Thursday, October 16, 2014

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Claude on the Slopes, by Alex T. Smith (Peachtree, 2014)


Recommended for ages 5-8.

British author/illustrator Alex T. Smith returns with a winter-themed addition to his beginning reader series about the adventures of a genial dog named Claude and his best friend Sir Bobblysock (yes, Sir Bobblysock is actually a sock, an unusual sidekick--or perhaps it makes sense since dogs love to chew socks?) This is the fourth book in the series.

In Claude on the Slopes, we are introduced to Claude, a small, plump dog who wears shoes, a sweater and "a rather nifty beret,"  and resides with Mr. and Mrs. Shinyshoes and his best friend Sir Bobblysock at 112 Waggy Avenue.    In each book, Claude and Sir Bobblysock take off on adventures.  One day they go to the library, where they visit Miss Hush, the librarian, who has to remind Claude to use his "nice Indoor voice."  Claude is in for a real adventure when he experiences snow for the first time, and winds up at a winter sports center, where he experiences snowball fights, sledding, and snow sculpture and skiing.  When he forgets he's not supposed to use his loud outdoor voice out in the snow and accidentally triggers an avalanche, his magic beret, which seems to hold everything you can need, helps Claude save the day.

This beginning reader is perfect for fans of gentle humor such as Poppleton by Cynthia Rylant or the Amanda pig series by Jean van Leeuwen.  The cartoon-style artwork, done in black, white, grey and red, adds to the humor of the stories.  As is typical with beginning readers, the author uses a format of brief chapters which can be read independently if a child is not yet ready to read the entire book at one sitting.  The book would also make an amusing read-aloud, although the small size of the volume make it better suited for reading with a small group than a classroom.

To win your own copy of Claude on the Slopes, leave your e-mail in a comment below.  The winner will be selected on November 1.  

For more on Claude on the Slopes, check out these blog tour stops:

·     Monday,10/13- Picture Book to YA The Write Path
·     Tuesday, 10/14- Geo Librarian and  Kit Lit Reviews
·     Wednesday, 10/15- Chat with Vera
·     Thursday, 10/16- The 4th Musketeer
·     Friday, 10/17- Librarian in Cute Shoes




7 comments:

Patricia said...

This looks adorable! I know my nephew and niece will love this book (and I will love reading it to them).
patricia dot mariani dot esq at g mail dot com

Marta G. (A Bilingual Baby) said...

This book looks like fun and I'd love to read it with my son. Can the prize be won by international readers of your blog? Best regards from Barcelona,
Marta
A Bilingual Baby blog

Denise Taylor-Dennis said...

I would love to have this book for my son. Thank you for the chance my email is 40denise(dot)taylor(at)gmail(dot)com

Katharine Ott said...

Very cute! I think it would be fun to pronounce his name the French way in a readaloud, so the au has an "o" sound! Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy! kathott77 at gmail.com

Brooke said...

Always looking for great books for this level. Looks like a fun read aloud too! Beinstein@sjcs.net

Anonymous said...

Claude sounds like an adorably funny dog. I like that the book has small chapters for readers. My kids would enjoy reading this book.
marypopmom (at) yahoo (dot) com
Maryann

Lynnette said...

This looks very cute! The cover will definitley appeal to young readers. I'd love to have a copy.
allenlwa1179(at)gmail(dot)com