Book Review: The Pear Affair

The Pear Affair by Judith Eagle

The Pear Affair
by Judith Eagle (Author),Jo Rioux (Illustrator)

4.5 stars
Nell’s horrible parents are going to Paris, and Nell begs to be allowed to go with them. Her former nanny, Pear, left years ago and lives in Paris, and Nell is desperate to find her. Pear is the only person who ever really loved Nell, and Nell stopped hearing from her months ago. Nell is worried that Pear may have disappeared, but when she arrives in Paris, Nell discovers that the mystery goes far deeper than one missing au pair.

I loved this book so much! The plot is a mixture of many different mysteries that all blend together. I loved the way the different characters’ storylines overlapped. A bellhop with a secret underground lair. A baker’s son who worries that their bakery might go out of business. A poor young seamstress who dreams of going to school. And Nell’s evil parents, who are definitely up to something nefarious.

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Activity Book Reviews: Merriam Webster’s Activity Mysteries

Merriam Webster's Activity Mysteries by Tish Rabe

Merriam Webster’s Activity Mysteries: Please Don’t Laugh, We Lost a Giraffe!
by Tish Rabe (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars

Merriam and Webster are best friends. They visit Wildlife World, and the park ranger asks for their help. There is a giraffe missing! They must follow the clues and solve the puzzles to search for the giraffe. They ask the animals for help, and track the giraffe through all kinds of terrain.

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Picture Book Review: Healthy as a Dragon!

Healthy as a Dragon! by Štěpánka Sekaninová

Healthy as a Dragon!
by Štěpánka Sekaninová, Veronika Zacharová

5 out of 5 stars

The Dragon has a toothache and he is crying and wailing so loudly that the Princess hears him. She takes him home to the castle to teach him about eating healthy foods and brushing his teeth. But this Dragon needs a serious education about hygiene! The Dragon stays at the castle and learns about the importance of good clean habits. He learns to clean his new room, take a shower, get exercise, and go to bed on time. In the end he is a happier and healthier Dragon!

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Picture Book Review: Norton and the Bear

Norton and the Bear by Gabriel Evans

Norton and the Bear
by Gabriel Evans (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars

Norton prides himself on being unique. He likes to dress in unique styles that no one else has. But then he meets a Bear who starts to copy him. The Bear buys the exact same sweater that Norton is wearing. Norton adds a scarf to make sure that his look is different. But the Bear buys the same scarf too! Norton adds a hat and a flower and socks, trying to find something completely original and unique that no one can copy. But the Bear just keeps copying his outfit and laughing that they are twins. Finally Norton yells at the Bear to stop copying him! But then Norton feels guilty for being so rude. Can Norton and the Bear learn to be friends and still feel unique?

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Picture Book Review: A Perfect Wonderful Day with Friends

A Perfect Wonderful Day with Friends by Philip Waechter

A Perfect Wonderful Day with Friends
by Philip Waechter

5 out of 5 stars

Raccoon wants to bake a cake, so he walks over to Fox’s house to borrow some eggs. But Fox is trying to repair her roof, and needs a ladder. So they walk together over to Badger’s house to borrow a ladder. Badger is trying to solve a crossword puzzle with a clue about honey, so they join Crow in looking for Bear down by the river. Bear will know the answer to a clue about honey. Bear is fishing, but the fish are not biting. Will the friends ever manage to complete all their tasks? Only if they work together!

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Picture Book Review: The Ugly Place

The Ugly Place by Laura Deal

The Ugly Place
by Laura Deal, Emma Pedersen (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

A boy is in an ugly mood, and he vents his anger by stomping in the tide pools and the mud at the beach. He sits on an ugly rock in the ugly rain and stares at the ugly fish. But gradually, he notices that the seagulls’ white feathers are not ugly as they glide effortless through the sky. He breathes slowly with the waves going in and out. He closes his eyes to feel the warmth of the sun as the clouds part. His ugly mood evaporates with the rain, and the beauty of the sea reminds him to smile.

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Picture Book Review: Leilong’s Too Long!

Leilong's Too Long! by Julia Liu

Leilong’s Too Long!
by Julia Liu, Bei Lynn (Illustrations)

5 out of 5 stars

Leilong works as the school bus for the children in the city, but he is just too big for the roads. His tail is so long that he knocks over houses, and gets tangled in telephone lines. He broke a bridge because he is too heavy. Finally there are too many complaints about accidents, and Leilong can’t give the children a ride to school anymore. The children comfort him, but he cries so much that his tears fill up the swimming pool. The children take the opportunity to slide down Leilong’s back into the water and play on his tail. Leilong finds a new job as a playground and pool slide for the children, and he is happier than ever!

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Picture Book Review: Patti at the Music Shop

Patti at the Music Shop by Vítězslav Mecner

Patti at the Music Shop
by Vítězslav Mecner

5 out of 5 stars

Patti loves trying out the different instruments in the music shop. She tries everything- trumpet, piano, drums, flute, harp, harmonica, and the maracas. But what she really wants is a bass guitar! When Patti finally gets to try out the bass guitar, it’s too big for her! Her little fingers can’t reach around the body of the instrument to strum the strings. She is disappointed until her dad suggests the perfect solution! She can first learn to play on the small ukulele, until she grows bigger and can handle the bass guitar.

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Picture Book Review: The Artist

The Artist by Alison Binks

The Artist
by Alison Binks

5 out of 5 stars

A young boy goes out in his rowboat to paint the sea while everything is still and quiet in the early morning light. He is always thinking about painting and sketching. Even when he rides bikes with his friends, when he goes to his piano lesson, when he walks the dog along the beach, or when he goes sailing. He is always thinking how he would paint the waves, the sand dunes, or the dog. Each day is a new opportunity to paint the world.

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Picture Book Review: Grandma’s House of Rules

Grandma's House of Rules by Henry Blackshaw

Grandma’s House of Rules
by Henry Blackshaw

4 out of 5 stars

A little boy visits his grandmother, but she has so many rules that it’s hard to remember them all. Don’t leave your dirty dishes on the table. Don’t leave the cupboards open. Use an apron. Plump the cushions. Don’t sit in the fancy chair. Don’t ever ever touch the special vase.

When Grandma leaves the house, the little boy tries to follow the rules, but he forgets some and everything goes wrong. What will Grandma do when she comes home to find all the rules have been broken? She says, “You can break a vase, Kid, but you could never break my heart.” A grandmother’s love is stronger than any rules.

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