This is such a fun and quirky book! Not only is there a monster in the fridge but there are all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures to find, including a vampire who’s wearing underwear with bats on it! There are split pages so you’re asked what’s behind the door or under the sheets or in the bath as you make your way through this spooky house and on the other side of the split page, all is revealed.
At the beginning of the book a hairy hand holding a sign for a party pops out of a top hat which is walking on skinny legs. You follow the top hat creature through the book until the surprise ending behind the secret door.
The illustrations are everything in There’s a Monster in My Fridge, with so much wonderful use of colour and so many things to look at. Each page is full of detail and practically everything has a face, from the cutlery to the hairbrush.
While I loved all of the illustrations there were certain elements that tickled my fancy, like the dancing toast, the green monster riding an electric beater with a colander on its head (safety first!) and the witch on roller skates. I need to read this again!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
There are monsters hiding everywhere, with pointy teeth and tangly hair! Can you find them? Dare you look, between the pages of this book?
Monsters, monsters, everywhere – but not as scary as you think! Every room in this house has a monster hiding behind a fun split page. But are you brave enough to peek behind – and are you ready for what you find? Each turn of the page in this book is filled with delightfully charming monsters who just happen to be doing super silly things.
Who knew that monsters crave raspberry jelly? Or that witches love glitter glue? There are lots of funny, giggle-worthy revelations for children, including one at the very end that puts them right in the middle of the action.
First, an admission. I used to be a free verse snob, prejudging something I had no experience reading. That all changed the day I discovered Ellen Hopkins and realised that some of the most emotional and engaging books are written in this format, so I was excited to see what Ebb and Flow had in store for me. Beside the joy of appreciating the story and characters, it also had me ugly crying in the form of “This is so beautiful!” 😭. So, to all of the free verse authors out there, my sincere apologies. I’ve reformed and am converted now!
The past year of Jett’s life has gone from bad to worse. His father is in prison, his mother moved him to the mainland and Jett has allowed victimhood to define him and his behaviour. As a result he’s made some really poor decisions and he’s been sent to stay with his granny for the summer, a well needed time out for Jett and his mother.
I adored Jett’s cotton candy granny, whose hair colour coordinates with her house colour. She is one of the coolest grannies ever! Her unconditional love for Jett came across as so genuine. She loves him no matter what and she gives him the space he needs to work through the guilt and shame he’s carrying about the events of the past year, yet also gently pushes him when he needs it.
Jett’s granny reminded me of my Nan and that’s probably one reason why I instantly connected with her. My Nan and I also played board games (except she always played to win whereas Jett’s granny takes it a little easier on him), she’d take me to visit her friends (Jett’s granny takes him visiting as well) and she was my favourite person in the entire world (I expect Jett feels much the same). My Nan passed on her love of reading, her quirkiness and her ‘normal is boring’ attitude to me.
The most valuable thing Nan ever gave me, which mirrors what Jett’s granny gives him, was her unshakeable belief in my goodness and ability to do whatever I set my mind to. Even now, over a decade after she went to hold my seat at the canasta table in heaven, I can still hear her telling me, “I knew you could do it” every time I accomplish anything, big or small.
Without Jett’s granny I expect things would have turned out a lot differently for this 11 year old. I know he’s going to look back years from now and credit his granny and those experiences with her that summer with the man he becomes. Now I’m talking about him like he doesn’t live on pages but if any author can make me ugly cry at how beautiful their book is, their characters are going to become a part of me. Especially when I cry while thinking about them to write my review – that’s a first!
Jett’s summer is one of respite, of taking stock and learning to take responsibility for his actions. He has the opportunity to consider the kid he was before he went to the mainland, who he became once there and the man he wants to become. Shining a spotlight on how difficult it is to face up to the actions you regret and forgiving others as well as yourself, Jett’s journey is ultimately one of redemption and hope.
While this is marketed as a children’s book, it has a lot to offer adults as well. The writing is simply gorgeous and reminded me why I love this author. There’s at once a simplicity and depth to the way Heather Smith writes and as with The Agony of Bun O’Keefe I was happily motoring along, loving the book but not realising my emotional investment in her characters until the ugly cry escaped. I wound up on the final page of Ebb and Flow with a satisfied sigh and tears running down my face, and the only word I could think of was beautiful.
Heather Smith’s writing reminds me of the feeling I get reading a Billie Letts book. There’s a vulnerability, openness and loveable quirkiness in their characters, and you’re permitted access to the real person beneath the façade. As you gradually delve into Jett’s rotten year you meet Alf who is adorable and childlike and the alleged villain of the story who I really liked, and whose emotions and acts I could empathise with. Cotton candy granny will remain my favourite character in this book, but she definitely had some pretty impressive competition for that title.
Ebb and Flow is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I half want to say that I hope schools use this book as part of their English curriculum but if schools are still like they were back in the olden days when I attended, they tend to analyse the fun out of really good books, and I’d hate for that to happen to this one.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the opportunity read this book. I can’t wait for Heather Smith’s next book!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
One summer, after a long plane ride and a rotten bad year I went to Grandma Jo’s. It was my mother’s idea. Jett, what you need is a change of scenery. I think she needed a change of scenery, too. One without me. Because that rotten bad year? That was my fault.
Thus begins the poignant story, told in free verse, of eleven-year-old Jett. Last year, Jett and his mother had moved to a new town for a fresh start after his father went to jail. But Jett soon learned that fresh starts aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. When he befriended a boy with a difficult home life, Jett found himself in a cycle of bad decisions that culminated in the betrayal of a friend – a shameful secret he still hasn’t forgiven himself for. Will a summer spent with his unconventional grandmother help Jett find his way to redemption?
Writing in artfully crafted free-verse vignettes, Heather T. Smith uses a deceptively simple style to tell a powerful and emotionally charged story. The engaging narrative and the mystery of Jett’s secret keep the pages turning and will appeal to both reluctant and avid readers. This captivating book offers a terrific opportunity for classroom discussions about the many ways to tell a story and how a small number of carefully chosen words can have a huge impact. It also showcases the positive character traits of empathy resilience, courage, and responsibility.
How do I tell you how much I loved this book without spoiling anything for you but give you enough information to convince you that you’ll love it too … Oh, I know!
Magic.
Bookstore.
MAGIC BOOKSTORE!!!
Review endeth here.
Just kidding! Seriously though, those two words would be enough for me to pick up this book! Without giving away anything spoilerish, Helena answers a newspaper advertisement for a job at Abernathy’s Bookstore. Her first day on the job could easily be a contender for the Worst First Day at Work award 🏆 when her boss is murdered before giving her a handover or at least letting her know what her tasks will involve besides using a typewriter (!) to address labels to post the bookstore’s catalogue to customers.
Without having the foggiest idea what signing her employment contract actually means Helena’s life quickly becomes much more interesting, dangerous and bizarre than she could have imagined possible. Thankfully she has her best friend Viv to help with fashion choices, the blind date from hell, and some much needed “No, you’re not crazy. I believe you, girl!” chats.
During Helena’s first week at Abernathy’s she meets a plethora of customers, who range from gossipy curiosity to full blown rage at her appointment as Abernathy’s new custodian. It turns out Helena has stumbled into the middle of a war of the worlds (of sorts) that she knows nothing about.
It’s up to her to try to fast forward her training in a previously unknown magical world, all while dealing with the fallout of the unsolved murder of her boss and a murderer whose identity is a mystery. Some of the people Helena meets at Abernathy’s seem to be trying to help her learn the ropes, others are just waiting for her to fail and Helena doesn’t know who she can trust and whether she’s even the right person for the job.
There are so many characters, magical elements, reasons why Abernathy’s is the coolest bookstore in the history of the universe, plot points and hopes for future books in the series that I’d love to go into detail about but I can’t wreck your experience of this book with spoilers. 🤐 Please trust me when I tell you that there’s so much more to this book than I’ve told you.
I just have to say that I loved the writing, the characters, the mythology and of course, the bookstore, and I can’t wait to read the rest of this series. My favourite characters so far are Viv and Judy; Viv because she’s such a fun character and Judy because I can’t wait to see how her character unfolds throughout the series. Even though this is only the first book I can see this series becoming one of my favourites.
Food I Need in my Life After Reading This Book: Chocopocalypse cake 🍫 🍰 🤤
Melissa McShane, pretty please with an entire Chocopocalypse cake just for you on top, I don’t want to sound desperate – but I’m desperate! I need The Book of Peril in my life urgently. Hmm, what can I do to convince you?! Threaten to go to Abernathy’s and both categorise and alphabetise all of the books? Tell you my augury foretold it magically appearing on my Kindle overnight? Tell the familiars how lovely they look today? 😊
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Curiosity Quills Press for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Helena Davies just wants a job that will get her out of her parents’ basement. Abernathy’s Bookstore is disorganised, out of the way, and smells funny, but it pays well and promises to at least be interesting. She has no idea how interesting her life will become. By the end of the first day, Helena has a dead boss in the basement, an unexpected promotion, and the news that she is now a part of an endless war against creatures from another reality.
As Abernathy’s newest custodian, Helena is responsible for its secrets, including the most important one: Abernathy’s isn’t just a bookstore. It’s the world’s only living oracle, producing prophecies to help fight the war against alien invaders bent on draining this world of its magic. Helena’s job is to find books to answer questions put to the oracle by the Wardens, fighters in the Long War. It seems simple enough, but Helena’s new job is anything but.
She has allies: her best friend Viv, from whom she has no secrets; Harry and Harriet Keller, elderly magi skilled at uncovering secrets; and the enigmatic Malcolm Campbell, warrior magus and one of the few who have faith in Helena’s abilities. But not everyone is thrilled that an outsider now has charge of one of the world’s most powerful magical entities. Helena must defend herself against the antagonism of Judy Rasmussen, who’d expected to be the next custodian of Abernathy’s, and her father William, powerful leader of the Wardens and someone with an agenda of his own.
Without training, without any knowledge of the magical world, and facing the hostility of those who’d wanted someone else to be Abernathy’s custodian, Helena must navigate the treacherous waters of her new world and find a place for herself within it. But there’s still a murderer on the loose, someone who intended to control Abernathy’s by killing its custodian – and Helena might be next on his list.
I think this is my new favourite Far Out Fairy Tales graphic novel. I’m almost positive that the photo finish shows Sleeping Beauty, Magic Master just a spindle ahead of Snow White and the Seven Robots.
This Sleeping Beauty isn’t interested in all of that
🎵 One day you’ll awaken to love’s first kiss
Till then, Sleeping Beauty, sleep on 🎵
nonsense. She can save her entire kingdom, thank you very much, and while she’s at it she’ll rescue a prince too. There’s also no way this Aurora will be caught sleeping on the job. She’s got an epic, magical quest on her agenda! I love this story! It’s much more interesting and fun than the original.
Along the way she’ll meet all types of magical folk and she does this by herself, without a clichéd love interest getting in the way of a good story. There’s also a surprise appearance by the most adorable pink dragon 🐉. Aww! 😍
The Good Fairy has a brilliant set of mauve wings and some awesome expressions, the Bad Fairy is certainly in need of their rudely interrupted beauty sleep and the Yeti is, well, a Yeti. What’s not to love about a Yeti?!
Alex Lopez’s illustrations are wonderful! They had plenty of magic to work with and Aurora’s personality is really brought to life in the panels, from her dismal failures to her blech! face after having to touch something icky, through to her woohoo! moments. I particularly loved that the gutters were either white or black, depending on what was happening in the story. [For those that aren’t graphic novel experts, a gutter is the space between panels. See? This graphic novel even taught me something! 😊]
Between the epic quest, the humour, the magic and everything else that you can find out for yourself when you read it, this was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ fun from start to finish.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
In a faraway land, a princess named Aurora lives in a castle, honing her enchantments amid a slumbering kingdom! When the princess was just a baby, a wicked fairy cursed the realm with unending sleep. But a kind fairy had her own spell to cast – she saved the newborn and granted the girl the gift of magic! Now, Aurora is the only one who can awaken her subjects by concocting a potion made up of the world’s rarest ingredients. Faced with strange places and fantastical creatures, can Aurora succeed in her epic quest, or will the kingdom – and she – be doomed to doze forever?
Now, this is fuel for my Far Out Fairy Tales obsession. Jak, a girl in this version with a very funky hairdo, has been told by her internet obsessed mother (well, her avatar anyway) that she has to sell her best friend Cow, a robot, for parts to the scrap man. The scrap man makes a deal with Jak to save Cow and possibly even the planet, but it means a trip to the space station at the top of the elevator to Cloud Kingdom to find some magic nano-beans.
Jak and Cow actually have personalities!! Naturally Jak’s mother’s avatar looks nothing like her and she calls at the most inconvenient times, which was part of the humour of the story for me. There’s a monstrosity of a space octopus type creature that stands in for the giant in the original fairy tale.
The most fun of all was the use of the word scrap, which will never be the same after you read this graphic novel. My favourite was “Holy Scrap!”, although “What the scrap?!” also deserves a mention.
The illustrations were just as fun as the story, with Jak’s personality coming alive with her expressions. The different colours used for the locations helped set the tone for each part of the story.
This story had a bit of everything I look for in a graphic novel – characters with personalities, adventure, humour, danger and some good ol’ quirky bits. There weren’t any boring sections in the story and I followed along without having to reread sections to work out what I missed. I’d happily reread this one!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Jak and her robotic servant, Cow, are in a pickle; Mom wants Jak to sell Cow for scrap, but Cow and Jak have become best friends. So instead of selling the rusty old robot for spare change, Jak strikes a bargain with the scrap collector: if Jak and Cow can visit the Cloud Kingdom via the Space Elevator and get hold of some magic nano-beans, Jak can keep Cow safe and sound. But what they find in space is anything but safe – and its sounds are far from soothing …
I’d like to present this book with the coveted 🏆 I’m Excited About This New Series award for February 2018. 👏
The first in the Mysterious Monsters series, early reader chapter books for kids from 6 to 9 years, we’re introduced to the Mattigan family who live in Portland, Oregon, in the best Hide-and-Go-Seek house in the world.
While their father is in West Virginia to debunk the legend of the Mothman, siblings Maddie, Max and Theo get an unexpected visitor. They meet their Grandpa Joe for the first time and unlike their father, Grandpa Joe believes in monsters and brings his Mysterious Monster journal with him. Although their father has always maintained monsters aren’t real, it isn’t long before Grandpa Joe has convinced the Mattigan children to search the woods around their home for evidence of Bigfoot!
The Mattigan family are:
Father: Marcus, professional sceptic and star of “Monstrous Lies with Marcus Mattigan”. Appears to have a fairly advanced case of Dad humour.
Mother: Vanished two years ago… [cue The Twilight Zone theme]
Oldest Child: Maddie, 12 years old, likes being in charge of her two younger brothers and is adept at using both Eyeballing and Lecture Mode to keep her brothers in line.
Middle Child: Max, 10 years old, is frequently seen with his “spy-nocular” and adopting “the crouch”. Max loves maps and old books. His love of books obviously makes him my favourite character.
Youngest Child: Theo, 8 years old, loves watching Hansel and Gretel and doesn’t go anywhere without his sack of peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches.
This book has plenty of humour, adventure and mystery, and was a lot of fun to read. I really enjoyed David Michael Slater’s writing style and was surprised by how quickly I came to know and like these children. All of the characters have their own quirks and there aren’t any boring bits in the story.
The Mattigan family have a number of family and personal catchphrases which you’ll quickly become well acquainted with. My favourite catchphrase was Max’s variations of “If that’s your/his/my/our real name”, which made me smile each time I read it.
All of the catchphrases are used frequently and while they were amusing and cute in this book there is the potential for them to wander toward the ad nauseam end of the spectrum for adults after a couple of books if they continue to be used as much. However, adults aren’t the target audience so this point is basically irrelevant.
Mauro Sorghienti’s illustrations were jaw drop worthy. What a talented artist! I’d love to own a coloured copy of the illustration of the Mattigan mansion surrounded by the trees of Forest Park. There’s a mysterious and haunted quality to the building and I want to know when I can move in!
If this book is any indication of what’s to come this is going to be a super fun series. I need to go on some more adventures with this family ASAP and I look forward to telling you about them.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Incorgnito Publishing Press imprint Corgi Bits and Smith Publicity for the opportunity to read this book.
In the second book we will be finding out if the truth really is out there. I want to believe! [cue The X Files theme] 👽
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
The Mattigan kids don’t believe in things that go bump in the night. After all, their dad is famous for proving such things are impossible. But, when their long-lost Grandpa Joe shows up with his Mysterious Monsters journal, begging for help, the siblings find themselves drawn into a search for Bigfoot.
Along the way, they’ll have to deal with meddling babysitters, suspicious psychics, a YouTube disaster, and their furious father. To solve this mystery, Maddie, Max, and Theo must rethink what’s possible – and make lots of peanut butter and banana sandwiches.
I’ve already read the first six books in the Squishy Taylor series but when the opportunity arose to revisit where her story began I jumped at the chance. It’s been almost two years (wow, that’s flown!) since I first discovered Squishy in my local library and I wanted to know if she was still as adorable as I remembered. Of course she was!
I love Squishy. I love her bonus sisters (twins Jessie and Vee). I love her baby brother. I love her Mum, her Dad and her bonus Mum. I love all of the extra people you meet as you explore Squishy’s world, even the cranky, mean ones. Squishy is one of my favourite book kids. She’s one of those people that you say, “You’ve got spunk, kid!” to, even though you can’t remember the last time you called someone ‘kid’ and you’ve never told one they have ‘spunk’ before.
This series is aimed at kids from 9 to 14 years but I would have probably read this when I was around 7 or 8. In the series Squishy is an adorable, energetic 11 year old, with her bonus sisters five months older and a grade higher at school. I also personally feel they tend to act younger than 11 but it’s not like I have a lot of kids in my life to compare them with.
I expect this series and especially the first book would helpful for readers who are new to blended families. I appreciate that the situation Squishy finds herself in is realistic. While she Skypes her Mum each day, she misses seeing her face to face. She’s having trouble adjusting to the new family that’s been moulded together when her Dad remarried. She feels ganged up against by her twin stepsisters. I absolutely adore the idea of having bonus people in your life; for example, bonus sisters instead of stepsisters. The concept of bonus puts such a positive spin on a difficult situation and Squishy’s attitude realignment is a pivotal scene in the first book.
Squishy and her bonus sisters get into trouble. At times they’re manipulative and make downright dodgy decisions to do mean things to people, but they’re kids. They bounce off one another and come up with schemes they’d never dare to try to pull off alone. Overall they’re sisters with big hearts who want to help people and love to solve mysteries in their neighbourhood.
Baby siblings rarely get named in children’s books these days for some reason and this was the book that made me notice it. In this series, I’ve only ever known Baby as Baby (so far). Perhaps he’ll get a name at some point.
Throughout the series I’ve really loved Ben Wood’s illustrations. The pictures have a fun energy about them and Squishy’s personality in particular shines through. You get the sense he really enjoys bringing this family to life and unlike a lot of children’s books I’ve read recently, Ben’s illustrations work with the feel of the book and what’s happening in the pictures lines up with what’s happening in the story. A few months ago I wouldn’t have commented on something that seems so trivial but after the amount of images I’ve seen recently that appear to have little to do with the details mentioned in the story, this has become a new selling point for me.
Squishy asks the all important question when making a decision in this book: “Which is more fun?”. A lot of adults could learn something from her.
Naturally because I’ve just reread the first book in the series I’ll need to reread the others as well before I read books 7 and 8 for the first time. 😃 Thank you so much to NetGalley and Capstone for reminding me how much I love Squishy.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Sita ‘Squishy’ Taylor is a cheeky, sneaky 11-year-old who lives with her dad and step-family in a very crowded apartment. Luckily for Squishy, their building is huge – and there’s always plenty of mysteries to investigate! Like …
Who’s that hiding in the basement?
Why does Squishy have to share everything with her new step-sisters?
Why is her next-door neighbour the crankiest man in the world?
Perhaps calling it in February is a tad early but I’m calling it anyway. That’s how confident I am. I’d like to officially present Animal Babies with the award for:
🏆 Favourite Board Book of the Year 2018 👏
If you have or know any children that are at or nearing the board book stage this needs to be on your radar. Charles Fuge has both written and illustrated this little gem. A sweet educational rhyme takes your child around the world with baby animals on land, ice, rivers and into the depths of the ocean.
Simply looking at the front cover illustration I could already feel it coming on and by the end I had one of the most serious cases of Melted Heart Syndrome ever. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that Charles Fuge’s baby animals are some of the best animal illustrations I’ve ever seen.
Each animal is detailed and gorgeous, from the cuddly baby bears up a tree to the cheeky meerkat babies hassling the bewildered cobra. Their expressions are varied and you can see that they all have their own personalities. Even the background and small foreground animals are captured beautifully.
My favourite is the hatching platypus that someone needs to replicate in plush toy form for kids me to cuddle.
I also need a framed print of the procession of adorable ducklings.
I don’t care that this is allegedly a “children’s book”. I will be buying a copy that Mum and I will wear out together and another for my doctors’ waiting room.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – MoonDance Press for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
With simple, rhyming text and lavish illustrations by Charles Fuge, this vibrant board book explores the lives of the cutest critters in the land: baby animals!
From baby bears who feel safest up a tree and baby penguins who nest on their daddy’s feet to baby koalas who hitch a ride on their mama’s back, each spread features unlikely pairs of baby animals playing and interacting. Ducks, chimps, elephants, rhinos, meerkats, whales, and even sea horses all make an appearance to bring delight children of all ages.
Wow! I’d expect nothing less from National Geographic, but still. Wow! This is a truly gorgeous collection of night photography, with short but poetic introductions to each chapter where the photographs are categorised under the headings of Energy, Harmony, Mystery and Wonder. I’d seen a fair few of these photos before but I found some new favourites, along with a few new favourites quotes from those scattered through the book.
I Can’t Decide Which Quote I Love Best So Here’s Both
“The only true voyage of discovery … would be not to visit strange lands but to possess other eyes.” – Marcel Proust
“The things of the night cannot be explained in the day, because they do not then exist.” – Ernest Hemingway
The Awards Ceremony
🏆 Take My Breath Away – A jet-black crow perches against the equally black sky, Switzerland. Photograph by Brigitte Blätter. (page 241)
🏆 Arty Quirky – The spires of Erfurt Cathedral are reflected in a puddle on a cobblestone street, Thuringia, Germany. Photograph by Henryk Sadura. (page 253)
🏆 The Truth is Out There – Lights of a train reflect off the falling snow and through an abandoned church in the late night hours before sunrise, Sorrento, British Columbia, Canada. Photograph by Kevin McElheran. (pages 274-275)
🏆 Bookish Aww – Two boys read a book by candlelight in the rocky cliffs of the Ethiopian Highlands, Tigray, Ethiopia. Photograph by Asher Svidensky. (page 359)
🏆 Abandoned Love – Subtle night lighting accentuates the remains of Abbey Church, a former Cistercian monastery, Galloway, Scotland. Photograph by Berthold Steinhilber. (page 234)
🏆 I Still Call Australia Home – A wave curls back into the dark ocean, New South Wales, Australia. Photograph by Ray Collins. (pages 66-67)
🏆 You Get a Trophy Too – All of the others.
While the ones I’ve pointed out were my absolute favourites there wasn’t a dud in the entire book. Love, love, love, love, love!!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Celebrate the beauty of the world after dark – from starlit skies and glowing city streets to exquisite nocturnal creatures – with this magnificent new photography collection from National Geographic.
The world is a different place after dark, and this breathtaking book illuminates the mesmerizing realm of all things nocturnal, with more than 250 glorious images. Page after page of vivid photographs explore the many nuances of night vision – from the sea by moonlight to night markets in Laos to the face of a child lit up by a screen in a darkened room. The range of images in these pages is breathtaking: A smoky jazz club. Flowers that bloom only at night. Phosphorescent fish. Lions photographed with infrared cameras. The Eiffel Tower, all lit up. Faces around a campfire. A stadium lit by floodlights. Earth from space. Elegant, sexy, and a little mysterious, this richly illustrated book is a stunning pathway to some of the world’s most captivating sights.
This book is just what both young and practiced perfectionists need. As a recovering perfectionist I know the struggle Beatrice goes through in this book, making sure everything is done just right. As a perfectionist she fears making mistakes and in living her ‘perfect’ life, she misses out on fun activities like ice-skating with her friends.
When the inevitable happens and Beatrice finally makes a mistake she learns that maybe making mistakes isn’t such a bad thing after all. After all, there’s less stress and more fun to be had when you learn to let go and remember you’re human like everyone else.
With a great message and engaging illustrations, I highly recommend this adorable picture book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Beatrice Bottomwell has NEVER (not once!) made a mistake …
Meet Beatrice Bottomwell: a nine-year-old girl who has never (not once!) made a mistake. She never forgets her math homework, she never wears mismatched socks, and she ALWAYS wins the yearly talent show at school. In fact, Beatrice holds the record of perfection in her hometown, where she is known as The Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes. Life for Beatrice is sailing along pretty smoothly until she does the unthinkable; she makes her first mistake. And in a very public way!
Schizanthus Nerd 