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The Cow in Patrick O’Shanahan’s Kitchen: Review
Honestly, I enjoyed this book. It was cute, short, and presented a clear message to young readers.
The story is nice, it’s short and simple but presents a very clear message – eat natural foods. This book does a nice job of showing kids where there food comes from and what makes certain foods (does it come from the chicken, cow, or tree). Everything is presented in a way to make the reader understand where the food they eat comes from, without being too life-scarring for small children (i.e. not really talking about where meat comes from until the very last page).
The illustrations weren’t that great. They were cute but seemed a little bit rough around the edges. I would have liked to have seen smoother lines and prettier pictures, but the illustrations in the book still manage to convey the point.
Bottom Line: I would give this book 8/10 stars. The story was short but presented a strong message, although the illustrations were a little rough. I would definitely read this book to a child especially if they were curious about where there food came from.
I received this book for review purposes via NetGalley.
Ivy in Bloom: Review
This book is absolutely adorable! Not only was the poetry/story beautiful, but the illustrations were a delight to look at. The young girl portrayed in the story is adorable; she looks so dejected until the first beginnings of spring begin to show themselves. Even while sledding, an activity that normally brings delight to young children, she is laying flat on the sled and looks quite forlorn.
The writing in this book is quite refreshing. The poetry flows smoothly without being too reminiscent of Dr. Seuss’s overpowering rhyme schemes. There were a couple of sentences that stood out as exceptional and perfectly demonstrate what the end of winter/the beginning of spring is like. For example, “Spring, when the world is mud-luscious.” Or “April prepares her green traffic light and the world thinks, “GO”!”
The layout of this book is pleasant to read as well. Most of the pages are the standard full-page pictures with words over the picture in a subtle spot. But there was one page where the pictures are arranged into four columns and the text is placed in between them. I thought that added a nice change of pace and allowed the illustrator to insert a small miniature story into the larger story.
I only have one gripe about this book – I wish it had been longer. I wish there had been a little more detail and description of the transition from winter to spring. I just didn’t want the story to end.
Bottom Line: I would give this book 8/10 stars, although it’s closer to 8.5. The poetry and art were very pleasant, although I wish the book had been longer.
I received this book for review purposes via NetGalley.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: Review
If you’re intimidated by the fact that this book is non-fiction, don’t be. This book reads more like a novel than a work of non-fiction.
The writing in this book decent, but I was a little bit disappointed. This book reads more like a travelogue (which is pretty much what it was really going to be) than a full-length non-fiction book. That being said, there were times when the authors writing was truly enjoyable and easy to read.
The plot in this book is decent as well, everything up until the murder and trial is basically just an introduction to the characters and the setting. The coverage of the murder and trial itself is, well, somewhat lacking. There’s a little bit about the murder and trial but the author doesn’t seem like they know how to do any investigative reporting. I would have liked a little bit more of an insiders view of the things that were going on (especially in regards to Jim… what an interesting character!)
That brings me to my next point, the characters! My goodness, is it even possible for a book to have weirder characters? And these were all real people!! I had a hard time believing, throughout the story, that the characters actually existed. It seemed as if the author didn’t even care about the normal people in Savannah, Georgia (or maybe there are no normal people there).
Bottom Line: I would give this book 8/10 stars. I honestly enjoyed reading it but there were a couple pieces (such as the writing) that appeared to be a little lacking.
Premier Book Review 