virtues – Cannonball Read 17

Cool drink of love

Zamzam for Everyone: Sharing Water at Hajj by Razeena Omar Gutta

August 7, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I was going to cut back on the number of reviews I did this year, but then well, books happened! Books like Zamzam for Everyone: Sharing Water at Hajj by Razeena Omar Gutta and illustrated by Bassent Dawoud (due January 2026, read via an online reader copy). There are several books on the Islamic faith for the younger crowd. However, they are mostly repetitive and hit the “big events” and there is nothing wrong with that, but I needed something different and I found it […]

Hiking through boyhood “shoulds”

When You’re a Boy by Blake Nuto

February 10, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

We know the stereotypes of what “boys and girls should be.” And there are several books out there that talk about how girls should break that mold and be bold, brave, aggressive, smart, funny, and basically be “like a boy” and not the shy, demure “should be” of a girl. This time Blake Nuto takes that concept, but for boys. A boy should be like the cruel wild, but the narrator is also saying they have learned about kindness. There are several parts to this […]

A girl and her dog learn what loves got to do with it

What's Love All About, Minimoni? by Rocio Bonilla

December 27, 2024 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

While What’s Love All About, Minimoni?, written and illustrated by Rocio Bonilla, is a bit idealistic, it is also cute. When a young girl asks about what love is, she has a mature journey to finding it. What she learns is what many adults do not even realize: Love is a little bit of everything that is good. And she can imagine sharing that with the world. As I said, it is a bit idealistic, but it does have some silly moments, too. This means […]

Ok I’m bragging, but who will if I don’t? Cannonball #9

The Duel: A Story about Peace by Ines Viegas Oliveira

A Stronger Home by Katrina Chen and Elaine Su

My Dear Sea by André Carrilho

September 30, 2024 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I was reading picture books recently and found that all had a strong theme, but I was not sure if I really liked them. I knew I liked the idea of them, but did I like how they were done? So, I present to you them and see what you think. All were read via an online reader copy. The first was The Duel: A Story about Peace by Ines Viegas Oliveira, and translated by Rosa Churcher Clarke (due mid-November 2024). The theme sounded obvious […]

The year 2025 is going to be busy with fun new books

The Three-Year Tumble: Based on a Korean Folktale by Dayeon Auh

August 29, 2024 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

The Three-Year Tumble: Based on a Korean Folktale by Dayeon Auh and translated by Tim Mohr was read via an online reader copy as it is not due until mid-late March 2025. And I was unaware of this until after I read it and really liked it. But it is worth the wait. Auh’s story is a clever story about how we see things and how our attitude can shape that. The story follows a grandfather who must go over a mountain to get to […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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