Young Reader Pick: Bloom

Bloom
by Doreen Cronin
Illustrations by David Small
A Caitlyn Dlouhy Book
(Atheneum Books for Young Readers)
2016
32 pages
ISBN:9781442406209


"A mud fairy, an extraordinary girl, and a castle in peril." (from the front cover)

Bloom is not your ordinary fairy. Gone is the fairy dust, the twinkling wings, the sparkling wand. Bloom has heavy feet and leaves mud wherever she goes. The king and queen are appalled. Their kingdom is made of glass; they don't want all that mud dirtying things up. Bloom can make flowers bloom where weeds used to grow and she can make glass out of sand. All this magic isn't enough to gain the favor of the royals. They tell Bloom that she must leave. Off she goes to the forest where she makes flowers grow everywhere.

After a few years, the kingdom is in disrepair. The king and queen don't know what to do! The king ventures into the forest to ask for Bloom's help. When he declines, he sends the queen hoping for better luck. The queen also turns away Bloom's "dirty" answer to their problem. They decide to send a young servant girl who is a "nobody" hoping she will get the secret to saving their kingdom.

Genevieve finds Bloom and asks for her magic. Bloom gives her a shovel and tells her, " I will show you the magic that can save your kingdom." Genevieve is amazed! She can make bricks! She can get dirty and build things! She is worried that the king and queen will never believe her because she's just a commoner, "an ordinary girl." Bloom's answer is the mantra that all girls should hear, "Tell them there is no such thing as an ordinary girl..."With her newfound sense of power and self-esteem, Genevieve returns to her kingdom and saves it!

I LOVE the message! I love the HEART! This is a must read for every single girl on the planet (no matter what age)! Even the boys! Doreen Cronin, you have done it again! Thank you for your genius, insight, and heart. You have created a truly marvelous picture book that readers will treasure.

Illustrations by David Small and smart placement of font size and lettering carry the story across each spread. When we see Genevieve return to her kingdom, she shatters the palace door and bits and shards fly across the page.

What a treasure! What a gem of a story! Well done, you two!

So highly recommended that everyone should own this book! It's message is that great! This is a wonderful book for new readers and its mantra of, "There is no such thing as an ordinary girl," should be over the hallowed halls of every place of learning and over every crib.

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

Tween Pick: Twice Upon a Time

Twice Upon a Time
by James Riley
Aladdin
2013
340 pages

Simply hilarious hijinks and playful, pun-y dialog with snarky insight and in-your-face sarcasm, James Riley's characters shine! May, Jack and Phillip are in search of May's true identity. She won't believe the evil Queen is her real grandmother; there has to be some other explanation. Traveling through a normal fairy tale would be easy; if only May's  adventures were  really like the ones in a book. May's fairy tale is entirely different. Mermaids aren't friendly, the big bad wolf is hungry, and fairies are evil. The Land of Never is full of overweight, middle-aged, clueless ninnies--not imaginative, playful children who never grow up.

The wolf says the Queen wants the intruders alive and unhurt, but,"...if you resist, I could just tell her that it wasn't possible, that I was forced to bite off an arm here or there." After escaping the wolf and some goblins, the three find themselves in the Land of Never, where no one ever grows up--oh, people age, but they just  never grow up. Middle aged adults act like happy children who want to play make believe and swim in the chocolate river. May tells them to stop their inane singing and to stop acting like kids and they run off. Next adventure, rescuing  Peter from the friendliest pirates in history.

After a run-in with Bluebeard and evil Mer-people, May hears about her family's secret. Jack's heart is broken and he leaves for the next adventure. The series promises to have a fun ending; pick up Once Upon: The End to complete the series.

A must-have for fans of fractured fairy tales and fairy tale inspired books, Twice Upon a Time is fun entertainment at its best and is sure to leave readers laughing.

Highly, highly recommeded grade 5-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensationf or 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)