Tag Archives: bunnies

We’ll See: Book 1, The Emotional Literacy and Mindful Fables by Jessa Hooley (Book Review)

Is it good? Is it bad? We’ll see… In the heart of Honeybrook Meadows, Papa Pip and his grandbunnies find themselves swinging between delight and disaster. Through constantly changing circumstances, Papa Pip demonstrates an open-minded resilience with his gentle yet mysterious phrase — “We’ll see.”

Throughout this fable, each new happening brings a consequential surprise for Papa Pip and his grandbunnies, and even the gravest of situations seem to unfold in unpredictable ways. “We’ll See” is a heartfelt tale of hope, adventure, and unexpected twists, teaching young readers the invaluable lesson of withholding conclusions about the “goodness” or “badness” of any given circumstance.

Mindfulness & Emotional Literacy Concepts Explored:
Radical acceptance, being present, non-reactivity, and non-judgement.

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.  I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

As I read this charming children’s book, I thought of the famous proverbial phrase: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. This phrase encourages optimism and a positive can-do attitude in the face of hardships or misfortune. This story promotes these two qualities as well. 

Seeing the bright spot in life can be challenging when times get tough. Papa Pip had the “wait and see” attitude when life threw his family curveballs. His grandbunnies had the opposite reaction and attitude; they overreacted in every situation. It is a typical response for kids and maybe even for adults. 

Whether the sweet food source was scarce or a tree came crashing down, Papa Pip kept his cool and said two key words, “We’ll see.” These two words taught his grandbunnies and readers to have patience, keep a cool head, and look for the positives in a negative situation. This is easier said than done. Even Papa Pip shed tears when the rushing water filled the meadow, threatening their home. But, I suspect his tears were a combination of losing their burrow and watching his family’s fear over the devastating turn of events. 

You can’t turn on the news without a reporter remarking about fires, floods, tornadoes, or other natural disasters. They are claiming our homes, causing families to start their lives over and leaving devastation behind. Unfortunately, it’s an emotional experience that many readers can relate to. 

Each time one of the baby bunnies were consumed with worry, things worked out in their favor. Will life imitate fiction every time? Maybe not always, but why let doom and gloom cloud your mind—look for the silver lining instead. Or, as the author writes, “It’s not always helpful to see our situations as good or bad, because you can never know for certain what will happen because of them.” This ties back to Papa Pip’s “We’ll see” mentality. 

I recommend sharing this book with children four years and older. I also recommend checking out “Let’s Talk About It!” There are four discussion points/questions that center on what they read.  

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Author

Jessa works as a trauma-sensitive mindfulness meditation teacher and Integrative Trauma Practitioner. She believes that healing our communities begins by teaching our children stories that connect them to their emotions, bodies, and lived experience through a lens of imagination, nature,& discovery.

Reedsy Author Link

 

 

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

The Unique Little Bear by Debi K Fraser (Book Review)

Seeing the joy in being completely unique.

“Why is their growl so loud, and scary and strong?

But mine is so quiet – is my growl wrong?”

 

Little Bear is beginning to notice that he is different from the other bears, and he has decided to ask mummy bear why.

Using engaging rhyme and endearing illustrations, The Unique Little Bear takes the reader on a gentle discovery and celebration of the uniqueness of every individual, and encourages us all to do the same.

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

According to the Oxford Dictionary, the meaning of unique is “being the only one of its kind; very special or unusual.” Merriam-Webster lists unique as “being without a like or equal.” Whether it’s your fashion choices, personality, hairstyle, special skill, body shape, birthmark, or so on, we all possess something that makes us stand out from everyone else. Makes us … unique.

Little bear noticed he didn’t look exactly like the other bears. His fur was golden-red instead of brown. His growl didn’t reach the same depths and volume as other bears. Even his paws weren’t as mighty as theirs. Being “different” bothered the small animal, much like it does for many of us. We want to fit in, sometimes meaning we try to act or look like others. 

Every day, humans are mocked, teased, shunned, or made feel less than because of something deemed strange. That causes negative feelings about ourselves, squashes our self-esteem, and can cause people to isolate themselves from gatherings or friendships. This adorable children’s book helps children understand that we all have characteristics or skills that set us apart from one another. We should never be embarrassed, sad, or ashamed about what’s different about ourselves but, instead, love and embrace what makes us special. 

Mummy bear said it best when she tried to comfort her son with the fact we are all different from our eyes to our ears, from our fur to our feet. Substitute hair for feet, and that applies to humans. 

I loved everything about this book. The illustrations were spectacular. I was thrilled to see the animals were shaded in unorthodox colors, making each one unique and staying on target with the general theme of the story. And promoting positive body image and self-love is always a plus in my book! 

Share The Unique Little Bear with your children and teach them to love themselves from head to toe, inside and out. 

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Author

My love of stories and the characters that inhabit them has been with me forever. As a child I could often be found with a plate of cucumber sandwiches and a pile of books about dragons, witches and magical adventures. Stories are brewing in my head constantly. 

Reedsy Author Link

 

 

Happy Holidays

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Ruby’s Camping Adventure (Shiba of the North) by B.A. Tomka (Book Review)

Roasting marshmallows was the plan, until a rabbit hops by…

Ruby is a cute, cuddly Shiba Inu with a mind of her own and a knack for trouble. When Ruby gets lost in the forest on a camping trip with her best friend, Anna, she comes face-to-face with several forest animals who don’t welcome the fox-like dog. Through the darkness, Ruby searches for a kind friend who will see the little pup for who she really is.

Ruby’s Camping Adventure is a charming children’s book for young readers (ages 3 – 6) that will keep kids in suspense, while delivering a subtle message that stereotypes are hurtful.

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 


I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

Oh my goodness gracious, what an adorable book. The illustrations of Ruby and Shiba Inu were cute but not as cute as the real-life photos of the two. What an adorable duo! 

Natia Gogiashvili did a fantastic job illustrating all of Shiba Inu’s expressions. Without reading the text, you knew precisely what the dog was feeling. If you have a child who has difficulty reading emotional cues, these images would be a marvelous therapeutic tool. 

Shiba Inu is like most dogs; they love to chase things! Shiba Inu couldn’t resist chasing after a bunny in the forest, which led readers to meet some wildlife characters. For those teaching children the names of animals, several woodland creatures are featured in Ruby’s Camping Adventure. 

I do not have dogs, but I thought it was comical it preferred bacon and popcorn over freshly caught fish. I don’t blame the pooch; popcorn is delicious. Bacon, eh. It’s still better than unbreaded fish, though. 

If you have an early reader in your home, Ruby’s Camping Adventure would be an excellent book for your child to practice their reading skills with. There are a couple of tricky words, but it’s not a complex story to read. Most words are common except for boreal. That one might need explaining. I suggest showing them pictures of the northern lights. They are quite beautiful! 

I loved the B.A. Tomka included a pronunciation key for Shiba Inu because it would be a word that might trip up some early readers. I also liked how they defined Shiba Inu as well. According to the author, it’s a breed of hunting dog from Japan. 

Amazon’s recommended reading age is 3 – 6 years. Depending on your child’s reading level, even second graders could use Ruby’s Camping Adventure to sharpen their solo reading skills. 

I look forward to reading more works by B.A. Tomka.

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Authors

Mother-daughter writing team Bonnie and Anna Tomka — B.A. Tomka — live in northern Saskatchewan, Canada, with their Shiba Inu, Ruby, and two humans, Michael and Austin. The family shares a love of popcorn, bacon, and a good story. Their first book kicks off the Shiba of the North book series.

Reedsy Link

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Come and Play! Exploring Animal Friends by Heidi Dehncke (Book Review)

Kids love animals — and they love picture books about animals, too. Come and Play! Exploring Animal Friends takes children on a tour of fifteen types of animal friends. Discover what makes pandas, raccoons, spiders, cats, and frogs unique (just to name a few). Whether or how they play, and what makes them special. While this children’s animal book gives interesting and surprising facts, it is the original illustrations which makes this book a treasure. The animal illustrations magnify the beauty and distinctive qualities of each creature. Ultimately, kids learn they share many similarities with animals (both feelings and behavior), and they learn about the world around them.

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.
I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

I had mixed feelings regarding Come and Play! Exploring Animal Friends by Heidi Dehncke. I loved the facts about various animals and insects. There was a lot of information that might be NEW to most children. 

Examples: “Raccoon” is an adopted Powhatan word meaning “animals that scratches with its hands.” While spiders don’t like to play, some play dead. I knew that raccoon tidbit, but I did not know the spider information. That just proves even adults can learn something new with Come and Play! Exploring Animal Friends, and that’s a beautiful thing.

While I adored all the facts presented in the book, I wasn’t a huge fan of all the images. Some drawings were lovely, such as the bald eagle bust, elephants, penguins, and butterflies. On the other hand, there were some that I didn’t particularly care for, and neither did my daughter: the peek-a-boo frog and the first primate page, for instance. 

Amazon’s recommended reading age is 3 – 9 years (Grade level: Preschool – 4). I think everyone in that bracket can benefit from the content. Three-year-olds might not fully grasp (retain) the information as quickly as a nine-year-old, but that’s okay. If you read Come and Play! Exploring Animal Friends time and again, one day, they’ll tell you the facts before you have a chance to read them. 

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

I originally attended Pratt Institute for illustration. Then I became a self taught editor and multimedia producer. I received my MS in journalism from Columbia University in 2000 and made the film Dust to Dust: The Health Effects of 9/11, (Sundance Channel, 2006). I also pursue fine art painting. 

Reedsy Link

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Authors: Get Inspired with June’s Sweet Selections!

Source Unknown

 

 

 

Source Unknown

 

 

equallywed.com

 

 

 

Source Unknown

 

cosmopolitan.com

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized