This book is told in rhyming text, about how a mother cares for her child. I did not like it because the illustrations contain adult nudity. It's very inappropriate.


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.

Anita and her family are planning to leave the Dominican Republic in a large airplane that Anita pretends is a dragon. She is a 'princess' on her island. But what if she is afraid and lonely in a new land with a new 'palace' home? It will take a lot of courage to walk into the belly of the dragon and start a new life. She will have to learn a new language. She will miss her island home and all the beautiful familiar surroundings.

I loved this sweet book about the courage it takes to start a new life, even if you know that new life will be better. Anita relies on her family to strengthen and encourage her, and I loved the close relationships between the family members.

The illustrations are beautifully impressionistic! I loved the soft art style and the long brush strokes of paint. The colors are vivid and lush. I love the richness of the culture portrayed in the landscapes.

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.

Evie the Strawberry Fairy is confronted with a mystery. Her magic wand is missing. Hedgehog has weird red spots all over. Laurel's hair has turned orange. Summer heard a loud bang that frightened all the sunshine out of her. What could these things mean? Together the friends decide to investigate.

I liked this sweet story, and how the friends work together to solve the mystery. It's imaginative and funny! However there were a couple of things towards the end of the story that were not explained. Evie finds her wand, but it is broken. A big deal is made about how she can't use her broken wand. Two pages later it is inexplicably mended. The text just says, "Her wand was mended, and everyone was happy." But they don't show HOW she repaired her wand.

The illustrations and character designs are so cute! They are delicate and adorable. I love all the little details in the art work that brings the magic forest to life. Everything about the art is perfection.

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.

In every season, the fairies have special tasks and parties. In the spring, they greet the new flowers. At Midsummer, they have a dance. In the fall, they help the forest animals to gather food. And in the winter, they wear soft cloaks to keep warm.

The fairies look depressed. Not a single fairy is smiling in this entire book. Most of them are frowning or looking vacantly into the distance. It would be fine if some fairies were smiling and some were frowning, but there is no other expression, no other emotion. There is no variety at all. Every single one of these fairies looks sad and depressed.

I am not a fan of this art style. I like the landscapes and the little animals, but the fairies' faces look distorted and weird. They don't even look that delicate or graceful. They are just blobs.

I do like the story and the lovely text. It tells about all the little doings around the forest, as the fairies prepare for winter or celebrate the summer. It's very simple and sweet. If only the illustrations did it justice.

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.

Nari has a little sheep, and uses the wool to make a scarf. She washes the wool, brushes it, and spins it into yarn. She dyes the yarn with natural marigold dye. When the scarf gets old and tattered, she puts in the on the compost heap, and uses the compost to grow new plants for her little sheep to eat.

I loved this simple story about the cycle of wool and how yarn is made. It's so fun to see Nari learning all these skills from her parents on the farm. Her father gently sheers the sheep. Her mother helps her to spin the yarn and dye it. Sometimes Nari drops a stitch while she is knitting the scarf, but she perseveres.

The illustrations are beautiful and soft. I love the pencil art style, and the vivid colors. Every scene is calming and warm and cozy, like a soft wool sweater. The lovely flowers, and apple blossoms, and little bees in the background bring the reader right into the story.


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.

Famous gems, ancient manuscripts, and beautiful monuments; there are all kinds of different treasures in the world. This book explores natural wonders, old ruins, royalty with massive wealth, and legends of lost treasures. There are sunken treasures, architectural marvels, and fossils from ancient times.

I especially loved the history in this book! Each page is divided into sections with a couple of paragraphs of information about some fabulous treasure, and an illustration depicting its wonders. It really sparks your curiosity! The history makes me want to research more about some of these subjects.

I loved the cool illustrations! The art work is bright with these bold strokes of color that draw your attention to the page.

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.

You can explore the fantastic creatures in the ocean! This book has sections about dangerous predators in the sea, the fastest and the biggest swimmers, and creatures that can disguise themselves in strange ways. There are lift-the-flap features and extra facts on every page!

I loved the cool illustrations in this book! The lift-the-flap additions are really cleverly placed on the page in different ways that hide and reveal information as you read. You can first see a shark swimming along, and then leaping up to hunt. It's such a smart way to bring action into the book!

All the information about the different sea creatures really captured my attention. There are so many weird and wild facts about the ocean! It was really interesting to read and explore.

I would recommend this book for ages 6-12.

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.

You can explore island habitats around the world, and learn all about the amazing creatures that live there. This book has 9 sounds of animals, birds, and even whales that live on (or near) the islands of Sumatra, the Galapagos, the Azores, and other islands.

Each page has a jungle, beach, or ocean scene with several interesting animals and a paragraph giving information about each one. They hunt and fish. They fight for territory, and hide their young. They are noted for their extreme size, fast speed, or clever skills. I love that the book features many endangered animals, raising awareness about preserving these precious and rare creatures.

Then you can press the area indicated on the page to hear sounds from those animals. It really brings the page to life and sounds like a zoo! I really like that this book has an on/off switch on the back so that you can save the battery.

I love the bright illustrations, and the strong colors really draw your attention. At the end of the book there is a map of the world, showing where each of the islands is located, and a list of animals that are currently under threat of extinction.

I recommend this book for readers aged 5-11.

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.

You can explore bird habitats around the world, and learn all about the amazing creatures that live there. This book has 9 sounds of birds that live in forests, mountains, jungles, and even deserts.

Each page has a rainforest, beach, or mountain scene with several interesting animals and birds, and a paragraph giving information about each one. I really liked that the book includes other animals, not just birds; although birds are the focus. They hunt and fish. They fight for territory, and hide their young. They are noted for their extreme size, fast speed, or clever skills. I love that the book features many endangered animals, raising awareness about preserving these precious and rare creatures.

Then you can press the area indicated on the page to hear sounds from those birds. It really brings the page to life and sounds like an aviary at a zoo! I really like that this book has an on/off switch on the back so that you can save the battery.

I love the bright illustrations, and the strong colors really draw your attention. At the end of the book there is a map of the world, showing where each of the forests are located, and a list of birds that are currently under threat of extinction.

I recommend this book for readers aged 5-11.

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 gives short biographies of 13 Nobel Prize winners in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, and Medicine. From Marie Curie to Einstein, each page lists their discoveries, their challenges and setbacks, and their determination to succeed.

I really like how this book encourages the reader to be strong in overcoming obstacles. You never know what you might achieve with hard work and compassion. Some of the stories are really inspiring, as the scientists face prejudice and criticism. They live through wars. They are ridiculed by their peers. But their inventions and discoveries have saved countless lives and promoted further scientific knowledge.

I liked the unique art style. Each page has a portrait illustration of the Nobel laureate, and shows something about their work and how it was used. The art uses mixed media in an interesting and attractive 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.