Category: childrens books

May 14, 2020

My Best Friend Book Review

This deliciously dark tale of a mouse and the “best friend” who wants to eat him will delight fans of Rob’s previous books.

About My Best Friend

Mouse lives in the tree with his best friend, Giant Owl. They used to do the most fun stuff imaginable, they would play chase and Giant Owl would nearly catch Mouse, but not quite. Giant Owl loved Mouse so much that she would give him as many donuts as he wanted and the most amazing presents, including his own house (a cage)! But then one day something happened, and now Mouse has found himself stuck in a very dark place. Will his best friend help come to his rescue?

Our Thoughts

This book was absolutely adorable and hilarious.

We have the sweet and innocent Mouse – he only sees the best in his friend, Giant Owl (who looks like quite the grumpy, dark character!). Giant Owl found him one day and made his life so much better by bringing him to live in his tree. He feeds him, houses him and even plays with him. To Mouse, Giant Owl is one of the best type of friends a mouse could have. Or is he really? Does he have a more sinister plan up his sleeve? You will have to read the book to find out! We loved the ending, it was just perfect for this book and touches your heart.

This is wonderful, witty book for young kids. It was easy to read together, engaging and made us laugh. The illustrations are perfect and fit the theme of the book. I loved the carefree, sweet mouse and the grumpy looking owl – their illustrations helped to bring the story to life. This is a great, fun children’s book that you will enjoy reading over and over again.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Rob Hodgson was born in a seaside town in the south of England in 1988. He studied Illustration at Plymouth University. Today, he lives in Bristol, UK, where he spends his time making a mess and turning it into illustration projects, quality paper goods and books. His first author-illustrated book, The Cave, was published in 2017 to wide acclaim and has since sold in 10 languages and been chosen for the Booktrust Time to Read Campaign for 2019, meaning it will be distributed to 760,000 schoolchildren in September 2019. The Woods, his second picture book, published in 2019. My Best Friend, his third picture book, will publish in April 2020.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

May 7, 2020

Marvel Amazing Powers Book Review

Marvel: Amazing Powers is a level 3 Reader for children beginning to read alone.

About Marvel Amazing Powers

Whose suit is reinforced with the metal Vibranium? Who loves climbing up walls? Who has unlimited strength? Discover these answers and all the amazing powers of your favourite Marvel Super Heroes. Meet the Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man, Thor, The Hulk, Black Widow, Captain America and many more!

Marvel: Amazing Powers is a level 3 Reader for children beginning to read alone. It combines DK’s four-level reading program with the ever-popular Marvel comics, helping kids learn how to read–and learn to love reading. Featuring high-quality images from the Marvel comics, Marvel: Amazing Powers was created in consultation with literacy experts. Young readers will learn about Wolverine, Black Panther, Ant-Man, and Wasp, as well as many more awesome heroes. Discover their extraordinary abilities, and remember, evil Super Villains are lurking just around the corner.

Our Thoughts

Marvel Amazing Powers brings all of your favourite Marvel characters, good and bad, and key events in one place.

We love the Marvel series, they are strong, funny characters who struggle with important moral decisions that can save the world. While they have these amazing abilities, they are also human with matching emotions that so many of us can relate to. We always set aside time in our busy schedules to watch the new releases, re-watch movies and episodes when they are shown on cable. We each have our own favourites for different reasons but each one is incredible in their own way.

This book looks at a wide range of characters including: Spiderman, Captain America, Black Panther, The Wasp, Captain Marvel, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, The Guardians of the Galaxy and so many more. It even include some of the top villains, including Ultron and Thanos. I liked how the book even includes key time periods in their lives, including the Surtur Saga and the road to Civil War. We learn about each character, some of the facts you may have already known but some may be new to you (I never knew Black Panther married the woman who would later become the hero Storm!). Each character has roughly one page dedicated to describing their past and their accomplishments and one page dedicated to illustrations. The story was engaging and exciting as we worked through each character. It was perfect for our young reader to read to his parents with a great balance of imagery to keep him engaged. This has become a favourite book for us to read daily and we have even organized a new binge watching schedule for the Marvel movies.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Chapters Indigo.

About the Author

Catherine Saunders is an author and editor who has written several licensed books and readers, including LEGO Friends Character Encyclopedia, LEGO NINJAGO: Team Ninja, LEGO Friends: Let’s Go Riding!, and Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

May 5, 2020

Amazing Animal Journeys Book Review

Kids will learn all about animal migration with this fascinating book.

About Amazing Animal Journeys

Kids will learn all about animal migration with this fascinating book. Whether flying or walking, animals are constantly on the move! Join different animals on their exciting travels as they seek out food, shelter, and warm weather. You won’t believe how fearless and strong these brave creatures are!

Stunning photographs combine with lively illustrations and engaging, age-appropriate stories in DK Readers, a multilevel reading program guaranteed to capture children’s interest while developing their reading skills and general knowledge.

Our Thoughts

Are you looking to expand on the current e-learning situation we as parents are finding ourselves in? Or perhaps looking to go in a new direction? Keep your child entertained and learning with Amazing Animal Journeys.

Animals are incredible and this book focuses on one of the most amazing journeys animal make – migration. Animals migrate for many reasons (give birth, find food, escape cold weather), and your child may have seen this happen without really understanding it (the Canadian geese heading South for the winter). This book looks at four specific animals that migrate in North America: caribou, Monarch butterflies, Gray whales and snow geese.

Each of the four sections dedicated to an animal gives us a brief background of the animal, where they live and where they migrate to and why. The book then dives right in following the animals migration monthly, where they travel to and what they face on their journey.

We loved learning about these four animals and the journey they go through. We had never heard of snow geese, who make their home on Baffin Island and really enjoyed learning about how they raise their young and travel South to stay warm during the summer months. We learned many new facts about how the animals raise their young, their predators and were amazed at how far they travel and how many months they go without food! The young animals make very long journeys at such a young age, reminding you just how amazing and strong animals are. At the end of the book, several pages are dedicated to how humans can be harming these animals by taking over their habitats, drilling, oil spills and more.

Beautiful pictures and great facts can be found in this engaging book all about the migration journey of four animals. This is a great resource to start your child learning about migration, animals and how we may have an impact on these animals without realizing it (not to mention what we can do to help stop this).

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Chapters Indigo.

About the Author

Liam O’Donell is a Toronto-based educator and author of books and graphic novels for young readers. His many titles include DK’s Amazing Animal Journeys, West Meadows Detectives series, and Tank & Fizz books.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

April 23, 2020

The Mountain Lion at Crab Lake Book Review

About The Mountain Lion at Crab Lake

There is a newcomer at Crab Lake this winter, big and fierce and intimidating. He is a mountain lion, and none of the creatures of Crab Lake – nor Jeannie – have ever met an animal like this, and they’ve never been so nervous. Where did he come from? Why is he here? Is he dangerous? Some of the animals think so, but Jeannie is brave, and wants to welcome Mr. Mountain Lion to the lake even though his large paws, long white teeth and bright yellow eyes are a little scary.

The third book in the Crab Lake Tales series, The Mountain Lion at Crab Lake will teach you the importance of not judging someone by their appearance, and of embracing those things that make us unique. Discover who Mr. Mountain Lion really is and revisit Jeannie s enchanting world in The Mountain Lion at Crab Lake!

Our Thoughts

In this third book, we return to the beautiful surroundings of Crab Lake and their wonderful animal inhabitants. We once again meet up with the adorable and funny animals that call this place home. They are each unique in their own way, with quite the personalities (my personal favourites being Pudgey and Belknap Beaver) that will make you smile.

In this book, they turn to Jeannie for help when a mountain lion appears in their home! They have never seen a mountain lion before and are understandbly quite afraid. Mountain lions are large, with great big teeth and a reputation for eating other animals. The animal friends are scared and afraid that this particular one has come to their area to do harm but how do they find this out without upsetting and hurting the mountain lion’s feelings? Jeannie is determined to help the animals find a solution and protect all members of Crab Lake – new and old.

This was a beautiful story that helps children (and some adults too) understand why we should not judge others based on their outwards appearance. It is so important to not judge others based on what others think is true but instead get to know that person. In this case, everyone believed that this mountain lion is fierce, mean and only wants to eat every animal insight. What they learn though is a story that will touch your heart. It is so important for young children to learn that everyone has a story that has gotten them to where they are. Each story is unique and has shaped us into the person we are. It is so important to stop and learn the story of those around us – this makes us a stronger community and better people. This is a beautiful story with an important message delivered to children in a funny and engaging manner.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

For David Mulford and his wife, Jeannie, Christmas would not be complete without their visits to the beautiful Wisconsin waters of Crab Lake. These magical journeys provide the inspiration for David’s whimsical tales. In addition to writing, David has a PhD from Oxford University, serves as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institute at Stanford University, and has enjoyed a long and notable career in international finance and diplomacy. For the last twenty-seven years, David’s Christmas gift to Jeannie, no matter where they are in the world, has been a story of Christmas at Crab Lake. This is the first such tale. When not traveling, David and Jeannie reside in Paradise Valley, Arizona.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

April 10, 2020

The Sea Book

Featuring fascinating fishy facts accompanied by bright, bold, and beautiful illustrations, this book takes children on a journey through the sea and all its zones.

About The Sea Book

The Sea Book explores a wealth of incredible marine animals and their habitats, from up on the ice, down to colorful coral reefs, underwater forests, and right down to the deepest darkest depths where the weird and wonderful lurk.

Following on from The Bee Book, Charlotte Milner continues to highlight to children important ecological issues faced by our planet, this time with a focus on marine life and the damaging effects humans are having on our seas. Children will discover what they can do to help, and there are tips on how to live plastic-free. Children will even get to craft their own recycled shopping bag!

Our Thoughts

I have always found our oceans fascinating – the power, the mysterious nature of them and the incredible creatures found in their depths. The sea is beautiful and it is our job to protect the animals that live in the water and their home.

The Sea Book starts off by exploring our blue planet and what inhabits those mysterious waters. We are even introduced to underwater volcanoes and trenches – I have always been intrigued by volcanoes underwater and learned that there are more volcanoes underwater than there are on land! Neat right? The deepest point in the ocean is so deep that Mount Everest could fit into it – almost hard to believe right?

The creatures that fill the ocean are pretty incredible too. There are fish of all shapes and sizes – some that we are familiar with and others not so much. We even learned about a new shark – a cookiecutter shark! We learned about the reptiles, mammals and invertebrates that also call this home. We also appreciated that Charlotte went into detail on the different areas in the sea – the place these animals call home can be quite different. We explored life on ice, coral reefs, kelp forests, open water, and even the deep and dark areas of the ocean.

This book is full of interesting facts as it explores the waters around us. We learn about the animals and the places they call home using beautiful illustrations and facts that are age appropriate. I love how the book also dedicates parts of the book to how we are hurting these animals and their home and how we (parents and children) can help out. This is a definite must have book for children.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Indigo.

About the Author

Charlotte Milner is an illustrator and author based in London. She studied illustration at Kingston University where she discovered picture books as a tool to bring non-fiction topics to life. Since graduating, she has been designing, writing, and illustrating to bring information to little readers. Charlotte has a natural flair for illustrated storytelling and a strong interest in conservation.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.