winecellarlibrary's Reviews (657)

Three birds live harmoniously on an elephant's back in the savanna, until one day, greed divides them. A beautiful feather is snatched and worn by the fastest bird, causing him to become boastful and the other birds to become jealous and to scheme against him. The elephant refuses to put up with any of their squabbling nonsense. The birds become blind to everything besides the feather, even danger.

The illustrations are exquisite. They contributed well to the story. The birds' personalities were portrayed well in the drawings. The story teaches a solid lesson. There is one page that seems a bit scary, but the humorous picture on the next page will ease a child's fears.

Overall, I really enjoyed this author's debut picture book.

I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth books.

The idea behind this book is sweet; the author tells this bedtime story to her grandchildren, and at the urging of her grandson, Will, she brought the story to life. Unfortunately, for a book, the story needs to be developed a bit further. It is a bit wordy and a little redundant, so the excitement fades when reading. Additionally, it has a large number of typos that need to be corrected. Even the synopsis on Amazon has errors! I would have liked for the illustrations to be cleaned up a bit as well since the pen strokes of the illustrator's marker are darker in areas where the ink has overlapped, giving it an unprofessional appearance.

Romantic comedy is not a genre I've ever read, though I do enjoy the genre in film. I was invited to read this book by the publisher. I knew if for nothing else, I would enjoy it for its references to hand lettering and planning, as these are both hobbies that I enjoy.

From the beginning, I found myself laughing out loud at some of the hilarious analogies and streams of consciousness. I got Sex and the City vibes, but really only from the setting and the main character's quirkiness and her struggle to make her name in the big city.

I really enjoyed this book overall, even if it was completely different from what I normally read. I would love to read the author's other works.

I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books.

I love the idea of including classical music in children's books! Each page of this picture book plays a snippet of a song by Beethoven. The music was selected well; the music stirs the emotions like the score of a movie, with a different song for each spread.

Sofia is a pirate in her dream, and she has an exciting adventure! The words vary in format, making it clear to the reader when to emphasize certain words.

The illustrations are beautiful. They appear to be a combination of watercolor and colored pencil.

At the end of the book, there is a spread dedicated to discussing Beethoven's life and music. I appreciate the inclusion of music education in the book.

The music and illustrations were fantastic. I feel the story could improve a little, since it seems to jump from event to event rather jarringly. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing.

I loved this children's book about the COVID-19 pandemic. It addresses many of the issues we face living in lockdown or under quarantine. Siona misses her grandmother, and after speaking with her on a video call, she realizes that people suffer from "lockdown hair" since all the salons are closed. Her mother is a hairdresser, so Siona gets to work on a plan that would allow her mother to safely cut people's hair during the pandemic.

The book has many lessons, and at the end, it includes some discussion points to encourage understanding. I feel that this book is not only charming in its story and illustrations, but that it is also a great way to broach the topic of the pandemic, lockdowns and quarantine, and safe social distancing with children.

If I had children of the appropriate age during the pandemic, I would happily read this book with them. Hopefully, the pandemic will be a distant memory by the time my newborn daughter is old enough for a book like this one.

I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Canoe Tree Publishing.

This heartwarming book is based on a true story about a young girl who wins the heart of a troublesome horse one summer. She is able to form a bond with the horse through her patience and love. Years later, she searches for the horse, who has been bought and sold by a few owners who cannot connect with the horse like she did.

I loved the illustrations, and maybe it's just the postpartum hormones, but I got a little teary-eyed at one point of the book! This is a truly beautiful story.

The book is not for sale at traditional book retailers. It is available online on the author's website, www.readjumpthemoon.com as well as at many tack shops (the locations of which can be found on the author's website).

I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Bound to Happen Publishing.