Graphic Novel Review: Tekis

Tekis by Gómez

Tekis
by Gómez

4 out of 5 stars

Tres chicas se unen como inventoras para descubrir cosas nuevas e inventar aparatos especiales. Un invento ata tus zapatos. Se supone que otro invento te cepilla los dientes, pero no funciona. Las niñas envían su caballo de juguete a Marte en un cohete, pero el caballo de juguete desaparece. Ahora están en una misión a Marte para salvar su juguete favorito. En el camino, usan todos sus inventos para ayudar en su aventura.

¡Esta es una novela gráfica tan linda! La historia es imaginativa y divertida. Me encantaron las chicas inteligentes y sus actitudes amistosas. Son ingeniosos a través de todas sus aventuras. ¡Hay tantas escenas divertidas que me hicieron reír!

Keep Reading for the Review in English!

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Picture Book Review: Sneaky Shadows

Sneaky Shadows by S.C. Manchild

Sneaky Shadows
by S.C. Manchild, Sam Caldwell

3 out of 5 stars

The reader is prompted to guess what animal is making the shadow. On the next page, the animal is revealed, but it isn’t always what you might think. A shadow that looks like a camel is actually a llama balancing two jellies on their back to look like humps! A shadow that looks like an elephant’s trunk is actually a swan’s curvy neck.

Some of this book was really cute and funny, some of it was weird and strange. There is a shadow of a gorilla and a snake kissing. The text says they are “young and in love” and “spend most of the their time kissing.” That doesn’t seem quite appropriate for a children’s picture book. I mean, there’s nothing particularly wrong with it, but it’s just weird.

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Board Book Review: Where Are You, Little Pig? (Spanish and English Editions)

Where Are You, Little Pig? by Margarita Del Mazo

Where Are You, Little Pig?
by Margarita Del Mazo, Laure du Faÿ

1 out of 5 stars

The wolf searches for little pig in the tree, behind the rock, and in the house. The reader can see little pig hiding, but the wolf cannot. Little pig keeps running to a new hiding place, but when the wolf finally finds him, little pig says, “I told you I don’t want to play hide and seek anymore!” and little pig runs away from the wolf.

I’m not really sure what is going on in this board book. I don’t get the joke. I guess we are supposed to be worried that the wolf is chasing the pig for nefarious reasons (to eat him or blow down his house like the Three Little Pigs story), and then we are supposed to be relieved and find it funny that is was actually just hide and seek all the time. But that wasn’t really clear.

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Non Fiction Book Review: 5 Minute Really True Stories for Family Time

Britannica's 5-Minute Really True Stories for Family Time by Britannica Group

Britannica’s 5-Minute Really True Stories for Family Time: 30 Amazing Stories: Featuring baby dinosaurs, helpful dogs, playground science, family reunions, a world of birthdays, and so much more!
by Britannica Group

4 out of 5 stars

This book gives true stories about traditions around the world for celebrating birthdays, weddings, and funerals. We find out about different types of trees, animals, and dinosaurs. There are sections about food and table manners in different cultures. We learn about the history of the bicycle, camping, playgrounds, and amusement parks.

I liked the cute illustrations in this book! The art style is colorful and clear, and the designs are really attractive. There is an illustration of a lesbian couple being married in the chapter about weddings.

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Non Fiction Book: How to Teach Grown-Ups about Pluto

How to Teach Grown-Ups about Pluto by Dean Regas

How to Teach Grown-Ups about Pluto
by Dean Regas

4 out of 5 stars

This book explains the history of planet discoveries and why the decision was made to make Pluto into a dwarf planet. You will learn how objects in space are classified as asteroids, comets, dwarf planets, moons, and of course the eight planets.

I loved the attractive design of this book! The artwork is so cute and fun, and Pluto is depicted as this scrappy little ice planet guy with a happy expression. I love that the book sort of personifies the planets in a funny way! It makes the features of the planets and other space objects really memorable.

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Non Fiction Review: Return to Factopia

Return to Factopia! by Kate Hale

Return to Factopia!
by Kate Hale

4 out of 5 stars

This gives amazing facts about everything under the sun (and beyond) with colorful artwork and photos on every page. Each fact connects in some way with the previous fact, leading you around in a trail of random information that is sure to grab your attention.

I love the attractive design of this book! Every page is so colorful and bright.

The facts are short and easy to read quickly. I wish that some of them had further explanations though. Many of the facts didn’t make sense to me and needed some more information added to them. Some of them are more theories than facts, since there is no way they can be proven.

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Non Fiction Review: Pet That Cat!

Pet That Cat! by Nigel Kidd

Pet That Cat!: A Handbook for Making Feline Friends
by Nigel Kidd, Rachel Braunigan (Contributor)

5 out of 5 stars

This book will give you instructions for how to approach a cat, make friends, and start petting that cat! There are sections about caring for cats, the history of cats, famous cats around the world, how to choose a cat for a pet, and ideas for naming your cat. There is even a personality quiz so you can match your personality to your cat! There is also a “cat tracker” where you can write in the cats that you meet and what breeds of cats that you see.

This book is so adorable! I love the attractive design and the sweet artwork. Every page is so colorful, and all the kitties are so cute!

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Non Fiction Review: Kid Trailblazers

Kid Trailblazers  by Robin Stevenson

Kid Trailblazers : True Tales of Childhood from Changemakers and Leaders
by Robin Stevenson (Goodreads Author), Allison Steinfeld (Illustrator)

1 out of 5 stars

All leaders start out as kids who want to change the world for the better. This book gives short biographies of some famous leaders and how their childhood shaped their dreams.

There are sections about “democracy”, “black lives”, “our planet”, and the “power of art”.
I found the writing to be extremely biased toward the political left, and I was disappointed that the biographies were not given in a balanced way. This book basically reads like political propaganda, ignoring the real issues and reinforcing political lies from the media.

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Shakespeare Review: Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

Much Ado About Nothing
by William Shakespeare

5 out of 5 stars

My favorite of Shakespeare’s plays! I love the interaction between Benedick and Beatrice!

This play is just so witty and fun. It always makes me laugh every time I reread it. The dialogue is snappy and the plot flows along quickly. It is such an easy one to read because it really grabs your attention.

The characters are vibrant and real. I love Beatrice’s character so much. She truly feels like a real person to me. There is so much depth to her personality, and I love the way she tries to act all tough in public, but really she has a gentle heart.

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Book Review: FootNail: Genesis Awakens

Footnail by Howard Haugom

Footnail: Genesis Awakens
by  Howard Haugom, Akorede Adekoya, Ken Steacy (Illustrator)

2 out of 5 stars

Genesis returns home from college when her grandfather dies, and discovers that he left behind an ancient relic of great mystical power: one of the nails from the cross of Christ. Genesis must protect the relic from the powers of darkness and discover the strength of her own faith.

I really liked that this book uses a lot of quotes from the Bible, and has a clear message of faith in Christ. I always think it’s a very interesting premise that the nails from the cross could be imbued with power. It’s a cool mixture of fantasy and history!

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