Kerala food fest at Regenta Deccan central,chennai

It’s not the time for Onam, but if you’re craving Kerala food and especially vegetarian, then you definitely should be visiting Regenta Central Deccan, royapettah.

The food from God’s own country is presented as a sumptuous treat at the Olives restaurant of Regenta Central Deccan. Priced at 888 nett, the buffet sure is to satisfy the Kerala food cravings.

Mrs. Saraswathi viswanathan from Thrissur Kerala, also founder of Sachuskitchen is the person behind the creation of such delectable delicacies.

The food festival is from June 21st to 30th , lunch and dinner buffet. Mrs. Saraswathi has carefully chosen each item of the menu and the striking aspect is that you don’t eat the same items on all ten days. Yes she has a different menu each day. Though the dishes seem to be the same, the variations she has given in using different vegetables sure does ring a bell in your taste buds.

Mrs. Saraswathi draws cooking inspiration from her father who passed away a couple of months back. She is now being helped by her son to manage her restaurant at Thrissur. She was soft spoken and patient enough for a casual long chat while we enjoyed the meal. The taste was heartwarming and most importantly felt at home.

Chef N.Saraswathi Viswanathan is a Record Holder in Universal Achievers Book of Records and Future Kalam Book of Records for creating a unique world record of preparing 108 dishes on spot in one hour. It was an honour to taste her cooking.

We were welcomed by Mr.Aditya , F&B manager at the restaurant. A warm welcome and detailed explanation of the hotel’s history and current happenings made it more interesting.

As we moved on to taste the food we were in for a treat looking at the elaborate spread that was waiting for us. We quickly wanted to finish the photography and proceed to tasting.

We began with the tasty drumstick soup, which was drumstick pulp infused in coconut milk. It was piping hot and definitely made mouths water and wanting for more.

The starter was raw mango pakoda, which was tangy , crisp and perfect accompaniment for the spicy soup.

We had a live counter for Malabar parotta. My my the layers were so soft and the veg moilee was the best to be paired with the parotta.

I’ve listed down the menu in detail.

But to name a few of my favourite was the yellow pumpkin olan, vada kootu curry and the jackfruit rind biryani. I never knew we could use up jackfruit rind, nendram skin to cooking and it was indeed a learning experience for me. I’d gotten a lot of new ideas to incorporate into my cooking.

Dessert spread

We had an elaborate dessert spread. Which included pizhinja payasam, unniyapam, tender coconut payasam to name a few.

Malabar parotta veg moilee

Drumstick soup

Raw mango pakoda

Soup: Drumstick Soup made from drumstick pulp infused in coconut milk.

Starter : raw mango pakoda

Main course :

Avial, Veg Moilee with Malabar parotta (very soft) Vishnu Kanji, Kaalan (yam),Olan(yellow pumpkin/ paragikai in coconut milk), Sembu Puli Kari, mixed curry made with carrot beans and potatoes, Nendrapazham pulluserry, pacha Manga Pachadi, chakka upperi, vada kootu curry,Sambar, Rasam , Biriyani , Buttermilk, curd rice.

Dessert:

Pizhinja payasam, tender coconut payasam.

Accompaniments /sides :

Jackfruit Chips, Banana Chips, Sarkara Upperi, Unniappam, Pappadam.

Pickles:

Inji puli, kani manga, kadu manga and Nartanga.

Salads :Green salad, sprout salad, fruit salad.

Salad spread

Dessert section

The Kerala food fest is from June 21st to 30th June. Lunch and dinner buffet priced at rs 888 nett.

Timings : Lunch 12 pm-3 pm and

Dinner 7 pm -11 pm.

Where : Olives , Regenta Central Deccan.

Address : No 36, Royapettah High Road, Royapettah, Chennai at 6677 3333 or 98409 78842

June 24, 2019June 24, 2019

Review of The gorgeous dozen

BLURB
June 16th. Twenty years ago, Ricky and her friends made a promise. They would have a reunion after two decades in Pop Tate’s, a famous milkshake shop. But when the day came only two of them made it. This prompts Ricky to go on a journey and seek the ones who broke the promise.
Modern life is not very conducive to long term friendships. Circumstances and situations change so quickly that it’s difficult to maintain loyalty and keep in touch for too long. The Gorgeous Dozen is a celebration of those golden years that we have all experienced in school, when the best friendships are made. It is one person’s quest to seek friends from a time long forgotten. For Ricky, it is as much a journey of self-discovery as it is about exploring our glorious and diverse nation.

MY REVIEW

If you want to go down memory lane and take a peep into school life and the lovely memories, I’m sure you have picked up the right book.

The gorgeous dozen does rekindle those memories and makes you time travel back to those golden days of happiness and enjoyment.

To keep in touch with your friends in the era where social media was long lost friend is truly great. The book is a light and an engaging read. I got the book signed by the author on exchange for honest review as part of blogchatter book review program.

I was happy that the book chose me. Yes not making it up, I was supposed to review another book and I’m not sure what really happened, the book never came and I was offered this. And I’m glad I made no mistake of denying an opportunity to review a good read.

A promise made by the girl gang, yes this happened, happens and is still happening to be in touch no matter what happens. They make a promise to meet at the exact same place a milkshake shop after twenty years.

Did it happen? Yes, not all from the gang. So Ricky takes up a challenge to set out on a roller coaster ride to find and reunite the others. As she travels across the country and gets to know different cultures ,creed she unveils truth of how life treated the others.

The cover actually makes you relate or gives you a glimpse of what’s it all about. I loved the simple and coherent writing and yes I finished it quick at a stretch.

Ricky on one hand has a personal problem in her relationship to deal and on other hand sets out to reunite the both dozen. Does she do it ? I will leave that you to read the book.

In the world of social media , Ricky did not resort to them for the reunion. She did not depend on Retweets, reposts or likes or forwards. She set out on her own legs to get the search on.

I loved the fact that this being a debut novel the author chose to write from an opposite gender point of view and has succeeded.

MY RATINGS

Title -4/5

Plot -4/5

Writing and presentation -4/5

Cover -4/5

Overall -4/5

BOOK DETAILS

Publisher : APK publisher LLP

Length :130

ISBN -10 : 938179152X

ISBN 13 : 978-9381791523

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vivek Aiyyar is an author based in Pune. He has contributed poems and short stories to numerous publications. He has worked for a music magazine and covered rock shows and done interviews with leading Indian rock bands. He is also a movie buff and football fanatic. He balances a day job, a little baby boy and a very restless mind along with his writing.
The Gorgeous Dozen is Vivek’s debut novel. He can be contacted on vivek_aiyyar@yahoo.co.in

This review is a part of for the Blogchatter Book Review Program. The Book was sent to me for a review and all views are honest and mine.

June 18, 2019

Let’s celebrate 5 days of Diwali – Book Review

BLURB :

You know about the 12 Days of Christmas.
Now learn about the…
5 days of Diwali – India’s Festival of Lights!

In this multicultural and educational series from Bollywood Groove, join Maya, Neel and their pet squirrel, Chintu, as they visit their Aunty Eesha in India to celebrate 5 Days of Diwali.

Kids will learn about Dhanteras (day 1), Choti Diwali (day 2), Diwali (day 3), Saal Mubarak(day 4) and Bhai Dooj (day 5) through this fun and beautifully illustrated story.

Kids will also learn about food, language and cultural elements of India… all while making two new best friends!

** Book Includes: **
INFO-ZOOM: The Diwali Story
INFO-RECAP: Pictorial summary of Diwali

MY REVIEW:

When you want to teach your kids the traditions followed during different festivals in India, Maya and Neel series is an apt way to make.them understand.

I happened to have a chance to receive the book let’s celebrate 5 days of Diwali.

The story goes about with Maya and Neel who travel from Chicago to India to meet their aunt Eesha and celebrate Diwali.

Once they land they are welcomed by aunt, who is making arrangements for Diwali. They ask aunt to explain why we celebrate Diwali.

The story of celebration of Diwali is given in a concise manner but not missing any important details.

The book explains the five day festivities of Diwali in detail with proper illustrations.

Starting with danteras,choti Diwali, Diwali, Saal Mubarak and bhaai dhooj. The book clearly explains the meaning behind each day and what is done on each day.

Kids Maya and Neel help aunt right from buying pans on danteras, preparing sweets on choti Diwali , celebrating Diwali, greeting each other on Saal Mubarak and gifting brothers on bhaai dhooj. The kids even wear traditional dress according to the occasion.

The narration is simple and is easy to understand by kids. I loved the recap part and pronunciation guide which was a great feature to help understand much in detail.

The illustrations were perfect supporting the text .

MY RATINGS :

Title :4/5

Cover :4.5/5

Plot :4.5/5

Writing and presentation :4.5/5

Overall :4.5/5

BOOK DETAILS:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ajanta Chakraborty was born in Bhopal, India, and moved to North America in 2001. She earned an MS in Computer Science from the University of British Columbia and a Senior Diploma in Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance, to feed her spirit.
Ajanta quit her corporate consulting job in 2011 and took the plunge to run Bollywood Groove full-time. The best part of her work day includes grooving with classes of children as they leap and swing and twirl to a Bollywood beat.

June 17, 2019

Review of being small

BLURB :
Being small is the worst! No one ever picks me for their sports team and my feet hurt from standing on my tiptoes all the time. There can’t be anything good about being small…right?

MY REVIEW:

How does it feel when you’re being pointed at for being small.

You’re being made to stand in front for pictures, you need a stool to reach for things when kids can do it easily by standing normally. Doesn’t that make you feel sad.

That’s the case with the little girl in the book. She pretends to be sick and tells her mom that she isn’t going to school. And when her mom asks she says how she’s feeling lonely cause she is small.

She cites examples in rhyming words which makes reading the book easier.

She cannot reach the cupboards or the sink and needs a stool. She cannot even touch ball when she’s on the team. The yardsticks that measures the height always has her name at the bottom. She’s being nicknames shortie and peanut and always looking up makes her neck hurt.

And what does mommy say to her in return to cheer her up.

Mommy says she could be the last one to get wet in rain, be the lowest in playing limbo , can squeeze herself into the photos, can sit even on the tiniest couch,has a lot of legroom in flight and can climb anywhere without bumping her head.

She encourages the kid that she has so much to offer and not to be upset with her height. The girl gets cheered up and goes to school happily.

We all know it makes us feel low when we are ridiculed for physical appearance. This book teaches how the kid could overcome such situation when you get such positive vibes from your parent.

A kid needs that kind of a positive push from us to go ahead towards their goal. These are all small stepping stones that should not hinder our journey.

A wonderfully written story in a cute rhyming manner to make reading fun and to emphasize the importance of the fact that being small is not so bad after all.

We do know that girls especially feel very conscious of their looks and this is one book that boosts your moral and gives you that self confidence to go ahead in life.

I loved the illustrations that support the text. Vanessa has done a great job.

MY RATINGS:

Title : 4/5

Plot :4/5

Cover :4.5/5

Writing and presentation : 4.5/5

Overall :4.5/5

BOOK DETAILS:

Publication date: 14 Apr 2019
Publisher: Mascot Books, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B07QMP49BN

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lori Orlinsky is a 5′ 1″ (on a good day, with heels and big hair) writer, marketing director, and mom who lives in Chicago. She was inspired to tell this story after her own real-life experiences raising two little ladies. She wishes this story was around when she was growing up.

June 16, 2019

Review of the lonely tiger

BLURB:

He looks down where the forest was And lets out a long, sad sigh. ‘Where did my home go?’ he cries.’Where and why, oh why?’

The rapidly shrinking forest has a lonesome, friendless tiger who is left with only his own shadow for company. Whom should he play with now that all his fellow tigers have disappeared?

In the tug-of-war over living space between people and the wild, where will the animals go if more forests are cut?

One Lonely Tiger illustrates this urgent threat of extinction and loss of habitat among valuable species, and asks the pressing question: are our trees, wild animals, birds and insects safe amidst us?

Gorgeously illustrated and thoughtfully narrated, this book sensitizes young readers to the pathos and loneliness of our wildlife and the ecological crisis around us.

MY REVIEW:

One lonely Tiger. The title gives you an insight of what the story would be about. With farm lands and forests being depleted for human civilization development, do we take the time to think what would happen to the flora and fauna.

We think selfishly of our development and join hands to build corporate jungles, by destroying natural jungles. Are we being fair? The animals which we teach to our kids at home saying Lion and tiger stay with families in den in the forest, have now lost their homes and family. Do we tell the kids we are in a way responsible for such fate? I hope when we read the story to our kids, we impart them knowledge about deforestation and its ill effects and also a chance for us to know what after effects take place.

Do we care about the lives of animals’ post deforestation? No.

The lonely tiger here in this book is a story of a single tiger who wanders in the forest day and night. He has no one to be with and so ends up playing with his shadow. While wandering he comes across a group of jackals and helps them in counting their tails. And then meets babbler clan, the tiger asks them about their total numbers for which they reply they would count in the air. There comes a elephant, who the tiger tickles on climbing the trunk. The elephant laughed, helping the tiger up, but it fell down as the elephant wobbled.

Tiger meets a wise owl who suggests the tiger stick to playing hopscotch or counting tress that would make him fit to be a tiger. The tiger loving the idea begins hopscotch counting from one. HE is being cheered by the animals and when he counts to ten, he hears a loud noise of the lumberjack cutting down trees. This leaves our tiger worried that he would have no more trees to count.

So the sad tiger takes off to space to count the stars, craters on the moon and then to mars. He is being photographed by the skies, thunder and lightning. Does he feel lonely up there? Oh of course yes. When he is lonely among the stars he looks at his home on earth and cries where did the forest go and why?

And all the animals call out to him saying more trees are planted and to come back. Now after reading the book we realize that the tiger leaves its own habitat just because his home is being destroyed by selfish humans. Shouldn’t we be ashamed of these kind of deeds. Let’s pledge on this world environment day that we would preserve forests and pass over the wonderful wildlife for the coming generations.

MY RATINGS:

Title: 4/5

Plot: 4.5/5

Cover: 4.5/5

Writing and presentation: 4.5/5

Overall: 4.5/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A journalist and children’s author, Benita Sen has written several books – fiction and non-fiction – for children and young people. A couple of her stories have been included in English textbooks by a leading publisher. And some of her stories have earned recommendations internationally. …

June 15, 2019June 15, 2019

Book blitz – I am the 10th

I Am The 10^th (Book-1)

Genre:

Modern, historical fiction

Blurb:

Sarah, a happily married lady from New Delhi, India, wakes up one fine morning in an unknown
place. It’s not her home, not her city; it’s not even her country.

What is she doing there? How did she reach there? Where is her family?

Her search to all these questions takes her on a journey, a long journey that started way back in
the 3rd century BC, a journey where she finds out that everything she thought she knew about
her- her marriage, husband, family, home, India, even her name- was a lie.

Will she be able to find out the truth? More importantly, will she be able to handle the truth if she
finds it out?

Come and join Sarah on her journey that will take you to 300 BC and back. Witness the biggest
and the deadliest battle ever in the history of mankind that could well spell the end of humanity
and the end of this world. Experience the might of the ancient Shastras and Astras, like Naag
Pash, Brahma Kavach, and Narayan Astra.

Based in modern times, ‘I Am The 10th’ is the story of one of the oldest, and arguably the
mightiest cults that originated in India during the 3rd century BC.

Grab Your Copy @

Amazon.com | Amazon.in

About the author

D.
R. Downer is a writer, author, editor, and a ghostwriter. He has penned more
than 37 books so far, 16 of which have been published under his own name, with
the rest being ghostwriting projects. Although he has written books in varied
genres, his favourite genre is mystery and suspense and he has already
published 5 books in the same.

After
completing his B.E. (Mechanical) and M.B.A
(Marketing), Downer started his professional journey as an Executive in the
sales department of a UK based organization. Since then, he had changed over
and handled many roles and responsibilities in the Marketing & Customer
Service departments across industries. He finally shifted over to Advertising
and spent a good 11 years in the same. Later on, he found writing was his
true calling, and
now he spends hours glued to his laptop
and wonders if his wife can sue him for cheating on her with his laptop.

Other
books by the author

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June 6, 2019

Review of the jumble sale

BLURB:

Zadi is part zombie, part fairy with a little bit of robot, which makes her a misfit monster. She lives with other misfit monsters, with their quirky parts in their makeshift town. They survive by hunting at the nearby hunting grounds taking items discarded by humans and making them into something useful. Hunting is risky because they could be captured by humans. Zadi is an excellent hunter and maker, but now she’s finding it difficult.Something unusual has happened. There have been no new deliveries to the hunting grounds. This means there are no new items which can be used to recycle into something useful, and they are beginning to worry and fight with each other. Can Zadi come up with a plan which will help the misfit monsters and bring them together as a community? Enter the world of the misfit monsters, their quirky lives, and be part of their fun and adventures.

MY REVIEW :

What do we understand by the term misfit monsters? This is the first time I’m hearing of it.

Let’s take a look at the plot. A simple intriguing plot that involves a little girl, Zadi. She is a zombie , a fairy and a robot. Yes you heard me right, she’s a little of all the three . That’s the reason she is termed a misfit monster.

She with the other monsters live in a makeshift town. So how do they survive? They pull up stuff discarded by humans in hunting grounds and use them to make it into a valuable object. But this does have its own risks. They could be captured by humans. So requires a lot of cautious behaviour which Zadi exhibits and she is clever too.

But off late there is nothing discarded which chains to nothing could be hunted and made into useful object. This leads to a lot of chaos. So Zadi is worried. What does she think of to counter this problem and bring the clan together. Can she overcome the situation in a clever way and keep the misfit monsters together.

A lovely read for the middle grade section and I’m sure the kids would love to know what Zadi had in mind to tackle the situation. Zadi is cute and has a chirpy nature.

The narration is simple and easy for children to read and understand. I appreciate the simplicity of the words used.

BOOK DETAILS

Publication date: 4 Jun 2019
Language: English
ASIN: B07PVRV5XT

MY RATINGS

Title :4/5

Cover : 4/5

Plot :4/5

Writing and presentation :4/5

Overall :4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lily Rose enjoys world building and creating characters for these unusual worlds. She enjoyedcreating the misfit monsters world, and is looking forward to writing more of their adventures.

June 6, 2019

Review of strong roots have no fear

BLURB:

This book provides you with a simple framework within which you can raise your little ones to grow into empowered thought leaders in our constantly evolving multicultural world. If we raise our children with a culturally aware mindset, we need not fear the future. To that end the book focuses on building mindset with practical tips to impart Handling Big Emotions, Raising Readers, Self-Moderation, Dealing with Bullying, Navigating Friendships, Balancing Technology, Building a Global Outlook through Multilingualism, Racial Equality and much more.What you find in this book -The confidence to be intuitive as a parent. Timeless strategies for a confident mindset An honest look into mindful living.A global outlook for your multicultural family.How to be culturally sensitive and rooted within self.

MY REVIEW:

How often we search for parenting books wherein we look for real life examples? How often do we know that the author puts in her own experiences where she faced failures? Most often when I keep browsing for books on parenting, I find only those which point out a scientific reason behind the reason of behavior of the child. I could not find one where I had examples of what each parent would face.

So when there was an opportunity to review this book. I immediately grabbed it. I’ve heard of reviews about the book and wanted to read it myself. Aditi has covered the need for real life examples which were most needed by parents to understand what they were going through.

Quite a few lines from the book really made it worthy enough to be noted and followed.

Children are blank pieces of colored paper that we create timeless art on.

So they are already human beings with being different individuals. So the thought here is, you can teach them, but the decision they make at a later point of time can not only be based on what they are taught but also what they experience over the time.

Then she talks about the ongoing debate, stay at home mom vs the working mom.

I loved what she mentioned, chose whatever you want, but that should make you happy. The moment you are with the child; you are the parent. So no matter what we chose to be, it should make you happy being a parent.

Finding your tribe was one other concept I liked. We need to surround ourselves with people who make us feel good, who know what we are going through, who can be our well-wisher, who show us the right path. Most of all we should offer to be someone else’s tribe as well.

Parents need to set examples of owning up to mistakes.

When they witness us accepting emotions and work towards improving response; They tend to imitate us. They might tease us but would also make them think.

Kids making sound decisions when not around parents is what matters. And that comes from us being with them even when we are not.

The above line what does it say? Doesn’t it give you much joy when you hear kids being praised for being brought up well. Does that feel like a good pat on the back saying we deserve it? It does make you feel happy when your kids stand out, knowing what is being done is wrong and they shouldn’t join hands. Standing out in such a case is not abnormal.

The book provides you with a number of strategies to make parenting mindful and enjoyable.

I would definitely recommend the book to my fellow mommy friends. I am more clearer on what I have been doing and planning on what I will be doing.

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4.5/5

Title: 4.5/5

Writing and presentation: 4.5/5

Overall: 4.5/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Aditi Wardhan Singh is an authoritative voice on cultural sensitivity and empowerment. Featured on CBS and NBC, she is the founder of the RWC magazine encouraging other voices like hers to come forth to create unique resources for parents everywhere so children can be global thought leaders. In her spare time, she enjoys choreographing recitals, volunteering and having dance parties with her two charming kids. She also writes for various well-known publications like Huffington Post, Thrive Global, Richmond Family Magazine, and more. Visit her site RaisingWorldChildren.com.

June 4, 2019June 4, 2019

Book spotlight- Aspire to inspire

check out the schedule here

ASPIRE TO INSPIRE
by
NASREEN VARIYAWA

BLURB

Aspire to Inspire: Poems that elevate your speech is a book full of poems that defy all norms and rules for poetry writing. The authors work is packed with words that rhyme and when read with rhythm, are delightful to the tongue and ears alike. Right from the acknowledgments and dedications at the beginning of the book till the concluding statements at the back of the book, the author has aspired to be lyrical throughout. Written between 2017 and 2018 in Antalya, Turkey, all the poems in the book are simultaneously independent but connected to each other by way of the subject of leadership. Nasreen has always held that Leaders don’t need titles and aren’t necessarily from the corporate world. All people are leaders in whatever they do and so she has written a diverse range of poems that are aimed at inspiring massive action in whatever people want to do or accomplish in their lives.

In Aspire to Inspire: Poems that will elevate your speech, motivational speakers, teachers, trainers, and coaches can look forward to 100 poems that can be used at the beginning, middle and concluding parts of presentations. The author has written short but powerful poems on love, leadership, spirituality, strength, abuse, authenticity, financial management, communication, listening, heartbreak and family to name but a few. Whatever the subject, the poems embody the aspect of leading oneself in different aspects of life and living. They teach simple but powerful lessons and reach the point of the subject very quickly. Speakers using them can begin the objective of a speech quickly, make valid points during a speech by breaking the monotony and conclude just as powerfully at the end of a talk.

In an industry overflowing with advice in the form of quotes that are either overused or recycled, Aspire to Inspire: Poems that will elevate your speech is a fresh, innovative and entertaining way to influence an audience, persuade a client or simply lead passionately. The book is a must have for your coffee tables, library shelves, office desks and makes for a thoughtful gift.

Grab your copy @

Amazon.com | Amazon.in

About the author

“Nasreen Variyawa was born and raised in South Africa where she completed her Post-Graduate Diploma in Education Leadership and Management from Regent Business School. Most followers would know her as a trainer, coach and mentor. Having worked at some of South Africa’s biggest education and training brands, Nasreen has touched thousands of lives through her work.

After spending 10 years in the corporate trenches, she swapped life in suits and stilettos for the classroom and chalkboard, wander-lusting through Turkey where she now resides and teaches English as a Second Language.

Nasreen is also a graduate from Ledge International where she pursued a Mastermind Programme in the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C Maxwell.

She is the author of 4 books and hit the #No. 1 best sellers list on Amazon recently for Ignite the Champion Within and Inspire Others to Begin and Ignition: Answering your call which she coauthored with Dr. Farookh Sensei.

“

Click here to check out all the titles by the author…

You can stalk her @

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June 4, 2019

Review of Latoya’s downtown day

BLURB:

Latoya can’t wait to go downtown with her mother! She has been saving her money in her piggy bank so they can afford to go downtown. What adventures will they have when they go downtown? Find out in Latoya’s Downtown Day!

MY REVIEW:

How often do we sit down with our kids and talk to them about our early childhood days? Do we have the time? Now with technological development, kids are always with gadgets that they lose interest in our talks.

Latoya’s downtown day is warm read that portrays the relationship between a mom and her daughter, Latoya. Do children use piggy bank these days? Let’s see what Latoya does.

The book begins with her coming home with her mom after a shopping trip. They live in a multistoried apartment where they would have to climb more than flight of stairs to their home. Once they reach they lie down on the sofa and take to the floor when they hear gunshots. His describes life in Chicago’s public housing.

Latoya usually keeps the remaining amount from her shopping amount in her piggy bank. The piggy bank was the one that belonged to her mom. Her mom sat down to tell Latoya the story of how she and Latoya’s grandma would go to downtown.

Latoya’s mom would also save the pennies from shopping trip in piggy bank and when it was full, they could afford a trip downtown. A typical day at downtown would include a visit to stores trying cologne until they feel dizzy. They would have lunch at Billy burgers and then return home on the way where mommy would fall asleep in arms of grandma, that was a typical downtown day for her.

So when Latoya’s piggy bank was full she informed her mom and was eagerly awaiting her downtown day, the next day. Mom took her to Sears tower, which was much taller than their apartment. She describes about how she could see the whole town. They have a meal at Billy burgers. And then post meal, her mother takes her to her special place. She is taken to a library where she sees a sea of books. She gets her a library card where she can use it to borrow books. They come home and Latoya falls asleep, dreaming about books, taking her away from the frightening gun shots.

A wonderful book that gives you an insight of family traditions, a typical day of life in Chicago public housing, the bond between mom and daughter. Completing the book gives you a warm feeling. SO can we sit down and talk to our kids about the traditions we followed and continue following them.

MY RATINGS:

Title: 4/5

Cover :4/5

Plot: 4/5

Writing and presentation: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Patricia Moore fell in love with picture books when she taught preschool. The children’s favorite author was Dr. Seuss. His books held their attention. When she became a parent, she would create stories for her children. That started her writing picture books for children. Patricia has four picture books available on Amazon, and one coloring book. Her best known picture book is The Angel With One Wing.