storybook

About

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.

Rating

About

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.