The Baker and the Bard: A Cozy Fantasy Adventure by Fern Haught
I have wanted to read The Baker and the Bard: A Cozy Fantasy Adventure by Fern Haught since I first saw it coming out, which was probably around 2023 for reader copies, and then 2024 for finished editions. Now it is 2025 and I am glad that I read it via an online reader copy as it was terribly short and it had a few open spots that I felt needed to be filled in and while I enjoyed it, I do not want a […]
The Midnight Zoo by Maudie Powell-Tuck
Author Maudie Powell-Tuck starts in the middle of the story in The Midnight Zoo where we learn Eva has lost her cat Luna. Eva has looked all over and taken all sorts of actions to find them. Of course, as bedtime comes around, and Luna is not found, Eva is obviously distressed. Then, in what you can believe is a real event, or a dream, Eva finds herself at the titled zoo, where the animals help her look for said cat. Overall, things are whimsical, […]
The Birds of Christmas by Olivia Armstrong
The Birds of Christmas by Olivia Armstrong and illustrated by Mira Miroslavova is a delightful spiritual story with a folktale approach. The colors and images are rich and move the story along. We follow the birds during the birth of the Christ child and the gifts they give to him. Yet, even though it Christian based (the birth of Christ) it is less religious and more wanting to give the spirit of the season. I loved how Miroslavova’s illustrations are rich, pretty and show how […]
The Dangerous Alphabet Book by DK Ryland
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 […]
Tiny Bean's Big Adventures V01 by Stephanie Graegin
Ten tiny stories about a tiny character called Bean are collected in Tiny Bean’s Big Adventures V01. It is currently available but read via an online reader copy. The author Stephanie Graegin made a sweet collection of life events for the younger to almost 10 aged reader. The older toddler will love being read to, while the aged 7 or 8 will enjoy their first “big kid” reading chance. Overall, things are just cute. Cute characters, cute stories, cute illustrations. There is some humor that […]
The Slightly Spooky Tale of Fox and Mole by Cecilia Heikkila
Cbr17bingo Green While the title of The Slightly Spooky Tale of Fox and Mole (as did promotional material) does say slightly spooky, I felt it was spooky and one should drop the slightly! However, it is not necessarily over the top so most ages at least five and up could read and the adult reader will understand the metaphor of friendship and selfishness, plus anger about being taken advantage of. Cecilia Heikkila’s clever text and illustrations make for loveable characters (even if Mole is a […]
