Children's eBook Review: Stick's Masterpiece by Spencer Hanson, Illustrated by Randy Hanson

My Ratings for Stick's Masterpiece:
Cover and Illustrations: 5 Stars
Storyline: 4.75 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars

Stick doesn't feel like she can paint and is too scared to try. But when a bird is hungry she paints him food and goes on to paint help for many animals. In the end, she discovers that her acts of service while painting has created a masterpiece. 

This is a fabulously illustrated story about overcoming fear by serving others. I appreciated its deeper message--thinking about others first is an important one for my children to learn. I love love love the illustrations. I hope Stick goes on another painting adventure! 

Here is the book trailer for Stick's Masterpiece:

With almost Disney-esque illustrations, I read this aloud twice in one night because the illustrations are so well-done. 5 stars for cute and unique illustrations. 4.75 stars for storyline. The text is in ABCB rhyme and there was one read aloud stumble spot, rhyme is very difficult. But it was a tiny hiccup and the storyline of overcoming fear by thinking of others is very worth reading, so I give it a 5 stars overall (if you wonder at my high ratings on my blog, keep in mind that only the best books make it to my blog. I review a lot of children's eBooks that don't make my blog because they aren't quite up to quality). 

I highly recommend this book for an adorable and meaningful bedtime story. 

I also recommend this book because of its unusual sales strategy: You can download the book for FREE (in four different formats) and if you want a full color hardcopy, it's only $5! I admire this unusual strategy! And it's so endearing, that I think the authors know we readers will want to touch the book. 

Here's a video about them explaining Creative Commons (for their Kickstarter project):

And did you notice their company name? The Brother's Whim! The author and illustrator are brothers. Can I give extra points for clever names on this one?

You can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr (for full photos of the book) and their Brothers Whim website.

~Valerie Harmon

Children's Book Review: Freddie Goes Fishing With Grandpa

Today's Children's Picture e-Book Review is Freddie Goes Fishing With Grandpa written by Dagbjort Asgeirsdottir and illustrated by Karl Johann Jonsson, for Ages 3-9.

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

Freddie Goes Fishing With Grandpa is a book that has hit #1 Best Seller in Category on Amazon and it's about a little boy named Freddie who goes fishing in the cove with Grandpa in Iceland. When he accidentally falls in, Grandpa pulls him out and tells him a sea monster story to cheer him up.

The watercolor illustrations by Jonsson are full of color and details that reveal parts of traditional Icelandic culture as well as adding to the cozy story that makes me miss my own grandparents. I appreciate that Asgeirsdottir added a note at the beginning explaining that pet foxes are real, as is their tendency to hide things that are left out.

I highly recommend this children's picture e-book and can see it becoming a classic with my own children. I hope Asgeirsdottir adds a hardback version someday.

It's FREE today and tomorrow, you can download it here.

~Valerie Harmon, from the Kindle Book Review

(Disclaimer: Valerie Harmon received a free copy of the this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. She is not affiliated with Amazon or the author)