A Different Kind of Safari Book Review Blitz

Title: A Different Kind of Safari Author: Helen C. Hipp | Publication Date: March 19, 2013 | Publisher: A Different Kind of Safari LLC | Pages: 32 | Recommended Ages: 5 to 10

Summary: What do you need to feel happy about being different? Based loosely on real life experiences, this heartwarming and powerful book illustrates how self-awareness, and courage help a young boy named Raymond learn the difference between seeing things as they appear to be and seeing things as they are. Feeling “different and lonely” Raymond befriends a hippo while on Safari in Africa. Unlike other grey hippos, this hippo is pink. Ray is soon carried into a world beyond labels and challenging assumptions. You will never guess what happens next!

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I totally enjoyed reading A Different Kind of Safari.  It has an excellent theme that any teacher can use if they are having trouble with diversity in their classroom.  Helping students see that we are all different, yet special in our own way. The animals seemed to come to life and pop off the page as you read and learn how they each are unique.  Yes, I would recommend this book to be read in any class or home.

The Inspiration Behind the Story by Helen Hipp

Inspired by real-life adventure, the story behind the story unfolded when I went on an African safari back in 2001. The trip was led by my father whose dream was to share the safari experience with his family. Little did I know that this trip was going to incite me to write a children’s adventure book but it did.

The storyline made it appearance when my family spotted a pod of hippos and one was pink! My son Ray fourteen at the time immediately named her “Rosie”. Curious and wanting to learn more about this hippo we asked the guide many questions about hippos and hippo behavior. Specifically I wanted to know why the pink hippo stood so far outside of her pod. The familiarity of the guides answer took me by surprise, he explained that “Rosie” was tolerated but not necessarily accepted by the herd because of her differences. As a parent of a child with special needs I immediately felt a strong affiliation with Rosie’s situation as did my son Ray who has experienced his own challenges with acceptance. Inspired, I decided to share the story with the world by weaving them into a children’s adventure book that celebrates differences. The book is entitled “A Different Kind of Safari”. Find out what you can learn from Rosie the pink hippo, and how you can share those lessons with the children in your life.

Helen Hipp’s experience raising a special needs child led her to an M.A. in clinical psychology and certification as a life coach. She began her career as a psychotherapist to help people find answers for their life problems. Her work eventually evolved into a coaching practice, WithinU Life Coaching, focusing on individuals with special needs and their families. Helen uses her 13+ years of counseling experience and 20+ years’ experience as a successful advocate for individuals with special needs by helping them reveal their innate ability to solve difficult situations. Her debut book ” A Different Kind of Safari” puts into words the essence of Helen’s teachings addressing the many questions life asks by offering up lighthearted, ever-changing perspectives that transform personal challenges into opportunities.

For more information, visit the books official website and to see a picture of the real Rosie the real life pink hippo that inspired this story, go to www.adifferentkindofsafari.com

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An ecopy of this  book was provided in exchange for my honest review by.....

Character interview with James Crofter

Today I'd like to welcome a book character to the mic...I've invited James Crofter to join my blog and intorduce himself and tell us a little bit about his book and the role he plays.  James is from the book, I James by Mike Hartner.

Q:  Could you please introduce yourself to my readers?  

A:  I am James Crofter, son of Walter and Maria.  My father, Walter Crofter came from humble beginnings in England.  My Mother, Maria was born a princess in the Nortern Part of what Is known as the Iberian Empire.  Portugal and Spain joined together during my Grandfather’s time.   I was born in San Sebastien,  which is on the Northern Atlantic Side of the Empire.  But during my childhood, I lived in many places in the North.

Q:  As a boy the book mentions that you learned English and Catalan,  What is Catalan?

A:  Catalan is a romantic language, dialect really,  spoken in the very North East Corner of the Empire. Some of grandpa’s family came from that area.   I also speak a touch of Gallegal, which is the langauge that Spain and Portugal use to understand each other.  To me, it’s a mishmash of the two, though I know that’s just not true.

Q:  What was your favorite subject in school?

A:  By far math and history were my favorites.  But then, I was also taught history by my grandfather, so it could be that I just loved listening to his stories.

Q: Did you have any chores or responsibilities growing up?  

A:  Everybody has chores growing up.  I helped out in any way the family asked me to when I was young.

Q:  Did you ever daydream....if so could you share some of your dreams...Did any come true as you grew up? 

A:  I think the biggest dreams I had were being a part of the at-sea adventures that my dad would tell us about.  But, then, those came true without my help.

Q:  What is your greatest fear?

A:  Not being able to protect my family.

Q:  What is one strong memory that has stuck with your character from childhood? Why is it so powerful and lasting?

A:  There are two strong memories that have stayed with me since childhood.  The first ws the death of my sister.  It is powerful, because it taught me that life is uncertain.   The second memory is of Diego and Luisa, the blacksmith and his wife.  They helped me without any expectations.  It is powerful because it remonds me that there is good in this world.

Q:  What do you consider your greatest achievement?

A:  My children, of course.

Q:  What is your most treasured possession?

A:  My wife. And ‘possession’ is a bit strong.  But, she is by far my most treasured

Q:  What is your most marked characteristic?

A:  I think my most marked characteristic is that I try to keep a level head at all times.  Even when I was kidnapped, I didn’t go into rants.  I tried to find a way out with calm, cool, and collected thought.

Q:  When and where are you the happiest?

 

A:  These days, I’m at my happiest when I’m at home.

Q:  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

A:  My age. I’m getting way too old.  Youth really is wasted on the young.

Q:  What is your motto?

A:  Oh, I don’t know.  ‘Never second guess yourself..’,  ‘The first instinct is usually the best’ , ‘If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right’ …  I just live my life and make the decisions as they come, based on what seems right at the time.  If you do what you think is right, then good things will follow.

Q:  What has been your greatest success?

A:  By far, my family.   But, outside of that, I think the banking issues and currency.

Q:  What has been your greatest regret in life?

A:  I really don’t have regrets.  I could regret being kidnapped, but I couldn’t control that.  Regrets are really a way of second guessing life, and they’re not productive.  Maybe not killing my uncle… but it all turned out for the good in the end.

Q:  Any Hopes or Dreams for the future?

A:  I’m so senior right now, I can only hope for a quick end, that will take away my pain.  I do hope, and dream, that good things will happen to all of my children.

Q:  If you could do one thing and succeed at it, what would it be?

A:  Hmmm… there are too many possibilities.  Protecting my children would be one of them.  Continuing the work in ‘currency’ would be another.  Mostly though, I’m done.  It’s time to rest.

Q:  If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?

A:  Spend it with my wife.

Q:  What's the most important thing in your life? What do you value most?

A:  Family.  My son and his wife live a half-days ride from us, so we go to see both them and our grandchildren regularly.

Q:  What do you like best about yourself? Least?

A:  I’ve never  thought about that…

Thanks James for joining us today at the Blended Blog.  If you like to learn more about this book and the tour please visit the book spotlight here.

a copy of this book was provided in exchange for my honest review by....

THE IDENTICAL movie plus giveaway

About the film:

The Identical, Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Seth Green, and Blake Rayne is a redemptive movie about a young man, the son of a preacher, who rejects his father’s desire for him to join the ministry and instead embarks on a career as a rock singer. As he struggles to pursue his dream and rise to stardom, he finds love, pain, success, failure and ultimately uncovers a hidden family secret that reveals who he really us. The Identical is a captivating story about a family restored and a life discovered that lifts your soul and warms your heart.

Rated PG / Approx. 107 minutes

The Identical is an excellent family movie.  The cast, the story line, the music were all great. I didn't find anything real alarming that young children might not watch.  However, there are some drinking, smoking and dancing scenes throughout the movie. 

How would you like to win a copy of this movie?  I have a copy to giveaway to one of my followers thanks to Flyby promotions. 

Comment on the trailer above or visit here and tell me which cast member you are looking forward to seeing in this movie to be entered in this giveaway.  Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you.  I'll draw a winner on Jan. 20th. Please this giveaway is limited to US & Canada residents only.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

A copy of this dvd was provided for my viewing in exchange for my honest review by ...

Masterpiece Marriage by Gina Welborn

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Masterpiece Marriage Abingdon Press (December 16, 2014) by Gina Welborn

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After Gina Welborn earned a Communications degee from an Oklahoma university, she thought the perfect career choice was working at a news radio station writing commercial copy, public service announcements, and news reports. A PSA writer, sadly, can only be so creative when describing ketchup and Geronimo’s grave. (No, she never combined those two elements in the same script, but now that she thinks about it, she wishes ... ) Thus Gina "retired" to focus on goal, motivation, and conflict within her family before discovering her niche in writing romances. A member of RWA and ACFW, Gina has four published novellas, including one in the ECPA-bestselling Mistletoe Memories, and three short historical romances: The Heiress's Courtship, The Marshal's Pursuit, and Masterpiece Marriage. A moderately obsessive fan of Community, Once Upon a Time, and Chopped, Gina lives in Oklahoma with her pastor husband, their five Okie-Hokie children, a box-lab, two rabbits, four guinea pigs, and a fancy Russian dwarf hamster named Tom Bob Deucalion. Gina is represented by the Steve Laube Agency.


ABOUT THE BOOK

After a flood damages the looms at Zenus Dane’s Philadelphia textile mill and the bank demands loan payment, Zenus turns to his aunt for help repurposing his textiles. Trouble is . . . his aunt has already been hired by the lovely yet secretive Englishwoman Mary Varrs. Eager to acquire his aunt’s quilt patterns, Zenus attends the summer Quilting Bee, a social event his aunt has uniquely designed with the secret purpose of finding Zenus a wife. However Zenus only has eyes for Mary, but Mary has no such desire for him. Though his aunt is determined to design a masterpiece marriage, both Zenus and Mary will have to overcome their stubborn ways. Can he realize that love requires stepping out of his routine? And will she recognize that following her heart doesn’t mean sacrificing her ambition?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Masterpiece Marriage, go HERE.

Let There Be Light by Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Let There Be Light is a durable hard cardboard book that can with stand young preschool children.  The pages aren't paper so they can't tear them.  Let There Be Light is a beautifully illustratered stroy about Creation.  The message and twinkleing lights seem to sparkle on the page.  I'd say good age group for this book would be between 1-5 years.  The Creation story is very clear and presented in a eye appealing manner. I'm going to add this book to the church nursery. 

Book Description

A boardbook edition of the popular Let There Be Light, the story of Creation from Nobel Peace Prize winner, bestselling author, and cultural icon Archbishop Desmond Tutu paired with Nancy Tillman, the phenomenally successful New York Times bestselling children’s author/illustrator of On the Night You Were Born.

Now available as a board book, Let There Be Light combines the love and warmth of Nobel Peace Prize Winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu with the extraordinary talents of bestselling illustrator Nancy Tillman. This retelling of the biblical story of creation vividly portrays the wonder and beauty of God’s creation on each of the seven days. Using Archbishop Tutu’s lyrical text from the* Children of God Storybook Bible* and Tillman’s remarkable illustrations, this popular book brings the story of creation to life for readers young and old.

About the Authors
Archbishop Desmond Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his lifelong struggle to bring equality, justice, and peace to his native country of South Africa. He is the author of numerous books including the Children of God Storybook Bible, God’s Dream, and Desmond and the Very Mean Word. From 2007 to 2013, Tutu was the founding Chair of the Elders, a group of global leaders who are working to promote the shared interests of humanity. In 2013, he received the Templeton Prize for advancing spiritual progress in the world. He lives in South Africa with his wife, Leah. They have four children and seven grandchildren.

Nancy Tillman is the author and illustrator of the bestselling picture book On the Night You Were Born; its companion journal, The Wonder of You; The Spirit of Christmas; and the New York Times bestsellers Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You and The Crown on Your Head. She also created the mischievous cat Tumford from Tumford the Terrible and Tumford’s Rude Noises, and illustrated It’s Time to Sleep, My Love, by Eric Metaxas.

2014 Spool Challenge.....and more....

2014 Spool Challenge

Back in January I posted about a spool Challenge that was made and I joined in the fun to see how many thread spools I'd empty in a year.  You can check out the details here.  Sew all year I've been saving my empty spools and here is the results.....

Not too many...only 6.  Someone needs to get busy if they want to beat 6 in 2015. 

Busy I've been already in 2015.  2nd day and I was able to start and finish a project.  Pretty good odds if I do say so myself. 

Today, I made a rice bag for my hubby.  He had shoulder surgery back in August and the therapist told him in Dec. to try using a rice bag.  Sew we went in search for a pattern and found one @ Sew She Can Sew....

The whole month of December he was after me to make him one, but since the Christmas tree takes over my sewing center in December I was out of commission for a month.  Yesterday the tree came down and sewing center was reestablished once again.  Yeah!!!  Sew today we sewed. 

front side

back side

It took me a few hours but it was started and completed in one day.  Hubby used it this evening and loves it.  Says it worked much better than the heating pad.  Yeah! Me. 

Now for some sneek views of things to come.....
I have some projects that have been started and need to get busy working towards completion. 

Pictured above is a quilt started, a sewing machine cover stared and paper pieces from a pattern that I was helping test for fabric yardage.  Also my rice bag strips are in picture.  As you can see I have lots of irons in the pot.  Sew I have entered the 2015 Finishes challenge for Jan.



Also be watching for a blog hop coming that I'll be sewing for......

fabric Tuesday

 

 

Rumors of Wars dvd

An aspiring journalist, Roxy investigates end-times prophecies and discovers that the events described in the Bible are happening all around her. Years later, Shaw, an agent for the One World government, is hunting down rebels when he discovers her journal in the post-apocalypse rubble. What will he do with this newfound truth?

Rumors of Wars is action packed and suspensful Christian movie.  It will keep you on the edge of your seat for sure.  It was very interesting, to say the least, to see the media put Bible prophecy into action.  It is centered around the last days of our present world and the final days of our future, which if you don't know your Bible prophecy can be confusing.  A few spots in the movie scripture is quoted.  I would like to have seen more scripture used.  It is a very thought provoking movie that will have you thinking about the end times for sure.  It is a very good end times story. However, if you have young ones, there are some spots that show people pointing guns and shooting so you might have trouble with these scenes.

Visit web site here.

 

*I was given a complimentary copy of this DVD for my review. All opinions are my own.*

Bash and the Chicken Coop Caper by Burton W. Cole

About Bash and the Chicken Coop Caper

Christian author Burton Cole and illustrator Tom Bancroft have brought Bash and his friends back for more colorful adventures. Their second novel, Bash and the Chicken Coop Caper, journeys through the wackiness that runs amok on Bash Hinglebobb’s blizzard-blasted farm. There are mysterious footprints in the snow, vanishing mittens, misplaced eggs and a pink, purple and orange paisley sleeping bag on the move. Something is definitely amiss in the chicken coop.

 While Bash is inventing such contraptions as a snowball catapult from inner tubes and underwear, his cousin Beamer Boxby, a city kid at heart, must help newcomer Lauren Rodriguez figure out why God lets horrible things happen to good people. Can Bash’s Farmin’ and Fishin’ Book (the Bible) be believed when it says, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God?” What about when fire rolls through an animal building, or when a kid has lost her dad? It’s time to find out alongside Bash and his friends—with a little help from an ice-skating pig, of course.

Start off a New Year with Bash and his friends.  You'll not regret reading the fun antics that can come from a farm boy and his city slicker cousin.  Cole has written his Bash and friends books based on his own childhood experiences.  These books are a delightful read for middle age children.  Bash and Beamer are cousins and find themselves in more trouble than doing good as their plans always seem back fire on them.  This book Bash and the Chicken Coop Caper the boys try to do deeds the gives them fruit (Fruit of the Spirit), but trouble always lurks in the snow.  It's a wonderful book to snuggle down with during a winter night or two or more....Depending on how many breaks you need to take.  However, you'll find that you and your child won't want to take too many breaks because there is always an adventure waiting within the pages as you turn each page.  I can't wait for the next book of Bash.... to come out spring of 2015.  It can't come soon enough. 

Learn more about this book here.

About the Author

Author and humorist Burton W. Cole is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist with 30 years of experience and more than 50 humor writing awards to his credit. Even at an early age, Cole found appreciation in the combination of reading, writing and a creative sense of humor. He is now on a mission to shed some faith-inspired light on difficult topics for kids through art and colorful characters.

A copy of this book was provided in exchange for my honest review by...