Tag Archives: illustrations

Book Review: Muddle Earth by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

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A blast from the past, nostalgia hit me as I picked up this book once again to re-visit the sights and smells (trust me some are rather nasty, especially in Goblintown) of Muddle Earth.

About the Book:

Muddle Earth (Muddle Earth, #1-#3)

Joe Jefferson is an ordinary schoolboy from ordinary Earth. At least, he was. But something strange happened when he was walking his dog, and now he’s Joe the Barbarian—fearless warrior-hero, summoned by Muddle Earth’s leading wizard* to slay ogres, wrestle dragons, and bravely confront villains.

Joe doesn’t feel much like a warrior-hero.** But evil is stirring in the heart of Elfwood, and the people of Muddle Earth need help (although most of them don’t know it yet). Perhaps Joe Jefferson really is a hero after all. . . .

* Actually, Muddle Earth’s only wizard. And he’s not very good.
** He doesn’t really look much like one either.

My Thoughts:

This post has been sitting in my drafts for a very long time, but even more so, this book has remained close to my heart for much longer! This is a book that was a part of my childhood and honestly is one of the few books that made me laugh as much as I did.

This is a story of a young boy Joe who ends up in a situation he never expected to be in. All of a sudden, he is in Muddle Earth, portrayed as the fearless warrior-hero who has come to save them from evil. This is a hilarious adventurous story that follows Joe as he figures out how to survive and finds that everything he does is somehow accepted by the people of Muddle Earth.

Readers are in for a treat as we encounter ogres, dragons, a wizard (who is not very good), and a kid who is quite smart and also rather lost. The story is hilarious and will have the readers in splits. There are pictures to accompany the text which are brilliant and add an even more eccentric spin! I love how the characters are portrayed through the pictures.

This is very much a treat and should be read by all children. Even adults are in for a hilarious adventure!

Book Review : The Piraroo by Marko Kitti

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About the Book: (taken from the back cover of the book)

The Piraroo (Tales from Puffington Hill, #1)

Dear Reader,

I’m afraid you’re soon going to meet a tarantula the size of a kitten. You’re also going to bump into a whopper of a seagull who is the British Champion in Poop Bombing. Not to mention an extraordinary, furry creature whose ancestor once belonged to a notorious pirate captain.

You’re also going to meet a ten-year-old boy called Max, the owner of the tarantula, whose life is about to turn upside down in this nail-biting adventure that includes petnappers and disgusting healthy smoothies!

So I am warning you, Dear Reader: Should you decide to read about Max and his animal friends, your life will never be the same again.

Yours sincerely,
MK

My Thoughts:

The Piraroo, a new book by author Marko Kitti, is another delightful read for not just children, but everyone. The story follows Max, a ten year old, as he deals with the loss of a pet, the acqusition of a new one and an unexpected adventure. The story comes with illustrations by Ant Carlos which are wonderful and expressive. They complement the story and make it more interesting to read.

The most wonderful part of this book is the way in which it is put together, right from page colors to match the environment upto the plot, the whole concept is different and enchanting. I enjoyed the effects of these colors and the way they matched the story. I am not sure that it is wise to expand upon this point since it is worth the surprise when you get to those pages!

The story brings out the importance of friendship and belief as well as love towards animals and other beings. It also brings out a contrast between greed and deception with love and kindness. The animals and birds are fascinating in this story, becoming the main characters towards the middle. Max’s interaction with them is delightful to follow. We also meet Max’s dysfunctional family and are thrown into the midst of a fascinating smoothie contest!

Bringing together all these plot lines, Marko once again crafts a fun filled story which will leave the reader in splits. He also ensures to mix in a little seriousness and emotion with a strong message, a newer concept as compared to the general humour filled Jesper Jinx novels. As always, this new book by Marko Kitti is worth the read!

Book Spotlight: Mamá Graciela’s Secret by Mayra Calvani

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Mamá Graciela’s Secret

Publication date: October 10, 2017

Written by Mayra Calvani

Illustrated by Sheila Fein


MacLaren-Cochrane Publishing

http://www.maclaren-cochranepublishing.com

36 pages, 3-7 year olds

Reading guide at: www.MayrasSecretBookcase.com

Description:

Mamá Graciela’s TENDER, CRUNCHY, SPICY bacalaítos fritos are the best in town…

Local customers (including stray cats!) come from all over the island to enjoy her secret recipe. But when the Inspector discovers that Mamá secretly caters to so many cats and he threatens to close her tiny restaurant, Mamá must come up with a plan to save it—and all of the animals she loves.

About the author:

Mayra Calvani writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults and has authored over a dozen books, some of which have won awards. Her children’s picture book, Frederico the Mouse Violinist was a finalist in the 2011 International Book Awards; her anthology Latina Authors and Their Muses was a First Place winner at the 2016 International Latino Book Awards; her nonfiction book, The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing, was a Foreword Best Book of the Year winner. Her stories, reviews, interviews and articles have appeared on numerous publications like The Writer, Writer’s Journal, Multicultural Review, Bloomsbury Review, and others.

She lives in Belgium with her husband of 30+ years, two wonderful kids, and her three beloved pets. When she’s not writing, editing, reading or reviewing, she enjoys walking with her dog, traveling, and spending time with her family. www.MayrasSecretBookcase.com

About the illustrator:

Born in Queens, New York and living in Los Angeles since 1987, Sheila Fein has always been inspired by the changing world around her. Earning her BA in Design from Buffalo State College of New York, her concentration was on drawing, painting, printmaking, and photography. Sheila’s education as an artist has taken her everywhere from Fleisher Art Memorial in Philadelphia to Bath University in England. Today, Sheila Fein runs two figurative workshops, Imaginings Sketch in LA and People Sketchers in Thousand Oaks. She has been featured in numerous collections, magazines, books, solo and group exhibitions. Her paintings and drawings reside in public and private collections. Sheila loves to make the imagination of others a reality and has done so through her commissioned Fein Fantasy Portraits and Interactive Paintings. In addition to being a fine artist Sheila works as an illustrator. She just completed the book “Mama Graciela’s Secret” for Maclaren-Cochrane Publishing.

Book info:

ISBN:
HC 978-1-365-86153-6

SC 978-1-365-86155-0

ISBN Dyslexic Font Version:

DY HC 978-1-365-86154-3 DY SC 978-1-365-86156-7

**This book also has version printed in the Dyslexic font, the typeface for people with dyslexia. Go to http://www.dyslexiefont.com to find out more about the typeface.

Suggested Retail Price – 17.99 Hardcover & 13.99 Softcover 40 % Discounted Price – 10.80 Hardcover & 8.40 Softcover

Available through – Ingram – Discount 40% Returnable – Yes

MacLaren-Cochrane Publishing

Discount 40%

Orders@maclaren-cochranepublishing.com Returnable – Yes

Publishing company

Contact Info: MacLaren-Cochrane Publishing 1024 Iron Point Rd

100-1478 Folsom CA 95630

916-897-1670

Tannya@Maclaren-cochranepublishing.com

http://www.maclaren-cochranepublishing.com

MacLaren-Cochrane Publishing

620 Buchanan Way, Folsom, CA 95630 916-897-1670

http://www.maclaren-cochranepublishing.com

Book Review: Henry and the Hidden Treasure by B.C.R. Fegan

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About the Book:

Henry and the Hidden Treasure

Henry and the Hidden Treasure is an imaginative adventure a young child has in defending his pocket money against his little sister. Henry constructs elaborate defensive measures that he is sure will stand up to the clever ambitions of Lucy. Little does he know, Lucy has a few tricks of her own.

With a focus on introducing children to the use of ordinal numbers, Henry and the Hidden Treasure also draws out some important qualities of being a kid – such as creativity, the value of listening to parental advice, and of course, being nice to your sister.

My Thoughts:

A simple enough children’s story, this book seeks to enlighten children about the importance of listening to your parents and of having an imagination and not shying away from it. It also subtly brings out the concept of ordinal numbers and thus proves to be a useful way of teaching a mathematical concept to children.

The story is imaginative and Henry’s ideas are highly amusing. However, though it is a short story, it felt very abrupt and incomplete, as though the whole point of the plot is not yet conveyed. Looking at this from a child’s point of view however, it proves to be enjoyable and just enough to perhaps keep their attention.

This is a good story to use for both fun reading and as a teaching aid with it’s wonderful illustrations.

Take a short and fun trip in the Yellow Bus with Giggly Bear!

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About the Book:

Giggly Bear's Fun Trip in the Yellow Bus

A Fun Safety Rhyme for Young Readers

Did you know that children are safer riding the yellow school bus than in their parent’s vehicle?

Climb aboard and hear Giggly Bear and his friends teach kids valuable lessons on how to ride the school bus safely.

Giggly Bear’s Fun Trip in the Yellow Bus is the third book in the series Let’s Learn while Playing.

Children 2-6 year old will rhyme away to safety while learning new concepts and building vocabulary in this fun yellow ride.

Fans of Pete the Cat and The Pout-Pout Fish series don’t want to miss this adventure.

My Thoughts:

This is a simple enough read and a rather quick one. The author focusses on the importance of wearing seat-belts in the bus and being safe.

However, though the various parts rhyme, there is one part which keeps repeating throughout. Also, there is not a lot of detail about the circumstances of the trip or what happens when they reach their destination. We are only introduced to two main characters and one of them, Giggly Bear is the main character. There is no indication as to why that is his name and I assume it is not really important to know that! The author touches upon the topic of safety at a surface level but gives enough information and stress on the topic

Overall, this book is decent and the illustrations are captivating enough, though very less in number. The story is easy to read and understand and children will definitely enjoy this book and learn something from it, in spite of the lack of detail or a longer plot!

Book Review of Crazy Daisy: The Environmental Cow and a Bird by Lynne Pickering

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About the Book:

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Daisy is a milking cow. Farmer Dave, who owns Daisy, is an environmental farmer. Sprays to control pests, like ticks, make Daisy sick. One day, while farmer Dave is on a holiday, Daisy gets a terrible itch, and she tries everything to relieve the itch.

She goes into silly antics, like rubbing her nose on a post, doing summersaults in the paddock, and standing on her head.

She asks assistance from a duck to scratch her itchy nose, and a grasshopper tries to help along with an egret. One day, Daisy meets a bird that migrated from Africa, and her name is Flossy. They become the best of friends. Flossy solves all of Daisy’s problems.

This is a fun story of cooperation, friendship, and saving the environment.

 

My Thoughts:

This is a cute and fun story for children about daisy, a cow, through whom they can learn the importance of friendship and helping each other. there is also a clear message about the environment and helping to save it. This is shown when the farmer talks about avoiding the use of pesticides. Daisy the cow then finds a way to get rid of her tick problem in a symbiotic way which benefits both her and the bird who comes to help her.

As is common among Lynne’s books, there are some wonderful illustrations that compliment the story and make it a delight to read.

Review: The Extraordinary Concert by Lynne Pickering

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About the Book:

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Get ready for an extraordinary concert where you can join in singing the symphony of sounds.

One day a turtle was walking along and humming a tune when he came across a green frog humming the same tune. They collaborated and sang together. A brown bullfrog liked the tune, as did a spotted tree frog, and they joined the choir.

It was not long before four fishes heard the song and asked if they could sing as well but had to audition. The green frog took the role as a conductor and asked a nearby crow to join their symphony because he had a special sound. Now they were ready for a concert at full moon.

This is a great, fun book for a classroom or group of children to role-play the characters, and a lot of skill is required for a memory game and fun-singing sounds.

 

My Thoughts:

This is a great book for children to learn the sounds made by some water animals like fish, turtles and frogs. The author has brought out the difference in sounds made by each animal in a way that can be easily understood. There is also a fun element to the story which will keep the children entertained. They can also sing along trying to replicate the tunes and try to re-create the symphony as the author has shown in the book.

All in all this is a great book to use as a teaching aid while teaching children about the sounds made by animals. the illustrations compliment the story and are wonderful to look at.

Book Review: The Toothless Tooth Fairy by Shanelle Hicks

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About the Book:

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Bella had it all. The hair, the dress, and the smile. One day, her most important asset was missing…her tooth! Will Bella find the perfect tooth in time for the contest? Will Zelda, the meanest of the fairies, destroy Bella’s chances of winning the crown? Take a journey onto Cloud Nine as Bella searches for a new tooth only to discover the tooth…I mean truth…behind her true beauty.

 

My Thoughts:

This is a short and fun story for children that brings out the importance of being good and kind. Bella is a tooth fairy who is taking part in a tooth fairy pageant where the most important thing is the tooth fairy’s smile. Bella loses a tooth just before the competition and Zelda, who is jealous of her tries to spoil it all. Through kindness, Bella turns Zelda into a good tooth fairy. Shanelle has demonstrated through this story that being good to someone who is naughty or bad can turn them into a good person themselves.

The illustrations are wonderful and eye catching. They are enough to keep children interested even if they do not read the story. The illustrations themselves are complimentary to the story and depict the story very well.

Overall this is a nice story that children can read or be read to as it contains a wonderful message.

 

Curses the Witch’s Cat by Frances Ermengarde

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About the book:

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Curses is a young black cat, who more than anything wants to become a witch’s cat just like his parents. Join him as he and his friends work to achieve their dreams while learning what is truly important.

My thoughts:

This is a short story aimed at children in the age group 1-10. It is a fun story about a young cat name Curses who wants to grow up and become a witch’s cat like his parents. However, to be a witch’s cat, the cat should be all black. Curses has a small white spot on his chest. On learning about this rule he becomes disheartened and sad. This story is about how he ends up being selected by a witch herself. There is a lesson to learn at the end of the story. There are illustrations to accompany the story. This story will make a good bedtime story and the pictures will keep the children interested. A lovely story that is a pleasure to read and be read out.