The Toddler Survival Guide Book Review

Title: The Toddler Survival Guide

Author: Mike and Heather Spohr

Genre: Nonfiction, Humor, Parenting, Toddlers, Survival Guide.

Plot: Statistically speaking, you are more likely to meet a ravenous sleep-deprived toddler than you are to meet an undead zombie but both creatures can be terrifying and very dangerous. It is best to proceed with caution and keep your handy guide near you at all times.

In a hilarious parody of all survival guides but especially zombie survival guides, The Toddler Survival Guide is the parenting book every parent needs. Parenting can be truly fulfilling but bone-crushingly hard at the same time and a healthy dose of humor is the secret to weathering all the toddler-themed storms.

Likes/Dislikes: This book is hilarious! It makes the best kind of Father's Day gift for new modern dads which is awesome. No guarantees if they will actually have the time to read it before baby eats it though.

Rating: PG-13 and up, mainly for reading level.

Date Reviewed: January 15th, 2020

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions in the above review are my own.

The Natural Baby Sleep Solution Book Review

Title: The Natural Baby Sleep Solution

Author: Polly Moore

Genre: Nonfiction, Parenting, Self-Help, Babies, Sleep.

Plot: Trying to get a fussy baby down to sleep when sleep is what everyone needs is super hard - harder than it should be. Everyone will give you lots of well-meaning but ultimately useless advice and the most frequent piece is to let baby cry it out. This option is not always feasible or acceptable to every parent.

So how do we get baby to sleep deeply and soundly every night? Polly Moore has a solution based on the body's natural sleep cycle. With space to journal about baby's sleep habits and a trouble-shooting guide, this is the only sleep manual you will need for ages two weeks to one year.

Likes/Dislikes: I have never liked the cry-it-out method of sleep training and rejected it after a very long day with my firstborn when she was a toddler. Since then, I have opted to work with my children and find a solution that is more natural. This book fits that goal beautifully and I highly recommend it.

Rating: PG-12 and up for reading level.

Date Reviewed: January 15th, 2020

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

The Salvation Of Dr Who Book Review

Title: The Salvation Of Dr Who

Author: Mike Rawle

Genre: Nonfiction, Devotional, Biblical, Bible Study, Television Show, Christian.

Plot: Connecting the dots between a classic secular British television show and the Bible is a tricky thing to do but pastor Mike Rawle manages to pull it off relatively successfully. This isn't a traditional devotional with verses and short bite-sized chapters but it can be used in addition to other while watching Doctor Who and looking up the reference verses in your handy Bible.

Doctor Who a long-running science fiction show about an ancient alien who uses humor, knowledge and a profound dislike for violence to save the day from nasty invading foes. There is a lot of good to be found buried in this show and connecting it to Christ's messages isn't necessarily hard to achieve. Most readers will read this and then go watch the show.

Likes/Dislikes: Fans of Doctor Who will adore this book. I personally didn't see a huge appeal beyond going, "Oh, it's about Doctor Who." But that's okay, I don't feel like I was the target audience. I still enjoyed reading the bits about the older episodes of the show and how you can see good in a secular interest.

Rating: PG-13 and up, mainly for reading level.

Date Reviewed: January 14th, 2020

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

The Paper Bag Princess 40th Edition Book Review

Title: The Paper Bag Princess

Author: Robert Munsch

Genre: Fiction, Children, Classic, Illustrated, Fairy tale, Princess, Dragons.

Plot: Princess Elizabeth is spunky, clever and madly in love with the handsome and pretty Prince Ronald. But there's a tiny wrench in her wedding plans: a local dragon. This dragon further throws things into chaos by attacking and burning down the castle, including all of the fine clothes in Elizabeth's wardrobe and then the dragon carries off Prince Ronald as his captive snack for later.

Undaunted by these events and the lack of decent clothes, Elizabeth determines to rescue her handsome prince. So she dons a paper bag and sets off on her mission, armed only with her wits and patience.

Likes/Dislikes: For 40 years, readers young and old have adored this simple and beautiful story. Elizabeth is a princess but she doesn't let that get in her way as she firmly establishes herself as the hero in her story. She is resourceful (see: the paper bag) and clever with a large store of patience at her youthful disposal. On top of that, she knows how to tell when someone is throwing her shade and how to put them back in their place. Her confidence has inspired girls everywhere and will continue to do so with this beautiful special edition of the classic book.

I read this a couple of times as a kid and always remembered it as the story with the girl wearing the paper bag. It wasn't until I was older that more of the story's subtle undertones clicked for me. Now I'm on the hunt for a copy for my girls so they can grow up with this book nestled in their subconscious. They can defeat dragons wearing only a paper bag and walk off into the sunset if they so choose.

Rating: G-all ages. Highly recommended.

Date Reviewed: January 11th, 2020

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

The Autoimmune Protocol Made Simple Cookbook Book Review

Title: The Autoimmune Protocol Made Simple Cookbook

Author: Sophie Van Tiggelen

Genre: Nonfiction, Cookbook, Health, Autoimmune, Paleo, Diet, Healing.

Plot: Healing your body through food sounds simple and easy but can quickly turn to daunting, confusing and overwhelming. Healing through dietary restrictions is not as simple as one thinks it is and by the time we have figured this out, we are already in too deeply to abandon the project without results.

Author Sophie Van Tiggelen has a feasible solution written in a comfortable, practical and delicious format complete with gorgeous food photography to inspire the appetite. The Autoimmune Protocol or AIP diet is very user-friendly once a few key features have been explained and is exactly what our autoimmune-imbalanced bodies need in this sugary world.

Complete with detailed recipes, shopping lists and more, this cookbook will soon be the only cookbook on your shelf.

Likes/Dislikes: Oftentimes, the hardest part of starting any new diet is finding something that both looks and sounds good enough to make you go out and buy the ingredients to cook the dish. With such yummy items as Fluffy Plantain Pancakes and Delectable Cherry Crumble, finding a recipe won't be as hard as we thought. The autoimmune protocol diet is very similar to the Anti-inflammatory and Paleo diets so readers familiar with those will be able to swing into this book with the most ease.

Rating: G-all ages.

Date Reviewed: January 7th, 2020

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

40 Humorous British Traditions Book Review

Title: 40 Humorous British Traditions

Author: Julian Worker

Genre: Nonfiction, British, Humor, Traditions, History.

Plot: If you want to learn more about other rich cultures (particularly the British culture in this case) but only have a few minutes everyday then the book 40 Humorous British Traditions is exactly what you need.

Written in short independent chunks that only take 5-10 minutes to read, this book covers some of Britain's more humorous traditions - ranging from Bog Snorkeling and Cheese Rolling to Turtle Rinsing in London and, of course, more traditional activities such as spitting and digging contests.

With a little something for everyone, this book is sure to please the historian and the humorist in your family in addition to teaching some fascinating cultural facts.

Likes/Dislikes: The British are not necessarily known for their sense of humor but this book might just change that. They definitely have some very unique traditions. This was a fun short read!

Rating: PG-13 and up, mainly for reading level.

Date Reviewed: January 4th, 2020

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.