Posted in Book Reviews, Picture Book Reviews

A Sled For Gabo

By Emma Otheguy, Illustrated by Ana Ramirez González

SUMMARY:
Gabo wants to go out to play in the snow but doesn’t have the right hat or shoes and has no sled. He’s also too shy to ask the other children to share.

MY FAVORITE PART:
The plastic bags! Before I even knew what the story was going to be about I noticed the plastic bags on the cover. As a child, sometimes we’d use plastic bags as well. We typically put the plastic bags inside our old boots that were no longer water proof, but it was the same concept; keeping our feet dry.

MY FAVORITE PAGE:
The first spread. For a winter story about snow, you don’t expect to open up a book and be flooded with colors. All the little details inside the kitchen were so fun to explore.

SHELF, RENEW, OR GIFT?
Absolutely a great gift for any shy children in your life. Any snow lover as well. The whole process of waking up to snow, getting ready, having fun, and returning to warm up and having a special treat never gets old.

Posted in Book Reviews, Picture Book Reviews

Ten Ways To Hear Snow

a Picture Book By Cathy Camper Illustrated b Kenard Pak (published 2020)

First, let me just note that it’s been a long time since I’ve reviewed a picture book. I read so many, it gets tricky deciding which to review and why. So I’ve come up with a new format and will review if/when I feel like it. I stopped looking for rhyme or reason to which I select for review. My latest haul had loads of winter themed stories so there may be several of those to come. But today we’ll start with this one for no particular reason at all.

SUMMARY:
Lina takes a trip across the city to see her grandmother on a quiet snowy day.

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Posted in Book Reviews, Middle Grade Book Reviews

The Lost Frost Girl – a review

By Amy Wilson
Fantasy – Fairy Tales / Middle-Grade

Well, hello, hello. My first book review in who knows how long? Of course, I’m the only one who noticed I neglected my blog for all of 2021. Blogs, journals, manuscripts, health, housework – yeah, many things got pushed aside last year. No one cares why and I don’t care to share my reasons; let us pretend they were good reasons and leave it at that. Let us also hope I don’t do it again this year. If anyone is reading this, feel free to drop a comment below about the first book you completed in 2022, what your goals are this year, or what your dog’s name is. You can also just read my short little book review; that’s fine as well.

My Synopsis.
Owl is a young girl who finds out her father is Jack Frost. Finding out the truth led to other mysteries and trouble. If she’s not careful with her new powers, she could ruin a lot more than her friendship with her best friend Malory and her mother’s trust.

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Posted in Book Reviews, Middle Grade Book Reviews

The Way Past Winter

by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Magical Realism – Middle-Grade

My Synopsis:

Mila lives in the dark cold, woods with her brother and two sisters in a small cabin. Their mother is dead, and their father left them for unknown reasons five years ago. Since then, the forest has become perpetual winter, and memories of Springtime and happiness are fading. One evening a stranger and his fellow travelers come to their home asking for food and shelter, but the next day when they are gone, Mila’s brother is missing. The sisters debate whether he left them to join the traveling men or was he taken against his will. Mila insists on going after their brother and so begins a daring adventure north through fierce winter landscapes mixed with magic and folklore that she and her sisters are afraid may actually be true.

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