book review

Activity Book: Paint By Sticker Dogs

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Paint by Sticker by Workman Publishing
Paint by Sticker: Dogs
by Workman Publishing

5 out of 5 stars

This activity book has 12 beautiful designs, and hundreds of stickers in little mosaic shapes! Each design shows a different breed of dog running, playing, fetching a ball, swimming, or cuddling. It’s so easy to put the stickers into place, and the finished product looks wonderful. It’s very relaxing and helped me to get creative. You really feel a sense of accomplishment when you finish!

The stickers are sturdy and easy to remove from the sticker sheet. The colors are vibrant and it’s simple to follow the instructions to find the right placement for each sticker. I really loved that the pages are perforated, so that you can tear out the sticker sheet or the design or both. That way you don’t have to keep flipping back and forth in the book. Continue reading →

Book Review: Princess Pistachio Treasury

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Princess Pistachio Treasury by Marie-Louise Gay
Princess Pistachio Treasury
by Marie-Louise Gay

4 out of 5 stars

This treasury includes “Princess Pistachio”, “Princess Pistachio and the Pest”, and “Princess Pistachio and Maurice the Magnificent”.

In the first book, Pistachio is convinced that she is actually a kidnapped princess. She receives a mysterious crown in the mail, and believes that her real parents, the king and queen, will be coming to take her away to a palace. When she wears her crown to school, the other children make fun of her. Eventually, Pistachio learns to appreciate her family even if they aren’t royalty. She even learns to love her bratty little sister, Penny. Continue reading →

Manga Review: Silver Spoon, Vol. 3

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Gin No Saji, Vol. 3 by Hiromu Arakawa
Gin No Saji, Vol. 3 (Gin No Saji, #3)
by Hiromu Arakawa

4 out of 5 stars


Hachiken attends an agricultural high school even though he has no interest in pursuing an agricultural career. In this 3rd volume, Hachiken is conflicted about his favorite pig, Pork Bowl, being sent to the slaughterhouse. He has to work through his feelings about raising animals for slaughter, and it brings up a lot of debate among his classmates. He works hard to earn the respect of his teachers and classmates, and his thoughtfulness and kindness draws people to him.

This manga is hilarious! The characters are fun and some of them are really silly. After their summer break, they all come back to school with renewed energy and more of a sense of class unity. I really love the character dynamics and their friendships. Continue reading →

Manga Review: Silver Spoon, Vol. 2

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銀の匙 Silver Spoon 2 [Gin no Saji Silver Spoon 2] by Hiromu Arakawa
銀の匙 Silver Spoon 2 [Gin no Saji Silver Spoon 2]
by Hiromu Arakawa, 荒川 弘

4 out of 5 stars


Hachiken attends an agricultural high school even though he has no interest in pursuing an agricultural career. In this second volume, he discovers an old brick oven, and his classmates beg him to make homemade pizza for them. Hachiken has to find all the right ingredients, and even bribe the teachers to get cheese for a huge pizza party. If he can pull it off, he’ll be the most popular guy in school.

This manga is hilarious! The characters are fun and some of them are really silly.

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Picture Book Series Review: Timo’s Garden, Timo’s Party, Timo Goes Camping

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Timo's Garden by Victoria AllenbyTimo's Party by Victoria AllenbyTimo Goes Camping by Victoria Allenby
5 out of 5 stars
These children’s books are completely adorable! I loved every single one, and was very impressed with the lovely writing. The artwork is beautiful, and the stories are really special and sweet.
These books would be perfect for young readers who are just starting to read short chapter books on their own. Each “chapter” is 4-7 pages long.
Keep reading to read my review of each book!

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Book Review: The First Crystal

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The First Crystal by J.M. Bergen
The First Crystal
by J.M. Bergen 

3 out of 5 stars

This short story follows the villains of the Elandrian series, Arius and Arriana, as they search for a mysterious crystal and have to survive the booby traps of an ancient cave to retrieve it.

There wasn’t much to the story other than getting past the booby traps, and showing how heartless and power-hungry Arius and Arriana can be. I would have liked a longer story with more meat on it. For instance, how did they know which was the right cave to search? The story begins just outside the cave, and we never get to see the actual search. Continue reading →

Baby Book: Al Galope!

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AL Galope! by Rufus Butler Seder
Al Galope!
by Rufus Butler Seder

5 out of 5 stars

The animals gallop, strut, run, jump, fly, swing, flutter, and swim across the pages. Each animal is brought to life as the illusion moves when you move the page. The butterfly is my favorite, because its wings look so delicate.

Los animales galopan, pavonean, corren, saltan, vuelan, balancean, revolotean y nadan a través de las páginas. Cada animal es llevado a la vida cuando la ilusión se mueve cuando mueve la página. La mariposa es mi favorita, porque sus alas parecen tan delicadas.

This book is so clever! I’m very impressed with the illusions and how clean the design is. So simple and yet so entertaining.

¡Este libro es genial! Estoy muy impresionada con las ilusiones y lo limpio que es el diseño. Tan simple y a la vez tan entretenido. Continue reading →

Baby Books: Te Amo, Bebe; Hola, Granja; Bebe, Vamos a Comer

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Indestructibles by Stephan Lomp
Indestructibles: Te amo, bebé / Love You, Baby
by Stephan Lomp (Illustrations), Amy Pixton (Creator)
5 out of 5 stars
All of these baby books are so cute! I love the sweet illustrations and simple designs.
¡Todos estos libros de bebés son tan lindos! Me encantan las ilustraciones dulces y diseños sencillos.
They are all available in both Spanish and English. These editions are bilingual, with the Spanish and English text side by side.

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Board Book Review: Danza Del Corral, El Libro del Ombligo, Cachorro Carinoso

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¡Danza del corral! / Barnyard Dance! Spanish Edition by Sandra Boynton
Cachorro cariñoso / Snuggle Puppy! Spanish Edition by Sandra Boynton¡El libro del ombligo! / The Belly Button Book! Spanish Edition by Sandra Boynton
These sweet board books by Sandra Boynton are in Spanish, but are also available in English. Or vice versa.
I can’t stop laughing! These books are so hilarious! I love the cute illustrations and the bright colors in the art.
¡No puedo dejar de reír! ¡Estos libros son tan graciosos! Amo las ilustraciones adorables y los colores brillantes en el arte.

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