books.

Board Book Reviews: Good Night, Baboon! and ABC Dance!

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Good Night, Baboon! by Sabrina MoyleABC Dance! by Sabrina Moyle
ABC Dance!: An Animal Alphabet
Good Night, Baboon!: A Bedtime Counting Book
by Sabrina Moyle (Author),Eunice Moyle (Illustrations)

5 out of 5 stars

Good Night, Baboon! – While the other animals get ready for bed, one baby baboon is determined to stay up! Baby baboon burps during snack time, brushes his bum instead of his teeth, plays loud lullabies on electric guitar, and runs around causing mayhem, until finally baby baboon is ready for a goodnight hug.

I love how this book is designed as a counting book, and we count down each animal group getting ready for bed. 9 skunks take a bath, 8 hamsters have a bedtime snack, 7 sloths put on their PJs, etc… and through it all, baby baboon is getting into trouble! Baby baboon manages to bounce across each page, getting into shenanigans before bed and monkeying around. I love how irreverent this book is!

ABC Dance – The animals are all dancing in a massive parade of exuberant dance moves! From aardvarks to zebras, every animal group is hopping and stepping and thumping their tails. They show off their skills with the fandango, the waltz, the can-can, the tango, the hustle, and ballet.

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Picture Book Review: Welcome to Jazz

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Welcome to Jazz by Carolyn Sloan
Welcome to Jazz: A Swing-Along Celebration of America’s Music, Featuring “When the Saints Go Marching In”
by Carolyn Sloan

5 out of 5 stars

Three cats visit a Jazz club in New Orleans, and learn all about how jazz music is made. They learn about beats and rhythm, melody and harmony, various instruments and their sounds, and how improvisation works. They learn a little about the history of jazz and how it all began in Congo Square in New Orleans, Louisiana.

I am so impressed with this book! The whole design is wonderful, and I loved the recordings you can play by pushing the buttons. Each button plays a different section of “When the Saints Go Marching In”, and teaches the reader about which instruments play harmony, melody, and bass lines. Then the entire band comes together with the vocalists to play the song. Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Maisy Gets a Pet

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Maisy Gets a Pet by Lucy Cousins
Maisy Gets a Pet
by Lucy Cousins

5 out of 5 stars

Maisy visits her friend Penguin and gets a new kitten. She plays with the kitten, feeds it, and cleans the litter box. Maisy has to take her new kitten to the vet, and make sure the kitten gets plenty of exercise and sleep.

This is such a sweet book to teach young children about caring for pets, and how to be gentle with animals. Maisy has to be responsible, but can also have fun with her new pet. I really love the teaching moments in this book, and how it is presented in an entertaining way for toddlers. Continue reading →

Non-Fiction Book Review: Everyday Stress Relief

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Everyday Stress Relief by Ruth C. White PhD MPH MSW
Everyday Stress Relief: Essential Techniques to Boost Emotional Resiliency and Improve Your Health
by Ruth C. White PhD MPH MSW

4 out of 5 stars


This book provides practical suggestions for dealing with stress in a positive and healthy way. It includes commonly stressful scenarios and how to cope when dealing with each one. Some of the scenarios include, death of a loved one, losing a job, starting college, retiring, buying a home, parenting a difficult child, getting dinner on the table, commuting to work, feeling lonely, or being in a car accident.

Each section begins with a description of the struggles of the scenario and the possible emotions that may arise. Then there is a stress-relieving exercise to try such as meditation, physical exercise, journaling, or reframing your thoughts in a more positive light.

I love that this book focuses on gratitude, resilience, and gentleness. The writing is very encouraging, and gives excellent advice for navigating the strong emotions that can come up during stressful times. Continue reading →

Graphic Novel Review: The Knights of Mars

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Castle in the Stars by Alex Alice
Castle in the Stars: The Knights of Mars #3
by Alex Alice

5 out of 5 stars


Seraphin and his father are working to keep the secrets of aether out of the hands of the Prussians, and trying to track the whereabouts of the missing Bavarian king. Eventually, their search will lead them to the red planet, Mars.

I love this graphic novel from start to finish! The artwork is delicate yet bold, with beautiful colors, clear action, hilarious character expressions, gorgeous designs, and emotional scenes.

The story is full of suspense, adventure, and family! I loved the friendships, the family dynamics, and the history that made this a deep and emotional tale. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Star Dunes

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The Star Dunes by Trudi Trueit
The Star Dunes (Explorer Academy #4)
by Trudi Trueit (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars


Cruz is in Africa searching for the missing clues his mother left behind for him to find after her death. The explorers help a family of mountain gorillas in Uganda, and then follow the clues to a desert region of Africa. The evil Nebula organization is breathing down their necks, and Cruz is devastated when one of his friends is targeted.

I loved this plot! There is plenty of action and suspense. I never knew what was going to happen next! I really loved that Lani is finally part of the team! She is such an interesting character.

The exotic locations are amazing, and I loved learning about different conservation efforts in Uganda and Namibia and all the national parks.

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Manga Review: Silver Spoon

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銀の匙 Silver Spoon 1 [Gin no Saji Silver Spoon 1] by Hiromu Arakawa
銀の匙 Silver Spoon 1 [Gin no Saji Silver Spoon 1]
by Hiromu Arakawa, 荒川 弘

4 out of 5 stars

 

Hachiken attends an agricultural high school even though he has no interest in pursuing an agricultural career. All his classmates come from farming backgrounds, and are eager to learn so they can take over their family farm someday. Poor Hachiken has to wake up early every morning to take care of livestock, clean out the stables, and gather chicken eggs. His classmates are used to early morning hours, but Hachiken is exhausted.

This manga is hilarious! It was so fun learning about how to care for animals along with Hachiken.

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