Picture Book Review: Princess Jill Never Sits Still

Princess Jill Never Sits Still by Margarita Del Mazo
Princess Jill Never Sits Still
by Margarita Del Mazo

5 out of 5 stars

Princess Jill is so full of energy that she cannot sit still. She runs through the garden, jumps on the beds, plays with her food, bangs on pots and pans to make music, and climbs all over her royal throne without ever sitting in it. The wise men and witches and sorcerers give her potions and try making her wear iron boots, but nothing keeps the princess still for longer than a moment. When a neighboring kingdom bring their little prince to make friends with the princess, the king and queen don’t know what to do! But the foreign prince has a secret of his own that might just make them all friends.

This picture book is hilarious and full of fun! The poor king and queen have no idea what to do with their unmanageable princess, and the princess just grins and happily speeds along from scene to scene. This story is perfect for children who have a lot of energy and find it difficult to keep still! It sends a positive message that having a lot of energy is a good thing, but you need to focus that energy in good ways. Continue reading

Picture Book Review: Max and Xam

Max and Xam by Ariane Hofmann-Maniyar
Max and Xam
by Ariane Hofmann-Maniyar

5 out of 5 stars

Max and Xam are the best of friends, until one day their friendship is ruined by a big fight. Max decides to make some new friends out of rocks and tree limbs and some paint for their faces. Xam makes some new friends out of old tires and umbrellas and milk cartoons with buttons for eyes. But the made-up friends just aren’t the same as a real friend. You can’t have a tea party with a rock, or say good night to a broom. Max and Xam decide to repair their friendship, and find a way to reconcile.

This picture book is hilarious and sweet! The two characters are so imaginative in the way they create various “friends” out of materials around their house and garden, painting faces onto old bottles, rocks, boxes, and even cardboard toilet paper rolls. The text is just right for little readers with a simple story told in a few vivid words. Continue reading

Picture Book Review: Evie and the Strawberry Balloon Ride

Evie and the Strawberry Balloon Ride by Stefanie Dahle
Evie and the Strawberry Balloon Ride
by Stefanie Dahle

5 out of 5 stars


Evie, the Strawberry Fairy, has a special entry for the strawberry fair contest. Along the journey to reach the fair, she stops to help a lot of other creatures and loses her contest entry. When she arrives at the fair, she has nothing to contribute, but some friends might be able to save the day!

I loved this imaginative book! The sweet story and the lovely characters made the whole book adorable! Evie’s character is so cute and funny. I fell in love with her right away, and was truly interested in all the ups and downs of her journey to the strawberry fair. She is so good-natured and generous.

The artwork is enchanting with soft lines and beautiful colors. I loved all the little details in the background of each scene that add so much depth to the story. Fairy houses, little gardens, flowers, and tiny bugs and magic creatures all dot the landscape in various places, and add to the charm of this magical fairy world. Continue reading

Non Fiction Review: Once Upon a Word

Once Upon a Word by Jess Zafarris
Once Upon a Word: A Word-Origin Dictionary for Kids–Building Vocabulary Through Etymology, Definitions & Stories
by Jess Zafarris 

5 out of 5 stars

This dictionary focuses on word origins to teach vocabulary through the stories and history of words. The first section explains the roots of common Latin and Greek words and how the prefixes and suffixes attached to words can give clues to their meaning or completely change the meaning of the main word.

Organized alphabetically, each entry gives a paragraph with an explanation of the origin story of the word, along with its meaning, root language, and sometimes an example sentence. I really love the choice of interesting words, and how the information is organized. Continue reading

Non Fiction Review: Creativity for Kids

Creativity for Kids by Trisha Riché
Creativity for Kids: 75 Fun Activities to Promote Creative Thinking and Self Expression
by Trisha Riché

5 out of 5 stars


This book has tons of great activities for young children ages 6-9 to keep them active, creative, and confident. Different activities focus on problem-solving, working as a team, using your imagination, making art, telling stories, and improvising.

The first chapter explores what creativity really is, and how to encourage children to be expressive. There are tips for reducing screen time, guiding the creative process, teaching children to think in different ways and explore their individuality with a growth mindset.

The chapters are divided by imaginative activities, arts and crafts, role play, and collaboration games. Each activity comes with clear instructions, an estimate of the prep time, a list of needed materials, and some tips and benefits of the activity. Continue reading

Book Review: The Everything Princess Book

The Everything Princess Book by Barbara Beery
The Everything Princess Book: 101 Crafts, Recipes, Stories, Hairstyles, and More!
by Barbara Beery, David Miles, Brooke Jorden, Michele Robbins, Rebecca Sorge 

5 out of 5 stars

This book begins with several fairy tales about princesses, including Thumbelina, Princess Savitri, and Princess Kaguya. The next chapter has royal recipes and instructions for organizing a tea party, a royal ball, or a cottage picnic. There is also a chapter with princess games and activities, and another with crafts for making your own tiara, princess sandals, necklaces, and fancy invitations.

The chapter on “Princess Practices” goes over courtesy and manners including the proper way to set a table, how to curtsy and have proper posture, as well as lessons in horsemanship, music, penmanship, art, fencing, and how to deal with enchantments and poison apples. You will also learn how to say hello in different languages, how to do the princess wave, and be sincerely friendly when meeting foreign dignitaries.

My favorite chapter was the one about “Being a True Princess” with lessons and examples for Kindness, Courage, Gratitude, Honesty, Intelligence, Sensitivity, Forgiving, and Inner Beauty. This chapter asks thoughtful questions and encourages the reader to take action in their own lives and share kindness with others.
Continue reading

Picture Book Review: Like a Shooting Star

Like a Shooting Star by Rino Alaimo
Like a Shooting Star
by Rino Alaimo

4 out of 5 stars

A little boy mistakenly wishes on a firefly instead of a shooting star, and the firefly hears his wish and determines to fulfill it. The boy wishes for his father to come home safely from the war, and the firefly goes on a journey to find the boy’s father. The firefly’s wings are too small to fly, so it bounces and glides from place to place searching for the soldier. The message is that even when you seem too small and weak to do any good, you can always do something and help in some small way.
Continue reading

Picture Book Review: It’s a Great Big Colorful World

It's a Great, Big Colorful World by Tom Schamp
It’s a Great, Big Colorful World
by Tom Schamp

2 out of 5 stars


This book is much too chaotic, with a lot of random text all over the page and wild illustrations of random things. The whole thing is aimless, and doesn’t tell a story or have any structure other than to group colors together. It’s too busy for a child to be able to focus on anything. If it were 20 or even 30 items on the page, I would have enjoyed it more. I counted over 50 separate items on one page, not counting the text. Continue reading

Picture Book Review: The Seedling That Didn’t Want To Grow

The Seedling That Didn't Want to Grow by Britta Teckentrup
The Seedling That Didn’t Want to Grow
by Britta Teckentrup (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars

Ant and Ladybird find a seedling that won’t grow, and they encourage it to sprout and grow into the sun. Gradually leaves begin to appear, and the little plant grows out and up looking for more sunshine away from the shade of other taller plants. The little plant begins to blossom and flourish with the help of her little animal and insect friends.

I loved the sweet story of encouragement and growth in this book! It’s such a simple story, but with a powerful message. I also love that the growth doesn’t happen all at once. The little seedling has to gradually journey up to the sun, in small steps day by day. The animal friends stay by the side of the little plant, guiding the growth, clearing the ground, and offering help and support. Continue reading

Picture Book Review: Luis and Tabitha

Luis and Tabitha by Stephanie  Campisi
Luis and Tabitha
by Stephanie Campisi, Hollie Mengert (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars 


Luis is a suave cat who lives on the streets and hangs out at the firehouse, but when he falls in love with Tabitha, a house cat, how can the two ever be together with the doors that separate them? Tabitha’s owner shoos Luis away whenever he comes near Tabitha, but Luis never gives up.

I just adore how dashing and gentlemanly Luis is, and how gentle and elegant Tabitha is. I was really rooting for those two and their forbidden romance! Luis brings sardines and flowers and does everything he can to woo Tabitha, but she is trapped inside the house, mournfully watching him through the windows. Luis’ cat friends tell him to just accept the situation, but Luis is indefatigable! I loved his energy and determination! Continue reading