Hello Goodbye Dog - Literary Lunch + Giveaway

It is LITERARY LUNCH time today and I have a wonderful book for you today! PLUS, you can win a copy at the end of my post!!
I am pleased to review HELLO GOODBYE DOG by Maria Gianferrari today:

Meet Moose, Zara's dog, she loves hellos and really hates goodbyes. So, when it is time for Zara to go to school, Moose keeps escaping to find her favorite girl at school.

My kids love reading this book and they always giggle at all of Moose's antics. I am sure if we had a dog she would be just like that. Because really, who doesn't hate goodbye's.

 My kids loved the fact that Zara did not try to change Moose but found the perfect solution for both of them.

Our favorite page in the book was this one which also inspired our Literary Lunch. Those eyes get me every time!

Our Literary Lunch is packed in Easylunchboxes and contains:

• a bone for Moose banana
• a sad goodbye faced Moose sandwich filled with cream cheese and jelly
• a field of strawberries and blueberies with Moose hiding in them and
• Zara's lunch which is an apple sauce wrapped in wax paper

a Rafflecopter giveaway
For more awesome Hello Goodbye Dog book reviews and more chances to win your own copy, check out the BOOK TOUR:

HELLO GOODBYE DOG BLOG TOUR!

GIVEAWAYS EVERY DAY!!

*Monday, July 24^th:                            Pragmatic Mom + THREE book giveaway!

*Two for Tuesday, July 25th:           Librarian’s Quest

Reading for Research

*Wednesday, July 26th:                    Homemade City

*Thursday, July 27^th:                         Kid Lit Frenzy

*Friday, July 28^th:                              Mrs. Knott’s Book Nook

*Monday, July 31^st:                            Picture Books Help Kids Soar

*Tuesday, August 1^st:                        Bildebok

*Wednesday, August 2^nd:                  The Loud Library Lady

*Thursday, August 3^rd:                      DEBtastic Reads!

*Friday, August 4^th:                           Mamabelly’s Lunches with Love

*Monday, August 7^th:                        Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)

EXTRA: August 25^th:                         Kidlit411—Interview with Patrice Barton 

For more reviews and more chances to win a copy of Hello Goodbye Dog follow the Book Tour:

HELLO GOODBYE DOG BLOG TOUR!

GIVEAWAYS EVERY DAY!!

*Monday, July 24^th:                            Pragmatic Mom + THREE book giveaway!

*Two for Tuesday, July 25th:           Librarian’s Quest

Reading for Research

*Wednesday, July 26th:                    Homemade City

*Thursday, July 27^th:                         Kid Lit Frenzy

*Friday, July 28^th:                              Mrs. Knott’s Book Nook

*Monday, July 31^st:                            Picture Books Help Kids Soar

*Tuesday, August 1^st:                        Bildebok

*Wednesday, August 2^nd:                  The Loud Library Lady

*Thursday, August 3^rd:                      DEBtastic Reads!

*Friday, August 4^th:                           Mamabelly’s Lunches with Love

*Monday, August 7^th:                        Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)

EXTRA: August 25^th:                         Kidlit411—Interview with Patrice Barton 



Find out more about the amazing Maria Gianferrari:

Maria writes both fiction and nonfiction picture books from her sunny, book-lined study in northern Virginia, with dog, Becca as her muse. Maria’s the author of the Penny & Jelly books, Coyote Moon, an ALA Notable Book, and a Junior Library Guild Selection, Officer Katz & Houndini and Hello Goodbye Dog. She has additional titles forthcoming from Roaring Brook Press, Boyds Mills Press, GP Putnam’s Sons and Little Bee. To learn more about Maria, visit her website:mariagianferrari.com, on Facebook and Instagram.

milkdot Lunchbox REVIEW

Back to School for my kids is not until September but I am already busy planning and shopping for the things we will need. I came across milkdot and their amazing Stöh insulated lunch bags. If you have never heard about milkdot, you need to check out their website! I love how many colors they offer!! They offered to send me an insulated lunch bag and I can tell you that it was hard to choose!

I love stripes, so I picked the Green Apple Stripes Stöh and I am so happy I did! EVERYONE in my house loves this lunchbox and this color is so versatile (kids, adults, boys, girls).

The lunchbox is really well made, the colors are vibrant and fun and I love how much room it has!

Do you hate writing on your newly purchase lunchbox with permanent marker to be able to find it again at the school's lost &found 2 weeks after school starts? Me, too. But, milkdot though of that and the back of the lunchbox has a little tag for either a name, picture or sticker!!

Perfect for my family! We label everything!! (that is not actually my son's name but you know privacy and all that, so I photoshopped it in, so you can see how cute it will look ;)

Also, that little pocket can hold lunchbox notes, napkins or when you take the lunchbox to work the little name tag.

Another huge plus for me is that it folds flat for storage. I have four kids and about 48 lunch bags and one small cabinet in the kitchen. So, huge bonus for me!

The other space plus: it is roomy! and you can keep water bottles or shakes upright which will prevent at least some of my kids from spilling theirs when they don't close the bottles after lunch completely!

Here is my daughter's lunch for today and it all fits: I used a Planetbox Shuttle, stainless steel 10 oz water bottle and...

...there was room for a placemat, cereal bar and there would have been room for a snack box as well!

Still on the fence? Here is the same lunchbox with my 24oz coffee tumbler and a snack bag with almonds.

Same lunchbox again, plus a protein shaker, cereal bar and snack bag.

I LOVE this bag and have taken it already many times on the go for myself. I really love that drinks stay upright, it is fun and bright (I have gotten a ton of complements) and there is enough room for an adult lunch, kid lunch and high school lunch.

SPLATYPUS - a Literary Lunch

This lunch is also posted over at The Little Crooked Cottage as a Literary Lunch. Head over to the fabulous blog of four children's book authors and check out the wonderful Literary Interviews with Mr. Pig himself! May contain affiliate links.

Meet SPLATypus! All he wants to do is play but somehow he does not seem to fit in anywhere. This adorable new book by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and Jackie Urbanovic follows this little lonely platypus trying to play with someone. Come find out who his new friend will be!

We packed a lunch to fit in our Planetbox Rover:

• blue water jello to splash in
• a cheese stick friend to play with
• sandy beach cereal
• and of course a SPLATypus sandwich

VAMPIRINA at The Beach - a Literary Lunch

This lunch is also posted over at The Little Crooked Cottage as a Literary Lunch. Head over to the fabulous blog of four children's book authors and check out the wonderful Literary Interviews with Mr. Pig himself! May contain affiliate links.

It is finally summer and time for the beach!
Vampirina is taking a trip to Moon Monster Madness Beach in Anne Marie Pace's new book VAMPIRINA At The Beach (illustrated by LeUyen Pham). You would not believe how much fun the beach can be at night!

So, pack your bathing suit and cooler and follow Vampirina, her family and friends on this fun adventure to the beach. It is time for playing in the waves, surfing, diving, volleyball and snacks!

We packed a lunch for the beach in our Planetbox Rover:

• a chocolate pudding and graham cracker Monster beach
• scary strawberries with sugar cookies
• melon beach balls and of course
• a Vampirina chocolate sandwich with raspberry jelly accents

The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters - a Literary Lunch

Jaundice and Kale Bland are the careful heroines of Kara LaReau's and Jen Hill's new book THE UNINTENTIONAL ADVENTURES OF THE BLAND SISTERS. The two sisters avoid excitement at all cost and stick to their routine. One day, a knock on the door changes their boring bland lives forever. Having been kidnapped by an all-female band of pirates the Bland sisters are off on unintentional adventures! 

We made a bland pirate lunch in our Planetbox Shuttle to match:

• bland white pirate yogurt with a pirate skull
• kale and strawberries with Jaundice and Kale's initials
• bland crackers with the Jolly Regina planks
• and two Kale and Jaundice sandwiches

the Green Umbrella - a Literary Lunch

Elephant takes a walk in the rain with his green umbrella when he is encountering several other animals claiming to have had adventures with HIS umbrella. Has his umbrella really been on all these adventures? Find out in Jackie Azua Kramer's new book THE GREEN UMBRELLA , illustrated by Maral Sassouni.

We made a snack for any Umbrella adventure:

• the Green Umbrella cold cut sandwich covered in spinach
• Elephant sandwich cheese sandwich surrounded by cat in a tea cup, bear and old rabbit
• night clouds of popcorn and blueberries and 
• a cheese moon to light the way into their next adventure

Lunch for Mama

I haven't made myself lunch in a long time but we have a team meeting today for a non-profit that I volunteer with and it is BYOL (Bring Your Own Lunch). I wanted to think a little outside the box and pack something light but filling.

I used my Easylunchboxes and packed:

• almonds
• Larabar Bites
• carrot sticks
• an egg with salt and pepper
• cheese cubes
• and two mini cream cheese bagels

I am so glad I packed a large lunch because I had no time for breakfast and was able to eat breakfast and lunch thanks to packing food!

What's your favorite to-go food?

The Nian Monster - a Literary Lunch

HAPPY NEW YEAR! It has been quiet on the blog lately but I am back and my lunches and Literary Lunches will be posting again regularly! To start off the new year, this Literary Lunch celebrates the Chinese New Year which starts on January 28th.

What would you do if a beast with horns, scales and wide, wicked jaws showed up in the midst of your family preparing a new year celebration? That is exactly the problem Xingling faces when the Nian Monster suddenly appears outside her kitchen. Will Xingling be able to tame the monster by feeding it traditional food? Find out in Andrea Wang's new book THE NIAN MONSTER!

We packed a lunch to satisfy any mythical beast:

• a helping of long-life noodles with fish for good fortune
• a mini Xingling made of cheese and spinach
• a sweet peanut butter "rice cake" made from bread and peanut butter
• and sweet apples with firework sprinkles