Oceanly, an "I Love You" Book

It’s here! Oceanly by Lynn Parrish Sutton, illustrated by the very generous Hazel Mitchell, from whom I won the book and who included the swimming seals artwork as a bonus.

It's been awhile since I've written here. Now that fall is near, I'm back to business. I'd like to introduce you to a "love"ly new book. Here's my review from Goodreads:

Oceanly by Lynn Parrish Sutton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Here's a beautiful addition to the canon of "I love you" children's picture books, which make for great gift-giving, lap-reading, and bedtime reading. Author Lynn Parris Sutton's creative, rhyming text begins each sentence with "I love you" followed by an adverb followed by something ocean-related. For example, "I love you splashily like the spout of a whale./I love you flexibly like a seahorse's tail." Illustrator Hazel Mitchell's illustrations complete the story, depicting diverse people and accurate drawings of all things oceanly. I especially like the "joyful" seals whirling in the water, and the boy sitting by the ocean, holding a book while he leans on his golden retriever. This "I love you" book extends beyond the very young child, as it offers opportunities for learning about the ocean environment and fun with language.

I'm thankful to Hazel Mitchell, from whom I won a complimentary copy.


View all my reviews

I Love You Oceanly is available from online bookstores and from your local Usborne Books and More representative.

It's Time for Fun in the Sun for Everyone!

I hope you've had time for fun in the sun this summer! And surely you have wondered how fairies enjoy this season. In How Do Fairies Have Fun in the Sun?,  Liza Gardner Walsh and Hazel Mitchell give you the answers to the title's question.

Walsh's rhyming text offers possibilities aplenty, and it turns out that fairies have fun in the sun in much the same way as humans. Mitchell's magical, detailed illustrations bring the text to life.

I won my copy from Hazel Mitchell in an online contest. (Thanks, Hazel!) The package itself was "sqee"-worthy-- 

Yes, I now have a Hazel Mitchell original on bubble mailer! 

Hazel very kindly autographed the book to my granddaughters, ages 5 and 2, and I was delighted to read it with them. They had made a fairy garden but most of it got washed away in a heavy rain. Had any fairies lived in the garden? I asked. The five-year-old thought. "Maybe the tooth fairy." Walsh includes tips for making a fairy garden on the book's last page. So what did the girls think? Walsh's lilting rhymes suggested lots of fun, and as I read we talked about what they thought fairies would do and whether the girls would do that activity, too. When I turned the page to the fairies' pool scene, the five-year-old gasped and said, "Wow!" A great endorsement. You can see part of that scene in the "Look Inside" feature here.

Walsh & Mitchell have spent time at fairy festivals this summer. Take a look here and host your own! 

Still want more? I wrote about Walsh, Mitchell, and spring fairies here.  

One thing is certain, summer is made for fun in the sun, whether you are a human or a fairy. How are you have fun in the sun?

First Day of Spring, Rescue Dogs, and Hazel Mitchell

Because today is the first day of spring (hooray!), I wanted to show off this sweet new picture book by Liza Gardner Walsh, illustrated by Hazel Mitchell. If you or someone you know loves fairies, get on over to Liza's website and see everything she has for you!

Now on to the special feature of this blog--rescue dogs and Hazel Mitchell. Some time ago, I won Toby, written and illustrated by Mitchell. The package included this amazing Toby swag! (Thank you, Hazel! And to anyone wondering if entering those online contests is worth it, YES! It is!)

What happens when a lonely boy who imagines the fun of playing with a dog actually gets one? Things don't always go the way we think they will. But then again, they do.

This book is loosely based on Mitchell's own real-life Toby, a rescued poodle who has had his own share of adventures. In the book, a boy asks his dad for a dog. Dad says the usual--"If you take care of it...." They bring Toby home from the animal shelter, and the fun--and work--begin. Toby is afraid and unsure of his new surroundings. The boy is disappointed, but realizes that he must teach Toby and earn Toby's trust. Mitchell's illustrations so perfectly capture the emotions of both dog and boy throughout this process. I hope for more Toby stories, because I know he has more escapades to tell! (And who can resist that expressive little face?)

If you have adopted a rescue dog, please comment and post a picture in the comment section below.

Here's to spring, fairies, rescue dogs, and the people who write about them!