I enjoyed this story as much as my great nieces and great nephew did. The illustrations were captivating and engaging.
We continue with the story of Caspian and his magic wand along with this grandfather, whom gifted this wand to Caspian.
Caspian’s cousin, Belinda, wanted a magic wand of her own just like Caspian has. When Belinda finally gets her own wand, things are a moving and a shaking for sure. Belinda uses her magic wand to help Caspian and Grandfather…but in doing so there is truly a valuable lesson to be learned.
I do not want to give the entire book away, but this a very good story and it tugged at my heart.
Caspian is back but not for an Unbirthday. This time he is joined by his cousin and Grandpa as their world is rocked quite literally. Luckily they have their trusty magic wands to help them out of any sticky situation. The bright and colourful illustrations help bring the story to life which children will delight in. It is appropriately aged for kids between the ages of 4 to 8 years old. Lois once again brings fun to your doorstep for all to enjoy.
Love is this author! This book is great, love the way it’s well written and great illustrations! Reading these to my 4month old niece to reading them with my 12-year son are both so much fun to see their reactions. I would recommend for preschoolers and care givers. Becoming one of my favorite children’s authors.
Love is this author! This book is great, love the way it’s well written and great illustrations! Reading these to my 4month old niece to reading them with my 12-year son are both so much fun to see their reactions. I would recommend for preschoolers and care givers. Becoming one of my favorite children’s authors.
Caspian is showing his cousin Belinda how to slow time and enjoy her waffles when an earthquake shakes the house. Books fall from bookshelves. Something falls against the door, so they can’t get out. They have to move quickly! Fortunately Caspian, Belinda and Grandpa all have invisible magic wands. The open the window, prop it open, climb out, and run down the driveway as all around them shakes and crashes. The neighbor never saw anyone run so quickly. When it’s all over, Belinda wants to eat waffles with syrup. Grandpa promises that if they fell on the floor, he’ll make more.
Lois is a former high school chemistry teacher and former head science teacher at Science in the City Summer Camp in Philadelphia. She has also been an adjunct science teacher at University of South Florida. Since retiring, she continues to take science classes. Her class in Forensic Biology led to Little Red, The Detective, in which Red is studying fingerprint identification, so she can tell that “Grandma” isn’t who she says she is.
Lois has taken so many science classes that she believes science is the solution to almost every problem, including the dilemmas in fairy tales. She has invented what she calls Science Folktales. In each science-based tale, the protagonist achieves a better ending than the original because of learning scientific principles. She has turned some of these tales into plays.
She has also created a series of Mermaid Science stories, which make use of water science.
Lois is married to the love of her life. She has two children, four grandchildren and a dog.
I really like the Amaleigha stories. While I do not have little children I think these books would be enjoyed by children under the age of 9. In this story Amaleigha decides it is important that the school library doesn’t have enough books for non English speaking children and sets up a plan to get more books. Amaleigha is always helping others or making them feel better about themselves. Such a great way to show children how important it is to care for others.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Dahniellehttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngDahnielle2023-01-06 19:05:052023-01-14 07:55:22Amaleigha Loves a Good Story by Janice Pratt – Review by Dahnielle Hibbert
This story is about brother and sister rivalry. There is a good flow and the characters are likable. There is a strong moral to the story and the illustrations are wonderful. I would definitely recommend reading this story to children.
Such a cute book. As a ladybug lover, I appreciate the need to teach littles about them, and how to care for them. The illustrations are great! I have added this to my list of books to gift little friends.
This story is an informative, yet entertaining story about a girl named Loretta. One day in the winter she finds some ladybugs and decides to bring them home. She becomes obsessed with finding all of the ladybugs. Eventually she has enough to share with neighbors. There were some informative details that I learned from this book. I think some younger children would be entertained by this story, but might struggle to read it independently. Ms.Wickstrom has once again done an excellent job at making science enjoyable to read about!
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Barbie Englandhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngBarbie England2023-01-03 21:24:462023-01-14 07:24:29Ladybugs for Loretta (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Barbie England
This book is so heartwarming and loving and beautiful! If I had a Magic Wand is a book about wishes for our babies and children of the world everywhere. The magic wand is handed from parents and babies throughout the pages. With each pass there is another wish/dream for our babies. It’s also a rhyming book so kids can learn at the same time as reading a book for bedtime. This magical book shares messages for all parents, soon to be parents, and anyone who believes in the magic of our children’s futures. I think this would be a wonderful baby shower book or maybe even a 1st birthday book for kiddos. So amazingly inspiring.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Kimberly Dawn Wilkinsonhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngKimberly Dawn Wilkinson2023-01-02 13:41:112023-01-12 09:37:59If I Had a Magic Wand by Melissa Lavi – Review by Kimberly Wilkinson
This book is super cute. It’s about brother and sister relations and it reminds you at the end of the day you love your siblings no matter what. It’s short and sweet.
This was a wonderfully illustrated book that helps provide parents with many talking points they can use with their children in multiple child households. This story shows how a family of four, a boy and a girl, have lots of sibling rivalry, and have a really hard time getting along with each other until it comes time to agree to disagree. I’ve read many books by this author and I have really enjoyed them all. I love to share them with my children and we usually have a really good time talking about them.
Carl and Mira are siblings and also enemies. When one wants to go swimming, the other wants to climb trees. When one wants to play Wildcraft, the other wants to play Labyrinth. One wants to be a superhero while the other wants to be a super villain.
They go to the beach and Mira continuously smashes the sandcastles that Carl makes. Each time he tries to improve them so that his sister will not be able to destroy them easily.
By the end, the two siblings agree to come back to the beach the next day.
This was a bit accurate when it comes to siblings. And the artwork is really nice. I feel like it ends abruptly but I think it is because the two finally agree on something.
This is a story detailing your typical brother/sister relationship at an early age. I loved it and I laughed the entire time. This reminded me of myself honestly. As the oldest child I was always the one that sabotaged anything my siblings did. And no matter how mad they were at me at the time we always laughed about it. And when we reminisce on those times now it still brings us immense joy and laughter. This story was no different from the trips to the beach we took. We would all spend our time making the most elaborate sandcastles just for our siblings to do anything they could to tear it down. It made beach days a blast. I love how the author was able to resonate on so many levels with me. I think this story will be an enjoyable book for parents to read to their children. It will not only bring laughs but also give parents a chance to teach their kids that no matter what siblings say, and do we are still family, and it is important to laugh off any anger. Another delightful story from a wonderful author I highly recommend.
Carl and Mira are not just brother and sister, but they are also enemies. They squabble over everything, cannot agree on anything, and are constantly bickering. When their dad takes them both to the beach one day, Carl builds a sandcastle that Mira quickly destroys. Carl keeps rebuilding the sandcastle, making it better and stronger, but Mira keeps finding ways to destroy it.
This book was clearly written with the intention of showing that siblings can disagree, bicker, have different likes and dislikes and still love one another. However, the entire book was based around Mira and Carl arguing without there being any resolution and without there being any displays of affection between the two of them. I have absolutely loved other books by this author but found this one missed the mark and needed to have the story built up on a bit more.
As I was reading through, I could not help but wonder why the parents never said or did anything to discipline the children or get them to engage with one another in a more positive manner. While at the beach, Mira just comes across as a huge bully to poor Carl who only wanted to build a sandcastle. Mira did everything she could to destroy all the hard work Carl had put in to building his sandcastles. I felt terrible for poor Carl who had to rebuild time and time again because his sister was so cruel. And why did the dad not step in and stop Mira? He never tried to intervene or stop Mira from being so cruel. The dad never explained that what Mira was doing was bullying and that bullying was wrong.
The premise for the story was a good one because all siblings have arguments and will disagree. In the end the love they share for one another usually will come to the forefront. As an adult reading this I questioned why that aspect was not written into the story. I feel that the author could have added a bit more to the story and built on it just a bit more. It seemed to be missing important things that as an adult I can see and would know are wrong. As a child reading this though, it might come across differently and bullying may be perceived as being okay. Maybe I am being too critical and that certainly is not my intention. As I said earlier, I think this author is amazing and have loved other books she has written.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Tara Johnson Barneshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngTara Johnson Barnes2022-12-31 13:17:492023-01-06 22:20:02Super Enemies by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes
My sister and I bickered back and forth quite a bit when we were young, so this book brought back those memories. It is a silly book, kind of funny for an adult, and possibly helpful to a child. Possibly. Great illustrations.
This book was soo much fun! Great illustrations, relatable lessons, and all around read. Having 3 girls who fight like everyday is a dual to the death and every moment is a competition it was fun to read it to them. The best way to help kids understand is a story like this. A fun side to sibling rivalry and what it’d really like being siblings.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Laurenhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngLauren2022-12-31 00:29:482023-01-06 21:59:32Super Enemies by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Lauren West
AH! What a CUTE read. I love finding books that my daughter and I can enjoy together. This was such a fun read- I loved ladybugs as a kid and thanks to this book I know how I kept killing them. 😂 I had no idea they stay dormant during the winter. I love not only reading with the kiddo- but learning with her! I’m excited to find a new author that my baby and I can share books with. She’s 4 and she loved it! (:
This was a really cute read. It is a very informational children’s book about ladybugs. This is not a book for younger children, I think it would make more sense to older children. The illustrations were cute as well. I look forward to reading this to my daughter when she gets older and understands more about ladybugs and science and has more comprehension when it comes to things like that.
5 Stars Ladybugs for Loretta (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom
Ladybugs for Loretta (Loretta’s Insects) is a cute children’s book that is fun for any age and adults will enjoy reading it as well. This is one author I never hesitate to read whatever she writes. My four year old enjoys her books just as much as I enjoy reading them to him. Her stories are fun to read the illustrations are also fun to look at . Each one of her stories teach them something. This one we follow along with a mischievous girl named Loretta who lives with her parents in a cabin in the mountains of Colorado. . Loretta loves the ladybugs that protect her garden but where do the ladybugs go in the winter? I highly recommend reading this children’s book and learn about ladybugs. My son loves books and this author gets big credit. We look forward to reading more from this Author .
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Dawn Daughenbaughhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngDawn Daughenbaugh2022-12-30 19:54:452023-01-06 22:02:30Ladybugs for Loretta (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Dawn Daughenbaugh
This was an adorable children’s book about a little girl with a great love of nature. The pictures were fun and eye catching and the story was sweet. This is such a great story to teach you children about an important part of gardening and how much fun the outdoors can me.
This story is so fitting for my life at the moment. My daughter has just discovered bugs and is in the naturally curious phase and this book really seemed to hit on that. We both loved learning new things about ladybugs and it really sparked my daughters imagination. Loretta was just the perfect character for this story and the author really brought her to life. This author just seems to get better with every book we read and she is really solidifying herself as a family favourite. This is definitely going to be a book that is read multiple times and I can’t want to see what we pick up next.
The core idea of this story is really sweet! I love that Amaleighia has such a big heart, sees a need, & wants to help! Thinking about helping the bilingual families in her community is wonderful! However, it was very wordy and did not necessarily flow very well. I do love how everyone came together in the end!
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Alisa Boomerhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAlisa Boomer2022-12-30 14:57:332023-01-06 21:54:13Amaleigha Loves a Good Story by Janice Pratt – Review by Alisa Boomer
Loretta is an inquisitive girl. She often spends time outdoor and in her family’s garden. On one of her many outings, she finds some dormant ladybugs not understanding that it is their nature to be still during the colder climate. As the winter progresses, she eagerly waits to bring the ladybugs outside to see what will happen.
I really enjoyed this one and learned quite a bit about ladybugs. I thought the way the story read it was one you could ask questions about, and I think children will definitely be engaged and curious about the science of the weather as well as ladybugs. Beautifully illustrated.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Emily Heislerhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngEmily Heisler2022-12-30 13:18:242023-01-06 21:30:00Ladybugs for Loretta (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Emily H
Pardon Me, Please by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Codi Parham
You learn something new every day. One thing I love about Wickstrom is that her books are usually educational. I learned facts about Turkeys that I never knew before. This book is a great read for humans and animals of any age.
Amaleigha is a back with her proven anything is possible attitude. Like the other book there are bright, colourful illustrations to hold children’s interest.
This story follows Amaleigha’s idea for her community. This book was fun and engaging and left the kids wanting more of Amaleigha.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Michelle Galeazzihttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngMichelle Galeazzi2022-12-30 00:00:492022-12-30 08:05:00Amaleigha Loves a Good Story by Janice Pratt – Review by Michelle G
Anything is possible – this book reinforces that belief. The illustrations were bright and colourful and the storyline was solid. The kids loved it and we ended up reading it a few times.
I must admit I enjoyed reading it as much as the kids did listening to it!
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Michelle Galeazzihttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngMichelle Galeazzi2022-12-29 23:27:042022-12-30 08:04:51Amaleigha Loves a Good Story by Janice Pratt – Review by Michelle G
This is the fourth book in the series by this author. It’s quirky and enjoyable and the kids loved it. I love when they are so into a book they forget all else.
The illustrations were fun and colourful and it was a great read. Highly recommend.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Michelle Galeazzihttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngMichelle Galeazzi2022-12-29 23:15:432022-12-30 08:04:40The Sneaky Kitten (Invisible Magic Wand Book 4) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Michelle G
Ladybugs for Loretta (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom. I loved this sweet book about Loretta who is a little girl who is very inquisitive and likes to check things out. She finds a bunch of ladybugs and decides that she is going to save them during the winter. Loretta and her mom decide to put them in the refrigerator so they can put them in their garden in the spring. The only problem with that is when they wake up they begin to make a huge mess in the house. They put them back in the fridge and wait until Spring then another problem occurs…they run out of room in the fridge. Finally its Spring and they can put them in their garden. This is such a fun, cute book and really informative as well. I didn’t realize all the stuff about Ladybugs that I learned in this book. Would make a great gift for the child in your life!
This was a cute story. It shows that with enough determination anything can get done. I like that it pulled the entire community together and especially a book store in a time when a lot of books are readily available electronically.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Angelahttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAngela2022-12-29 18:59:532022-12-30 07:59:10Amaleigha Loves a Good Story by Janice Pratt – Review by Angela Plate, December 2022
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