Book Review: Goth Moth

• Publisher: NorthSouth Books
• Publication Date: September 3, 2024
• Author: Kai Lüftner
• Genre: Children’s Fiction
• Page Count: 32

⭐⭐

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Blurb

Walter is a shy moth. He prefers to hide out in his quiet attic. But a fiery passion slumbers in him . . . In his heart he is a drummer, a true “Goth Moth.” There’s just one problem: Walter has no drums, let alone a band. The moth adores the music by Jitterbug (also known as Lady B. Marie)—his idol. At one of her concerts, the unimaginable happens: the Goth Moth now finds himself on stage, in the limelight.

Kai Lüftner’s rollicking rhymes tell the story of someone who flies under the radar with daring rhythm. Wiebke Rauers prepares the stage for our shy hero in such a thrilling way that you too will become a Goth Moth fan.

Rock on with Walter the Goth Moth and Lady B. Marie the Jitterbug in these musical refrains about being yourself!

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My Thoughts & Opinions

Having enjoyed the first book, Jitterbug, I was excited at the opportunity to read the Goth Moth. However, I didn’t find Goth Moth to have the same dynamics. The rhyming isn’t as fun and I think that the character illustration is a bit creepy.

Not a bad picture book, but I think that some children may get a little scared by the main character. Two stars.

I was invited to read a DRC from NorthSouth Books through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

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Book Tour: Tot Fun Puzzles and Mazes

• Publisher: Anna Conrad, LLC
• Publication Date: November 28, 2023
• Author: Anna Conrad
• Genre: Children’s Activity Book: 6 – 12+
• Page Count: 206

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Review

Welcome to the December 14th tour stop for Tot Fun Puzzles and Mazes. Many thanks to Kelly Lacey of Love Books Tours for organizing the tour and providing gifted printed copies of the book for review.

If you love solving puzzles, why not share your joy and enthusiasm with your children or grandchildren? Tot Fun Puzzles and Mazes is the perfect book for puzzle solving enthusiasts ages 6 through 12+ or older like me. I certainly found some of the logic puzzles to be a little challenging, but so satisfying to solve.

The book contains over 200 different puzzles ranging from math word problems, logic problems, spot the differences, mazes, hidden objects, word find, and more. All of the puzzles and mazes are colorfully and whimsically illustrated and come in three different levels of difficulty. They were all fun to solve. But if you ever get stumped, the solutions can be found at the back of the book.

I certainly had a great time with Tot Fun Puzzles and Mazes. So if there’s a special puzzle master in your life, this book is sure to be a winner. Five oustanding stars.

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Author Bio

Tot Fun, an imprint of Anna Conrad, LLC. specializes in creating educational and entertaining puzzle books for children aged 6 – 12+. Committed to delivering high-quality content, our books bolster problem-solving and critical thinking skills. With the expertise of our extraordinary team of artists, we bring to life the most vibrant colors and enchanting illustrations, ensuring both creative and educational play. Every puzzle and maze is designed to guide young explorers on a journey of discovery, cultivating their curiosity and enhancing their abilities with every challenge.

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DRC Review: The Great Big Book of ‘Whoa! Really?

• Publisher: BooksGoSocial
• Publication Date: September 18, 2023
• Author: Joe Gatto
• Genre: Children’s Nonfiction
• Page Count: 284

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Review

Trivia Pursuit fans will love this book! The book contains oodles and oodles of fascinating and interesting facts. From the obvious to the obscure, The Great Big Book of”Whoa! Really? is a trivia afficionado’s dream.

The segments in the book covered topics such as pirates, space, nature’s wonders, and my personal favorites, animals and smorgasbord. There’s an extensive section on sports that didn’t quite interest me, but I’m sure sports fans will love this section. Some of the sports mentioned included, lacrosse, soccer, and baseball.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Great Big Book of ‘ Whoa! Really? It was fun, entertaining, and educational. What could be better than that? Five stars.

I received a DRC from BooksGoSocial through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

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DRC Review: Rumi — Poet of Joy and Love

• Publisher: NorthSouth Books
• Publication Date: March 5, 2024
• Author: Rashin Kheiriyeh
• Genre: Children’s Fiction | Children’s Nonfiction | Multicultural Interest
• Page Count: 40

⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Review

I loved the beautiful illustrations in the book. The story, not so much. I expected more poetry or philosophical phrases that could be instilled in the young ones, but there wasn’t much.

Although I appreciated the history of Rumi as outlined in the book, I don’t think children would value it as much. And I got the sense that some things got lost in translation since the writing was a little haphazard.

Overall, I found Rumi to be a likable read. Five stars for the illustrations. Two stars for the story, for a three star average.

I received a DRC from NorthSouth Books through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

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Book Tour: My Life Beyond Depression

• Tour Date: July 13, 2023
• Publisher: Mayo Clinic Press
• Author: Hey Gee and Gifty
• Genre: Children’s Non-fiction
• Page Count: 40

Welcome to the July 13th book tour stop. Today, I’m reviewing My Life Beyond Depression as told through the lens of of a twelve year old and how she copes with living with a mood disorder.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Blurb

By Hey Gee and Gifty • Illustrated by Hey Gee

• Inspired by Gifty’s experience with childhood depression.
• Depression may show up differently in kids or teens, compared with adults. It may lead to behavioural outbursts, irritability, negative feelings or thoughts about themselves, and self-harm, such as cutting.
• Follow along in this beautifully illustrated graphic novel, and learn how Bindu copes with her mood disorder, with help from her support system, and discovers life beyond depression.

Gifty, who helped create this story about 12 year-old Bindu, has had depression since she was young. For her, it may be caused in part by living in a community with very little diversity and being physically disabled from a stroke early in her life. She is not able to participate in many of the activities that her peers do. She’d like to play sports such as soccer, volleyball and basketball, and to dance and act in plays. Her disability makes this very difficult and she feels left out of almost everything. She is 15 years old and wants to hang out with her friends, but her friends do not live in her small town. Her family is looking for a school that might better fit her needs, and moving to an area with more diversity and better resources is a possibility.

Gifty does have a good support system in her family and older friends who have similar interests, including social activism, poetry and music. She has also been able to reconnect with her birth family in Liberia, and she hopes to return in the next few years.

Gifty’s life has been challenging for sure, but she is and always has been a fighter. She is an inspiration to all who know and love her.

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Review

I found My Life Beyond Depression to be very informative. Little did I know that young children can be afflicted with the mood disorder. And that genetic or biological factors may contribute to depression.

Through the lens of twelve year old Bindu, readers are provided helpful tips on managing depression symptoms with activities of daily living.

With cute illustrations, My Life Beyond Depression addresses a sensitive subject in a non threatening and approachable way. Four solid stars.

I received an ARC of the book from Mayo Clinic Press through Love Books Tours. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

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