Kristin Hill Taylor

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Whatever Wanda :: A Review & Giveaway

March 23, 2015 by Kristin Leave a Comment

I’ve been known to tell my kids they need to adjust their attitudes. And I’ve heard God tell me the same thing about my own grumpiness. In the pages of a children’s book, my daughter and I found encouragement to adjust our attitudes.

Wanda doesn’t want to go with her family to the Rubber Duck Days festival and brings her grumpy attitude with her! I know I’ve been much like Whatever Wanda and I’ve seen my kids to do the same.

But Wanda learns a valuable lesson: “Sometimes you have to believe something will be great before it actually is. Being positive is a choice that makes everything better, not to mention, a whole lot more fun!” And it’s one God been teaching around here too!

My 7-year-old daughter, Cate, even said that lesson is why she loves the book :: Before she learns that lesson, to everything about the Rubber Duck Days festival she says, “Whatever.” Waddles asks her, “Do you want to join your friends?” Wanda says, “I didn’t play. I didn’t think it was fun.” Then Waddles says the lesson: She should change her attitude. I hope this lesson will come in handy. That’s why I like “Whatever Wanda.”

And that’s why this momma likes “Whatever Wanda” too. It’s a lesson my girl and I both need.

This is the third in Christy Ziglar’s Shine Bright Kids series. And we’ve loved all of them. In fact, when “Whatever Wanda!” came in the mail recently, my 7-year-old daughter gathered the other two and read them together, pointing out to her 5-year-old brother how Wanda, Marvin, and Willow all make appearances in each other’s stories.

{Read our previous reviews :: “Can’t-Wait Willow” and “Must-Have Marvin.”}

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ABOUT THE BOOK :: “Whatever Wanda!” is a 32-page, hardback picture book. Officially, it’s recommend for kids 4-8 years old. This book is part of the Shine Bright Kids series, which provides children and their families with the tools to teach the importance of making good choices. The series explores such topics as using good judgment, taking responsibility, having a positive attitude, and demonstrating perseverance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR :: Christy Ziglar is a financial planner, mother of twins, and the niece of legendary motivator and optimist Zig Ziglar. She and her family live in Atlanta, Georgia.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR  :: Paige Billin-Frye lives with her husband in Washington, D.C., where she gardens and grows food in her city yard. She has illustrated numerous children’s books and works in a studio over a neighborhood hardware store. Coincidentally, Paige has amassed a collection of rubber duckies of all sizes across the years.

GIVEAWAY :: One of you will win a copy of “Whatever Wanda!” by using the Rafflecopter widget below. This is for U.S. and Canadian residents only. A winner will be randomly selected on Monday, March 30.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks to FlyBy Promotions/Propeller Consulting LLC for both the copy of “Whatever Wanda!” my family got to review and the copy one of you will win. The opinions here are my own. If you have won a prize from FlyBy/Propeller in the last 30 days or have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win. 

Want more insights? “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”

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Filed Under: books, Cate, FlyBy Promotions, giveaway

Comments

  1. Mary J says

    March 26, 2015 at 2:09 pm

    Sounds like a great book for kids…and maybe parents like myself!

    Reply
  2. KristinHillTaylor says

    March 26, 2015 at 2:10 pm

    Yeah, funny how that works. 🙂 Glad you entered, Mary!

    Reply
  3. Michelle Faile says

    March 26, 2015 at 6:40 pm

    Every day I go to work I need an adjustment! haha! Sounds like a great book!

    Reply
  4. KristinHillTaylor says

    March 26, 2015 at 8:54 pm

    I get that! Thanks for entering.

    Reply
  5. Merry says

    March 28, 2015 at 9:08 pm

    We had to move half way across the country for my husbands new job and I was really grumpy about it. It turned out that I loved living there after awhile.

    Reply
  6. KristinHillTaylor says

    March 29, 2015 at 7:53 pm

    Oh good. Changes like that are always hard. Glad you like it there now! Thanks for visiting here!

    Reply

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About Me

Telling stories is my therapy and I love sharing them with friends on my porch.

The main characters in my stories are my entrepreneur husband, our ninth-grade girl who never forgets, our have-no-fear sixth-grade boy, and our joy-filled kindergarten girl. As we live out our stories, we seek God as the author of them all.

Learn more about my story here.

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“Writing is what makes me happy. Writing, even, “Writing is what makes me happy. Writing, even, is how I feel I contribute to the world. Reminding people of what’s important. Letting them escape the harsh parts of life, even if it’s just for a few hours. Helping them feel happiness through watching happily-ever-afters unfold. Remembering truths. Recalling their self-worth. Loving others. Living well. Learning. I want to do that.” 

And, let’s be honest, love stories about writers make me happy too. “Meet Me in the Margins” was cute, predictable, and a good way to escape for a little while. 

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My friend @marycarver gets me. She knows us moms spend a million hours a week taxiing people to school and sports and church and friends’ houses and errands and appointments. And maybe we linger longer before coming in the house with arms full of groceries and bags and papers and books … because we just need a minute. Or maybe we answer some texts before we pull away from the store and catch up on phone calls while we drive or show up early to pickup to read a book that has captured our attention. 

We spend a lot of time and accomplish much in our cars. Mary knows this and is giving us the encouragement we need in her new book, “Prayers from the Parking Lot.” It’s a perfect size to keep in your car or purse. Each of the 50 reflections are practical and inspiring and meet moms on the go right where we are. 

Preorder this gem now so you have it the next time you have a few extra minutes in a parking lot, school pickup line, or waiting room. It officially releases next week and is available from @revellbooks on Amazon and wherever else you buy books. 

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20 years married. 💛 I’ve learned a million t 20 years married. 💛

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(And it deserves a second post today.)

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With that, happy 20th anniversary, husband. I’m glad we can still learn things about each other after knowing each other for more than 24 years and being married for two decades. 

Being in our 40s celebrating 20 years of marriage together seems like such a grown-up accomplishment. But it also seems like exactly where we are supposed to be. Let’s keep adventuring and learning together. Let’s go celebrate, maybe with tacos! 

https://kristinhilltaylor.com/2022/08/20-years.html

#linkinbio #bloggerlife #marriage #TeamTaylor #reallife #wifelife #anniversary
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I was teary when I finished. While this Bible story was retold for children, the words brought to mind when I decided to follow Christ on Jan. 20, 1996, after hearing someone speak about The Prodigal Son during a Chrysalis weekend. 

I nailed some sins to a wooden cross in the sanctuary, representing surrender. I remember thinking of the beauty of the father welcoming his lost son home, understanding how the younger son thought he could hold together his own life, and relating to the older son who stayed and did what he was supposed to and found himself not quite willing to celebrate his brother’s homecoming. 

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#88daysofsummer #choosingJOY #cousins #siblinglove #summerisbest #reallife #latergram
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