Erik the Lone Wolf by Sarah Finan

Erik the Lone Wolf is a cute story about Erik, a wolf cub who feels crowded by his big family. Tired of being told what to do, Erik sets off by himself, determined to be a ‘lone wolf’. When he gets into trouble, Erik wishes he had his big family to help him.

The artwork is gorgeous, done in a soft watercolour style. This is a great story to demonstrate the value of community. Sometimes family may get on your nerves, but you’ll always have comfort and help if necessary. While it may not have been intended, it also served as a good teaching opportunity to discuss introversion/extraversion, and what they require.   My cubs and I quite enjoyed it.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

 

 

 Stars & Planets by Mack van Gageldonk

Stars & Planets is part of the Mack’s World of Wonder series. This book is divided into four sections, looking at earth, our solar system, the universe, and space travel. Kids learn about the planets of our system, about comets, and meteors, about the Milky Way, and about humanity’s trips to the moon and beyond.

The reading level is geared younger, with most simple sentences, and language, but still with fun facts, and words to be looked up. There are stunning photos throughout, interspersed with goofy little drawings that add a certain charm. My cubs quite enjoyed them.

Check out my review for Rivers, Oceans, and Seas by Mack van Gageldonk.  

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Clavis Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

 

 

Make a List by Marilyn McEntyre

Make a List is MacEntyre’s lesson to baby writers, and anyone interested in personal growth. In it, she details several ways that writing lists can be beneficial to authors, and everyday folk, such as by helping to discover and/or process the truth of who they really are. They can help you let go of anxieties, and fears. I really liked her comparison between list-keeping and archaeology. By keeping these lists, you are doing excavation work on your soul, searching for buried treasures. I also really liked the comparison between the truth, and a beam of light. She points out that there are many sides to ‘truth’, depending on perspective.

There are multiple examples of lists and various list prompts. Examples include, but not limited to:

Gratitude

Defining wants/needs

Clarifying concerns

Clarifying priorities

Exploring implications

(look, a list!)

I keep word lists, to help my writing and poetry. Overall, though, I’m not much of a daily list-keeping person. It just doesn’t fit my personality. I’ll sit and make lists when contemplating difficult decisions, certainly, or looking for a solution. There is one list I’ve kept since 1993. It tracks books read by month. I’m nearing 2500, and by looking back over these titles, it sparks my memory. I can recall a whole plethora of information I might not easily recall cold.

This book was a good introduction to why you may wish to keep lists. Even if list-keeping isn’t your thing (like me), it’s worth the read. The prompts certainly worked with me! I used them to help clarify a few things in my life, and I found the insights useful.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Wm B Eerdman’s Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

 

 

Baby Bird by Andrew Gibbs

Baby Bird by Andrew Gibbs is a sweet tale about the value of friendship, and learning to be comfortable with yourself, no matter your circumstances.

Baby Bird wants to fly. Now is the time when fledglings are leaving their nests. But Baby Bird has one wing that is smaller than the other. He tries to fly, because that’s what birds do, but with his crippled wing, he can only flutter. He practises and practises, but try as he may, Baby Bird keeps falling down. Cooter, a big black and white pond bird, has been watching Baby Bird practise and comes to ask what he’s doing. Cooter decides to help, and together they try different things to help Baby Bird stay aloft. In the end, Baby Bird comes to realise that not being able to fly is okay, and doesn’t take away his ‘birdness’.

My cubs and I loved this story! It rather hit home with me especially, since I’ve lost an eye. While not something I was born with, it is something I had to adjust to, and that was very difficult. I had to learn that it was okay that I could no longer do things I could before. My little ones pointed out that everyone needs a friend like Cooter. Cooter didn’t care that Baby Bird couldn’t fly, or had a bum wing. He saw someone in distress and did his best to try and help. In doing so, he made a new friend.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.