Editorial Reviews for Nominees
|
|
|
 Score: 94+/100 (9.4+ out of 10)
Education should be fun. It should be interesting. It should be exciting! Kids should look forward to learning. And that definitely comes through in Lisa Weckbacher's books! What Is the Shape of My Ears? is yet another adorable, colorful, and educational children's book by the incredible Lisa Weckbacher, a PhD in education with three master's degrees! Weckbacker is also the author of What Is the Shape of My Egg?, a previous Outstanding Creator Award winner which featured an unforgettable cast of farm-animal characters (particularly chickens) and an eye-opening lesson about shapes (particularly circles)! Likewise, this book also features a colorful and charismatic cast of farm-animal characters (including a cameo from Silkie, a chicken from the previous book) and also centers on geometric shapes, specifically triangles. This book takes place on a farm in Montana. It follows Pearl, a highly-intelligent miniature donkey with a keen sense of hearing. Duke, a humble and curious miniature horse who LOVES to eat, becomes curious about Pearl's heightened sense hearing, which helps her to keep the farm animals alert about the presence of predators like foxes. It is swiftly noted that Pearl's ears are shaped like triangles, which becomes the subject and focus of this book. No, they're not actual triangles, as Pearl clarifies, but they are triangle-shaped. Actually, BOTH Pearl and Duke have triangular-shaped ears, begging Duke to wonder why his don't seem to work as well as Pearl's. Humorously, it's pointed out that they actually do, it's just that Duke is often too distracted by eating to pay attention while Pearl takes her responsibility (of keeping the farm safe) seriously. Duke is SUCH a cutie! He's one of the most adorable characters in this contest, even outshining his co-star, Pearl, in that regard. It's hard to describe what makes Duke so cute and appealing, but it might be because of how silly and easily distracted he is along with how his mane seems to cover his face like an emo kid. Pearl is no slouch either. Her intelligence and sense of duty and responsibility are commendable. Anyway, this is a much more advanced book than we remember What Is the Shape of My Egg? being. It gets into the weeds and details about how triangles have different degrees of angles, some wide and some narrow. Pearl draws lines in the hay/dirt/sand to show and teach these things to Duke and the reader(s). Duke adorably contributes by dotting the ends of the angles with his hooves. Gosh, he's so freakin' cute. There's even a brief section or teaser about quadrilaterals! So, maybe that'll give you an idea of how this series is becoming more and more advanced. It's also a bit more wordy than the previous book and seems to take a lot longer to develop. We finally get into the lesson around page 14 (out of about 32). One real issue we had with this book is that the text was too small a lot of the time, compounding the wordiness problem. It was actually hard to see the text on pages 7 and 8 (against the bright-green background). What really would have helped would've been increasing the font size, bolding it, or lifting it. It became less of an issue later on as our eyes adjusted, but it did dampen our consumption of the product a bit. We sometimes had to squint and reread parts. A lot of the other animals in this book are mostly relegated to a short section near the middle, but they are great to see! Miyah, the ranch dog (a border-collie), is actually blind, which was an interesting touch, providing some representation for those with disabilities. One of the cats is named Chicken, for some reason, which is kinda hilarious and kinda confusing, especially since there are actual chickens in this book including protagonists from the last one. A part of us kinda wished we got to see bit more of these other animals. Like, we briefly see Miyah, then see Miyah running through the field with the cows. Our time with these other animals just seems so brief and cut short compared to the lesson about the triangles and angles. However, this book has it where it counts: it's cute, it's enjoyable, it's entertaining, and it's educational. Check it out on Amazon!
0 Comments
 Score: 95+/100 (9.5+ out of 10)
Lycan is a stellar, emotionally-riveting, gory, violent, tragic, and triumphant comic/graphic novel by the team of Dennis Robinson, Sal Donaire, Ezequiel Dominguez, Joel Saavedra, and Stephanie Crugnola! A Kickstarter-funded project, Lycan nonetheless exudes professional quality in terms of storytelling and illustrations. We just have to say: we loved this book! What really makes this book work is its main protagonist, Solomon. Solomon is the runt of his brothers, often overshadowed by his stronger, taller, more skilled, and more handsome brother, Kuwari. Solomon is a klutz who often slips, falls, and messes up things for himself and the village, but his undying effort and determination shine through. Furthermore, he has a loving, devoted, and caring heart. Not only do we see that in the way that he treats his family or his love interest (whom we'll get to soon), but we see it in how he treats his best-friend, Hikma, and other comrades, even when he lacks familial relations to them. What really got us about this book is Solomon's love for (and relationship with) Zhara, who becomes his wife. First of all, Zhara is truly gorgeous, a definite candidate for “Hottest Character.” Her features are both striking and elegant, coming across as an exotic ethnic woman. Perhaps our favorite thing about her character design is her outfit. She wears a bright-teal outfit that appears both elegant and rugged. Her relationship with Solomon not only highlights Solomon's caring/loving nature, but it also highlights many of his insecurities. Furthermore, it lets us see Solomon's admirable sense of honor and chivalrous nature. It's quite romantic! You really get the sense that Zhara is too good for Solomon. You get the sense that Solomon feels unworthy of her. In one of the key scenes early on, Solomon goes out to hunt and fight a wolf who is said to have attacked a villager. He does this not only to avenge the victim and protect the village (which is more so Kuwari's job), but to prove himself, his bravery, and his worth to Zhara. He doesn't want to be known as the village loser anymore. He wants Zhara to know and feel that she is married to a winner. He doesn't want to be seen as a beta male or secondary to his brother. He wants to be a great hero just like Kuwari, someone worthy of Zhara's affection and attention. Speaking of which... another thing we really appreciated about the relationship between Solomon and Zhara is that it isn't easy or convenient. There is clearly tension between the two of them from the very beginning. Zhara seems put off and ashamed of Solomon, not just because of his constant failures, but because of his lack of confidence and self-esteem. In other words, she sees Solomon as not just weak but also weak-minded. Throughout the book, we really got the sense that Solomon isn't as weak or incapable as he thinks he is. Even before his eventual Lycan power-boost, Solomon is able to survive fights with large predators and survive for days in the desert. He is able to dig graves and move loads of stones with his bare hands and brute strength/willpower. Furthermore, he's able to do the work necessary to provide for his wife and daughter. The character of Solomon really resonated with us because of how relatable his character, personality, and motivations are. Like a good parent, he's able to flip the switch and go 110% when it comes to his child, no matter how exhausted or busy he is. Like a good husband, he's always trying to demonstrate his love and affection to Zhara whenever possible. Another thing we appreciated about this pairing is that it isn't solely built around sex or sexual intimacy. Yes, there's definitely some sexual tension between the characters, but that's not the focus of the romantic aspect of the book. The focus of the romantic aspect of the book is the emotional bond that the two characters feel for each other as well as the steep hurdles they had to overcome to get to that point. Indeed there's a huge wall between the two characters at the start. Seeing that wall gradually crumble is perhaps the most beautiful thing in the book. This book is full of tension and conflict. Furthermore, there's a lot of action, gore, and violence. Where do we begin? Well, there are several villains to note in this book. First and foremost, there's Maris, the demonic entity who strikes a deal with Solomon, giving him the power to save his family. Now, Maris is very interesting. He looks pure evil with the black cloak, red skin, red eyes, devil horns, and fire magic, but he actually doesn't act pure evil. We actually experienced a bit of cognitive dissonance with Maris. It's hard to explain, but think about it like this: Remember Mephistopheles in Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe? Do you remember when he kept hinting to Faustus that hell kinda sucks and that maybe he shouldn't make this deal? Well, Maris kinda came across more like an an anti-villain than an outright pure-evil villain. It really depends on how much benefit of the doubt you give him. For example, some really terrible things happen in this book, and Maris says that he didn't mean for those things to happen and that they were unforeseen consequences. He constantly reminds Solomon that he's not a god and isn't omniscient or omnipotent. Now, you could make an argument that he does this to make himself seem more sympathetic, approachable, and believable (as a rhetorical process). In other words, you could make the argument that he says these things as part of being a master manipulator. However, some of us found that he's surprisingly fair. For example, he could easily just cash in on his deal with the protagonist, but instead offers him a duel to overturn it instead. Now, granted, he seems to have a huge advantage as a magical being (and knowing that Solomon would likely not have access to his full power), but just the fact that he gave Solomon an opportunity to fight for his freedom is surprisingly noble. Another thing that stands out about Maris is that he seems to want something more than power or wanton destruction. He actually seems motivated by a desire to avenge a wrong that was done to him. He keeps saying things like “I truly understand your pain” and “with your help, my family will also be saved.” So, we're left wondering: is Maris really the big, evil, over-arching villain, or is he a victim of circumstance just like Solomon is? It sounds like Maris's family is in danger too. It also seems like Maris needs help. These aren't things that someone who wants world domination or genocide would say. On the other hand, again, you could chalk it up to him just being a great manipulator. We don't think this is the definitive end for Maris. Anyway, Maris isn't the only despicable villain in this book. There are also the marauders who struck an unequal and unfair “peace” deal with the villagers. Basically, the villagers agreed to offer them tributes in exchange for not being raided. The marauders are ugly, evil, and despicable. They really take advantage of the villagers. In one of the most crucial scenes in the book, the marauders alter the deal to include the villagers giving up their women, including Zhara, whenever asked. This triggers a tragic scene that sees the village losing its leader and Solomon losing his brother and hero. You really get why Solomon would strike a deal with Maris in the midst of all of this. In Solomon's mind, it's the only way to protect his family from these marauders. Furthermore, we've already seen how weak and vulnerable Solomon has felt throughout the book. For example, he was forced to witness the brutal dismemberment of his brother without being able to do anything about it due to being temporarily paralyzed by a blow to the head. Trauma like that is enough to send anyone to the dark side. Anyway, this book is very dark, grim, and tragic. At the same time, there are moments of light, love, and happiness that are simply undeniable. Yes, you could argue that these moments add to the trauma and tragedy of the darker moments, but they also show something that we love to see in books... humanity. We've read two consecutive books that really seemed out of touch with the concept of humanity. Because we couldn't relate to the characters in those books, we lost the all-important suspension of disbelief. That's simply not the case with Lycan. The characters in this book are incredibly deep and interesting. So, even though the book features magical and fantastical elements, there was still enough humanity to connect with. If there's any concern we have with this book, it's that too much may have happened in it. If the creators were hoping to make this into a series, they may have used up all of their best ideas in this one issue! They've already killed off about 75% of the original cast, so are they going to have to rebuild and reestablish a new host of them? We're also not sure if it started in the best way that it could have. The book is framed with the violent, disturbing, and gory climax at the beginning, then takes us back several years to before the incident. Now, this isn't unusual, however, it may give new readers the wrong impression of what this series is going to be like. To us (at least) this isn't a slasher/horror story. Yes, it has elements of horror, but it's more of a hero's journey and a character study. Beginning with a guy urinating and a monster coming out of the wood works, killing everyone might be a great opening in some regards. We've seen it in Jaws. We've seen it in numerous horror movies and at the beginning of numerous CSI episodes. However, it doesn't seem to fit or match the beautiful, deep, and heartfelt tone of the rest of the book. If the creators were going to make a scene like this, have it involve a major character finding another major character dead. Wouldn't that be more of a hook? In any case, we're just nitpicking. We really enjoyed this book! Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 95+/100 (9.5+ out of 10)
“You know what happened to Tim?” In 1982, 15 years before the start of this book, a boy named Tim went missing from a little English town. A few of his former boy scout buddies recall him talking about a treasure hidden somewhere close by, a treasure which apparently resulted in his tragic disappearance and apparent demise. What really happened to Tim and his supposed treasure? And it's with the revelation of that mystery that we are plunged into this incredibly entertaining and enjoyable book! We join the charismatic, dynamic duo of Carol and Beryl, two 12-year-old next door neighbors and BFFs, who are frequently feuding with two school bullies in Simon and Gimpy. Now, when we say that Carol and Beryl are charismatic and dynamic, we aren't exaggerating! These two have more personality than the 1985 Chicago Bears! They're cute, they're funny, they're sarcastic, they're imaginative, they're creative, they're resourceful, they're wise and intelligent (at times), they're naive and ignorant (at other times), they're sympathetic, and they're JUST. SO. COMPELLING! You can't help but get behind these girls and hope that they get everything they want. Another thing that goes without saying is that the chemistry between the two characters is astronomical! They have code-names for each other in case there's an emergency. They generally know what the other one is thinking or feeling without even having to ask. In life and literature, there are friends and best-friends, then there are true BFFs like these two! With the exception of maybe one misunderstanding, they're virtually inseparable! You really get the sense that nothing, no matter how insurmountable, will stand in their way. Now, getting back to the story, this book takes a turn when the house of the girls' second-mother, Mrs. Ecclestone, goes up for sale. Soon, there are “FOR SALE” signs everywhere in town. The girls soon learn that the textile factory that has kept the town afloat is now closing. Many of the townsfolk who were employed by and relied on the factory are out of work and seemingly out of luck. This includes Carol's dad, who is leaning toward moving away to pursue new opportunities (not too dissimilar from Michael in Tough Trail Home by Marie Watts, now that we think of it). This would spell the end to Carol & Beryl being neighbors, putting the final nail in the coffin to all of the amazing adventures they have together including their adventures around the river into the nearby secret garden. To make matters even worse, the family of Gimpy, one of the bullies, is interested in buying Carol's house. This could potentially mean that Beryl would be trapped in town with a hateful, despicable bully living next door and always breathing down her neck. She would be left alone without her tough, brave, fearless friend, Carol, to fight alongside her. That's quite a plight! And, as you might have guessed, this is when the book really takes off! Carol & Beryl come up with all sorts of wild, crazy, funny, and amusing ideas on how to make enough money to buy and save Carol's house. For example, they calculate that it would take 19 years to make enough money from a lemonade stand to buy the house. They also calculate that it would take 108 years to save enough money if they went without ice cream. And herein lies one of the most charming and awesome things about this book: the childlike wonder and innocence. Yes, these girls are a bit naive, but there's a cuteness and humor to that. For example, to them, 15 years (since the disappearance of Tim) is ancient history, as are events like the Falklands War. To them, 10000 British pounds is a fortune capable of buying a house. To them, being deprived and starving means not eating ice cream that day. It's hilarious! They also consider doing things like dog-walking, babysitting, and tutoring. After a while, they basically decide to build their own house at the other side of the river near where they love to adventure. The problem is, to get all their building materials there would be very inefficient. So, what do these resourceful, imaginative girls decide to do? They decide to build a boat! Well, it's more like a raft, but they do it anyway. They name it the Kentucky. With the raft, they're able to bring some makeshift building supplies and materials across the river and to their secret place. Adorably, they sing songs while they're building like “Our house is a very, very, very nice house.” See what we mean by this book being so charming? It's like watching Christopher Robin and Winnie the Poo do stuff. As fate would have it, they make a huge (albeit convenient and kinda cheesy) discovery believed to be related to Tim Marston, the missing boy. They investigate using library resources and try to figure out what may have happened to him. One particular thing sparks their interest: a potential treasure hidden somewhere near their secret place by the town! They consider if maybe they can invite treasure hunters to bring business to the town and potential “save” it, or if they can find the treasure themselves! They face a ton of obstacles along the way like how to convince their parents they're studying for school and not goofing off with the house building and treasure hunting. They also face human obstacles and outright villains like Simon, Gimpy, Mr. Davis, and Hank along the way. Can these girls overcome these obstacles, find the missing treasure, and save their house? This book is phenomenal! We're not even kidding. It's so much fun! It needs to be briefly stated that this book takes place around 1996-1997, and the author did an admirable job of bringing us into that time. For example, Princess Diana is still around for much of this book, expected to help with the opening of a new hospice center. Margaret Thatcher and the Falklands War are talked about, albeit briefly and as a bit of a red-herring. Computers are also less advanced and there internet isn't quite huge yet. Another thing we loved about this book is the writing. Again, it captures that childlike wonder and innocence that we've been missing in literature lately. There are funny lines that deliberately exaggerate the girls' thoughts and experiences like: “All the girls wanted to do was give up, but they had to push on—just one more bend in the riverbank, and another, and one more.” “She abstained from buying any essentials, such as ice cream (except once)” There's also a really great passage about friendship spoken by Beryl's mom: “Friendships need good fights occasionally, just as every child needs a good fever once in a while. Fevers burn out infections, bacteria, viruses, and toxins, so they are an essential part of a healthy life. Fights are similar; they are fires that clean out all the little tensions that build up in a relationship, so they bring true friends closer together. That’s why Dad and I are often closer after a good quarrel. After a fight, it becomes easier to see the other person’s point of view, say sorry, and move on. My motto on this is, ‘Fight, fever, forgive, forget, freedom.’” WOW, just, WOW. That really spoke to us. One minor grievance we had was that it really seemed like Beryl, despite being first-billed in the title, was being completely overshadowed all the time by Carol. Carol is the cool one with the cool nickname (“Carol the Peril”). She's the one who is “daring with a touch of naughty.” She makes all the lists and comes up with a lot of the master plans. She is also the one who acts when there's danger, such as screaming, fleeing, or trying to fight. For much of this book we were kinda thinking: is Beryl going to do anything? Thankfully, our questions were answered. Beryl does have her own uses. First of all, she loves crossword puzzles and can solve problems. She's also smaller than Carol, making her capable of fitting into tight spaces. Apparently, she can also swim and isn't afraid to get in the water. What a great duo! And what a great book! Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 91+/100 (9.1+ out of 10)
The Adventures of Danny Discus is a friendly, positive, and uplifting children's book series by Kirt Seuchan! The series follows the hopeful, optimistic, and big-dreaming Danny, a discus fish who lives in an aquarium. The aquarium is owned by Mr. Chan, a friendly character in these books, on the island of Trinidad in the West Indies. Well, this book takes our characters a little bit out of their comfort zones by bringing Danny and Mr. Chan to Trinidad's sister island of Topango. It is there where Mr. Chan hopes to participate in an aquatic exhibition to show off some of the most extraordinary fish (including discus fish) in the West Indies. It is a huge opportunity for both of our beloved characters to branch out, experience new things, learn something, and perhaps even accomplish something outside the confines of the aquarium and pet store. Danny's friends, particularly Tina (a tetra fish), are both excited and curious about his upcoming adventure, saying that they've heard all sorts of things about Tobago and the surrounding area including the beaches and coral reefs. Indeed, a lot of extraordinary sea creatures inhabit the coral reef between Trinidad and Tobago including various types of fish, whales, and turtles. Some of these sea creatures (somehow) interact with Danny despite him being in an oxygen-filled bag for much of the journey. You kinda have to suspend your disbelief and just play along with it for the sake of the story. It's not so hard to do considering that this is a book about anthropomorphic talking animals. Anyway, the key animal that talks to Danny is a wise sea turtle named Tito who tells Danny that Tobago and its surrounding reefs need to be respected and taken care of because the ecosystems there are very delicate. Danny also meets a parrot fish named Poly and a seahorse named Sandy. On Mr. Chan's end, he connects with Captain Kurt at Pigeon Point Beach, a veteran of the seas who is able to give Mr. Chan and Danny an eye-opening voyage. This is an adorable and charming book. We do have a few questions and issues, especially as it relates to the previous book in the series, The Adventures of Danny the Discus Volume 2: Love of a Mother. Where was Danny's mother? It was strange and more than a bit of an elephant in the room considering that Danny's mother was a HUGE centerpiece and character in the previous book. Not to mention that her chemistry with Danny was off-the-charts and put over in a big way. So, what happened to all of that? She just seems to have vanished from the series all of a sudden. Kids who may have loved the previous book may be a bit concerned. Did she get purchased by a customer? Did she go the way of the dodo? There really needs to be a bit more continuity. There's also a sense that this book seems rushed. It probably could've been 5+ pages longer, expanding on more of what Danny and Mr. Chan actually did on Tobago. It seemed more like all they did was go to the beach, ride a boat, and see a few creatures in the seas nearby. It's pretty limited considering that the whole premise of the book was built around the excitement of what Tobago was like (and how it differed from Trinidad). The next thing we know, Danny is just back in Trinidad being greeted by his friends. Wow! Did we skip like a week or a chapter full of content? What did we miss between Danny talking to animals and him returning to Trinidad? It seems like a lot got trimmed or cut for time. Or maybe it was cut for a budget because illustrations are, frankly, expensive. Speaking of illustrations, this book's illustrations have the same pros, cons, and overall style of the previous book. It's colorful, bright, and eye-catching. At the same time, it has the same issue with the action being out of focus because the draw distance and scope are too great (arguably).Take page 5, for example. It's a shot of the entire pet store and aquarium. It's nice and all, but where is the main character? Where is Danny? He makes up maybe 1-2% of the page space. On pages 18 and 19, we see so much of the beautiful, colorful coral reef and ocean, but what about he central characters we're supposed to be focusing on like Danny and Tito? Anyway, those are some minor gripes. And, ultimately, it probably doesn't matter to most children who'll just enjoy seeing the fish and the colorful illustrations. At least the author was able to take us on a fun adventure with Danny! Check it out on Amazon!  Score: 94+/100 (9.4+ out of 10)
Ready Set Dance is another adorable, fun-filled children's book by Once Upon a Dance, illustrated by Stella Maris! The book features and follows several animal characters during their very first day of dance school! Doing anything for the very first time can be intimidating and even scary! Maybe it's swimming or riding a bike. Maybe it's going to the gym. Maybe it's going to dance class like these characters. Maybe you think that you're not in shape enough. Maybe you think that you're not skilled enough. Maybe you think that everyone will laugh at you or that you'll be scolded for not doing well. The truth is that those are rarely valid reasons for not trying! And, let's face it, we all had to start somewhere. Even the best weren't born with the ability to do flips and tricks. No, they had to learn to crawl, stand, walk, and run the same as everyone else—the same as you! And, who knows? Maybe you'll be surprised. Maybe there'll be others who are trying it for the first time just like you! Those are a few of the realizations that the characters in this book come to. And those are some great lessons to take with you! So, who are these bright, colorful, adorable, and adventurous animal characters? Well, this cast is led by Bella Beak and Quinn Hops, a chicken and a frog, respectively. It does kinda help that the creators of the book used colors (including in the text) to help readers, especially young children, to distinguish between the different characters. For example, when Bella (the chicken) is mentioned, Bella's name is in red (similar to the color of a chicken's comb). When Quinn is mentioned, Quinn's name is in green (similar to the color of the frog's skin). Bella and Quinn experience a lot of the worries and anxieties that a lot of us would have on our first day of dance class. They don't quite feel in-shape, skilled, or knowledgeable enough, but they still want to give it a try. They are pleasantly surprised to learn that many of the other student-dancers in the class (like Betty the Highland bovine; a sloth, a turtle, a pig, an owl, and a bunny rabbit) are still learning and growing just like they are. They're also pleasantly surprised that their new dance teacher, Kittina the cat, is very welcoming, patient, and understanding. Rather than being pushy and having unrealistic expectations like the protagonists had feared, Kittina guides them through each movement step-by-step, bit-by-bit. It also helps that Kittina is absolutely adorable and cute, possibly the cutest and most charismatic character in the book. Despite this, Kittina still shows a human side like when the cat gets irritated with the parents in the waiting room for being too loud and interrupting the instruction in the class. Well, that could also be considered cat-like behavior. Apparently, Kittina doesn't teach alone. Kittina is joined by Mrs. Jitterstein, a spider. But don't worry! She's a cute, friendly, and helpful spider like Charlotte from Charlotte's Web. There are a few really good things about this book. For one, Once Upon a Dance really made an effort to make it engaging, even in the absence of the dance moves typically found in their other books. For example, readers are prompted/invited to show how old they are with a show of fingers. They are also invited to spot/find different things like different articles or pieces of a dancer's clothing (like tights or a leotard). Another thing that's excellent about this book is that it actually educates young people about different types of dance moves/stances and the aforementioned parts of the uniform. They also learn about different parts of a dance studio like the barre and the mirror, elaborating on what purpose(s) they serve. Something else that we really, really enjoyed and appreciated about this book are the shenanigans. The little animals are constantly getting themselves mixed up, lost, and buckered out. They soon realize (along with the reader) that dance class isn't always rigid, straightforward, and all about dance. Sometimes, it's a mixed-bag of experiences! Sometimes, one of you might forget your uniform and have to improvise. Sometimes, you might not have the flexibility, height, endurance, or coordination to do things exactly the same way as the person next to you is doing it. You sometimes have to adjust, adapt, and even improvise until you can ease your way in and/or catch up. It's also just fun to see the animal characters do things like get dressed and eat together. The illustrations by Stella Maris are also some of our favorites in the series, looking a lot like what we saw in Dance Stance. We did miss Ballerina Konora's dance panels, but at the same time realize that this book already had a lot going on and it could've been distracting otherwise. Speaking of a lot going on, a part of us did feel like there was a bit too much going on and that the flow of the book was a little choppy. For example, the scene in which Kittina reprimanded the parents for being too loud—while possibly a familiar situation to the author and possibly an inside-joke—also pulled us away from what was already going on, thus interrupting story flow. Something different seemed to be happening on every page that didn't quite flow from the last one. However, we eventually realized that this was kinda the point. Not everything is going to go to plan, not in dance class and not in literature. Sometimes, you're going to have random, unexpected things come up. Sometimes, you have to slow down, stop, and start again when one of your students gets lost or confused. All in all, this book is so much fun! Check it out on Amazon! |
Archives
August 2026
Categories |
RSS Feed
