children’s book
Picture Book Review: Dear Wild Child
Dear Wild Child: You Carry Your Home Inside You
by Wallace J. Nichols (Goodreads Author), Drew Beckmeyer (Illustrations)
A family build their home in the forest, a beautiful home where their daughter can grow up surrounded by the beauty of the woods and the wind. They have wonderful times together in their house, playing under the trees, fishing in the streams, and playing music with friends. One night a lightning storm starts a forest fire that burns down their beloved home, and the father comforts his child with the knowledge that they carry their home and all their memories inside them forever.
This is such a heartwarming book! It’s bittersweet in the end, since the family has lost their home, but it’s also full of hope, because they know that what truly matters can never be lost. They have their family safe and all their memories of their beloved home. I love the beautiful picture of growing up strong and resilient like the trees.
Continue readingPicture Book Review: Nervous Nigel
Nervous Nigel
by Bethany Christou
Nigel’s family are all champion swimmers, and they have the medals and trophies to prove it. But Nigel doesn’t like to swim fast. It makes him nervous when the whistle blows and the coach yells for him to go faster. He likes to float along and relax when he swims. It’s his special time to think. Nigel’s family enter him into a swim race, and Nigel is too scared to tell them that he doesn’t like racing. How will Nigel get his overachieving family to understand?
Continue readingPicture Book Review: Books Aren’t For Eating
Books Aren’t for Eating
by Carlie Sorosiak (Author),Manu Montoya (Illustrator)
Leopold is a goat who owns a bookshop. A long time ago, he used to eat books, but then he learned to read them instead. Now he loves to help other people (and animals) find the perfect book to inspire and entertain them. Leopold is thrilled when another goat comes into his bookshop! He offers the goat a special book that he thinks the goat will enjoy, but the goat eats it! Leopold tries everything to get this goat to stop eating the books. He searches high and low for a book that will inspire the goat to read instead of eating the pages. Finally Leopold thinks he has found a solution, but he will have to sacrifice his favorite book.
Continue readingBook Review: The Pear Affair
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.
Continue readingActivity Book Reviews: Merriam Webster’s Activity Mysteries
Merriam Webster’s Activity Mysteries: Please Don’t Laugh, We Lost a Giraffe!
by Tish Rabe (Goodreads Author)
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.
Continue readingPicture Book Review: Healthy as a Dragon!
Healthy as a Dragon!
by Štěpánka Sekaninová, Veronika Zacharová
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!
Continue readingPicture Book Review: Norton and the Bear
Norton and the Bear
by Gabriel Evans (Goodreads Author)
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?
Continue readingPicture Book Review: A Perfect Wonderful Day with Friends
A Perfect Wonderful Day with Friends
by Philip Waechter
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!
Continue readingPicture Book Review: The Ugly Place
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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