New Children’s Books to Read in the New Year

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2020. Can you believe it is on our horizon? Just saying it seems a bit surreal! As we look ahead to new beginnings, let’s cozy up with our little ones while reading these exciting new children’s books that are perfect for a chilly winter day.

Disney Stories for 3 Year Olds

By Studio Fun International

From Peter Pan to 101 Dalmatians, three-year-olds will be introduced to wonderful Disney adventures in Disney Stories for 3-Year-Olds! This treasury includes fourteen classic Disney stories retold and simplified for a younger audience. With the same spirit as the extended versions and paired with colorful illustrations, this book is perfect for parents introducing their children to classic Disney adventures or retelling favorites With fourteen stories to choose from, your little ones will love to snuggle up to a favorite Disney classic story anytime!

Yum Yummy Yuck 

by Cree Lane and Amanda Jane Jones

In their hip and often humorous Instagram accounts, Amanda and Cree Jones invite the world into their life with two young kids. Now, the Joneses are sharing another experience–the struggle to keep their kids from putting everything they see into their mouths. Using simple, bright illustrations, irresistible colors, gentle repetition, and a lighthearted tone, this stylish board book teaches babies and toddlers what they should and shouldn’t put in their mouths. Delectable treats like an ice cream cone, a pear, and a donut are interspersed with not-so-yummy things kids find irresistible–like coins, boogers, and sand. Facing pages display the correct use of these items– boogers go in tissues, coins in a piggy bank, and sand in a bucket. Designed to appeal to modern parents, this durable and attractive book will have kids and their parents going back to it and sharing in the fun of all the delicious and disgusting things kids like.

Taxi Ride with Victor 

by Sara Trofa and illustrated by Elsa Klever

This sci-fi inspired taxi trip will have kids roaring with laughter. Victor is everyone’s favorite extraterrestrial taxi driver, but he has a big problem. His memory is terrible! He can never remember his way around the galaxy. When he drops off his passengers at the wrong locations, there are some unexpected and hilarious high jinks. Elsa Klever’s wonderful drawings incorporate every day experiences–like going to the dentist, the library, or the post office–into otherworldly scenes with friendly aliens, talking clouds, grumpy ghosts, and an enormous octopus. The book offers gentle lessons about friendship and opportunity, and children will want to join Victor again and again on his funny, mixed-up, and carefree rides.

A Dragon on the Roof 

by Cecile Alix and illustrated by Fred Sochard

A brave young girl, a whimsical house, and a ticklish dragon help young readers see the world through Gaudí’s eyes. Set in Casa Batlló, one of Antoni Gaudí’s most renowned buildings, this joyful story introduces young readers to the architect’s work, inciting their curiosity and imagination along the way. While her nanny is sleeping, young Paloma hears a noise. She climbs the stairs of her house until she reaches the roof, where a dragon is perched. Unafraid, Paloma reaches out to pet the dragon–but he is ticklish, and as he laughs, he spews a myriad of sea animals that he had unwittingly swallowed. The house is transformed into a dreamy aquarium and the dragon settles into a deep sleep on the roof. Cécile Alix’s playful story and Fred Sochard’s boldly graphic illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to Gaudí’s exuberant vision. As readers make their way through Paloma’s home, they are introduced to its fabulous elements–columns shaped like elephant legs; marine-inspired tiles, glass, and ironwork; and of course the spectacularly undulating, iridescent roof, which resembles a sleeping dragon. The end of the book includes a brief history of Gaudí’s career and provides helpful background to Paloma’s story. Kids will want to linger over the pictures and imagine what their own house would be like if a dragon were living on their roof.

What’s Cooking at 10 Garden Street 

by Felicita Sala

This delightfully illustrated children’s cookbook offers a global menu of dishes to share with friends, family, and neighbors. Something delicious is cooking in the old apartment building on Garden Street! Pilar is mixing gazpacho, Monsieur Ping is stir-frying broccoli, Señora Flores is preparing a pot of beans, and Josef and Rafik are rolling meatballs. Other neighbors are making mini-quiches, baba ganoush, dhal, and peanut butter cookies. When they’re all finished cooking everyone gathers in the garden to enjoy a delicious meal and each other’s company. Each inviting spread in this storybook offers a recipe from a different culinary tradition. Dishes that kids love, like guacamole, spaghetti, and banana bread are interspersed with others that include less familiar ingredients, such as mirin, tahini, and turmeric. The recipes explain how each dish is made and come with fun and detailed illustrations. Combining simple, fresh flavors with recipes from around the world, this book will nourish and inspire budding cooks while whetting the appetites of their more experienced helpers.

Frankie’s Food Truck

By Educational Insights and Illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti

Frankie’s Food Truck serves a different shape of food every day. On Mondays, Frankie serves squares. What kinds of foods are shaped like a square? Lift the flaps to unveil all sorts of tasty treats, learning about shapes and days of the week as you go. From a square piece of toast to a slice of watermelon in the shape of a triangle, readers are invited to see how many shapes and foods they can find on each spread.

Peg + Cat: Up a Tree

By  Jennifer Oxley and Billy Aronson

Peg has a BIG PROBLEM. She is up in a tree with her yo-yo and can’t get down! Luckily, Cat is down below and eager to help. He finds two long poles and some short pieces of wood and ties them all together. But when his makeshift ladder sways and falls, Peg has to pull Cat up, and now they have an even bigger problem. Can their friend Ramone make the ladder’s vertical sides go up and down and the horizontal steps go straight across so they can get down safely? Could Peg’s yo-yo skills come in handy after all? What goes up must come down — somehow — as Peg gets stuck high in a tree and Cat and Ramone try to come to the rescue.

KeeKee’s Big Adventures in London

by Shannon Jones

Join KeeKee, the globe-trotting calico kitty, on her latest brilliant adventures in London. Along with her friend Willamb Sheepspeare, she whisks readers through the majesty of England’s capital city—from Big Ben to Buckingham Palace to a proper English tea. Explorers big and small will have a jolly good time trying out fun British expressions, peeking into royal culture, and navigating London’s beautiful streets on a double-decker bus.  What’s meaningful to me is that I have been to London many times, so sharing this book with my children has been incredibly exciting as we pore over the pages. Plus, the author lives in our current city!

BigFoot Activity Book: Wacky Puzzles, Coloring Pages, Fun Facts, & Cool Stickers

by D.L. Miller

Have a BigFoot fan in your home? Following the success of D.L. Miller’s BigFoot seek-and-find books, publisher Fox Chapel Publishing, under the imprint Happy Fox Books, is proud to introduce a new BigFoot activity book aptly titled BigFoot Activity Book: Wacky Puzzles, Coloring Pages, Fun Facts, & Cool Stickers. The author notes, “It’s not just an activity book—it’s a way to teach children about the world through recreational learning.” 

Ultimate Slime: Extreme Edition

by Alyssa Jagan

Yes, your kids can take their slime to the next level! In Ultimate Slime Extreme Edition, you’ll find 100+ new, awesome, borax-free slime recipes and projects from slime master Alyssa J of @CraftySlimeCreator!

Frozen 2: Make Your Own Bath Bombs

by Jennifer Malone

Frozen fever is real again after the hit movie came out a few weeks ago! Learn formulas, practice ratios, combine chemicals, and use the scientific method to form bath bombs that are uniquely Frozen 2 and uniquely yours!

Learn to Draw: Frozen 2

by Walter Foster Junior Creative Team

So simple and fun, the step-by-step drawing exercises in Learn to Draw Disney Frozen 2 will have you drawing Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, Sven, and the new characters from Disney Frozen 2 in no time!

*Books were generously provided for review. All thoughts expressed herein are my own.*

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BENJI AND THE GIANT KITE Giveaway

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Have you ever wanted one thing – just one thing – more than anything else in the world? A toy? A new bike? A computer game? Did you imagine that this one possession would make you incredibly happy – forever? For Benji that one thing is an enormous orange kite. In BENJI AND THE GIANT KITE (Clavis Publishing; August 2018), bestselling author Alan C. Fox tells the enchanting story of a young boy who learns that possessing something is not quite as meaningful as letting it go.

In His Illustrated Children’s Book, BENJI AND THE GIANT KITE, Bestselling Author Alan C. Fox Focuses On Perseverence, Dreams, and Letting Go

BENJI AND THE GIANT KITE, with illustrations by Eefje Jujil, is the second in Alan Fox’s series of picture books. The first, BENJI AND THE 24 POUND BANANA SQUASH, was named a notable children’s book of 2017 by Booklist magazine and has become a much-loved story for youngsters and parents alike.

Alan Fox explains that like all of his books, “BENJI AND THE GIANT KITE is based on a real-life incident. This one happened when I was a child. I decided to tell the story, because I wanted to share the sense of achievement I felt by working hard to obtain something I really loved. But once I saw the kite flying at the beach, I wanted to let it go. My dream had been accomplished. It was time move on to another, new experience. You must always keep going to fulfill your dreams and aspirations.”

Would you like to win a copy of BENJI AND THE GIANT KITE for your family? From August 1st – August 5th, 2018 you can enter to win daily on Tiny Green Mom!

First, leave a comment below to let us know why you would love to win the BENJI AND THE GIANT KITE Giveaway!

To obtain extra entries:

Follow @TinyGreenMom on Instagram. This is only valid for one entry.

Like this post on Instagram @TinyGreenMom. This is only valid for one entry.

Follow @TinyGreenMom on Twitter. This is only valid for one entry.

Leave a comment on another Tiny Green Mom post. Leave a comment below with the name of the post you commented on. This is only valid for one entry.

The BENJI AND THE GIANT KITE Giveaway ends on August 5th, 2018 and is open to the US only. Please make sure to leave a separate comment for every each and every entry that you make so that they will count for you!

Thank you! We can’t wait to announce the winner of this giveaway!

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Tiny Green Mom’s Summer Reading List for Children

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School’s out for the summer, and to help your children stay on track with their reading, we have chosen 5 of our favorites for preschoolers and early elementary school-aged kids. These 5 titles are engaging and enjoyable… and will help pass the time on rainy summer days, too!

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Sesame Street: 5 Little Rubber Duckies

Does your child adore Elmo like my son? Little ones who are a fan of Elmo and the gang on Sesame Street will love this educational counting book for ages 2 and up, as they learn their numbers with Elmo and friends!

Sesame Street 5 Rubber Ducks_spreads-1

Join Ernie and his friends on Sesame Street as they try to find five cute rubber duckies in this engaging, hands-on board book! With touch and trace elements perfect for little hands and plastic duckies to push and count along, this book is the perfect story time activity for early learners. Also available in Spanish!

9781684121847

10, 9, 8… Owls Up Late! 

Help your kiddos learn to count with this adorable book filled with gorgeous illustrations! Ten little owls are playing in a tree, hopping and hooting happily. But Mama Owl calls from down in the nest, “It’s bedtime now; it’s time to rest.”

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Peek through the pages and spot the mischievous owls in this fun counting book, perfect for bedtime! Featuring fun rhyming text, funny illustrations and peek-through die-cut pages. Recommended for ages 3-5.

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When Fur and Feather Get Together

Do your children love rhyming books? Then they will fall in love with this newly released title, When Fur and Feather Get Together, by David Margrave!

Complete with rhyming lessons about what groups of animals are called when they get together, children will love learning things like: a group of rhinos is a crash, as assembly of owls is a parliament, and unicorns together are a blessing. At the end of the book, Margrave closes with something that applies to all of the groups, which is the beauty and meaning of family. We had just as much fun learning about the different groups of animals as our son and daughter!

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BigFoot Visits the Big Cities of the World

Help your older child avoid the summer slide, and combine reading with learning about the world’s most popular cities! Sharpen your search and find skills by locating BigFoot at his favorite metropolis. It won’t be easy! BigFoot is visiting ten major cosmopolitan destinations, from the Big Apple and London to Paris, Athens, Tokyo, Toronto, and more.

This handsome hardcover book presents each urban oasis as an immense two-page visual puzzle, full of teeming people and creatures. Your task is not only to find BigFoot and his legendary footprint, but also more than 500 other unusual and sometimes unexpected personalities and objects. Fun facts and pictures accompany each scene to help you learn more about the popular cities included in the book.

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BigFoot Goes on Vacation

Remember the Where’s Waldo series of books? The BigFoot series is similar, and just as much fun to read with your children!

In this book, BigFoot is enjoying his holiday in ten different ways, from deep sea diving and joining a balloon festival to taking a cruise, going to the beach, visiting Yellowstone National Park, and more. This handsome hardcover book presents each getaway as an immense two-page visual puzzle, full of teeming people and creatures.

*Companies generously provided review copies and cover images for this article. All thoughts expressed herein are my own.*

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In Mom’s Kitchen: LUNCHBOX SOLUTIONS

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With the kids heading back-to-school, now is a great time to start planning healthy and nutritious lunches! Say bye-bye to plain peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and hello to exciting new food combinations that young and old alike will love! LUNCHBOX SOLUTIONS is chock full of delicious recipe ideas to nurture your family’s health.

Written by Chef Kate McAloon (The Healthy Chef to numerous Hollywood stars), Therese Kerr (mother of Miranda Kerr, proud grandmother of Flynn and GM of Kora Organics), and Dr Jennifer Barham-Floreani (International award winning, best selling author and mother of four), this new cookbook features the following:

1. Informative videos explaining certain foods and health principles.

2. Over 70 step-by-step recipes that are wholesome, gluten-free and easy and incredibly tasty.

3. An extensive ‚click through Glossary‚ which enables the reader to learn about the nutritional benefits of ingredients, plus ideas on how to empower your children with this knowledge.

4. Fantastic tips on how to vastly (and easily!) improve the health of you and your family.

5. Shopping list suggestions for easy pantry stocking and online ordering.

In addition, LUNCHBOX SOLUTIONS includes information about some ingredients you may not be familiar with, such as coconut oil, agave syrup, gluten-free grains and flours. These can be easily found in health food shops and are highly recommended as health-conscious substitutes for their commonly consumed counterparts, like margarine, white sugar and white flour.

Cooking is not rocket science (although baking may be!) and you can turn all of your food battles into eating adventures with a little inspiration. Tiny Green Mom will be featuring recipes weekly from this exciting new cookbook, so if you are looking to break out of the lunchbox rut you are currently in, stop back often!

To learn more or to buy a copy of the book, visit www.chefkate.me.

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I See Me! Personalized Books Introduces My Royal Birthday Adventure

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Whisk your child away on a magical adventure on the back of a dragon or unicorn to a wonder-filled kingdom to celebrate his or her birthday! Your leading lady will love being crowned the royal princess while your little man will enjoy being a royal knight! This lovely new addition to the I See Me! Personalized Books series is filled with gorgeous illustrations that seem mystical and lend a fairy tale quality to the pages. “Mom” especially enjoyed not only personalizing the book throughout with her daughter’s name, but placing all of the names of the important people in her daughter’s life on the guest invitation inside the book. What an extra-special touch!

This is truly one of the best personalized books that I See Me! has created to date and it will definitely become a family favorite in “Mom’s” house. The illustrations alone are fabulous, and little ones will love seeing their name throughout the pages of the book.

 

To learn more about I See Me! Personalized Books, or to order a wonderfully unique gift for a special child in your life, please visit ISeeMe.com.

*Company generously provided a review copy and images for this piece.*

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I See Me! Personalized Board Books Introduces the My Very Happy Birthday Book

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Looking for an extra-special gift and keepsake for your infant, toddler or preschooler’s birthday? You are in luck – the popular I See Me! Personalized Board Books has just debuted two new books for boys and girls on their big day! Made in the USA, My Very Happy Birthday is an adorable personalized hardcover book with durable board pages, created especially for babies and toddlers. Read-along with your little one as Mouse, Duck, Turtle, Bluebird and their friends come together to prepare a birthday celebration and cake for your little boy or girl. Senders can add their personal touch to this beautifully illustrated book with a personalized cover and a printed dedication – the website allows the sender to choose from a wide selection of special dedications for the birthday child.

Written by award-winning author Jennifer Dewing and illustrated by Mati Rose McDonough, My Very Happy Birthday is gift that will be read over and over again as children love to hear their name being read aloud and see it in print on the pages! In addition to My Very Happy Birthday, I See Me! offers a variety of charming and engaging personalized stories, including My Very Own Pirate Tale Storybook, The Super, Incredible Big Sister or Big Brother, as well as seasonal offerings for the holidays.

Learn more about I See Me! Personalized Board Books at iseeme.com.

*Company generously provided samples and images for this piece.*

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Play Baby Play!

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An engaging read-aloud story the whole family will enjoy, Play Baby Play!, the third companion board book to Baby Baby Baby! and Go Baby Go!, has the adorable fidgety baby playing in a fun-filled day with friends and family. With darling, colorful art by author and illustrator Marilyn Janovitz, this new children’s book making its’ debut in April 2012 delights little ones with an energetic tone!

Rolling on the rug

Frolicking on the floor

These little babies want

MORE, MORE, MORE!

Play Baby Play! encourages participation between baby and reader through such actions as dressing for the day, kicking a ball, and even riding a rocket to the moon, all before naptime.

Day is done

Little one

Naptime is near

Baby Baby Baby

Dreamtime is here.

The book’s delightful rhyme paired with Marilyn Janovitz’s bold and brightly colored illustrations are sure to appeal to avid little readers and their families. If you haven’t read the first two books in the series with your little ones, you may be tempted to pick up the entire set! Visit her website at www.marilynjanovitz.com.

*Company generously provided a review copy and cover image for this piece.*

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In Mom’s Kitchen: The 150 Best Indian, Thai, Vietnamese and more Slow Cooker Recipes

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Creating fragrant, tantalizing Indian, Thai and Vietnamese dishes right in the comfort of your own home, even when pressed for time, has never been easier! Going out for this type of fare can be expensive, and the dishes can be made affordably in your own kitchen with the help of a slow cooker. Just released this month, The 150 Best Indian, Thai, Vietnamese and more Slow Cooker Recipes by Sunil Vijayakar an exciting array of vegetable, fish, poultry, meat and rice dishes to suit every palate. The cookbook contains mostly curry recipes in all forms, from main dishes to side dishes. Slow cookers and curries really are a perfect match made in culinary heaven, because slow cooking spices allows them to gradually release their essential oils and fragrance, creating tantalizing and aromatic sauces while even the most economical cuts of meat becomes succulent and tender.

The wonderfully varied collection also includes more than 40 recipes for rice, chickpeas, lentils, beans and peas, in addition to tasty curries, such as these vegetarian delights:

  • South Indian Mango Curry
  • Thai Red Curry with Pumpkin
  • Cumin Potato Curry
  • Channa Masala
  • Spiced Eggplant Dhal
  • Saffron Rice
  • Creamy Spinach & Tomato Dahl

You’ll also find delicious and creative twists on accompaniments, such as Apple & Mango Chutney or Chile & Tomato Chutney, along with slow cooker know-how such as preparing various types of food for the slow cooker. You’ll delight in the authentic, sumptuous dishes, not to mention the vast amount of time you’ll save in the kitchen.

Making its’ debut this March 2012, The 150 Best Indian, Thai, Vietnamese and more Slow Cooker Recipes can be purchased online at Amazon.com and found at Barnes and Noble stores nationwide.

*Company generously provided a book copy and cover image for this piece.*

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The Bear Went Over the Mountain

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Little ones will love cuddling up for a bedtime story with this beautifully illustrated version of The Bear Went Over the Mountain (Sky Pony Press April 2012) by storyteller Iza Trapani! In muted colors that remind you of a watercolor painting, The Bear Went Over the Mountain tells an entertaining tale in a rhythmic way that kids will adore reading (or singing!) again and again!

A bear goes over the mountain to see what he can see, hear what he can hear, smell what he can smell, touch what he can touch, and taste what he can taste; what a busy bear! When he sets out on a sunny morning in spring he uses all five of his senses to explore the world around him. He smells a skunk (yuck!) and sweet honeysuckle vines (yum!). He sees dragonflies and fuzzy ducklings, he hears crickets chirping, he touches a soft flower blossom, and more! When the chill of autumn comes creeping up over the mountain, he goes back to his cave for a snuggly sleep.

This delightful children’s tale will be available April 1st, which is perfect for tucking in an Easter basket, as well! In addition to this new children’s book that is destined to become a classis, Iza Trapani also artfully wrote and illustrated The Itsy Bitsy Spider, which has sold over one million copies to date.

*Company generously provided a review copy and image for this piece.*

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In Mom’s Kitchen: What Color is Your Smoothie?

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It’s easy to get your recommended servings of veggies and fruits per day during National Nutrition Month with this smoothie-licious cookbook by Britt Allen Brandon! Serving up a quick, healthy way to consume fruits and vegetables every day, What Color is Your Smoothie? From Red Berry Roundup to Super Smart Purple Tart—300 Recipes for Vibrant Health offers exciting combinations that are delightfully simple to whip up!

Inside this new cookbook readers will find delicious, easy-to-make recipes such as:

• Strawberry Guava Smoothie—bright red guava is packed with vitamins A and C. It also contains heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and belly-filling fiber

• Clever Carrots with Spice—orange carrots are full of beta-carotene which prevents cancer, arthritis, and cardiovascular disease

• Pineapple Banana Cream—yellow bananas are rich with carotenoids which can decrease the likelihood of lung cancer

• Spicy Spinach Smoothie—dark green veggies contain phytochemicals which can protect our eyes by keeping your retina strong

• Blueberry Blast Smoothie—blue and purple foods contain flavonoids which help prevent short-term memory loss

“Mom” and her daughter start their day every morning with a peanut butter and “jelly” smoothie, so this new cookbook is definitely shaking things up in the kitchen! Organized by color, it is easy to find one that includes a fruit or vegetable you are wishing to enjoy that day! One of the recipes that looks intriguing for breakfast is the Wake Up and Smell the Smoothie!

Wake Up and Smell the Smoothie

Ingredients

2 oranges, peeled and deseeded

2 bananas, peeled

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

1 cup ice

Preparation

1. In a blender, combine the oranges, bananas, and 1 cup coconut milk with 1/2 cup ice, and blend until thoroughly combined.

2. While blending, add remaining coconut milk and ice until desired consistency is achieved.

What Color is Your Smoothie? From Red Berry Roundup to Super Smart Purple Tart—300 Recipes for Vibrant Health (Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.; March 2012) by Britt Allen Brandon, CFNS, CPT, with Nicole Cormier, RD, LDN can be ordered online at Adams Media Store.

*Company generously provided a review copy and image for this piece.*

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