Review: The Space Adventurer's Guide: Your Passport to the Coolest Things to See and Do in the Universe by Peter McMahon

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

It's not just astronauts who get to travel into space anymore. Forward-thinking entrepreneurs have now made space flight a reality for adventure-seekers of all kinds. And just in time, here's a travel guide for kids to plan their own out-of-this-world journeys. Eight potential space vacations are described, one per chapter, complete with information about pre-trip preparations (like training to withstand extreme g-forces), accommodations and dining (hot dogs in zero gravity, anyone?), awesome activities (how about a real moon walk?) and so much more. The trips range from orbiting Earth (available now), to voyaging through Saturn's rings, which may be possible within the next few decades. Featuring the coolest things to see and do in the universe, these space vacations are not to be missed! Award-winning science journalist Peter McMahon has come up with an intriguing concept sure to pique a young reader's interest in all things outer space. Based on the latest science and featuring first-person accounts from experts in the field, this book is chock-full of opportunities for science and technology lessons. With kid-sized bursts of text (including loads of amazing, and sometimes icky, facts), fascinating photographs of everyday life on actual space flights, as well as fun-filled illustrations from Josh Holinaty, this hugely appealing book is also one that children will gladly pick up on their own --- and devour. A glossary and index are included.

MY TAKE:
Growing up, I was fascinated with space, and my son has been showing an inclination to science as well, so I thought this book would be a good one to try.

This book is meant for children much older than my son, but I think he'll like it a lot once he's old enough to understand the book.

The book contains details about things like astronaut and space tourist training. There are also designated chapters for hypothetical/theoretical/actual trips to places like sub-orbit, orbit, the moon, comets, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. At the start of each chapter, you learn things like how far that destination is, how long the trip will take, and when you can go. The chapters also have sections like Space Tour Insider and Things to Do, and sometimes there are quotes from astronauts as well. The description of the flight is actually my favorite part of each chapter. You really get the sense that you're already there.

I also loved reading about life on the International Space Station and what life could be like on board space cruise ships.

There's a mix of photos and illustrations for each chapter. I'm not a big fan of the layout, but it's not that big of a deal.

There's a large amount of interesting information here, so it's probably a good idea to read this book a few chapters at a time so kids won't get overwhelmed or bored easily.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Try spotting stars out the windows. (They actually twinkle less up here because there's a lot less atmosphere to cause that twinkling we see on Earth.)

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Review: The Bagel King by Andrew Larsen

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Every Sunday morning, no matter the weather, Eli could count on Zaida to bring bagels from Merv's Bakery. Eli loved the time they spent together enjoying their favorite treats. “Warm. Chewy. Salty,” Eli thought. “Bagels were the best thing about Sunday.” But one Sunday, Zaida didn't come. He had fallen at Merv's and “hurt his tuches,” and the doctor said Zaida had to rest at home for two whole weeks. This meant Eli had no Sunday morning bagels. And neither did Zaida's friends, who had been receiving their own weekly deliveries from Zaida. Will they all go hungry for bagels on Sunday? Or is there something Eli can do? Award-winning author Andrew Larsen's picture book story offers a gently humorous take on the special bond between a boy and his grandfather and the simple ritual that looms so large in their lives. It also highlights a terrific character education lesson about how a young child can take responsibility and, with a little initiative, help a family member in need. With a blend of retro and contemporary styles, Sandy Nichols's softly colored illustrations cleverly convey the story's timelessness and capture Eli's diverse neighborhood. This book will spark wonderful discussions about family traditions and community. A mini glossary and pronunciation guide for the Yiddish words that are sprinkled throughout the story (like mensch and oy) provides an opportunity to learn about the many words we use in English that come from other languages, and to explore the connections between culture and language.

MY TAKE:
This book put a smile on my face. I loved the relationship between Eli and his zaida. It's a beautiful thing to see how close they are. I also liked that some Yiddish words were used and there's a glossary at the start of the book for those of us who aren't familiar with them. It's a great way to introduce parts of Jewish culture to my son.

Another thing I loved were the food descriptions. Eli and his grandfather bond over bagels, so most of the food described are bagels, but chicken soup and pickles were also mentioned.

It's a relatively long story text-wise, so while it's still a nice read for smaller kids, I think it works best for kids 5-8 years old. The text distribution has some pages with longer paragraphs and some pages with short sentences, which is a good thing since you can rest a little bit in between the pages with longer text.

While I'm not a huge fan of the font (Calisto) used -- I gravitate towards sans serif fonts -- I really, really liked the illustration style used. Some drawings had detailed backgrounds, others just sort of focused on the characters and their immediate vicinity, but in every single one, it felt like the amount of detail included was the perfect choice. The illustrations were rendered in acrylic paint, and the shading and color choices were A++ for me.
  
MY SON'S REACTION:
When I showed him the cover of the book, he immediately said it was him and his grandfather. When I turned to the first page, his immediate reaction to seeing the bagel was to say "A donut!" Donuts are much more common than bagels here, and I don't think he's encountered one yet, but when I told him it was a bagel, he accepted it without too much of a fuss. I really should consider buying him a bagel and a donut so we can compare and contrast them.

Anyway, during the scene wherein Zaida's friends mentioned what kind of bagels they usually ate, my son turned to me and told me he was hungry. To be honest, I was feeling a little hungry too. That's a compliment to this book considering both of us had just finished eating lunch when we read this. If you're reading this, I suggest you have some food ready. Bagels are a good choice so you can get the full experience of reading the book, but chicken soup or pickles work too.

His attention started to wander around halfway through the book, but he did start getting into it again at around the 3/4th mark. I think that's partly because he's just started getting accustomed to longer books.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

"Every Sunday morning your zaida gets me a sesame seed bagel with smoked salmon," explained Mr. Rubin.
"He gets me a plain bagel with cream cheese," said Mr. Wolf.
"And a poppy seed bagel with pickled herring for me," said Mr. Goldstick. 

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Review: Red Sky at Night by Elly MacKay

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

A memorable collection of weather sayings, beautifully arranged in story form and illustrated by renowned paper artist Elly MacKay.
Red sky at night, sailor's delight. And, the next morning, when the dew is on the grass, no rain will come to pass. These are the perfect conditions for a grandfather to take his grandchildren out on a fishing trip. Especially since, as the saying goes, when the wind is from the West, then the fishes bite the best. The family takes a boat out on the lake, fishing and swimming and eventually camping out on a nearby island, taking full advantage of the gorgeous weather. But the next day . . . red sky in the morning, sailors take warning! The family ventures back home just in time to avoid a rainstorm. But not to worry -- the more rain, the more rest. Fair weather's not always best.
Acclaimed paper artist Elly MacKay illustrates a lovely family narrative through the use of weather aphorisms, creating a beautiful and informational story which will appeal to children's timeless fascination with the natural world.

MY TAKE:
I've always been fascinated by the weather, but even if I wasn't, I would probably still enjoy this book.

The book consists of weather sayings/rhymes combined with beautiful pictures created by the author. I've actually only heard of two of the sayings in the book ("red sky at night" and "red sky in the morning"). The others are mostly new to me or they're something that I might have observed but didn't really give much thought to.

I really liked the Weather Wisdom part after the main part of the book. This part discusses the sayings in the book and whether there is truth to them or not.

I also really liked the illustrations in the book. The color palette and the style are absolutely beautiful.  On the About the Author page, there's a brief explanation on how they are made. At first I wasn't sure if they were made with watercolors or on the computer. I was very impressed when I find out how the almost 3D effect of the illustrations were created.

MY SON'S REACTION:
He wasn't in the mood to read out loud when we read this but he did have a lot of fun looking at the pictures and would point out little things here and there that caught his eye.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

When clouds appear like rocks and towers,
the Earth is refreshed with frequent showers. 

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Take a Look. More Fun Together! by Liesbet Slegers

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

It’s okay to be alone. But it’s much more fun when others join along! Is the bear resting by himself? Who is hiding in the garden? Extend the pages to find out! A playful interactive slide and see book about friendship and more for toddlers ages 18 months and up, with a focus on the child’s natural world.

MY TAKE:
I think I found a new children's book publisher to add to my favorites. So far, all the books my son and I have read from Clavis Publishing have been excellent, and this one is no exception.

This book has simple but colorful and eye-catching illustrations. The content is also quite fun. With each new animal, the text starts off by saying hi to the animal, describing what it is doing and asking if it's doing that alone. When you pull the side, the page extends to show you that the animal actually wasn't alone that day.

I love interactive books like this because they make reading fun for me and my child. The book is the perfect length to read-aloud to kids because it's long enough that you don't feel like it's lacking somehow but it's short enough not to tire both you and your child out.

MY SON'S REACTION:
He loved the book. The first time he saw that the book expanded to show that there were other animals on the scene, he was surprised and thought it was funny. His favorite of the animals were the bunnies and he gamely counted all the baby bunnies.

The vocabulary used was easy enough for him to grasp. As usual, I would point to some of the words he knew and some he might know. He picked up "Take a look!" easily after seeing it a couple of times in the book. Whenever he said "Take a look!" he also put a hand to his forehead as though he was looking out to sea. That was entertaining for me and it was an easy way to keep him interested in the book.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Hello, beautiful fish.
You are swimming in the water.
Are you feeling lonely?

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Review: My Teacher's Not Here! by Lana Button

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

As soon as she arrives at school, Kitty knows there's trouble. “Smiling Miss Seabrooke should be here to meet me. But my teacher is missing and NOT here to greet me.” With no Miss Seabrooke, everyone should be sent home, right? But no! Kitty and her classmates line up as usual and walk into the school building. Kitty's worries build as she wonders how she will get through the day without her teacher. What will she do when her Thermos gets stuck or her jacket won't zip? Miss Seabrooke is the only one who can fix these things. Or is she? Author Lana Button perfectly captures the fears and uncertainties of a kindergartner dealing with her first substitute teacher. She also models a way to cope, as Kitty steps up to help the substitute --- a “ginormously tall” giraffe named Mr. Omar --- and discovers that sometimes change can be good. Button's playful and lively cadenced rhyming text, together with Christine Battuz's friendly illustrations of a full cast of animal characters at school, make this a terrific picture book for story time. It provides an excellent lead-in to prepare a class for their first substitute, or for a discussion about how it feels when life doesn't go as expected. A celebration of self-discovery and personal development, this book also makes a wonderful choice for character education lessons on kindness, empathy and perseverance. Educators will appreciate the heartfelt depiction of a young child's warm feelings for her teachers.

MY TAKE:
This was a fun book to read.

I didn't expect it to be a rhyming book, but it was a welcome surprise for me. Most of the children's books we have at home are not rhyming books and I've been looking for more books that have rhymes. I was impressed with the rhymes because they felt natural throughout the book. 

The book was a little longer than I expected. I read this aloud to my son, and I did feel a little fatigued during the second half of the book. I liked the story a lot, though. It was very cute.

I loved the illustrations as well. They were rendered using hand drawing and digital collage, and it just works for me. The drawings are very colorful and there's a lot going on that you can discuss with your child.

MY SON'S REACTION:
 My son hasn't had the opportunity to have a stranger become his substitute teacher since the teachers at his school sub for each other if someone isn't available. He did identify Miss Seabrooke by his teacher's name as the story progressed and he saw how Kitty interacted with her teacher.

My son was also familiar with the activities the children were doing in the book because they do the same things at his school. He identified the activities the kids were doing, and even pointed out to me two children who were having a tug-of-war over the car. He was angry at the character who seemed to be taking the car from the rightful owner.

The book may be a little long for his attention span, since his attention wandered every so often, but all I had to do was ask him a question about what the characters in the illustrations were doing and he would focus on the story again.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

He comes in handy
when stacking a tower,
and knows how to
fluff tissue into a flower. 

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Review: My Bed by Anita Bijsterbosch

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

There’s a star in the sky. Bear, Rabbit, Reindeer and the other animals are tired. Time for bed! Reindeer tries every bed he sees, but which bed is really his? A funny picture book about Reindeer and his own bed. For sleepy toddlers ages 24 months and up, with a focus on the child’s daily life.

MY TAKE:
There are many things I liked about this book. For one thing, the words are simple and there are only one to three short sentences per page so it's great for beginner readers. It was a perfect read for me and my child, and the length and topic is great for bedtime reading.

The illustration style and colors used worked well with the story, and there were little details here and there that provided additional things for my son and I to talk about. For example, Hare's racecar bed and yellow car, which my son liked a lot.

This is a lift-a-flap book, I think, and since I received an e-ARC, the effect became a little confusing for me because the front flap ended up being included in the next page, so I had to scroll forward and then backward to follow the story. I imagine with a physical copy, though, the book is quite perfect.

MY SON'S REACTION:
My son had fun reading along with me, although the scrolling back and forth did slow down our momentum a little bit.

He gamely said "Good night" to all the animals, and after awhile, started getting frustrated on the reindeer's behalf. I think that's why he was so pleased with the ending. I was pretty happy with the ending myself since it made mention of the fact that not all animals have a sleeping schedule similar to humans.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

"Hoot!" Owl hoots.
"I sleep during the day.
Now it is your turn." 

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Review: Open the Suitcase by Ruth Wielockx

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Horse, Cat, Piggy and the other animals all have important jobs to do. They carry their belongings in suitcases. Which bag belongs to whom? Open the suitcases and take a look inside. An interactive lift-the-flap book for curious readers ages 3 and up. 

MY TAKE:
I like the premise of this book. For each suitcase, you are asked to guess which of the three animals owns it. You have to lift the flap to see the contents of the suitcase and from there, you make your guess. It's easy enough for most of the animals because there are little clues in their costumes and ages.

I liked the illustration style and colors used. The background colors were just one solid color each page and it worked with the concept and the drawings because your attention is kept entirely on the characters and what they are doing.

I read this aloud with my son, and even though the paragraphs weren't too lengthy, I think the number of suitcases may have been why I felt like it was a little wordy. On the bright side, at least that means there's more suitcases for your child to explore and more for you and your child to talk about.

MY SON'S REACTION:
He enjoyed guessing which animals owned the suitcase. He wasn't interested in trying to find the items in the suitcase in the page where the owner is revealed, though. He was more interested in mimicking what the owners and other animals were doing.

Despite the number of suitcases, which made the book feel a little bit lengthy, he was able to remain attentive until the last page of the book. His favorite characters were the Dog (because he loves playing "doctor"), the Rabbit (because he likes cars), and the Piggy (because their ages are similar).

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Watch him pull Rabbit from his hat.
"Bravo!" Cat cheers. 

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Review: Herding Cats: A Sarah's Scribbles Collection by Sarah Andersen

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Sarah's Scribbles,  Goodreads Choice Award for 2016:  Best Graphic Novels & Comics
". . . author Sarah Andersen uses hilarious (and adorable) comics to illustrate the very specific growing pains that occur on your way to becoming a mature, put-together grownup. Andersen’s spot-on illustrations also show how to navigate this newfound adulthood once you arrive, since maturity is equally as hard to maintain as it is to find … "
--The Huffington Post
Sarah valiantly struggles with waking up in the morning, being productive, and dealing with social situations. Sarah's Scribbles is the comic strip that follows her life, finding humor in living as an adulting introvert that is at times weird, awkward, and embarrassing.

MY TAKE:
I'm a fan of Sarah Andersen's work so when I saw this book on NetGalley, I knew I just had to read it. I was not disappointed.

The comic strips are so relatable (especially the ones that talked about anxiety/introversion) and I laughed so many times. One of my favorite comic strips was the In the Future/millenial slang one. I laughed so much at that one.

It's not all jokes, though.There's one comic where Sarah looks up what her childhood heroes are doing. I'm not going to spoil that one, but it was very relatable for me. There's also one comic where a neuro-oncologist is at a press conference and instead of being asked about her work, she gets asked what it's like to being a woman in her field. The bully-nerd comic was pretty poignant as well.

I didn't expect the second part of the book which was called "Making Stuff in the Modern Era: A Guide for the Young Creative." It's directed towards artists, but even non-artists can take something away from it.

Part One is about her art journey, from when she was just a child and what it's like for her now. It's mostly text with comics interspersed throughout. She makes a lot of good points, and I'd have to agree with the part about there being a lot of jerks online. Thankfully, there are a lot of good people too. Otherwise, the internet would be unbearable.

Part Two dealt with how artists tend to view their works from before and now, as well as how to deal with criticism and harassment. It's well worth the read for any artist and any creative, as well as others who are looking for something that can make them smile and laugh.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

"Contrary to popular belief, being introverted is not about your ability to socialize. It's about what you do after."

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Review: Firefighters and What They Do by Liesbet Slegers

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Fires are really dangerous. Luckily there are firefighters! They jump into their special suits, and within minutes they are at the fire. But they also help people in other ways. An informative book for toddlers about firefighters and what they do. Now in a simplified and fun pocket-sized edition.

MY TAKE:
This book is from the same series as the book I reviewed yesterday (Pilots and What They Do) and my son and I loved this book as well.

The illustration style and coloring are very eye-catching and age-appropriate (this book is aimed at toddlers).

I liked that aside from showing that firefighters fight fires, the book also included another task that firemen do. There's also a mini activity on the last two pages, wherein children can trace hoses to find out which one leads to the fire.

The vocabulary is mostly simple, although like Pilots and What They Do, there are some words that may not be familiar to younger kids yet and there are several relatively long sentences every other page so this works best as a read-aloud book. Of course, this also means that you'll get a lot of use out of this book since your child will probably still find it interesting and challenging even when he/she is in elementary school already.

MY SON'S REACTION:
When we were deciding which book to read, my son saw the cover of this book and said, "Oh, I like Fireman Sam, Mommy!"

We read the book together, and when I pointed to words he knew, he would sound them out with joy. Plus, he learned a new word ("fire").

He was very excited while reading the book, jumping in his seat and pointing at the words and pictures throughout the book. The book was able to maintain his interest until the last pages, which is pretty impressive because unless he really likes the book, he starts getting bored as the book nears the last few pages.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

"Thank you! You're my heroes!" waves the driver.

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Review: Pilots and What They Do by Liesbet Slegers

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

The pilot flies the airplane along with his copilot. He has to make sure he and his passengers arrive safely. That’s why he keeps a close eye on things during the flight. A playful and informative book for toddlers about pilots and what they do. Now in a simplified and fun pocket-sized edition.

MY TAKE:
My son and I enjoyed reading this book. It had brightly-colored, cute illustrations. I'm not sure what medium was used. It looks like paint, but there are some spots here and there where the blending of the colors made me think of oil pastels.

Some of the illustrations have little notes/captions ("what a beautiful view") and labels ("landing gear"), which I appreciated since it added an interesting element to the drawings.

The illustrations are also able to convey well what the text is saying so even if the child just browses by his/her lonesome, they can still more or less see what's going on.

I felt that this is more of a read-along/aloud book than a early-readers book, though, because there are some words here and there that beginner readers may not be familiar with yet ("direction," "column," "splendid," etc.) and there are 3-5 sentences on each page so depending on how easily your child gets bored/loses focus, it may be best to read this together first.

MY CHILD'S REACTION:
My son likes airplanes and actually enjoys flying so he recognized the pilot on the cover right away.
He could easily identify with the child in the book and when I asked him who it was, he said it was him.

He also had no trouble identifying the objects in the drawings (house, bag, tree, etc.). The only object he asked me to identify was the fuel nozzle, but that's understandable since we don't go the gas station very often.

My favorite reaction of his while we were reading was when he saw one of the first pictures in the book, which was a child in vacation clothes,and he said "Look, the baby is going swimming!"

Overall, I'm pretty sure he liked the book's illustrations because when he doesn't like a book's drawings, he wants to flip through the pages quickly or he just ends up abandoning the book.
He also seemed to like the story. Even though he can only sight-read a few words now, he was able to follow along with the story when I read it aloud and his attention didn't wander.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Both girls and boys can be pilots, of course! 

The clouds sparkle in the sun. He can see snow-covered mountains, islands in the ocean...

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Review: Bible Answers for Parents of Curious Kids 101 Kid-Friendly Q&As by Ed Strauss

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

“Mom, how big is God?
“Dad, why do people get old and die?”

Kids have questions—important questions. And they expect their parents to have all the answers. But what do you do when your children come at you with those head-scratchers that are sometimes hard even for adults to understand?

Bible Answers for Parents of Curious Kids is a fantastic resource for moms and dads of 5- to 8-year olds. This book includes 101 questions and answers written for parents, giving you the tools you need to engage your children in kid-friendly, faith-building conversations.

Other questions and answers include:How could Jesus walk on water?Why do we pray if God already knows everything?Does God have a mom and a dad?What will people do in heaven?How did so many animals fit on Noah’s Ark?How could a fish be big enough to swallow Jonah?Why did God make germs? Every answer is backed up with scripture and includes questions for further discussion, making this little book perfect for families with curious young minds!

MY TAKE:
The summary of this intrigued me. Sometimes, kids ask questions that are hard to answer, and I thought this would be an interesting and useful read.

The book is pretty straightforward. There's one page of introduction, before it goes straight to the questions, which are the headings, and each question gets 1-2 pages of answers, which are all simple, easy-to-understand explanations. The answers also include quotations from the Bible and include the specific books and numbers.

I liked that after each answer, there are follow-up questions you can ask your child to keep the discussion going. It could lead to some very interesting conversations. Plus, this is one of those books which you can either read in one sitting or just when a particular question comes up.

Some questions in the book are:
Did God have a mom and a dad?
What does God look like?
Why did Jesus pick Judas to be his disciple?
Why did God make germs?
Why doesn't God answer all my prayers?
Do I have to forgive everyone who hurts me?

Some of the questions, like Why did Jacob trick Isaac and Why Joseph's brothers sold him as a slave, I was already familiar with the answer before reading the book.

I actually learned quite a few things from this book, such as that God once made an iron axe head float (2 Kings 6:1-7) and that the Bible may have talked about dinosaurs (Psalm 104:26).

There are some questions, though, like How Could Jesus Walk on Water? wherein the answers aren't as definitive.

I would also have loved it if there had been some illustrations, even just small ones.

The book was good overall. However, I'm Catholic and love learning about other religions, and I saw a statement or two that I didn't agree with, such as Jesus being the only way to heaven. Also, in the answer to the question about reincarnation, there is mention of Hinduism and how millions of Hindus have become unhappy with their religion and have converted to Christianity. I don't know how accurate this is, but the inclusion of the statement about their conversion and how they once believed in reincarnation and now they don't so why should you believe it, made me a little uneasy. Maybe it was the way it was phrased?

Perhaps, I'm just not the target audience for this book, but if the other things I said about the book are to your liking, you should consider giving the book a try.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

But what if you're a tiger cub, and that ferocious Siberian tiger is your dad? Well now, that changes everything. And you have that kind of relationship with God.

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Review: The Last Time I'll Write About You by Dawn Lanuza

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

The Last Time I’ll Write About You is popular Filipino YA and romance writer Dawn Lanuza’s debut collection of poetry. Featuring beautiful, relatable poems about first love, this book is the perfect companion for anyone who has loved, lost, and emerged anew.

MY TAKE: 

I'm a #romanceclass fan, so Dawn Lanuza is not a new author to me. I've also seen screenshots of some of the poems in this book from other #romanceclass readers who purchased the back when it was first published. I was very intrigued then but I had a long TBR list already.

A couple or so weeks after deciding to blog again, I got a pleasant surprise when I saw this on NetGalley and I knew I had to get it right away. 

The book is divided into several sections: THE FIRST, THE PULL, THE KISS, THE TALK, THE HURT, and THE LAST. The poems vary in length and rhyming pattern, with a lot of the poems not containing rhymes.

The poems in this book are very relatable. Some of the poems brought back memories for me, although of course I'm so far removed from those memories already that they don't hurt anymore and there's just this strange sort of nostalgia left. Sort of like what was described at the end of ACCEPTANCE.

I had a really hard time choosing a favorite quote for this book. I also loved the questions in THE HURT section. Usually with poetry books, I'd have maybe 3 or so poems I really liked. Here I had 9: TRUTH, HH, HABITS, THE WORST SLEEPOVER, UNASKED QUESTION, RESUSCITATE, LESSON, EPILOGUE, and PS. Not all of the poems worked for me, but quite a number did which is saying something since I can be hard to please.

.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S: 

You keep coming back to him
To convince yourself that
You still feel,
You still hurt,
Your heart still works.
But that's not love,
Don't hang on to that.

RATING:

 

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Review: Caillou: Happy Holidays! by Marilyn Pleau-Murissi

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Caillou’s Daddy helps him be patient until Christmas with a special Advent calendar that counts down the days left before Christmas. Each day Caillou gets to open a window on the calendar and discover a story about holiday customs around the world. Caillou finds out about the first Christmas tree and about the man who became known as St. Nick. He also takes part in his own family traditions, and learns about giving and sharing along the way. A book that celebrates the festivities, traditions and meaning of Caillou’s favorite holiday!  ++HARDCOVER EDITION WITH FOIL++

MY TAKE:
I meant to read this with my child during the holidays but we got busy and only got around to it recently.

I liked the book's concept. Caillou's dad gives him an Advent calendar and each window has a Christmas story or information about Christmas traditions in other countries. It's really a good holiday read, especially if you and your children love all things Christmas-related.

I already knew some of the things mentioned in the book, but I did learn a few things from the book. For example, I didn't know that in Puerto Rico, children leave vegetables under their bed for the three kings' camels.

The illustrations are very colorful and cute. My only quibble with this book is that there is no mention of stories, traditions or customs from Asia; aside from Turkey which is in Eurasia. This makes me a little bit sad, especially since my country has one of the longest Christmas seasons in the world and Christmas is always a huge celebration here. I didn't really go into this expecting to see my country but it would have been nice to be included.

MY SON'S REACTION:
The book is a little too advanced for my son, who is still just learning to read, so I read the book to him. The book was a little long for him and his attention started to wander about halfway through the book.

I wondered if it could work to read the book over the course of 12 days, just like Caillou did, but that may get too confusing and some of the entries were too short and were combined (5-3 are about traditions around the world).

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

In Spain they eat fish called besugo, and they have a roasted duck in Norway. 

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Review: Home Sweet Home by Mia Cassany

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Kids will have their imaginations captured by this beautiful, non-fiction picture book that looks at home from around the world. Home from Home celebrates the wide diversity of living quarters people around the world live in.
Find out who lives in a Brooklyn brownstone or a Tokyo apartment! What about a London townhouse, or a cabin in Reykjavik?
Up and coming talent Paula Blumen illustrates all of these great views of home. There’s never been a better time to remember the importance of home for everyone.

MY TAKE:
I really enjoyed this book. To be honest, I actually thought this would have minimal text and would be suited to my son who is just learning to read. It turns out, it's more suited to somewhere in between early readers and middle grade readers. However, the topics and the illustrations make this book work for kids of any age.

I love the concept of this book. I was surprised to find that there were a lot of places (17) included in the book. Some were in the US, Canada, and Mexico; several in Europe, and three in Asia. The houses were of different styles and sizes, and the places they were in ranged from cities to suburbs to small villages.

What makes this book unique is the voices in the narration belong to pets living in those areas. There are different pets too. While most are dogs and cats, some of the pets narrating included a tortoise and a bird.

I really liked the illustration style used in the book. The colors were very beautiful and vibrant as well. It makes every location feel like a place you would want to live in, or at least visit for a while.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

People don't have fur, though, so the roofs of the houses are covered in grass to keep them warm. 

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Review: 365 Weird & Wonderful Science Experiments by Elizabeth Snoke Harris

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

This fact- and fun-filled book includes hundreds of simple, kid-tested science experiments. All of which can be done with items from around the house, and require little to no supervision!

Whether you're making your own slime, rockets, crystals, and hovercrafts or performing magic (science!) tricks and using science to become a secret agent, this book has something for every type of curious kid. Each experiment features safety precautions, materials needed, step-by-step instructions with illustrations, fun facts, and further explorations.

With this book, you will:
- Create a drinkable rainbow
- Make a bowling bowl float
- Capture a cloud
- Build furniture out of newspapers
- Blow bouncing bubbles that don’t burst
- Plus 360 other weird and wonderful experiments.

At once engaging, encouraging, and inspiring, 365 Weird & Wonderful Science Experiments is every budding scientists go-to, hands-on guide for learning the fundamentals of science and exploring the fascinating world around them.

MY TAKE:
I am always on the lookout for interesting science books, since my son has shown an inclination to science, and I would love to nurture that.

This book certainly fit the bill. The variety of experiments was very impressive to me. For example, there were your usual science experiments (rockets, etc.), then there were cooking experiments, outdoor experiments, and magic tricks. Seriously, there's something here for everyone. Sure, there are several experiments here that you've probable tried or at least seen before, but kids and adults, even those who are only a little bit interested in science, will still have a ton of fun with this book.

Why am I so confident? Because I spotted several cool experiments like making a lava lamp, creating different kinds of ink (hot invisible ink, glowing ink, etc.), and the tea bag rocket. My personal favorite, though, is the food scrap garden because I've been meaning to start a food garden for awhile now and seeing the process here makes it seem so easy to do.

Most of the experiments don't need a lot of items, and most are easy to find or which you probably already have at home. The steps are easy to follow, even if there's at most only two small illustrations for each experiment. For most of the experiments, there are also explanations and occasionally, there are "What If?" scenarios to get you thinking. The pages are also colorful, which is a huge plus for me.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

The water crawls up the tiny gaps in the fibers of the paper towel. This is the same method plants use to get water from their roots to the tips of their leaves.

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Review: Inside Out Human Body: Explore the World's Most Amazing Machine! by Luann Columbo

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

What do you think is the most amazing machine in the universe? A superconductor? The modern computer? A rocket ship? Think again: It’s the human body!
Astonishingly intricate and complex, your body grows, heals itself, and performs a mind-boggling number of complex functions all at the same time! Discover the amazing human body, system by system and layer by layer, in this fascinating book.
Inside Out: Human Body takes you on an incredible journey through the powerful muscular system, the "bone zone," the long and windy road of the digestive system, the blood-pumping circulatory system, the forty-seven-mile long nervous system, and beyond! A unique layered model of the human body serves as the center point of each section, revealing key body parts and functions, while entertaining and informative text explains how the body works.
Each section is fully illustrated with colorful diagrams and includes fun, interactive lessons for you to try yourself. You can learn how to take your own pulse, how to make your arms float, and even what the color of your urine means! Sometimes the most incredible wonders are right under our noses.

MY TAKE:
This is my favorite book in the series.

I already learned all the trivia in the book during college, but I still enjoyed reviewing it. There are really good analogies here that make it easier to understand concepts. I liked that aside from facts, there are try-this activities. It makes it easier for people to retain knowledge when they get to learn by doing.

The information in the book is a little advanced, so it's best for pre-teens and teens in junior high and high school. Younger kids can still appreciate the illustrations and diagrams, though.

I wondered near the start why the diagrams were only half. As it turns out, it was half because the book is divided by system, and that particular system had several pages devoted to it. That system is the skeletal system, and those pages were quite worth it because it included explanations on things like how bones heal when they are broken. There were also other systems that were two pages each.

It's a really good book, and my only real quibble with it is that the background color for the digestive system is dark and the font color is black so it's hard to read the text.

MY SON'S REACTION:
My son is too young to retain most of the terms in the book, but he is familiar with most body parts and he had fun looking at the pictures in the book.

I pointed out the internal organs and tried my best to simplify the functions of each in an effort to explain it to him, and he seemed to understand it. At the very least, he was fascinated by it, so this is definitely a book I can see us reading again and again until he is old enough to read and understand it on his own.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Your body absorbs nutrients like sponge soaks up water. Sugar molecules are like small drops of water, and proteins and starches are like large puddles. Your body can absorb the smaller sugar molecules quickly. But energy from sugar is also used up quickly. 

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Review: Inside Out Sharks: Look inside a great white in three dimensions! by David George Gordon

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Journey inside a shark and live to tell the tale! With Inside Out: Shark, you’ll take a three-dimensional tour through a great white to learn about the unique bodies of these eating machines.
Why are shark eggs called “mermaid purses”? What in the world are “skin-teeth”? Do sharks deserve the nickname “man-eater”? Find the answers to these questions and more in this action-packed book, which dives deep under the surface to explore the world of these astounding animals.
From the eerie goblin shark to the wide-eyed hammerhead to the most feared shark of them all, the great white, see the world from a shark’s-eye-view—and get an in-depth look at these most mysterious and misunderstood predators.

MY TAKE:
I really like this series, and this book lives up to my expectations.

The book's format is the same as others in the Inside Out series. The pages are divided by system (skeletal, dermal, etc.) and you can see the insides of the shark in the middle of the book. Each page also contains plenty of shark-related trivia.

There is a lot of information in the book, some of which I already knew while the others are new to me, but I liked that the way in which the information was presented kept in from being overwhelming. One of my favorite things I read in the book was about shark teeth. I knew that sharks had plenty of teeth, but I didn't know that different sharks had differently-shaped teeth. It was very cool to see the illustrations of the teeth.

MY SON'S REACTION:
I wasn't sure how my son would react to this because I thought there was a chance he might find the drawings scary. As it turns out, he actually liked this book a lot.

When he saw the cover, he wanted to read it right away. He also started singing the Baby Shark song from Pinkfong. He couldn't read the information yet, so I just told him about some of it. He reacted to some of the things I told him, but he was more interested in the illustrations.

I think this is another good buy for when he's older.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Great whites are prone to eat things made of metal. 

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Review: Atlas of Dinosaur Adventures: Step Into a Prehistoric World by Emily Hawkins

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

From the team behind the best-selling Atlas of Adventures comes this prehistoric journey of discovery. You’ll get to embark on over thirty dinosaur adventures that will take you all around the world! Travel back in time to lock horns with a triceratops, stalk prey with a T-Rex, and learn to fly with a baby Pteranodon. With hundreds of things to spot and facts to learn, this is the biggest Atlas adventure yet!

MY TAKE:
My son has recently taken a liking to dinosaurs so it was a given that when I saw this book on NetGalley that I would request it so we could review it.

The copy I received from NetGalley was only a few pages, so basically a sampler, but it was enough for me to get a good idea of what the rest of the book is like.

There's a two-page spread for each "main" dinosaur. There's an introduction for each dinosaur which describes what would have been a typical moment for that particular dinosaur (prey getting hunted, etc.). The illustration is one whole picture spanning the two pages and includes not only the main dinosaur but other animals and dinosaurs that might have been in that area/time period and interacted with the main dinosaur. There are trivia scattered all over the page related to the dinosaurs and animals. There's also a small box containing information on the dinosaur, specifically: name meaning, where the first fossil was found, period, family, diet, and size.

I love the anecdotes and the trivia I learned, such as how one dinosaur fossil was found by a child and another was found by a sheep farmer.

The illustration style and colors are not my cup of tea but they are a good fit with the topic. I did like that there are little Easter eggs in the illustrations. I first noticed it in the Pterodaustro page and thought I might be mistaken until I saw another in the Pteranodon page. I went back to the other pages and sure enough there are little funny things in other dinosaurs' pages as well.

MY SON'S REACTION:
My son loved this one of course. He's familiar with the Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, and Baby Pteranodon, but not the others yet.

He liked observing and noting what was going on in the drawings. I think this will be a good reference book for when he's older.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

The terrifying Velociraptors in the film Jurassic Park were actually based on Deinonychus; real Velociraptors are much smaller. 

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Review: The Snowbear by Sean Taylor

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Snow comes in the night, and Iggy and Martina make a snowbear. But then a sledge ride takes them deep into the woods. How will they get back home again? The Snowbear is a spellbinding story about the magic of snow and the power of a child's imagination. With a simple text and beautiful illlustrations, it will be read again and again. Themes of friendship, loyalty, and bravery make it a great choice for story time, as a bedtime read or on car trips. Children will love the crisp, wintry setting brought to life by Claire Alexander’s art. 

MY TAKE:
There's so much to love about this book.

First of all, there's the story. We don't get snow in my country, but my son and I enjoyed the story anyway. (He's seen snow in books before so it wasn't a foreign idea to him.) I liked how the story played out. Some may find the plot twist a little predictable, but I liked how it gave you (the adult) that Did-it-really-happen feeling while kids will mostly find it cool and plausible. The ending was A+ too. It feels hopeful and beautiful.

I really liked the illustration style of this book. Maybe it was because of the topic, but it reminded me of the cover (both front and back) of The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes. The media used looks a lot like a mix of colored pencils and watercolor, which are my two favorite coloring materials because I love the look they produce. The effect is something soft and somehow nostalgic, which is so fitting for this book.

MY SON'S REACTION:
By now, I've gotten really good at picking books I know he'll like, and as I expected, he loved the book.

He really liked the bear, and he empathized easily with Martina and Iggy who appeared to be close in age to him. Plus, the length of the text and the placing of the line/paragraph breaks were just right for him.

His favorite scene was easily the one where they were sledding downhill. His next favorite scene was the one with the wolf.

Overall, I think he liked the illustration style as well. He took time looking at the pages, which he doesn't really do when the illustrations aren't to his taste.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

And maybe he was right about that. 

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository

Review: Surprise! by Mike Henson

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Badger wants to show Rabbit something. But why do the lights keep going on and off? There are plenty of surprises in store for the animals in this simple, vibrant picture book which is both a mystery and a guessing game. As young readers prepare to turn the pages, they can try to predict what will happen next.

MY TAKE:
I enjoyed reading this book with my son.

The book doesn't have a lot of text so it was quick and easy to read. Plus, a good number of that text was the word "surprise," which my son has now learned to read, thanks to the book.

I thought this book was perfect for my son and other kids his age and younger, because there's not a lot of words and with every turn of the page, something happens, so they don't get bored.

I liked the illustration style and the coloring used in the book. I did find it a little odd though that near the end of the book, the font and style/medium used changed. I really liked the font (a serif font) and colors used. I'm not entirely sure what medium was used but it looked like at least some of it could be colored pencils. The colors near the end of the book were more solid and had no visible lines you would associate with colored pencils. 

MY SON'S REACTION:
My son loved the characters in the book, and he thought they were quite funny.

He was surprised whenever the lights in the book were turned off, and the first time it happened, he asked me why it was turned off.

He was able to empathize easily with the rabbit, and he acted sad during the book's plot twist, which I found a little amusing.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

"Surpr-oh..." 

RATING:

SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Book Depository