Tag Archives: cat

Laggie and Grillo: The Sea Glass Mystery by Phyllis Schwartz (Book Review)

Fifth grade poet Yoshi and her two curious critters, Laggie and Grillo are back!

Something mysterious washes up on their hometown beach in the beautiful surf town of Encinitas, California.

“Mommy and Laggie and Grillo and me,
trying to find our beloved sea glass by the sea.

Blue and green and turquoise and gold—
it’s a mystery tale that’s never been told.”

There are lots of twists and turns as they try to answer the question: Is it sea glass or a real gem?

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(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 


Yoshi and her two critter companions are back; this time, they are putting their detective hats on to solve a mystery of who the sea glass belongs to. Pirate? Explorer? Sailor in love or thief? Wager a guess and then read the story to discover who the owner of the heart-shaped sea glass is. 


Laggie and Grillo: The Sea Glass Mystery is a cute detective story, with many positive qualities. The story demonstrates the power of teamwork and determination. It also shows that help comes in all forms and from the unlikeliest characters, as was the case with the lizard and the cricket. In addition, the story incorporates interesting facts about the beach town of Encinitas, California, the story’s setting. Read the story to discover who wrote a VERY popular song about the wonderful waves at Swami’s Beach. Read the story to discover how to say, “small lizard” and “cricket” in Spanish and what Yoshi’s cat’s name, Ketzeleh, means in Yiddish. The book also features pages dedicated to the five jewels mentioned in the story and the Sea Glass Cookie recipe. If that wasn’t all, the author included a tune sung to an old sea shanty “Sailing, Sailing.” If you are like me and don’t know the old tune, I would advise looking it up so your family or class can sing “Laggie and Grillo’s Detective Victory Song” to the right beat.

Laggie and Grillo: The Sea Glass Mystery is a book worth reading time and time again. It’s interactive, educational, and visually very cute. Just wait until you see pirate Grillo! ADORABLE!! 

I recommend this book for readers ages 4-8! I also recommend reading the author’s other creations. Oh, I 100% recommend baking up a batch of the Sea Glass Cookies! Yuuuuummmmm! 


Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score:
❤️❤️❤️❤️1/2

(It will be rounded to 5 on Amazon and Goodreads.)

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Meet the Author

Phyllis Schwartz is a married mother of two, who, after a highly successful career in the TV news business, finally has the time to indulge in and focus on her “civilian” writing. Even as a kid, she kept a diary and wrote little stories and poems, a creative release that continued well into adulthood. She wrote news by day and poetry by night. And despite battling three different types of cancer over more than three decades, she is still filled with energy, joy, and optimism, and she looks forward to writing much more poetry and children’s books in the future. Her writing often centers on what she observes daily: including her friends, husband, and two children, as well as her garden and her beautiful beach town residence in dreamy Encinitas, all providing continued inspiration for her verse.

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Gato Feo by Jime Wimmer (Book Spotlight)

A bilingual picture book about an ‘ugly’ cat looking for some milk and magdalendas with no luck…until he finds a creative friend…

 

Read My Review on Reedsy Discovery!

Visit the author’s website for more information

 

 

 

Meet the Author

Now represented by Hen & Ink Literary. I’m an Illustrator and Storyteller who has independently published with award winning illustrations. My MFA is in Illustration and a BS in Art Education. I share an art studio (www.WimmerStudios.com) with my husband, Mike Wimmer who is also an artist.

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Kung-Fu Whiskers: Big dreams. Small paws. by Celia L Sadhu (Book Spotlight)

By day he naps in the sun. By night he trains.

With flying paws, daring jumps, and more confidence than sense, Jean-Luc brings heroic energy wherever he goes – whether anyone is ready for it or not.

Kung-Fu Whiskers is a playful early reader adventure filled with action, humor, and heart, perfect for children ages 4-7 who love animal stories, big imaginations, and laugh-out-loud fun.

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Read My Review on Reedsy Discovery!

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Meet the Author

I love babying my mango tree and gardening. The playful energy and unique personalities of the animals I share my life with also inspire me, whether it’s a cat’s adventurous spirit in the garden or the quirks of a timid pet. Through my writing, I hope to bring a bit of that joy and wonder to others.

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How the Platypus Became by Jonny Parry (Book Spotlight)

A playful, beautifully illustrated picture book imagining how the world’s most extraordinary animal – the platypus- came to be.

Long ago, when the world was new, a cat, a fish, a duck and a frog each wished for the gifts the others had. Instead of letting jealousy get the better of them, they came together and set off to the Spark of Life, the place where every living thing began.

What they found changed everything. From its shining bill to its webbed feet, a brand-new animal emerged – one that was a little bit of everyone, and entirely itself.

How the Platypus Became is a fantastical picture book for children aged 4-8 about curiosity, friendship and finding your place in the world. Perfect for families, classrooms and anyone who has ever wondered how the platypus might have come to be.

For anyone who loves animal stories, imaginative adventures, or the magic of being yourself.

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Read My Review on Reedsy Discovery!

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Meet the Author

Jonny Parry is a children’s author who writes joyful stories about transformation, individuality and embracing who you are. He wrote his first book, How the Platypus Became, at the age of ten for his little sister. Now, decades later, he’s reimagined the story for curious young readers everywhere.

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Lou Lou’s Pet Dragon Goes to School by Brenden Bott (Book Review)

In Lou Lou’s Pet Dragon Goes to School, we meet Lou Lou—an unusual girl with a most unusual pet. On her first day at a new school, Lou Lou tries to convince her classmates and teacher that her favourite pet is a real dragon—a difficult task indeed. Filled with humour and surprises, it’s a story children will want to read again and again.

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(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 

 

You’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but the cover was so dang cute that I knew the story inside would be just as adorable. And guess what? I was right!

It’s Lou Lou’s first day at a new school, and the little girl enters the classroom to find her teacher, Ms. Quigleybottom, holding a black-and-white cat. All the kids loved watching Penelope the cat reach for the toy fish on a string. I can understand why; the illustration was very cute. Plus, cats are pretty awesome. Lou Lou mentioned Ms. Quigleybottom talked at length about how great her cat was, and that is no surprise; pet owners love talking about their pets. Me included!

When the teacher asked the kids to share what pet they had, we had a variety of common and (possibly) not-so-common responses, but none were so unthinkable as Lou Lou’s. She proudly announced she had a pet dragon. Dragons are make-believe, right?! The class laughed at her absurd response, but Lou Lou would be the one getting the last laugh. Bring your pet to school day turned into chaos, and I loved every moment of it. The artwork was stupendous! You can practically hear the class erupt in a flurry of screams and the pounding of shoes as they took off running. Even Penelope was zooming away with a panicked look on their face. I found the dragon’s outfit adorable, and I loved the confused look on its face, obviously wondering what’s up with these people. And the ending to the hilarious scene was perfection. Lou Lou asks her pet dragon if she should bring another pet tomorrow. The small glimpse of it made me smile. I can sense a similar reaction happening if she follows through on her idea. (No spoilers. Read the story!)

Lou Lou’s Pet Dragon Goes to School is perfect for kids ages 3 to 9. It has humor…lots of humor. The illustrations were the best I’ve seen in a long time, definitely in the top five overall. Kids will be begging you to read it and then immediately asking you to read it again. It’s really that good and deserves more than five stars!

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

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Meet the Author

Brenden has worked in the field of education for over a decade, and he is more convinced than ever of the importance of telling stories to shape hearts and minds. Brenden is currently the Head of School at Westminster Classical Christian Academy in Toronto. He has a doctorate in theology from Wycliffe College, the University of Toronto, specializing in medieval and Reformation thought and theodicy.

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Meet the Illustrator

Dong Hoon began his career as a mechanical engineer but left this behind to become an artist. With over twenty years of experience, Dong Hoon has established himself as an unusually talented illustrator with a unique ability to add humour to his artistic creations.

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