The Toothless Tooth Fairy
by Shanelle Hicks
Illustrated by Anca Delia Budeanu
Publisher: Mirror Publishing
Pub. Date: April 11, 2014
ISBN: 978-1612251400
Pages: 28
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

I don't accept very many book review requests from authors or publishers anymore, mostly due to the fact that I have little time to read and what time I do have is left to review books that I have signed up to review. That being said, when I saw the request to review the children's book, The Toothless Tooth Fairy, I agreed to review it, as the title alone caught my attention.

The Toothless Tooth Fairy is centered on a young tooth fairy named Bella, who is participating in the Miss Tooth Fairy Smile Contest that is being held on Cloud Nine. She is favor to win this year, but the meanest tooth fairy in the world, Zelda, has a plan on stopping Bella from winning.

After a presumed accident occurs, Bella looses a tooth and she can't win the contest without a perfect smile. With the tooth missing, Bella goes on the hunt for a new tooth. She plans on borrowing a tooth from a sleeping child that is scheduled to loose a tooth, but things doesn't go as she had planned.

Tarzan: Special Edition
Directors: Chris Buck & Kevin Lima
Voice Cast: Tony Goldwyn, Minnie Driver, Rosie O'Donnell, Glenn Close, Brian Blessed, Lance Henriksen, Wayne Knight, Nigel Hawthorne
Studio: Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 12, 2014
Retail: $29.99
ASIN: B00K5ZXIZY
Running Time: 88 minutes
Rating: G
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

The 1999 Disney classic animated film Tarzan is getting the Blu-ray treatment on Tuesday, August 12. The film is directed by Chris Buck & Kevin Lima and features the voice talents of Tony Goldwyn, Minnie Driver, Rosie O'Donnell, Glenn Close, Brian Blessed, Lance Henriksen, Wayne Knight and Nigel Hawthorne. Bonus Features include deleted scenes, Research Trip to Africa, The Making Of The Music, "You'll e In My Heart" Music Video Preformed by Phil Collins and DisneyPedia: Living In The Jungle.

Based on the story Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the first animated version of Tarzan blends traditional animation with 3D backgrounds. Set during the 19th Century off the shore of Africa, an English couple barley escapes their burning ship. The take refuge in the rainforest by building a treehouse, where the plan on raising their son. Out of nowhere, a lioness, Sabor, invades the treehouse and murders the couple.

A female gorilla, Kala, hears the cries of the baby boy and comes to his rescue just in the nick of time to stop Sabor from claiming another victim. Sabor is the one that murdered Kala's child a few days before. Despite her mate's (Kerchak) objections, Kala claims the child as her own, naming him Tarzan.

Tarzan grows up as an ape and becomes best-friends with a gorilla named Terk and an elephant named Tantor. Shortly after he enters adulthood, human explorers invade their camp, leading Tarzan to meet the English woman, Jane. While Jane and Professor Porter are fascinated with Tarzan, their their hunter-guide Clayton isn't impressed. Actually, Clayton is planning on caging the apes and selling them.

This month, I have songs about books on the brain. Last week on Daily Mayo, I made a list of 12 hit songs that are inspired by books.

Today, I decided it would be fun to look and see if any songs feature the writing process. Although a lot of songs have literary themes, few that I found actually were specifically about writing.

The best songs about writing that I uncovered are listed below:

Party for the Fight to Write-- Atmosphere

This song is about the writing process- mainly about the struggle to be a good band, but much of the lyrics can also apply to prose writers. The chorus and a few significant lines feel like references to the writing process- and in one line he references the book The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton.

Biggest reference to writing: “And he said some got pencils and some got guns, some know how to stand and some of them run; we don't get along, but we sing the same song – party for the fight to write, and write on.”

Open Book – Cake

This song is more about a boyfriend not knowing how to read his girlfriend than it is about actually writing, but there are plenty of lyrics that could be taken literally.

Biggest reference to writing:

"She's writing, she's weaving
Conceiving a plot
It quickens, it thickens
You can't put it down now
It takes you, it shakes you
It makes you lose your thought"

Losing It—Rush

Losing It is basically about the fear of failure and never quite reaching your dreams- as it happens to most people. In the song, a dancer and a writer are both mentioned. Rush sums up the point of the song with the lines:

Hercules: Special Edition
Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker
Voice Cast: Tate Donovan, Danny DeVito, James Woods, Susan Egan, Rip Torn
Studio: Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: August 12, 2014
Retail: $29.99
ASIN: B00K5ZXJFI
Running Time: 93 minutes
Rating: G
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray for the first time is the 1997 Disney animated classic Hercules. The film is directed by Ron Clements and John Musker and features the voice talents of Tate Donovan, Danny DeVito, James Woods, Susan Egan and Rip Torn. Bonus Features include From Zero to Hero Sing-Along "No Importa La Distancia" Music Video and The Making of Hercules.

Based on the Greek mythology, the film centers on Zeus' son, Hercules, who is kidnapped by Hade's minions (Pain and Panic). The two feed the baby Hercules a formula that makes him mortal. As a mortal, Hercules can no longer live with his parents at Mount Olympus, as it is a place for Gods only. Therefore, Hercules is left to be raised by a moral couple.

Years pass by and Hercules has grown into an adult with super strength. His foster parents inform him about his birth parents. Then Hercules sets off for the temple of Zeus, where his father leaves him a message to search for the satyr Philoctetes, "Phil." who will train Hercules to become a hero. Once he becomes a hero, then maybe he would one day be accepted into Mount Olympus, but hiding in the darkness is Hades, whom is planning on overthrowing Zeus and taking over Mount Olympus.

Arriving on DVD on later this month from ARC Entertainment is the computer-animated family Adventure Planet. The film is directed by Kompin Kemgumnird and features the voice talents of  Jane Lynch (Fox’s “Glee,” Wreck-It Ralph), Brooke Shields (Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana”), Bailee Madison (Disney Channel’s “Wizards of Waverly Place”), Drake Bell (Nickelodeon’s “Drake & Josh,” Super Hero Movie) and J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man Trilogy).

About the film:

Get ready for this amazing adventure that shows how kids can save the world! NORVA and JORPE are a gifted and loving sister and brother living in Thailand who have unique abilities to communicate with nature. They literally run into SAM, the son of the president of the Capital State, when he gets lost on a scouting expedition. Sam is impetuous and fool-hardy, but he soon learns to respect his two companions as his electronic gadgets go haywire and strange, burning objects plunge from the sky. The kids rush to the Capital State to warn the president and stop the damage, but they’re no match for the energy-hungry devices that threaten to engulf the planet. The only way to prevent the complete destruction of the world is to turn off all the power and let the earth regenerate, but how can they get the message across to everyone in time?

Adventure Planet DVD

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Transformers: Cybertron: The Complete Series
Voice Cast: Garry Chalk, Matt Hill
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: August 5th, 2014
Retail: $44.99
ASIN: B00JHH1ZYW
Running Time: 1180 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving today on DVD is Transformers: Cybertron: The Complete Series, the third and final chapter in the UNICRON Trilogy, featuring all 52 episodes on 7 discs.


The series first aired in Japan in 2005 as a reboot, but when the English-dubbed version aired in the United States, new dialogue was added to connect to Transformers: Armada and Transformers: Energon; making this a trilogy. Unlike the previous series, Cybertron blends computer-animation with traditional 2D animation.

After a black hole threatens their home-world, Cybertron, the Autobots, lead by Optimus Prime, take refuge on Earth by transforming into vehicles. Before long, they are confronted by an ancient Autobot, Vector Prime, who informs them about the Cyber Planet Keys that can help stop the black hole from destroying their planet. The keys are scattered across the universe on four planets and the only map is in the hands of the Decepticons.

Along with their three human friends, Coby, Bud and Lori, the Autobots are in a race against time to find the keys and save their planet.

The 52 episodes on the 7-disc set are:

Woman of Courage
by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Publisher: Shiloh Run Press
Pub. Date: April 4, 2013
Pages: 320
Buy Link:  Amazon

Review:

I guess it is a little predicable that I'm reviewing another historical fiction title, but I can't give you an excuses, except for the fact that I enjoy reading the genre. Two of my favorite Christian authors are Beverly Lewis and Wanda E. Brunstetter, so any time one of their books becomes available to review, I eagerly sign up to review it.

While the majority of Wanda E. Brunstetter's books are either set in the Amish or the Mennonite world, her newest book, Woman of Courage, is about a Quaker woman, Amanda Pearson, who was jilted by her fiance, Nathan. While she is upset about the breakup, she uses this opportunity to start a new life by going out west to join Rev. & Mrs. Spalding on their mission to minister the Nez Perce Indians.

Accompanied by her father and a guide, Harvey, Amanda heads west for the Lapawia Valley, but after a deadly situation, tragedy strikes, resulting in Buck McFadden rescuing her and bringing her to the home of Jim and Mary Beck, so she can heal her wounds. Despite her near death experience, she is determined to continue her missionary.