The rumor around the sheep farm is that Santa is looking for a special sheep to provide the wool to make the first Christmas sweater. Hillary is a rainbow-colored sheep who loves to make lists, and especially loves Christmas, but will her strangely-colored wool eliminate her from being able to donate her wool to Santa?

Each of the sheep in this Irish sheep farm have their own personalities and quirks. Hillary has many friends, but one of the sheep, Brian, is just annoying with his dumb jokes and "ewe" puns. Hillary spends her time daydreaming about Christmas, but Brian keeps interrupting her with boring small talk. Hillary would rather gossip with her bird friend, Didya, who is always asking "Didya know this? Didya know that?" and telling her all the news.

I loved all the sheep characters! They are so funny and cute. I could really imagine all their Irish accents. The plot is entertaining, and the writing is playful. There are many sheep puns, and several pages full of sheep jokes at the end of the book.

I loved the simple black-and-white illustrations. They really add to the whimsy and imagination of the story. I wish that illustrations of Hillary had been in color though, so we could see her colorful wool throughout the book and not just on the cover.

With thirteen small chapters of 5-10 pages each, this would be an excellent book for young readers who are reading short chapter books. This book is full of magic and joy of Christmas!


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 no influenced by anyone.

Zeus is a hamster who rules the kingdom of the pet store along with the other Olympian gods, Athena the cat, Demeter the cricket, Ares the dog, and Poseidon the puffer fish. These animals have mystic powers and find artifacts that help them in their adventures. When Poseidon questions Zeus' ability to rule, Zeus goes on a quest to find the Golden Fleas (Fleece) to prove that he is worthy to be king of the gods.

I loved this funny book! The animals all have vivid personalities, and I loved their hilarious dialogue. It's so clever how Greek mythology is woven into the pet store setting.

My favorite thing was seeing how the story of Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece is reimagined with all the major plot points like Charybdis, Phineas the soothsayer, the harpies, a dragon who guards the fleece, and even the Oracle of Delphi. Locations around the pet store correspond to locations in ancient Greece, like Mount Olympus, the island of Crete, and the Aegean Sea. It's so imaginative!

The illustrations are adorable, and I loved the cartoony style. It really brings the characters to life with their silly expressions and funny antics.

I would recommend this book for children ages 8-12 who "don't like to read." It's sure to capture their attention, and help them to discover a love for reading!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Media Masters Publicity in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

"The best way to change your life is to improve your health and fitness." This book gives advice on using weight lifting to get a healthier heart, stronger bones, better mental health, increased metabolism, and better flexibility and balance. Beginning with goal setting and information about muscle groups, this book has everything a beginner needs to begin training.

I really like that this book includes a glossary for weight lifting terms that not everyone would know. There is really good advice about warming up, cooling down, muscle groups, recovery, and nutrition.
There are tips for how to find a good gym or set up a gym at home, as well as gym etiquette rules and how to choose the right weights.
There is an entire chapter just about warming up, and then there are sections for basic exercises, as well as routines for designing your workouts for 4 weeks.

Each weight exercise has illustrations showing the proper movements, instructions that describe the right alignment, and dos and don'ts tips to stay safe while lifting. There are tips for doing the exercises at home, and advice for making the exercise a little easier or a little harder.

I'm really impressed with all the good information in this book, and the excellent organization of the chapters which make it easy to follow the steps and routines. This book is perfect for any beginner wanting to try weight lifting, or for stepping up your game if you already do weight lifting.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Callisto Media in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

This vegan cookbook includes recipes for Breads, Biscuits, Muffins, Scones, Cookies, Brownies, Bars, Cakes, Cupcakes, Pies, and Tarts. The introduction begins with some information about how to bake without eggs, butter, or milk, using vegetable substitutes like applesauce, nut butters, almond milk, or pumpkin puree to function as the oils and fats that bind a dough together. There are sections about types of flour and natural sweeteners as well.

Each recipe has information about whether or not the food is soy-free, gluten-free, or nut-free. There are excellent tips for storing your baked goods, as well as variations on the recipe to try out.
I was pleased to see that almost all the recipes have easy-to-find ingredients that would be available at any grocery store. There are very few recipes that call for any special ingredients.

The instructions are easy to follow, and the baked goods look delicious! There are colorful photographs at the beginning of each chapter, but I wish that there were more photos of the food so you could visualize each recipe a little better.


Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Callisto Media in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

I loved these books as a girl, and they are still good rereading them as an adult. The story is simple and sweet, with vivid characters and funny dialogue. I especially love Samantha’s character and how curious and brave she is.
The main reason I’m enjoying rereading them as an adult is the strong nostalgia and memories. I’m not sure that an adult reader would enjoy these books if they had not already read them as a child.

Hilda has been transformed into a changling troll, and a troll child has replaced her in the human city. While Hilda's mother searches for her daughter on the mountainside by day, Hilda is learning about the trolls' inner life underground in the caves. She befriends a mysterious troll who promises to turn her back into a human, if she completes three dangerous tasks.

I love this fun graphic novel! The story is so imaginative, and the characters are compelling and emotional. I love the relationship between Hilda and her mother.
The artwork is beautiful and strange, perfectly capturing the moods of the magical land where Hilda has her adventures.
I have really enjoyed the books much more than the Netflix show, and I like the direction the story takes much better in the books.

I loved these books as a girl, and they are still good rereading them as an adult. The story is simple and sweet, with vivid characters. I especially love Samantha’s character and how curious and brave she is.
The main reason I’m enjoying rereading them as an adult is the strong nostalgia and memories. I’m not sure that an adult reader would enjoy these books if they had not already read them as a child.

I remember being fascinated as a child by the beautiful Christmas traditions, and the gorgeous doll that Samantha wishes to get for Christmas. This is such a special little book to me. All my childhood Christmas dreams are in this book.

I loved reading these books when I was a girl, and now I am enjoying revisiting these stories and remembering the little details. Samantha is a wonderful main character, and the stories are simple and heartfelt.

I love revisiting these childhood favorite books. Samantha is my favorite American Girl!

This recipe book has all the instructions you need to start using Bento boxes for work or school lunches or dinners. It begins with the history of Bento and the traditions behind this style of food packing, then gives advice on using traditional Japanese recipes or using more Americanized versions of Bento.

I love that there are so many options for Bento-style lunches! The reader has the freedom to substitute favorite vegetables and dishes, mixing them with the recipes in this book.
The recipes are all simple and easy to cook, using basics like rice, beans, chicken, and veggies. Each recipe has substitutions and labels for vegan, pescatarian, nut-free, and gluten-free.

There are also instructions for how to plan your time, scheduling prep time in the morning or the day before to keep your Bento fresh, or freezing several Bento boxes at a time for later use.

I only wish this book had more photos of the recipes, and more tips about freezing bento boxes for longer storage. I can't wait to get started with some of these recipes and make some Bento-style lunches for myself!

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.