Tag Archives: pony

Butterfly Love From Above by Melissa Stuart (Book Review / Guest Post)

 
“Always look up! I’m right here, little Star!”

This is the heartwarming story of one little girl’s journey through grief.
 
After losing her best friend-a butterfly named Twinkle-Star must search to rediscover her sunshine. The loss of Twinkle has kept Star under a dark cloud for some time, but her journey towards betterment will touch the hearts of all readers! Star is amazed to discover that she can reclaim her own sunshine by helping others who are also stuck under a dark cloud of their own! And she’ll realize that her light is even brighter than before!

Star’s love for Twinkle-and her pony, Luna-will show readers the beauty, joy, and healing power that animals can bring to our lives! Her journey will remind us that there is something beautiful to see when we take a moment to “always look up!”

 
BUY THE BOOK:
AMAZON ~ B&N
add to goodreads
 
 
 
 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book Tours. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
 
Friends come in all shapes and sizes. They can be a human, animal, or (in this case) a butterfly. I’ve never read a story or heard of a butterfly best friend, but I found the pairing very cute. Twinkle went on any adventure with Star. Twinkle flew close to Star as she ran through the sunflower fields and jumped into the puddles. Twinkle also greeted Star when she came home from school. Okay, that one was just adorable! 


When Twinkle suddenly vanished, my heart broke for Star. She lost her best friend. I know Twinkle is just a butterfly, but a loss is a loss. The pain is real no matter whose life has ended. 


Star’s mom said it best, and I’d like to share a passage from Butterfly Love From Above by Melissa Stuart. 
 
“Twinkle is always going to be here,” said her mom, pointing to Star’s heart. “All the precious moments you shared are like a treasure chest to which only you hold the key! Those special memories are proof that love lasts forever, even when the one we love is no longer here.”
 
These words of wisdom can apply to anyone, regardless of age.
 
When Star’s mom surprised her with Luna, my heart filled with joy. Star’s smile returned, and Star then gave others a reason to smile too.
 
She’s a darling child, and this was a darling book.  


Kate Solenova: Your illustrations were lovely. My daughter loved Luna, the pony. She said she wanted to braid her tail 🙂

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

 
Melissa Stuart lives in Los Angeles, California with her family, their English Mastiff, Gucci, and their pony, Luna! Melissa and her husband stay busy traveling all over the country with their boys’ hockey teams. She loves being a Hockey Mom and watching her boys chase their dream of following in their dad’s footsteps to play in the NHL! Her happy place is with her little girl, Stella, at the barn surrounded by horses and their precious Luna. Sun Valley, Idaho is her family’s favorite summer getaway destination. When they’re there, Melissa feels most inspired to write sitting by the river, surrounded by mountains and nature! Her dream of becoming a published author for the first time came true in early 2021, as she shared her story “Find Your Sunshine” in a book co-written by 10 other inspiring authors—all of whom were sharing stories about shining their light and becoming difference makers in the world! Melissa hopes this story will inspire children to always look up. She wishes to teach them that true joy comes when we shine our own light and show kindness to others. That’s the secret to finding our sunshine!

 
 

“Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway” — John Wayne

 
Growing up, I had experienced horseback riding a few times while traveling on vacations to Idaho, Yosemite, and Lake Tahoe. But little did I know that horses would one day be the one thing that gets me through the hardest time in my life.

After moving around the country for over a decade during my husband’s 16-year NHL career, we finally settled in the Los Angeles area. I had been teaching fitness classes for the past 15 years and it was finally going to be my time to live out my dream of opening a spin fitness studio. While searching for the perfect space for my studio, I had also fallen in love with horseback riding. One afternoon after riding, I fell to the floor and could not get up. I had ruptured my back and needed emergency surgery! Over the next two years, I had multiple spinal surgeries and all my dreams were shattered.

But something amazing happened! My little girl had caught the horse bug and fell in love with horses and riding herself. I found so much joy in just sitting at the barn watching her ride, surrounded by nature, butterflies, and the majestic horses! Often times, I would see beautiful yellow butterflies flying around my little girl while she was riding, like they used to do when I would ride. That made my heart so happy.

I will always believe our pony Luna was meant to be part of our family. We had been searching for about a year for the perfect pony and nothing felt quite right. I received an email from my trainer that she found one that she thinks would be a good fit. When I opened the picture, I got tears in my eyes. She looked just like the horse that I had a picture of hanging in my room at home! After my grandma had passed away, I purchased a picture that had a white horse with a dark mane with the words that read, “When you believe beyond what your eyes can see…signs from heaven show up to remind us that love never dies!” Luna looked just like the horse in my picture! She was already named Luna (which means moon) when we bought her, and my daughter’s name is Stella (which means star) and I just felt this was a match made in heaven!

These true-life events inspired me to write this story! Maybe I didn’t physically get back in the saddle, but having the courage to write my story and share it with the world or whoever is meant to read it, feels like a victory of its own! So, I’m going to ride this writing journey out and hope that my story touches as many hearts as possible!

 
connect with the author: 
website ~ facebook ~ instagram 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Happenstance Farms: A New Home by S. McMichael (Book Review)

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​Change can be difficult, especially for Savanna. When she gets a new trainer at a new barn, she can’t help thinking about how much she’ll miss Colts & Company. More than that…she’s a little scared. What will happen when Savanna swallows her fear and takes a chance on Happenstance Farms?
A fun, relatable story about a girl and her pony, your child will love keeping up with the adventures at Happenstance Farms. With charming characters, lots of laughs, and social-emotional learning, this book is the perfect addition to any home or classroom library.
 
 
Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble
 
 
 
 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book Tours. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
 

No matter the age, people experience first-day jitters. We fear, as being the newbie, if people will like us. We wonder if we’ll fit in. When we start a new school, class, job, etc., insecurities surface. In Happenstance Farms: A New Home by S. McMichael, Savanna faced fears upon her first day at the new farm. 


No matter where your “first day” happens to be, no matter your age, you might encounter emotions like Savanna. This book will create a perfect opportunity to ask your child(ren) if and when they’ve experienced first-day jitters and how they handled them. 


For teachers, maybe read Happenstance Farms: A New Home on the first day of school when many students feel uneasy. Ask students if they’ve ridden a horse before or live(d) on a farm. Happenstance Farms: A New Home can also be read before taking a field trip to a farm. 


As for my house, we plan on taking riding lessons this coming summer, so this is the perfect book for my home. Even if we weren’t planning the equestrian event, this book would be a welcomed addition to our library. We enjoyed the story and the lovely illustrations by Justo Borrero. Coffee, the horse, was pretty and Eli, the German Shepherd, was adorable. We loved how expressive Eli was in all the images. You could almost see him bouncing off the pages, excited to play with Savanna. 


I highly recommend this book. 
 
Amazon info:
Reading age: 3-8 years
Grade level: preschool – 3

 
Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: 
❤❤
 
 
 
 
 
 
Meet the Author:
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McMichael serves as the Senior Manager and Information Technology Business Partner for Training Solutions and Global Training Systems & Services in Boeing Global Services. She is a disabled veteran with more than 16 years of domestic and international experience in air traffic management and operations.  

McMichael holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, a master’s certificate in project management, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Southern Illinois University.  She is a recipient of The Boeing Company CTO Technical Excellence Award, Women of Color in Technology

“Rising Star” award, U.S. Air Force Air Traffic Training Achievement Award, and the International William A. Parenteau Memorial Award from the Air Traffic Control Association.  McMichael serves on the Advisory Board of SSM St. Charles Health Center, and the Missouri Hunter Jumper Organization board.

 

 
 

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