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Category: For Kids

Review: Cinderella: An Islamic Tale by Fawzia Gilani

[ 10 ] March 20, 2012

Reviewed by Leigh Adamkiewicz

As anyone who was forced to watch Barney can tell you, it’s tricky to keep a child-friendly story from becoming mind-numbing. This is especially true of any tale that has been as told to death… or has an something to teach. But those who are looking for a classic story in a different setting might be pleasantly surprised with Fawzia Gilani’s Cinderella: An Islamic Tale. Not only does this lovely picture book rise to the Attention Span Challenge, it tells its story in a very refreshing way.

In modern retellings Cinderella’s story is often co-opted to showcase materialism as proof of the heroine’s birthright. Of course Cinderella’s a good person. She’s just been given a Fendi bag. And a pink Valentino ballgown! And the shoes! Dear God, I think they’re Jimmy Choos!

It was refreshing to see a good soul as Cinderella’s best reward rather than a bespangled ball gown. She’s given lovely clothes to wear to the ball, but they are not the be-all and end all of her personality. The prince’s eye may be caught by her beauty but his heart is captured by her faith. The king and queen don’t send out the shoe because they think Cinderella will look good on their son’s arm, but because they know a devout, clear-eyed mind is a prize in and of itself.

For those whose knowledge of Islam is non-existent, the book provides a glossary to the vocabulary words sprinkled throughout the story. While the placement of one or two of these vocabulary words might be awkward, the journey back to the glossary is never an unwelcome one.

The colors in Shireen Adams’ illustrations are exactly what they should be: lush, sweet and lovely. The rainbow of greens and blue gives a sense of the world beyond pulling Cinderella from the dry brown walls of her small, cruel world. And the little hits of foil on the ubiquitous shoes are a light, delightful touch. The pencils themselves are a bit sophomoric, the work of a person with enough study to be an excellent student, but not a master yet. But these occasional technical issues never distract enough to interrupt the soothing flow of this quiet tale.

It’s easy to feel a sense of peace after completing Fawzia Gilani’s Cinderella. This humble version of the classic fairy tale is a gentle reminder that victory comes as much from a peaceful soul as a beautiful dress and a dramatic confrontation.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Leigh is a fearless writer who never met a genre, subject, or format she didn’t like. She has written professionally for the past six years and enjoys biking, exploring odd corners of Northeast Ohio, and discovering those good books she hasn’t read yet.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by The Islamic Foundation. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: My Achy Body by Liza Fromer & Francine Gerstein MD

[ 3 ] December 11, 2011

Reviewed by Kathie Smith

My Achy Body, part of the Body Works series by Liza Fromer and Francine Gerstein MD, focuses on the most common aches and pains children experience. It is written specifically for children ages six and older using words and terms that are easy for members of this age group to understand.

Topics include bruises, scrapes, broken bones, sprains, stomach aches, earaches and sore throats. Causes of specific injuries and how our bodies work to heal them are addressed in simple, yet informative, terms. It is particularly refreshing to see the inclusion of emotions as a legitimate source of pain.

The main body of the text is complemented by Fun Facts, true or false questions and helpful medical tips at the end of each chapter. There are interesting examples of how this book is relevant to every day life and why we sometimes feel pain even when we are not ill or injured. For example, playing outside in the cold will not cause us to get sick, but it may still result in an earache or sore throat.

My Achy Body is a wonderful resource for children interested in learning more about their bodies. It is engaging, well written and provides information that is appropriate for the suggested age group.

Rating: 5/5

Kathie is a writer, wife, mother and volunteer living in the beautiful Appalachian mountains. Her passion for the written word is fulfilled by creating her own fictional work, freelancing, acting as an adviser to another author, and reading with her six year old daughter.

Review copies were provided free of any obligation by Tundra Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Nini by Francois Thisdale

[ 3 ] December 8, 2011

Reviewed by Alyssa Katanic

Friends of mine are awaiting the finalization of their adoption of a girl from China and I just found the book I want to send them! Nini by Francois Thisdale is a touching book about a little girl who is born in China, but whose parents come from the other side of the world to adopt her and bring her home.

Thisdale’s artistry is amazingly beautiful and uses the full spread of each page. Many of the illustrations are done in a layering effect that adds to the mystery and deep feeling of the story they are helping to tell.

The language of Nini is equally beautiful, as it takes the little girl on a journey from the womb and the voice and love of her birth mother, to the strangeness and loneliness of the orphanage, and into the arms of the momma and daddy who came “just for her.” The art and language also work to tie and blend together the Asian and Western cultures that now make up the one family.

Nini, by Francois Thisdale, is a great book to read with any child. However, it will be especially meaningful for families brought together by adoption, and perhaps even more so by those who share the Asian to Western adoption journey.

Rating: 4.5/5

Alyssa is a wife and stay at home, homeschooling mother of five, with two boxers, two cats, a soft shelled turtle named after Bob the Builder, and 7 frogs (admittedly a homeschooling project gone froggy). In all her spare time, she loves to read and believes that there is no such thing as having too many books!

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Tundra Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Christmas Turtles by Sara Ann Denson

[ 2 ] November 30, 2011

Reviewed by Guest Reviewer Teresa Dahl

I love children’s books and especially children’s Christmas books. When I heard about Christmas Turtles from a dear friend of mine, I thought I’d order it and read it to my children this year. Every year, my family makes a tradition out of reading a particular book in the weeks leading up to Christmas, and taking a family photo for our holiday cards.

The author, Sara Ann Denson, based the story on her own childhood Christmas experiences. The lovely illustrations done by Tara McMillen will open up children’s imaginations as they discover each page of the book.

I was amazed that the story held their attention. It wasn’t just story time; it was story sharing time because we talked about each page and picture. They pointed out parts of the pictures and asked questions. We were all engrossed in the book.

This story is special because it’s about Sara Ann Denson’s own loving grandmother and her four grandchildren. Sara Ann remembers that each Christmas they celebrated a memorable tradition together at Grandma’s house.

To start the tradition the families would come to Grandpa’s farm during autumn to help plant the winter wheat. Grandma would gather the children around her on the front porch to crack pecans in the brisk fall air. They felt so special putting the pecan halves in the enchanted tin. After they filled the tin, Grandma would put the tin into the freezer where the elves would find it.

They anticipated returning at Christmas because in their absence the elves would magically make the pecans turn into “turtle” candy treats. Eventually, the children learned that their Grandma was actually the one making the turtles all along. Sara Ann then recognized her Grandma’s love for her family – she could not eat the turtles herself and always had aches and pains, but she knew the joy it brought her family.

This theme of love and serving your loved ones is the lesson to be learned from this well written story. Be careful when reading this book to have all the ingredients for Christmas turtles on hand. Luckily, the sweet candy turtle recipe is provided is in the back of the book, together with a neat wooden spoon. It has the words “Christmas Turtles” on the handle.

This heartwarming story should be pulled out every Christmas as it’s own tradition. My kids and I thoroughly enjoyed this book Christmas Turtles, and I hope you will enjoy it too! Merry Christmas!

Rating: 5/5

No review copy was provided. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: ZooBorns Cats! by Andrew Bleiman & Chris Eastland

[ 2 ] November 27, 2011

Reviewed by Alyssa Katanic

First off, you have to get ZooBorns Cats! because it is the stinking cutest book ever! I chose it for my soon-to-be nine-year-old daughter – who is the typical kitty and horse loving little girl – because of the adorable pictures that I knew she would love. What I didn’t expect was all of the great information and the variety of wildcat species that Bleiman and Eastland were able to capture.

Many of the cats that Bleiman and Eastland have included are extremely rare and, for some, this is the first time they have had their picture printed. Each species of wildcat pictured includes its common name, native location, and information about its habits and where it falls on the endangered list. My personal favorites are the sand cats of the Arabian Desert. Not only are they gorgeous, but those little kitties eat venomous snakes! I told my husband that I won’t be moving anywhere with snakes like that unless he gets me a sand cat!

With the wonderful photography, an adorable subject matter, and great information that is included in ZooBorns Cats!, there is much to love about this book. One negative aspect for me is that there are very few pictures of the adult cats included and most of the adult cats shown are the lions and tigers that we are familiar with. I understand that the book is concentrated on newborns, but I would love to see how these rare kitties, that I’ve never heard of, look as adults.

My daughter has about four weeks yet before her birthday and I can’t wait to give her this book! In the mean time, I hate to wrap it just yet because that would mean I couldn’t sneak a peak at these cute kitties!

Did I mention that every sale of this book supports the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Conservation Endowment Fund? As if you need another reason to get your own copy… and another as a gift!

Rating: 5/5

Check out our review of the original ZooBorns

Alyssa is a wife and stay at home, homeschooling mother of five, with two boxers, two cats, a soft shelled turtle named after Bob the Builder, and 7 frogs (admittedly a homeschooling project gone froggy). In all her spare time, she loves to read and believes that there is no such thing as having too many books!

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Simon & Schuster. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

[ 6 ] November 10, 2011

Reviewed by Elizabeth Talbott

Liesl has been kept in the attic of her house ever since her father grew progressively sick and then died. Her stepmother Augusta hates her and keeps her there, feeding her meager meals and rarely allowing her to leave. Liesl draws to pass the time and does little else. Three days after her father’s death, she receives two unexpected visitors: a ghost named Po, who is neither a boy nor a girl, and his ghostly pet Bundle, who is neither a dog nor a cat. Po agrees to try to find her father on the other side in exchange for a drawing; Po discovers that her father wants to go home and Liesl is the only one who can help him.

Liesl and Po’s journey intertwines with Will’s, an apprentice to a cruel alchemist who accidentally mixes up Liesl’s father’s ashes with the greatest magic ever created. Po and Liesl take this magic and embark on a wonderful and strange journey, with both friends and enemies following them, to take Liesl’s father to his proper resting place.

Lauren Oliver opens Liesl & Po with an explanation of the circumstances that led her to write the book: her best friend died and she wrote the book as way of coping with it. I can definitely see that reflected in the story and I feel that anyone who has lost a loved one can relate to it, not just children.

Liesl’s life in the attic is simply miserable and she goes through her days robotically, without any real excitement. Sunlight has also disappeared, leaving the world cold and gray. The lovely charcoal drawings illustrate this feeling wonderfully. They are a physical representation of Lauren Oliver’s own feelings in the months after her friend’s passing.

Liesl and Po’s journey to lay her father to rest is symbolic of anyone’s personal journey in accepting a death of a loved one and saying goodbye to that person. I love that the setting and time period of the book is unspecified, so the reader can imagine it as taking place wherever and whenever. Liesl & Po deals with death in a way that doesn’t talk down to children and acknowledges that children can (and have to) deal with death on their own terms.

Although the tale is fairly dark, Lauren Oliver tempers it with humor, levity, magic, and unique characters. Liesl, Will, and Po’s unlikely friendship is delightful and they have their own very different personalities and states of being. They were all alone in the world and found solace in each other in the grayscale world they live in. Liesl is surprisingly creative and brave for a girl who unquestioningly stayed in the attic for so long. Po is an enigmatic being that seems to become more and more human as it stays in the living world. Will is an abused child and has insecurities as a result, but remains a good and loyal friend to Liesl. The other characters, namely the adults in the story besides Liesl’s father, are flat characters that are simply villainous. This aspect gives the story a fairy or folk tale feel.

I enjoyed Liesl & Po very much and found Lauren Oliver’s prose engaging and lyrical. Those who enjoyed Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book or Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events books are likely to enjoy Liesl & Po as well.

Rating: 4/5

Elizabeth is a student at Cal State Long Beach. She laughs a lot, loves cats, and lives for music and books. You can read her blog here: http://titania86-fishmuffins.blogspot.com/.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by HarperCollins. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Big Book of How by Editors of TIME for Kids Magazine

[ 6 ] July 15, 2011

Reviewed by Amanda Allalunis

I am the mother of three young children. As a mother, I constantly find myself delighted and challenged by my kids; however, I’ve often wished for a go-to book to help me answer the infamous children’s questions of “why” and “how”. My children are constantly asking questions to which I don’t know the answer. I would love to say that I remember why animals can see at night or how popcorn pops, but then I would be a liar. I have spent many hours researching the answers to my kids’ constant questions, and it gets a little old.

Fortunately for me, and for all of the parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, teachers, and babysitters in the world, the creators of TIME for Kids have come together to produce the Big Book of How. This book has information on just about everything your child may want to know. Are you wondering how the sun can stay hot? Just open up to page 148. Are your children fascinated by sharks? Turn to page 8 for a whole list of fun facts. Really, there are very few topics this book doesn’t cover, and that’s why I love it!

Big Book of How is the perfect resource for children. The facts and explanations found in the book are written in a simple and straightforward manner, so even the youngest child can follow almost any topic. Plus, every page comes packed with interesting photos, illustrations, and diagrams, which are always a big plus for any children’s book.

As much as my children are enjoying the book, I have to say that I’m probably enjoying it even more, so much so that I’m reading it all by myself. I am completely fascinated by the clear explanations on how to make a homemade compass, how do honeybees make hives, and why do roller coasters go up and down. All in all, I would recommend the Big Book of How to anyone, no matter how young or old.

Rating: 5/5

Amanda is mommy, freelance writer, and blogger in her spare time. If you like this review, be sure to check out the blog at Giveaway Blogdom or take a minute to read her most recent article on Childhood Vaccinations.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Goodman Media. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Mommy Whispers by Jenny Lee Sulpizio

[ 5 ] June 19, 2011

Reviewed by Alyssa Katanic

Mommy Whispers by Jenny Lee Sulpizio is a sweet book that walks through the life of one little girl from her birth, through the birth of her own daughter. Reminiscent of Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle, which follows a Father/Daughter relationship, Mommy Whispers captures the relationship and special moments shared by Mother and Daughter.

The artwork by Peg Lozier was gorgeously done and definitely adds to the book’s appeal.

I snuggled up and read this story with my own daughters. They loved watching the little girl grow up, get married, and have a baby of her own. Another favorite aspect is the little girl’s cat, which is included in the artwork of each page. My daughters had fun finding the kitty on each page spread, and felt sorry for it when its girl went away to college. This was more than made up for, however, when it went with her after she was married. No doubt, my eldest was thinking of her own dear kitty.

Overall, Mommy Whispers is a beautifully done picture book that mothers and daughters can relate to together. I miss the element of rhyme in this one, but it still carries a refrain that children will pick up on. It can be used to open up conversations between mothers and daughters of multiple ages about their own adventures with the first day of kindergarten, dating, and the dreams they have for their future.

Rating: 3.5/5

Alyssa is a wife and stay at home, homeschooling mother of five, with two boxers, two cats, a soft shelled turtle named after Bob the Builder, and 7 frogs (admittedly a homeschooling project gone froggy). In all her spare time, she loves to read and believes that there is no such thing as having too many books!

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Jenny Lee Sulpizio. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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