Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

More Christmas and Yule please

The Legend of the Christmas Witch by Dan Murphy and Aubrey Plaza

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With the book, The Legend of the Christmas Witch, I wanted more about Christmas and less, well, witch. I understand that Dan Murphy and Aubrey Plaza wanted to build up to the climax, but it made no real sense to me why things were called Christmas. First, she practices Yule celebrations. Second, we only see her being impatient, spoiled and naive. We do find Christmas with a Santa character, who is the witch’s beloved twin brother who turns out to be a bit of a […]

When in a pinch use a banana

The Book of Candles: Eight Poems for Hanukkah by Laurel Snyder and Leanne Hatch

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After reading the book, Shrinking Violet by Laurel Snyder, I wondered what else they had written. I found The Book of Candles: Eight Poems for Hanukkah (illustrated by Leanne Hatch). It is currently available (it came out mid September 2025) but I was able to find an online reader copy. I might purchase a few copies for some adult friends and/or my local library as it had a fresh take that makes it “not another Hanukkah” story. Most Hanukkah books have an ideal setting for […]

When fear makes you small, friendship makes you tall

Shrinking Violet by Laurel Snyder and LeUyen Pham

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The book, Shrinking Violet by Laurel Snyder and illustrated by LeUyen Pham is a fun and sweet story dealing with the common themes of fear and bravery. We also have friendship and how that ties into overcoming the fear to be brave. While the themes are not new, the presentation gives things a fresh and clever take. The colors and details are rich, but not “too much” and allow focus on the story. The only real issue I had (since I read this due late […]

Impact of books and other really cool things

The Blue Jays That Grew a Forest by Lynn Street

Little Monk Writes Rain by Hsu-Kung Liu

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As you know I enjoy reading picture books. They are not just for the “kid crowd” as I have found (and highly encourage others  to do so, too) many books that give me information about something or someone I was unfamiliar with. I also find poetry, poetic prose, silliness and much more. But sometimes I am unable to write a “full review” so I must combine them to make one larger review. I do try to “theme” them, and I hope I did with the […]

Marine Life

Meadows of the Sea: The Wonders of Seagrass by Michelle Schaub

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Overall, Meadows of the Sea: The Wonders of Seagrass by Michelle Schaub is a good story about the ocean with the metaphor of showing how it is like a meadow. This idea makes something that seems unfamiliar and even alien, take on a form that we know and can understand. The poetic nature of the first part (the story) is reminiscent of the ocean flow itself. The fact that the second part (actual factual information) is added on the page allows the book to grow with […]

From dump to park

Once a Wasteland: From Toxic Dump to National Park by Diane Muldrow and Amy Jindra Hodgson

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Starting off almost poetically, Once a Wasteland: From Toxic Dump to National Park moves into the facts quickly. Everything is laid out in simple, but not simplistic terms. The overall tone is good, it allows you to access a piece of history and the extras allow the book to grow with the reader. However, “points” are lost due to the fact environmental stories are not new, it was not necessarily told in a new manner and I had questions that were not answered, such as […]



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