Review: In Our Solar System

Title: In Our Solar System Series: Standalone Author: Jenny Sundstedt Illustrator: Susana Covelli Publish Date: March 11, 2025 Publisher: Familius Genre: Children’s NonFiction Age: 4-6 Started Reading: January 25, 2025 Finished Reading: January 25, 2025 NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

A stunning picture book for space lovers with poetic text by author Jenny Sundstedt and fun facts about each planet

In our solar system,
On the fiery hot sun
Burned a mother solar flare
And her little flare, one.
“Sizzle,” said the mother.
“I sizzle,” said the one.
So they sizzled and they popped
On the fiery, hot sun.

Based on the poem “Over in the Meadow,” this galactic counting book guides readers from the sun all the way to the far reaches of our solar system with adorably anthropomorphized planets by illustrator Susanna Covelli. Parents or older readers will love the added fun facts on each page for even more information about the different celestial bodies, their moons, and their orbits.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating:  4 Stars

My daughter (5) loves the space, and this book really caught her interest. She enjoyed the counting and the poem. After the first page she asked to read the poem part while I read the facts. The drawings were very cute, and the counting got the interest of her little brother (2). They both enjoyed seeing illustrations, especially the cute little storms around the big red spot on Jupiter. I think it's great that the book included some educational facts about the various planets as it allows for the younger kids to learn counting with the poem and illustrations, and the older kids to further their knowledge about the solar system. We read this ebook through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A cute and interesting book for space lovers.

Review: Dover Pocketbook Collection: Cross-Stitch Flowers

Title: Dover Pocketbook Collection: Cross-Stitch Flowers Series: Standalone Author: Gerda Bengtsson Publish Date: February 18, 2025 Publisher: Dover Publications Genre: Crafts & Hobbies Age: 12+ Started Reading: March 13, 2025 Finished Reading: March 13, 2025 NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Barnes & Noble:

Discover 26 stunning, fully colored cross-stitch patterns at your fingertips! This collection of charted designs offers exquisite florals like buttercups, pansies, and spring flowers. With the Pocketbook Crafts series, crafters can now enjoy their projects on the go, with instructions in a portable size guide featuring space for checklists and notes — perfect for infusing floral charm wherever they wander.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating:  4 Stars

An excellent resource of historical patterns from Denmark. With an introduction full of helpful information, this collection of patterns will give a lot of inspiration for future projects. The flowers are based on common wildflowers for the most part and each pattern includes the scientific name and a bit of information as well as a thread list, an area to write down any substitutions you make or notes you'd like to take. These patterns can be used for more than just cross stitch and would be lovely adorning a knitted sweater or needlepointed project. The back of the book allows for a personal message for any future generations who may inherit the book and continue the tradition. I read this book through Net Galley.

To Sum Up: A wonderful resource for historical patterns from Denmark

Review: Calm Your Roar Like a Dinoaur

Title: Calm Your Roar Like a Dinosaur Series: Standalone Author: Brenda S. Miles; Colleen A. Patterson Illustrator: John Joseph Publish Date: February 4, 2025 Publisher: Magination Press - American Psychological Association Genre: Children’s Fiction Age: 3-6 Started Reading: January 21, 2025 Finished Reading: January 21, 2025 NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Feeling frustrated, frenzied, or full of roar? Calm yourself like a dinosaur!

This book teaches little kids progressive-muscle-relaxation, a mindful self-guiding mediation technique proven to calm and ground the whole mind and body. With its catchy mantra and playful rhyme, Calm Your Roar presents a super fun and playful easy-to-learn skill that benefits dinos of all ages, and guaranteed to turn dinosaurs into relaxosaurs. All dinosaurs have a “roar” inside themselves, from everyday feelings of frustration, anger or stress. Dinos big and small will learn that is OK and progressive-muscle relaxation is a great way to release that roar!

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

If you have a kid who has big feelings and needs some help with how to handle them, especially if they like dinosaurs, this book is a huge resource. I read this to my daughter (5) and as we were going through the motions my son (2) came over and started doing them too. They both love dinosaurs so pretending their body parts were stretching like the dinosaurs' really got them involved. The illustrations were fantastic, both kids enjoyed turning the new page to see which ones were showing up. They both loved the one breathing page where the bird was getting flipped around by the dino's breath. The information at the beginning of the book for parents was great, giving additional tools to help work with the kids while we went through everything. It's a very cute book with an easy to follow pattern to help kids calm their 'roar' and get back on even footing. We read this ebook through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A fun book to help kids learn emotion regulation.

Review: Dinosaur Day

Title: Dinosaur Day Series: Standalone Author: Diana Murray Illustrator: Luke Flowers Publish Date: February 4, 2025 Publisher: Sourcebook Jabberwocky Genre: Children’s Fiction Age: 2-6 Started Reading: February 2, 2025 Finished Reading: February 2, 2025 NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Hooray! Hooray! It's Dino Day! From the best-selling creators of Unicorn Day comes a dino-mite celebration as all sorts of dinosaurs celebrate Dinosaur Day!

On Dinosaur Day, dinosaurs love to stomp and chomp. But they like silly singing, rowdy swimming, and yummy desserts too. All this fun makes the baby dinos want to join, but something unexpected pops up. Will the dinos accept this new addition to keep Dino Day going?

This heartwarming and inclusive story is the perfect companion to the bestselling Unicorn Day and Mermaid Day!

Hooray! Hooray!

It's Dino Day!

The dinosaurs are on their way!

The ground starts shaking-

Here they come!

Thumpa-bumpa,

rum-tum-tum!

The perfect gift if you're looking for:

Dinosaur books for boys and girls ages 4-10
A fun-filled bedtime story
Colorful, beautiful animal stories
Children's books about dinosaurs
Dinosaur gifts for little girls and boys

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

This is an adorable rhyming book about a day the dinosaurs come to play. I read this to both of my kids (5 and 2) and they both enjoyed it, though the 5 year old declared it was more a book for her younger brother at the end. With that said, she did say she thought the lava cake was funny and the duck was a surprise. My 2 year old loves dinosaurs and got up to stomp with them at the beginning. The rhyming is easy to follow, the pictures were cute, and the story was fun. A colourful romp for kids who like dinosaurs. We read this e-book through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A colourful romp for kids who like dinosaurs.

Review: Sketchbook Joy

Title: Sketchbook Joy: How to Embrace Your Creativity and Fill Your Sketchbooks with Colour
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Katie Moody
Illustrator: Katie Moody
Publish Date: Mar 4, 2025
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group – Leaping Hare
Genre: Arts & Photography
Age: 16+
Started Reading: February 21, 2025
Finished Reading: February 24, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Creativity exists in everyone!

Find joy in this inspiring, beautiful and uplifting art instruction book from sketchbook lover, tutor and artist Katie Moody.

Art can be accessible, so much fun and positive for your mental health, mindfulness, and memory. Kickstart your creative journey with this exciting guide to developing your art skills every day through your sketchbook.

Even if you are sparkling brand new to art, Sketchbook Joy’s aspirational prompts will encourage you to unlock your creativity and fill your very own gorgeous sketchbook to cherish.

Learn how to paint through the accessible medium of fun gouache and explore the expressive joy of mixed media by drawing in pastels & pencils.

Be excited by unique examples and ideas from artist Katie Moody’s stunning illustrations, and explore:

• Essential sketchbook supplies and how to use them
• Basic painting and drawing techniques
• Colour theory
• Sketching things around you
• Projects that include botanicals, birds, rural landscapes, urban scenes, and painting from your window (or phone)
• Ideas and way of filling your sketchbook
• Tips for building a creative practice and making time for it – and you

Discover your inner creative, enjoy the process, and sketchbook your way to joyful wellbeing.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

This book is a great one for those who are starting out their art journey. As a beginner I find I often fall to the same pitfalls talked about in this book, wanting perfection, things not going as well as I want or imagine. Katie helps you give yourself permission to just have fun with your art. Going through mediums, inspirations, beginning colour theory, she gives you everything you need to get you started with just making art. The projects at the end help give a starting point, walk you through a new technique, or just a group of ideas to look through if you find yourself stuck for what to sketch. A wonderful resource to help you fill up your sketchbooks. I read this e-book through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A lovely resource for those starting out on their art journey. 

Review: The Journey of Clementine

Title: The Journey of Clementine Series: Standalone Author: Alessandro Montagnana Illustrator: Alessandro Montagnana Publish Date: March 4, 2025 Publisher: NubeOcho Genre: Children's Fiction Age: 4-6 Started Reading: February 24, 2025 Finished Reading: February 26, 2025 NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Barnes & Noble:

Clementine has just been born and doesn't know what or who she is. Is she a star? After all, she has light just like them.

Clementine doesn't know what animal she is, she was just born and there is no one like her around. She meets Cricket and Moth, who explain that she is an insect, but they don't remember which one. She thinks she might be a star because she has light, like the ones they see in the sky.
That very same night, a little girl leaves her house to chase the small lights that illuminate the forest. They will meet and become friends. Will the girl be able to help Clementine understand who she is?

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating:  4 Stars

This is a very sweet little book about a firefly trying to find others like her. My daughter (5) very much enjoyed the drawings, and the characters. Seeing a little girl like her help the firefly made her very happy. She was engaged and followed the emotions through the story, feeling sad when Clementine was sad, and nervous when things got tense. We chatted about her feelings with the story, and she was so happy when the the little girl showed up. For my part I think this book was well written, the story is clear and easy to follow. The illustrations are adorable, and even when a 'scary' moment happens, the illustrations remain on theme. Clementine's journey is a very cute little book, and to some effect, helped my daughter to see bugs as other creatures and not scary things. Definitely one we'll be looking to pick up in hard copy for the bookshelf. We read this digital picture book through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: An adorable little bedtime story.

Review: The Last Petal: A Tale of Dilly Daisy

Title: The Last Petal: A Tale of Dilly Daisy
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Shae Peterson
Illustrator: Ila Taylor Bologni
Publish Date: Feb 15, 2025
Publisher: Journey Publishing
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Age: 2-7
Started Reading: February 9, 2025
Finished Reading: February 9, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Teach Truthfulness to Children through a Magical Story!

Everyone loves Dilly Daisy. She's a beautiful flower in a magical land – her friends call her “Princess of the Daisies!” – but when Dilly’s fibs and gossip cause her sparkle to fade and her petals to fall, Dilly must discover the most magical power of honesty.Will Dilly learn her lesson – and get her magic back – on time for the big Daisy Day festival? Will she win the daisy crown?

Accompanied by bold illustrations, this moving picture book imparts a timeless lesson about the grief that comes from lies and the uplifting power of redemption that comes from telling the truth. This emotional journey will be a cherished bedtime read for kids aged 3 to 7 and up.

From The Last “A real princess shines from inside out,
as steady as can be –
because the secret of flower magic
the truth will set you free!”

Values-based Stories Teaching toddlers and preschoolers the value of “don’t lie” is hard. We can wave our finger and say “no lying” as much as we want but, until these values come to life for the child, it can be hard for truth-telling lessons to hit home. This emotional picture book uses story-telling to create an unforgettable experience that helps kids, through kindergarten and beyond, understand the power of honesty on a deeper level.

Dilly Daisy’s story teaches children that, no matter how dark things get, a happy ending is always possible when you admit your mistakes and tell the truth!

Comes with fun maze-game activity, at the end, to keep kids entertained!

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

A very good book to discuss lying and how they can cause issues. My daughter (5) had a lot of questions about what lying was and what was a simple story and what was a mean one that became a lie. She was very invested in what was going to happen, and we paused the story to discuss consequences (losing a petal vs losing play time), as well as how Dilly Daisy tried to use telling a lie to make someone like her, but it didn't work. The illustrations were very cute, and the book gave a starting point for some very good discussions, however I felt the end of the book wrapped up too quickly. A promise to be better, and the love of Mom got her petals to start growing back, but there was no comment on how it would take work and that a promise needed follow through. These were things that we discussed after the book, but I felt a couple more pages to show Dilly Daisy really trying would have benefitted the story. We read this digital book through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A cute story to teach truthfulness.