book review

Board Book Review: Zoom Ocean Adventure

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Zoom by Susan Hayes
Zoom: Ocean Adventure
by Susan Hayes,  Sam Rennocks (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars


Noah goes on an ocean adventure, first snorkeling in a coral reef, then diving deep in a submarine, finding a sunken treasure, and moving into Antarctic waters.

I love the die-cut openings in this board book! Each one is like a little peek into the next adventure, and the openings are arranged very cleverly. There is also a surprise pop-out design at the end that is very cool!

The illustrations are so colorful and bright! I love the cartoony style of the art and how expressive Noah is. You can really see the action in the artwork as Noah discovers new things on every page. Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Hide-and-Seek Ladybugs

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Hide-and-Seek Ladybugs by Paul Bright
Hide-and-Seek Ladybugs
by Paul Bright (Author), Jacob Souva (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

Spots the ladybug wants to play hide and seek, but Beepo the lightning bug says that ladybugs are all too brightly colored and can’t hide well. Spots is determined to prove Beepo wrong in the most hilarious game of Hide-and-Seek ever!

I loved this cute book!!! So adorable to see the other ladybugs trying to hide, and they fail miserably because they are just too red and bright. But Spots is smart, and he has a plan to fool Beepo. I loved his spunky character!

The die-cut openings are arranged so cleverly to showcase important aspects of hiding in the story. The ladybugs try to learn how to hide from other insects and creatures. There is a brown butterfly who hides on a brown brick wall, and his wings are die-cut through to the other side of the page, making it a really special element of the story. A green caterpillar and a stick insect are also die-cut this way to emphasize how they hide in their natural environment. So clever!

The illustrations are just beautiful with lovely colors and a cute design. The little insect characters are so adorable! I love the cartoony art style and pretty backgrounds.

This book is really funny and sweet!  This book is available as a hardcover and also as a board book.

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.

Picture Book Review: The Right Place

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The Right Place by Beatrice Masini
The Right Place
by Beatrice Masini

4 out of 5 stars

When Squirrel wakes up from his winter hibernation, he has a strong feeling that his hole in a tree is no longer “the right place”. He asks all the forest animals what they think the “right place” is. The bird says a nest. The turtle just says “Inside” and goes into her shell. The mole says underground is the best place. Squirrel needs to find a way to bring all his forest friends together, because the “right place” is when they are all together.

I liked this cute book, and the journey that Squirrel takes to discover a place that feels comfortable for him and his friends. It’s a really lovely story with a good message. I like the repetition as Squirrel asks various animals the same question. Repetition is so great for young readers!

The illustrations are sweet and I like the simple designs. The colors are calming and make me feel like I’m in a cool green forest. There are some nice details in the background that make the artwork really special. Continue reading →

Activity Book Review: Paint by Sticker

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Paint by Sticker by Workman Publishing
Paint by Sticker: Create 12 Masterpieces One Sticker at a Time!
by Workman Publishing

5 out of 5 stars

This activity book has 12 beautiful designs, and hundreds of stickers in little mosaic shapes! 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.

I love the clever designs and beautiful colors! This is perfect for anytime you have some anxiety and need a calm activity.

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.

Picture Book Review: I’m NOT a Mouse!

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I'm Not a Mouse! by Evgenia Golubeva
I’m Not a Mouse!
by Evgenia Golubeva

5 out of 5 stars

Olivia hates it when her mother nicknames her “Mouse”. She feels like she turns into a real mouse every time her mother says it. She turns into a mouse while holding balloons and floats away. She turns into a mouse while roller skating and she falls inside the moving skate. She turns into a mouse while playing soccer and almost gets stepped on by her teammates. But worst of all, her mother calls her “Mouse” in front of the family cat, and Olivia gets chased by the ravenous feline! Finally, she decides to put a stop to it, and refuses to answer to the nickname at all. But as she looks around at other parents who nickname their children, she begins to realize that “Mouse” isn’t such a bad nickname after all.

The cuteness factor is off the charts with this one! The story is hilarious and sweet, and so imaginative.

Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: My Panda Sweater

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My Panda Sweater by Gillies Baum
My Panda Sweater
by Gillies Baum

5 out of 5 stars


A little girl wears her lucky panda sweater everywhere all the time, but when it gets too small, she donates it to a charity shop. She thinks carefully about the stories behind our clothing and why we might love a particular clothing item. Maybe a friend gave us that scarf, or maybe a famous relative wore that jersey. One day she sees another girl wearing her old lucky panda sweater, and the two become friends.

I loved this book! It’s so poignant and sweet. The writing style is really smooth and polished, but with a simplicity that requires only a few words to express a meaningful point. I love how this book explores the stories behind our clothing and why we attach so many feelings to our apparel. Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: From My Window

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From My Window by Otavio Junior
From My Window
by Otavio Junior

2 out of 5 stars

A boy looks out his window in his Brazilian neighborhood and describes what he sees; his neighbors, fireflies at night, a rainbow, the sunrise. He and his friends play a telephone game, fly kites, play soccer, sing funk music, and carry their books to school.

This book was okay. I liked the story and the rich Brazilian culture, but I did not like the art style. It’s too busy and the people look weird. Their anatomy is distorted in strange ways, and they have very awkward poses in each scene. Each scene has a background full of color and details that overwhelm the page. My eye couldn’t rest on any one thing. A lot of the background details look like they are copy and pasted onto the scene. Every bird looks the same as the other birds, just copy and pasted and zoomed to be larger or smaller. On EVERY page. Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: The More We Get Together

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The More We Get Together by Celeste Cortright
The More We Get Together
by Celeste Cortright,  Betania Zacarias (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars


This book gives new verses to the song “The More We Get Together” following themes of environmentalism. There is a verse about biking to save fuel, recycling, helping those less fortunate, getting involved in the community, keeping a garden, and having a community potluck.

I really liked that the verse about activism depicts children writing a letter to share their ideas with their leaders. The lyrics say, “Cause your voice is my voice, and my voice is your voice. The more we come together, the stronger we’ll be.” If we are all free to express our different ideas in healthy and legal ways, we will truly be stronger like the song says.

The illustrations depict a lot of diverse people from all ages and races, working together as a team to make the world a cleaner and better place. I love the positive messages in this book!
Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Cuddle Close, Little Koala

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Cuddle Close, Little Koala by Danielle McLean
Cuddle Close, Little Koala
by Danielle McLean

5 out of 5 stars

Little Koala gets lost in the forest and searches for Mommy Koala at bedtime. All the other baby animals are snuggling in for a good night’s sleep with Mommy Wombat, Mommy Emu, and Mommy Platypus. When they try to soothe Little Koala with a hug or a lullaby, it just isn’t the same as a hug or lullaby from Mommy Koala.

This picture book is adorable! Cute Little Koala is so sweet, and she’s very polite to all the other animals mothers who try to sing to her or tell her a bedtime story. She says thank you, but thinks to herself that it isn’t the same as a lullaby or story from her own mother. The whole story is just lovely! Continue reading →

Non Fiction Review: The Sleep Workbook

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The Sleep Workbook by Renata Alexandre
The Sleep Workbook: Easy Strategies to Break the Anxiety-Insomnia Cycle
by Renata Alexandre

5 out of 5 stars

This book begins with an analysis of why people might have trouble falling asleep, and explains different sleep disorders. Then the author uses cognitive behavioral therapy to gently guide the reader into a better sleep pattern that will leave you feeling refreshed and energetic.

There are several sleep assessment quizzes you can take to determine some of the causes and details of your sleep issues. This really helps to pinpoint personal habits you might have that are hindering your sleep, or specific anxieties that are keeping you awake at night.

At the end of each section there are some journal prompts and room to write your thoughts about your sleep journey. There is also a sleep log that you can fill out to keep track of your sleep patterns. Continue reading →