Book Review: Kobee Manatee by Robert Scott Thayer

I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

It looks like my son caught the nasty stomach bug that plagued my husband and myself all last week. So I figured since he has a sick day home today that I'd read him a few books. I was excited to see this book as I have always been a manatee lover. Ever since middle school I was fascinated with them and even dabbled with the idea of being a marine biologist because of them. I collected books, stuffed animals, glass figurines...well just about anything that had a manatee. While I no longer collect manatees I'm still fascinated by these gentle creatures.

Kobee Manatee is the story of a manatee leaving the chilly waters of Massachusetts to head home to the warmer Florida waters for the winter. Along the way he makes friends with a hermit crab and a seahorse. The three new friends have an adventure on their way south.

I loved this book. The illustrations were absolutely adorable and the story was one that my son was easily able to follow. Through out the book facts are interspersed. I'm glad that they were included as an aside. It didn't over complicate the story making it easier for readers with shorter attention spans. Yet the facts are there for those who want to learn more or those who are a good with sitting through the facts. I read a few of the smaller facts to my son but skipped reading the longer ones to him. Because of his learning disability I knew not to push it too much and found that reading only a few was perfect for him personally. I did go back and read them for myself and each one was fascinating and corresponded with what was currently happening in the book.

My son loved this book. He loves the color blue and was focused on the gorgeous saturation of colors especially blue. He loved Kobee and loved the journey he and his friends made. His favorite part was when Pablo was looking for a new shell.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Life is a Bowl Full of Cherries by Vanita Oelschlager

I received a review copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This is not the first time I have reviewed a book by Vanita Oelschlager but this one was by far my favorite so far.

This wonderfully illustrated book is all about idioms or those phrases we use that have nothing to do with their meanings such as "two peas in a pod", "life is a bowl full of cherries", or "cold turkey". This is a very hard concept to teach to children but this book does a fairly good job at giving examples.

This was still a little too over my son's head but he still really enjoyed the book. His favorite being "one bad apple". The book was simple enough for him to follow along even if he didn't get what exactly an idiom is. We both enjoyed the illustrations and he asked me to read it to him again.

I would give this a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

Comic Book Review: The Last Christmas by Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn

I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I finished this comic last week but due to a stomach virus and the holiday madness I'm just now finally able to put up my review.

Have you ever wondered what would happen to Santa and his dear elves in the event of the Apocalypse? Well the sick minds of Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn have. What came about is a hilariously dark comic fit only for those with the sickest of sick humors.

The Apocalypse has arrived and Santa goes on a bender after the death of his beloved Mrs. Clause. After turning his back on Christmas forever the earth is filled with nothing but evil. Save one lone boy who still believes in the magic of Santa. Can he make Santa believe in Christmas again? Can the world recover after the apocalypse?

Ok I LOVED this comic. But be warned this is not a comic for everyone. You have to have an extremely sick and twisted sense of humor to get and love this comic. Fortunately (or should that be unfortuantely?) I'm one of those people who just gets it. One of my favorite moments is a nod to Star Wars. Sick and twisted there were so many moments I found myself laughing out loud that my hubby kept asking me what was so funny. I finally had to let him read the comic as well. He is just as sick and twisted as me because he found it hilarious as well.

So if you are not weak of stomach, thin of skin and love sick twisted humor than this is the comic for you! I give this a solid 5 out of 5 stars for my final read of 2013!

Book Review: Magic Words

I received this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was super excited when I saw this book. The cover alone drew me in. I love mythologies and traditional stories from other cultures so I just knew I had to read this one. Let me first say that the drawings are absolutely amazing! The colors are so rich and there is so much happening that I could spend so much time just looking at them.

The story is rather simple and is about a time when animals and people could talk to each other and could shift into one or the other. It is a very simple translation of an Inuit ancient oral tradition. I think that is perfect for younger readers or those who are delayed like my son.

My son LOVED the pictures in this and kept asking me to scroll back and forth on my ereader to show him the ones he really loved. That right there is a winner for me!

I give this book a solid 5 out of 5 stars!

Book Review: Cast Iron Cooking With Sisters on the Fly by Irene Rawlings

I recieved this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Due to my abscense from blogging I am just now getting around to catching up on posting my netgalley reviews.

I was excited when I saw this cookbook. I love cooking with my cast iron pan. So I was rather disappointed when I saw just how many recipes there were that had nothing to do with cast iron cooking. I did like the layout of the book and pictures that accompanied the recipes.

The book has does a good job with giving the throw together food and cook it over a fire feel  that reminds me of the very few times I have been out camping.  It has some interesting recipes, though there were a number I honestly do not ever see me making. I enjoyed browsing through it and spent some extra time in the cocktail section (though I don't drink much in the way of alcohol). I'm still scratching my head on what cocktails have to do with cast iron.

Over all it was a decent book and was fun to flip through. I don't see it being a permanent fixture on my shelf but I can see how people who enjoy country recipes would want to read and try so many of the recipes. It wasn't a bad book but I don't think it was personally a book for a Jersey Girl like me.

I give the book 3 stars.

Book Review: Cheese and Beer by Janet Fletcher

I received an ebook copy from netgalley. Let me say I've never made it a secret...my love of cheese that is. This book had me drooling in a very Homeresque way. "MMMM cheese and beer".

The book is exactly about what you would think. Cheese and beer. It goes on to describe different types of cheeses and beers and how to pair them together. Talk about a yummy culinary experience.

I thoroughly loved this book. Full of pictures and full descriptions it will be fun the next time I host and event. I plan on trying to do some of the pairings and see what people think. I've always wanted to go on a cheese and beer tasting tour and this will let me do it at home. I'm honestly considering get the hardback version for myself to display. Munch on! I give this 4 and half out of 5 stars!

Book Review- The Legend of Papa Balloon by CR McClure

Hmmm I must have a thing for balloons lately. Here is second ebook I've received from netgalley this week. The Legend of Papa Balloon is about a land where people worship The Light. Each village expresses their reverence of the Light through a particular color of balloon. A group of children come upon an old man sleeping under a tree. He has a clear balloon under his hat and says people call him Papa. The children call him Papa Balloon. He becomes friends with everyone and in the end he and his clear balloon teach all of the villages that no one color is better than the other and that they are all of the Light.


OK this wasn't a bad book but it is a bit complicated. It was too complicated for my 5 year old son. But as some of you know he has a severe learning disability so that can play into this. For other children this may be easier for them to read and understand. My son enjoyed the illustrations, but he walked away after only a few pages. I loved the color changing ink. This book is obviously about tolerance. One of the biggest problems I had with the book quite honestly is that the children befriend an old man who is a stranger and bring him essentially home with them. I know it is just fiction but I don't think telling kids its ok to bring home that shoeless bearded guy, who was sleeping under a tree and calls himself Papa is a good idea. Stranger Danger.


As I said all in all it wasn't a bad book it just wasn't as good as it could be. I would say that I have it at a solid 2 stars. I think it does a good job with promoting tolerance (especially religious tolerance). With just a little work I think it could easily become a 3 or 4 star book.