children’s book

Picture Book Review: Skywatcher

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Skywatcher by Jamie Hogan

Skywatcher
by Jamie Hogan
3 out of 5 stars

Tamen lives in the city, and has never seen the stars. There is too much light pollution to be able to see the night sky. Tamen’s mother takes him to the country, where he discovers the beautiful constellations and the Milky Way. He sees nocturnal animals like owls and moths, and falls in love with the beauty of the stars.

This book was really sweet and meaningful. It highlights the importance of preserving some areas of our world where there are no artificial lights, so that our connection to the stars will never be lost.

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Picture Book Review: Agent Llama

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Agent Llama by Angela Woolfe

Agent Llama
by Angela Woolfe, Duncan Beedie (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

Charlie is a fabulous spy. She is hot on the trail of a stolen pair of underwear, fighting off evil goons and saving the world from the dastardly duo, Bogdon Boom and Greta Grimm. She parachutes from a crashing plane. She skis down a mountain at high speed. She outwits the bad guys, and does it all with style.

This book is so hilarious! I loved the funny plot and the exciting adventures. The rhyming text is so much fun to read out loud. I am very picky about rhyming text in picture books, but I was so happy with the rhythm and rhymes in this story. It really is delightful to read!

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Book Review: Fairy Tales for Brave Children

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An Illustrated Collection of Fairy Tales for Brave Children by Hans Christian Andersen

An Illustrated Collection of Fairy Tales for Brave Children
by Hans Christian Andersen, Wilhelm Grimm, Jacob Grimm, Scott Plumbe (Author) (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

I am so impressed with this beautiful book of fairy tales! They are told in that traditional fairy tale style, and include some well-known favorites like “Beauty and the Beast” and “Hansel and Gretel” as well as a few lesser-known stories.
I especially liked “The Wild Swans” and “The Three Golden Hairs”. I had never read “The Spirit in the Bottle” or “The Selfish Giant” before, and I enjoyed those very much as well. Each story is so enchanting!

The art style is so beautiful! The subtle colors and the delicate lines are absolutely lovely and magical! I love how little details in the background will catch your attention, and add meaning to the story. It’s so delightful to see these stories come alive in the art work!

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Book Review: Mermaids Rock The Coral Kingdom

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The Coral Kingdom by Linda Chapman

The Coral Kingdom
by Linda Chapman, Mirelle Ortega (Illustrations)
5 out of 5 stars

Marina and her father have just moved to a new underwater neighborhood, and Marina makes some new friends at school while her father researches rare fish in the area. Marina has to put up with a snobby girl at school, but she happily joins the Save the Sea Creatures club with her friends. However, Marina and her friends are frightened by a strange creature that is evidently destroying the local coral reef caves. They find some weird clues, but no one has sighted the creature. Can they solve the mystery before the damage gets worse?

I loved this cute book! The mermaid culture is wonderfully imaginative, and I thought it was so fun to learn about Marina and her friends. We also get some real life facts about interesting fish and conservation in the ocean. The mystery had me in complete suspense! I was puzzling and wondering, What is this big sea monster creature that is destroying the coral?

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Poetry Review: I Wish I Had a Wookie

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I Wish I Had a Wookiee by Ian Doescher

I Wish I Had a Wookiee: And Other Poems for Our Galaxy
by Ian Doescher (Goodreads Author), Tim Budgen (Illustrator)
4 out of 5 stars

I wish I had a Wookie,
To keep the monsters out.
If nightmares came to get me,
You’d hear Chewbacca shout…

This adorable book has poems about Star Wars for children. Some of them are funny, some of them are a little more serious. Some are short or long or in between. They all have cute illustrations! I just love the light-hearted style of these poems, and the art style reflects that silly and playful mood.

Most of the poems deal with every day childhood things like scraping your knee, playing sports, caring for a pet, going to school, hanging with grandparents, and things like that. It’s so cute to see these things through the perspective of beloved Star Wars characters, or children who dress up in costume as their favorite character.

This book would be so much fun to read together with young Star Wars fans. What a delight!

This short poem is one of my favorites…
“Trash Compactor”
My dad yells, “Mae! What have you done?”
He bursts in with a crash.
But how can I create the scene
Unless I use real trash?

Haha! This book will definitely get you laughing!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Familius Picture Book Reviews

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The Boy Who Loved the Moon by Rino Alaimo

The Boy Who Loved the Moon
by Rino Alaimo
4 out of 5 stars

A young boy falls in love with the Moon and tries to win her heart by offering her lavish gifts. He slays the dragon and travels down into the deepest ocean, but the Moon is unimpressed. Finally the boy finds one thing that will touch the Moon’s heart and win her love.

This book is so imaginative! The plot is like a dream and it doesn’t quite make sense. The magic is mysterious and strange. You never quite know what is going to happen, but if you can just let the enchantment wash over you and accept whatever wild things come along, you will enjoy it.

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Picture Book Review: Moose’s Book Bus

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Moose's Book Bus by Inga Moore

Moose’s Book Bus
by Inga Moore
5 out of 5 stars

Every evening, Moose tells a story to his family. One night he can’t think of any new stories, so the next day he travels in to town and goes to the library to get a book to read aloud to the family. Moose’s storybook readings are so popular that the animal neighbors want to come listen to Moose reading out loud, but there are too many of them to fit in the house! Bear, Fox, Badger, Hare, Mole, and the Beavers, and the Wild Pigs all bring their children to hear the stories. Moose will have to think of a new solution so that everyone can enjoy reading storybooks.

I LOVED this book so much! It spoke to my soul in a deep way, since I love reading and I think reading together out loud is so important as a family. The way the Moose family came together and connected with all their neighbors was so beautiful! They really help each other out, and they support and celebrate each different family in the forest. What a positive and inspiring story!

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Picture Book Review: Twas the Night Before Christmas

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Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore

Twas the Night Before Christmas
by Clement C. Moore, P.J. Lynch (Illustrations)
4 out of 5 stars

This Christmas classic is beautifully illustrated in a new edition with artwork by P.J. Lynch. The well-known poetry about St. Nick comes alive once more when accompanied with such lovely illustrations!

I just adore this sweet poem! It’s never quite Christmas until someone says Santa has “a little round belly that shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly.” This poem makes “visions of sugar plums danced in their heads” the rallying cry of all Christmas joy.

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Halloween Picture Books for Children

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Owl Has a Halloween Party by Jannie Ho

Owl Has a Halloween Party: A Tiny Tab Book
by Jannie Ho (Goodreads Author) (illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

Owl has invited all his friends to a Halloween party, but who is going to come? Gradually the party guests begin to arrive, and Owl compliments them on their amazing costumes. Lion is a pirate. Tiger is a ghost. Monkey is an astronaut, and Frog is a princess. Once everyone arrives, Owl and his friends have a great party together!

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Book Review: Secret of Ron Mor Skerry

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Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry by Rosalie K. Fry

Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry
by Rosalie K. Fry
5 out of 5 stars
Fiona’s family left their ancient home on the Ron Mor Island, and Fiona’s little brother, Jamie, was lost. Now Fiona is staying with her grandparents on the Western Islands of Scotland. Fiona is certain that she can find her lost brother, and she befriends a tribe of seals who seem to guide her in her search. The family legends speak of a selkie woman who married into their family many generations ago, and Fiona will have to return to Ron Mor to unravel the past and bring her family together again.

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