Guest Post and Review- Once Upon a Baby

My blog is today's stop in the blog tour of Once Upon a Baby. Today we'll have a guest post by author Shari Guess and a review of picture book Once Upon a Baby. You can check out the other stops on the tour here.

 All Coming Back To Me

 Writing a children’s book has made me wax nostalgic-thinking back to seeing a book through the eyes of a child, and to the many books that were my favorites. I’m proud to say that many of those books are now on my son’s bookshelf and they still bring a smile to my lips and a warm-fuzzy to my heart when I read them yet again.
Some of the earliest books I recall loving were just plain, great stories. Classic books such as Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel , Where the Wild Things Are and maybe a few you have never heard of: Land of the Lost Buttons, Harvey’s Hideout, Miss Twiggly’s Tree, How Fletcher Was Hatched, The Cookie Tree and The Monkey’s Whiskers.
I also liked books that were a little quirky, being enamored by James and the Giant Peach, The Chronicles of Narnia, Escape to Witch Mountain and every book in the Oz series. It wasn’t anything, when I was younger, to imagine that I truly was in the book’s setting.
I loved books such as The Billy and Blaze series and Aesop’s Fables, that taught important lessons and good ol’mysteries like Nancy Drew were always welcome. 
Some favorites were just for fun and I remember them mostly for their art. Two of these, The Old Black Witch and Old Witch and the Polka Dot Ribbon have certainly stood the test of time in our house, and were read just recently in celebration of Halloween. My favorite book for a grumpy day had simple, but adorable art and was called The Blah.
Along with my oldie-but-goodies I am grateful for new favorite children’s books that the blessing of motherhood has brought along; never before read classics like Goodnight Moon, Love You Forever and probably my most favorite of all, Just In Case You Ever Wonder my Max Lucado, This book reflects so much of the wonder I have experienced as a parent, and much of my belief system; a belief that there is a greater purpose to our lives and a destination for our eternal souls much greater than death.
Books have always been a special part of my life and am grateful for the fond memories they bring, even though they are decades old.
It makes me want to curl up in my son’s bunk bed and read the big stack to him again. Right. Now.




Once Upon a Baby: A Tale of Adoption by Shari Guess

A heartwarming tale of LDS Adoption. Follow a child's journey from the Pre-existence to his family's home on Earth. The divine guidance of the Savior, along with the love and prayers of both birth and adoptive parents are gently and lovingly portrayed in this tender story of the ultimate "Happily ever after".









Purchase:
Author's Website * Amazon 
 LDS Bookstore * BYU Bookstore


 Praise:
"Shari Guess has written a "must read" for every LDS family. She made a relevant issue for our time seem simple, yet to the heart."
~Brenton G. Yorgason, PhD

"I cried grateful tears to finally find a book for our children that explains their unique place within our family in a spiritual way."
~Nancy Reynolds, CA



Author Shari Guess

SHARI GUESS is a proud, first-time children’s book author and lives in rural North Texas where she is “Mom” to her beloved 9-year-old adopted son, Garrett. Happily married to her husband Walter for going on 13 years they share their cabin-in-the-woods with a small herd of Great Danes and farm animals. Shari is currently a part-time real estate agent and property manager and prior to marriage worked for over a decade in the music business, spanning from Los Angeles to Nashville. She wore many hats as a journalist and publicist representing multiple recording artists, magazines and music publishing companies, along with being a part-time performing artist and songwriter. Her hobbies include choral, Americana and rock music, martial arts, photography, travel and anything in the mountains.


Links:
Twitter * Facebook * Website


 Tour Giveaway:
$25 Amazon Gift Card + copy of Once Upon a Baby
Copy of Once Upon a Baby
(Book available to US & Canada only)
Ends 11/30/12


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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My Review

 I found this book to be cute, heartwarming and a great way to teach your children about what happens when a baby is adopted. I loved that it is very LDS (Mormon) geared, it talks about how we lived in Heaven with our Heavenly Father and our families before we came to earth. I also loved how it talks about going back to Heavenly Father when we die. The illustrations were really cute and fun for kids to look at. It's a must read for any family with adopted children! 

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