children’s books

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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Book Review: The Courage of Sarah Noble

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The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh

The Courage of Sarah Noble
by Alice Dalgliesh, Leonard Weisgard (Illustrations)
5 out of 5 stars
Sarah Noble accompanies her father to the wilderness of Connecticut to build a new cabin before they are joined by the rest of the family. A Native American tribe lives nearby on the banks of the river, and Sarah befriends the native children. Through every step of their journey and as the family settles into their new home, Sarah’s courage is tested, but she curtails her fears, and remains steadfast and resilient through it all.

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Book Review: Heidi’s Children

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Heidi's Children by Charles Tritten

Heidi’s Children (Heidi sequel, #3)
by Charles Tritten, Pelagie Doane (Illustrator)
3 out of 5 stars

Heidi is pregnant with her first child. Heidi and Peter have the village schoolteacher boarding with them, and the teacher asks if her little sister can come and stay with them and attend the school. The child, Marta, is so unhappy at her own home, and she blossoms under the love and affection that Heidi gives her. But will Marta get along with Heidi’s grandfather? The old Alm-Uncle is still hiding secrets about his past that might change the family forever.

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Book Review: The Voyage of Barracks

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The Voyage of Barracks by Stuart Petrie

The Voyage of Barracks
by Stuart Petrie
5 out of 5 stars
The Gunn family love their beautiful country home, but when a nasty factory is built across the road, they decide to attach a balloon to their house and float around the world looking for a new peaceful place to live.

I adore this book. I’ve read it several times now, and it is delightful every time!

I love all the different places that they visit; a desert oasis, the top of the Acropolis, an island with cannibals, a small village in the Alps, and the beautiful beaches of the French Riviera.

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Book Review: Royal Magic

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Royal Magic by Ruth Chew

Royal Magic
by Ruth Chew
4 out of 5 stars

Cindy and Jack are visiting a museum when they are magically transported through one of the displays into ancient Africa. In the middle of the jungle, the children meet a man with a beautiful flute who escorts them to the royal palace to meet the king of the Edo empire. There they find court intrigue and a royal secret.

I loved this fun story! The history is really interesting and we get to learn about the culture of the Edo empire (also called the Benin Kingdom) in ancient Nigeria. It was an amazing kingdom with roads and infrastructure and walled cities and trade. The king was called the Oba, and Cindy and Jack get to meet the Queen as well. I loved reading about the unique customs and manners of the people, their greetings and social hierarchy. Everything from the way they built their homes to the way they ate their food had a special organization to it.

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Book Review: The Bobbsey Twins in Mexico

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The Bobbsey Twins In Mexico by Laura Lee Hope

The Bobbsey Twins In Mexico
by Laura Lee Hope
4 out of 5 stars

The Bobbsey Twins have some new neighbors in Lakeport, a Mexican family, the Castillos. The twins make friends with the Mexican children, and even learn a little Spanish. When it’s time for the Castillos to return to Mexico, they invite the Bobbsey twins to visit them on their hacienda.

I enjoyed this book a lot, because I grew up in Mexico as a child. The Bobbsey twins visit the same area in Mexico where I grew up, Mexico City D.F. They visit the pyramids at Tenochtitlan where I have been many times, and Bert even climbs the Pyramid of the Sun which I myself have climbed many times. Reading this book made me so homesick!

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