It’s a story of three sisters who explore a nearby forest in pursuit of a dream. As they go deeper, the forest gets darker and its magical secrets come to life. Toads puff clouds of pink smoke and snails with rabbit masks slime by; the forest becomes a carnival, a festival, a parade, of giant drooping flowers and dark hanging vines—a fever dream of marching frogs and giant fish and an army of ants and cats, swarming under lilypads—where you can dance with a doppelgänger and hitch a ride on a rat. And everywhere, little flower-faced imps frolic, holding matches…
Stunning, stylish and slightly psychedelic, The Queen in the Cave is a riot of a book packed with smart little details to pore over. It’s one for kids and grown-ups too, a riveting and atmospheric picture book that will surprise and enthrall young readers and dreamers of all ages.
Thoughts
My goodness, the artwork in this picture book is absolutely stunning. I found the story so much fun. It felt like I was reading a classic fairytale. I think this book would be wonderful to read during the Fall, especially around October. Julia Sarda is a truly gifted storyteller, and I’m excited to see more of their work.
The Inflatables don’t get pumped. They stay pumped! Flamingo, Cactus, Donut, and Watermelon may be forgotten waterpark floats who live at the lost and found, but these inflata-pals are about to make some big waves in a funny graphic novel series that’s perfect for fans of Dog Man and The Bad Guys!
Flamingo is destined to be a star! So when the opening of a new wave pool brings camera crews flooding to the park, his inflata-pals hatch a daring plan to make him famous. But will a flock of familiar faces from Flamingo’s past burst his bubble? Get ready, world — Flamingo is about to BLOW UP!
Thoughts
This book was both cute and fun. I loved the puns throughout, and I think Donut was my favourite character. I loved how all of the characters were so determined to help their friend, Flamingo fulfill his destiny, and that no matter what challenge they were faced with, they worked together to find a solution.
I thought this book was really funny, and loved the illustrations. It’s definitely something I can see my niece and nephew enjoying, and I’ll definitely be recommending it upon release.
Thank you Scholastic for sending me this ARC for review.
I’d highly recommend this to young readers who enjoy the concept of films like Toy Story, and comedies like Loud House.
About Sequel to Shannon Hale’s award-winning graphic novel memoir, “Real Friends”, this new graphic memoir picks up where “Real Friends” left off. As Shannon grows…
Talented illustrator and author Shauna J. Grant, of http://www.shaunadraws.com/ introduces young readers to Mimi, a fun, fantastic little girl with a very big problem: everything thinks she’s just too cute!
Mimi wants others to see the other things about her, that make her special, and with the help of her magical toy dog Penelope, she does everything she can to try and change their minds…
Will she be stuck in this cute-astrope forever, or will others see her for who she truly is?
But that’s not all! She’s also a loyal friend and fun playmate, who has the best adventures with
THOUGHTS
Thank you Scholastic for providing this ARC. I absolutely loved the illustrations for this book! When I saw the cover, I was immediately reminded of Pretty Cure, which was one of my favourite series as a kid. The story itself was wonderful, especially since Mimi is super relatable. I can recall when I wondered whether being considered “cute” was a bad thing, and tried to make myself seem more “cool” like my older cousins and friends…even though I absolutely adored my stuffed animals and other cute things. I think that exploring the thoughts and emotions that Mimi faces in this graphic novel, is an excellent way for young readers who are most likely facing similar situations, to try and understand what they’re going through.
I know I would’ve loved having a character like Mimi when I was growing up, especially since many of the books and films I grew up on weren’t much in favour of the cutesy aesthetic, and leaned more towards encouraging young children to be strong, as if those two things couldn’t go hand in hand. Here, Mimi proves the opposite, that you can still love what you love, and be loyal, strong, and brave! I think that’s a very important message for young children (and grownups too). We are more than what others perceive us as.
Another thing that I really want to mention is how precious Mimi’s friendship is with Penelope!
I had my very own Penelope growing up, who I used to take everywhere with me. To this day, I still have her.
Mimi shares her thoughts and feelings with Penelope, and even considers that in order to stop having others perceive her as cute or baby-ish she needs to stop playing with her favourite toy.
I can recall being teased about my stuffed animal by some kids in my class, and placing her in my trash bin (super dramatic I know), but then I felt lonely without her, and decided to rescue her. I didn’t care what the other kids thought about her anymore, because she was important to me. See, I used to be incredibly shy, and she helped me feel comfortable when I changed schools, or whenever I struggled to make friends. Just knowing she was close by in my backpack, was enough. She was…is…dear to me, and despite being a toy, really gave me an outlet to work through some complex emotions and situations as a child. I changed schools four times during our move between grades 3-4, and had to keep remaking friends, which at the time was extremely difficult for me. I wanted nothing more to go back to my old house and school, where my teachers all knew me and people actually pronounced my name properly haha.
Another thing that really got me was that Mimi has bubbles in her hair! As a kid, I absolutely adored these, and recently I found a doll with bubbles in her hair for my niece and went bonkers. Like, bubbles and beads were my favourite because it was like fashion for my hair…and until high school…and really more-so into my adult years, we weren’t really encouraged to experiment with our natural hair. It was always pulled back into a tight bun…but when I got to wear bubbles in my hair–I had these orange ones with teddy bears that had googly eyes–my mom would give me Pippi Longstocking braids…or that’s what I called them. It was my favourite thing in the world. Seeing Mimi with her hair like that on the cover made my day!
Mimi is such a sweet character, and I loved seeing how she grew throughout the story, and interacted with her friends, family and neighbours. I can’t wait to see what adventures she has going forward, and I look forward to seeing this book on shelves this July 2022!
About Tucked away in a government facility nicknamed the Playroom, six not-quite-human kids learn to control their strange and unpredictable abilities. Life is good–or safe,…
About Anne of Green Gables with a twist: in this follow-up to Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy and The Secret Garden on 81st Street, this full-color graphic novel moves…
Summary Amaya, princess of House Amethyst in Gemworld, is something of a troublemaker. She and her brother have great fun together until a magical prank…
Batchelder Honor recipient Sonja Danowski has created a new story reminding us that love, patience, and a sense of humor help any garden to flower.
What a fuss! Linn’s grandfather broke his leg. Fortunately, his granddaughter Linn offers to take care of his spectacular garden. After all, Linn has helped out in the garden many times and knows a lot about plants. With Linn’s dog, Flori, and her good friend, Emi, by her side what could go wrong? But when mischievous Flori causes a mess, Linn has to learn to deal with a difficult situation. Taking responsibility for the first time is a big step. Together with Linn, we experience pride in the trust placed in us as well as self-doubts along the way. Sonja Danowski’s lovingly detailed illustrations appear almost lifelike and unfold with incomparable magic.
Thoughts
This book has such beautiful illustrations! I absolutely adored each and every page, there was so much to look at. I thought Linn, Flori and Emi were so sweet, and loved all the pictures they painted of the garden, and of course Emi’s picture of Flori! The artwork for this book reminded me of some of the old books I used to read at my grandparents when I was little, and I think what made it more special is the fact that I used to help my grandparents garden as well. That really connected with me, and I think this would be a really lovely story for folks to gift and read with their grandchildren. I also think this is a great book for people with dogs who like to dig haha.
Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Thank you Netgalley and North South Books for accepting my request to review this beautiful book!
In the Garden With Flori is expected to release in March.
Stacey is a little girl who loves words more than anything. She loves reading them, sounding them out, and finding comfort in them when things are hard.
But when her teacher chooses her to compete in the local spelling bee, she isn’t as excited as she thought she’d be. What if she messes up? Or worse, if she can’t bring herself to speak up, like sometimes happens when facing bullies at school?
Stacey will learn that win or lose . . . her words are powerful, and sometimes perseverance is the most important word of all.
Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
What a charming book! I absolutely adored the illustrations and the story. Both complimented each other perfectly. It’s such a pretty book!
When their train makes a 10-minute stop at the station in Jaipur, a young girl and her mother hurry to get in line for a cup of chai. While the girl waits for her mug of milky spiced tea, readers are treated to the sights, sounds, and smells of the Chaiwala’s cart. The aroma of ginger, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon sticks swirls in the air. Tea leaves rustle, milk bubbles, and the hot drink is poured back and forth until–clink!–the cups are filled and placed on the stand. With a biscuit and a rusk added to their order, it’s time to find a spot to sit and enjoy! Inspired by the author’s childhood visits to India, Chaiwala! celebrates the pleasures of taking time for food, family, and tradition–even for a brief moment. Illustrated in lively cut-paper collages and filled with scrumptious sensory details, this book is just like a cup of chai–warm, comforting, and good to the last drop.
Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I had the pleasure of meeting the author at work, when she came in and asked to sign some books for us! It was such a cool experience! I’d read the book prior to meeting her, and fell in love with the story and the beautiful illustrations. I highly recommend adding it to your bookshelf!
A funny, heartfelt, perfectly pitched story about misunderstandings and the importance of true friendship.
When a little girl thinks that her best friend James has been saying bad things about her behind her back, she takes action in the form of the silent treatment. As they go about their day and James tries harder and harder to get her to talk to him, they both realize that true friendship surpasses any rumor… or misunderstanding.
A classic childhood situation is brought to life with humor and poignancy with energetic illustrations by Matt Myers and a simple, telling text by Liz Rosenberg.
Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I read this earlier today, and thought it was a very sweet story. I definitely loved the ending and the illustrations were very pretty. I especially liked the use of the paint splotches throughout, and how they were incorporated onto each page. I thought this was really neat, and it helped compliment the text. I think this would be an excellent book for elementary teachers to add to their classroom libraries, as it deals with friendship, misunderstandings, and what it means to be a good friend. I thought how James handled the situation with his best friend was fantastic, because although he doesn’t know what’s upset her, he does everything he can to cheer her up…and that was just incredibly sweet.
Valentine’s Day is coming, which means showing the ones you love how much they mean to you, so Tiny has decided to make the perfect Valentine for his best friend Pointy.
But as Tiny discovers, making a Valentine isn’t easy. It might take a few tries—until Tiny realizes the best Valentine might have been there all along.
Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Awwwwwww! Okay, this book was too cute. I love the illustrations, I love the dinosaurs. It’s just a perfect book. This was the cutest thing ever!
Doug the slug needs a hug. But who wants to hug a slug called Doug?
Snuggle up with lonesome Doug on his search for love in this completely charming picture book which shows that you just never know when love might come flying by… (And which introduces an unsuspecting world to snail superstar, Gail!)
A warm and endearing rhyming text by Rachel Bright (Love Monster, The Lion Inside) is perfectly paired with funny and fabulous illustrations by Nadia Shireen (Good Little Wolf, Billy and the Beast) in this adorable future classic.
Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Upon completing this adorably funny book, I informed everyone at work that they need to read this book, and recommend it to absolutely everyone. It’s hilarious, it’s cute and that Snail has glasses. I don’t know what else to say other than I love Doug, Doug the Slug. Someone give Doug a hug. I needed this book in my life.
Grub is a lonely racoon. Rumbling in the trash. Looking for food.
Seed is, well, a seed! Patiently waiting in the trash. Hoping someone will plant it.
When the two finally meet, they realize they might be able to help each other! Grub has just one big question first: What will Seed grow? Could Seed grow Grub’s favorite food, mouthwatering cheeseburgers? Seed isn’t sure what a cheeseburger is exactly, but . . . maybe!
Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
The seeds butt on the back made me laugh, which is why I decided to read the book. I also love that a seed and a raccoon became friends. As someone who used to adore catching raccoons trying to get at my grandparents tomato plants when I was little, I thought this book was incredibly fun. The illustrations were wonderful–my favourite being the one where the sun is a giant cheeseburger–and I instantly fell in love with the characters. What a cute book!
Ardin Patterson 