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4 Stars
Talala is the true story of a leopard cub that finds home with a lioness and her little cubs. The book is based on a real-life incident that took place in Gir National Park in Gujarat, India.
The author has created a fictional backstory of how the leopard cub walks through the forest at night, looking at various animals ‘families and trying to fit in. Finally, Talala finds a lioness with her cubs and is welcomed by the lioness, who accepts her as a part of her family.
The story is cute, showing how emotional bonds are something stronger than everything else and can defy even nature’s laws. The illustrations are soft and heartwarming, perfect for bedtime reading.
The adoptive mother, the lioness, needs a special mention as she has lovingly accepted a leopard cub as one of her own. The book has pictures of real Talala at the end. I remember seeing them on social media, and it felt good to see a story based on it.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#TrueStoriesofAnimalHeroesTalala #NetGalley
Talala is the true story of a leopard cub that finds home with a lioness and her little cubs. The book is based on a real-life incident that took place in Gir National Park in Gujarat, India.
The author has created a fictional backstory of how the leopard cub walks through the forest at night, looking at various animals ‘families and trying to fit in. Finally, Talala finds a lioness with her cubs and is welcomed by the lioness, who accepts her as a part of her family.
The story is cute, showing how emotional bonds are something stronger than everything else and can defy even nature’s laws. The illustrations are soft and heartwarming, perfect for bedtime reading.
The adoptive mother, the lioness, needs a special mention as she has lovingly accepted a leopard cub as one of her own. The book has pictures of real Talala at the end. I remember seeing them on social media, and it felt good to see a story based on it.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#TrueStoriesofAnimalHeroesTalala #NetGalley
4.5 Stars
What is Charlie Doing is a little book for kiddos to learn more about service dogs and their importance. The writing is super simple and easy for little ones to understand. The text size is big and nice to read. The illustrations go perfectly hand in hand with the text and highlight the sensory details such as the types of scent and their impact on Charlie’s human.
The book explains why it is vital to not touch service dogs when they are working (wearing cute little vests). The author uses her personal story to write this book, and that gives it a warm and assuring feel.
Overall, What is Charlie Doing is a good way to answer kiddos’ questions about service dogs.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#WhatisCharlieDoing #NetGalley
What is Charlie Doing is a little book for kiddos to learn more about service dogs and their importance. The writing is super simple and easy for little ones to understand. The text size is big and nice to read. The illustrations go perfectly hand in hand with the text and highlight the sensory details such as the types of scent and their impact on Charlie’s human.
The book explains why it is vital to not touch service dogs when they are working (wearing cute little vests). The author uses her personal story to write this book, and that gives it a warm and assuring feel.
Overall, What is Charlie Doing is a good way to answer kiddos’ questions about service dogs.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#WhatisCharlieDoing #NetGalley
Please Don't Tell Cooper That Jack is a Rabbit
Michelle Lander Feinberg, Michelle Lander Feinberg
4 Stars
How could I not request a book with a title like that? The story is about Cooper, a big cute dog who has just learned to live with a family (in book 1). However, Cooper still has one weakness, rabbits. He cannot help but chase after them.
In this book, Cooper chases a rabbit across the city. When the rabbit realizes that Cooper only wants to be a friend, he agrees, and they become buddies. Cooper adopts Jack, the rabbit, as his pet, and they have a whole lot of adventures, irrespective of the fact that one is a dog and the other is a rabbit.
The story is about how we can be friends with people who are different from us and have wonderful relationships. The narration is in AA rhyme scheme, which seemed a little forced at times and broke the natural rhythm.
The illustrations are in watercolor and so warm! Cooper is this huge furry doggy one cannot resist cuddling. Diversity has been so artfully included in the book that it adds to its beauty with ease.
To sum up, Please Don't Tell Cooper That Jack is a Rabbit is a lovely book for kids and adults.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and SDP Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#PleaseDontTellCooperThatJackisaRabbit #NetGalley
How could I not request a book with a title like that? The story is about Cooper, a big cute dog who has just learned to live with a family (in book 1). However, Cooper still has one weakness, rabbits. He cannot help but chase after them.
In this book, Cooper chases a rabbit across the city. When the rabbit realizes that Cooper only wants to be a friend, he agrees, and they become buddies. Cooper adopts Jack, the rabbit, as his pet, and they have a whole lot of adventures, irrespective of the fact that one is a dog and the other is a rabbit.
The story is about how we can be friends with people who are different from us and have wonderful relationships. The narration is in AA rhyme scheme, which seemed a little forced at times and broke the natural rhythm.
The illustrations are in watercolor and so warm! Cooper is this huge furry doggy one cannot resist cuddling. Diversity has been so artfully included in the book that it adds to its beauty with ease.
To sum up, Please Don't Tell Cooper That Jack is a Rabbit is a lovely book for kids and adults.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and SDP Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#PleaseDontTellCooperThatJackisaRabbit #NetGalley
3.8 Stars
As the title says, the book is about Mister Grumpf, who is always grumpy. He’s got to sweep the dried leaves again and again, and that’s bound to make anyone grumpy.
His neighbors stop by to chat with him, ask for help, and so on. He’s still grumpy, but that doesn’t stop him from helping them. And, of course, when the time comes, they all show up uninvited to help Mister Grumpf clean the piles of leaves blocking his door.
The illustrations are color with the autumn leaves bright and dancing in the wind. Mister Grumpf has pretty much the same grumpy expression most of the book.
I’m guessing that the book is about neighbors who are a bit abrupt and even seem rude but are good people at heart. It sort of reminded me of [b:A Man Called Ove|18774964|A Man Called Ove|Fredrik Backman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405259930l/18774964._SY75_.jpg|21619954], so I gave the book a few points extra.
But, hey, did they have to uproot a tree to get a kite?
I received an ARC from NetGalley, Diamond Book Distributors, and Magnetic Press am voluntarily leaving a review.
#BeneaththeTrees #NetGalley
As the title says, the book is about Mister Grumpf, who is always grumpy. He’s got to sweep the dried leaves again and again, and that’s bound to make anyone grumpy.
His neighbors stop by to chat with him, ask for help, and so on. He’s still grumpy, but that doesn’t stop him from helping them. And, of course, when the time comes, they all show up uninvited to help Mister Grumpf clean the piles of leaves blocking his door.
The illustrations are color with the autumn leaves bright and dancing in the wind. Mister Grumpf has pretty much the same grumpy expression most of the book.
I’m guessing that the book is about neighbors who are a bit abrupt and even seem rude but are good people at heart. It sort of reminded me of [b:A Man Called Ove|18774964|A Man Called Ove|Fredrik Backman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405259930l/18774964._SY75_.jpg|21619954], so I gave the book a few points extra.
But, hey, did they have to uproot a tree to get a kite?
I received an ARC from NetGalley, Diamond Book Distributors, and Magnetic Press am voluntarily leaving a review.
#BeneaththeTrees #NetGalley
4 Stars
Having a bad mood isn’t something new, right? We get irritated and take it on others for no reason. But once we feel better, the guilt of our behavior starts to make us feel bad (or maybe not).
Badger does the same when he wakes up in a bad mood. He feels sad that his friends are rude to him and realizes that his past actions were to blame. The problem is solved by apologizing to them and having a bad mood party.
The concept is simple and well-executed. However, a bad mood doesn’t just slip off. Since the book is aimed at kids, it would have been nice to see how Badger got out of his bad mood. Still, elders can help kids understand and maybe even try to manage their bad moods better.
The illustrations are soft, warm, and cute. The text could have been bigger to make it easy on the eyes.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and NorthSouthBooks and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#TheBadMood #NetGalley
Having a bad mood isn’t something new, right? We get irritated and take it on others for no reason. But once we feel better, the guilt of our behavior starts to make us feel bad (or maybe not).
Badger does the same when he wakes up in a bad mood. He feels sad that his friends are rude to him and realizes that his past actions were to blame. The problem is solved by apologizing to them and having a bad mood party.
The concept is simple and well-executed. However, a bad mood doesn’t just slip off. Since the book is aimed at kids, it would have been nice to see how Badger got out of his bad mood. Still, elders can help kids understand and maybe even try to manage their bad moods better.
The illustrations are soft, warm, and cute. The text could have been bigger to make it easy on the eyes.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and NorthSouthBooks and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#TheBadMood #NetGalley
4 Stars
Where is Happiness? is a story about a cute little bear called Ananda. She’s a happy bear cub who suddenly wonders what makes her so happy. Her quest to find the source of happiness takes her on an adventure.
Ananda realizes that happiness is not in honey, friends, or waterfalls. So where is it? Before she can answer, winter sets in, and she goes into hibernation with her parents. Ananda wakes up to a beautiful rainbow, and her mother helps her understand where happiness comes from. It’s not the rainbow, either, but Ananda herself who is the source of her happiness.
The concept of finding happiness and peace within self has been handled very well. The illustrations are soft as if they intend to lull the children to sleep. I’d have liked some vibrance and oomph in Ananda’s adventure and the illustrations, but that’s me being me.
My favorite, however, is the last but one illustration where the mama bear kisses Ananda on her head after she understands what happiness is. It’s perfect!
I received an ARC from NetGalley, Happy Page, and BooksGoSocial and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#WhereisHappiness #NetGalley
Where is Happiness? is a story about a cute little bear called Ananda. She’s a happy bear cub who suddenly wonders what makes her so happy. Her quest to find the source of happiness takes her on an adventure.
Ananda realizes that happiness is not in honey, friends, or waterfalls. So where is it? Before she can answer, winter sets in, and she goes into hibernation with her parents. Ananda wakes up to a beautiful rainbow, and her mother helps her understand where happiness comes from. It’s not the rainbow, either, but Ananda herself who is the source of her happiness.
The concept of finding happiness and peace within self has been handled very well. The illustrations are soft as if they intend to lull the children to sleep. I’d have liked some vibrance and oomph in Ananda’s adventure and the illustrations, but that’s me being me.
My favorite, however, is the last but one illustration where the mama bear kisses Ananda on her head after she understands what happiness is. It’s perfect!
I received an ARC from NetGalley, Happy Page, and BooksGoSocial and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#WhereisHappiness #NetGalley
5 Stars
Oh, my, God! I love this! James is a sweet little boy who finds his day boring and goes to a cat shelter home to play with the cats. He pets them, runs with them, and reads out stories as the cats cuddle and listen.
However, there is one cat, Ghost, with lovely black fur and emerald green eyes. It refuses to come out of the box and doesn’t let anyone touch it. James gets an idea to read aloud for the cat and see if it would be friends with him.
The process isn’t easy as James is not good at reading aloud. But he learns with practice, and one day, Ghost meows and finally peaks out of the box. The friendship thus begins.
James does great at school and aces the reading class. He goes to the shelter home to find Ghost missing. With mixed feelings, he goes home and is delighted to see that his parents have adopted Ghost for him.
The book deals with two topics- abandoned cats and reading problems kids usually face when young. James is a darling boy, full of love and patience. Abandoned/ street cats are afraid and tend to scratch, hiss, and fight if anyone gets closer. It takes a lot of time for them to trust a human.
The illustrations are so soft and warm. The one where Ghost peeks out of the box is picture-perfect. That cute head and those curious green eyes, sigh!!
Cat lovers, pick this up with a second thought.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Clavis Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#ClavisPublishing #NetGalley
Oh, my, God! I love this! James is a sweet little boy who finds his day boring and goes to a cat shelter home to play with the cats. He pets them, runs with them, and reads out stories as the cats cuddle and listen.
However, there is one cat, Ghost, with lovely black fur and emerald green eyes. It refuses to come out of the box and doesn’t let anyone touch it. James gets an idea to read aloud for the cat and see if it would be friends with him.
The process isn’t easy as James is not good at reading aloud. But he learns with practice, and one day, Ghost meows and finally peaks out of the box. The friendship thus begins.
James does great at school and aces the reading class. He goes to the shelter home to find Ghost missing. With mixed feelings, he goes home and is delighted to see that his parents have adopted Ghost for him.
The book deals with two topics- abandoned cats and reading problems kids usually face when young. James is a darling boy, full of love and patience. Abandoned/ street cats are afraid and tend to scratch, hiss, and fight if anyone gets closer. It takes a lot of time for them to trust a human.
The illustrations are so soft and warm. The one where Ghost peeks out of the box is picture-perfect. That cute head and those curious green eyes, sigh!!
Cat lovers, pick this up with a second thought.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Clavis Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#ClavisPublishing #NetGalley
4.2 Stars
Kitty Counts Her Blessings is a cute little book about a little kitten that decides to count the happy incidents in her day. She starts with the sun shining and ends with the little boy who cuddles with her after he comes from school.
The book deals with two topics at once. One is numbers. The other is positive thinking- embracing the minor yet happy events of the day and being grateful to have so many things that make us smile and laugh.
The illustrations are cheerful and full of life. I love how cute and cuddly the kitty looks on each page. The narration sort of rhymes at times, but don’t focus on it.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#KittyCountsHerBlessings #NetGalley
Kitty Counts Her Blessings is a cute little book about a little kitten that decides to count the happy incidents in her day. She starts with the sun shining and ends with the little boy who cuddles with her after he comes from school.
The book deals with two topics at once. One is numbers. The other is positive thinking- embracing the minor yet happy events of the day and being grateful to have so many things that make us smile and laugh.
The illustrations are cheerful and full of life. I love how cute and cuddly the kitty looks on each page. The narration sort of rhymes at times, but don’t focus on it.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#KittyCountsHerBlessings #NetGalley
Edit: The author has fixed the errors. Review updated.
4 Stars
Eli is a moon elf who lives with her friends in an enchanted forest. When a baby rabbit falls on a sugar crystal and turns into hard candy, Eli and Luna, the baby’s mother, race against time to find the Hallowshine Dragon. It’s the Dragon’s tears causing the sugar crystals, and only the Dragon can save the baby rabbit from becoming hard candy forever.
The illustrations are super fab! I love the play of colors, the detailing, and the magical setting. The illustrator gave life to the story.
The story is a typical adventure that ends with a moral lesson. For me, it’s the illustrations that are a huge hit. Kids who love fairy tales will enjoy the book. I do wish the author creates a series for Eli and the enchanted land. The setting is superb, and the moon elf seems like a beautiful character to know.
There are a couple of typos and printing issues that created some confusion, but once I understood, the rest was beautiful.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Twenty Two House Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#hallowshinedragon #NetGalley
4 Stars
Eli is a moon elf who lives with her friends in an enchanted forest. When a baby rabbit falls on a sugar crystal and turns into hard candy, Eli and Luna, the baby’s mother, race against time to find the Hallowshine Dragon. It’s the Dragon’s tears causing the sugar crystals, and only the Dragon can save the baby rabbit from becoming hard candy forever.
The illustrations are super fab! I love the play of colors, the detailing, and the magical setting. The illustrator gave life to the story.
The story is a typical adventure that ends with a moral lesson. For me, it’s the illustrations that are a huge hit. Kids who love fairy tales will enjoy the book. I do wish the author creates a series for Eli and the enchanted land. The setting is superb, and the moon elf seems like a beautiful character to know.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Twenty Two House Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#hallowshinedragon #NetGalley
3.5 Stars
Umm… okay… Winter Chills is about Mr. Fox, whose long red scarf is troubling him. He slips, trips, stumbles, falls, slides, and whatnot, all thanks to the scarf that’s too big. He refuses help and finds it awkward to talk to a pretty Miss Fox.
However, Miss Fox takes things into her hands, and they finally have a lovey-dovey scene in the snow. Never mind that Mr. Fox looks like he’s being strangled by the scarf.
That’s the story. It’s more of a comic strip than a story for kids. The illustrations are really good. For me, that’s the only plus point of the book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley, Diamond Book Distributors, and Magnetic Press and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#BeneaththeTreesWinterChills #NetGalley
Umm… okay… Winter Chills is about Mr. Fox, whose long red scarf is troubling him. He slips, trips, stumbles, falls, slides, and whatnot, all thanks to the scarf that’s too big. He refuses help and finds it awkward to talk to a pretty Miss Fox.
However, Miss Fox takes things into her hands, and they finally have a lovey-dovey scene in the snow. Never mind that Mr. Fox looks like he’s being strangled by the scarf.
That’s the story. It’s more of a comic strip than a story for kids. The illustrations are really good. For me, that’s the only plus point of the book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley, Diamond Book Distributors, and Magnetic Press and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#BeneaththeTreesWinterChills #NetGalley