Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


Christmas CatsBook Description:

The Christmas Cats Encounter Bats is a Seuss-ical tale for young children which builds upon the morals of the first two Christmas Cats books (The Christmas Cats in Silly Hats and The Christmas Cats Chase Christmas Rats). Book One (The Christmas Cats in Silly Hats) stressed that twin sisters—or anyone— should learn to play together nicely. When one twin bit the other on the nose, it was a sign that a story about playing together nicely would be useful. Learning to cooperate is important for everyone.

Book Two, The Christmas Cats Chase Christmas Rats, urges acceptance and advises against prejudice. “It’s best to be open and trusting and kind, and always to keep an open mind.” Learn to accept others in a non-judgmental, open-minded fashion.

Book Three, The Christmas Cats Encounter Bats urges everyone to honor life in all its forms. Love and accept all God’s creatures. Some animals—(puppies and kitties come to mind)— are popular with nearly everyone. Others (spiders, lizards, bats, etc.) may not seem as worthy, but all are small cogs in the universe. Bats serve a very useful purposes in God’s grand scheme. All life should be valued. The bats of story three are just as deserving of respect and have as much of a right to life as any other creature on the planet.

My Thoughts:

There are strange sounds coming from the school bus parked at a local mall.  The Christmas Cats are called to investigate and they find bats.  ‘The Christmas Cats Encounter Bats’, is the delightful sequel to the ‘Christmas Bats’ series.  It is quite Dr. Suess like in rhyme and is sure to entertain young children and teach them important lessons on treating others kindly.  Even to those who are different to you.  Sure, bats are not cute and furry like some animals but they have an important purpose on this earth.

I highly recommend the entire series and not just for Christmas.  I can be enjoyed any time.

5/5

I bought this ebook after reading book II in the series, The Christmas Cats Chase Christmas Rats‘.  The opinions are my own and honest.

Buy The Christmas Cats Encounter Bats:

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BalouBook Description:

Due to popular demand, Balou from “I stand corrected” shares his wisdom with the feline world. In ten short and concise lessons, he teaches cats how to survive living amongst humans and how to help them understand and respect the needs of their pets. A must read for all cats and the people that pay their mortgage.

My Thoughts:

Most humans who have cats know that their cats rule the roost.  They have us humans wrapped around their little paws.  We feed ant nurture them according to their schedule, not ours.  We pay for all their belongings, the items we mistakenly think are ours, and we pay the mortgage or rent for them.

In “Balou Uncensored”, Balou shares all of his secrets to how all cats can get exactly what they want from us.  I always thought that cats were born knowing all this but evidently Balou felt that there are cats out there that need his help.

I loved Balou in Patricia Asedegbega’s ‘I Stand Corrected’ and I loved him in this book too!  I am not sure if cats know how to reads, so I recommend that humans who read this book keep it a secret from their cats.  If you must discuss the book, make sure it is not in ear shot of your felines!

I highly recommend ‘Balou Uncensored’.  It is a really fun book with lots of laughs.

5/5

I bought this ebook after reading ‘I Stand Corrected‘ by Patricia Asedegbega.  The opinions are my own and honest.

Buy Balou Uncensored:

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Mrs LincolnBook Description:

Kate Chase Sprague was born in 1840 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the second daughter to the second wife of a devout but ambitious lawyer. Her father, Salmon P. Chase, rose to prominence in the antebellum years and was appointed secretary of the treasury in Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet, while aspiring to even greater heights.

Beautiful, intelligent, regal, and entrancing, young Kate Chase stepped into the role of establishing her thrice-widowed father in Washington society and as a future presidential candidate. Her efforts were successful enough that The Washington Star declared her “the most brilliant woman of her day. None outshone her.”

None, that is, but Mary Todd Lincoln. Though Mrs. Lincoln and her young rival held much in common—political acumen, love of country, and a resolute determination to help the men they loved achieve greatness—they could never be friends, for the success of one could come only at the expense of the other. When Kate Chase married William Sprague, the wealthy young governor of Rhode Island, it was widely regarded as the pinnacle of Washington society weddings. President Lincoln was in attendance. The First Lady was not.

Jennifer Chiaverini excels at chronicling the lives of extraordinary yet little known women through historical fiction. What she did for Elizabeth Keckley in Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker and for Elizabeth Van Lew in The Spymistress she does for Kate Chase Sprague in Mrs. Lincoln’s Rival.

My Thoughts:

I love books with strong female characters and Kate Chase fits the bill.  Her father is widowed for the third time and his daughter, Kate takes over the role of a wife, as far as helping him with his presence in Washington Society.

Kate organizes dinners to help her father’s political efforts and goes with him to political functions.  She always gives her opinions and advise to her father and he often takes her advice.  She is quite savvy in politics.   Though he wasn’t able to get elected as president, as he had hoped, he was Abraham Lincoln’s secretary of treasury.  In part, due to Kate.

Though Kate and Mrs. Lincoln had much in common, they were not friends but rivals.

I believe if Kate was alive today she would be a successful female politician!  Instead she falls into the same fate as most women of her time.  She is expected to marry, raise a family and tolerate her husbands’ mistreatment.

Though I did enjoy the book, some of it became a bit repetitive and tiresome.  I think some of the book could have been tightened up with some more editing.  Some parts of the book really captured my attention yet some, I just wanted to end.

I am glad I read ‘Mrs. Lincoln’s Rival’ to get to know who Kate Chase Sprague was in U.S. history.

3/5

I received the ebook version for my honest review.

About Jennifer Chiaverini:

Jennifer Chiaverini is the author of ten Elm Creek Quilts novels and An Elm Creek Quilts Sampler and An Elm Creek Quilts Album, as well as Elm Creek Quilts and Return to Elm Creek, two collections of quilt projects inspired by the series, and is the designer of the Elm Creek Quilts fabric lines from Red Rooster fabrics. She lives with her husband and two sons in Madison, Wisconsin.