking for a fun book to read with your grandchildren when they visit your house? Check out Bizzy Bzzz the Bee and Grandpa's Tea by Travis Peagler. Enter to win a copy of the book and a $100 Visa gift card!

My Review:

Bizzy Bzzz the Bee and Grandpa's Tea is a cheerful rhyming picture book which tells a story as sweet as honey. It's narrated by a little boy who loves to observe his grandpa performing his morning routine, which includes putting in his denture, praying, watching TV, stretching his back, stroking his dog Sparks and making his tea. The boy seems to be particularly amused by the fact that a buzzing bee comes to mess around with grandpa every time he tries to drink his tea on the porch. After preventing grandpa from getting a hard landing on the ground with the help of Sparks, the smart cutie comes up with a plan to allow the bee to join grandpa for morning tea without being bothersome.

The use of a child's perspective makes the story more enjoyable and relatable for young readers. The seemingly boring, repetitive things we do every day may appear to be interesting or even entertaining in the eyes of a curious, good-humored child. And never underestimate the creativity and problem-solving ability of your little one! The boy in the story shows that it is not that hard to turn an annoying encounter into a pleasant one. Conflict can be resolved with peace and harmony. The close connection between the boy and his grandpa and how much the youngster cares about the elderly are really touching and heartwarming. In addition, the charm of the story is greatly enhanced by its colorful, realistic illustrations portraying the lovely characters with humor and delight. This is certainly a book worth adding to the summer reading list of your little bookworm.

About the Book:

Written by Travis Peagler
Illustrated by Blueberry Illustrations

Ages 4-8 | 32 Pages
Publisher: Script Novel Publishing | ISBN-13: 978-1732563551

Every morning at seven o’ three, I wake up just in time to watch Grandpa play with Bizzy Bzzz the Bee.

Bizzy Bzzz the Bee and Grandpa’s Tea is reading made fun. Told through the eyes of a child, this is an entertaining story about a boy who gets a good laugh watching Grandpa’s encounter with a bee every morning while trying to enjoy his cup of tea. Teetering on the edge of frustration, Grandpa has a heightened escalation with Bizzy.

The boy comes up with a quick solution that allows Grandpa to enjoy his morning tea and lets Bizzy stay. It’s safe to say, the Grandson saved the day. This story has playful rhyme, problem solving, and is sure to put a smile on faces of children every time.

Bizzy Bzzz zips around Grandpa’s head three times and makes him dizzy. It’s funny when his eyes cross. He looks so silly.

Order a copy: Amazon | Bookshop

The Monster Twins Blog Tour: Review & Prize Pack Giveaway

What words come to mind when you think of monsters? Scary, powerful, destructive, or...? Well, none of them can be used to describe the monsters that appear in The Monster Twins, the first in the children's picture book series written by Robert and Karen Hanvik. Learn more about this fun read and enter to win an awesome prize pack!

My Review:

The Monster Twins depicts a very special world, in which monsters are looked down upon, and have to follow laws set by humans, one of which requires monster babies to be separated from their biological parents and adopted by human beings soon after birth. That's why monster twins Bella and Bertie grow up in different parts of the world without knowing each other's existence. Doesn't this sound like the beginning of a sad story? The good news is - the authors use bright-colored, funny illustrations and humorous language to turn the story into a positive direction.

The twins are being taken good care of by their people parents while their monster parents are trying all that they can to change the bad laws and to fight for social justice. Despite their differences in personality, Bella and Bertie share a lot in common, like most twins do. Luckily, their love for climbing has the magic power to bring about their happy reunion. The story is very up-to-date and uplifting. It acknowledges the power of social media and promotes an activist approach to equal rights. I look forward to finding out what kind of adventure the twins will embark on in the next book in the series.

If you are to buy this book, I highly recommend the flipbook version, for it is filled with hidden gems that are both informative and entertaining. As you flip through the pages, you'll notice some colored dots flickering on screen. When you click on them, you'll discover various bonus contents, such as historical facts, stories about landmarks around the world, additional characters, coloring pages, word games and more! This interactive design greatly enhances the pleasure of reading by encouraging the reader to explore and gather extra information. Better yet, the flipbook is easily accessible in any web browser. No special software or device is needed.

About the Book

Written by Robert and Karen Hanvik
Illustrated by Ella Ransom

Bella and Bertie are twins, but they don’t know that, or each other. Separated while babies by bad law, they grew up 6000 miles apart, in Singapore and London. Follow the twins as they discover their shared past and do their best to make a better future for themselves, their families, and others like them.

Order your copy here.

Don’t Wake the Dragon Blog Tour: Review & Prize Pack Giveaway

Kids often amaze me by the seemingly inexhaustible energy they have got each day. Sometimes it may become quite a challenge to put them to sleep. Many parents have found reading a bedtime story to be an effective way to calm the kids down and set the mood for a good night's sleep. If you are looking for a fun book to read with your little one during bedtime, Bianca Schulze has the perfect choice for you - her new picture book Don’t Wake the Dragon.

Unlike any other bedtime story we've read before, Don’t Wake the Dragon offers a unique, immersive reading experience through its highly interactive texts and dazzling illustrations. From the very beginning, the reader is asked to stay quiet in order to help the little mouse, the first-person narrator of the story, to keep the red rascally dragon asleep. The task is not easy though, as each time a page is turned, something unexpected may happen to wake up the dragon, such as a door being slammed shut by the wind, pots and pants being dropped in the kitchen, or a birthday party going on next door. What should we do then? Stroke the dragon's scales, rock the book, or sing a lullaby? Join the mouse to try whatever you can to put the dragon back to sleep again! The sweet story ends by luring the little reader into putting herself to sleep :D

Besides its interactive features, the book really stands out with beautiful illustrations, which greatly enrich the story with delightful details and funny characters. An interesting story line gets hidden in the pictures: the narrator mouse and two other mice are being chased by a cat, who once reads a book named "How to Catch a Mouse". A bit to my surprise, the cat turned out to be my son's favorite character from the book. He got very excited about spotting the cat here and there as he turned the pages very, very gently (because he didn't want to wake up the dragon!). Don’t Wake the Dragon is such an adorable book to read! I highly recommend it as a wonderful bedtime story that is sure to cultivate the love of reading in young children.

About the Book:
Written by Bianca Schulze
Illustrated by Samara Hardy

Shhh! Be very quiet. The rascally dragon is finally asleep. But, when the page turned, the breeze blew the door shut with a BANG! Did it wake up the dragon? Create a fantastic bedtime experience by reading this interactive story featuring a reluctant-to-sleep dragon — a character that children will surely relate! Designed to be read aloud, parents will take pleasure in the playful text as much as children will enjoy hearing it. When the story finally comes to an end, and the gentle lullaby is repeated, the dragon – and your child! – are encouraged to drift off to sleep.

Ages 2-6 | Publisher: Clever Publishing | July 28, 2020 | ISBN-13: 978-1949998641

Order your copy on Amazon or Bookshop.

Charlie Hernández & the Castle of Bones Prize Pack Giveaway: Win a Signed Hardcover Copy & $25 Visa Gift Card!

Hot off the press comes Charlie Hernández and the Castle of Bones by Ryan Calejo. It's the second book in this middle grade fantasy series inspired by Hispanic culture. Read more about this new book and enter to win a signed copy and a $25 Visa gift card from the author.

About the Book:

Inspired by Hispanic folklore, legends, and myths from the Iberian Peninsula and Central and South America, this bold sequel to Charlie Hernández & the League of Shadows, which Booklist called “a perfect pick for kids who love Rick Riordan” in a starred review, follows Charlie as he continues on his quest to embrace his morphling identity.

Charlie Hernandez still likes to think of himself as a normal kid. But what’s normal about being a demon-slaying preteen with an encyclopedic knowledge of Hispanic and Latino mythology who can partially manifest nearly any animal trait found in nature? Well, not much. But, Charlie believes he can get used to this new “normal,” because being able to sprout wings or morph fins is pretty cool.

But there is a downside: it means having to constantly watch his back for La Mano Peluda’s sinister schemes. And when the leader of La Liga, the Witch Queen Jo herself, is suddenly kidnapped, Charlie’s sure they’re at it again.

Determined to save the queen and keep La Liga’s alliances intact, Charlie and his good friend Violet Rey embark on a perilous journey to track down her captors. As Charlie and Violet are drawn deeper into a world of monstruos and magia they are soon left with more questions than answers—like, why do they keep hearing rumors of dead men walking, and why is Charlie suddenly having visions of an ancient evil: a necromancer priest who’s been dead for more than five centuries?

Charlie’s abuela once told him that when dead men walk, the living run in fear. And Charlie’s about to learn the truth of that—the hard way.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Simon & Schuster

Adventures of Little Yaga and Her Friends Blog Tour: Autographed Book & $25 Visa Gift Card Giveaway

Based on timeless Russian tales, Adventures of Little Yaga and Her Friends brings a unique kind of magical tale to middle graders and beyond. Learn more about this fun book and enter to win an autographed copy along with a $25 Visa gift card!

About the Book:

Adventures of Little Yaga and Her Friends
Written by L.B. O’Milla

Little Yaga is a teenage forest dweller. She is unhappy because, unlike other foresters, she cannot howl or roar, and both of her legs are human-like. There have been rumors that Scraggard the Immortal, a powerful and ruthless Ruler of The Forest, is not exactly immortal. He is sustained on the energy of humans.

When he lures Ashley, a human teenager, into The Forest, Little Yaga, feeling sorry for this weird creature, helps her escape. Infuriated, Scraggard sends Little Yaga and her best friend Kikimra to the human town to bring Ashley back. The forest girls, stunned by technological “miracles” of humans, believe them to be as powerful as the Immortal himself. Unwillingly, Little Yaga and Kikimra become instrumental in Scraggard’s pursuit to recapture Ashley. Distressed by her disappearance, Ashley’s boyfriend and her brother manage to sneak into The Forest. Combining their efforts with Little Yaga and her forest friends, the teenagers embark on a perilous journey to rescue Ashley and save The Forest from Scraggard’s malevolent reign. As Little Yaga discovers the secrets of her forest home and her own origins, she comes into contact with creatures and settings straight out of Russian fables and mythology.

Get your copy here

One Week Only: $10 Off Visa Gift Cards & $50 Visa Gift Card Giveaway #MyMixxv17

Now it's the perfect time to stock up on Visa gift cards, my favorite kind of all. For one week only (4/16-4/22), buy $100 or more in Visa gift cards in one transaction and get $10 off your purchase instantly at Albertsons! Find an Albertsons store near you and go grab those great savings before it's too late.

Gift cards are such a safe and simple gift option that it's always a good idea to keep a few on hand. With so many important gifting occasions coming up in May and June, such as Mother's Day, Father's Day and graduations, it won't be hard to find a good use for all the gift cards that you've stocked up. Even if you don't entertain the idea of gifting a gift card, you can use the gift cards to purchase a more personalized and memorable gift, and the $10 savings is yours, regardless. By the way, gift cards can be used for so much more than gifting. For instance, you can use them to shop for a new spring wardrobe. Again, that's $10 saved on your new clothes if you take advantage of the gift card discount offer at Albertsons this week.

But wait, you can in fact save even more if you buy the gift cards with your favorite rewards credit card. You can earn rewards in the form of miles, cash back or points redeemable for merchandise, gift cards, and more. To the best of my knowledge, some rewards credit cards are offering 5% cash back on grocery shopping this quarter. So you could score an additional $5 savings on Visa gift cards, as they qualify for grocery if you get them at a grocery store like Albertsons. I wouldn't want to miss such an incredible opportunity to save, would you?

Why Visa gift cards are my favorite kind, you may ask? Because they work pretty much like cash and are widely accepted around the world! If you use a Visa gift card as a gift, it saves you the trouble of trying to figure out the recipient's favorite store, as she can redeem it anywhere she shops. If you keep the gift cards for your own everyday purchases, it saves you space in your wallet and is easier to carry than cash. It also helps you set a limit to how much you spend at a time, if you are not very good at sticking to a budget. You can use it both online and offline for a variety of purposes, shopping, dining, entertaining, paying bills, and many many more.

The list of why Visa gift cards make a sensible purchase can go on and on. But I'll stop here, so that you can head to the store now to take advantage of that limited time offer. Be sure to enter the awesome giveaway below before you go :)

The Giveaway

To sweeten the deal, Tatu Digital Media, the sponsor of this post, has generously offered to give one lucky reader of mine a $50 Visa gift card! The giveaway only runs for a week. Enter while you still can. More entry options will be added soon, so you may want to check back later to max your chances of winning. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. icefairy's Treasure Chest is not responsible for winner selection or prize fulfillment.

$150 Visa Gift Card Giveaway

A group of bloggers have teamed up to bring you the chance to win a $150 Visa gift card. The winner will get to spend it any way they like wherever Visa cards are accepted. Be sure to enter daily for better chances of winning!

Hosted by: Lil' Blog and More, Coupons and Freebies Mom, and On Honeysuckle Hill.

One lucky person will win a $150 Visa gift card!

$100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway

How has your New Year been going so far? Got a bunch of resolutions to fulfill? I'm sure you wouldn't mind getting some extra FREE cash to help ease things up. Here's your chance to win a $100 Visa gift card to spend any way you want!

Hosted by: Lil' Blog and More, & Coupons and Freebies Mom.

Co-hosted by: Animal Bliss, Heidi's Wanderings, Simply Sherryl, Sweepstakes Fanatics, Southern Mom Loves, and The Frugal Exerciser.

One lucky person will win a $100 Visa gift card!

Ring In the New Year $30 Visa Gift Card Giveaway

The New Year is about to start. How will you celebrate this new beginning? HERDEZ wants you to keep their delicious products in mind for your party snacks or holiday meals while you are getting ready for the new year. They'd like to help cover your next grocery trip by giving away a $30 Visa gift card, widely accepted at grocery stores nationwide! The winner could use it to buy their favorite HERDEZ product, along with all the ingredients necessary to put together some unforgettable dishes.

The giveaway runs now through 1/8. Please complete the entry form below for your chance to win. Good luck!

$25 Visa Gift Card Giveaway

Have you made great progress for your holiday shopping this weekend? A Visa gift card can always be a backup gift option if you can't find anything better. You could also use it like cash anywhere Visa cards are accepted to get something you need for the holidays. Enter to win a $25 Visa gift card right before Christmas!

Hosted by: Lil' Blog and More, Coupons & Freebies Mom, and Your Strong Tower.

Co-hosted by: Tales from a Southern Mom, and Couponing Momma Giveaways & Reviews.

One lucky person will win a $25 Visa gift card!

$50 Vanilla Visa Gift Card Giveaway {Summer Lovin' Giveaway Hop} #SummerLovin

Have you got everything you need to enjoy the new season to the fullest? A group of summer loving bloggers have joined the Summer Lovin' Giveaway Hop hosted by Viva Veltoro and Lindsey Blogs, during which they will give away some of their favorite products to help you get ready for the warmer weather. Each prize will be valued $25 or more. Let's celebrate summer with fabulous giveaways!

My Giveaway

I'm giving away a $50 Vanilla Visa Gift Card to one lucky reader of mine. The winner can use it to buy what she wants for summer, either online or at any retailer that accepts Visa card as a payment option.

Vanilla Gift Cards are the perfect gift for any occasion. They are available in $25, $50 and $100 denominations and can be used at millions of US locations where Visa debit cards are accepted. If you are concerned about overspending with a credit card, then consider switching to a Vanilla prepaid card, which is super easy to use for your everyday purchases. Simply select "credit" during checkout, but don't worry about being charged beyond the maximum available balance on the card.

Vanilla Gift Cards work just like cash, but they are much safer than carrying cash around. They are safer than your bank card too because they are not connected to your bank account. This way, they protect against fraud and identity theft. You can check card balance anytime at vanillavisa.com If the card is lost or stolen, simply call and report the issue and a replacement will be sent with the amount that remained on it at the time it was lost. Vanilla Gift Cards can also help teach young adults about financial responsibility and won't create the kind of trouble credit cards are likely to present for the parents.

WaterSavers Prize Pack Giveaway (Visa Gift Card, Car Emergency Kit & More, ARV $100)!

As the school year is about to conclude, it's time to start planning for your summer vacation, possibly including a couple fun road trips to attractions nearby. You may want to make sure that your car is fully equipped with what's necessary in case of an emergency, and that it will keep the passengers safe and comfortable during the trip. I'm very happy to share with you the opportunity to win a car emergency kit, sun shades, and a $30 Visa gift card that you can spend on anything you like!

Hosted by: Queen of Reviews & Tammie's Reviews Giveaways & More

Sponsor: WaterSavers

The prize pack includes a $30 Visa gift card, an auto kit with jumper cables, gloves, flash light, reflective cones and other must-have tools (ARV $45), and sun-shade for protecting your car from the blazing sun (ARV $25)

One lucky reader will win this awesome prize pack (ARV $100)!

I Can Cook Prize Pack Giveaway: Win a $25 Visa Card, Kitchen Gadgets & Cookie Mix

Halloween is coming up in less than three weeks. Are you ready to make some yummy treats for your little trick-or-treaters? Think cooking is not your strong suit? No worries! We've put together an awesome prize pack to make cooking easy and super fun for you and even your kids!

Inside the prize pack, you will find two boxes of Mrs. Field's Cookie Mixes, with which you can bake cookies like a pro in minutes.

Several cute kitchen gadgets from Kizmo, including can opener, pizza cutter, spatula and magnet clips.

And a $25 Visa Prepaid Card for you to buy additional ingredients, treats and other supplies.

One lucky winner will receive the prize pack as described above!

Giveaway ends 10/18. Open to US residents 18+ only. Please enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!

Stand Up to Breast Cancer and Win a $25 PayPower Prepaid Visa Card #PPBCA #Giveaway

Calling all Safeway shoppers who wanna join the fight against breast cancer the easy way! In honor of the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, PayPower is donating half of the purchase fee on a PayPower prepaid card to the Safeway Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer when you buy the card at a Safeway or affiliated store between 10/01/13 and 11/03/13!

You can load and reload funds into your PayPower™ Prepaid Visa® Card directly from your bank account or right in the store at the time of purchase. It is valid for both online and in store shopping wherever Visa cards are accepted. The card is safer than cash as funds in your account are protected from unauthorized use by the Visa Zero Liability policy if your card is lost or stolen. All you need to do to get this protection is to register your card online. Once you do so, you will also be able to manage your account, check balance and transaction history, pay bills or send money with your card. The funds in your card account will also be FDIC insured through the card Issuer.

Get your PayPower™ Visa® Prepaid Card now! Please hare this post on Facebook, Twitter, or Google + with the hashtag #PPBCA to help raise breast cancer awareness!

One lucky winner will receive a $25 PayPower Prepaid Visa Card!