Reading, Writing & Pondering

    I'll be honest, I am a middle-aged woman. You probably guessed that. However, I have loved Strawberry Shortcake since I was a child--and it still makes me happy to see her new books. Strawberry Shortcake and the Berry Besties Festival by Jennifer Moorman is a fun Strawberry Shortcake picture book complete with STICKERS in the back.  I especially love the theme of Strawberry Shortcake and the Berry Besties Festival. The story is about Strawberry Shortcake and her friends teaming up for a fundraiser for needy animals. I am also a huge fan of dogs, cats and helping shelters. This story also shows how we can help each other out when things go wrong. The story is fun to read and one that I think children will enjoy--especially fans of strawberry shortcake and her friends, as well as animal lovers. Strawberry Shortcake and the Berry Besties Festival is aimed at children ages four to eight. The book is 32 pages long and measures a little over nine inches square. The illustra...

  The Good Farmer and The Worried Donkey by Hannah E. Harrison is a beautifully illustrated and written picture book aimed at children ages four to eight. This sweet book tells the worried donkey's story. Charlie the donkey goes from working for a miller who sometimes got angry at him because he wasn't strong enough and didn't always do things correctly. The miller then sold the donkey to a farmer. Charlie worried about disappointing the farmer. However, the farmer is patient and caring and helped the donkey along the way in his new role. I think The Good Farmer and The Worried Donkey is a sweet story to help children see that God loves them--no matter what. Through this story, children learn that God is always there to help, even when they doubt themselves. They also can learn that God is patient and caring in the process.   I love the sweet watercolor pictures of both the donkey and the farmer--as well as all the farm animals and fields. The last page in Good Farmer a...

    Worthy Girl by Marshawn Evans Daniels is based on Ephesians 4:1, " I urge you to live a life WORTHY of the calling you have received." Worthy Girl is a large beautifully illustrated picture book aimed at girls ages four to eight. The book is fairly large, measuring a little over 10 inches squared, and it is 32 pages long. This book features a dark-skinned young girl so would be good for children of all ethnicities. A couple of pages show children of all skin colors in the illustration, which I especially like.  The book is mainly written in rhyming prose although that starts and stops a couple of times as the book sort of shifts gears. I think it is a book that sends positive messages to young girls. It is definitely aimed at Christian children so it is religious in nature.  Bible verses are included in the text too.   Purchase link:  Worthy Girl by Marshawn Evans Daniels I received a copy of this book from the publisher through FrontGate Media. All o...

  Grow Wild, My Child by Ainsley Arment is a beautifully illustrated hardcover children's book that was written to encourage children to spend time having outdoor adventures of all kinds. Grow Wild, My Chil d is 32 pages long, aimed at children ages four to eight. This beautiful book measures a little larger than 9 by 11 inches. The illustrations by Bianca Pozzi are gorgeous! The end papers with drawings of various items in nature are also gorgeous. Grow Wild, My Child is meant to instill a sense of wonder in children--wonder at all four seasons outdoors--and having adventures outside through all of those seasons. It also encourages a sense of make-believe and dreaming while outdoors. I think the writing has wonderful rhythm. I love the writing and the pictures. I grew up loving my time outdoors in nature--but that was before the internet got going. I would love to see children continue to love time outdoors in nature and to use their time to dream and imagine as this book encour...

It's easy for puppies to get distracted by new things. In Willa and the Way Home by Jennifer Moorman, Willa the puppy gets distracted by a butterfly shortly after moving to her new house with her human family.  In Willa and the Way Home, Willa realizes she is lost after following a butterfly near her new house. In the story, a bird and a cat befriend Willa and help her find her way home in this heartwarming story. The story is cute and also is one that could be encouraging to children as the focus is on having courage and getting help from friends. Both of those can be good things for sure. I also liked the cute illustrations. I love dogs, cats and birds, besides humans, and the illustrations in Willa and the Way Home are so cute. They are also vibrant and eye catching with bright colors. It all works together to make a fun new book to read with children. Willa and the Way Home is a hardcover book that measures 8 1/2 by 11 inches in size and is 38 pages long. This book releases f...

  Are you planning a move with children or do you know someone moving with a family? We Are Home When We're Togethe r by Jean Stoffer and Grace Start tells the story of a family that is going to move and the changes that will take place. We Are Home When We are Together could be a helpful book to read as a family before a big move. Not only could the story be encouraging, but it could also be a good starting point for questions and discussion regarding your family's move. We Are Home When We are Together also helps children understand the various places that people call home--from sprawling houses to apartments and from the desert to the mountains. The main thing this book teaches children is that they are home whenever they are with their family, no matter where they are. Home is more than a place, it is the people you are doing life with. We are Home When We are Together is a beautifully illustrated picture book that is 32 pages long. It is also fairly large as it measures...

  What is a hero? That's What Heroes Do by Adam Kinzinger with Whitney Bak helps children understand who heroes are and what they do. That's What Heroes Do is a large picture book, measuring a little larger than 9 by 11 inches and is 32 pages long.  Some heroes may seem obvious to children as they are military heroes like Christian's dad. Other heroes aren't as obvious like lifeguard, teachers and those who design prosthetic limbs. The book explains that there is one thing all heroes have in common--they help people in some way. Then the author explains that children don't have to wait to grow up to be heroes--they can find ways to help people every day.  I love the message of That's What Heroes Do . I like how children may learn that they can be heroes today by helping others.They don't have to wait until they grow up to be a helper.  I also like the brightly colored illustrations from Katie Melrose. I especially like that the pictures are inclusive becau...

  Are you looking for some new magical fairy tale stories? My Gift by Raluca Sirbu is a beautifully illustrated book (Alisa Barannik, illustrator) that will delight children (and adults!) with 3 tales of hope and courage. My Gift is aimed at children ages 5 to 10 years old. The hardback book is illustrated in bright, vivid colors. The book measures roughly 8 by 10 inches in size and is 36 pages long. The author is from Romania and these Romanian stories are inspired by true events in the Romanian past.  The stories in My Gift show people being freed from oppression. They show courage. They show how to stand strong in the face of evil. They are wonderful stories for children in today's world. The brightly colored pictures illustrate the stories quite well.    I received a copy of this book from the author. All opinions within this review are my own. 

  Are you looking for a new book to gift a baby or a toddler? Or maybe a toddler's Easter basket right now? The Beginning of You by Laine Lawson Craft is such a cute illustrated book with rhyming lyrical prose throughout the book. This cute board book measures 7 inches square and has the thick cardboard pages that make it easy to little ones to turn the pages on their own. The Beginning of You is 17 pages long and is aimed at children ages two and under. The illustrations are inclusive and show children of all skin colors, which I like. The words of this book are written with a wonderful rhythm. I like how she writes about how we are all made by God in our own special way. The words also remind little ones that they are loved by the Creator who made them.     I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions within this review are my own. 

  Are you looking for a new Easter book for a child? The Great Waking Up by Sarah Shin is a colorfully illustrated picture book aimed at children ages 3 to 8. This Easter book measures a little less than 9 inches squared. It is bright and colorfully illustrated. I love that it is so inclusive--including Jesus looking fairly historically accurate. The illustrations are so beautiful that they bring to mind stained glass windows when I look at them. Anastasia loves dreams. In The Great Waking Up she talks about her dreams with her mother. Her mother tells her that there will come a day when there is the Great Waking Up with no more death. In this book, they live in the time of Jesus. They see Jesus do miracles. Then they see Jesus is crucified and become confused about his role--until He wakes up himself. This whole book is the story of Jesus and Easter told through the eyes of a young girl. The Great Waking Up is this author's second children's book. In the back of the book, t...

I am a white middle-aged woman. I don't have a brown son. HOWEVER, I have friends with brown children and I want to support them and all the brown people My Brown Boy is well-written. I also love the gorgeous full-color illustrations. This book shows how brown boys can be whoever they want to be. The author's brown son was followed by a policeman at a young teen even though he did nothing. I don't know what it is to be profiled based on my skin color but my heart goes out to this child. Also, I have son that is neurodivergent. He does things his own way and his skills unique to him. I like how the author shares how her son is unique with his own skill set. I also appreciate how she shares that he sometimes gets scared. I think this book does a good job of sharing how we sometimes judge by skin color when we need to look at everyone's heart.   I received a copy of this book from the publisher through the Amazon Vine Program. All opinions are my own.