Mrs. D's Book Blast and $50 Giveaway!

Mrs. D's Book Blast

and $50 Giveaway!

About Book 1

The Trees Have Hearts

Title: The Trees Have Hearts | Author: Mrs. D | Publication Date: March 31, 2014 | Publisher: Mrs.D. Books Publisher | Number of pages: 41 | Recommended age: 6 to 10

Summary: A Mom's Choice Award Winner

The story of a young girl, left friendless because she could not speak a new language, will touch your heart. It will take your child into the imaginary world of a little girl who moved to America from a different country. Unable to speak English, the lonely girl could not find friends. She lived in an old house with a small garden, where three blooming trees and the mysterious wind became her first imaginary friends. The garden friends developed a wonderful friendship with the lonely girl, and helped her overcome her fears and worries. Through the story, they taught her how to make real friends and helped her cope with difficult moments while adapting to new surroundings. Unforgettable characters will open a beautiful imaginary world to young readers, inviting them to share the fears, tears and joys of a little girl. The story will teach the true meaning of friendship while showing readers the beauty of nature. This book will open an unknown imaginary world through the eyes of a child...

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About Book 2

The City Kittens and the
Old House Cat

Title: The City Kittens and the Old House Cat | Author: Mrs. D | Publication Date: July 11, 2013 | Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing | Number of pages: 37 | Recommended age: 6 to 10

Summary: This story revolves around Christmastime and a family who once adopted a lost kitten, naming it Nyda. Nyda has now grown old and has settled into a calm, uneventful life with her new family-until the day before Christmas, when the family's older daughter brings two playful kittens, Mickey and Jack, home for the holidays. The two kittens from the big city are a change for the family, and for Nyda. The old cat likes her settled life and is not happy about the new arrivals. She's also very protective of her belongings. The city kittens annoy her, and the old cat grumbles about the new additions to the family- until she hears a story one night that makes her feel bad. The kittens aren't the soft or spoiled brats she had thought they were . .

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My Review

The Trees Have Hearts is a whimsical and emotional tale. The main character is a young girl who has moved to the U.S.A. from another country and cannot speak the language. She is lonely and makes friends with the trees in her garden and also the wind. The girl's feelings are explored as well as the feelings of her imaginary friends.

This book is a wonderful resource for teachers who want to explore emotions with kids and have them discuss people's feelings. The more understanding that kids have, the better they are at dealing with their own emotions and being kinder toward others.

It's also a good story for kids who have to go through a big move, sometimes even more than one. Life is so unpredictable at times and the girl in this story moves a second time, after she has settled and made friends. There are lots of kids like that, especially ones who have parents in the military.

I was a kid who moved a lot because my dad was in the U.S. Army. Just like the girl in the story, I also had to learn a new language when my parents decided to put my brother and me into a local German school instead of the military one. They figured we'd learn the language that way, and we did, but it wasn't easy.

I found the descriptions about the blossoms, the sunlight, etc. a bit too repetitious. Lots of words were being skillfully woven to say the same things in different ways, especially at the beginning.

I recommend this book for girls ages 7 - 10.

The City Kittens and the Old House Cat takes place at Christmas time. The story reminds us not to judge by appearances. The Old House Cat cares about those less fortunate, but has quite an attitude toward the fancy looking City Kittens that come to visit. Her attitude changes once she realizes that her perceptions are wrong.

The story also teaches about adoption. The kittens were rescued from the street where they might have died since their mother was very sick.

We adopted two kittens and a puppy over the years. One of the kittens and the puppy came from our local animal shelter. The other kitten was given a new chance at life when she was taken in by a lady who found her and her sibling(s) a good home. All three of our pets are wonderful and have brought a lot of joy to our home.

Amanda really enjoyed this story and liked a lot of the pictures, especially the ones with the Christmas decorations. She had a funny reaction to the way the grandparents' faces were drawn, though. She didn't like them, but she liked another page that had three ladies in the kitchen laughing together while they prepared the Christmas meal.

I recommend this book for girls ages 6 - 10.

The Buzz

The Trees Have Hearts: "This is a lovely book for young girls, and especially young girls who face loneliness because of being in a new place. They are sure to find peace and encouragement in the special values taught in The Trees Have Hearts. Mrs. D does a wonderful job of reaching out to kids in a unique way in this book. The beautiful trees give warmth and peace as they spread their blooms throughout the garden and into the hearts of those who read this book." ~ Joy Hannabass, Readers' Favorite

The City Kittens and the Old House Cat: "The City Kittens and the Old House Cat is an inspiring story written from a cat's point of view. The story can be understood by all pet lovers. The book has some beautiful and colorful illustrations. That makes the book very attractive and visually appealing, something which all the kids love. Children's books should be colorful and bright. The message of tolerance is very important in the current living situation. The book has a nice moral which can be explained to children and they can be asked to practice it too." ~ 5 Star Review, Mamta Madhavan, Readers' Favorite

About the Author:

Mrs. D

Mrs. D.

Mrs. D. (Olga D’Agostino), an award-winning children’s author, was born in western Ukraine. She lived in the historical city of Lviv, where she studied business in Lviv Business College and worked in the food industry. In 1992, she immigrated to the USA with her two small daughters and for years worked in her own business. In 2011, she began her career as a writer, focusing on writing children’s books that have meaning and provide valuable lessons. Two of her children’s books, The Trees Have Hearts and Good Morning, World!, won Mom’s Choice Awards in 2013. She is a member of SCBWI and speaks a few languages fluently. She lives in the famous town of Smithville, NJ, with her husband Patrick and a meticulous old cat named Nyda.

Published books by Mrs. D. include Carlo the Mouse on Vacation, The Trees Have Hearts, The City Kittens and the Old House Cat, Good Morning, World!, and Carlo the Mouse, Book 1: Too Many Rules for One Little Mouse and The Little Girl Praying on the Hill(a short story for an older audience).

Coming in 2014: The Royal Palm and Carlo the Mouse, Book 2: Now We're Talking!

The full series of Carlo the Mouse and her new books, The Mysterious Life Inside a Closet, That Is How Things Are (two connected stories): The Autumn Wind, and The Kitten and the Sparrow, and three rhyming stories in Who Is Most Important in the Fridge? will be published in the near future. Her books are available in print on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and as e-books for most popular electronic devices. For updates on Mrs. D.’s books, please visit her website: www.mrsdbooks.net.

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* $50 Book Blast Giveaway *

Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest ends: June 10, 11:59 pm, 2014

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Mrs. D and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

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Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of both books for my honest review, which you can find under My Review.