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Reviewed by Amy M. O’Quinn

Tony Chestnut, the award winning song from The Learning Station, comes to life in this wonderful picture book by Laurie Monopoli. Tony and his younger sister, Eileen, are new in town and begin attending a school where everyone already knows and plays with each other on the playground. Will there be room for two more?

As they sit on the yellow bench watching everyone having fun, Eileen begins to cry and Tony can’t seem to make her feel better. Nothing seems to work, until. . .shy Tony jumps up on the bench and begins to SING! Then the most amazing thing happens! His song captures the attention of the children on the playground, and they all begin to sing along and move to the motions of the Tony Chestnut song! And of course, there is a happy ending as they all play together and realize that when it comes to friends, there is always room for more!

The Book About Tony Chestnut is a wonderful addition to The Learning Station repertoire, and children will love the story that goes along with the hit song. The fun and catchy lyrics, paired with the witty and whimsical body movements (Toe, Knee, Chest, Nut, Nose, Eye, Love, You) are sure to be a hit with kids and adults alike! And of course, Neil, Pat, Bob, Russell, and Skip also make the story, song, and movements extra enjoyable as well.
I really like this book because it emphasizes family love and unity. Tony is concerned because his sister, Eileen, is sad about leaving her old friends and starting a new school where everyone seems happy with the way things already are. When she begins crying, Tony puts aside his own fear and shyness and tries to make her feel better. By stepping outside his comfort zone and singing his fun, catchy song, he not only helps Eileen smile; he makes new friends in the process.

The delightful (high quality) storybook comes with a CD that includes several audios of the story with different ‘turn the page’ signals, discussion questions, and the Tony Chestnut song. In addition, the illustrations by Wendy Sefcik are colorful and engaging. Great story/song. Great illustrations. A perfect combination! Highly recommended!

Title: The Book About Tony Chestnut (Includes Read-Along and Sing-Along CD)
Written by: Laurie Monopoli
Illustrated by: Wendy Sefcik
Hardcover: 48 pages
Publisher: Hug-A-Chug Books; First edition (March 1, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0615311393
ISBN-13: 978-0615311395

For more information about this book visit www.tonychestnut.com or www.learningstationmusic.com

Welcome to day four of Laurie Monopoli’s 6-day NWFCC February Author Showcase tour.

Excerpt from my article: Setting the Stage to Self-Promoting Your Children’s Picture Book

I equate publishing a book to giving birth to a child (obviously a female perception) -- a painstaking process that culminates into a unique, celebrated reflection of oneself. Publicly promoting something that is dear to heart can range from moments of sheer bliss to bouts of disappointing misery. After all, it’s comparable to placing a precious newborn in front of the world to be judged, dissected and scrutinized. You can (and you will) sing the praises of your own book until the cows come home, and still not sell many books. Kudos from reputable reviews sources and notable awards serves a valuable role in the promotion and overall success of your book. So it’s worth the risk to get it out there for some open scrutiny. Read the complete article here:

http://www.bloggingauthors.com/blogging_authors/2011/1/20/setting-the-stage-to-self-promoting-your-childrens-picture-b.html

Follow Day 5 of Ms. Monopoli's tour tomorrow at www.suzannelieurance.com/blog. Leave a comment and your name will automatically be entered to win a Three Angels Gourmet Co mug and a package of Divine Dill Dip Mix - at the end of the month, provided by the National Writing for Children Center.