Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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From Diabolical Dart Frogs to Kissing Kiwis and beyond

The Dangerous Alphabet Book  by DK Ryland

August 7, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

While alternative alphabet books are not new, The Dangerous Alphabet Book  has a clever concept. We start off with the usual A is for something that is nice, normal, familiar. But in the middle of that an Alligator jumps in and hijacks the tale. By wanting to mix things up, make things a little edgy, and make it dangerous, they cause all sorts of mischief and mayhem to ensue. Of course, our first narrator fights this change, until they realize maybe it is a little […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Cooking/Food, Fantasy, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry Tagged With: #food, Adorable Avocado, Alphabet, animals, Concepts, DK Ryland

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:358 · Genres: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Cooking/Food, Fantasy, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry · Tags: #food, Adorable Avocado, Alphabet, animals, Concepts, DK Ryland ·
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Did you know that you can read the dictionary?

The Dictionary Story. by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston

August 14, 2024 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Oliver Jeffers has created another story that is perfectly their style of writing and illustrations and Sam Winston joins the creativity to add to the party in The Dictionary Story.  While recently having become available, I did read via an online reader copy.  This time things are not what they seem at first glance. You think (or at least I did) that the book would be dictionaries and how they work. However, the author decides that to make the dictionary upset that, unlike the other […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fantasy, Fiction, Poetry Tagged With: Alphabet, Books, Concepts, imagination, Oliver Jeffers, Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston, Sam Winston

BlackRaven's CBR16 Review No:388 · Genres: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fantasy, Fiction, Poetry · Tags: Alphabet, Books, Concepts, imagination, Oliver Jeffers, Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston, Sam Winston ·
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“The world isn’t built for the needs of disabled kids quite yet. Until it is, we must work hard finding creative ways to get things done & make life fun!”

The ABCs of Disabilities by Sean Gold

August 5, 2024 by NTE Leave a Comment

When you’re speaking to directly to an audience of mostly children, especially ones who either can’t read independently yet, or are just learning to read, it’s understandably easy to fall into a lot of simple traps.  A lot of picture books I’ve encountered are either too babyish or too preachy, too oversimplified or not simplified enough; Many times it feels as if some authors have not interacted with an actual human child in their own recent memory, because they speak in ways kids don’t speak, […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Featured, Health, Non-Fiction Tagged With: ABCs, Alphabet, alphabet book, cbr16bingo, cbr16bingo dream, debut author, picture book, sean gold

NTE's CBR16 Review No:1 · Genres: Children's Books, Featured, Health, Non-Fiction · Tags: ABCs, Alphabet, alphabet book, cbr16bingo, cbr16bingo dream, debut author, picture book, sean gold ·
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Free Spirit Publishing has some neat books

Thank You, Night by Dan McCauley

Thank You, Rain by Dan McCauley

B Is for Belonging by Shannon Anderson

Hello, Beech Tree! by Rasha Hamid

August 2, 2024 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

A while back I saw two online reader copies that had intriguing covers (or thumbnails of the cover as it was only a small image). I liked them, but figured I knew what they were about by judging the cover. Thank You, Night and Thank You, Rain looked like they would be nice father and child stories. One set at night and one set in/around a rainy day. And I was not wrong. (Yes, I read them eventually.) They had more to them than those […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, Non-Fiction Tagged With: Alphabet, Brooklyn (New York), City & Town Life, Concepts, conservation, Dan McCauley, diversity, emotions, Jo Loring-Fisher, John Joven, lifestyle, meditation, mindfulness, nature, New York (State), Rasha Hamid, school, Shannon Anderson, Social Themes, Social Topics, Sofia Moore, Trees, Values & Virtues, Weather

BlackRaven's CBR16 Review No:358 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, Non-Fiction · Tags: Alphabet, Brooklyn (New York), City & Town Life, Concepts, conservation, Dan McCauley, diversity, emotions, Jo Loring-Fisher, John Joven, lifestyle, meditation, mindfulness, nature, New York (State), Rasha Hamid, school, Shannon Anderson, Social Themes, Social Topics, Sofia Moore, Trees, Values & Virtues, Weather ·
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How I used weltschmerz to inspire my reviews

P Is for Palestine : A Palestine Alphabet Book by Golbarg Bashi

The Many Problems of Rochel-Leah by Jane Yolen

June 6, 2024 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Currently the world events should be causing us all weltschmerz (thank you to the word of the day at our morning meeting). It means “world pain” (or a feeling of sadness about the state of the world. Melancholy or world weariness). And I am naive enough to believe that if we start reading about the people involved, it can show us how we are not different from each other, but how our similarities should be bringing us together.  Like P Is for Palestine : A […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, History, Poetry Tagged With: Alphabet, Concepts, Education, family, Felishia Henditirto, Golbarg Bashi, Golrokh Nafisi, Jane Yolen, Social Themes

BlackRaven's CBR16 Review No:272 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, History, Poetry · Tags: Alphabet, Concepts, Education, family, Felishia Henditirto, Golbarg Bashi, Golrokh Nafisi, Jane Yolen, Social Themes ·
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Get cozy, this is a long butt review!

C is for Coven: A Witchcraft Alphabet Book by Andrea Stein

Flora & the First Day of Spring: A Wheel of the Year Book by Kathleen Converse

What Witches Wear by Andrea Stein

Sunday the Sea Witch by Andrea Stein

November 29, 2023 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

After reading Luke & the Longest Night: A Wheel of the Year Book I found more Moon Dust Press titles to read. I am not pagan or an earth-centered person/witch, or into wicca, but I do find it interesting and wish to know more about the subjects. Therefore, my local library was kind enough to find four more titles for me to read. The first book the publisher released in 2020 was C is for Coven: A Witchcraft Alphabet Book by Andrea Stein. It is […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Health, Non-Fiction Tagged With: Alphabet, Andrea Stein, Cayce Matteoli, celebrations, Concepts, Emotions & Feelings, Hanna Sultanova, Kathleen Converse, magic, Moon Dust Press, Science & Nature, seasons, Social Theme, spring, Taylor Barron, witchcraft

BlackRaven's CBR15 Review No:836 · Genres: Children's Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Health, Non-Fiction · Tags: Alphabet, Andrea Stein, Cayce Matteoli, celebrations, Concepts, Emotions & Feelings, Hanna Sultanova, Kathleen Converse, magic, Moon Dust Press, Science & Nature, seasons, Social Theme, spring, Taylor Barron, witchcraft ·
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