children’s books

Picture Book Review: Cuddle Close, Little Koala

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Cuddle Close, Little Koala by Danielle McLean
Cuddle Close, Little Koala
by Danielle McLean

5 out of 5 stars

Little Koala gets lost in the forest and searches for Mommy Koala at bedtime. All the other baby animals are snuggling in for a good night’s sleep with Mommy Wombat, Mommy Emu, and Mommy Platypus. When they try to soothe Little Koala with a hug or a lullaby, it just isn’t the same as a hug or lullaby from Mommy Koala.

This picture book is adorable! Cute Little Koala is so sweet, and she’s very polite to all the other animals mothers who try to sing to her or tell her a bedtime story. She says thank you, but thinks to herself that it isn’t the same as a lullaby or story from her own mother. The whole story is just lovely! Continue reading →

Board Book Review: Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star

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Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star by Sanja Rešček
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: And Other Favorite Bedtime Rhymes
by Sanja Rešček

5 out of 5 stars

This baby board book has over a dozen familiar bedtime rhymes, including “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star”, “Jack Be Nimble”, “Wee Willie Winkie”, “Hush, Little Baby”, and “Diddle Diddle Dumpling.” There is one especially sweet poem that I had never heard before called “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear.” The teddy bear touches their nose, touches their toes, turns around, turns out the light, and says good night. It’s adorable!

The best thing about this book is the beautiful illustrations in soft pastel colors and a simple style. The drawings are so cute! I loved the designs of each little character snuggling in bed, sailing through the night sky, or being rocked to sleep by the moon. Continue reading →

Board Book Review: Snap, A Happy Book of Colors!

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Snap by Patricia Hegarty
Snap (My Little World)
by Patricia Hegarty, Fhiona Galloway  (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

A mischievous crab snaps at the other sea creatures and surprises them. Crab meets a pink jellyfish, a seahorse, a blue fish, a starfish, and a sea turtle. They are all startled by the snapping sound. But when a big shark comes in sight, little crab decides to hide.

I love the die-cut openings in this board book! As you turn each page, the crab’s pincers get smaller and smaller as the cut openings get smaller.

The artwork is very cute and colorful! Just right for little readers who are attracted to bright contrasting colors. The art style is cartoony and simple, with fun ocean floor backgrounds. Continue reading →

Board Book Review: Harris Finds His Feet

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Harris Finds His Feet by Catherine Rayner
Harris Finds His Feet
by Catherine Rayner

4 out of 5 stars


Harris is a young hare who is self-conscious about his very large feet. His grandfather helps him understand how useful large feet are for a hare. He learns to jump high, run fast, and even to dig holes in the ground.

I loved the sweet illustrations in this board book! The art is lovely in a watercolor and ink style, and done with earthy colors. Harris and his grandfather are so cute! You can really feel the energy in the illustrations when the hares run and jump.

This story has such a great message of acceptance and love!

Continue reading →

Non Fiction Review: Mindful Games for Kids

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Mindful Games For Kids by Kristina Sargent
Mindful Games For Kids: 50 Fun Activities to Stay Present, Improve Concentration, and Understand Emotions
by Kristina Sargent

5 out of 5 stars


This book has easy and fun games and meditations for children that helps them to navigate tough emotions, calm their impatience, and learn to listen. The activities are grouped in categories for focusing on the breath, the senses, the body, and on gentle thoughts and calm emotions.

Each game has a cute illustration that demonstrates the imaginary things we are thinking of during the meditation. One meditation says to imagine that you are a mountain, standing tall as you raise your arms above your head, while you feel connected to the ground. And there is an illustration of children standing tall and strong like mountains. Continue reading →

Puzzle Book Review: Ocean Life!

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Ocean Life! by Jill Richardson
Ocean Life!: A Coloring and Activity Book for Kids
by Jill Richardson

4 out of 5 stars

This book has word searches, coloring pages, mazes, spot-the-difference puzzles, and dot-to-dot activities all with an ocean theme. Dozens of different ocean creatures are featured with some interesting facts about each kind of wildlife, including many endangered species.

Did you know that a stingray doesn’t have bones? Or that squid swim backwards? And the sunfish is the heaviest fish in the ocean? There are so many cool facts in this book! Continue reading →

Puzzle Book Review: Brain Candy

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Brain Candy! by Rockridge Press
Brain Candy!: A Challenging and Fun Maze Book for Kids
by Rockridge Press 

5 out of 5 stars

I had no idea this book would be so colorful and have so many different designs for the mazes! I am truly impressed with the variety of themes and artwork for each maze. Every page is so vibrant with all the colorful little details around the maze!

There is a maze designed like a huge man’s curly mustache! haha! There are mazes designed like robots, an airplane landing on the tarmac, a chicken crossing the road, geese flying through wind and clouds, a dog digging for a bone, a lost porpoise looking for its pod, a submarine diving for sunken treasure, and a maze that leads through the Empire State Building to the very top! Continue reading →

Non Fiction Review: Mindfulness for Little Ones

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Mindfulness for Little Ones by Hiedi France
Mindfulness for Little Ones: Playful Activities to Foster Empathy, Self-Awareness, and Joy in Kids
by Hiedi France

4 out of 5 stars

This book begins with an introduction for parents about how young children need help regulating their emotions and moods, and about the limit attention spans of a toddler or preschooler. Then there are instructions about how to use the meditations and activities in this book to help each child according to their individual capabilities.

The first chapter is “Dance, Wiggle, and Move” activities to help a child pay attention to their body and be more mindful of their movements. The next chapter focuses on the five senses with activities for listening to sounds, watching clouds, smelling different scents, and eating mindfully.

Continue reading →

Nonfiction Book Review: A Parent’s Guide to Manners for Kids

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A Parent's Guide to Manners for Kids by Katie McVeigh
A Parent’s Guide to Manners for Kids: Lessons, Games, and Activities for Home, School, and Beyond
by Katie McVeigh

4 out of 5 stars

This book gives fun games, activities, and lessons to teach children ages 6-13 about how to have good manners. There are chapters about “Everyday Etiquette, Good Impressions, Eating with Manners, Playing Nice, and Technology Etiquette.”

The lessons include basic things like opening the door for someone, receiving and giving gifts, getting into a car with a friend’s family, and observing elevator etiquette to not push all the buttons. The all-important thank you note is, of course, included! Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: 1,2,3, Animals!

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1,2,3, Animals! A First Counting Book for Toddlers by Bethany Lake
1,2,3, Animals! A First Counting Book for Toddlers
by Bethany Lake

4 out of 5 stars


The circus animals are getting ready to perform in the big top! The lion is the ringmaster. The dogs are clowns. Elephants play the drums while the toucans play trumpets. Kangaroos sell snacks and treats. The bears dance ballet. Eight tigers balance on unicycles.

This book has such cute illustrations! The animals are colorful and fun! I liked the crazy costumes and the energy on every page. The text has nice pacing and some good rhymes that fit the story.

I really like that the book counts from 1 to 10 as the animals prepare for the show, and then while they are performing in the show we count backwards from 10 back to 1. This is a wonderful technique of teaching children to count both ways! Continue reading →