Month: August 2019

This is a beautiful book.  It tells the story of a Hmong family.  They have emigrated to the U.S. and are living in a new community.  This book follows the daughter of the family over many months.  During this time, she gets to meet her elderly neighbors, welcomes twin brothers, spends time outdoors, watches the seasons change and offers comfort to an older man in a time of loss.  I think that readers will be touched as they learn about and see the map into the world.  This book is lyrically, charmingly and beautifully illustrated.  The author and illustrator seem to have worked together seamlessly.  All in all, a wonderful book.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this touching book.  All opinions are my own.

Of note is that the book is about a Hmong family.  This group emigrated to the U.S. after the Vietnamese War.  I highly recommend the book for adults The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down.  My earlier review is below:

I am reading this nonfiction title for an undergraduate class, Religion and Healing. This book offers a profound look at the culture, practices and beliefs of the Hmong people and how these clash with Western medicine when the Lee’s daughter, Lia, is found to have epilepsy (in Hmong culture, the title of the book is the Hmong word for this condition.) This book is enlightening and heartbreaking. In our current political climate, it offers a poignant reminder of the importance of learning about other’s belief systems without judging. Recommended for all readers but especially for those in the “helping” professions.

This book is the latest in a wonderful series for young children. In each nicely illustrated entry, is a story about a famous person, while at the end of each, there is a more detailed time line and photos. Each book shows the child that there is a world awaiting them that is full of possibility and that dreams matter. This book on Nureyev is no exception!

Readers will learn about how Rudolf fell in love with dance from the first time that he saw a ballet. Due to poverty and lack of resources, he was seventeen when he was accepted to ballet school. Young readers will find out about the ways in which Rudolf wanted to do things differently, his defection from Russia and the amazing, high leaping dancer that he was. Mention is also made of how there should not be particular dreams for girls or boys but dreams for everyone.

This book is a welcome addition to the series. Celebrate dance as you learn about Nureyev. Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto for this read in exchange for an honest review.

In the freezing north of Russia lived a little boy, named Rudolf. He preferred to spend hours alone inventing dance steps, than playing hockey with the rest of the children.

Rudolph danced for years with the famous Margot Fonteyn, and showed the world that it doesn’t matter who the danseur or ballerina is – great dancers simply deserve equal credit.

Little Rudolf showed the world that there are not ‘things for girls’ nor ‘things for boys’. Only things that you love doing with your whole heart.

The Nancy (and Sluggo) cartoons are classics.  I don’t recall when the first comic strip was published but I know that it was many years ago.  Olivia Jaimes more recently took over at the Nancy desk.  What a good choice she was!  The comic strips in this book are modern, relevant, cheeky and yet still feel like the Nancy that readers may remember of old.  If you are looking for a smile of recognition and a bit of relaxation, get this book.  You will grin as you read about everything from cell phones to computers to school to…life.  Enjoy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.  I know that I will be leafing through it many times.

Donna Leon again!  Read her for Italy, food and family along with the mystery.

Again, lots of choice.  Historical fiction, mysteries and a classic in How Green Was My Valley.

This is a story about a painting and who made it. Three young girls both claim credit and deny making this masterpiece, as an off stage voice questions them. I honestly found this book to be confusing. I thought that the story was written to encourage children to both take credit for both the positive things that they do along with taking responsibility for the things that they may wish that they had not. I felt though that there was no resolution. If I was confused, will children be as well or am I missing something? Please let me know if you read this book. I like the idea and the illustrations are good but the intent was not clear in my view.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.

This board book is designed to help children prepare for a check up. I found it to be fairly sophisticated for the young readers it targets. There is a lot of information in the book and this includes some medical terminology. Sphygmomanometer seems like an impressive word for a toddler and pre-schooler’s book. Read with a parent, this book can certainly help a child to know more about their body, what happens at a check up and why things like vaccines are given.

The illustrations that accompany the text are appealing. I especially love all of the eyes that are featured on these pages.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book that I have read in this non-fiction series.  It is every bit as informative as the books I read on the Vikings and Ancient Romans.

This entry will intrigue children who are interested in weather and climate.  They will learn the difference between those two terms and will also learn about biomes and more.  In each section, the reader my find either a quick fact, a project or both.  Learn what causes rain.  Understand what clouds are made of.  Find out what makes a rainbow.  There is all this and more.

I especially enjoyed the illustrations in this book.  When the weather is stormy, the pages are dark.  They are lighter for better days.

There is a section about climate change and suggestions about things that kids can do to help.  While not alarmist, this part of the book is helpful and realistic.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

So much summer reading!  Enjoy!

https://nyti.ms/2YlnndL