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Cray Saves the Day (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes – Review by Jennifer Crain

Cray Saves the Day (The Adventures of Cray on the Bay)Cray Saves the Day by G. Pa Rhymes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Overall, “Cray Saves the Day” by G Pa Rhymes is an enjoyable children’s book that combines entertainment with an important environmental message. The story is engaging and easy to follow, making it accessible to young readers.

The characters, such as Cray the Crab, Hay the Fox, Turtle Fay, and Gull Ray, are charming and relatable. Each character brings their unique personality and skills to the team, showing the value of collaboration and teamwork.

The book’s main theme revolves around environmental awareness and conservation. Through the adventures of Cray and his friends, young readers are taught the importance of caring for the environment, specifically the beach and dunes in this case. The message is conveyed in a subtle and encouraging manner, making it suitable for young children.

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Cray Saves the Day (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes – Review by Julie Johnson

Cray Saves the Day (The Adventures of Cray on the Bay)Cray Saves the Day by G. Pa Rhymes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A very vividly visual read about the importance of not littering at the beach. The story is good for any location but this one is specifically about the beach. There is mention of a turtle being trapped in the rings from soda cans and how Cray helped the turtle out. A great way to teach kids of any age the importance of cleaning up after themselves and not wreaking havoc on the environment around them!

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Cray Saves the Day (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes – Review by Lorralei Hoerner

Cray Saves the Day (The Adventures of Cray on the Bay)Cray Saves the Day by G. Pa Rhymes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Cray Saves the Day is part of The Adventures of Cray on the Bay series and what an enjoyable and educational story with colorful and engaging illustrations. As families gather at the beach to have a fun day…when suddenly it turns a bit windy and blows the trash around. Cray the crab along with his friends Hay, Fay and Ray try and clean up and also look for some help from their friend Queen Mer May the mermaid.

Will Cray and his friends be able to clean up the beach? Definitely read and find out….what fun this story is. We can all learn from this story especially cleaning up the environment.

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Cray Saves the Day (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes – Review by Emily H

Cray Saves the Day (The Adventures of Cray on the Bay)Cray Saves the Day by G. Pa Rhymes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cray the crab is seeing that while the humans are enjoying their day at the beach, the littering is causing problems for his friends of the sea and of the earth. With the help of Queen Mer May they join forced to remove the litter and live a better life.

Great illustrations. The story showed how working together you can tackle something that seems so big and difficult to something manageable. I think you children will definitely enjoy this one.

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The Round Box (Grandma’s Closet) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Nicole DeSantis

The Round BoxThe Round Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This charming story revolves around a little girl named Carrie, who, feeling bored and missing her grandma, who has recently moved, embarks on a quest to find something that will bring her joy. In her search through her grandma’s belongings, Carrie discovers a round hat box labeled “fascinator” at the bottom of the closet. This marks the beginning of her delightful adventure, where she unlocks the door to imagination.

Lois Wickstrom skillfully captures the enchantment of imagination in this tale. The narrative is infused with a delightful sense of magic and exploration. Wickstrom’s vivid and descriptive language beckons readers to immerse themselves fully in Carrie’s imaginative journey. Accompanied by vibrant and engaging illustrations, the story is elevated, adding an extra layer of magic and playfulness to the narrative.

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Cray Saves the Day (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes – Review by Shelly Kittell

Cray Saves the Day (The Adventures of Cray on the Bay)Cray Saves the Day by G. Pa Rhymes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another winner in our book. I read this to my grandkids and they loved it. The theme is keeping the beach clean. Great colorful pictures. This time we have a lovely mermaid. Cray and his friends, along with the humans, help clean up the litter that has scattered after a windy day at the beach. A fun story full of rhymes with a neat rhythm. Cool characters. This is a fun learning book to add to family libraries for reading time.

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Cray Saves the Day (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes

🦀 .•°*°•.🦀 BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE 🦀 .•°*°•.🦀
Cray Saves the Day (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes
Hosted by Itsy Bitsy Book Bits
Genre – Kids
Page Count – 36

Bookbub – A New Day for Cray (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes


In Cray Saves the Day, Cray and his friends are on a mission to make the bay a better and healthier place for all who visit. Joined by Queen Mer May, the team works together to clean up the beach and dunes and teach humans how to better care for the environment.
With a dose of wit, wisdom, and an encouraging tone, your little beach lover will surely be delighted by this exciting adventure. And when it’s all over, it’s clear that Cray and his friends have managed to save the day and inspire a new generation of environmental stewards.
Join Cray and his friends on their mission to clean up the beach and dunes and make the bay a better and healthier place for all who visit.
Cray Saves the Day is the perfect book for kids who love a good beach adventure! With its fun rhythmic rhyme, this book will captivate your little ones from beginning to end. Join Cray, Turtle Fay, Gull Ray, and Fox Hay as they work together to clean up the bay and save their Home.
Along the way, they teach humans about their responsibility to keep the environment clean, emphasizing the importance of friendship, teamwork, and kindness.
Dive into Cray Saves the Day and join the friends as they teach about kindness, friendship, and responsibility to the beach—the perfect addition to any child’s or classroom library.

~ AMAZON ~

 

Click here to view the Book Trailer for Cray Saves the Day (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes

Click here to experience a Chapter Reading of Cray Saves the Day (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes

Gary Wakstein is known to young readers as G Pa Rhymes! After a lifetime in the restaurant industry, Gary discovered his true passion: writing children’s books that teach important life lessons through the magic of rhyme and reading. Partnering with the talented illustrator Erica Leigh, G Pa Rhymes created The Adventures of Cray book series, inspired by his own family’s adventures. 

G Pa Rhymes captivates kids with his “rappin’ and rhymin'” stories and instills values like friendship, honesty, bravery, and environmental stewardship. Now a sought-after speaker, he travels to schools, museums, libraries, and anywhere else he can bring joy to children’s lives. 

G Pa Rhymes tries to inspire young readers with every book he writes. He resides in Plymouth, MA, and spends his days with his children and grandchildren on Cape Cod, Asheville, NC, and Victor, Idaho.

Author Interview with G Pa Rhymes

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A New Day for Cray (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes – Review by Krista Moulthrop

A New Day For Cray (The Adventures of Cray on the Bay)A New Day For Cray by G. Pa Rhymes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a great read for my little and I. I love that it rhymed (keeps the kiddo interested) and it had a great teachable lesson, to always be kind or “karma” finds a way to you. All of Cray’s friends were tired of being pinched, but when Cray loses his “pinching” claw, they still showed him kindness and true friendship. The characters are cute and illustrations are great. Will definitely read more from this story line and author.

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Sasha Smart by Shermaine Perry-Knights – Review by Tanya Wall

Sasha Smart: Short Stories for GirlsSasha Smart: Short Stories for Girls by Shermaine Perry-Knights
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading this book about Sasha and her experiences as a young lady. The author did a great job of developing short stories that put Sasha in a place to be empowered, kind, show her confidence and to be brave. I loved that the end of the book included vocabulary and word wall work – this is good for teachers and for those girls who love words! The character of Sasha is very relatable to any young girl, as are the scenarios she finds herself in. One story that I found very important was the story about relaxing – finding time to enjoy life… this is especially important in today’s world where we rush, rush, rush to get everything in place, to win, to be the top. Sasha has some great lessons to share!

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Nessie and the Viking Gold (Nessie’s Grotto) by Lois Wickstrom and Jean Lorrah – Review by Shelly Kittell

Nessie and the Viking Gold (Nessie's Grotto)Nessie and the Viking Gold by Lois June Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My grandson was so excited to get to read another Nessie adventure. This was such a fun story. It’s short and ful of adventure. The kids go along with Nessie and find their way to fun. The story is exciting and it’s a hit in my house. The pictures are colorful and well illustrated. These have fast become the faorites at storytime. This author is so creative. I can hardly wait to see what the next adventure brings.

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Kingdom of the Oceans (Relic Hunters Series) by Martin Ferguson – Review by Shelly Kittell

Kingdom of the Oceans (Relic Hunters Book 6)Kingdom of the Oceans by Martin Ferguson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book. The mystery was intense. It totally grabbed me right from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down. I liked the many perspective points of view of the team and the timeline jumps. It kept it fresh and exciting. So many villians and the loyal team members were trying to really help the boys. There is lots of action, drama and a touch of romance. The intrigue makes it feel a tad like Indiana Jones. This has been a really neat series to read. My grandson isn’t quite old enough to read it yet but I’ve got it on my bookshelf for him. Thank you for sharing this really entertaining adventure.

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Nessie and the Viking Gold (Nessie’s Grotto) by Lois Wickstrom and Jean Lorrah – Review by Lorralei Hoerner

Nessie and the Viking Gold (Nessie's Grotto)Nessie and the Viking Gold by Lois June Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Nessie and the Viking Gold is part of the Nessie’s Grotto series and the story was fun, engaging and magical. Craig and Linda are back at the Grotto for more adventure and fun…but of course Craig and Linda’s parents do not want the kids to go near the water as to them it is dangerous. The adventure is only starting as there is a popular concert to be held at Urquhart Castle that Linda wants to go to, a Viking treasure to be discovered and Nessie’s home may be in danger. What happens when the story unfolds….will Nessie be safe and fun and treasures be discovered? Definitely read and find out.

This story is geared toward ages 5-8 but I believe this story could be enjoyed even for the young at heart. This was a fun read with engaging illustrations…looking forward to reading the next Nessie adventure!

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Nessie and the Viking Gold (Nessie’s Grotto) by Lois Wickstrom and Jean Lorrah – Review by Ayla Eddy

Nessie and the Viking GoldNessie and the Viking Gold by Lois June Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another cute story following Nessie, Craig, and Linda. The siblings are at a concert, but this event is causing problems for Nessie in her grotto. It was an enjoyable adventure story perfect for bedtime with my tiny humans. Having read the first book previously for a bedtime story the kids were excited to continue with these characters. 

I highly recommend this as a bedtime story for younger children. My family looks forward to reading more books by this author. 

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A New Day for Cray (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes – Review by Shea Gilkerson 1/22/24

A New Day For Cray (The Adventures of Cray on the Bay)A New Day For Cray by G. Pa Rhymes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A rhyming book with a message of kindness, A New Day for Cray was adorable. Cray, a crab, has a lot of fun hassling his friends by pinching and pushing them. Turtle Fay saw him coming one day and swam away to avoid him. Next, he visits the seagull Ray – who flew away from Cray to avoid having his legs pinched. Finally, fox Hay tells him outright that no one likes his pinches! While on the move, Cray suffers an accident and loses his pinching claw. Cray was very upset about knocking off his claw, but when he looks up he sees his friends have stopped fleeing him and came by to offer support. The world can be changed with just a little kindness!

There’s the fun of the rhymes, the wonderful illustrations, and a simple message that ties it all up in a very cute bow.

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The Round Box (Grandma’s Closet) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Angela Plate, January 2024

The Round BoxThe Round Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fun little book. It’s the second one in the series about Grandma’s Closet. This book lets little kids revel in their imagination. While reading this book to my littles, they popped off their own ideas about what could or would happen next.

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The Round Box (Grandma’s Closet) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Manda Kelly

The Round BoxThe Round Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely adore Lois Wickstrom’s stories. They’ve quickly become a favorite for me to recommend to my educator friends. Her quirky stories, full of whimsy and magic, and brightly illustrated pages. Such a great thing to have in every classroom library. The Round Box is just another one of the many stories I’ve added to my collection I’m building for my nephew. He loves when I read him the stories (he’s almost 4) and I’m hoping that one day, he will enjoy reading them on his own.

Review By
Manda Kelly

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Nessie and the Viking Gold (Nessie’s Grotto) by Lois Wickstrom and Jean Lorrah – Review by Jenni Bishop

Nessie and the Viking Gold (Nessie's Grotto)Nessie and the Viking Gold by Lois June Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nessie and the Viking Gold is the delightful second magical book in the Nessie’s Grotto series. The beautiful cover and illustrations by Sara Silvestris Strand bring the story to life making it an even more imaginative and captivating tale.
The story is 47 pages and is aimed at children aged between 7 -12 years old, but it is a fun read for children of any age. My grandchildren aged 3 and 5 really enjoyed this engaging story even though they could not read it their little eyes lit up as they went on this adventure.
Craig and Linda find themselves caught up in another fantastical adventure with the Loch Ness Monster and the hidden mystical world beneath Loch Ness where there is action, magic and a little suspense.
What do the Loch Ness Monster, Viking treasure and a rock concert have in common? To find out you will have to read it.

Reviewed by @jennadb

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The Round Box (Grandma’s Closet) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Shannen Kern

The Round BoxThe Round Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Our entire household loves every book I bring home by this author, and this one is no different! Both of my kiddos are always excited when we open a story to see where it takes us, and we went on a really cool journey this time around. I enjoy how some of the words are in different fonts, so they feel different. The illustrations are also cute and fitting. Carrie misses her grandma and can’t seem to find anything interesting to do. Nothing seems fun throughout the entire house. Once she finds a box that’s a little bit different, everything changes! This sparked our imaginations so much that we made our own ‘Fascinators’ to play along. I highly recommend picking this up and sharing with the young ones in your family or at school!

Reviewed by @shannlynn

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The Round Box (Grandma’s Closet) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Donya Pedigo

The Round BoxThe Round Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a cute tale about a little girl who is bored and misses her grandma who moved. So, in search of something to do to make herself feel happy, Carrie looks through the stuff grandma left behind. At the bottom of the closet she finds a round hat box labeled fascinator, and this is where her fun adventure begins, using her imagination as the key.

I love the cover art and wish the inside art was more like that. Although the illustrations do flow with the story, I just found the cover art more aesthetically pleasing. This is a fun book about the power of imagination and all the places your imagination can take you.

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Nessie and the Viking Gold (Nessie’s Grotto) by Lois Wickstrom and Jean Lorrah – Review by Julie Johnson

Nessie and the Viking GoldNessie and the Viking Gold by Lois June Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This has been my least favorite book by this author so far, but it’s still an enjoyable story.

Everyone’s favorite rock star is in town for a big concert. However, when Craig and his sister go back to visit with Nessie, they learn that all the drumming is causing issues in Nessie’s grotto. Can they stop the concert and save the grotto before it’s too late?

It was a good story but it did seem to lack some plot development. This is the second book in this series and I have read the first one prior to this one. This is a book that is a bit longer than most of this author’s style of books as well, so maybe that’s a bit why. I would still recommend this book to be read by young readers or reading it to younger listeners.

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Nessie and the Viking Gold (Nessie’s Grotto) by Lois Wickstrom and Jean Lorrah – Review by Kerry Baker

Nessie and the Viking GoldNessie and the Viking Gold by Lois June Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Having only read the previous book in the series recently, we were excited to get our hands on this story. This is a great follow up to the first book and it was nice to see my children remember the characters and re-engage with them. This story was just as fun and exciting to read and it was lovely to join Craig and Linda on another adventure.
With every book I read by this author I always think that the next one can’t be as good. Yet time and time again she proves otherwise. I am already looking forward to the next book we can read as a family and always enjoy reading each and every book again. I would highly recommend this author and this book.

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The Round Box (Grandma’s Closet) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Crystal Brehant

The Round BoxThe Round Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We love Lois Wickstrom books. My 7yo son and I read this book together. This is another story about a little girl who misses her grandma. Her grandma moved away, but left some stuff behind. What will she find when she feels sad about grandma not being available? This story has beautiful imaginations!

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The Round Box by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

The Round BoxThe Round Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Carrie is a young woman who is in her room and is a bit bored, however, when she goes to see if either her mum, dad, or grandma are free, they are all busy.

This is when she finds a round box in her closet among some other boxes belonging to her Grandma labelled FASCINATOR,, but when she opens the box, she pulls out a small boat.

Soon Carrie realises that the boat is a hat and when she puts it on, everything changes, it feels like she is at sea and things don’t look the same as they did before, but what has happened and what will Carrie do with this newfound information?

This is a lovely story with plenty of imagination and a fascinating fascinator.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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The Round Box (Grandma’s Closet) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Jamie Truex

The Round BoxThe Round Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I always love books by Lois Wickstrom. She does such a wonderful job capturing the magic of imagination.This one is probably my least

A New Day for Cray (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes – Review by Megan Pesek

A New Day For Cray (The Adventures of Cray on the Bay)A New Day For Cray by G. Pa Rhymes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cray learns that his actions have consequences. A New Day for Cray is a good book to teach young children that their actions towards others have consequences. Cray likes to be mean and can’t understand why his friends don’t like it. Only when there are consequences to his actions does Cray understand the impact of his actions on his friends.

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The Round Box (Grandma’s Closet) by Lois Wickstrom- Review by Phylis Carpenter

The Round BoxThe Round Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have three grandchildren and am always searching for books that they will like. I also sometimes babysit the younger children in our neighborhood.

I read this book and think that the little ones would love to read this or have it read to them anytime. This was a quick read and would be nice before bed or maybe as a storytime book to read at the library.

Check it out. I think your children will enjoy it.

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Nessie and the Viking Gold (Nessie’s Grotto) by Lois Wickstrom and Jean Lorrah

🐉 .•°*°•.💎 BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE 💎 .•°*°•.🐉
Nessie and the Viking Gold (Nessie’s Grotto) by Lois Wickstrom and Jean Lorrah
Genre – Kids
Page Count – 112
Cover Designer – Sara Silvestris Strand

Goodreads – Nessie and the Viking Gold (Nessie’s Grotto) by Lois Wickstrom and Jean Lorrah

Bookbub – Nessie and the Viking Gold (Nessie’s Grotto) by Lois Wickstrom and Jean Lorrah


Craig stole coins from a Viking Treasure Chest at the Bottom of Loch Ness
The coins Craig stole from the Vikings were either blessed or cursed. They brought him back to Nessie’s lair. A rock concert with their favorite singer is about to perform at Urquhart Castle. But the sound waves from the wild music are causing chaos in Nessie’s Grotto.
What can Craig and Linda do to protect Nessie and her children? And still get to hear their favorite singer?

~ AMAZON ~

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Click here to view the Book Trailer for Nessie and the Viking Gold (Nessie’s Grotto) by Lois Wickstrom and Jean Lorrah

Click here to experience a Chapter Reading of Nessie and the Viking Gold (Nessie’s Grotto) by Lois Wickstrom and Jean Lorrah

Lois Wickstrom lives in a world where imaginary playmates are real. She doesn’t remember being born, so she finds unbirthdays are more exciting than the official once-a-year date on the calendar. She’s taken so many science classes that she believes science is the solution to almost every problem, including the dilemmas in fairy tales.

Jean Lorrah is a New York Times Best Selling author. She is also a retired English teacher, and an award winning artist. She has written Star Trek books with Jacqueline Lichtenberg, and books in worlds of her own creation. Together with Lois, she is co-author of Coal for Christmas which won the Gold Remi at Worldfest.

Author Interview with Lois Wickstrom

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The Round Box (Grandma’s Closet) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Hannah Porter

The Round BoxThe Round Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I Always enjoy reading these stories by author Lois Wickstrom. She is quickly becoming my favorite go to author for great kids books. Her books are always so interesting and always keep the little ones intrigued when I’m reading to them. We all love all the cool activities and more that’s included with most books, and in the other it helps teach action words with I also love🥰🥰 and omg her grandmother always has the coolest stuff lmao. I can’t wait to see what other Fascinating things she has🥰

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The Round Box (Grandma’s Closet) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

The Round BoxThe Round Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Round Box is Book Two in the Grandma’s Closet Series. It is a children’s picture book full of fun, whimsy, magic, and adventure. The beautiful illustrations are bright, colorful, and really bring the story to life. The story centers around a young girl named Carrie who is bored and seeking something fun to do. She remembers boxes in her grandma’s closet and goes to look because they are always interesting. When she finds a round box named the Fascinator, she opens it up and discovers a boat inside. When Carrie looks more closely at the boat, she discovers it is a hat and decides to wear it. Suddenly, Carrie feels like she is on a boat, and everything looks different. I loved how the act of putting on one hat changed Carrie’s entire outlook and made everything around her seem magical and fun. A great read for kids to learn how to use their imagination and think creatively.

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The Round Box (Grandma’s Closet) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Nina Maes

Excellent! I love this author and their ability to ignite one’s imagination. This is another great story that will tap into your mind and let you run with it. I recommend this for all readers. Still one of my favorite authors.The Round BoxThe Round Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent! I love this author and their ability to ignite one’s imagination. This is another great story that will tap into your mind and let you run with it. I recommend this for all readers. Still one of my favorite authors.

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