Children's e-Book Review: Blucy by Julia Dweck, Illustrated by Erika LeBarre

My Ratings:
Cover and Illustrations: 5 Stars
Storyline: 4 Stars
Overall: 4.5 Stars

Today's Book Children's e-Book Review is Blucy by Julia Dweck and illustrated by Ericka LeBarre.

Available for PreSale until August 12 2013. Pre-Order here.

Mandy finds an unusual cat at the pound: Lucy. Lucy, whose fur is color-triggered by emotion, turns blue when she arrives at her new home and Mandy re-names her Blucy (because of her fur color--so adorable!). Blucy camouflages herself next to blue things and destroys everything from presents to walls until Mandy makes a discovery that fixes everything. And Blucy's fur remains blue with happiness.

The illustrations are FABULOUS (5 stars!), kudos to Erika LeBarre. The rhyme maintained the rhythm almost the whole time, great job Julia Dweck. I loved the beginning and ending best (5 star work!), and even though the middle dragged a tad, the illustrations kept me turning the page and the lovely ending surprised me. 

Overall, this is a 4.5 star book and I highly recommend it!

I was able to ask Julia some questions and this is what she said:

Valerie: Why do you like to write children's picture books?

Julia: I have a very visual imagination and picture books are a great way to convey the colorful images I see in my mind as I write my stories.

Valerie: What are some of your favorite children's books? Big people books?

Julia: As a child, I gravitated to Seuss. I loved the humor and rhythm of his rhyme. As a teacher, I read a lot of YA with my older students. My current favorite is Airman by Eoin Colfer. It blends just the right amount of mystery, intrigue and suspense.

Valerie: What advice do you have for children who want to be writers?

Julia: Write about things that interest you. Keep a journal of ideas. Share your stories with family and friends. And remember that all writers write, rewrite and then rewrite again.
 

Valerie: If you were a Blucy-cat, what color would you stay?

Julia: I would be blue, just like Blucy, because blue is my all-time favorite color. In fact, the couch in my den is solid blue. I love to lie back on it, relax and dream up new story ideas. Colors can definitely affect our mood. What's your favorite color?
Valerie: I can't decide between blue or green. So I pick both! Maybe I'd be a calico Blucy, both blue and green. 

Julia Dweck

About author Julia Dweck: Julia Dweck writes children's stories for digital and traditional publication. Her stories span the spectrum of humor, fantasy, and edutainment in rhyme and in prose. Julia's background in elementary education affords her the opportunity to be in touch with what children want to read and what makes them giggle. She's collaborated with leading artists in the world of children's literature to produce over 20 bestselling Amazon eBooks.


About illustrator Erica LeBarre: Erika LeBarre graduated from the College for Creative Studies with a BFA in illustration. After graduating, she worked at an art studio with other illustrators and designers for over four years. Since then she has worked as a freelance illustrator out of her home. Her life has come full circle by having the opportunity to teach at the College for Creative Studies.

You can find the book Blucy on Amazon, Goodreads and Facebook. You can learn more about author Julia Dweck on her website, on Facebook and her Amazon author page.


~Valerie Harmon

Children's e-Book Review: The Tiger and Mouse series, by Theo Lightfoot

Today's Book Children's e-Book Review is actually two books, by Theo Lightfoot: The Gift of Helping Others and The Pebble of Perseverance.

My Ratings: 
Overall: 5.0 Stars
Cover and Illustrations: 5 Stars
Storyline: 5 Stars 
This is a tender, tender book and we (my 10, 8, and 5 year old and I) loved reading it. It is one I will be reading to them again, a compliment I don't often say. Tiger's desire to help his friend and the sweet grace the Mouse family says over their food make a story that teaches a lesson of charity and made us feel good to read. Five stars for storyline and five stars for the illustrations that added to the story. Well done!

Storyline of The Gift of Helping Others: Tiger wants to play and is perplexed when Mouse single-mindedly looks for a nut and carries it all the way home. When Tiger peeks through a hole in the tree into Mouse's house, he discovers a scene that sends him gathering nuts and berries as fast as he can. What does Tiger see?

My Ratings: 
Overall: 4.5 Stars
Cover and Illustrations: 4.0 Stars
Storyline: 5 Stars 
I really enjoyed how Mouse helped Tiger accomplish his goals. Often we need that kind of help ourselves, and that's what true friends do. Five stars for a wonderful storyline. The illustrations added to the story and would've been five stars too, except that the island inconsistently changed sizes during the rescue scene. Total stars: 4.5, and a recommendation to read this book to your children! My 10, 8, and 5 year old all listened raptly through the entire story.
I really enjoyed how Mouse helped Tiger accomplish his goals. Often we need that kind of help ourselves, and that's what true friends do. Five stars for a wonderful storyline. The illustrations added to the story and would've been five stars too, except that the island inconsistently changed sizes during the rescue scene. Total stars: 4.5, and a recommendation to read this book to your children! My 10, 8, and 5 year old all listened raptly through the entire story.

Storyline of The Pebble of Perseverance: When water pours through the jungle, it creates a river between the homes of Tiger and his best friend Mouse. If Tiger wants to visit Mouse, he must improve his leaping skills. But it's hard! Can Mouse help Tiger jump higher? Can Tiger's new skills save Mouse from drowning? This book illustrates an excellent lesson about hard work and perseverance.

I enjoyed these books so much, I asked Theo Lightfoot for an author interview. See that interview on July 30th!

~Valerie Harmon

(Disclaimer: I received these e-books for free in exchange for honest reviews and am not affiliated with the author or Amazon)

Children's e-Book Review: The Fruit and Veggie ABC Book by Mary Lee

Today's Children's Picture e-Book Review is The Fruit & Veggie ABC Book, written and illustrated by Mary Lee.  Ages 3-8.

My Ratings: 

Overall: 5.0 Stars

Cover and Illustrations: 5 Stars

Story: 5 Stars 

This is a book for pre-schoolers that teaches each letter of the English alphabet.

As I scrolled through each letter, I kept wondering what fruit or veggie would go with the letters V, X and Z. I recognized the Valencia Orange and Zucchini (of course!), but I didn't recognize the fruit Ximenia (a character named Squish explains how to pronounce "Ximenia," thank you!). 

Of course I had to look Ximenia up to find out what it tastes like: a sour plum best eaten slightly overripe. And now I know! And so do you.

Here is a picture of a Ximenia:

I give this book five stars for its cute illustrations, big letters perfect for little fingers to trace, and the fun character Squish who keeps showing up  on the pages with little comments.

~Valerie Harmon

(Disclaimer: Valerie Harmon received a free book in exchange for an honest review)

Our fourth Best Seller!

 Announcing our fourth book, The Peacock Who Wanted To Be A Pig, just hit #1 Best Seller in Category on Amazon yesterday. So....we get to change the cover from this...

To this.....

See the shiny gold seal? Yep! We now have four published books in the WantsToBe series, and all four of them have hit #1 Best Seller in Category. Have you read them yet? Here are the first three in the series:

The Snake Who Wanted To Be A Horse

The Elephant Who Wanted To Be A Bee

The Alligator Who Wanted To Be A Dog

Children's e-Book Review: Princess Kiah series

Today's Children's Picture e-Book Review is the Princess Kiah series, Princess Kiah and the Peas, Princess Kiah and the Frog, and Princess Kiah and the Glass Slipper, written and illustrated by Joy Findlay for girls Ages 3-9.

My Ratings: 
Overall: 4.0 Stars
Cover and Illustrations: 5 Stars
Story: 3 Stars

Kiah is a girl who reads princess stories. She applies the stories to herself, with mixed results, but she always knows her parents love her. 

The illustrations are gorgeous. They are delicate and girly and would make nice wall posters. The storyline is cute and simple and my 8 year old daughter cuddled with me as we read them. She REALLY liked Princess Kiah and the Peas story. Probably because she could relate, being a Princess too! 

I rate the storyline a 3.0, but the illustrations a 5.0, which makes a total of 4.0 stars. Fun little tales! They are short, so I am glad they came in a set of three. 

~Valerie Harmon

(Disclaimer: Valerie Harmon received a free copy of the these books in exchange for a fair and honest review)

Children's Book Review: Wisdom, The Midway Albatross

Today's Children's Picture e-Book Review is Wisdom,The Midway Albatross, written by Darcy Pattison and illustrated by Kitty Harvill, for Ages 6-12.

My Ratings: 
Overall: 5.0 Stars
Cover: 5 Stars
Illustrations: 5 Stars
Story: 5 Stars

This book is about Wisdom, who is a Laysan Albatross over 60 years old! A story of miraculous survival against natural and man-made disaster, this mostly true tale and its beautiful illustrations keeps children interested while they learn some science. I enjoyed reading it and so did my 5 and 8 year old children. 

Author Darcy Pattison has pieced together a story for Wisdom, backed up by metal bands on her legs that began on December 10, 1965.  If you are like us, you'll head to the computer to look up more facts about Wisdom and her chick. We found pictures!!

Here is Wisdom and her latest chick (in Feb. 2013) found on the US Fish and Wildlife Service website. She looks so sweet and nurturing!: 

Here's a closeup picture of Wisdom's chick from the US Fish and Wildlife Service website. So cute and fluffy!:

I'm so glad Darcy took the time to write this book--Wisdom's tender story deserves a wide audience!

~Valerie Harmon, The Kindle Book Review

(Disclaimer: The Kindle Book Review received a free copy of this book for an independent, fair, and honest review and is not associated with the author or Amazon.)