THE GREAT PET HEIST – Review

LITERCURIOUS BOOK REVIEW

TitleThe Great Pet Heist
Author/IllustratorEmily Ecton / Dave Mottram
PublisherAtheneum Books for Young Readers
(June 2, 2020)
FormatKindle, Hardcover
Pages256
GenreChildren’s Suspense / Thriller / Drama / Spy
Language:English
ISBN 10/131534455361 / 978-1534455368

AUTHOR

Emily writes under two names: Emily Ecton and Emily Fairlie. She grew up in Virginia and owned a variety of pets. She moved to Chicago and became a writer and producer for the National Public Radio (NPR) news quiz. She now lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. To find Emily’s webpages; click here for Ecton, and here for Fairlie.

SYNOPSIS

When Mrs. Food gets injured and must go to the hospital her little band of pets are left to wonder if she will come back. Afraid that they may have to go to a shelter if she is not able to take care of them; they decide that they must take matters into their own hands…or paws.

Will they live in the ducts, or the park, or will they have to support themselves? These are the options they must choose from. Of course, being wealthy has its benefits and so this merry little band decides to conduct a heist. There is someone in the complex with a stash of gold that they will soon acquire.

Oscar– Mynah bird and the brains of the outfit. He speaks a little human. He develops plans and strategies.

Walt – A black cat with cunning and stealth. When not preening himself, he is the backup for Oscar. He also has connections…Chad the Octopus.

Butterbean – Longhaired wiener dog. She is cause of the whole situation they are in. She conducts reconnaissance and information gathering.

Marco and Polo – Rats. They help with reconnaissance and observation.

Chad – Octopus. Great at moving through the apartment complex, opening doors, bottles and windows.

Wallace – Ex-pet rat. Now he lives in the apartment complex duct system. He is the guide.

Madison– Human girl. She is the temporary caretaker of the pets while Mrs. Food is in the hospital.

Mrs. Food– Elderly human. She is the owner of the pets.

Through careful planning and clever strategy, they execute the mission. Not all goes well, though, and poor Madison is kidnapped! Now they have to plan and execute a rescue mission. Will they save Madison? Will they have to go to a shelter? Will they have to live in the ducts or on the streets? You will have to read the book to find out.

CONCLUSION

The Great Pet Heist is beautifully written. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this daring tale. The plot is well constructed. The descriptions of the characters are exciting and detailed. The idiosyncrasies of the individual characters are spot on and humorous.

The illustrations in my copy were black and white, but they were very well drawn. Dave brings to life the characters in vivid detail. I only wish my Kindle was color. His illustrations are wondrous to look at and each one is its own work of art.

This is a great book to read to children. It is full of adventure, intrigue, mystery, danger, and adventure. I highly recommend this book.  

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

SPECIAL MENTION – ILLUSTRATOR

Dave starting drawing as a young child. He drew his first comic strip at the age of ten. He studied Design in college. His first paying design job was with a park creating posters and trail guides. His resume includes Designer, Senior Designer, and Freelance Designer. He is also an accomplished book illustrator. He lives in Ohio and has a daughter who has also taken an interest in drawing. See Dave’s webpage here.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Emily Ecton, NetGalley and Atheneum Books for Young Readers for affording me the opportunity to review The Great Pet Heist.

LITERCURIOUS CHILD FRIENDLY JOKE

Q. How many tickles does it take to make an octopus laugh?

A. Ten-Tickles (tentacles).

OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR

THE RAID – Review

Litercurious Book Review

TitleThe Raid
AuthorSteven Konkoly
PublisherThomas & Mercer (October 8,, 2019)
FormatKindle, Audiobook, Paperback, Hardcover, MP3 CD
Pages / File383 / 3091 KB
LanguageEnglish
GenreThriller, Suspense, Drama
ASINB07NQDDH3S

AUTHOR

Steven Konkoly is a Naval veteran. He attended the US Naval Academy and served eight years on active duty. He earned his degree in English literature. He is a Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and USA Today bestselling author. His chosen genre for his work is thrillers.

SYNOPSIS

The Raid is the second book originally in a trilogy; but on Amazon there is now a fourth book expected May 11, 2021. This book follows a year after The Rescue ended. Ryan, Brad, and Harlow find themselves once again at odds with a paramilitary organization south of the border.

When they go to investigate a suspected child trafficking organization, they stumble across an elaborate scheme to shuttle US military grade weapons into Mexico. What follows is a fuel driven fight for their lives. The Cartels want them dead; the military wants them dead, and the only one they can really trust is Senator Steele. Running for their lives while trying to counter the killing teams sent after them makes for an adrenaline pumping book.

CONCLUSION

The Raid is full of political backstabbing, cruel Cartel murder, a US military organization striving for military dominance and human trafficking. The Raid has everything, and more, a thriller needs to be successful. Steven Konkoly has crafted another masterful book which will keep the reader engaged from beginning to end.

In Tom Clancy style, Steven Konkoly has written a book on equal footing with some of the great thriller authors. This series is very well written. The plot is believable and exhilarating. The author does a great job creating the protagonist, the deuteragonist, the antagonist, and a variety of tertiary characters. The characters are well constructed and fully developed. The plot in conjunction with the characters flows well and guides the reader on an exciting expedition of mystery, murder, treason and much more.

My only complaint would be the ending fell a little flat. After an entire book of excitement and intrigue, the ending was a bit out of context with its origins and characters. However, the ending leaves open for another book with the same antagonist.

I heartily recommend this book to any readers who enjoy spy thrillers.

Click to read my review of The Rescue.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

DOES YOUR DOG SPEAK HEBREW? – Review

LITERCURIOUS BOOK REVIEW

TitleDoes Your Dog Speak Hebrew: A Book of
Animal sounds Series: Very First Board Books
AuthorEllen Bari
IllustratorHolly Clifton-Brown
PublisherKar-Ben Publishing ® (September 1, 2020)
FormatAudiobook, Board Book, Kindle
Time / Pages1:26:00 / 14 Pages
GenreChildren’s Animal book, Children’s Language Book
Language English and Hebrew
ISBN 10/131541560892 / 978-1541560895

AUTHOR

Ellen Bari has created award-winning museum exhibits and programs for clients including The Children’s Museum of Manhattan, Sesame Workshop, PBS, Nickelodeon and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Ellen, a fluent Hebrew speaker, lived in Israel and enjoys writing about a variety of Jewish topics. She lives in New York.

SYNOPSIS

Does Your Dog Speak Hebrew? is the most recent offering from the acclaimed children’s literature author Ellen Bari. This book is meant for parents of very young children who wish to ensure they begin learning Hebrew linguistically as soon as possible. Research supports the proposition that in order to increase the success of learning multiple languages, it is best started as early in a child’s life as possible. As you would anticipate from a book directed towards children 1-4 years of age, the content is purposefully short, simple and repetitive. This is no accident, but is done purposefully in order to hold the child’s attention; and through repetition, improve their retention of the story and thus the nuances of the language.

The narration is clear, concise and delivered in an accurate manner accent free. I would acknowledge the narrator’s name, but I was unable to establish it on this occasion.

I am reviewing the audiobook version, so I am unable to comment on the illustrations; beyond stating that if the front page is anything to go by, the images will be every bit as exciting and interesting as the narration and the dialogue.

CONCLUSION

Does Your Dog Speak Hebrew? is fun for children and parents alike. What better gift to give your child than a better understanding of the world through the languages we speak. I enjoyed it and I am completely confident that you and your children will also.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

SPECIAL MENTION – ILLUSTRATOR

Holly Clifton-Brown was born in London and attended Chelsea School of Art, Media, and Design; and Bristol UWE Faculty of Art, Media and Design, where she attained a B.A. in Illustration. Her work has been exhibited at The London Transport Museum. She is the author and illustrator of Annie Hoot and the Knitting Extravaganza and has illustrated other picture books including Big Bouffant and Big Birthday.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Ellen Bari, NetGalley and Kar-Ben Publishing ® & Lerner Audiobooks for affording me the opportunity to review Does Your Dog Speak Hebrew?

LITERCURIOUS CHILD FRIENDLY JOKE

Q. What goes tick-tock bow-wow, tick-tock bow-wow?

A. A watch dog.

OTHER WORK BY THIS AUTHOR

Jenny loves to jump. But when jumping gets her in trouble, she decides to retire her pogo stick. Then her school decides to hold a fundraising fair, and she discovers that her skill can be used for a good cause.

The Tattered Prayer Book, winner of The Mom’s Choice Award, is a gentle introduction to the Holocaust for children ages 6-10. Ruthie discovers a secret about her father while looking through a box of mementos from “the old country.” As her father tells his surprising story, Ruthie learns a slice of Jewish history and the circumstances under which the family fled Nazi Germany. A burnt prayer book taken in secret from a destroyed synagogue after Kristallnacht offers solace to a young boy at the most difficult time in his life.

SIMILAR CHILDREN’S BOOKS

CANADA – Review

Litercurious Book Review

TitleCanada: Visual Explorer Guide Series
AuthorNorah Myers
Publisher Amber Books
FormatFlexibound
Page224
GenreTravel, Reference, Adventure
LanguageEnglish
ISBN #981782749608

AUTHOR

Norah Myers grew up in Winnipeg and has lived in Toronto and London. Having returned to her hometown, she can most often be found on a Pilates machine.

Biography from Amber Books website.

SYNOPSIS

Canada part of the Amber Books Explorer Guide series is fundamentally a visual atlas; set out in 200 ultra-high definition, color, full-page 6 by 4 inch spread photographs. Whilst diminutive for a book of its kind, Canada would be a perfect book suitable for displaying on your desk or library. It could just as easily be carried in your pocket or bag.

This illustrated gallery encompasses the width and breadth of the nation detailing its vast array of unique environments and wildlife habitats. The visuals include both natural and urban images. Presented in landscape format that provides a superior viewing experience. Each section has a short clearly transcribed description and brief additional historic information about the location of the presented plate to each province and territory.

Canada covers many aspects that make the country an extraordinary place to live or visit. Myers has included information about: the local culture, national history, wildlife, unique culture, and even that most Canadian of foods known as poutine.

CONCLUSION

The exterior visage of Myers illustrated book of Canada was simply breath-taking. It engenders a very real sense of anticipation and a genuine frisson of excitement as the prospective reader.

I found my initial expectations were not entirely met. My initial visceral anticipation that was engendered by the cover quickly became jaded. I expected there would be an abundance of wildlife images, but I was disappointed. Almost 80% of the images were of cities, architecture, bridges, and in one case an image of an apartment buildings post boxes. Whilst I was disappointed, I still adored the wildlife and nature photography. 

I found the nature images together with the written narrative satisfying. I still enjoyed the overall viewing and reading experience. Amber Books are renowned for publications of this kind. They always produce memorable picture books and despite some small distractions, Canada is still a very memorable work. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Norah Myers, NetGalley and Amber Books for affording me the opportunity to review Canada from their Explorer Guide Series.

MORE FROM THE EXPLORER GUIDE SERIES

See more information on the Aber Books Site.

OUR OTHER REVIEWS OF AMBER BOOKS

CATCHING FIREFLIES – Review

Litercurious Book Review

TitleCatching Fireflies
Author(s)Celina & Leo Lagnado
PublisherBooksGoSocial
FormatKindle
Pages24
GenreChildren’s Fiction
LanguageEnglish
ISBN #9781777274207

SYNOPSIS

Catching Fireflies is a children’s fiction publication. It is the debut work of the Lagnado’s. The sole character is a hoarder of beautiful natural things. The story involves Monster as he follows his whim to track down and acquire a selection of insects and objects for his personal collection. He is curious, and acts from a sense of wanting to possess nature.

Once he decides to secure his chosen items, he first gathers together a set of jars in which to display them. Then the hunt is on to discover those things which he finds fascinating. His travels take him from woods, to snow covered fields and to the beach. Eventually Monster has his very own array of nature.

He quickly discovers that nature is best left in its natural habitat and learns a valuable lesson. Nature is best enjoyed out in the open where it is at its best and most beautiful.

CONCLUSION

The character Monster clearly has a love for all things natural and his love is so great he wants to own them. He quickly discovers that nature can’t remain beautiful unless it is allowed to live free.

It is a morality tale for little children and a tool to teach that you can’t have everything you want, and that sometimes it is better to enjoy things without possessing them.

Rating: 2 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Celina & Leo Lagnado, NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for affording me the opportunity to review Catching Fireflies.

LITERCURIOUS CHILD FRIENDLY JOKE

Q. Why was the mother firefly upset with her children?

A. They weren’t very bright.

THOSE WHO WANDER – Review

Litercurious Book Review

SPECIAL MENTION

THOSE WHO WANDER IS CURRENTLY

READ FOR FREE ON KINDLEUNLIMITED

TitleThose Who Wander: America’s Lost Street Kids
AuthorVivian Ho
PublisherLittle A (September 1, 2019)
FormatKindle, Audiobook, Hardcover
Page208
GenreSociology, Crime, Psychology
LanguageEnglish
ASIN #B07J56H9YH

AUTHOR

Vivian Ho is a journalist who covered the criminal justice beat for the San Francisco Chronicle and served on the newspaper’s breaking news team for six years. She was recently selected as a Livingston Awards finalist for her work on “A Life on the Line,” a series of two articles covering the story of San Francisco resident Cecilia Lam, a victim of domestic violence who was killed by her boyfriend in 2014. The same piece also won first place for the 2017 California News Publishers Association Award for In-Depth Reporting, and was awarded the Asian American Journalists Association 2018 Written Journalism Award for General Excellence.


Before she joined The Chronicle in 2011, Vivian reported for the Boston Globe and the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. She has bylines in the Guardian, Topic, San Francisco magazine, the Muse, and Bustle.
A New England native, Vivian graduated from Boston University in 2011.

Vivian Ho biography from Amazon

SYNOPSIS

Those Who Wander is the debut offering from Vivian Ho. The central theme is the brutal double murder committed by homeless kids. Morrison Haze Lampley, Lila Scott Alligood, and Sean Angold murdered twenty-three-year-old Audrey Carey and sixty-seven-year-old Steve Carter. Because of the murders, the homeless, drifters, and runaways of the Bay Area were persecuted by the San Francisco populace.

Vivian takes us on a journey both gritty and disturbing into the life and times of the growing homeless population of children and young adults in modern day America. She delves deep into the homeless subculture and exposes abuse, drug addiction, failed foster care and over tasked child protective services. She exposes the tragic, the good and the bad surrounding the homeless subculture in San Francisco.

CONCLUSION

An Insightful and disturbing examination of the profound challenges, suffering, and implications for society; from the minor and adolescent itinerants roving the streets, unloved and uncared for.

Always honest and brutally frank, Vivian Ho’s account of life for children on the streets in the present day United States is brutal; and the brutality extends beyond the affected children.

The quality of writing alone makes this book worth reading, but combined with the investigative journalism makes this an exceptional monograph. I can say with confidence that I fully expect Vivian Ho to become an esteemed and prolifically successful popular author in the years to come.

Skillful journalism, perfectly paced and combined with a compelling writing style make Those Who Wander an absolute must read. It is infectious from the first pages to the last. I highly recommended this book to anyone who enjoys a well written prose.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

OTHER BOOKS AVAILABLE ON KINDLEUNLIMITED

Don’t forget that Those Who Wander it is read for free for a limited time on KindleUnlimited

A CURIOUS COLLECTION OF PECULIAR CREATURES – Review

Litercurious Book Review

TitleA Curious Collection of Peculiar Creatures:
An Illustrated Encyclopedia
AuthorSami Bayly
PublisherThe Experiment (October 27, 2020)
FormatKindle, Hardcover
Page 128
GenreChildren’s Non-Fiction, Animals, Children’s Zoology
LanguageEnglish
ASIN #B08519BKQL

AUTHOR

Sami Bayly is a natural history illustrator based in Newcastle. She loves all things, weird and wonderful. She finds the beauty and importance of all animals regardless of their appearance, and hopes to share her appreciation with others.

Sami’s first book, The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals, won the Children’s Indie Book of the Year Award. It was shortlisted for the CBCA Eve Pownall Award, the ABIA Book of the Year for Younger Children, and the Australian Book Design Awards. It was longlisted for the ABA Booksellers’ Choice 2020 Book of the Year Awards.

SYNOPSIS

Weird and wonderfully strange creatures are presented on a double page spread per subject. Utilizing an infographic style, the page layout includes a one-page description and a page covering the particulars of each creature; such as: where they live, what they eat, their conservation status and fun facts.

The key illustrations are large, colorful and life-like. In addition, there are pen and ink sketches depicting the creature in focus from different perspectives. There are also infographics depicting an average sized man next to each creature to allow the viewer to establish scale. All of these descriptive annotations are displayed on a velum colored background.

There are 61 examples of curious creatures continued within the 128 pages. What follows are a few examples of the fascinating animals, fish, birds and invertebrates that you can find in Bayly’s enchanting work:

RETICULATED STARGAZER – Dactyloscopus Foraminosus Blanchardi

This diminutive fish is literally nightmare fuel. The Reticulated Stargazer projects a terrifying countenance enhanced by the full page color image. With large eyes protruding from the top if its head as it languishes half-buried in sand and a mouth full of sharp dirty teeth; the thought of an encounter with this mini monster is sobering. At only three inches long, it blends skillfully into the environment. This is quite alarming when you realize that this tiny terror can deliver a shock of 50 volts from between its eyes. If electrocution isn’t bad enough, it can inject you with venom from two spines on its back. If all this were not disgusting enough, the Reticulated Stargazer has the propensity to burp back the scales of it’s last meal.

Consider for a moment that these were the fun facts about this fish.

SARCASTIC FRINGEHEAD – Neoclinus Blanchardi

Looking like an off-world monster with a disarticulated hinged jaw, the Sarcastic Fringehead is a vision from a horror movie. So violent it attacks fishermen, who as a result avoid them like the plague. They enjoy the luxury of having few natural threats, and it is thought that this is partially the reason for their aggression. Fortunately, these omnivores are deep sea fish who consume squid, plankton, crustaceans, and small fish. Their habitat is off the Coast of California and Mexico, 195 feet down in the depths.

TARDIGRADE – Tardigrada

Tardigrade are better known as the Water Bear. They are invertebrates that live three months to two and a half years. However, if they become dormant, they can last as long aa thirty years in stasis. Some are hermaphroditic; also known as intersex, while others can clone themselves. Tardigrade’s can survive in temperature extremes as well as being capable of cryptobiosis. They are cannibalistic and can also use tubes to suck juices from moss, algae, and bacteria. They are survivors and have been around for over 500 million years.

These are just a few of the 61 animals depicted. You might find: The Aye-Aye, the Hairless Chinese Crested Dog, The Blob Fish, The Purple Pig-Nosed Frog or the Naked Mole Rat just as interesting. 

CONCLUSION

A Curious Collection of Peculiar Creatures is a fascinating, entertaining and fun journey through the world of strange, exotic and captivating animals. It is packed full of interesting knowledge about the private lives of the most bizarre wildlife. A perfect excursion for children wanting to discover the fringe world of fantastic and unique critters.

In my opinion children would enjoy this publication. It is containing scientifically based information set in easy digestible chunks for young, hungry minds. I feel assured that A Curious Collection of Peculiar Creatures would stimulate and entertain but more importantly that it will encourage further research. When learning is fun children are driven to want to learn more and this is the true strength of Bayly’s scintillating work. It is simply a joy to the eye and the mind equally.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Sami Bayly, NetGalley and The Experiment for affording me the opportunity to review A Curious Collection of Peculiar Creatures.

LITERCURIOUS CHILD FRIENDLY JOKE

Q: What do sea monsters eat?

A: Fish and ships.

OTHER WORK BY THIS AUTHOR

ELEPHANTS – Review

Litercurious Book Reviews

TitleElephant: Stunning Photographs of the World’s
Biggest Land Mammals
AuthorTom Jackson
PublisherAmber Books
FormatHardcover
GenreNature, Science, Reference
Pages 224 Pages / 175 photos
LanguageEnglish
ISBN #9781782749660

AUTHOR

Tom Jackson is a leading natural history writer based in the United Kingdom. As an author and contributor he has worked on more than 60 books. A zoology graduate from the University of Bristol, he has also worked as a zookeeper and in safari parks in Zimbabwe.

SYNOPSIS

Tom Jackson is the author of Elephants. He created a bright, bold and resplendently illustrated gallery of the species Elephas Maximus. His work is a snap-shot of the worlds largest land mammal. It is bristling with a huge array of simply beguiling, double and single full page spreads. The photographs are full color, ultrahigh definition of the African and Indian Elephants in their natural habitats. Among the images are pictures of the animals at the various stages of maturation. Bulls, cows, and calfs are depicted alone and in family groups and herds.

The stunning photographs are accompanied by short informative passages relating to the photograph and the elephants. There are some interesting factoids scattered throughout the book in bite sized pieces for your entertainment. You can expect to increase your knowledge of the species and the subspecies; from the African bush Elephants to the Asian pygmy variety. You will learn how the elephants reproduce, feed, hunt, rear their calfs and defend their herds.

CONCLUSION

Elephants, by Tom Jackson is a breath taking collection of the very best nature photography you will see. The images have managed to capture the very soul of the animal. I found it profoundly touching knowing that they face such serious threats from poachers, who hunt them for their ivory.

Jackson managed to infect me with his passion for this subject. His work is thought provoking and challenging at times. He clearly has a great respect for these most majestic of all land animals. He is very concerned about their future. His short annotations compliment completely the 175 vivid images.

Although the concept of the book is simply delivered, the profundity of the contents will continue to fill your dreams long after you have closed the book.

My favorite images in the book were of the calfs. They have to be seen to be believed. They are so touching, as to warm even the coldest heart. They are the very definition of adorable.

SPECIAL MENTION

Amber Books are the monarchs of nature photography publications. Elephants, by Tom Jackson is another stupendous offering from this esteemed publishing house. Quality comes as standard with Amber Books and they always produce a superior product. So it was no surprise to me, having reviewed several of their earlier publications, that Elephants continues their sterling work.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Tom Jackson, NetGalley and Amber Books for affording me the opportunity to review Elephants.

OTHER WORK BY THIS AUTHOR

HORSES – Review

Litercurious Book Review

TitleHorses
AuthorPaula Hammond
PublisherAmber Books (September 1, 2020)
FormatHardcover
Pages224
GenreEquine
LanguageEnglish
ISBN 10/131838860177 / 978-1838860172

AUTHOR

Paula Hammond is a prolific writer with an extensive catalogue of successful publications. Her catalogue includes an extensive range of subjects and topics. Her central recurring themes are nature and science; they are her passion.

Hammond began her career as an editor. Since then she has worked as a publisher, educational consultant, copy-writer, ghost-writer, author, and journalist. To date, Paula has written over 50 fiction and non-fiction books for publishers such as Harper Collins, Marshall Cavendish, Scholastic, and World Book. She also writes regular columns and features for a variety of news-stand magazines and journals.

SYNOPSIS

Horses is 224 pages of sheer pleasurable reading for those who appreciate the equine species. Inside this exquisitely illustrated catalogue you will find a myriad of horse breeds. No horse was left behind in this testament to the animal and its noble continence. Most breeds are included from the Appaloosa and the Palomino, to the Konik and the Potok. Horses is a celebration of the many types of equine to be found globally.

Hammond presents a detailed record of the lifecycle of the horse from foal all the way to adulthood. She explains the different terms used to describe young horses such as a foal, a filly, and a colt. She goes on to explain to the reader the different terms for adult horses such as mare, gelding, and stallion. She further explains the unique differences between classifying the animals as horses, ponies, or miniature horses. The author references the different colors used to describe horses such as buckskin, chestnut, roan, paint, and many others. Equine care is also covered. It includes general care, grooming, and related welfare considerations. She includes anatomical illustrations of the animal for greater understanding.

Horses gives a brief description of individual breeds with their specific differences. It describes the anatomy of the horse from its frog to its flank, from its nose to its tail. The book details the duties best suited for each breed; from draft horse to show horses. There are numerous pictures of horses in their individual occupations: show horses, draft horses, ceremonial horses, steeple chase, polo, racing, and many more. Hammond also dedicates a brief portion of the book to the few remaining wild horse herds around the globe.

Hammond includes the history of some of the breeds. She gives a historic perspective on the link between humanity and the species. This includes the past and present-day domestication of equines internationally. She explains how selective breeding is applied in-order-to produce breeds with characteristics that are-seen-as valuable.

The photographs are full, double, and half page spreads of the highest quality, definition, and color. Horses is truly a thing of beauty and will be a joy forever in your collection of equine related literature.

CONCLUSION

Overall, a very nice book. I was ecstatic to be given the opportunity to read and review another of Paula Hammond’s nature-based publications. I recently read and reviewed her Tigers book. You can see that review here. You may also find our review of Beautiful Horses, by Liz Wright you can see it here.

Horses, by Paula Hammond is a stunningly illustrated, beautifully narrated and skillfully written work. Containing 200 high definition, highly colored, rich, photographs that paint an evocative image of the species. So powerful in fact, that you can almost smell the leather, sweat, and soil that is so familiar to horse lovers everywhere.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Paula Hammond, NetGalley and Amber Books for affording me the opportunity to review Horses.

OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR

THE AUTHOR’S CHECKLIST – Review

Litercurious Book Review

TitleThe Author’s Checklist: An Agents Guide to
Developing and Editing Your Manuscript
AuthorElizabeth K. Kracht
PublisherNew World Library (Febuary 4, 2020)
FormatKindle, Paperback, Audiobook
GenreAuthorship, Non-fiction Writing reference,
Fiction Writing Reference
Pages240
LanguageEnglish
ASIN #B083TPCNSF

AUTHOR

Elizabeth K. Kracht, is the writer of The Author’s Checklist. She is currently a literary agent with Kimberly Cameron & Associates and she is a freelance editor. You can read more about her here.

SYNOPSIS

The Author’s Checklist is Elizabeth’s Kracht’s debut publication. It is a monograph on the subject of improving your success when approaching an agent with your precious draft. The purpose is to help you increase the likely-hood of your work being accepted by avoiding the most common pitfalls.

The Author’s Checklist is meant to be utilized as a reference for aspiring writers wishing to become published authors through the traditional publishing route. 

The book’s format is purposefully set out in an alphabetic manner in order to allow users to skip through to the most important sections for the end-user. I found it to be eminently practical as a reference and I am confident that a new or unpublished author would find it an intensive course of what not to do. The sections have a checklist with practical suggestions to enhance your writing. The Conclusion and associated Appendix A and B contain: Query Letter and Synopsis Examples.

The fact that Kracht has a long history of experience both as a literary agent and a freelance editor instills confidence in her valuable opinions. It is a handy and helpful guide for all those looking for professional advice on the many aspects of getting published.

CONCLUSION

The Author’s Checklist is clear, concise and would be a valuable addition to any prospective author’s library. It sensibly delivered, and has practical guidance for novice author’s taking their first steps into the world of traditional publishing.

I would have liked greater elaboration in some sections, but the limited length may have influenced the verbosity of the finished work.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Elizabeth K. Kracht, NetGalley, and New World Library for affording me the opportunity to review The Author’s Checklist: An Agents Guide to Developing and Editing Your Manuscript.

OTHER WORK BY THIS AUTHOR