Word Play by Tricia Gardella
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Word play: This was such a cute read! Very simple and a quick one. Little Joe is excited for school because he gets to learn how to read, but is disappointed when they don’t dive right in to reading! He actually leaves the school and walks around town looking for someone to teach him to read! Joe is found, goes back to school and happy endings all around.
A Miracle In Muffin: A True Story by Darlene Duemo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A Miracle In Muffin: A True Story was a sweet story about finding a missing kitten thought lost forever and finding salvation.
This book is meant to be a children’s story; however, it does read a little too advanced or mature for younger children and I feel would be too “kiddish” for older children. I’m honestly not sure what age category this would fall into. It’s a sweet story and an easy read.
Nessie and the Viking Gold by Lois June Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Nessie and the Viking Gold (Nessie’s Grotto) is the 2nd in a series about siblings Craig and Linda and their adventures with Nessie. This one focuses more on Linda, as Craig is growing up and seems to be trying to fit into a more mature world. Their family are back at Loch Ness and the 2 are of course on the water looking for Nessie almost immediately, this time with a new friend.
As always, a great read for younger kiddos as is anything by this author! I always have fun reading this one to my girls and they love it as well.
Nessie and the Living Stone by Lois June Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Nessie and the Living Stone was a really cute read. I read it to my girls before bed time and they really enjoyed it! My oldest is having a hard time with sharing and being selfish and was really able to spot that in Craig since we’ve been working with her on it. All three girls were able to see difference in attitudes between Craig and Linda in how nice he was towards her at the end. A fun story and good way for kiddos to learn these lessons!
Porter and Midge: Paws and Playtime: A Kid’s Guide to a Happy Dog by Giselle Nevada
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
My girls and I really enjoyed this book! The rhyme of the words makes it almost hypnotic for my toddlers and they loved learning how they can play with puppies safely and how the puppies can have more fun. It’s a really good read for adults as well, who are wanting to get their dogs thriving and trying new things.
Carrie’s Flight by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Carrie’s Flight by Lois Wickstrom was such a cute book! My girls loved it and thought it was so amazing that Carrie was able to fly. They were hooked the whole time. I also loved the information that Wickstrom gave on the starlings at the end of the story. Overall, very easy to read, really a cute and fun story your children will love.
The Christmas Carousel by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Christmas Carousel by K. L. Small is the 2nd book in the Brass Ring Series. I was completely captivated by the first book and the 2nd book held the same magic for me! Such a great book for children. Though the carousel from the first book is closed for the season, the magic doesn’t stop. A Christmas carousel takes up residence temporarily in the mall, providing new adventures and the true meaning of Christmas. Absolutely amazing, especially for slightly older children who are learning what Christmas really is about. Definitely recommend!
The Magic Carousel by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Ok so I absolutely LOVED this book! I was planning on just reading it to my kids as they fall asleep, but found myself reading long after they had started sleeping. My girls loved it (3 and 4) but I am also going to give it to my 12 year old to read and I think he would really enjoy it too.
The world building is incredible and so vivid. The storyline is so unique and the characters are wonderful. K. L. Small really brings the main characters to life and I just wanted to rescue poor Rus. No spoilers, but I felt so sorry for him and was so frustrated that the adults in his life didn’t seem to notice he was struggling. Happy endings for all, but does illustrate some real life struggles in a way that is easy to understand and empathize with.
Recommend this book for readers of all ages!
My Big Red Monster (Giants and Monsters) is a children’s book by Lois Wickstrom and it was a good read. I was able to set my grandson on my lap and read it to him. We loved that the book taught a valuable lesson to the readers as things are not always what they appear. The monster truly is not that scary and together they were able to go on an adventure in the city.
Lois Wickstrom truly gave children a book that helps them learn about overcoming fear, building friendships, and makes it fun for children to read. The illustration in the book was also amazing and very well done! We loved the book and highly recommend.
Porter and Midge: Paws for Safety: A Kid’s Guide to Safe Dog Interactions by Giselle Nevada
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
My girls and I loved this Porter and Midge book! My toddlers are 4 and 3 and absolutely LOVE animals, but are still learning how to respect their spaces and how to approach strange dogs. We’ve been working with them, and this book was a great visual reminder for them. Some of it was a little above their ages, but overall was still important information for them to learn in a fun way.
Would definitely recommend if you have pets or if your littles have a love for animals and just not quite sure how to show it in a gentle way!
Mr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Mr. Barsin’s Toy Emporium was such a great book! I read it out loud to my girls before bed and they loved it. The imagination is wild and the storyline is incredibly captivating! The stories of 3 different children intertwine in amazing ways and combine to one overarching storyline. Would def recommend!
Oscar and Emmy Lose a Friend: A story about pet loss and saying goodbye to a furry friend. Ages 5-11 and kindergarten through grade 5. by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oscar and Emmy Lose a Friend: A Story About Euthanasia was a wonderful and heartbreaking read. It’s perfect for helping to explain loss and death of a family pet to children, or even a simple way to help young adults process the grief. The story explains enough without being too detailed on a delicate matter, while also being straightforward and not sugar coating things, as does tend to happen when explaining something so painful to children.
Writer, Mary Blackwehl, and Illustrator, Gabby Correla, have created an enchanting, delightful pirate story in their book, Arrrgh! Me Hate To Wait, which follows the tale of Half-Pint Porky as they take their first steps towards attending big kid school. It is the ideal book for helping children comprehend the progression from being a little kid to a big kid. My 4-year-old grandson simply loves it! The illustrations are vibrant and wonderfully captivating, enhancing the narrative even further.
Things are Shaking by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Things are moving and grooving in this children’s book! There are nice graphics and the food in the pictures look real and my grandson recognized the graphics. I read this to my 2 1/2 year old grandson and it held his attention through the whole story! He even made “whoa” sounds when it looked like everything was shaking around. Kid recommended and approved!
review by @bilberrysweet
Argh, Matey! My young grandson and I thoroughly enjoyed this pirate story – Where Do Pirates Go On Vacation by Kim Ann. With vivid and fun illustrations that capture one’s imagination, the story practically leaps off of the pages for all who read it. Your own little one will no doubt find themselves swept up in its adventures too.
Matt’s swirly world by Madeleine Matthews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Matt’s Swirly World: Children’s Book by Madeleine Matthews
My rating 5 out of 5 stars
This is a sweet book and the pictures are wonderfully made. The lesson is this story is that we shouldn’t let our disappointments build up into anger. The mom teaches her son that anger and disappointment don’t last and helps her son find an easy way to help rid himself of the negative feelings. Great story, great lesson, perfect to teach children and I thought adding the story of the dragon and fairy were a perfect touch to show a similar situation to the kid.
Matt’s swirly world by Madeleine Matthews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Matt’s Swirly World: Children’s Book by Madeleine Matthews. This book does have a great idea behind it. I found it easy to follow and enjoyed it. The illustrations were engaging and my nephew liked them, he also followed along nicely and liked the story. I’m glad I picked this book up for my nephew, we had fun reading it together and he took something away from it I believe. If you’re looking for a story that’s got a great lesson behind it also I definitely recommend this book. I’ll definitely be sharing this story with more of the children in my life. Four stars and highly recommended.
Matt’s swirly world by Madeleine Matthews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Matt’s Swirly World: Children’s Book by Madeleine Matthews. I really loved this book and wish I had it when my son was younger. Its the story of a mom who is trying to teach her son how to process his emotions in a positive way. It teaches us that an outing to the park leaves Matthew with happy feelings until its time to leave and then he has a meltdown. His mom tells him the story of a angry dragon and helps him realize a calm voice and telling a story can help soothe the child and stops his meltdown. This book is a great resource for parents because it helps them to learn what is behind tantrums and how to teach impulse control. Its tells us that talking in a calm voice can soothe a child and minimize meltdowns. It also teaches kids self control skills which in this crazy world is very important. This is a great children’s book that parents, grandparents and teachers can learn a lot from it! (less)
Matt’s swirly world by Madeleine Matthews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I read Matt’s Swirly World to my 3.5 year old, and he seemed to enjoy it. It was a little over his head, but he liked the pictures. He loved pointing out the dragon and his emotions on each page. I can see it would be a good book to help slightly older kids identify their emotions. Matt feels disappointment and anger when he has to leave the park. But his mother tells a story of a dragon and fairy to help him understand his feelings. In a fun way, she teaches him ways to cope with the feelings to let them pass. It also helps explain that emotions come and go, like a wave. The pictures were colorful and capturing, but the words were a little lengthy for young children. I would recommend this for maybe 5-8 year olds.
Reviewed by @way2gosmartguy
Matt’s swirly world by Madeleine Matthews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Matt’s swirly world by Madeleine Matthews
5 out of 5 stars
Matt’s Swirly world is the first book that I have read by Ms. Matthews and it was adorable. I read this short story to my grandchildren and they where enchanted with this story.
We deal with tantrums from my granddaughters all the time, so this book helped me when it comes to her tantrums. I do know the reasons my granddaughter has been through a lot this year, so it really helped me.
I will read more of Ms. Matthews books to my grandchildren.
By
Tracy
Matt’s swirly world by Madeleine Matthews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Matt’s Swirly World is a book for both kids and parents to read together. It teaches some parents in certain situations how to calm a child in the middle of a tantrum and also teaches kids how to react and control anger issues.
review by @xchellex
Matt’s swirly world by Madeleine Matthews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow! I love this. A precious story for parents and little ones that may be struggling with understanding and controlling their big emotions. I really like the way concepts are broken down for children to grasp more easily. I can’t wait to use it the next time my toddler has a meltdown! Very well done! 5 stars.
Matt’s swirly world by Madeleine Matthews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Matt’s Swirly World: Children’s Book by Madeleine Matthews
4 Stars
As a parent and now a grandparent, I read this through the first time by myself and I totally get the message being portrayed in this book and I appreciate the ideas given to help a child through these trying times. I then gave the book to my 9 year old grandson, my 10 year old grandson and my 9 year old granddaughter. They had a bit of trouble reading it and tripped over many words losing the meaning along the way. I can not imagine trying to read this to a 3 – 5 year old and them getting anything out of it besides liking the pictures.
The message was clear and using the tools that were included in the story are great and the parent can figure out how to implement them to make the child understand. As a children’s book the pictures were awesome but the story got a bit lost even with the older ones.
Great book for the adult who needs new ways to handle these situations.
Matt’s swirly world by Madeleine Matthews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Matt’s Swirly World: Children’s Book by Madeleine Matthews was a cute and quick read with my son. I would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars. It was well illustrated and it was a book I could see myself pulling out again and again. My son loved to look at the pictures and help me scroll and count. While at 1.5 years old he will not get the lesson, I hope over time he will learn to see new drops of wisdom.
Matt’s swirly world by Madeleine Matthews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Matt’s Swirly World: Children’s Book by Madeleine Matthews
4 stars
While this book is to be geared towards children, my 6 year old lost the message the first read through, so when I read it again I changed some words to her level and it went better.
Everyone deals with anger differently but it is a feeling all feel at one point or another so having steps to help in a way children can comprehend is great.
Loved the illustrations.
Matt’s swirly world by Madeleine Matthews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Matt’s Swirly World by Madeleine Matthews is the perfect portrayal of the stages kids go through and how, as a parent, understanding these stages better equips you to deal with them.
I was unsure at first as to whether or not I should try this book. My little one is younger than the recommended age for children but as a parent I was drawn to the teachings it alluded to. So, slightly dubious, I decided I would give it a try.
My initial thoughts were that my little one definitely would not understand this, and actually even by the age of 3 I would still question if their level of understanding would be developed enough. For me it is perfect for kids of school age, who are going through a lot emotionally in terms of development.
However, as a parent this book hit every aspect. Although my little one might not understand it, I can still see how she is going through these emotions. It helped to conceptualise what she might be going through and brought me a whole new level of understanding on how to deal with. I am so glad that I gave this book the benefit of the doubt and it is one that I will definitely shelve for later when I know my little one will benefit from us reading it together.
Matt’s swirly world by Madeleine Matthews
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Matt’s Swirly World is a beautifully illustrated short story designed to help parents deal with children’s behavioral issues in a healthy way. I think the illustrations will draw children’s attention and give parents a few talking points with their children. I don’t quite think the wording will hold the attention of the younger age range this book was written for, but their parents will understand and use the language to explain what is going on throughout the book. The use of dragons to teach breathing techniques is extremely smart. And I love the game of counting cars to engage the child in something fun and constructive.
Reviewed by @chellek44
Matt’s swirly world by Madeleine Matthews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Matt’s swirly world: Children’s Book Helping Parents Raise Mindful Kids, Understand Tantrums and Relieve Stress, Anxiety by Madeleine Matthews is a book for children and their parents. Matt is having a rough day when it is time to leave the playground. His mom comes up with ways to help him instead of a temper tantrum. This is a good book for parents and children to read together to open up the conversation about getting angry and disappointment. I will reading this to the nieces and nephews to help them understand their feelings.
Review by @sherimichelle1
Matt’s swirly world by Madeleine Matthews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This quick read is simply a gem. I was so glad it found its way into my hands. I wanted to read it first before sharing with my kids to see how it was written. I simply loved it. Simple yet profound, Matthews does a beautiful job navigating through childhood emotions. I cannot wait to add this book to my reading time with my daughters.
Reviewed by @heatherlovelace
View all my reviews
Matt’s swirly world by Madeleine Matthews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5 Star
Matt’s Swirly World: Children’s Book by Madeleine Matthews ,I read this multiple times to my 18 month old son and my 6 year old nephew and each time my nephew says” his mom did what my mom does” I loved that he connected with a character. As for my son he’s still a bit little but he loves books so he liked the “story” .I love the message this story teaches children. I love,love the illustrations such z beautiful job. I think we can all take away from this story ,We all need to take deep breath and calm ourselves from time to time. I definitely loved that Matt’s mom showed patience as well. I definitely recommend this to anyone with children 3-5 and up.
