Testimonials | Reviews | Posts - The Adventures of Big Sil

Kelly’s Thoughts on Things – Perfect Gift for Moms, Kids, Pet Lovers, and Grandparents

“I was looking for a good book idea for my grandson. he loves to read. He loves being read to. So I happened onto Big Sil Books.

We love to travel so finding these books were perfect for us. Each book is about Big Sil, an American Pit Bull who travels into each state and take pics while he travels. I got 4 books…We started reading The Adventures of Big Sil, New York, NY because Mason, my four year old grandson has visited there last summer. He was excited to look at the glossy brilliant photos and tell me about the places he saw when he was there.

I read the books to him and he told me about the pictures in his own words. We were both learning things as we read each book. I truly loved to see his excitement in reading and learning from these books.” Full Review at Kelly’s Thoughts On Things blog.

–Reviewed by Margaret Porter

Mumbling Mommy Book Review

“Travel was on my mind when A.J. Bennett, the author of The Adventures of Big Sil, contacted Mumbling Mommy to see if we would review her book series.

Each book features a lovable dog named Sil who is magically transported to a well-known U.S. location (New York City, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Philadelphia are currently available). Simple rhymes and charming mixed media illustrations introduce readers to the landmarks and culture of the featured cities.

At the start of each story, Big Sil wags his tail and jumps into his owner’s travel book to begin an adventure in a new town. My children enjoyed the fact that the main character was a dog and we all loved the artwork. The illustrations are a combination of photographs and cartoon-like drawings. The photos help you get a feel for what the location really looks like, while the drawings keep the fantasy elements of the story alive.

As we read each story, we looked at a U.S. map and found the city Big Sil visited. We looked at how far it was from our home and discussed whether Mommy and Daddy had been there before. My favorite book was the one about New York City because that is a city I never grow tired of visiting. The kids liked the pictures of the busy streets and Central Park. They were intrigued by images of Times Square and the city skyline at night. Honestly, sharing the book with them made me excited to take them to the Big Apple one day!

These books were fun, especially if you have a personal connection to one of the cities. The illustrations are unique and the text is suitable for young readers.” Full Review at Mumbling Mommy.

–Reviewed by Karyn Cole is the lucky mom of 2-year-old girl/boy twins

Story Monsters Ink Magazine Book Review

“Big Sil is a real-life, loving, and loyal American Pit Bull Terrier. He loves adventure, and in his series of travels, he shares the highlights of the major cities he visits. While once considered “America’s dog,” the pit bull is now ranked among the most abandoned. A portion of the proceeds of these stories is donated to Pit Bull charities. Other titles in the series include The Adventures of Big Sil Phoenix, AZ and The Adventures of Big Sil Los Angeles, CA.”

–Reviewer: Darleen Wohlfeil, November 2016 Issue Story Monsters Ink

Studio D News

“Imagine, discover and explore America in a new educational children’s book series, led by a loveable rescue dog, Big Sil. A portion of the proceeds are donated to pit bull rescue.

The Adventures of Big Sil Children’s Books help kids discover great places around America while raising awareness for dog rescue.” Full Post at StudioD Here!

Scottsdale Mom’s Blog

“The Adventures of Big Sil is a new adventure book about Sil the dog. Sil travels all around Phoenix, Arizona, discovering new places and exploring. SMB loved receiving copies of the book to share with our little ones. They loved the fun pictures and hearing all about Sil.

Thank you so much to the authors for sending us this book! You can get your copy here or learn about other of Sil’s adventures!” Full post at Scottsdale Mom’s Blog Here!

ThatOddMom Jessica S. Parmer

We sponsored a giveaway on thatoddmom.com and here’s what Jessica S. Parmer had to say!

“The text is short but informative, introducing kids to landmarks and places of interest in each city. I particularly love how the pages combine illustrations with real photographs. The books are a great way to gently introduce geography to young children and look forward to any future installments.

I was actually hoping to keep our copies tucked away until we started our new homeschool year next week, but my girls found them and love them. My 7-year-old was captivated by the illustrations and photographs and my older daughter enjoyed them, even though they are far above her reading level, just as much.” Full review here!

LA Biz Business Journal

“Imagine, discover and explore America in a new educational children’s book series, led by a loveable American dog, Big Sil. Author A.J. Bennett teamed up with local artists in this debut work, The Adventures of Big Sil” Full story here!

AZfamily.com

“Author A.J. Bennett teamed up with local artists in this debut work, The Adventures of Big Sil. Created with a unique combination of illustration and photography, Big Sil jumps into adventures visiting art and culture icons across American cities starting in New York, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.” Full story here!

TheMommyRundown.com

“New Children’s Book Series Celebrates America Through The Love Of Art, Animals, And The Imagination.”

“Big Sil is a real, loving American Pit Bull Terrier. Once considered “America’s Dog”, the pit bull is one of the most abandoned dogs today. A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to pit bull charities.” Full story here!

Teacher Kathy Spiech

“I love these books because they introduce geography, history, and the arts in a fun and imaginative way, at an early age. As a teacher, that’s important to me.” Kathy Spiech is a retired teacher of Hicks Elementary School Houston, TX.

THE ADVENTURES OF BIG SIL REVIEWS

Great must have children’s book

This is a great children’s book. I bought it for my nephew and he loved learning about new cities with his adorable new doggy friend “Big Sil “. I found it very educational and informative with beautiful life like pictures. It is short and sweet but packed with lots of great useful information. I recommend buying the New York version. I am anxious to buy the rest of the series and explore all the wonderful places Big Sil goes. This is a must have for animal lovers and travelers alike

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Great memory of LA trip

Perfect if you are looking for kids books about Los Angeles. Big Sil the dog magically jumps into a picture book and begins an adventure in Los Angeles where he visits the Griffith Observatory, the Tar Pits, Paramount Studios, the Walk of Fame, and even goes surfing. The book merges color photography with illustrations in a very unique way. It’s great for the kids to see exactly what each place looks like and it’s done in a fun way with Big Sil the dog illustrated into each photo as he travels along on his adventure.

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Big Sil early childhood stories

AJ Bennett is an amazing talent that is making her publishing debut with a big splash. Across america children will engage and be a part of Big Sil’s imaginative travel adventures. Her books increase early childhood literacy and are changing America’s views about pitbulls, their lovable nature and pet adoption, one story at a time. These stories have purpose and deserve a place along side the beloved literary works of Curious George and Clifford books, just to name a few favorites!

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The Adventures of Big Sil helps kids discover great places all around America and dream of their own adventures. If you love Big Sil’s adventures, tell us about it!