The Only Lonely Fairy
by Lana Button (Goodreads Author), Peggy Collins (Illustrator)
Leah wants to play fairies, but none of the other children seem to want to play with her. They have their own friends to play other things. Leah is so busy feeling sorry for herself and being upset about her loneliness, that she doesn’t even notice that Allie likes fairies too. When she finally stops being so dramatic about being lonely, Leah looks around and discovers that there are plenty of friends to play with.
I just love Leah’s character! That is exactly what I would have done as a child. I would have gone into dramatic overdrive, creating this whole tragic story about my dreadful loneliness. And I would have been so caught up in my own pitiful narrative, that I would have missed the opportunities for friendship all around me. Haha! This story is brilliant!
I love the cute illustrations and the soft art style! The designs for the characters really bring the emotions into the forefront, but also has a comedic element that allows the reader to laugh at Leah’s overly-dramatic personality.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
If You See a Bluebird
by Bahram Rahman, Gabrielle Grimard (Illustrator)
Ali and his family have had to leave Afghanistan as refugees. Now they are living safely in Canada, but Ali still misses his old home. His grandmother tells him that if he sees a bluebird, he should make a wish and it will come true. Ali wishes the war would stop, so that his family could go home. But his grandmother tells him that “home” is not a place, but being with the people we love. Ali learns to appreciate his new home and finds comfort in the presence of his family.
I love that this book addresses a difficult subject with grace and compassion. Ali is such a sweet and sensitive child, and his grandmother is gentle with him. The focus is on the little things in life that make us feel safe and cared for. The grandmother tells Ali that her wish has already come true, because they are all safe and together.
The illustrations are really beautiful and I love the graceful art style!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
The Imaginary Alphabet
by Sylvie Daigneault
This alphabet book describes different animals doing wild and wacky things surrounded by objects and other animals all starting with the same letter. We start with “Agile Alligators Attempting an Arabesque” all the way to “Zippy Zebras Zigzagging out of the Zoo”. But my favorite is the “Quick-tempered Quails Quarrelling in a Queue”. At the back of the book is a list of other items in each illustration that start with that letter, so you can make sure that you found them all. In addition to the quails, Q has a queen bee, quiche, quill, and a quilt.
I loved this weird and fun alphabet book! The illustrations are very colorful and full of energy. Each illustration is like a treasure hunt to see what items you can identify in the background. The designs are really clever!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
Luminous Libro 