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Candlewick Press Children’s Book Review & Giveaway

December 9, 2019 by Anne Marie 45 Comments

Spread it around!

Just in time for Christmas gift-giving, Candlewick Press has released some new children’s titles featuring favorite characters. We received an assortment of books from Candlewick to review and share with you.

There’s also a giveaway for you to enter at the end of this post!

Two-year-old Mary Kate has had loads of fun with her Frankie’s Food Truck book (2019, 12 pages, Educational Insights with illustrations by Lucia Gaggiotti.  This lift-the-flap board book is full of tasty foods that young children will love to reveal and name. Frankie is an adorable orange tabby, and every day of the week he serves up different treats by shape out of his food truck. Pizza is a triangle, tomatoes are circles and so on. It’s educational and fun and very cute.

In August, Candlewick released a new tale in the Peppa Pig series: Peppa Pig and the Christmas Play (2019, 32 pages). Suitable for reading aloud to ages 2 to 6, it’s a story about Peppa and her class getting ready for a Christmas play that they hope Santa himself will attend. Wendy Wolf is an elf, and Peppa is the Christmas fairy; Suzy Sheep opts to be Christmas nurse, in case someone in the cast gets sick! But the biggest question is, while good St. Nick arrive in time for the show?

Candlewick’s three new Gigantosaurus books, based on the TV series, were a really big hit with my boys. If you need an “introduction” to the characters like we did, start with the hardback Story of Gigantosaurus (2019, 32 pages) which relates the wild adventures of Mazu, Rocky, Bill and Tiny. Great for reading independently or out loud, it’s got vivid, exciting illustrations and even a few laughs.

Next up in the series are two paperback stories, The Lost Egg (2019, 34 pages) and Don’t Cave In (2019, 34 pages). This time around, the four friends are puzzled by a mysterious egg discovery. Not only does Gigantosaurus come barging into this tale, but there’s quite a surprise from the little lost egg! Don’t Cave In delivers a lighthearted scare when Rocky, Tiny, Mazu and Bill are forced to take refuge in a cave inhabited by the fearsome (so they think) Shriekosaurus. You and your children will enjoy unlocking the secrets of the dark cave.

If your young reader is a fan of Peg + Cat, there’s a new Level 1 title called Up a Tree (2019, 32 pages, by Jennifer Oxley and Billy Aronson). We all know that cats are fond of getting stranded in trees, but what happens when the roles are reversed? No worries because Cat is on the ground and ready to help his friend! It’s a cute little story and appropriately crafted for new readers, although we found the illustrations to be on the bland and repetitive side. 

Christmas Shopping at Candlewick is Easy!

One of the best and longest-lasting gifts you can give at Christmas is a book.
To make that easier, Candlewick Press just announced their Friends & Family offer.
⁠Use promo code CANDLEWICK at checkout to get 25% off and FREE shipping

Offers expires 12/31/19

Giveaway: Candlewick Press is giving away the same 6 books that I reviewed today to one lucky winner! Open to US and Canadian residents. Prize will be fulfilled by Candlewick Press and ship in January, due to the holiday rush.

Use the entry form below, and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Giveaways

About Anne Marie

I'm the creator of Zephyr Hill Blog, where families can find help with child rearing, homeschooling and hobby farming. Be sure to check out my huge database of cloth diaper reviews. There's also a shopping guide to help you find the best deals!

Comments

  1. Sunnie says

    December 9, 2019 at 5:48 pm

    My son would like the story of the gigantsaurous.

    Reply
  2. Darlene Owen says

    December 10, 2019 at 6:04 am

    Up a tree would be a great book to read to my grandson.

    Reply
  3. Julie Waldron says

    December 10, 2019 at 8:18 am

    Frankie’s Food Truck looks really cute. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Michele Pineda says

    December 10, 2019 at 9:55 am

    My grandsons would love the Gigantosaurus books.

    Reply
  5. Brittany Raisor says

    December 10, 2019 at 12:34 pm

    I think my boys would really love Story of Gigantosaurus!

    Reply
  6. Kristin says

    December 10, 2019 at 2:07 pm

    My older 2 would enjoy the gigantosaurus ones and my youngest would enjoy the food truck one.

    Reply
  7. Tina says

    December 10, 2019 at 2:37 pm

    My grand daughter loves Peppa Pig. So I am drawn to Peppa Pig and the Christmas Play.

    Reply
  8. Lisa says

    December 10, 2019 at 3:47 pm

    Peppa Pig and the Dinosaur books

    Reply
  9. Linda says

    December 11, 2019 at 12:36 am

    I like Frankie’s Food Truck for my two kids.

    Reply
  10. Wehaf says

    December 11, 2019 at 7:30 am

    I am most drawn to Frankie’s Food Truck, but my nieces and nephews would probably like the Gigantosaurus trio most.

    Reply
  11. Edye says

    December 11, 2019 at 7:58 am

    the peg and cat book is my favorite! 😀

    Reply
  12. Vickie L Couturier says

    December 11, 2019 at 9:10 am

    I like Frankies Food Truck

    Reply
  13. Cathy Balogh says

    December 11, 2019 at 9:37 am

    My Grandson would love The story of the gigantsaurous

    Reply
  14. Debra Branigan says

    December 11, 2019 at 10:40 am

    They all look cute, but I would choose the story of the gigantsaurous. Thanks for a chance.

    Reply

    Reply
  15. Sandra Dufoe says

    December 11, 2019 at 12:38 pm

    I would have to say Peppa Pig and the Christmas Play its my granddaughters favourite show.

    Reply
  16. Kelli A says

    December 11, 2019 at 12:55 pm

    I love board books fro younger kids. These are some of my favorite types of books and the way they graduate them up through the levels into magazines is perfect and helps keep them interested in reading through the stages..

    Reply
  17. Angelica says

    December 11, 2019 at 1:42 pm

    Frankie’s food truck looks absolutely adorable! I think my nephew would go crazy for it!

    Reply
  18. Lori Padgett says

    December 11, 2019 at 2:35 pm

    The book Frankie’s Food Truck appeals to me the most. I enjoy reading Lift-the-Flap books with the wee ones.

    Reply
  19. Melissa Cushing says

    December 11, 2019 at 3:44 pm

    I am totally loving all of these books and am going to have to pick up a few for my god daughter. You can never give the too many books 🙂

    Reply
  20. Samuel Yung says

    December 11, 2019 at 5:08 pm

    Gigantosaurus!

    Reply
  21. Darlene Carbajal says

    December 11, 2019 at 5:39 pm

    My niece will love the Peppa Pig book!

    Reply
  22. Micheline says

    December 11, 2019 at 5:53 pm

    Frankie’s Food Truck looks cute!

    Reply
  23. Tony Platz says

    December 11, 2019 at 7:12 pm

    My nephews would like the Gigantasauras series.

    Reply
  24. jamre ludhi says

    December 11, 2019 at 10:14 pm

    My kids would love frankie’s food truck one.

    Cheers
    Jamre

    Reply
  25. Theresa C. says

    December 11, 2019 at 10:42 pm

    Story of Gigantosaurus would be a big hit with our dinosaur lover!

    Reply
  26. Terri S. says

    December 12, 2019 at 6:45 am

    I’m most interested in The Story of Gigantosaurus for my grandchild.

    Reply
  27. Nancy says

    December 12, 2019 at 11:20 am

    Peppa Pig and the Christmas Play sounds like fun reading.

    Reply
  28. Christina Moore says

    December 12, 2019 at 2:35 pm

    My grandson would love Frankies Food Truck

    Reply
  29. Wanda B says

    December 12, 2019 at 5:46 pm

    I think Frankie’s Food Truck would be tons of fun!

    Reply
  30. Ada says

    December 12, 2019 at 9:35 pm

    These look like great reads. I’ll keep in mind for my friends with kiddos.

    Reply
  31. Silvia D says

    December 13, 2019 at 5:49 pm

    they all look like good book, really do like … Story of Gigantosaurus

    Reply
  32. Maegan Morin says

    December 13, 2019 at 11:33 pm

    Gigantosaurus the Lost Egg looks really really cute!

    Reply
  33. Naomi Deren says

    December 14, 2019 at 9:16 am

    I think Frankie’s Food Truck looks cute!

    Reply
  34. Barbara says

    December 15, 2019 at 6:11 am

    I think my grandson would love the Gigantosaurus story.

    Reply
  35. MaryAnn says

    December 15, 2019 at 2:28 pm

    The story of Gigantosaurus.

    Reply
  36. Pam Flynn says

    December 15, 2019 at 3:28 pm

    Peg & Cat Peg Up a Tree

    Reply
  37. Catherine L Lewis says

    December 15, 2019 at 4:07 pm

    I like Gigantosaurus and so would my grandchildren.

    Reply
  38. aimee p says

    December 15, 2019 at 8:53 pm

    The Story of Gigantosaurus

    Reply
  39. Laurie Nykaza says

    December 16, 2019 at 12:54 am

    The Frankie’s Food Truck book is so cute my grandkids would love them

    Reply
  40. Helen says

    December 16, 2019 at 1:08 am

    My little girl would like the Peppa Pig and Peg and Cat ones the most.

    Reply
  41. Amy P says

    December 16, 2019 at 2:26 pm

    Frankie’s Food Truck – my son loves all things with wheels 🙂

    Reply
  42. laurie says

    December 16, 2019 at 7:51 pm

    I like the frankies food truck book

    Reply
  43. Rosemary says

    December 17, 2019 at 7:48 am

    Merry Christmas

    Reply
  44. deana dietrich says

    December 17, 2019 at 2:24 pm

    Story of Gigantosaurus looks good

    Reply
  45. Sandra says

    December 18, 2019 at 10:22 pm

    I love Frankie’s Food Truck

    Reply

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