book review

Picture Book Review: ‘Twas an Evening in Bethlehem

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'Twas an Evening in Bethlehem by Jenelle Leanne Schmidt
‘Twas an Evening in Bethlehem
by Jenelle Leanne Schmidt (Author), Sierra Klein  (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

The child of an innkeeper in Bethlehem shows Mary and Joseph to the stable, bringing them some blankets and cleaning out the animals’ trough to be used as the manger for the baby. In the middle of the night, the child hears a baby crying and sneaks out to the stable to visit the Christ-child. Angels are singing in the heavens, a bright star shines over the stable, and local shepherds come to worship. The child is proud to be a part of the miracle of Jesus’ birth, and keeps the King close in their heart.

This book was so sweet and lovely that it actually made me cry while I was reading it! So adorable, it really touched my heart. Despite the simplicity of the story, it has deep spiritual undertones that are sure to speak to the reader in a profound way. Continue reading →

Graphic Novel Review: The World According to Francois

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The World According to François by Vincent Zabus
The World According to François: The Writer’s Secret
by Vincent Zabus,  Renaud Collin (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Francois is a little boy with a big imagination. He is always writing down stories and telling them to his classmates and teachers, but the bullies in school make fun of his stories and his teachers are exasperated with him. He meets a mysterious woman who tells him that he has a magical power over letters of the alphabet and can command any book to do his bidding. An evil man has seized control of the letters, and only Francois can restore balance to the secret world of authors.

I loved Francois’ character! He has a good heart and enjoys using his intelligence to fantasize about other worlds and magical creations.

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Picture Book Review: Do You See What I See…

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Do You See What I See... by Sandi Gore Evans
Do You See What I See…
by  Sandi Gore Evans, Amanda Evans

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

A little rabbit named Bun-Bun can’t sleep. She looks up to see a bright star moving through the sky and decides to follow it. She is joined by Happy the red bird, Baa-Baa the lamb, and a snowman with heart buttons. Together they follow the star through the forest and valleys until they arrive at a stable, where they worship the newborn King of Kings. But as they move into the stable, the snowman begins to melt in the warmer air! Can Bun-Bun save her snowman friend before he’s completely gone? Continue reading →

Non-Fiction Review: Christmas Paper Crafting

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Christmas Papercrafting by Thaneeya McArdle
Christmas Papercrafting: Holiday Cards, Gift Tags, and More!
by Thaneeya McArdle

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

This crafting book contains templates and cut-outs for gift tags, postcards, holiday greeting cards, decorative envelopes, bookmarks, small posters to frame, and scrapbook paper. The illustrations come in many different styles and colors, all with festive patterns, snowmen, gingerbread houses, Christmas bells, Santas, reindeer, mittens, and Christmas trees. There are even a few postcards you can color!

I love the colorful illustrations and styles. Each page is so bright and merry! The paper is thick and heavy, making it perfect for mailing the post cards or using as background for a photo book. Each page is double-sided, so for some things you would have to choose which side you wanted to use. The pages also have perforated lines that make it easy to tear out and use! Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Dasher

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Dasher by Matt Tavares
Dasher: How a Brave Little Doe Changed Christmas Forever
by Matt Tavares 

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Dasher and her reindeer family are prisoners at a traveling circus, and they tell stories about the cool snow and clear stars of the North Pole. Dasher daringly escapes and searches for the North Pole, using the North Star as her guide. She meets a man dressed in red, struggling to deliver toys to children with only one horse to pull his sleigh. Dasher agrees to help him deliver the toys, and wishes that her family could enjoy the beauty and freedom of the North Pole.

I loved this book! The story is sweet and touching, and the illustrations are beautiful!
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Activity Book Review: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt: Christmas

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We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Candlewick Entertainment
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt: Christmas Activity Book
by Candlewick Entertainment

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

This sticker activity book features Christmas crafts, sticker pages, cookie recipes, games, and activities for children.
There are charts for counting down the days to Christmas and even a weather chart to keep track of the weather each day. Some of the crafts include masks, bird feeders, table setting cards, snowflake paper chains, and a Christmas wreath.
The games include a Christmas treasure hunt for indoors; exploring for leaves, pine cones, and bird feathers in the outdoors; as well as on-paper activities like a word search or puzzle.

My favorite part of this book are the coloring stickers that are left blank so you can color them in yourself before using them on the sticker activities. There is even a page that prompts you to write your own holiday song!

These look like such fun activities to do with children at Christmas time!
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Picture Book Review: Santa’s Secret

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Santa's Secret by Denise Brennan-Nelson
Santa’s Secret
by Denise Brennan-Nelson,  Deborah Melmon (Illustrations)

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

One little girl is on a mission to discover who Santa really is. Is it the Santa in the mall, the Santa from the Christmas Parade, or the Santa with a bell and a donation bucket? Or could it be a bearded old man in a coffee shop? With notebook and pencil, she asks penetrating questions as she sleuths around to find the answers. Can she crack the case and discover the REAL Santa?

The illustrations are colorful and festive, with a charming pencil style. The background of each page has interesting details that add to the story. For instance, the Santa in the mall has “Peppermint Beard Oil” stashed behind his Santa chair, along with a book about “How to be a Good Listener” and a toy catalog. So cute! Those details really make this story special. Continue reading →

Non-Fiction Review: Super-Quick Colorful Quilts

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Super-Quick Colorful Quilts by Wilkinson Rosemary
Super-Quick Colorful Quilts: 35 Vibrant Designs for Fast Quilts
by Wilkinson Rosemary

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

This quilting book gives instructions for 35 gorgeous quilt designs. The illustrations and photographs clearly demonstrate each design, and the instructions are easy to follow through each step. There are some general instructions in the beginning of the book about how to choose fabric, cut shapes, add binding, and quilt by hand or by machine. This is excellent for beginners!

The quilt designs are divided into sections with “Fresh Colors, Vivid Colors, Bright Colors, Pastel Colors, and Primary Colors”, but each design could be used with any color or pattern that the quilter desires. Each design is shown with 5 different options for fabric alternatives and color schemes that match or work well with the type of design. Continue reading →

Non-Fiction Review: The Rebels and Revolutionaries of Sound

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Playlist by James Rhodes
Playlist: The Rebels and Revolutionaries of Sound
by James Rhodes, Martin O’Neill (Goodreads Author) (Illustrations)

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


James Rhodes writes about classical music and features seven revolutionary composers who changed the landscape of music forever. With chapters on Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Schubert, Rachmaninoff, and Ravel, this book outlines how music developed over time, and how each of these extraordinary musicians overcame the challenges of their era to create beautiful music that still resonates with musicians today.

I was really intrigued by the wild and colorful artwork depicting each composer, with elements of their time and items representing their music pasted into a chaotic blend. Bach is depicted with grand church buildings behind him, and Mozart has angels, flowers, and sunshine around his head like a halo. Chopin has a flaming heart on his chest, and a piano next to him being destroyed by sledgehammers. Rachmaninoff has butterflies and tigers, along with a diagram of a massive hand. (He had really huge hands; the bane of all pianists who try to play his piano compositions.) Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Peppa Pig and the Christmas Play

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Peppa Pig and the Christmas Play by Candlewick Press
Peppa Pig and the Christmas Play
by Candlewick Press

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Peppa and her school class are planning their Christmas play. Peppa wants to be a Christmas fairy in the play, and she invites Santa to attend at the school along with all the parents. But Santa is very busy. The schoolmates see him at malls, grocery stores, garden centers, and even at the tree shop. Peppa is sure he will be able to come to their school play, but Madame Gazelle, their teacher, warns Peppa that Santa might not come. The show must go on, even if Santa doesn’t make an appearance.

This adorable picture book has a simple storyline perfect for little children. The writing is easy to read and excellent for beginning readers.

The first part of the story describes what each of the schoolmates will be for the school play, and all the animals prepare their costumes as snowflakes, reindeer, elves, a Christmas tree, and a Christmas star. Suzy Sheep wants to be a Christmas nurse, so she can doctor anyone who is sick at the play! It’s so cute! Continue reading →