Review: Domino's Tree House by Dawn Patitucci and illustrated by Francisco Fonseca

Join one boy's quest to build the ultimate tree house in this imaginative picture book about the good things we might be missing in our never-ending pursuit of "better."

Domino’s backyard isn't enough for him, so he builds a tree house. When the tree house isn't quite enough, he builds a tree cottage, then a tree mansion, and on and on, pursuing something "more"—something that he can't put his finger on and can't quite reach. In a series of escalating feats of tree-house engineering, Domino builds and builds, until he finds himself alone on the moon, still not satisfied.

Gorgeous illustrations of a gravity-defying tree house will capture little ones' imaginations, while the satisfying conclusion will remind young readers that wanting more might cause us to miss the sweetness of what we already possess.

Review

Domino's Tree House is a beautifully illustrated book with with a some great takeaway messages. The grass isn't always greener on the other side. This book can be a great conversation started about appreciating the simple things and finding the value in them. Kids today get wrapped up in with the mentality that something bigger and grander is better then something simpler and smaller. As I appreciate out of boredom Dominic decides to set a goal to create something bigger because he wasn't happy with what he had, I appreciate the lesson he learned for himself when he gets to the moon. He sees to the highest he can go there is nothing which humbled him to appreciate what he has.

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Review: A Door Made for Me by Tyler Merritt and Illustrated by Lonnie Ollivierre

A Door Made for Me by Tyler Merritt is a beautiful story, drawn upon the real life of the author, experiencing racism for the first time as a young boy and its impact through his experience. The narrative delivers a message of love, acceptance and forgiveness that leaves a lasting impression.

The story centers around young Tyler. Reluctant to spend the summer with his grandparents, things looked up when he made some new friends, especially Jack. After one day excited about catching a fish, he wanted to share with everyone that he met his great news. To his confusion, he couldn’t understand why no one was able to celebrate with him. It wasn’t until one encounter that specifically made reference to what he looked like that forced him to face a reality that he had never experienced.

Left to deal with the hurt and confusion about encountering this situation, the most impactful moment in this book is from the weight of his pain when he asks, "How can she hate me when she doesn't know me?" This moment just grabs the heart but it’s such a pivotal moment in the book contemplating the impact of prejudice on young people.

What grabs the heart is that there are so many young people such as Tyler who have such big hearts and when you experience a moment such as this, it can affect you tremendously. What was so special about how this moment was next handled and as we see his story continue, the wisdom and compassion that his grandfather shared gave him comfort and understanding about his self worth. This conversation was my favorite part of the book because you had someone who went through the social changes who lived through the discrimination and being able to surround him with love and assurance that this moment won’t define him was truly inspirational.

Overall, this was a beautiful story that has such a positive takeaway. It presents a wonderful message of love and acceptance that goes beyond the pained experience, leaving readers with a sense of empowerment and hope. I feel this would be a wonderful book to introduce a conversation about prejudice and the emotional impact it can have. The beautiful advice and lessons shared from his grandfather would be equally beneficial. The beautiful illustrations complemented the book and captured the heart of the story being told. This is one that you will not forget.

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Review: The Spaces in Between by Jaspreet Kaur and illustrator Manjit Thapp

Summary

Traffic! Road works! Ambulances! Where do you go when the hustle and bustle of the city gets too much?

The Spaces In Between weaves between the busy lives of several children who are all seeking secret spaces where they can go to find peace and quiet.

With themes of anxiety, fear, kindness and joy, join the children over the course of one day, and explore how each of them copes with their emotions. From the warm embrace of a loved one, finding joy by splashing through puddles, and feeling the crunch of autumn leaves on the pavement, this book is full of ideas on how to find calming spaces in the middle of the hubbub.

Tips and suggestions at the back of the book are full of ideas that are accessible to all children, wherever they are in the world.

Review

Wonderful book to ease the mind of the young person who feels overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of a big city. With everything that goes on, it can be a lot to absorb. I love how the book pointed out places and ideas that can ease their minds. There’s a couple of pages in the end that give them activities to relieve their systems of stress and anxiety. The beautiful illustrations, especially the diversity of showing that everyone can experience this is such a great visual. It gives the young readers an identifiable connection that they can relate to. I don’t want to forget to mention that the beautiful cover was such a fitting start to an important story showing the compactness of the city with everything going on and the wonderful lesson of the importance of finding those “mindful moments anywhere” that are full of beauty but you just have to look.

This book has 32 pages.

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Review: Moonlight Memories by Amanda Davis and Illustrated by Michelle Jing Chan

Summary

Discover how a young girl gains healing and hope as she processes the loss of a loved one in this beautifully sensitive story.

Piper is feeling sad and empty after the loss of her mother. So when her father, who is struggling in his own way, gives her a telescope to console her, she’s excited to explore the night sky. But she doesn’t find stars or planets when she looks through her lens. Instead, she finds a constellation of memories, a treasured collection of big and small moments with her mother, which she hurries to draw before they fade from view. Night after night she sketches, until eventually, she finds herself in a room covered in memories, surrounded by reminders of her mother’s love.

This poignant book offers children a pathway to acknowledge and process their grief over the loss of a loved one. The author's spare and lyrical language provides the emotional depth the topic requires, while allowing parents and caregivers to use the book to begin deeper conversations with their young loved ones. Whether children choose to use art as their outlet or find another way, the message is clear: they can carry the memories of their loved ones with them. An ending Note to Parents features guidance from a licensed children's counselor about how to use the book and where to find additional resources. Written from a place of personal experience, this story strives to bring comfort to children hurting after loss.

Review

Moonlight Memories, a beautifully illustrated book complemented with a sweet story wrapped up in a big hug. Grief comes in waves and each person handles it differently. When a child goes through a loss such as this, it can be difficult for them to express themselves and process. What I loved was when her father gave her that telescope to try and bring her joy, it inspired memories for her to create through her art. It was through her art that she was able to process her grief. It not only eased her heart but it gave her the memories to keep her mother in the always, including in the present and in the future.

The book has 32 pages. The reading age is 4-7/

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Review: What If Everybody Thought That? by Ellen Javernick and Colleen Madden (Illustrator)

What If Everybody Thought That? is the third book in the What If Everybody series. It has colorful, engaging illustrations to complement the book dealing with such an important lesson for kids to learn and be more self aware when interacting with others. It’s easy to judge people based on what you see or make certain assumptions but if you do, what if you’re wrong. It can have a negative impact on the other person. That’s why it’s important to be kind and considerate to the alternative possibly because when you assume something, you may not be right.

I think the book presents some great examples to highlight this thought for them to keep in the back of their minds and hopefully inspire more compassion and understanding.

The reading age for this book is 3-7. It has 32 pages.

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Review: My Life Beyond Sickle Cell Disease by Hey Gee

My Life Beyond Sickle Cell Disease by Guillaume Federighi AKA Hey Gee is a graphic novel based on a real life Mayo Clinic patient. We are introduced to Arabella, a 14 year old aspiring track star who is training for the international races. With each race she attempts, her sickle cells affect her in different ways but she doesn’t let that stop her.. With big dreams and optimism, we see her determination not allowing her illness to defeat her. As we learn the ways she manages to work through her challenges, we watch her embrace her “nothing is impossible” mantra to achieve her goals and live the best life she can.

This is such a wonderful book to share with kids to learn more about sickle cell disease from the perspective of a kid. This isn’t just an inspiring read watching her work hard through her challenges to reach her life goals and is a great lesson to be gained. Also, there is information and resources at the conclusion that will allow you to learn more.

This is 40 pages. The reading level is 8-12 years old.

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