JuJu the Good VooDoo Books Holiday Review and Giveaway

Mommy's Block Party Holiday Gift Guide 2013

Visiting New Orleans is on my bucket list of places to go someday. I have never been but have heard wonderful things. I think the culture, food, and whole experience will be something I will never forget. In the meantime, I will continue to read about it in a great series I was recently introduced to that was created by a self proclaimed NOLA gal through and through.

Juju the Good Voodoo is the brainchild of self taught artist, Michelle Hirstius. Michelle was born and raised in New Orleans and growing up in such an amazing place inspired her to create as both an artist and writer. After struggling with Hurricane Katrina, Michelle turned her hardships into creativity and Juju was born. To read more about Michelle, click here.

Michelle was in contact with Mommy's Block Party to showcase her series of books featuring a cute little voodoo doll named Juju. Juju is a good voodoo and comes alive with a good deeds spell. Juju's series consists of four books-"Juju the Good Voodoo", "Juju's NOLA ABC's and Fun Facts", "Juju Coloring and Activity Book", and "Juju Saves Christmas in da Bayou" and is geared for readers ages 3-11.

Our adorable package from Juju has arrived! I love that she is gracing the outside of the package in such a smiley and happy excitement. She really caught the eye of one little girl in our house.

Michelle sent us three of the books in the Juju series. The covers of all three books are bright, colorful, and show Juju in a very positive and happy light. Juju's purple hair is adorable and would draw any little girl in with just her looks. Her good attitude is what will keep you wanting to read more of her adventures.

The first book in the series is "Juju the Good Voodoo".

Published in 2012, this is the original start to Juju's story. When Marie, the Voodoo Queen, is casting spells she comes across a special doll and mixes a spell of good deeds. Juju comes alive and dances and skips and twirls in happiness. She is then sent off to put good spells on people and spread good deeds. It is a very sweet story and we can't wait to find out more about Juju's adventures. Michelle has done a great writing in a rhyming fashion and a nice job illustrating as well.

The second book in the series is "Juju Saves Christmas in da Bayou".

Also published in 2012, this is an adorable holiday story about Juju helping Santa. Santa and the elves have loaded the sleigh in preparation for Christmas day. The lists are checked and toys and coal are ready for all the children. Santa heads off to "da bayou" (I love that Michelle is staying true to the expressions and phrases used in New Orleans) and gets stuck in the swampy sludge. Juju the Good Voodoo happens to live near and comes to Santa and the reindeer's rescue. By using her good deeds spell she saves Christmas day. I really like this story and we have found ourselves reading and laughing at the silliness over and over already this holiday season.

The third book in the series is an activity and coloring book. It contains seek and finds, coloring pages, and more. This book will be included in our giveaway found below.

The fourth book in the series is "Juju's NOLA ABC's and Fun Facts".

Published in 2013 and dedicated to Michelle's city of New Orleans, this book is full of information about Louisiana and New Orleans presented in an alphabet style story. I have a collection of alphabet books because they are one of my favorite styles of writing for children. This Juju book is a great addition to my collection. Each page is filled with fun facts and phrases about things related to the New Orleans lifestyle. "B is for Beignet-Fun Fact-Beignet is French for Fried Dough. J is for Jazz-Fun Fact-Jazz has been around since 1910. One of the most famous Jazz musicians is New Orleans own Louis Armstrong. V is for Vieux Carre-Fun Fact-Vieux Carre known as the "French Quarter" is the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans". Juju does a great job explaining what each letter stands for in a precise and easy to understand manner that kids will get. I really, really like this book and learned quite a bit more about New Orleans myself.

B and S were very interested in all of the Juju books but really took a liking to the Christmas and ABC stories. Here is B giving a shot at reading "Juju's NOLA ABC's and Fun Facts.

If you are looking for a new, cute series of books for your readers, check out Michelle Hirstius' collection of Juju the Good Voodoo's good deed stories. A positive message in a cute format is what you will find. Stay tuned because a new Juju book is on its way in just a short time. I am sure it will be a great addition to the Juju series!

Want It? Buy It!
Book lovers young and old need a set of the Juju series for their own collection. You can find where to purchase them here. You can also like Juju on Facebook for photos, information, and more about Juju, especially her newest addition. Make sure to order before December 18th for holiday delivery from the Facebook page or for the safest bet, Amazon also carries the series.

Want It? Win It!

Enter to win a set of all 4 of the Juju series: "Juju the GOOD Voodoo", "Juju Saves Christmas in da Bayou", "Juju Coloring and Activity Book" and "Juju's NOLA ABCs and Fun Facts". Just use the Rafflecopter entry form below to enter to win. Remember- if the entry field appears in BOLD, it's mandatory. Open to US residents only.

Thanks to Michelle and JuJu the Good Voodoo!