reading
Poetry Review: The Path to Kindness
The Path to Kindness: Poems of Connection and Joy
by James Crews (Editor)
This book has poems from many different poets on all types of subjects that all lead back to kindness, love, and joy. Each poem has a little snippet of beauty, something we can recognize around us in life and say “this is a good thing.”
I like how simple many of the poems are. They cut right to the heart of something that we usually overlook: a child swimming, a family getting waffles at a hotel, a tulip, a heartbeat, the smell of clean laundry.
Continue readingActivity Book Review: Kids’ Book of Sticker Love
The Kids’ Book of Sticker Love: Paper Projects to Make Decorate
by Irene Smit, Astrid van der Hulst, Flow Magazine
This book has tons of cool crafts that can be done with paper and stickers! You can fold paper airplanes, envelopes, and finger puppets. You can make a magic wand, a paper globe, and a crown and decorate them with stickers and washi tape. There are reusable stickers for an outer space scene. There are two cute notebooks that you can decorate! You can even make a pretty suncatcher and a wind sock.
Continue readingNonFiction Review: Younger Next Year
Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, Sexy, and Smart—Until You’re 80 and Beyond
by Chris Crowley, Henry S. Lodge, Allan J. Hamilton MD (Contributor)
This book gives advice on exercise, nutrition, and staying healthy beyond 50.
This is definitely a “guy” book, written by guys, for guys. It’s crass and in your face and trying to be super macho. I only wish that the descriptions on the back, or in the title, or anywhere on the internet had made that clear. There should be a big sign on this book saying, “No Girls Allowed.” I finally searched around and found a different book by the same authors called “Younger Next Year for Women.” Guess I should have picked that one up, but I won’t bother with it now.
Continue readingBook Review: Love Notes to My Self
Notes to Self: Creating a Practice of Self-Care, Self-Compassion, and Self-Love
by Tanya Carroll Richardson
Each page in this book has a little lesson or affirmation to help you navigate the difficulties of life and find peace within yourself. At the top of the page is a main statement, and then a short paragraph or two explaining the concept and how you can apply is to your own self-care.
Continue readingColoring Book Review: Reverse Coloring Book Through the Seasons
The Reverse Coloring Book™: Through the Seasons: The Book Has the Colors, You Make the Lines
by Kendra Norton
This is such a creative idea! With all the swirling colors on the page, it will really spark your imagination in a new way when you have to put in the lines and bring clarity to the page. I am so impressed with this beautiful book! The book is divided into sections for each season of the year, with bright green colors for spring, and warm reds and yellows for autumn, and cool blues and grays for winter.
Continue readingBook Review: Paint by Sticker Kids: Easter
Paint by Sticker Kids: Easter: Create 10 Pictures One Sticker at a Time!
by Workman Publishing
This activity book has 10 beautiful designs, and hundreds of stickers in little mosaic shapes! It’s so easy to put the stickers into place, and the finished product looks wonderful. It’s very relaxing and helped me to get creative. You really feel a sense of accomplishment when you finish!
Continue readingBook Review: The Wild Garden
The Wild Garden
by Cynthia Cliff
Jill and her grandfather love to venture beyond the walls of the village and enjoy the beauties of nature. They see animals, birds, and butterflies. They gather nuts and berries depending on the season, and they enjoy the wildness of the outdoors. But when the villagers plan to “improve” their gardens by expanding outside the village walls, Jill and her grandfather are worried that everything they love about the surrounding countryside will be lost. How can they convince the other villagers to appreciate and respect the wildness of nature?
Continue readingBook Review: Big Hedgehog and Little Hedgehog
Big Hedgehog and Little Hedgehog Take An Evening Stroll
by Britta Teckentrup (Goodreads Author)
Big Hedgehog and Little Hedgehog are taking walk, and they stop to watch the sunset. They stop to watch the moonrise. It’s getting very late, but they stop to smell the flowers, and say goodnight to all the animals. They stop to watch the fireflies. Will they ever get home for bedtime?
Continue readingPicture Book Review: Lisette’s Lie
Lisette’s Lie
by Catharina Valckx
Lisette and her friend Bobbi decide that it would be funny to tell a lie. They tell Popof that they are going on a trip to the mountains, and show him a mound of dirt as the “mountain”. They laugh when Popof believes them. Popof gets a shovel and digs to make their “mountain” bigger. There is a big hole left over from all the digging. Bobbi wishes the hole were filled with water to make a lake next to their little “mountain”. They ask Popof to fill the hole with water, and pressure him into doing all the work of toting water in a bucket to fill the hole.
They all have fun swimming, sitting by a fire, and singing songs. Lisette tells her mother about her day, and Lisette’s mother laughs and says, “That does sound fun! But you know, Lisette, you mustn’t tell lies…”
I don’t know what is wrong with this book. I don’t understand the moral message at all. Lisette and Bobbie are horrible and selfish and manipulative. They get a sick enjoyment out of lying to others. Poor Popof has to do all the work and they don’t lift a finger to help him. And then the only consequence is that they have a lovely day, and a mild reprimand from Lisette’s mother. What kind of moral message is this? Why did Popof allow them to manipulate and fool him? They are in such a toxic friendship, and poor Popof doesn’t have any good boundaries to stand up to his friends and make them take responsibility for their bad behavior. Why didn’t Lisette and Bobbi get what they deserved?
Continue reading
Luminous Libro 