Ribbit – Rodrigo Folgueira

Ribbit is an amazing book about friendship.  When the frogs find a pink pig in their pond who responds to their questions with a “Ribbit!” they are concerned that he may be confused or may be trying to make fun of them.  Before long the curious incident attracts the attention of the other animals, and they gather at the pond.  After much discussion, they decide they must get some insight about the situation from the “Wise Beetle” who proves to all that  he really is wise.

The Matchbox Diary – Paul Fleischman

A little girl spends the afternoon getting to know her great-grandfather better by exploring a cigar box filled with matchboxes.  Lovingly, the great-grandfather lets the little girl select different matchboxes, and he proceeds to share the significance of each item they find within them.  The stories shared take us from the journey he took from Italy to America and his first years here.  This one is a gem!

The Great Lollipop Caper – Dan Krall

This caper is laugh out loud funny for children and adults.  It seems that Mr. Caper is rather jealous of Lollipop.  Due to his sour, acidic taste, Mr. Caper is only appreciated by adults rather than children which he wants to change.  He hatches a plan to become the most loved flavor of all by creating caper flavored lollipops which fails and ultimately creates a situation in which everyone dislikes capers including the adults.  In the end, sweet little lollipop helps turn things around and assists Mr. Caper in seeing the rewards of being himself.

 

I’ve Got Your Back: Biblical Principles for Leading and Following Well – James C. Galvin

I’ve Got Your Back: Biblical Principles for Leading and Following Well is a great little book.  It is divided into two parts.  The first section is a leadership parable that follows a group of people who are trying to discover what it means to be a good leader.  The second portion of the book explores the theology behind that story.  Galvin does a great job explaining Biblical leadership and exploring it in action.  This book is a quick read, and whether you are more of a leader or more of a follower,  the content can be easily applied to everyday life.

While this complimentary book was provided for review by Handlebar Marketing, no other compensation was given.  All remarks are my personal and honest opinions.

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin – Jen Bryant

This picture book biography of Horace Pippin shares his love of art and the many challenges he faced.  Most notably, Horace was seriously injured in World War I and was no longer able to lift up his right arm.  With time and determination, he taught himself how to draw again by holding his right hand up with his left and subsequently built up enough strength to pursue his art using this method.  This book provides a wonderful starting point for discussion about over coming adversity.

 

The Passionate Mom: Dare to Parent in Today’s World – Susan Merrill

I enjoy Susan Merrill’s writing from iMom so I was looking forward to reading The Passionate Mom: Dare to Parent in Today’s World.  This book was even better than I had hoped.  Susan has used the book of Nehemiah as a guide to parenting and provides parallels throughout her text.  The focus of this book is to provide encouragement to mothers as well as to provide a practical, biblically based plan to further development and growth.  This one is a winner!

While this complimentary book was provided for review by Thomas Nelson Publishing, no other compensation was given.  All remarks are my personal and honest opinions.

Prince Cinders – Babette Cole

Prince Cinders is a fun retelling of the classic fairy tale Cinderella.  This time the story revolves around a prince who has to stay home and take care of the cleaning while his brothers go out on the town.  There is a fairy in this version as well.  It seems her magical ways are not as developed as one might hope, but in the end Prince Cinders and Princess Lovelypenny live happily ever after.

The Absent Author (A to Z Mysteries) – Ron Roy

It seems I am on a continual hunt for chapter books that are at the right reading level and are also age appropriate for our daughter.  She is going into first grade and loves to read.  The Magic Tree House Series as well as the Cam Jansen Series have been big hits so I was excited to find another mystery series for her.  A to Z Mysteries features three children who serve as accidental detectives.  The books are engaging for our daughter, and she is very eager to read more of them.  As a mom, I like the fact that the children in the story are problem solvers.  I also love that the female character Ruth Rose loves to wear pink but also has strong observation skills and is a thinker.  This series is an exciting find!