[BOOK REVIEW] Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf by Judy Sierra

Title:  Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf

Author:  Judy Sierra

Artist:  J. Otto Seibold

Genre:  Manners / Fairy Tale / Animals / Humor

Year Published: 2007

Year Read:  2016

Publisher:  Alfred A. Knopf

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 5+  (Some Bizarre Imagery)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

    

   

Now, I will be honest here.  I was actually introduced to J. Otto Seibold’s work through a long forgotten animated TV special “Olive, the Other Reindeer” and even though at the time, I didn’t care for “Olive, the Other Reindeer” because of the art style, the special did get me interested in reading some of J. Otto Seibold’s other works and I stumbled upon “Mind Your Manners B.B. Wolf” which was also written by Judy Sierra and I have to admit that I fell in love with this book!

B.B. Wolf (formerly known as the “Big Bad Wolf”) ends up being invited to the local library’s annual storybook tea and he ends up becoming nervous because he does not know how to act properly for this event.  So, his best friend Crocodile ends up teaching him the proper etiquette in how to behave in a tea party ceremony by teaching B.B. Wolf this little song ditty:

“Sip your tea and never slurp,

Say “Excuse Me” if you burp.

Smile and have a lot of fun,

But don’t go biting anyone!”

Once B.B. Wolf goes off to the local library to attend this party, he meets up with Little Red Riding Hood, the Three Little Pigs and the Gingerbread Man and they all seem nervous to see B.B. Wolf come to the party.

Can B.B. Wolf convince everyone that he can be polite?

Read this book to find out!

Wow!  I was actually quite impressed with this book!  I have read many books written by Judy Sierra and I have enjoyed many of her books, but I had never read any of her books that explore the importance of good manners in a cute and simplistic way!    Judy Sierra had done a great job at writing a book about manners without being too heavy handed about what you should learn about having good manners and I loved the way that B.B. Wolf was written as a well-meaning character who only wanted to impress the other fairy tale characters and prove that he is not a bad person anymore.  I really loved the little song ditty that B.B. Wolf sings throughout the story that goes like:

“Sip your tea and never slurp,

Say “Excuse Me” if you burp.

Smile and have a lot of fun,

But don’t go biting anyone!”

It is a cute little song that is simple and fun for many children to sing to and learn about how to behave during a party or event. I also loved the way that Judy Sierra created the world of the fairy tale inhabitants as all the fairy tale characters live in one town and you can see them interact with each other.  It was also interesting seeing that this story takes place in a more real world setting, even though there are fairy tale characters inhabiting this world as it made the story more creative and fun to read!  J. Otto Seibold’s artwork really brought out the surreal nature of the fairy tale world that B.B. Wolf lives in and they also bring out the creative nature of the fairy tale characters interacting with each other while giving their world a part realistic, part fantasy element in tone.

Parents should know that J. Otto Seibold’s artwork might be a bit too strange for some children to handle and they might either be frightened or confused by the chaotic artwork in this book.  Parents might want to read this book first before they show it to their children to see if their child would like this type of artwork.

Overall, “Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf” is a truly fantastic book that helps teach children the importance of good manners and maybe make up their own little song ditty to help them remember about how to behave during parties and events!  I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since the artwork might either frighten or confuse some children.

 

Book Blitz: Wolf's Temptation (Caedmon Wolves Series) by Ambrielle Kirk and Amber Ella Monroe

 

Title: Wolf’s Temptation

Caedmon Wolves Series 

Author: Ambrielle Kirk & Amber Ella Monroe

Genre: Paranormal Romance

In Wolf’s Temptation, Dawson Caedmon gets more than he bargains for when he agrees to help Alessia—a witch in peril—uncover a mystery surrounding her heritage. Their findings reek of danger, but Dawson will do anything in his power to keep Alessia from harm. His temptation may cost him his life. But is she or isn’t she truly his mate? Courting a witch and a perceived enemy could threaten the peace within the Pack. Is learning the truth worth the risks?

Wolf's Temptation is Book Seven of the Caedmon Wolves series.

 

Purchase Links:

Wolf’s Temptation: Amazon

Books One through Six are also available now. Amazon

About The Author:

National Bestselling author Ambrielle Kirk writes multicultural erotic romance. Her alter ego, Amber Ella Monroe, writes paranormal and fantasy stories with romantic elements. As a bestselling author in several sub-genres, she's 2012 Swirl Award winner and 2014 Romance of Novel Excellence (RONE) Award nominee in the paranormal categories. She's a PAN member of RWA, FF&P RWA, and co-founder and treasurer of CIM RWA.

She loves weaving tales where undying love is the main element. When she's not writing, she's plotting. When she's not writing or plotting, she's reading. Her reading and writing tastes varies between anything from alpha bad boys and billionaires to vampires and shifters. She's a thirty-something year old wife, mother, book hoarder, 90s music fan, earl grey tea drinker, dark roast coffee fiend, platform and stiletto shoe collector, Keurig lover, and martial arts/action movie fanatic.

Find her one these social media sites:

Amber Ella Books Website          Twitter          Facebook Author Page          Books By Ambrielle Website

Amberella Books Twitter          Amber Ella Books Facebook Page          Pinterest

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[BOOK REVIEW] Incognito Volume 1 by Ed Brubaker

Title:  Incognito Volume 1

Author:  Ed Brubaker

Artist:  Sean Phillips

Genre:  Crime / Mystery / Superhero / Action

Year Published:  2009

Year Read: 1/17/2016

Series: Incognito #1

Publisher: Icon

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 18+  (Strong Language and Violence)

Buy or Add on:  Amazon  //  Goodreads

Introduction:

Alright! Another graphic novel that has the famous Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips collaboration touch (the first being “Fatale”).  This time, I’m checking out a graphic novel that is quite unique called “Incognito” and man, was it one of the most creative and unusual graphic novels I have ever read!

What is this story about?

Zack Overkill was your average man who was working at a business job that he hated and employees that he could care less for.  Surprisingly, it turned out that Zack Overkill was once a former villain who left destruction in his wake and because of this, Zack is put into a Witness Protection Program and if he gets out of line, he will be looking at a life in jail.  Unfortunately, when Zack’s past associates come and pay him a visit, Zack will soon realize that there is more to him than he originally thought.

What I loved about this story:

Ed Brubaker’s writing: Wow! I was quite amazed at Ed Brubaker’s writing in this unique graphic novel!  Now, I have read a couple of graphic novels where we look at everything from the villain’s point of view, but I had never read a graphic novel where a villain is forced to give up his life of crime and work in an ordinary job in order to protect his identity from the public. 

Ed Brubaker did a great job at developing Zack Overkill’s character as Zack is shown to be a rude and miserable character who does not like his normal life and would rather be going out and fighting criminals or get his hands on some drugs to keep him sane.  It was also interesting seeing how Zack still has murderous intentions towards various people who annoy him as it shows that he still has some villainy inside of him, even though he is slowly going through a character progression throughout the story.  I also loved the way that Ed Brubaker unraveled the mystery behind Zack Overkill as I found myself being shocked at Zack’s true backstory and how it affected him as a character throughout the story.

Sean Phillips’ artwork:  Sean Phillips’ artwork is as usual gorgeous to look at as all the characters are drawn realistically and the violent scenes are extremely detailed that they make me cringe with tension.  I also loved the film noir style of the artwork as it made me feel like I am back in the 1940s and experiencing the mysteries and terror going on during that decade.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

The reason why I took off half a point from the rating is because there were times where the plot got a bit confusing because the story went back and forth between giving us snippets of Zack’s past life as a villain and unraveling the mysteries that surround his true identity.  I often found myself trying to figure out what was really going on with Zack and where the story was taking me when they tried to mention his backstory.  Also, for anyone who does not like strong language and violence, this volume contains loads of strong language and some violent scenes of people being shot violently or being beaten up in a graphic manner.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Incognito Volume 1” is a great read for anyone who wants to read about crime noir and villains turning into everyday citizens to save themselves from going to jail.  I am definitely looking forward to reading the second volume of this series!