Picture Book Review: If DaVinci Painted a Dinosaur

If da Vinci Painted a Dinosaur by Amy Newbold
If da Vinci Painted a Dinosaur 
by Amy Newbold (Author), Greg Newbold (Illustrations)

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


This hilarious book poses the question, What would it look like if various famous artists had painted dinosaurs? The results are dancing ballerina dinosaurs in the style of Degas, Dino Noodle Soup a la Andy Warhol, a Frida Kahlo dinosaur, dinos in Mary Cassatt’s garden, jazz band dinosaurs in Aaron Douglas’ style, and of course, the incomparable Dino Mona Lisa!

Throughout the story, a little hamster/gerbil artist appears on each page with a paintbrush, chalk, crayon, or scissors in hand… um… paw. He guides us through the various art styles, and discovers a new friend at the end of the book. His expressions are so cute, and he adds a little flair to the story!
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Picture Book Review: Monster, Monster, Who Are You?

Monster, Monster, Who Are You? by Alexander Vanags
Monster, Monster, Who Are You? 
by Alexander Vanags, Nina Gvozdeva (Illustrator)

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
This adorable book introduces a whole group of monsters, each with their own unique look and their own favorite hobby. On each page, we ask the monster, “Who are you?” and they respond in rhyme to tell us about their wings or their tail or fur, and something that they are doing. Continue reading

Book Review: Cybele’s Secret

Cybele's Secret by Juliet Marillier
Cybele’s Secret (Wildwood, #2) 
by Juliet Marillier

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Paula travels with her merchant father to Istanbul, hoping to acquire a religious artifact of rare and precious value. There is fierce competition for the artifact, and unscrupulous merchants will use violence to get their hands on it. Paula’s father hires a bodyguard, Stoyan, to keep his daughter safe on the dangerous streets. Paula befriends a wayward pirate captain, Duarte, hoping to get information from him about the artifact. The powers from the Other Kingdom send Paula on a quest, to retrieve the artifact, to unravel the riddles surrounding its history, and to learn from her perilous voyage the meaning of love and friendship.

My heart is too full! I can barely think, my mind is still reeling with all the complex details of the story. I have cried and laughed and clutched the book with white knuckles. What a journey! My heart just went on a rollercoaster ride, and I am still gasping for breath. Continue reading

Books with Sword Play

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Books with Cool Kids

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Book Review: Dragon of the Month Club

The Dragon of the Month Club by Iain Reading
The Dragon of the Month Club 
by Iain Reading

4 out of 5 stars


Ayana and Tyler find a magical book that teaches them a new dragon-summoning spell every month. When one of their spells goes wrong, they are whisked into a magic land that manifests from different books and furniture in Tyler’s bedroom. They conjure several dragons to help them in their adventures, until they have a little entourage of creatures following them. Travelling across the wilderness, crossing oceans, and encountering strange characters from Tyler’s books, the two friends struggle to reach the tower of Professor Mobius, who they hope has the ability to send them back to the real world.

I enjoyed this book so much! The plot is really imaginative and interesting. The writing and pacing are excellent, keeping the reader on their toes with lots of plot twists and surprises.
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