books

Book Review: The Maze of the Menacing Minotaur

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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.

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Book Review: The Boatman’s Daughter

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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.

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Mystery Book Review: Three Act Tragedy

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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.

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Picture Book Review: The Night Walk

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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.

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

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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!

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

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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!

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Picture Book Review: La Burrita Baldomera

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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….

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YA Book Review: Lycanthropy and Other Illnesses

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Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O'Neal

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses
by Kristen O’Neal 
1 out of 5 stars and Did Not Finish
Priya has Lyme disease, and wakes up every morning with pain and fatigue. She joins a support group online with other people who have chronic illnesses, and discovers that her best friend might be a werewolf.

In the first 50 pages of this book, nothing happens at all. Well, we get to see some sweet character introductions of Priya and her siblings for about 3 pages. And Priya joins the support group. That’s it. The entire first 50 pages could have been condensed into 5 pages.

And that’s when I got bored and stopped reading. I have a rule that I have to read at least to page 50 before I will let myself DNF a book, knowing that I gave it a fair chance.

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Picture Book Review: Pablo

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Pablo by Rascal

Pablo
by Rascal
5 out of 5 stars

Pablo is a shy little chick who is too big for his eggshell. He’s not quite ready to face the outside world, so he pecks one little hole in his shell to look around first. But one little hole leads to another little hole and another and another!

I loved this cute book! It’s so adorable how Pablo pecks little holes for his eyes, and then another for his ears, and his nose. As he discovers sight and sound and smells, the reader learns along with him about some of the different senses.

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