Tag Archives: Bed Time story

book review, Fiction

STELLA ENDICOTT AND THE ANYTHING-IS-POSSIBLE POEM – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleStella Endicott and the
Anything-Is-Possible Poem
Author/IllustratorKate DiCamillo / Chris Van Dusen
PublisherCandlewick Press (June 2020)
FormatKindle, Audiobook, Hardcover
Pages96
LanguageEnglish
ASINB07ZRCKGC6

AUTHOR

Katrina Elizabeth DiCamillo is an accomplished author and is known for her fictional children’s books. She is one of six people to win the Newberry Medal twice. She was appointed the U.S. National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress for the term 2014 and 2015. She writes novels, chapter books, picture books and short stories. Several of her stories have been made into motion pictures. You can visit Kate’s website here.

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem is written for children 5-10 years old.  

SYNOPSIS

Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem is the story of a young second grader and her antagonist Horace. Stella is an imaginative young girl who likes to fantasize about wizards and castles. Horace is the obnoxious know-it-all that every class has. The two are at ends on most things, but everything unravels when they start arguing in class.

The two get sent to the Principles office but Horace runs off. Stella gives chase and then things go really bad. They have to bind together and provide each other comfort to escape their ordeal.

CONCLUSION

Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem is a very good book. It provides education and storytelling all in one. The characters are well crafted and believable. The plot is suspenseful and intellectual. The prose is age appropriate and easily to follow. There is the heroine and the antagonist and circumstance forces them to work together. The end of story lesson is relevant and educational.

The illustrations in this pre-release are not the final press release pictures. That said, they are splendid. Chris is an excellent artist and his characters are beautifully rendered. If the final release is anything like the cover, then this will be a delightfully colored picturesque book. I do love the pig and “balloon head Horace.”

Overall, Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem is an excellent book. Children will absolutely love this story and its characters. When the final release is complete, I have no doubt that the illustrations will only add to the appeal of this little gem.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

SPECIAL MENTION – ILLISTRATOR

Chris Van Dusen is an accomplished author and illustrator. He started drawing when he was a child living in Portland, Maine. Back then he loved drawing aliens, monsters and robots. He attended the University of Massachusetts where he earned a BFA in 1982. He did a few odd jobs after graduation but finally started freelance drawing cartoons and illustrations for magazines. He published his first book in 2000. If you would like to learn more about Chris, you can find his website here, and you can watch his drawing tutorials here or catch him on Facebook here.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Kate DiCamillo and Candlewick Press for affording me the opportunity to review Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem.

LITERCURIOUS CHILD FRIENDLY JOKE

Q. Do you know why Humpty Dumpty likes Autumn so much?

A. He had a great fall.

OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR

book review, fantasy, Fiction

THE TOOTH QUEEN – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleThe Tooth Queen
AuthorNeil A. Ewart
PublisherOlympia Publishers (26 Mar. 2020)
FormatKindle, Paperback
Pages23
LanguageEnglish
ISBN 10/131788304055 / 978-1788304054

AUTHOR

Find out about Neil A. Ewart on his publishers web-site here.

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

The Tooth Queen is written for children 5-7 years old.  

SYNOPSIS

The Tooth Queen is a very short children’s story. It relates the trials and tribulations of the Tooth Fairy and her work for the “evil tooth queen.”

It explains in a magical way, why it’s important not to have tooth decay.

CONCLUSION

This book is very well scripted and flows nicely. It is written in a rhyming prose, and the illustrations are both colorful and vibrant. Neil uses his story telling not merely to entertain but to educate. In this case he is advocating proper tooth care in a way that young children will easily understand.

I especially liked the picture puzzle. I had to go back through the book to find all of the pictures, which was very entertaining. Children will absolutely love this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Neil A. Ewart and Olympia Publishers for affording me the opportunity to review The Tooth Queen.

LITERCURIOUS CHILD FRIENDLY JOKE

Q. What does the Tooth Fairy use to fix a broken wand?

A.  Why tooth paste, of course.

book review, Fiction

PETER AND THE DWARF PLANETS – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

TitlePeter and the Dwarf Planets
Author/IllustratorStephen J. Alexander / Laura Coppolaro
PublisherOlympia Publishers (August 30, 2018)
FormatKindle, Paperback
Pages26
Language:English
ISBN 10/131788301412 / 978-1788301411

AUTHOR

Stephen J. Alexander is an educator and author. You can learn more about this author here, visit his Facebook page here or see him on twitter @DwarfPlanets5.

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

Peter and the Dwarf Planets is written for children 5-11 years old.  

SYNOPSIS

Peter and the Dwarf Planets is a bedtime story for children. It relates the adventures of a father and his son, Peter, exploring the solar system.  The father, Daddy, is speaking with Peter about the different planets when the subject of dwarf planets comes up. As Peter starts to drift off to sleep, he imagines a great space adventure with Daddy. They travel together checking out all of the planets on their way out to Pluto.

CONCLUSION

Peter and the Dwarf Planets is a very short book. The story starts in a rhyming fashion, losses it for a couple of pages in the middle, and then rhymes to the end. The flow is easy and great for small children. It teaches kids about planets, dwarf planets, and our solar system while entertaining them.

The illustrations by Laura Coppolaro are very nice. They are colorful, fun, and appealing. They make the book a joy to look at while reading. A child can use their imagination while viewing the pictures and reading/hearing the story.

Overall, this book is a joy to read. Anyone will love sharing this story with their young children at bedtime. I only wish it were a little longer. I can’t wait to see what Peter and Daddy get up to next.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

SPECIAL MENTION – ILLUSTRATOR

Laura Coppolaro is a professional illustrator. You can find her on Facebook here or if you have need of her skills, you can contact her here. Her LinkedIn page is located here.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Stephen J. Alexander and Olympia Publishers for affording me the opportunity to review Peter and the Dwarf Planets.

LITERCURIOUS CHILD FRIENDLY JOKE

Q. Why don’t bears wear shoes?

A. Because they have bear feet.