Feel Good Pick: The Lion Inside

The Lion Inside
by Rachel Bright
Illustrations by Jim Field
Scholastic Press
2016
32 pages
ISBN: 9780545873505

Available May 31, 2016

The Lion Inside is magical, whimsical, and funny! 


A loud and boisterous lion lives atop a giant rock while  his mouse neighbor  lives in a little "tinyful house." The lion lords his loudness and strength over all the other animals and they LISTEN to him. The mouse longs to be heard by the other animals, and one night he  gets a brilliant idea: he will learn to roar like the lion. If he had that kind of roar surely others would be his friends. The mouse sets off to talk to the lion to ask him for lessons in roaring. "It was time to be strong, take a chance...' and then the mouse feels, "It felt like the scariest thing he could do...but if you want to change, you first have to change you." ( My favorite wisdom right here in this book!) The mouse climbs the rock and the lion is terrified of mice! The mouse reassures the lion that he comes in peace as a friend and the two become inseparable buddies, "..that day they both learned that, no matter what your size, we all have a mouse AND  a lion inside."

Green and gold illustrations capture the magic of the African plains. Funny illustrations of the mouse reading a book "How to Roar" and the mouse struggling not be be stepped on by giant animal feet will delight young readers. The best children's books have whimsy, tell a story and teach a lesson without being preachy.  The Lion Inside teaches readers that even if you are small, you can still be heard. The character and fun of the animals is captured by each of Jim Field's brilliant illustrations. This is a true story of an unlikely pair who become friends forever.

Rachel Bright's writing is kid silly and parents will smile as they read that the lion is "toothy" and that on top of his rock it's "LION o'clock." He is also described as "SHOUTY and PROUD." Made up words like "weeniest" and "tinyful" add to the whimsy feel of the rhyming text. I love the fact that the lion's rock is nicer now that he has a friend to share it with. The lion forgets to roar and laughter now comes out when he opens his mouth. What a wonderful concept! 

This little book will be a childhood favorite and on top of the must read before bedtime lists. If you have a child or grandchild, this book is a sure keeper and a gem. The lessons of friendship, bravery, charity, and love are timeless and this book is so much more than a children's book.

Recommended ALL AGES. We can all learn something from this treasure!

Highly, highly recommended. So highly recommended I wish I had a little one to read this to!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the F & G from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Storytelling Pick: The Marvels

The Marvels
by Brian Selznick
Scholastic Press
2015
672 pages
ISBN: 9780545448680

Available September 15, 2015

Brian Selznick continues to astonish, astound and amaze! The Marvels is a 672 page behemoth that tells the story of five generations of a theatre family, a shipwreck, and a beautiful house full of family secrets.

The first 300 plus pages are all Selznick's magical  art. The detail and beauty is astounding and the story tells itself. This part of the book had me enraptured and wonderstruck (ha, ha, a little Selznick humor there!) Visual learners and those who struggle with reading and budding artists will all love the story in pictures (and hey, who doesn't love a picture book?) The other part of the book, told in prose, was just not as compelling. It is like comparing apples to oranges, after all. Can one really compare a work of art to words on a page? Well, only if the words are truly genius: Shakespeare, Milton, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck, Isabelle Allende.

The characters of Frankie and Joseph while sweet, were not as interesting as the story of a shipwreck and a surviving boy and his dog rescued by a ship and brought across the sea to England. Uncle Albert is the most interesting character in the second half of the book. I was a bit let down with the ending, expecting it to be more compelling and profound.

Still, The Marvels itself is a massive undertaking. It is a beautiful work of art and should probably be reviewed in that way. To review the second part as a book of prose does the work a true disservice. Enjoy the art, enjoy the storytelling and you decide.

Highly recommended for the art alone! Suitable for grade 4-up. Suitable for all libraries.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the "Sneak Peek" and the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

The Night Before the Night Before Christmas
by Jay Dee
Illustrated by Darren Geers
Kraine Kreative
2014
32 pages
ISBN: 9780989810821

I have a signed copy ready for giveaway! See the blog post for this giveaway on this blog. Scroll down, please.

Beautiful design  and colorful illustrations bring Elfie and his "problem" to life. The cover art will capture readers' hearts.

Elfie is tasked by Santa to make a very special toy. Santa knows Elfie will spend hours making the toy train just perfect. When Elfie is chastised by Nathan, the elf supervisor, he gets worried that Santa will be mad at him. He had a whole list of toys to make but only managed to finish his perfect toy train. Santa arrives and looks over Elfie's work and explains just how special this one toy is.

The book has a positive message about hard work and giving your very best to any job. Elfie experiences a sense of pride and accomplishment when he looks over his finished product. He knows it is his best work and is proud of his toy train.

Sure to become a Christmas classic with its message of Christian love and Christmas spirit, The Night Before the Night Before Christmas is a perfect gift for any child.

Highly recommended for young readers and the perfect Christmas book.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

100 Things That Make Me Happy
by Amy Schwartz
Illustrations by the author
Abrams Appleseed
2014
40 pages
9781419705182

Joyful, whimsical, fun and fresh, 100 Thing That Make Me Happy made me happy! Who doesn't remember what fun it is to slide on slippery floors? Remember the funny tickle of a puppy's wet nose and the giggles it produced? The softness of Grandma's lap and the feeling of family? The beauty of starry nights out in the open air?

This book reminded me of all the little things that children love and adults have a hard time remembering. It is nice to take a moment to cherish the little things that make life beautiful and share them with a child through this fun jaunt of rhyming couplets and miles of smiles.

100 things would seem to take a long time, but this book is over before you know it, and you will realize that time just flew by and that you were entertained and having a good time reading it. Likely, there will be a smile on your face, too!

Highly, highly recommended for young readers who will beg for this one to be read over and over again. They may want to make their own observations about things that make them smile. I'm going to go make my list now!

This book would be useful in teaching rhyme and rhyming couplets in a classroom poetry unit. Another assignment for English or creative writing class would be to have students produce their own lists of things that make them happy.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)