Sep 5, 2018

#PowerToThePrincess #NetGalley

Downloaded from Netgalley Free in exchange
for an honest review. 

Title: Power to the Princess Author: Vita Weinstein Murrow Illustrator: Julia Bereciartu

Publish Day: September 6, 2018! Tomorrow! yay!  Rating: 4.5/5

Absolutely love spins on fairy tales. Power to the Princess is one of those. Each story has an element of what we now consider “powerful” in women. Each women's adventure focuses on them and not their love life. Well, it's not the center of it. Cinderella is a woman who runs her own business, advocates for the working class and still finds her prince. This prince shares her ideals and doesn't prevent her from living her goals of helping others.

“Ellia discovered that people who are treated better work better”.

While, Belle is brave and helps the beast be the best person he could be. She is upset when she finds out that he was cursed which is Illegal. She speaks with a detective and ends up working for the Fairyland Protection Department due to her bravery.

“Curses are a crime best left in the past, and she should be held accountable.”

Sleepy Beauty. she has a medical condition brought on by the Cloud fairy. The person who had sent out invitations to the party forgot to include Cloud Fairy. She has a condition that prevents her from being in sunny locations long term. The ceremony wasn't accommodating to her needs and they forgot to invite her.

“All around the kingdom were conversations of compassion and care, of accommodation and welcome.”

Through Aurora's advocacy and encouraging conversations about people... Cloud fairy no longer feels isolated and alone. Her curse on Aurora turned into something that benefited everyone in the long term.

Princess and the Pea is a story of a prince trying to find love. His parents encourage a particular kind of girl while he has differing opinions.

“The King & Queen, having learned their lesson that there is no one right kind of princess, and that no single test can determine compatibility, retired to the un-restored tower of the castle to examine their old-fashioned views.”

Snow queen, of friendship and weathering through a friend's depression ( or whatever it was supposed to reflect). The Little Mermaid, Sea king and his daughters, the king does not like humans..so his daughters focus on sea affairs .. like pollution and keeping their home healthy. She goes to the surface and meets a princess. With her help they find a solution to the pollution and fall in love.

“Once the waters were clear again, the two were married in a lively and loving ceremony in a lagoon where both Mer-people and humans could enjoy the merriment.”

Last story focuses on Snow White where the queen goes from a person who focuses on the real issues to getting sucked into appearances. This focuses on the media and portrayal of women with the focus just on appearances. Snow, is a step-daughter who soon is dealing with a step-mother who is sucked into beauty ideals than inner. She doses Snow White then brings her back with another serum..and asks for an apology and receives it.

It's focus on strong women and diverse stories. There are 2 kinds with Aurora, the Little Mermaid marries a princess. Friendships, work and doing right by people are heavily focused in it. From what I can tell, Princess & the Pea, The Little Mermaid, and Snow Queen show diversity with ethnicity.
Recommend? Yes, it's cute, different and fun.

Jun 2, 2018

Hush! A Thai Lullaby - Minfong Ho - Review

Score: 4/5

Summary: A mother is doing her best to keep her child asleep. She gets onto animals throughout the story.

I enjoy this it's hilarious. The picture and the lullaby tell two sides of the story. Mom is trying to keep the baby asleep, however, baby is wide awake. She's wearing herself out while the kid doesn't sleep.


Jun 1, 2018

#AudreyTheAmazingInventor #NetGalley

Title: Audrey the Amazing Inventor
Author: Rachel Valentine
Publisher:  Quarto Publishing Group - words & picture
Publish Day: June 21, 2018!
Rating: 5/5

Summary: Meet Audrey. She wants to be an inventor, but her inventions are not entirely successful: the egg collectors and jam dispenser are a bit messy, and her faithful pet, Happy Cat, is still recovering from the mishap with the cat washer! It's enough for Audrey to lose heart and give up altogether, but with some encouraging words she gives inventing one last try. This fun and quirky picture book featuring a feisty and inspiring female protagonist with an inventive mind and curious spirit, is an inspirational story about following your dreams, caring for those you love and persevering to achieve your goals. Hilarious, heartfelt and utterly bonkers, Audrey the Inventor is a new heroine with plenty to say and do!

Review:

Cute, energetic and focused on a girls creativity. Zany attired, wild red hair tied up in pigtails with measuring tape.. she is inquisitive, creative and build things that interest her.

Most of her inventions aren't as successful as she'd like them to be..but keeps working. Very much a Little People Big Dreams kind of book.


Similar to The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires , Georgia O'Keeffe, Harriet Tubman  < Little People Big Dream Books

Downloaded from Netgalley to read in exchange for an honest review.


Thoughts:

Doesn't do the, "Girls can do what boys do" thing. It's just a girl inventing and creating things she thinks up. I'm a teeny bit older so I remember it in books and it was always annoying for me to read.
One of the things that gets on my nerves about girl independence and creating is attaching boys to it somehow. "You can do anything boys do" statements when they're not necessary & feel intrusive as if we need to include boys in conversation with what a girl can and can't do. Allow them to just do and be who they are without comparison.

They're not intrusive if someone isn't sure they should/could do something because that does help. As a kid I never questioned if I could do things since I was a girl. I did when someone said statements like that though. I was a very clueless child about gender roles with things just being for girls or boys. I think because I had all sisters who knows it may have been very apparent the segregation of what girls and boys should/can do if I had brothers.


May 28, 2018

Jay Leno: If Roast Beef Could Fly by Jay Leno



Book Title:  Jay Leno: If Roast Beef Could Fly
Author: Jay Leno
Illustrator: S. B. Whitehead

Summary:  Jay’s dad has decided to host the biggest barbecue he’s ever done. Things don’t go as planned.

Genre: Humor                            Rating: 4 stars

Opinion:

Silly family story about Jay and wanting to sneak a bite. I thought it was cute enough of a read.

Recommendation:

Yes


May 22, 2018

#IfAllTheWorld #NetGalley Joseph Coelho

Title: If All the World
Author: Joseph Coelho
Illustrator: Allison Colpoys
Publish Day: June 7, 2018 -- Soon!
Downloaded from: Netgalley!
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

A moving, poetic picture book about a young girl's love for her granddad and how she copes when his grandad dies, written by poet and playwright Joe Coelho. This powerful and ultimately uplifting text is the ideal way to introduce children to the concept of death and dying, particularly those who have lost a grandparent. Beautifully illustrated by new talent Allison Colpoys.


Thoughts: Beautiful words and illustrations in regard to the topic of death of a grandparent. Just ..thanks for the punch in the face with all the emotion.


Downloaded through Netgalley for an honest review.


Recommend: Yes.



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