Picture Book Review: Looking for Sleep

Posted by

0

Looking for Sleep by Georgiana Deutsch

Looking for Sleep
by Georgiana Deutsch, Megan Tadden (Illustrations)
5 out of 5 stars

Wolf can’t get to sleep, and thinks that sleep must be hiding from him. He goes searching for sleep in the forest, and recruits some other woodland creatures to help him. They look in a yawn, they look in a lullaby, and they even look in Badger’s dreams. But only when they are quiet and still will sleep finally find them.

I loved this adorable story and the sweet idea of searching for sleep like a thing to be found!

Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Nothing Scares Spider!

Posted by

0

Nothing Scares Spider! by S. Marendaz

Nothing Scares Spider!
by S. Marendaz, Carly Gledhill (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

Little Spider wants to have an adventure, but her other insect friends are afraid to be left alone. She leaves a long string of web behind her so that they can tug on it to call her back in case of an emergency. But they keep interrupting her adventure just when things get dangerous.

Continue reading →

Book Review: The Maze of the Menacing Minotaur

Posted by

0

Zeus the Mighty by Crispin Boyer

Zeus the Mighty: The Maze of the Menacing Minotaur (Book 2)
by Crispin Boyer
4 out of 5 stars
Zeus is a hamster who rules over the Olympian gods, who are pets in an animal shop. Demeter, a little cricket, assists Zeus as he investigates the maze below the Olympian shop. Athena, the cat, and Ares, the dog, prowl around to find clues about how to defeat the blazing minotaur whose heat is making the entirety of Olympus swelter and sweat. But it is Poseidon, the ruler of the underwater kingdoms of fish tanks, who takes charge just when the Olympians are ready to give up.

I loved this second book in the series! It’s such a funny and imaginative story. I loved the parallels to old Greek myths and adventures. This time Zeus goes on a quest to find a spear that will help him defeat the Minotaur just as Theseus did in Ancient Greece.

Continue reading →

Book Review: The Boatman’s Daughter

Posted by

0

The Illustrated Boatman's Daughter by Tom Durwood

The Illustrated Boatman’s Daughter
by Tom Durwood (Goodreads Author)
2 out of 5 stars
In 1860s Egypt, Salima helps her father with his ferryboat business, but she longs for more education and wants to travel and see the world. Hoping to make some money to pay for school, she applies for a clerk position with a company overseeing the construction of the Suez Canal. She becomes entangled with the corruption and danger surrounding the various European and Egyptian powers struggling for control of the new canal.

The writing style is really excellent, and made me care deeply about the characters. However, it could use a copy editor for little things like punctuation.

The plot was exciting, and the adventure was interesting. However, there were times when I couldn’t understand why the plot took the direction it did in some scenes. It wasn’t clear why the characters chose to do what they did, or how they got to a certain point, or how they gained particular knowledge. It was just some little things that didn’t quite add up, but it didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the overall story.

Continue reading →

Mystery Book Review: Three Act Tragedy

Posted by

0

Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie

Three Act Tragedy (Hercule Poirot, #11)
by Agatha Christie
5 out of 5 stars

A minister falls over dead at a cocktail party, apparently poisoned. However, there is no poison in his glass. The host is determined to discover what happened, but everyone dismisses the idea that a kind and innocent minister would be the victim of murder. Even Poirot finds it unlikely, and proclaims a verdict of natural causes. But a second act unfolds which changes everything.

Agatha Christie is such a genius! I had no clue about who the murderer was. I was completely surprised! And yet, it all fit together perfectly. In retrospect, it all made sense and every little detail of the plot came together for a satisfying ending.

Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: The Night Walk

Posted by

0

The Night Walk by Marie Dorléans

The Night Walk
by Marie Dorléans
5 out of 5 stars

Two children are awakened in the middle of night by their parents who lead them on an evening hike into the countryside. Through the village, past the fields of sleeping cows, and into the woodland, they walk slowly, enjoying the peace of the night and the light of the stars above them.

The graceful beauty of this simple book almost brought me to tears. I am in despair that I can never write a review that will capture the absolute glory I experienced while reading it. I wish I could give it 10 stars!

Each new landscape that we discover along the hike is like a magical new scene of wonder and beauty. The stars, the trees, the wildlife, the silence, the warm night air, and the chirping of crickets; all these things weave a spell of tranquil harmony around the reader.

Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: You Can Be a Farmer, Too!

Posted by

0

You Can Be a Farmer, Too! by Becky Davies

You Can Be a Farmer, Too!
by Becky Davies, Charlotte Bruijn (Illustrations)
5 out of 5 stars

Emily enjoys playing on the farm and helping to feed the animals. But Noah thinks the farmyard is too loud and scary. He’s afraid of the cows, and horses, and even some of the larger pigs. But Emily knows a way to make the farm fun and safe. She helps Noah to start small with some little chicks, and introduces each barnyard animal one at a time, until Noah feels safe and confident enough to make friends with a massive cow!

Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: This is Not My Hat, El Ladron Del Sombrero

Posted by

0

El Ladron Del Sombrero by Jon Klassen

El Ladron Del Sombrero
by Jon Klassen
5 out of 5 stars

Un pececito entra nadando con un sombrero que no es el suyo. Se lo robó a un pez mucho más grande mientras dormía. Pero seguramente ese pez grande no se despertará pronto. Y seguramente el pez grande no podrá encontrar al pececillo ladrón mientras se esconde entre las algas. ¿Correcto?

¡Este libro de imágenes es adorable! Con muy poco texto, teje una divertida historia sobre la imposibilidad de escapar de las consecuencias de tus tontos crímenes. ¡El pececito es tan divertido!

Algunas personas pueden oponerse a un libro para niños en el que el robo se trata con tanta ligereza y humor, pero yo entendí que era como un niño pequeño que “roba” la ropa de sus padres. Es como un niño que huye de sus padres y se “esconde” a plena vista, riendo detrás de una manta, esperando a que lo encuentren.

Me encantan las ilustraciones sencillas y el estilo minimalista. Con expresiones efectivas, el arte aporta humor y profundidad al cuento.

Keep reading for the review in English!

Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: La Burrita Baldomera

Posted by

0

La burrita Baldomera by Ismael F. Arias

La burrita Baldomera
by Ismael F. Arias, Enrique G. Ballesteros, Ayesha L. Rubio (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

Una burrita hace un amigo humano, Ismael, y disfrutan juntos de la paz del campo. Pero un día Ismael no regresa, y el burro se entristece y se pregunta a dónde podría haber ido su amigo.

Este libro ilustrado está inspirado en hechos reales, cuando el autor estuvo en cuarentena durante la pandemia de Covid-19 y no pudo visitar a su amigita en el campo. El cuento es dulce y emotiva, y una adorable amistad animal.

Me encantaron las ilustraciones suaves con colores atractivos y amplias escenas campestres. ¡El estilo artístico es absolutamente hermoso!

Keep reading for the review in English….

Continue reading →