{Review} The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

Page count: 128

Publisher: Ebury Press

Published on: October 10. 2019

Genres: Children's graphic novel, philosophy, fiction, art

Format: physically borrowed from library

[Purchase Here]

Rating: 5/5 ✨ 

Synopsis:

Enter the world of Charlie's four unlikely friends, discover their story and their most important life lessons. The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse have been shared millions of times online - perhaps you've seen them? They've also been recreated by children in schools and hung on hospital walls. They sometimes even appear on lamp posts and on cafe and bookshop windows. Perhaps you saw the boy and mole on the Comic Relief T-shirt, Love Wins?

Here, you will find them together in this book of Charlie's most-loved drawings, adventuring into the Wild and exploring the thoughts and feelings that unite us all.

Review:

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“Kind.”

This was just excellent. Absolutely excellent. 

This book was so emotional. I'm filled with so much relief and hope and love for the people around me. This book is a book of friendship and unconditional love. It's about finding your family -- not those that are bound by blood to love you, but it's about the people you meet along the way -- the people that love you for who you are in that moment and love you as you grow and change into the person you want to be. 

I loved this little book. I don't think anyone should go a day of their life not knowing about the lonely little boy, the sweet little mole, the fox who is wary to trust, and the horse who is healing in his own way. 

Thank you Brenna (@bookish.brenna) for encouraging me to read this! 

Happy reading, friends!

Olivia

Liv the Book Nerd

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{Review} Roar Like A Dandelion by Ruth Krauss and Sergio Ruzzier

Page Count: 48

Published On: October 1, 2019

Published By: Harper Collins

Genre(s): Children's, Picture, Early Learning

Source: Finished copy provided by the publisher
Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

From Ruth Krauss, the children’s book author of The Carrot Seed and A Hole Is to Dig, comes this never-before-published ABC book of one-liners—brought to life by artist Sergio Ruzzier.

Dance with a leaf.

Jump like a raindrop.

Sit in the sun and shine.

~~~

Hey, guys!

This book was sent to me by the publisher for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not financially compensated for this review.

This was a really quirky and lovely book for early readers. I really enjoyed the art style, the clever one-liners for each letter, and the many engaging qualities fo the little characters.

This is definitely going to be a favorite of the little babies and 1-5 aged kiddos. They are going to love to make the sounds and sound out the words. It's simple enough to challenge early readers, engage the non-reading readers, and inspire kids to continue to read.

Bravo Krauss and Ruzzier!

Happy reading!

Olivia

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{Review} The Chupacabras of the Rio Grande (The Unicorn Rescue Society #4) by Adam Gidwitz and David Bowles

Page Count: 224

Published On: April 16, 2019

Published By: Dutton Books for Young Readers

Genre(s): Fantasy, Children's, Middle Grade

Source: ARC provided by Dutton

Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository 

My Rating: 3 stars 

Goodreads synopsis

The fourth book in the fully illustrated, globe-trotting middle-grade fantasy-adventure series about mythical creatures and their cultures of origin, from the Newbery Honor-winning author of The Inquisitor’s Tale.

Elliot and Uchenna have only just returned from their most recent Unicorn Rescue Society mission when they (along with Jersey!) are whisked away on their next exciting adventure with Professor Fauna. This time, they’re headed to the Mexican border to help another mythical creature in need: the chupacabras!

The Chupacabras of the Río Grande is co-written with David Bowles, author of the Pura Belpré Honor-winning book, The Smoking Mirror!

~~~

Hey, guys!

I was sent this ARC for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own. 

      The fourth installation of The Unicorn Rescue Society series follows Elliot and Uchenna as they travel with Professor Fauna to the Texas/Mexico border in search of the mysterious chupacapbras. 

      I really enjoyed this addition to the Unicorn Rescue Society series. It's such a great way to educate kids about important issues and immerse them in other cultures. I absolutely adored the setting of the Texas/Mexico border. The issues that were touched upon -- border relations -- are written in a way that children will understand and create their own opinion about the matter. In this story, Elliot and Uchenna head to Laredo, Texas with Professor Fauna to save the chupacabras and preserve their homes. As they are investigating the scene, they meet former members of the Unicorn Rescue Society, a young chupacabras, and the stinky Schmoke Brothers. This was such a great addition to the series -- definitely one of my favorites-- and I'm eager to see where Gidwitz and Bowles take this series. It's so freaking fun, powerful, and relevant. These books are the stories that I hope young readers find and read...I'll definitely be reading these to my future children.

      It's really fun to get ARCs of this series because I get to share these little stories with my younger sister, Bailey. We love magical creatures and we really love to discuss the Unicorn Rescue Society books. 

Other Unicorn Rescue Society Reviews:

• The Creature of the Pines (The Unicorn Rescue Society #1) by Adam Gitwitz, Jesse Casey, Christopher Smith, & Hatem Aly
• The Basque Dragon (The Unicorn Rescue Society #2) by Adam Gidwitz, Jesse Casey, Christopher Smith, and Hatem Aly

Happy reading,

Olivia

~Liv the Book Nerd~
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{Graphic Novel Series Review #25-28} Picture Books

Hey, guys!

I read three picture books this year and I thought they were just so much fun. Here are my thoughts on these books. I definitely recommend them for younger readers. 

Page Count: 40
Published on: September 12, 2017
Published by: Simon Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Education (Language and Writing), Fiction
Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

My Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

From E.B. White Read Aloud author Adam Lehrhaupt comes an inspiring new picture book that takes apart the pieces of a story—hero, heroine, setting, conflict—and asks the reader to put the story back together again. This is a good story…or is it?

As a child takes her pencil and begins to draw pictures for a story, the narrator takes her and the reader through a rollicking sequence of events in this classic tale of bad guys and townsfolk and dungeons. With simplicity and flair, Adam tells a story and then a meta-story of the parts of the story at once! This Is a Good Story is a wonderful primer on the parts of a story and an imaginative way to encourage creative thinking, writing, and storytelling.

~~~

This was such a fun book for educational use. My sister, who is studying to become a teacher, was gushing about the concept of this book and I had to check it out. This story basically breaks down the parts of a story in a way for children to learn about them in an engaging and entertaining way. As an English major, this book made me so happy. I loved this book. I think that it should be used in school curriculum regularly. 

Page Count: 32
Published on: April 1, 2006
Published by: HMH Books For Young Readers
Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Animals, Nonfiction
Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

My Rating: 3 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Set during the devastating tsunami of 2004, MAMA is the touching true story of a baby hippo that was separated from his mother when the wave hit. After struggling alone for several days, the baby was rescued by Kenyan wildlife officers and brought to live in an animal refuge. There, all by himself, he adopted a new "mother"--that just happened to be a 130-year-old giant male tortoise. And they've been inseparable ever since.

Although MAMA takes place against the backdrop of a terrible human tragedy, at the heart of this story is a moving and original tale of adoption--and of finding love and companionship in the least likely of circumstances. 

~~~~

I picked this picture book up on a whim while on my break at my job at the library. I thought this was so touching. I loved the art style and the overall story. I loved the story of the baby hippo and I loved the pictures at the end of the book that tied it all together. The art style was so nice and the color scheme was probably my favorite part of the book.

The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak

Page Count: 32
Published on: April 1, 2006
Published by: HMH Books For Young Readers
Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Animals, Nonfiction
Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

My Rating: 3 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

A book with no pictures? 
What could be fun about that?
After all, if a book has no pictures, there's nothing to look at but the words on the page. 
Words that might make you say silly sounds... In ridiculous voices...
Hey, what kind of book is this, anyway?

~~~

I picked this book up for three minutes at a super market and quickly zoomed through it. I thought that this was a super fun and quirky children's book. I know B.J. Novak from the Office and from some videos on YouTube, but I was really suprised to see his name on a children's book. I'm actually quite impressed with the cleverness of this book 

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat

Page Count: 40
Published on: April 8, 2014
Published by: Little Brown Books For Young Readers
Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Fiction, Fantasy
Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

My Rating: 3 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and-at long last-is given his special name: Beekle.

New York Times bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Dan Santat combines classic storytelling with breathtaking art, creating an unforgettable tale about friendship, imagination, and the courage to find one's place in the world.

~~~

This story is super cute. Beekle reminded me of the little creatures from Doctor Who that were made up from fat in humans. This story is so colorful and beautiful. I loved the illustrations. I love the focus on the imaginary worlds of children and the real-life world. This was just really lovely and delightful. I recommend this for bed-time reading for younger readers (and older readers too!)


Which picture books are you jazzed about this year?

Happy reading and happy holidays!
Olivia

~Liv the Book Nerd~
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