A Pet Store (& Giveaway!) for Curious Kids

Visit a pet store without ever leaving your home! Look what I've got as a Giveaway: The Animal Store Alphabet Book, by Susan Bearman (signed by the illustrator, Rebecca Hamlin).  If you've got a young animal-lover in your house, they will definitely appreciate this book. Giveaway closed 3/27/13 WINNER: Theresa Marhoefer

Book-ended between the poetic opening and closing verses are pages full of unique and exciting pets, pictured within chunky alphabet letters, described in rhyme, and framed by fascinating facts!

Welcome to the Animal Store

Where this is what you'll see

The "who-knew zoo" just down the street

With pets from A-Z...

When looking for some things to do 

Next ho-hum afternoon

The animals all hope that you'll

Come back and visit soon.

I love this book - the illustrations and rhymes make science fun - who can resist?  And I've got a signed hardcover copy of the book and a cute "Animal Store Alphabet Coloring Book" to give away to one lucky reader - leave a comment here on my blog for a chance to win them both - winner revealed on Wednesday, February 27! (If you have trouble leaving a comment here, you're welcome to leave one on my Facebook post.) 

The book is based on author Susan Bearman's husband's pet shop, "The Animal Store", in Lincolnwood, IL.  One day Susan asked him for a list of animals in his store and discovered he had one for every letter of the alphabet. A picture book was born - but who to do the arwork?  Sister-in-law Rebecca Hamlin did the wonderful illustrations: 28 30"x30" paintings that now hang on loan at the Hope Institute Learning Academy in Chicago (an innovative public elementary school that serves typically-abled students, as well as a community of children with autism).

Pets as everyday as a Kitten and as exotic as a Nile Monitor are to be found in this alphabet book. I think the page with Hedgehog is especially cute...

Watch the book trailer below (and remember to leave a comment - here or on my Facebook page - to enter the Giveaway - winner revealed on Wednesday, March 27).  If you'd like to order the book for your child, it's available here.