book review

Picture Book Review: Alone!

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Alone! by Barry Falls

Alone!
by Barry Falls
5 out of 5 stars

Billy McGill enjoys the solitude and the perfect quiet in his home. But a squeaking mouse disturbs the serenity of Billy’s seclusion, and Billy is determined to get that mouse out of the house! He gets a cat, then a dog, then a bear to scare it away, but the animals just stay in the house causing more and more commotion. In the midst of all that chaos, can Billy admit that he might be a little lonely and in need of companionship?

As an introvert, I enjoyed this book so much! It’s perfect for people who are independent and quiet, but might need some friends every once in a while to chase away loneliness.

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Picture Book Review: The Road Not Taken

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The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost, Vivian Mineker (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

“I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
I am in awe of how beautifully this book captures the majesty and mystery of Robert Frost’s poem. That moment of indecision- which path to take- and those moments of inspiration when you realize that your journey has led you to a place of beauty and heart’s ease; all these things are explored in this lovely picture book.

The artwork is warm and welcoming, inviting the reader into the story of a young man who is making choices in life. He grows up, gets married, and has children and grandchildren, and looks back on his journey and the choices he has made that have led him through his life. The illustrations are beautifully colored in warm yellows and oranges as the leaves fall from the trees in an autumn woodland.

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Board Book Review: 100 First Words for Little Gym Rats

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100 First Words for Little Gym Rats by Andrea Veenker

100 First Words for Little Gym Rats
by Andrea Veenker, Patrick Gray (Illustrations)
3 out of 5 stars

For the mommies and daddies who love the gym, now you can teach your toddler about getting healthy and fit! Each page of this board book has four or five words and illustrations about the gym. It covers exercise equipment, types of squats and crunches, the names of major muscles, and even nutrition and supplements.

I think this is such a fun way to introduce little kids to the importance of having a strong and healthy body! The illustrations are bright and colorful, drawing in your attention. Some of the characters in the illustrations have a funny expression, making it enjoyable and fun to read.

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Picture Book Reviews: The Little i Who Lost His Dot, and The Day Punctuation Came to Town

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The Little i Who Lost His Dot by Kimberlee Gard

The Little i Who Lost His Dot
by Kimberlee Gard (Author), Sandie Sonke (Illustrations)
5 out of 5 stars

Little ‘i’ arrives at school only to realize that he has lost his dot. The other alphabet letters try to help him find a replacement for his dot with hilarious results. Each alphabet letter brings him something that begins with their letter. Letter ‘b’ brings a balloon. Little ‘p’ presents a pretzel. Little ‘d’ dashes over with a donut. Little ‘r’ races over with a ring. It’s so cute and funny to see what crazy things the alphabet letters will suggest to replace little ‘i’s dot. I loved the whole adorable story! The letters are all so sweet to want to help, but in the end, it’s up to little ‘i’ to decide what to do.

The Day Punctuation Came to Town by Kimberlee Gard

The Day Punctuation Came to Town
by Kimberlee Gard (Author), Sandie Sonke (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

The punctuation family moves into town and begins to attend school. All the alphabet letters are confused about what job punctuation is supposed to do when they all get together to make words. They learn about exclamation point, and question mark, and period. However, little comma gets pushed to the side. He just slows things down. When things get too rowdy in the classroom, the alphabet letters learn that they need comma after all. This story is so cute and funny! Poor little comma, he’s not sure where he is supposed to fit in. It’s so adorable how the letters in the classroom learn about punctuation and make words together.

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Non Fiction Review: Friendshipping

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Friendshipping by Jenn Bane

Friendshipping: The Art of Finding Friends, Being Friends, and Keeping Friends
by Jenn Bane (Goodreads Author), Trin Garritano, Jean Wei (Illustrations)
3 out of 5 stars

This book gives advice about forming friendships as an adult. It starts with how to find people that you have something in common with, where to look for friends, and how to recognize when a new acquaintance is interested in being friends. Then there are chapters about how to navigate difficult friend problems like hosting parties, lending money, or setting boundaries. There is some good advice about being compassionate and forgiving, and how to give a proper apology.

However, I found it odd that a book about friendship had so much political propaganda in it, almost preaching leftist ideology to the reader. It would have been much better to stick to the subject of friendship instead of forcing a political agenda into the book.

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Picture Book Review: The Book No One Ever Read

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The Book No One Ever Read by Cornelia Funke

The Book No One Ever Read
by Cornelia Funke (Goodreads Author) (Illustrations)
2 out of 5 stars

One little book is tired of sitting on the shelf. He longs to find a reader. The other books are content to sit and wait, but this book is ready for an adventure. I liked the concept of books wishing to be read, and I thought the story was good. The books are caricatures of famous authors like Victor Hugo, Jane Austen, Beatrix Potter, and Alexander Dumas.

I found the artwork… unsettling in a strange way. The books look so weird and creepy! Their ghoulish little faces…. It was like some nightmare unreality of twisted forms and crooked illusions. I can’t put my finger on it, but I just hated the artwork. I could barely look at the page. I found it so disturbing that I just wanted to close the book and throw it away.

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Non Fiction Review: Ensnared in the Wolf’s Lair

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Ensnared in the Wolf's Lair by Ann Bausum

Ensnared in the Wolf’s Lair: Inside the 1944 Plot to Kill Hitler and the Ghost Children of His Revenge
by Ann Bausum
4 out of 5 stars

In the midst of Nazi Germany, a group of men attempt to assassinate Hitler. Their plan fails, and their families pay the price. Hitler is merciless in his revenge on the families and children of the men who tried to kill him. But a few of the children survive, and they are nicknamed the Ghost Children.

I appreciate this clear look at a complicated time in history, and how the nuances of the political climate in Germany were so much more complex than we can understand today. I think history tends to remember all Germans as being evil people who were complicit with Hitler’s plans, but so many of the German people were actively fighting against him from within.

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Classic Review: Emily of New Moon

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Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery

Emily of New Moon (Emily, #1)
by L.M. Montgomery
5 out of 5 stars
When her father dies, Emily goes to live with her maiden aunts at the New Moon farm. She dreams of becoming a writer someday, but her strict Aunt Elizabeth has forbidden such frivolous things as writing poetry or reading novels.

Reading this for the 12th or 13th time, I enjoy it just as much, if not more, than ever! Emily is such a sensitive and courageous little person. This book has such extreme emotions, and explores really deep feelings and experiences. Emily deals with terrible grief and fear, but also finds exquisite joy and beauty. All the characters are so vivid and interesting. They are all so different, and each person feels real. The writing pulls you into the story. The plot has something funny and weird and new in every chapter.

Such a delight to reread this old favorite!

Non Fiction Review: Kid Innovators

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Kid Innovators by Robin Stevenson

Kid Innovators: True Tales of Childhood from Inventors and Trailblazers
by Robin Stevenson (Goodreads Author), Allison Steinfeld (Illustrator)
4 out of 5 stars

All inventors start out as curious kids who love to learn and explore. This book gives short biographies of some famous innovators and how their childhood shaped their dreams. The bios include the stories of Steve Jobs, Jacques Cousteau, Florence Nightingale, Walt Disney, the Wright brothers, and many others.

There are sections about technology, exploring, codes, medicine, and trailblazers. It’s not just about inventing something new. It’s about revolutionizing how something is used, how art is created, or how people think. The history of computer codes, airplanes, wind turbines, rockets, nursing, hair products, entertainment, and a dozen other fields are explored.

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