Elijah Goes to Cleveland Review & Giveaway & Fun Facts About Cleveland

 

Disclosure: I am working with The Children's Book Review and Mark Darden. I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I will receive a small stipend for my review. All opinions are my own.

Have you ever been to Cleveland? It is not a place that I have visited although I have been to a few cities in Ohio. Today I am sharing a picture book with you that takes us virtually all over the city of Cleveland. The book is Elijah Goes to Cleveland by Mark Darden and illustrated by Anh Bui. 

Information about the Book:

Elijah Goes to Cleveland Written by Mark Darden & Illustrated by Anh Bui

Ages 4+ | 32 Pages

Publisher: Buckeye Muscle Media | 9871736703007

Publisher’s Synopsis: Elijah is in Cleveland visiting his grandparents when he finds out that his favorite music band will be performing at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The tickets are free, but there is a catch: You have to do a scavenger hunt to find band members at various landmarks throughout Cleveland. With the help of his grandparents, will Elijah be able to secure tickets to see his favorite band perform? Pick up a copy of Elijah Goes to Cleveland to find out.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Darden is an author, sports travel blogger, and Chief Content Creator for Buckeye Muscle Media, LLC. Since 2017, Mark has documented his sports travel adventures on his blog, buckeyemuscle.com. Originally from Cleveland, Mark’s first book is IT’S GAME TIME FOLKS!: Quest for 30, a travelogue of his journey visiting all 30 MLB ballparks during the 2017 season. He is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA).

For more information, visit https://buckeyemuscle.com.

From Me:

The story is about a boy, Elijah, visiting his grandparents in Cleveland. There is a contest by his favorite band to win tickets to their concert. Elijah gets his grandparents to take him all over the city in hopes of winning the tickets. As they go, they have to figure out riddles to know where to go and it gives the reader information about Cleveland and some of the sights to see there. They go to the Public Square to see the Moses Cleaveland statue, the West Side Market, the Karamu House, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Edgewater Park, and Wade Lagoon at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The band's concert is at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. As you can see the reader learns about several places throughout the city. 

The story itself is sweet. It shows the love of family as well as love of music. The grandparents are willing to drop everything to connect with their grandson. The day is full of sightseeing even though it wasn't planned. Overall, I think it is fun day for all three of them. The book is well written and well illustrated. It honestly makes me want to visit Cleveland. I guess this is why I decided to look up some fun facts about Cleveland for you! Check out the fun facts and grab a copy of the book or enter the giveaway to win one!

Cleveland Skyline June 2017 Source: Erik DrostDerivative work: ForestCityCle216, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Fun Facts About Cleveland:

1. Cleveland was the first city to be lit by electricity. Charles Brush of Cleveland is crediting with lighting the Public Square in 1879. 
2. The first electric traffic signal was placed at the intersection of Euclid Avenue and East 105th Street in Cleveland on August 5, 1914.
3. Cleveland was home to the first indoor mall, the Arcade, in 1890. It is still open to this day!



The Arcade Mall Source: LeeG7144, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

4. The first rock concert was held in Cleveland in 1952! Admission was $1.50 and it was called the "Moondog Coronation Ball." Cleveland is also home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
5. The term rock & roll was coined in Cleveland by local disc jockey, Alan Freed. He called his program Moondog Rock and Roll Radio Hour. 
6. Chef Ettore Boyardee opened a restaurant in Cleveland in 1924. When customers began asking for his recipes, he got the idea to can his food.  
7. Superman was created in 1933 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster while they were attending high school in Cleveland.
8. Cleveland had the first blood transfusion in 1905.
9. Cleveland elected the first Black major city mayor in the country, Carl B. Stokes, in 1967.



Bob Madison Shakes Hands with Newly Elected Mayor, Carl Stokes Source: Nohop, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons



10. Cleveland has the largest outdoor chandelier in the world. It has 4,200 crystals. It is outside in Playhouse Square which is the second largest performing arts center in the United States. 



Playhouse Square Chandelier Source: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons



11. The city of Cleveland got its name from its founder, General Moses Cleaveland. A local newspaper didn't have enough room to include the first "a" on its masthead and, the new spelling stuck!

Sources:

Amanda. Cleveland Traveler. "12 Fun Facts About Cleveland That Might Surprise You." (28 Apr 2021) 12 Fun Facts About Cleveland That Might Surprise You (clevelandtraveler.com)

Battles, Connor. Only in Your State. "10 Fun Facts About Cleveland You Never Knew Were True." (9 Jan 2017) 10 Fun Facts About Cleveland (onlyinyourstate.com)

Case Western Reserve University. "5 Fun Facts You Probably Didn't Know About Cleveland." (22 Jul 2021) 5 fun facts you probably didn't know about Cleveland | Features | Case Western Reserve University

History.com Editors. History. "First Electric Traffic Signal Installed." (13 Nov 2009) https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-electric-traffic-signal-installed

Giveaway:

Enter for a chance to win one of ten autographed copies of Elijah Goes to Cleveland—5 books will have a gift card to one of the following places: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Museum of Art, West Side Market, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Karamu House! Good luck!

Five (5) winners receive:

• A signed copy of Elijah Goes to Cleveland
• A gift card to one of the following places: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Museum of Art, West Side Market, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, or Karamu House!

Five (5) winners receive:

• A signed copy of Elijah Goes to Cleveland

Elijah Goes to Cleveland: Book Giveaway