Tag Archives: best friends

Alina All Alone by Laura Tava-Petrelli (Book Review)

 

This book summons up all the pain of separation and loss . . . and the joy of being reunited.

In an era of never-before-seen difficulties, our very young children have been challenged by feelings of solitude and frustration. This book attempts to demonstrate to our youngsters that these feelings are shared and understood.

This book is unique in that there is a very distinct and purposeful absence of any adult’s voice or perspective or commentary-there is no adult talking to Alina about what is happening. Alina’s voice and reactions to isolation are hers alone, but key.

Alina demonstrates to adults and children alike that long-term persistence wins in the end, and that sometimes the only way to react to situations is to “stamp your feet, cross your arms and scream and shout until you’re red in the face!”

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

 


I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.
I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

Children grow attached to objects and people. When someone or someone is missing, for whatever reason, they miss it or them dearly. In Alina All Alone by Laura Tava-PetrelliAlina loves visiting her neighbors and their doggies. They are an intricate part of her day and daily routine. When she knocked, and no person or animal answered, she went through many emotions. All these emotions were brilliantly expressed through Jupiters Muse’s illustrations. As a parent, a child screaming is rarely a cute moment, but the images of Alina screaming were very cute. All the various poses with all her treasures were also adorable. My daughter and I loved Alina wearing a mask while holding a cat, who was also wearing a mask. She looked so perturbed while the kitty looked excited to play dress-up. My daughter remarked she wished her kitty would allow her to play dress-up with it. I had to assure her it was a stuffed kitty so she’d let our feline sleep. 

The scene where the child was crying and whispering, “I miss you,” touched our hearts. As a mother, I never like to see a child sad. Alina won’t be crying long because you can’t have a picture book end with tears. Alina’s neighbors and doggies come home. HOORAY! Happy face returned on the pages and on my daughter’s face. 

For those reading Alina All Alone in the states, you will have to explain to your child that some familiar words are written differently in our country than in European countries, such as in Australia, where the author resides. We don’t add a U after the O in favorite or neighbors. We also tend to spell the color gray with an A instead of an E. 

Kids as young as 3-4 can follow the storyline with no issue. Young readers should have minor difficulty reading the text. Established readers should breeze through the pages with no problem. 

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

 

Meet the Author

Laura is an Early Childhood Teacher, currently working as the Director of a community-based preschool in a suburb of Sydney, Australia. She is a trained Mothercraft nurse, adult educator, mother to three adult children, and unofficial nonna to a few more.

Reedsy Link

 

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Roger and Wesley by Elizabeth Hastings (Book Review)

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.  I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
 
 

Oh my goodness gracious, what an adorable book. Even the pages leading up to the story were cute. I loved the smiley faces on the glue bottles and teddy bears. (Illustrated by Brittney Hassinger). Roger and Wesley were also adorable. Their happy expressions made me smile. 

The page where the toy split and stuck to Wesley’s rear end was funny. I know young kids will be giggling over this image. 

At Roger and Wesley’s repair shop, you’ll meet a lot of animals who have a common dilemma—their favorite toys were broken. For toddlers, use this opportunity to teach or reinforce the names of animals and their unique sounds. You could also point to a picture and ask the color with all the vibrant colors utilized. Babies might not understand the words, but I think they’ll like all the colors! 

Roger and Wesley by Elizabeth Hastings is a good book for those learning to read on their own. There are one to three lines per page and house words that (for the most part) should be not too difficult for children to pronounce. I think maybe only a couple stand out, which might be tricky. With that being said, I give it a couple of attempts, and they’ll know those words too! 

Roger and Wesley has the potential to appeal and be used by toddlers through kindergarten.

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

 

Elizabeth Hastings lives in Manchester, Michigan with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. She never imagined writing was in her future, at least not until she had her daughter. She decided to capture those precious moments of inspiration after seeing her daughter’s love for her favorite dogs.

Reedsy Link

 

 

 

 

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Twin Tales: Alike and Different by Brielle and Nadia Dupervil (Book Review)

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Imagine having someone that is just like you in the world. Or what if there were not just like you, but everyone thought they were? Twin sisters Alexia and Denise might look alike on the outside, but they are very different on the inside. Join the sisters as they reveal what makes them unique. An enduring story of siblings who share a strong bond that parents will appreciate, and children will love.
 
 
 
 
 
 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book Tours. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
 
 
First and foremost, I would like to commend Brielle and Nadia Dupervil on writing a book. They are the youngest author(s) I’ve read. Most authors wait years to get a book published, and they have achieved it at a mere four years of age. Their family and friends must be so proud of them! 


While most twins look alike, these two adorable youngsters showed us exactly how different they are. For example: “Alexia loves to watch movies, but Denise likes shorter shows.” The differences continued to vary from clothing to food choices and much more, which I won’t spoil for the readers. 


While they differed on many day-to-day things, they did agree on two crucial facts — they love ice cream and their family. 🙂

No matter if you’re a twin or not, Twin Tales: Alike and Different will provide many discussion points such as “How do you like your sandwich?”


Using the cute illustrations by Folksnfables, you could always play “Spot the differences.” Allow kids to list everything from colors, clothing types, facial expressions, and so on.


Twin Tales: Alike and Different would make an excellent addition to any home, school, or public library. 

 
 
Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤
 
 
 
 
 
Meet the Authors:
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​Brielle has a bold and bubbly personality and never meets a stranger. You can call her the life of the party because there is never a dull moment when she is around. Brielle is a curious conversationalist who will talk to anyone who will listen.

Nadia is a soft spoken, articulate, gentle spirit. Initially she is reserved, but once comfortable she will win you over with her contagious laughter and the silly jokes she keeps in her back pocket for the right time. Nadia is caring and always does what she can to help others feel better. She is very in tune with her emotions and very direct when expressing them.


Connect with the Author:  Website ~ facebook ~ instagram
 

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