Picture books for everyone

Unicorn Day by Diana Murray

There's just something infinitely appealing about unicorns. Cute or fierce, playful or serious, we can't get enough of them. That element alone means this book will have this book rating pretty highly with pre-readers and readers alike. The story is told in a natural, sing-song style rhyme reminiscent of Dr Seuss that makes it very readable. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and dynamic with a consistent sense of motion. The plot is very simple and easily understood by the preschool set and can be expanded into a larger discussion of acceptance and exclusion for older kids.

More information: Unicorn Day releases June 4
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Book review - The Boy from Tomorrow

Title: The Boy from Tomorrow
Author: Camille DeAngelis
Genre: sci-fi
Similar books: Flower Moon by Gina Linko
                      A Year Without Autumn by Liz Kessler
Rating:

kind of a mixed bag

Summary (provided by publisher): Josie and Alec both live at 444 Sparrow Street. They sleep in the same room, but they’ve never laid eyes on each other. They are twelve years old and a hundred years apart.
The children meet through a hand-painted talking board―Josie in 1915, Alec in 2015―and form a friendship across the century that separates them. But a chain of events leave Josie and her little sister Cass trapped in the house and afraid for their safety, and Alec must find out what’s going to happen to them.
Can he help them change their future when it’s already past?

My opinion: I'm a fan of books about the spiritualist movement. It's a fascinating point in history. I like reading books about time travel and the paradoxes inherent in the idea. DeAngelis explores these paradoxes to a significant degree. She also focuses a lot more on the historical characters than the modern ones. Alec is largely only there to serve as a device for change in the lives of Josie and Cass. It would be stronger if there had been more development in both time periods.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Travel houses

Last week I posted about some tiny peg dolls I'd made for larger craft fair project. I've finally finished the rest of the project: altoid tin houses.

 

Book review - Two Like Me and You

Title: Two Like Me and You
Author: Chad Alan Gibbs
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: In Real Life by Jessica Love
                      The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner
Rating:

fun, if you don't think too hard about it

Summary (provided by publisher): Edwin Green's ex-girlfriend is famous. We're talking cover-of-every-tabloid-in-the-grocery-store-line famous. She dumped Edwin one year ago on what he refers to as Black Saturday, and in hopes of winning her back, he's spent the last twelve months trying to become famous himself. It hasn't gone well.
But when a history class assignment pairs Edwin with Parker Haddaway, the mysterious new girl at school, she introduces him to Garland Lenox, a nursing-home-bound World War II veteran who will change Edwin's life forever.
The three escape to France, in search of the old man's long-lost love, and as word of their adventure spreads, they become media darlings. But when things fall apart, they also become the focus of French authorities. In a race against time, who will find love, and who will only find more heartache?

My opinion: If you think about it too much, the plot of this book is pretty ludicrous. Luckily, Gibbs keeps it moving pretty constantly so we don't do a lot of lingering on the details. Instead, we get caught up in watching the ridiculousness unfold. Its a standard road trip comedy with a touch of heart. On the plus side, it doesn't resolve in a neat and tidy way. Everyone leaves the situation a little bit changed, perhaps a little bit wiser, and looking at the world through a different lens.
More information: Two Like Me and You releases May 20.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - This Land is My Land

This Land is My Land by Andy Warner and Sofie Louise Dam

If you're a fan of weird history facts, this is the book for you. Warner and Dam have collected stories of micronations and fringe societies. Each story is fairly short, easily digestible in short bursts. It's also very readable. Each story is a narrative, making it a collection of little stories. It's organized  thematically, based on how/why the community was founded and why it failed.  As a bonus, the whole thing is illustrated. A book I'd easily recommend.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Tiny peg dolls

With my summer craft fair fast approaching I've got some new projects in the works. These little peg people are part of a larger project I'll be revealing soon.

 

A trio of magificient ladies

A few weeks ago I posted about a Sojourner Truth peg doll I had made for an upcoming craft fair. This weekend I added to the collection with 3 more ladies: Sally Ride, Jane Goodall, and Mother Teresa. I'm pretty pleased with how the group is shaping up.