Tag: children’s book

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Seasonal Children’s book reviews- Little Orange Pumpkin and The Pumpkin Seed’s Secret

40 pages ages 4-8 Sourcebooks Wonderland publisher August 6, 2024 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

On a magical night filled with frights, one little pumpkin gets a bigger scare and has a bigger adventure than she bargained for!

Little Orange Pumpkin has been waiting all year for Halloween night to come! She has big plans to collect lots of candy and find all the spooky, scary things in her neighborhood, and she is going to do it all by herself, no matter what her Mommy and Daddy say. Deep in her heart, she believes she is ready, but when Little Pumpkin slips into a magical, spooky world full of monsters, she realizes that maybe she doesn’t want to be a big pumpkin just yet! This Halloween, she just might learn you’re never alone when you have family who love you.

Little Orange Pumpkin is a heartwarming story you’ll want to read again and again. Full of imagination and Halloween adventure, this story will remind you there’s nothing like home to feel safe and loved.

MY THOUGHTS

Little Orange Pumpkin is so excited to go out exploring on Halloween night and thinks she’s ready to do so by herself. Candy, exciting sights and sounds, it’s all waiting for Little Orange Pumpkin. Charmingly illustrated and worded this will delight children as they read this Halloween tale with their parents. A nice little lesson for children about the importance of following the rules to ensure safety.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

40 pages 4-8 years Sourcebooks Explore July 2, 2024 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

A pumpkin life cycle book with hominess and heart!

In this rhyming picture book about the life cycle of a pumpkin, a pumpkin becomes something new with each turn of the page, from a flower to a house to a face. Extensive back matter on the pumpkin life cycle, fun pumpkin facts, and a pumpkin seed recipe are included. A perfect book for both home and school libraries. An excellent gift for Halloween or any time of year!

A pumpkin is a seed.

A plain little seed with a secret inside,

A pocket, a pip with a new life to hide.

To hide and to hold

As springtime unfolds,

A pumpkin begins as a seed.

A pumpkin is a sprout.

A curious sprout with one leaf and then two,

A budding, a nudging, a slow peekaboo.

Happy for rain

And sunshine again,

A pumpkin pops out as a sprout.

MY THOUGHTS

The little pumpkin seed has a big secret this Spring. With the rain gently falling on it, it starts out with just one leaf then two appear. As the sun shines and the vines start tangling around things it becomes lush and green, reaching up towards the sky. Summer appears and so do the orangey yellowish flowers which turn into small fruits visited by bees. Autumn comes around to visit us and the fruits have swollen into beautiful globes of orange pumpkins shielded by the thick pumpkin vines which have been silently creeping and twining upon everything. The pumpkins are now ready to pick for decorating your house or for consumption in your Autumn dishes. Fully illustrated with beautiful pictures children will fully appreciate showing the life stages of the pumpkin.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Have a wonderful day. Thank you for stopping in. –

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Midnight at the Shelter -A middle school read

304 pages grade level 3-7 Quill Tree Books publisher Nov 1,2022 publish date

ABOUT THE BOOK

Written with a distinctively doggy voice, great humor, and plenty of heart, this novel from acclaimed author Nanci Turner Steveson is a perfect pick for readers looking for a touching animal story in the vein of Because of Winn-Dixie or Marley & Me.

Rescue dog MahDi is happy helping his human partner, “MomDoc,” with the important work at her vet clinic and the local animal shelter. The two of them make a good team, caring for the town’s pets and matchmaking rescue animals with the families who need them.

When the shelter is suddenly down a staff member, the animals have to deal with a new caretaker: Huck, an unpleasant man who seems to have no problem threatening the animals he’s supposed to care for. As more dogs crowd into the shelter than are going to new homes, MahDi begins to worry that if MomDoc isn’t around, there is no telling what Huck might do.

With three perfectly good legs, the heart of a true leader, and his pack mates by his side, MahDi is willing to risk everything to save his shelter-friends from an uncertain future.

MY THOUGHTS

Midnight at the shelter has a distinctive doggy voice. This is a middle school age chapter book. Told from the voice of our main character a dog. The dog is owned by a vet and before this the three-legged dog had not had a good life.

A town stray, he was captured along with his other doggy friends and thrown in a truck, the truck is in an accident, and he is the only survivor but loses a leg in the process. The vet who cares for him adopts him. The vet gives medical care to the animals in the shelter so they can be adopted.

The dog tells the story of some of the animals in the shelter waiting to be adopted. The book is really hard to read as it describes the depression the animals have for being at the shelter for so long and the abuse and neglect, they have had before they came to the shelter.

Though it’s sad it’s also realistic and this is why I think it’s a good thing for children to read. Maybe after reading this, children will think not to abuse an animal because they have feelings too and animals not being treated right have long term consequences from abuse and neglect sometimes to never recover.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nanci Turner Steveson grew up with a book in one hand, the reins of a pony in the other. She wrote her first “novel” at age nine about a wild horse named Liberty. Nanci is a member of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and is on the Board of Directors of the Jackson Hole Writers Conference. She is a theatre stage manager, Teen Creative Writing Instructor at the Teton County Library, and reading fairy to book hungry children. The mother of two grown sons, Nanci lives in a historic meadow cabin in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with assorted horses and dogs. She is dedicated to getting books into the hands of the homeless through her Literacy for Hope Project. Nanci is represented by Al Zuckerman, the founder of Writers House, LLC, and can also be reached through her web site at http://www.nanciturnersteveson.com

Thank you for stopping in and have a wonderful weekend.

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Pocket Peaches by Dora Wang a children’s beautifully illustrated graphic novel releasing 26 September.

80 pages reading age 6-10 years grades 1-4 Andrews McMeet publishing 26 September 2023 publish date Pre-order here

ABOUT THE BOOK

There’s a mysterious new cat, Taro, in Peaches’s neighborhood, and Peaches wants to be her friend!​Pocket Peaches is an adorable, colorful graphic novel that is a perfect cozy tale with heartwarming laugh-out-loud moments.

Peaches and her pals Mango and Pogi all live in a cozy town called Pocketon. When a new cat, Taro, moves in, Peaches is on a mission to befriend her. The only thing is, Taro loves all things spooky and Peaches does not. Can Peaches find a way to become friends despite their differences?

Join Peaches and pals as they navigate friendships, debate over the perfect amount of frosting, and learn the value of being yourself. This full-color graphic novel is great for young readers beginning their graphic novel journey and graphic novel enthusiasts alike. It also features a Dyslexia-friendly font.

MY THOUGHTS

I don’t really read many graphic novels but when I saw this one, I simply couldn’t resist.

Peaches is a sweet little rabbit who has plenty of friends but feels bad for the new kid (cat) in town.

This is a compassionate lesson for children. Though someone may be different than you, it’s okay to be different after all that’s what makes us interesting and teaches others to find a common interest with you.

Peaches sees the cat as different but yet tries so hard to be friends with her through a shared interest but almost messes things up royally. The cat though seeming at first to be indifferent to Peach’s friendship attempts is impressed because no one has ever made such an effort to be her friend.


The book shows you don’t have to pretend to be a certain way just to impress someone, just be yourself and friendships will come naturally.

Of course, like in the story it doesn’t hurt to have frosted cupcakes and popcorn on hand while making these friendships.


Very sweet drawings in soothing colors are perfect for helping little ones relax before bedtime.

Pub Date 26 Sep 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dora Wang is a life-long doodler and writer. She is the creator of the graphic novel series, Pocket Peaches, based on her comics which can be found on Instagram @pocket.peaches.

Her favorite stories to tell are the ones that are a bit silly and sweet.

When not drawing or writing, she’s probably searching for a café to sketch in with a nice cup of matcha.

To see her art, visit http://www.dora-wang.com.

Thank you for stopping by and always remember compassion counts!

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The Sunflowers Babushka Planted by Beatrice Rendon. Illustrated Children’s book.

32 pages ages 5-9 Capstone Editions Jan 1,2024 publish date grades K-3

About The Book

“When Tania was six years old, she and her parents fled Ukraine during World War II. For years they were refugees in Europe, displaced and without permanent residence. Finally, they found safe housing in a refugee camp, but what about home? Day by day, they stitched together new lives, but it wasn’t until a memory of Tania’s babushka and her beloved sunflowers that the family at last began to rebuild a sense of home.

This true account about debut author Beatrice Rendón’s grandmother offers a universal story of hope for refugees around the world.”

MY THOUGHTS

Based on the author’s family history from many years ago.
A young girl named Tania lives a simple life with her parents who live with her grandmother.

Their home is in Ukraine. When a war starts in Ukraine Tania becomes a refugee fleeing Ukraine with her parents for their families’ safety. Grandmother, too elderly to travel stays behind.

Wandering through Europe for years as displaced people during WWII, they wondered if they’d ever be able to go back to their country.

Sad but realistic we get a child’s eye view of the war with her thoughts. We see just how fragile and scary life can be for its youngest members.

For comfort Tania thinks about the sunflowers her grandmother has planted for beauty, Ukraine’s national flower.

Well executed story showing the fragility and uncertainty of times for children. This child was well loved and felt secure with her parents and was able to return to a normal life after the war. Beautifully illustrated which adds to the validity of the story.

Pub Date 01 Jan 2024
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR

About the Author 

Beatrice Rendón was born and raised in the Midwest. She grew up hearing her family’s stories and how their resourcefulness and resilience helped them survive. She is a former classroom teacher and a lifelong lover of children’s literature. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and their cat. This is her first book.

About the Illustrator

Originally from Poland, Olga Baumert studied fine art and jewelry-making before moving to the UK and earning a degree in graphic design and illustration from De Montfort University. Her art is inspired by great stories, interactions between people and nature, and open landscapes—especially ones with tiny figures hiding in them. Olga lives in Leicestershire, England, where she uses a mix of traditional techniques, including gouache, watercolor, acrylics, and colored pencils, to make her art.

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