Tag Archives: magic

April 29, 2025 · 7:00 am

Scribbaloo and the Color Cruncher by Ben P. Fisher (Book Review)

He’s sure that mistakes are always bad. Can he learn to take a deep breath and turn an oops into a ta-da?

Scribbaloo wants to do everything perfectly. So even though it’s amazing that everything he draws with his magic comes to life, the little creature is always worried about messing up. And he’s certain everyone will be angry when his frustration makes a monster that’s gobbling up all the colors and turning the world gray.

Joined by his upbeat best friend, Scribbaloo sets off on a daring journey to find the Golden Crayon to restore the rainbow. But every time they go around a corner, there’s a new mistake about to ruin their trip.

Will Scribbaloo give up, or keep trying until he figures out a way to win?

Scribbaloo and the Color Cruncher is a wonder-filled picture book for kids ages three to eight. If you or your child like beautiful illustrations, using your imagination, and building self-esteem, then you’ll love Ben P. Fisher’s delightful adventure.

Buy Scribbaloo and the Color Cruncher to paint the world wonderful today!

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

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

 

Everyone, regardless of age, will make mistakes; they are inevitable and come in all sizes. For kids, coloring outside the lines would equal a minor mistake. Shattering a window would equal a bigger mistake. While some mistakes might feel like the world is ending, they all amount to the same thing – a learning experience. Scribbaloo, a magical creature from Color Island, learns this valuable lesson in Scribbaloo and the Color Cruncher.

Scribbaloo possesses a magnificent, magical ability; whatever they draw comes to life! That sounds amazing unless you are like Scribbaloo, an individual who gets easily frustrated when you make an error. Scribbaloo blew his stack when their design didn’t turn out precisely how they envisioned. His star-shaped friend Glittergleam tried calming him down and encouraged them to try again, but Scribbaloo was too angry to listen. He started angry drawing, and those dark, scribbly lines merged to create The Color Cruncher! This transformation was a powerful metaphor for how unchecked anger can lead to unintended consequences.

The Color Cruncher was weirdly adorable. It resembled a ball of steel wool or a large ball of dryer lint with arms, legs, googly eyes, and black felt for angry-looking eyebrows. While it was cute, its sinister mission was not. It planned to devour all colors, and there was only one way to stop it: Scribbaloo needed to fetch the Golden Crayon up on Crayon Peak. The quest required Scribbaloo to draw, but his drawings kept hitting a snag. He knew no good came from losing his temper, so he took a moment to collect himself and tried again. What a good example for kids to model!

I loved the story’s cute rhymes, particularly the word paired with “unlucky.” The illustrated page accompanying the surprise word, which I will keep vague for the sake of the surprise, was stupendous. I also liked how the artist brought the writer’s words to life. The Paintbrush Forest was simple but very creative. And when Scribbaloo started to cry, my heart went out to the little red creature.

I recommend Scribbaloo and the Color Cruncher for households and classes with children ages three to eight. It is a wonderfully written and illustrated story that entertains and delivers a powerful message: It’s okay to make mistakes. Mistakes are how we learn. So, the next time you mess up, take a calming breath and try again.


Special note: Scan the QR code in the end pages or visit the author’s site (BenPFisher.com) to download a FREE activity book!

 

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

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

 

Meet the Author

Husband. Father. Cheese enthusiast.

While he enjoys all things cheese, Ben’s true joy comes from the blessing of his family. His two passionate and playful children remind him how tough it is to be in the “rough draft” stage of becoming an adult. His love for creativity and being a positive influence on others led him to a career in teaching and school leadership. Inspired by a need for stories that teach resilience and the value of learning from mistakes, Ben began writing children’s books. Through his stories, he hopes to encourage kids and adults to remember that love and acceptance don’t require perfection.

Amazon Author Page Link
Reedsy Author Link

 
 

 

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

December 9, 2024 · 7:00 am

Cavie’s Magical Wish by Julie Huetsch (Book Review)

Join Cavie, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel rescue dog, on an adventure with his friends, Finley the frog, and Rory, the rabbit. Their journey takes a surprising turn when they meet Hummer, a tiny hummingbird needing help. When Cavie’s brave act earns him a magical wish, he has to decide what to wish for. With surprising moments and a big decision to make, Cavie uses his wish to bring hope and happiness to dogs in need.

Cavie’s Magical Wish highlights the values of kindness, compassion, and dog rescue and adoption. These messages are positive for young readers, their families, and dog lovers everywhere! The heartwarming tale is sure to inspire and delight!

Author Julie Huetsch is thrilled to introduce her new children’s book, Cavie’s Magical Wish, the first of her Cavie Tales™ series. Drawing from her personal experiences with dog rescue and her love for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Julie’s heartfelt connection to these themes shines through in her writing with sincerity and warmth.

Julie is dedicated to making a difference. A portion of her book sales support The Cavalier Rescue, which helps dogs needing rescue and rehabilitation.

Siski Kalla’s illustrations are enchanting with their vibrant colors and striking details. Each scene is beautifully created, capturing the charm and personality of the animal characters. Her artwork adds an extra layer of magic and warmth to the entire reading experience.

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

 

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

 

Cavie’s Magical Wish is a touching children’s picture book showing how one dog’s thoughtfulness changed many puppies’ lives. 

Cavie, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, is bursting with energy and ready to play with his friends. Not just any games but games that young readers play at recess. Cavie and Finley, the frog, enjoyed a round of tag while Cavie and Rory, the rabbit, played hopscotch. During the hopscotch game, Cavie’s impeccable hearing caught a chirping sound. Curious, Cavie followed the sound and walked upon a sad and troubling scene; a poor hummingbird had been caught in the silken strands of a spider’s web. For those with arachnophobia (fear of spiders), rest assured that the illustrator graciously left the 8-legged arachnid out of the book. PHEW! 

Cavie lends Hummer, the hummingbird, a paw and sets them free from the web. At this point, Hummer lets Cavie and readers in on a little secret: the tiny bird is magical! Hummer offers Cavie a single wish as thanks for the life-saving good deed. You might guess two of the three illustrated wishes. Here’s a hint for the third: think about what power Krypto and Underdog have in common. 

As Cavie ponders his choices, he recalls his time in a puppy mill: a place no dog deserves to be. Cavie mentions that for several years, he lived in a dog crate, a small cage, and was never allowed to go outside. He didn’t have a family to take care of him either. But now, he has a soft bed, delicious food, and a loving family. Being rescued was the happiest moment in his life, and he wanted all his old friends to feel loved and happy, like him. 

Readers of all ages will fall in love with the dog with a heart of gold. I recommend sharing this moving story with your family and consider giving a dog (or cat, if you prefer felines) their forever home! Also, ask your child what they’d wish for. Maybe it can become a reality like Cavie’s beautiful wish.

Amazon’s recommended reading age is 2-8 years. 

 

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

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Author

Julie Huetsch is thrilled to introduce her new children’s book, Cavie’s Magical Wish, the first of her Cavie Tales™ series. Drawing from her personal experiences with dog rescue and her love for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Julie’s heartfelt connection to these themes shines through in her writing with sincerity and warmth.

Julie shares her heart and home with two wonderful Cavaliers, Granger and Sophie. Granger’s inspiring rescue journey, saved from a puppy mill by The Cavalier Rescue and adopted into Julie’s family, initiated her passion for writing Cavie’s Magical Wish. Despite his challenges of having a heart condition, hearing loss, and separation anxiety, Granger has become a cherished family member and claims the title of king of their castle! Meanwhile, Sophie is on her own special mission, training to be a touch therapy dog. She will soon be spreading joy to children in hospitals—a role that is perfect for sweet Sophie!

Cavie’s Magical Wish highlights the values of kindness, compassion, and dog rescue and adoption. These are positive messages for young readers, their families, and dog lovers everywhere! This heartwarming tale is sure to inspire and delight.

Julie is dedicated to making a difference. A portion of her book sales support The Cavalier Rescue, which helps dogs needing rescue and rehabilitation.

Website Link

 

 

Reedsy Author Link

 

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

September 6, 2024 · 7:00 am

Sylvia Locke’s Cinderella and the Evil Fairy Godmother (Tairy Fails Book 2) by David Horn (Book Review)

Fairytale Land’s baddest girl is about to head to a prince’s ball. A modern, twisted retelling of Cinderella.

Once upon a time in Fairytale Land, there lived Sylvia Locke—the baddest girl around. So bad that her grandparents have shipped her off to live with her uptight Aunt Marjorie and two goody-two-shoes step-cousins. When an invitation to the prince’s ball arrives, Sylvia is determined to attend at any cost, even if it means enlisting the help of an evil fairy godmother (against Fairytale Land laws, but has that ever stopped her?).

Along this chaotic quest, Sylvia stumbles into some unexpectedly imperfect friends. But will she also learn to appreciate those who truly care for her? The second book in the Tairy Fails series of modern, twisted retelling that puts a hilarious, rebellious, new spin on the classic fairy tales. Perfect for elementary school kids and early chapter book readers.

 

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

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

 

Sylvia is back in another comical tale that has her embracing her dark side. This time, the story follows Sylvia as her grandparents force her to spend some time with her Aunt Majorie and step-cousins, Macey and Lacey, in Buttzville. Funny name, right?! Wait until you hear what the residents call themselves. It’s Buttonians! No joke! 

Sylvia is not thrilled to be vacationing with these “goody-goodies.” She is not like them; she has an aversion to being polite. She finds amusement in doing bad acts. For starters, Sylvia kicks the twins out of their room, forcing them to sleep in the basement with the biting spiders. The morning after she arrives, she’s all set to prank them with a fake tarantula when a messenger arrives from the royal family. Every 5th-grade girl with a B and higher average can attend the royal ball. The prince will select one girl to be his honorary princess until he reaches eighteen unless it is a leap year. The appointee will have to wave, smile, and do some schmoozing. Lacey and Macey think the idea is wonderful; Sylvia finds it lame. Cue another bad act courtesy of Silvia.

Since all attendees need proof of good grades to enter the ball, Sylvia alters her step-cousins’ report cards, giving each a C and D. Meanwhile, she is a solid B student thanks to a quick fix back in Farmington. (Read the story to discover why Sylvia needed to hide the actual contents of her report card from her grandparents.) Aunt Majorie tells Sylvia she can’t attend the ball despite her “good” grades. Sylvia has no desire to attend the ball, but being told she can’t do something only ignites her desire to defy her aunt. She’s known as Sylvia the bad for a reason. 

In the sweet Disney fairytale, Cinderella is the good girl, and her stepsisters are evil. In this version, the step-relatives are the good ones, and the third wheel, aka Sylvia, is the evil one. In both stories, a godmother appears in a mist of sparkles. But unlike Cinderella, Sylvia doesn’t get a sweet old lady wearing a hooded periwinkle cloak with giant sleeves and a big pink bow on the front. Oh no, Sylvia’s fairy godmother appears wearing all black, has spiky black hair and black lipstick, and carries wands that don’t always work as intended. Cinderella’s godmother has only good intentions, whereas Sylvia’s godmother only “helps” evildoers complete their evil tasks.  

I found the interactions between Pamela, the evil fairy godmother, and Sylvia amusing. Pamela complained about the used wand prices at the Fairy Farmer’s Market. When she waved it, it was a 50/50 chance the wand would work properly. You get what you pay for, right?! I laughed when Sylvia was confused about what cassette tapes and tracksuits were. She never grew to appreciate a cassette deck, but she did see the beauty of a tracksuit. She’s right; they feel great, are loose, and are easy to move in. 

There’s no pumpkin turning into a stunning coach. (Read the story to find out why!) There is a self-driving and talking car. It’s no KITT (from Knight Rider), but it does know how to move fast and handle itself in a car chase. Sylvia faces the same midnight deadline, which didn’t seem like a big deal to her at the start of the night, but her attitude changes as the night progresses, thanks to Prince Quinn. 

Read the story to discover what “souvenir” from the magical night reunites Prince Quinn with Sylvia.

Read the story to see if Sylvia and her grandparents leave Farmington to live with the royal family in Rainbow City. 

Read the story to discover if Sylvia becomes a “goody-goody” person like her aunt and cousins.

Read this story because it had many humorous moments, and the images are just as entertaining as the story. Love ROBO-MAID and their French maid outfit! 

Pick up the print edition for the bonus material: coloring sheets. 

As much as I did love the story, I wish the illustrations were in color. They were lovely as is, but I wanted to see the attendees’ outfits in something other than black, white, and gray tones. Kids will want to see Pamela’s drastic outfit change from goth to pink pajamas. There are two more items I want to note. For one, the story states the prince is wearing a red-and-gold tracksuit, but the image paired with the scene shows him wearing typical royal attire. It didn’t look like a tracksuit to me. And two, the writer mistakenly wrote Gram-Gram without a hyphen. The second is a quick editing change. 

I recommend reading both books in the Tairy Fails series. It will cause random outbursts of laughter and endless smiles. Its intended audience is elementary school kids and early chapter book readers.

 

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

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

 

Meet the Author

David Horn lives in New Jersey with his wife, two daughters, and a funny dog named Trixie. He is the author of the popular Eudora Space Kid early reader humorous sci-fi chapter book series. He enjoys making kids laugh.

Reedsy Author Link

 

 

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

May 27, 2024 · 7:00 am

Highlander: The American Dream by Brian Ruckley (Comic Book Spotlight)

 

Travel through time in this sword-clashing adventure spanning over a hundred years from the 1860s to the beginning of the first movie. 

In the thirty years since its release, Highlander has inspired a cult following and numerous spinoffs with its epic clashes between powerful immortals. Now, The American Dream follows Scottish swordsman Connor MacLeod as he navigates through the American Civil War and 1950s Manhattan toward The Gathering in 1986. Reunite with familiar faces, such as Connor’s secretary Rachel, and meet new immortals, such as Osta Vazilek, but remember… There can be only one!

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

 

 

 

I can’t wait to see Henry Cavill take on the role of Connor MacLeod.
He has some BIG shoes to fill. 

Christopher Lambert

 

 

7 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 30, 2024 · 7:00 am

Sylvia Locke and the Three Bears (Tairy Fails Book 1) by David Horn (Book Review)

RED ALERT FOR FAIRY TALE LAND: Sylvia Locke is out and ready to cause mischief.

Once upon a time in Fairy Tale Land, there lived a very bad girl indeed. Sylvia Locke may have been abandoned by her adventuring parents but that’s no excuse for being mean to her loving grandparents, rude to everyone at school, and even bullying rare magical creatures. Right?

One day, when out on a break-and-enter job at the Bear family’s house, Sylvia happens upon a magical mirror that turns out to be more than she bargained for. Could even a kid like Sylvia find a friend? Could some warm and fuzzies change her heart?

The first book in Tairy Fails, a modern fractured fairy tale humor series that will have elementary school kids and early chapter book readers screaming with laughter.

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

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

 

Goldilocks and the Three Bears is a well-known fairytale. Sylvia Locke and the Three Bears have some of the same characters, and similar moments play out, but this story is far more entertaining than the classic. Sylvia never claims to be a sweet, mild-mannered child. Everyone in Farmington would agree with her assessment, too. Sylvia loves having the loudest voice in the room, is quite mischievous, and enjoys bending the rules. She also has a habit of putting her wants and needs before others. It’s her need for a particular brand of sugary cereal that sets in motion a series of comedic events. 

Sylvia’s sweet tooth and rumbling belly lead her to the neighbor’s house, the famous little bears. As Sylvia waits for her neighbors to leave, she overhears them discussing Goldilocks and how they moved to this village because of that person. This mysterious girl was why the bears moved to the town and installed the security system. Kids will laugh when they see the security measures in action. 

Sylvia gets more than she bargained for when she enters through a window. She also realizes she is not alone in the house. Without spilling too much of the comedic moments, I will talk briefly about the bear in the magic mirror. Unlike the magic mirror person from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the magic mirror bear brings the funny. I cackled when he tried to kick Sylvia back after she kicked his frame. His ghostly antics were a hoot, too. If the text doesn’t make you chuckle, the hilarious illustrations will. Especially the one where Sylvia tests mirror bear’s I’m unbreakable theory. BTW: He is not really unbreakable, but I’ll keep his kryptonite a secret. He also has a real name, but you’ll need to read this comical fairytale to discover what it is. 

As I stated above, Sylvia’s journey does have some semblance to Goldilocks’s time in the bears’ previous home. Silver streak-haired Sylvia does test things, looking for what screams just right. Did Sylvia escape the house before the family returns, or does she get caught like Goldilocks? Did she ever eat her Cookie Crunchies? Read the book and find out! 

The recommended reading age is 6-10. While that is a great age range, I would even introduce the story to pre-k students. The story is simple to understand, so they should be able to follow the plot and find the drawings funny. Everyone will enjoy watching Sylvia get into sticky situations, watching her and the mirror bear interact, and the surprise introduction of the ninja. Wait until you see the ninja sketch! It’s hilarious! 

The story ends by answering a burning question that puzzled Sylvia, her grandparents, and the whole town: What happened to Sylvia’s parents? I’ll be on the lookout for book two in the Tairy Fails series, and I know once your family and class read this story, they will be, too.

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤❤
(Deserves more than five hearts!)

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Author

David Horn lives in New Jersey with his wife, two daughters, and a funny dog named Trixie. He is the author of the popular Eudora Space Kid early reader humorous sci-fi chapter book series. He enjoys making kids laugh.

Reedsy Author Link

 

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,