The Flowering Cross by Beth Ryan, illustrated by Renee Graef

It is Easter Sunday and Katie is so excited!  This Easter will be especially special as a very special neighbor will join them!  One of Katie's favorite parts of Easter is placing flowers on the Easter cross. 

What I Thought:
This is a sweet story very much rooted in the Christian faith.  It's a story of kindness, compassion, sharing one's faith, and the meaning of Easter!

Just about each page has a "Faith Imprint" with a sentence about how the reader can participates in the book and are wonderful conversation starters for families!  For example, on page one when Katie realizes it is Easter, the faith imprint is "Share what the first Easter was like when Jesus overcame death.  Each of these imprints is also accompanied with a Bible verse.

 Recommended.

Want to see more? Check it out on Amazon: The Flowering Cross by Beth Ryan, illustrated by Renee Graef.

Reviewed from a copy provided by the Thomas Nelson Publisher Book Review Bloggers program. This book will be donated to my local public library. 

Snow White by the Brothers Grimm, illustrated by Quentin Greban

Snow White is a beautiful little girl with a wicked stepmother, the new queen. The queen had a magic mirror that would tell her who the most "fairest one of all" was. When the mirror began naming Snow White as that person, the queen got very jealous.

She ordered Snow White be taken in the woods and killed, her heart returned as proof. A hunter shows mercy and leaves her in the woods where she finds shelter in the dwelling of seven dwarfs, who lets her stay with them.

But the queen knows the truth when her mirror tells her that Snow White is still the fairest of all. The queen devises plan after plan to kill Snow White once and for all.

What I Thought:
This is the classic Brothers Grimm Snow White accompanied with beautiful illustrations by Quentin Greban. I love the Brothers Grimm fairy tales, especially when many people are not familiar with these versions, but only with the Disney-fied version.

I loved the illustrations in this book. Sometimes the illustrations that accompany Brothers Grimm stories are dark and kind of creepy, I found Greban's illustrations inviting and pleasing.

Overall, a great version of this classic story that should be shared with children. This story would open a great discussion of the differences between the different versions kids may have seen. This book was originally published in Belgium.

Recommended.

Want to see more? Check it out on Amazon: Snow White by the Brothers Grimm, illustrated by Quentin Greban. Book releases October 1, 2009.

Rainbow Fish Discovers the Deep Sea by Marcus Pfister

Rainbow Fish and his friends play at the edge of an underwater canyon and wonders what is below. He is warned that the canyon is a dark and dangerous place. When his last sparkle fin falls off and into the canyon, Rainbow Fish follows it and meets a lot of new friends who helps him!


What I Thought:
This is the latest book featuring the popular character Rainbow Fish, and in this installment Rainbow Fish makes new friends that live in the deep, deep ocean.

As always, the illustrations are fun and Pfister adds an extra "sparkle" by incorporating holograms into the drawings.

Kids will learn seeing the different animals of the sea in the book. I do wish Pfister had added simple glossary of the new animals introduced in the book to give more information about these interesting creatures. (Many I have never heard of and quickly did a Google search to learn more!) I need to bulk up my collection of underwater life before this book hits the shelves!

Overall, a great book that kids will clamor after.

Highly Recommended.

Want to see more? Check it out on Amazon: Rainbow Fish Discovers the Deep Sea by Marcus Pfister. Book releases August 1, 2009.

The Gifts by Regina Fackelmayer, illustrated by Christa Unzner

It's Christmas Eve and Mia is picking up a few last minute supplies, including a Christmas tree. On her way home she sees a man slip and fall in the snow, so she stops to help then continues on her way. Once she is home, she realizes that her tree didn't make it home with her!

Mia and her dog Murphy head out in the snowstorm to find her tree and sees a young boy crying in the snow because he lost his hat. Mia gives him her hat and sends him on his way home and she goes home too, again without her tree.

Sad about her tree, Mia sits at home when someone knock on the door. Will this be the best Christmas ever?

What I Thought:
This is a great Christmas story. I love that Mia is so giving and thoughtful of others, and in the end she is rewarded for her good deeds. There is even a little magic!

The illustrations are good and create a sense of magic with the story. This book was originally published in Switzerland. This is a great Christmas read-aloud.

I particularly loved the dog's name --Murphy-- that was the name of my dog growing up!

Recommended.

Want to see more? Check it out on Amazon: The Gifts by Regina Fackelmayer, illustrated by Christa Unzner. Releases October 1, 2009.

The Best Birthday Party by Serena Romanelli & Hans deBeer

Sheep is having a birthday party, and each of the guests brings a special birthday gift. But sheep has a special gift for each of her guests too!

What I Thought:
A sweet book. This is a touch and feel board book, which is great for the itty-bitties as it allows them to interact with the story by touching various elements. In this story, they get to touch things like balloons (slick and shiny), the sheep (fuzzy), a straw hat (bumpy), an umbrella (slick, yet textured), and more.

This book is also a great introduction to the concept of birthday parties and the tradition of giving gifts to the birthday person. A cool feature is how the birthday person gave gifts to all the attendees, which would be a party favor!

Overall, a very sweet book. I typically stay away from purchasing touch and feel books for my public library (ew, germs!) but I am anxious to see how this one is received by my patrons as it was a gift from the publisher.

Recommended.

Want to see more? Check it out on Amazon: The BEST Birthday Party by Serena Romanelli and Hans deBeer. Book releases September 1, 2009.