Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Mom’s ups and downs

My Mom Is Like a Kite by Lisl H. Detlefsen

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While mental health issue stories are not new, even in children’s books, Lisl H. Detlefsen makes a fresh and creative work in My Mom Is Like a Kite. I assumed that the Mom in question would probably have highs and lows, but I did not expect them to be as serious as they are. I assumed this would be a lighthearted story about feelings, one that says even adults are happy, sad, scared, etc. You know, real emotions. This is partly because Nathalie Dion’s illustrations […]

She has a secret

Ellie Has a Secret by Amelia Bothe

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While I enjoyed Amelia Bothe’s Ellie Has a Secret, (due mid-August 2025) for the story, I mostly enjoyed the illustrations. The story itself is not new (which is about a child having a secret that makes the “tummy wobbles” happen), but the illustrations really grabbed my attention. They are not overly colorful, but do not lack in that area either. They are detailed, but not overly so. Sometimes they can be a bit busy, but it does not distract or take away from the experience. […]

Get A LOT of boxes of tissues

Yumi and Monster by Kam Redlawsk

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Get your boxes of tissues and then you can read Yumi and Monster by Kam Redlawsk. Due in September 2025 I read this via an online reader copy. And while I am curious how the finished copy will look, I am not sure I can read this bittersweet picture book. Yumi is a little girl who loves to play, but both her parents and the doctors say that will change. One day she is given a cane to help her walk (only we don’t hear […]

Dan! Dan! (Santat)! Is the man

Don't Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson

The Day the Books Disappeared by Joanna Ho and Caroline Kusin Pritchard

All the Hulk Feels by Dan Santat

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I like the illustrator Dan Santat. While I like the colors, the silliness and the medium to busy details, I have never been sure exactly what draws me. The nice thing is, there are a lot of titles (some he is the author as well of), to explore to figure it out.  And there are three new/recent ones that you should try out to see if you can help explain it to me. First, there is  Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson. It is a […]

More than the crow flies

Cranky, Crabby Crow (Saves the World) by Corey R. Tabor

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At first I didn’t think I would like Cranky, Crabby Crow (Saves the World),  but the twist at the end is perfect for kids of all ages. The idea of Corey R. Tabor is simple: a Crow chases off anyone who wants to befriend him, get him to play or give advice. But things are not what they seem. There is a ring-ring nearby, a secret conversation and message (a sassy Kaw!) and one heck of a surprise for the reader. This simple thing turns […]

A couple of “new” books

A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst and Ray Cruz

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I noticed there was a reading challenge at my local library. I figured it was for kids so I didn’t pay attention to it. Yet, one day I looked at it and noticed one of the categories was “Love Triangle.” Now, I know kids are a lot more mature than I was, but I still don’t think a “Love Triangle” would be in a kids Reading Challenge Bingo. Then, after looking at the libraries website, I noticed that it did say for young adults and […]



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