This search and find book has tons of wonderful facts and information about animals around the world! The illustrations are colorful and vibrant with all those tiny details to look for in the scenery. The zoo scenes include African plains, jungles, Asian mountains, the Amazon, Arctic tundra, and deserts around the world.

Each page is loaded with factoids and interesting information about ocean and land creatures, and a sample picture of what to look for in the scene.   The zoo animals include reptiles, bugs, endangered animals, nocturnal animals, and mammals and birds of all kinds.

The only thing I didn't like is how the colors tend to blend in with each other, making it more difficult to see what you are searching for, and a lot of the items are half hidden behind other things, making it difficult to find them. I wouldn't recommend this for little kids, but ages 7-10 would enjoy the challenge.


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.

This search and find book has tons of wonderful facts and information about the ocean! The illustrations are colorful and vibrant with all those tiny details to look for in the scenery. The scenes cover a multitude of areas, including tide pools, coral reefs, arctic oceans, shipwrecks, the deep sea, and swamp lands.

Each page is loaded with factoids and interesting information about ocean creatures, and a sample picture of what to look for in the scene. There are facts about mammals, fish, coral, plants, crustaceans, sea birds, and even geological formations found in the ocean like thermal vents.

The only thing I didn't like is how the colors tend to blend in with each other, making it more difficult to see what you are searching for, and a lot of the items are half hidden behind other things, making it difficult to find them. I wouldn't recommend this for little kids, but ages 7-10 would enjoy the challenge.


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.

Swoop and Scribble are an owl and a squirrel who are best friends. They decide to move into a house together, but begin to squabble over who can use the beautiful porch. Swoop wants the porch to be her workshop, and Scribble wants the porch to put on elaborate stage plays. Things escalate into a fierce argument, and there's only one word that can repair their relationship. But even the word "Sorry" doesn't work unless you really mean it.

I loved this adorable picture book! Swoop and Scribble are so cute! I love the way the story goes back and forth between the workshop and the stage, until finally the friends learn to compromise. I love how the writing is so insightful to remind the reader that saying you're sorry doesn't always work. You have to really BE sorry, and then do something to repair the emotional damage. Such a positive message told in a charming story!

The illustrations are perfection! The artwork has soft lines and bright colors, and the expressions on the characters' faces are so hilarious! The artwork really enhances the story and draws the reader in with an emotional hook, and then makes you laugh. I love how each page is designed with little details in the background that make each scene special.

A wonderful book from start to finish!

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.

Dog dreams of visiting the ocean, but it's so far away that he never goes. One day Crab magically appears in his laundry basket, and Dog is forced to finally follow his dreams to the ocean as he helps Crab to get home. Dog thinks the trip is impossible, but with Crab's encouragement he finds a new confidence that they can do anything together.

I liked this cute picture book! It has a positive message about confidence and trying your best, and the characters are really funny. The plot takes many twists and turns as Dog and Crab go on their journey to the ocean.

The illustrations are really adorable with a crayon art style that is bright and energetic. Every page is full of cool details that enhance the story. I loved how the art designs pull the reader into the journey along with Dog and Crab.

Such a fun and entertaining book!

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.

Bear is so excited to wake up from hibernation, and run and jump and play in the sunshine! She befriends Tortoise, but has trouble slowing down to his pace. Bear cannot be still for a second, and drags Tortoise along as she runs through the forest, and rolls down a grassy hill, and jumps into the water to swim. Finally, Tortoise begs her to slow down and appreciate all the things she has been running past, too busy to notice the other animals who want to play. Together the friends learn to stop and smell the flowers.

I loved this adorable story! Bear is such a cute character, and Tortoise is very patient with her. You can really feel the joyful energy Bear has to be out in the beautiful Spring, playing in the sun.

The illustrations are lovely, with fuzzy lines and bright Spring colors. Bear's vibrant energy is shown through the art work, as well as the calmer quiet of the Tortoise. I just love the cute expressions on their faces!

I like that this book has a positive message about slowing down a little to enjoy the little things in life, but it never feels preachy forced. It's a fun and charming story through and through!

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.

Mouse has lost her favorite bedtime book, and Frank the Dog is determined to help her find it. They ask Bella the Cat and they ask Owl to help them, but poor Mouse is very upset to have lost such a beloved book. How will Mouse ever get to sleep without her bedtime book?

This book is so adorable! The story is charming and sweet, and I loved the way the text draws the reader into the emotions of the story and the suspense of the mystery. The story has some excellent repetition in it, which is perfect for young readers. The pacing flows smoothly, and I loved the twist at the end.

The illustrations are bright colors on a black background, as Mouse searches for her book in the middle of the night. But the art doesn't feel dark or oppressive, despite the dark background. Each scene is alive with energy and vivid designs. The art style is done in simple blocks of color, which are striking and pleasant. I think the illustrations are delightful!

Such a sweet and lovely book from start to finish, and perfect for bedtime!

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.

This book introduces common animals like pigeons, squirrels, spiders, skunk, earthworms, and butterflies. The text is written in rhyme, which is constructed quite well. I really like that none of these are farm animals. So many children's books focus on farm animals instead of the type of animals that we normally see in our neighborhood or even in the city.

I am not always a fan of rhyme in children's books, but I have no cause to complain of the rhyming in this book. The meter is good, and the rhymes are good, although a little contrived at times. However, most of the poems for each animal are four stanzas long. Any child young enough to be interested in an animal book will probably not sit through four stanzas of poetry on each page. Shorter would have been better.

The illustrations are really cute! I love the watercolor and ink style and the bright colors. However, the animals have really really large eyes. It looks odd. When a bird's eyes are bigger than its wings, there is something off with the proportions. Of course, I know that in a cartoony style, the proportions are not supposed to be accurate, but I still found it weird-looking.

I'm not sure how I feel about all the violence in this book. On one page we learn about the earthworm, and on the next page the earthworm is eaten by baby robins. The earthworm is depicted as screaming while it is thrown into the nest of baby robins. Wow. That was brutal.
I know that it's important to show children what really happens in nature, but gosh. Poor Mr. Earthworm!
The page for the praying mantis is the worst. There is a decapitated fly just lying there dead! Yuck! Fly carcass! Bleh. I bet kids would love that.

I do like that there is further information about each animal in the back of the book with some interesting facts and statistics.

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.

Gloria is trapped in her anxiety. It feels like a big problematic monster that whispers her fears into her ears every day. Gloria feels crippled by her anxiety, and she doesn't feel comfortable going to the movies or sleep overs with friends. She loves to sing, but is too scared to sing in front of people. Is there any way for her to destroy her anxiety and be able to sing in the big auditions for a musical show?

I loved this book so much! The concept of anxiety is described in a really insightful way, as a mental and physical response, and as an emotion too. I also found it very compelling how Gloria's family minimize her problem and don't take her seriously. Most people will not take a child seriously, or will tell you to "get over it." There are some very powerful messages in this story about taking control of your own emotions and pulling yourself out of your fears. However, the story never feels preachy or overly "inspirational". The story flows smoothly and is fun and silly, making it a joy to read!

The illustrations are adorable! I love how the Problem monster is designed, and the crazy expressions on its face. The art style is colorful with bold lines! I love the way each page is designed with text and pictures, and how the story is interpreted through the art. It's expressive and emotional.

An excellent book with a wonderful message told in a fun way!

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.

This book features things that happen each second around the world. 4 babies are born and 2 people die every second. 40 pairs of jeans and 48 smartphones are bought every second. 100 lightning bolts strike the earth every second! From natural phenomenon to text messages, this book gives some surprising numbers about how often things happen every second.

I liked how this book was organized! All the facts are really interesting, and they are illustrated with crisp art work. I also appreciated that the sources for all these numbers are listed in the back of the book, so you can determine for yourself how reliable the source might be.

I was fascinated to see some of the remarkable numbers in these facts. For instance 12,100 pounds of sugar are eaten every second. That is insane to me! Even in the whole world of people eating sugar, that is a crazy number.

Another startling one is that the Sahara desert loses 11,500 pounds of sand carried away by the wind every second. I mean, I knew that Sahara desert sand is capable of being blown all over the world, but wow.

The art work is colorful and has a cartoon style like the cover. I really liked the striking simplicity of the art. The designs are interesting and really emphasize the text.

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.

Mimbi and Kipo are a seal and a turtle who see the legendary moonbow, a rainbow created by the moon's light. The magical moonbow transforms them into human children, and they meet a kindly fisherman who helps them to find a way to become animals again.

I loved this imaginative story, especially for the legend of the enchanting moonbow. This gave the story arc some great depth and history. The whole thing is absolutely whimsical! The characters are sweet and innocent, and the magic is delightful.

The illustrations are lovely with calming blues and greens. There are bright pops of color in the fish and coral, and the art style is soft and wavy. The coolest thing about the artwork is the border where the colored illustration turns into a pencil sketch. It's really clever and a beautiful design. The gorgeous art work along with the bewitching story makes this book particularly sweet and enjoyable!


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.