Book Review: Otto and the Secret Light of Christmas

Otto and the Secret Light of Christmas by Nora Surojegin

Otto and the Secret Light of Christmas
by Nora Surojegin, Pirkko-Liisa Surojegin (Illustrator), Jill Timbers (Translator)

5 out of 5 stars

Little Otto the elf hears about the ” light of Christmas”, and he takes a journey into the north to see if he can find the source of that mysterious light. Along the way he meets many animals and mythical creatures who assist him on his journey. From each creature he meets, he learns more about Father Yule and the special light. But once he reaches the end of his journey, the light itself is not quite what he expected.

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Picture Book Review: Art and Joy

Art and Joy by Danielle Krysa

Art and Joy: Best Friends Forever
by Danielle Krysa

5 out of 5 stars

Art is a little box full of art supplies. Art teams up with Joy to create beautiful and unique things. But when a mean Bully tells Art that the things they create look “silly, weird, messy, and wrong”, Art gets very anxious. Art tries to create “perfect” art, but only gets more frustrated and sad. Joy is nowhere around. Finally Art goes outside to glean some inspiration from nature. Art refuses to listen to the Bully anymore, and Joy comes back!

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Picture Book Review: Farm Boots

Farm Boots by Lisl H. Detlefsen

Farm Boots
by Lisl H. Detlefsen (Goodreads Author), Renee Kurilla  (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

There are a lot of chores to do on the farm, and you need the right kind of boots for each job and season. You might need winter boots in the snow, rubber boots for rainy days, riding boots, heavy work boots, or tall boots that reach your hips for wading in the water.

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Five Children’s Book Reviews from Flowerpot Press

7 Best Things About Family by Patrick Yee

7 Best Things About Family
by Patrick Yee (Artist)

5 out of 5 stars

In this board book, children tell about their favorite things about being in a family. Hugs and cuddles, playing together, and eating chocolate chip pancakes are the best things! But the best of them all is family love.
An adorable rabbit family illustrate all the best things about families as they go on vacation together, kiss a boo-boo, plant flowers, make a blanket fort, and read together at bedtime.

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Familius Picture Book Reviews: Dino Train, Fall Frolic in the City, Thankful Animals Thankful Me, Petite Mouse Takes a Nap

Dino Train by Christopher Robbins

Dino Train (On-Track Learning)
by Christopher Robbins, Susanna Covelli (Illustrations)

3 out of 5 stars

This cute little book folds out into a long train with adorable dinosaurs from A to Z. The illustrations are delightful, and I love the adorable designs for the dinos. They look so friendly! I got to learn the names of some dinosaurs I had never heard of before. I like that the “wheels” of the train have little dino claw prints on them. So cute!

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Book Review: Opposites Opuestos

Opposites – Opuestos by Magda Garguláková

Opposites – Opuestos
by Magda Garguláková, Ekaterina Gaigalova (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

There are many opposites in our world, and it is fun to compare and categorize things to make sense of what we see in every day life. Is something heavy or light? Is it curved or pointy? Is it loud or quiet, hard or soft, slow or fast, old or new?

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Book Review: A is for Asian American

A is for Asian American by Virginia Loh-Hagan

A is for Asian American: An Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Alphabet (Arts and Culture Alphabet)
by Virginia Loh-Hagan, Tracy Nishimura Bishop (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

This book follows the alphabet and gives facts about the history of Asian heritage in the United States. It was really interesting to learn how Americans have migrated from all over the world, bringing their own unique traditions.

Each page has a short rhyme that tells us something about Asian heritage, and then a much longer section with several paragraphs going more in-depth to explain the history, the origins of the tradition, or the people involved. We learn about Lunar New Year, bubble tea, anime, K-pop, etiquette, zodiac signs, and Asian cuisine. We learn about the first Asian American in outer space, the winners of the National Spelling Bee, Olympic athletes, writers, politicians, and martial artists like Bruce Lee.

I loved the beautiful illustrations in this book! The artwork is really colorful and has delicate lines.

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.

Board Book Review: My First Brain Quest ABCs

My First Brain Quest ABCs by Workman Publishing

My First Brain Quest ABCs: A Question-and-Answer Book (Brain Quest Board Books, 1)
by Workman Publishing

5 out of 5 stars

Little readers will have fun answering the questions as they go through the alphabet with funny animals. Each page has three questions; you have to think of more words that begin with that letter, answer a question about the color of an object in the picture, or count up objects or people in the picture. On some pages, the question might actually be an activity to do, like “Can you dance like a dragon?” The questions are always different, and are sure to get little readers thinking carefully to find the answers.

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Picture Book Review: The Secret Stream

The Secret Stream by Kimberly Ridley

The Secret Stream
by Kimberly Ridley, Megan Elizabeth Baratta (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

A small headwater stream flows along, past animals, insects, and birds who rely on the water for their livelihood. Insects lay their eggs, and the larva hide under sunken leaves. Fish and worms and flies all live in the water. Birds eat the insects that fly above the water and even dive for small fish. River otters dart and play. Turtles explore the banks. Beavers build a dam, creating a small pond. Ducks, deer, owls, and even a fox all find their way to the stream. Eventually, the little stream merges into a larger river, and continues its journey.

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Picture Book Review: How Plants Talk

How Plants Talk by Helena Haraštová

How Plants Talk
by Helena Haraštová, Linh Dao (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

Plants can communicate and take steps to survive in difficult conditions. If a plant gets stressed out in its environment, it might shed its flowers to conserve energy. Plants put out roots to gather in nutrients and even fight for territory underground. If one plant is getting eaten by a caterpillar, it will send out signals to other plants nearby. They will start to secrete a strange smell or toxic substance to discourage caterpillars from eating them. Plants put out sweet smells to attract pollinators like bees. There are lots of things that plants do to survive and thrive!

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