I don’t think I can adequately express how much I love this book!!! The Museum is a terrific story that is masterfully illustrated. In the book a little girl goes on a visit to a museum and makes all sorts of wonderful discoveries. She quickly finds that different feelings are evoked by every piece of art she encounters. Ultimately, there is a blank canvas that catches her eye and she knows that it is now her turn to create.
Sky Color is Peter H. Reynold’s latest work and is the third book in his “Creatrilogy” which includes The Dot and Ish. It is a wonderful conclusion to the series and focuses on the creative spirit in each of us. I always appreciate that Reynold’s encourages “out of the box thinking” in his books, and Sky Color does not disappoint. This one is a winner!
Quiet is an outstanding book that explores the culture of extroversion that defines our country and the hidden power within introverts. This book was fascinating and provided a tremendous degree of insight regarding introverts and extroverts. One cannot help but recognize situations which Cain describes from his/her own life experience and no doubt will see them a bit differently after gaining greater understanding from her work. Introvert or extrovert…This one is worth reading!
While this complimentary book was provided for review by Random House, Inc., no other compensation was given. All remarks are my personal and honest opinions.
On a recent visit to the library to pick up a few books we had on hold, All the Awake Animals Are Almost Asleep caught my eye. I threw it in my pile of books to be checked out from the library. When our daughter got home from school, she quickly selected it for the first story to read that afternoon. Although wonderful any time of the day, All the Awake Animals Are Almost Asleep is a marvelous bedtime story. A little boy whose mother is trying to tuck him in for the night is meeting some resistance. Her solution is to share with him how all the awake animals are growing tired and getting ready to sleep. The animals are introduced in alphabetical order so this book is in fact an ABC book, but it is far more sophisticated than most introducing the reader to new vocabulary and excellent examples of alliteration. In addition, the illustrations are stunning and bring the text to life for the reader.
The Cam Jansen series has been a quick favorite for our daughter. She instantly seemed to want to know more about the little girl with the photographic memory, and the stories have not disappointed. This is a great early reader chapter book series which introduces the reader to the genre of mystery and the element of suspense.
Our daughter received the Kirsten book set along with a mini American Girl Kirsten doll this Christmas, and it was love at first sight. She has simply delighted in the fact that her doll has her very own stories and now playtime often includes re-creating Kirsten’s stories in our home. As a parent I appreciate that the books not only introduce our daughter to a historical time period, but they also share stories of a little girl and her family and reinforce the values of hard work, determination, cooperation, and kindness.
Red Knit Cap Girl is a little gem. It a sweet, gentle story about a little girl who lives with her animal friends in a magical forest and wants to talk to the moon. Imagination and the power and wonder of the natural world are presented beautifully to the reader in this tale of discovery.
The illustrations in Red Knit Cap Girl are really lovely and help tell the story. I instantly fell in love with this one as the little girl reminded me of our little nature loving daughter. Although a good read at any time of day, Red Knit Cap Girl would make the perfect bedtime story.
With our daughter’s help, I was able to find lots of wonderful new titles this year. Here is a listing of Once Upon a Storyville’s top ten finds for 2012 – Enjoy!
Mary, Did You Know? is a picture book version of the popular Christmas song with the same name. The illustrations are stunning, and the scriptural references on each page along with song lyrics are a thought provoking combination. This is a new favorite for our family!
Extra Yarn is a fantastic book that features a little girl named Annabelle who is a terrific heroine. Annabelle demonstrates creativity, curiosity, and confidence. She finds a way to transform her dreary town of black and white into a colorful, fun place with just some extra yarn. When an evil archduke comes to town it appears that the magic may end, but things work out as intended when all is said and done.