The Little Pine Tree

Some times the best children's books don't have to be the longest. The message they deliver can be short, sweet and to the point, and such is what you will find in Mark E. Labriola Sr.'s book, The Little Pine Tree. It's the story of a pine tree seed who wanted to grow up someday like all the other pine trees with a true purpose of being cut down and made into something special. But when the wind blew him to a remote location far removed from the main forest, he began to lose hope. He knew being so far away from the places where the carpenter's would visit and cut down trees, the odds of him being discovered were far and few.

He found his solace in the daily visits from a small boy. He would sit under the tree as it grew and would talk to his Abba as he gathered beneath it with his animal friends. As they both grew, soon the tree lost it's sense of loneliness with the visits from the boy as he too grew. But he wondered if that is all he would be is a solitary tree instead of a tree with a true purpose like a chair or table. But soon that pine tree would learn just how unique and set apart he would become as the boy who came to visit him became a man and would forever change both of their lives.

I don't want to spoil how this one turns out but the point of the story is how we are all created to be unique and blessed by God in our lives. We simply have to be patient enough to find out. Like the pine tree seed, he had to wait quite awhile before he discovered his purpose and it will show you child how special we all are in God's eyes.

I received The Little Pine Tree by Mark E. Labriola Sr compliments of Tate Publishing for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. I think this is a must have and must read for every child as a reminder we all have a purpose being here on Earth. We only have to stay close to God to find out what that is and be patient in the meantime. I easily give this a 5 out of 5 stars. It is beautifully illustrated and the storyline is simple enough for a young child to understand the words and meaning. The best part of this book is that it includes a free audio download that you can access at the conclusion of the book so you can enjoy it on your favorite audio player!

For more information about The Little Pine Tree, Mark E. Labriola Sr or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Little Pine Tree by Mark E. Labriola Sr. 

You can order a copy of this book by visiting Tate Publishing as well. 

Tom T's Hat Rack

Rarely do you find a children's book that truly emphasizes the need to give back in a simple way for kid's to understand the meaning, until now! Tom T's Hat Rack from author Michele Spry was born out of the inspiration of watching her good friend, Tom Trabue, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in May of 2012. Watching how positive and upbeat he was during his treatment was incredible. She is also living her life paying it forwards towards others as often as she can and enjoys the feeling of making others happy. She took those two pieces and began writing "Tom T's Hat Rack."

Michele's goal was to help the reader understand how important each of the characters are to the story. Shelby's parents and Mrs. T are active throughout the story, which was something she felt was also important. This is the perfect book to teach the value of paying it forward to others.

In this story, Shelby Summers, a 4th grader at Eagle Ridge Elementary School who has grown up as an only child. Having no brothers or sisters, she spends her afternoons and summer with an elderly couple, Tom and Kim Tucker, a retired couple that lives only four houses away while her mom, Karen, a nurse for Sunnyvale Children's Hospital and her dad, John, is a doctor at Clarkson's Cancer Hospital are working.

Shelby was as fond of Mr. and Mrs. T, as she loving refers to them throughout the story, as her grandparents. They have a long standard tradition of hanging out together as a family three nights a week, sharing dinner and the T's take care of Shelby while her parents are working. While her other friends looked forward to summer vacations spent with family and friends, Shelby looked forward to her time spending the summer with the T's. The rest of her family lived far away, but to Shelby, Mr. and Mrs. T, were her world. She had spent the last ten years coming to their house nearly every single day.

Last summer, Mr. T was diagnosed with cancer and had undergone six months of chemotherapy. Shelby understood that Mr. T had good days and bad and was looking forward to spending lots of time with him this summer. Shelby's dad was Mr. T's doctor and they all worked together to ensure that Mr. T got the best possible care in dealing with his cancer. Mr. T wanted to do something special with Shelby this summer and had agreed to keep it a secret. He knew after all these tough issues with cancer, he wanted to do something positive to benefit others and with Shelby's caring spirit and her enjoyment for doing things for others, she would make the perfect partner.

I won't ruin the surprise for you in what both Mr. T and Shelby are able to accomplish but it will be life changing not only for them but for those that benefit from their summer project. I received Tom T's Hat Rack by Michele Spry, compliments of Bostick Communications and Spry Publishing for my honest review and did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable one. This is such an important book to share with young children because the message in itself is powerful. It shows what compassion and servitude really look like when you're willing to extend yourself and really take the needs of others into consideration. I highly recommend this one and rate it a 5 out of 5 stars. Beautifully illustrated throughout, it challenges our kids to take own their own projects at the conclusion.

For more information about Tom T's Hat Rack, Michele Spry or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Tom T's Hat Rack by Michele Spry

You can also follow Spry Publishing on Facebook to learn about some great ideas that others are working on with their own special projects and where you can add your own to as well.