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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Tonya Merritt

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A wonderfully written juvenile book. A Dress To Remember teaches how to think of others and the responsibilities of becoming older but set in a fictional time. Princess Zarina only ever thinks of herself. When she decides to get a perfect dress everything changes in a flash causing her to learn about herself, her kingdom, and her family history. Will the dress be everything she ever wanted for herself or will she find that she isn’t the only person to think about?

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Whisper Hymer

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Dress to Remember by K.L. Small is a sweet coming-of-age fairytale. We start by meeting Princess Zarina – the 13th child of the King and Queen of Cygnia. She’s lovely, spoiled, and about to receive her Royal Advancement Ceremony. Princess Zarina feels she needs a dress that everyone will remember so she decides to travel to an dress maker who’s is said to make dresses that are almost magical. She quickly learns to be careful what you wish for as her truly magical dress starts her the journey of a lifetime! I loved the character development we see and enjoyed the unexpected twists Ms. Small added. I will definitely be reading more of her work!

Reviewed by @WhisperHymer

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Amelia Stansell

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really liked this fairly tale. It’s definitely a good read for any fantasy lovers. My little boy loves the story but loved the pictures even more. Zarina was very spoiled princess but during the course of the story she learns to be more humble from the people in town. She gets a dress that wasn’t quiet what she wanted. The dress might have some abilities that can help her navigate through the adventure she goes on.

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Saving the Gingerbread House by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Sandra (Crandomblog)

saving the gingerbread housesaving the gingerbread house by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a cute little Hansel and Gretel type story with a twist. It was very cute and I loved that they solved problems along the way. I felt that it covered the importance of thinking for yourself and not going into situations or meeting people with preconceived opinions/judgements. The kids loved this and I appreciated a more happy version of a darker fairy tale. We had a few discussions about this book.

My oldest kid said: I really like the fact the girl wanted to stop and sketch the animals that she saw. I want to do that on our next hike please? I also really liked that the kids helped the old lady fix her house. That was sweet.

My youngest said: I liked that it was a gingerbread house. I think I would want to eat it to. I didn’t know that animals liked gingerbread houses.

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Rayne East

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wonderful fantasy
This is a fantastic children’s fantasy book with great imagery and storyline. A spoilt Princess finds herself stuck out in the kingdom and needs to find her way back to the castle. There’s lessons learned and challenges faced, along with a magical dress, that keeps the reader engaged. The author cleverly weaves a story that crosses over from light to dark and back again. Thoroughly enjoyable – highly recommend.

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Jamie Truex

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a story of a young, spoiled princess. Her royal advancement is coming up and she wants a special dress that is better than everyone else’s. She learns about someone who makes special dresses and seeks them out. Her dress turns out to be more than she bargained for. I was pleasantly surprised by this slightly dark fairy tale.

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Dahnielle Hibbert

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love fairy tales and I loved the cover of this book. So of course when two things you love in literature coincide you definitely want to read that novel. Princess Zarina… well what else is there to say, but she is a princess who makes a bad decision and gets involved with the wrong person. Now trapped with the consequences of that decision she must avoid capture and save her kingdom. This is a fast paced fairy tale with all the magic and allure you would expect from one. I very much enjoyed it although I would have expected more details, as when I read I get images of the places and things and there weren’t quite enough to get a complete picture. Other than that this was a excellent story.

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by April McCoy

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book to my daughter and just wow. Her eyes sparkled with wonder and the author spun a tale that transported you to a different place and time with real world lessons from right now. She adored this book and so did I. Beautifully written, well thought out and a magical read through and through!

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Angela Hayes

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

4 Stars

 

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small is a captivating children’s chapter book- an epic fantasy with magic, action, adventure, life-lessons, evil villains, witches, castles, an enchanted dress, agendas, invaders, and high stakes.
This is a story about how a spoiled princess steps up to save her kingdom- setting off on a magical adventure she could never have imagined. The story isn’t all flowers and rainbows, as the author added some darker, heavier tones to her storyline that bring their own challenges for our mc to overcome. We follow and get a front row seat as Zarina has responsibility thrust upon her under almost impossible circumstances- and watch as she navigates her new situation. Add in an enchanted dress- and the story takes an even more intriguing turn.
There are several wonderful illustrations that also help to bring the story to life.
Happy Reading…

Thank you K.L. Small!

 

Reviewed by @angelahayes

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Angela Renee Diaz

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Princess Zarina receives a dress for a ball honoring herself. In the beginning she is disappointed in dress but soon she realizes it’s power. Zarina as youngest child is spoiled and she doesn’t try to hide it. With the help of her dress and socializing with people in town has helped change her. I like this book. I plan on letting my 11 year old daughter read it and ask her for her thoughts and opinions.

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Ashley Hasting

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Princess Zarina is a princess with many siblings, but she is proud to say she is the prettiest. She is a very selfish lady. She has her crowning ceremony in a couple weeks, and has a dressmaker make her the dress to remember. Doing so, the dressmaker makes it where it can only be Zarina that takes the dress off. Zarina has to learn some lessons on her way back and also stay alive! So much happens and it’s great for kids to read! 🙂

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The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Julie Johnson

The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand)The Empty Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s Caspian’s Un-Birthday and Grandpa has gifted him with a box. Only problem is, it’s an empty box! Grandpa tells Caspian that there’s a wand inside and that he needs to name it in order for it to work. Once Caspian gives the wand a name, his world becomes so much more interesting!

I love the adventures that Caspian and his Grandpa have! I wish I’d have had a Grandpa like him! Lois Wickstrom writes engaging stories for youngsters and I have loved all her books so far! The illustrations are also very vivid and appealing.

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The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Melissa Saxton

The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand)The Empty Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Caspian and his Grandpa are back for another “unbirthday”. What is Caspians gift?
He is initially frustrated as the box grandpa gave him was empty. His grandpa however tells him there is an invisible magic wand!! But Caspian has to name it before it would work. Fun things happen after this with magic lessons and fun lessons with “time”.
This is another cute series with a lot of imagination perfect for the preschool kindergarten aged child. My daughter thought this was great and wanted me to get her a wand too!

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Julie Johnson

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Princess Zarina is a very selfish princess. She’s the 13th child of the King and Queen and is definitely very spoiled as well. Her Royal Advancement is coming up in the next couple of weeks and she is need of a new dress. However, her parents call a family meeting and announce that things will be a bit different for this ceremony.

Princess Zarina decides to take matters in her own hands when it comes to her dress. Afterall, the royal dressmaker will be busy with the Queen and other Princesses’ dresses. Zarina’s dress MUST be special. Auntie tells her about a dressmaker so one day, Zarina pays her a visit and puts in her order.

The whole world changes when Princess Zarina picks up her dress. It’s not at all what she wanted and things just start to fall apart for Princess Zarina and her kingdom. Can they ward off those who’ve come to destroy their dynasty?

This book reminded me a little bit of the Wizard of Oz. It seems like that kind of fairy tale. I’ve seen others who’ve compared this book to Brave and Cinderella. All are fitting. Young readers will love the story and will hopefully learn from Princess Zarina and her mistakes. Watching her grow throughout this story should inspire people who are reading.

This was my first read by this author but I’ll be looking for her other works.

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Kerry Carr

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this story. It is a moving story about a young princess who is always selfish and how she changes by the experiences she has. The author does an amazing job of creating this story and our princess.
Princess Zarina is very head strong and as the youngest child she is used to getting things her own way but this isn’t a good thing as she has grown up to become selfish, only concerned about herself.
When she get a dress made for a ball being held in her honour, the dress isn’t all that it seems. It’s magical and the stories it unravels will teach this princess that by helping and thinking of others it will make her a better person.
What happens once she is in the dress turns into an adventure as she matures and finds herself. There is danger, loss, unexpected reunions and a snake in the grass determined to destroy the Kingdom.

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Kerry Baker

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a brilliant introduction to the fantasy world for any young adult readers. It was a well written and accessible story, that really draws you in and keeps you hooked until the end. The main character was such as strong and interesting one to read about. The story fit around her and you definitely wanted to know more.
This is an entirely new author to me and I enjoyed getting to learn about their writing style. The pace of the book was well though out and fit with the story that was being told. As the first book to read I think this was perfect. I am looking forward to reading more by this author in the future.

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The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Jenni Bishop

The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand)The Empty Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Caspian and Grandpa are back in the Empty Box part of the Invisible Magic Wand series. Grandpa gives Caspian what appears to be an empty box for his Unbirthday but it contains so much more, a magic wand.
The illustrations by Nicolas Milano are bright and colourful and make the story come alive. The story is age appropriate for children between 3 – 8 years. The storyline is creative and interesting.
Time travel is possible for Caspian thanks to his Grandpa and he can’t wait to get started. An original and entertaining picture book story that kids love. Follow along on this new adventure for Caspian as he learns what his magic wand can do.

Reviewed by @jennadb

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Jenni Bishop

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Dress To Remember is a children’s fairy-tale but a fairy-tale with a smidge of darkness to it. K.L. is an award-winning writer and this is her debut novel.
There are fairies, magic, castles, witches and a princess dress that is more than it seems. Oh, and let’s not forget the spoiled princess who has a lot to learn when trying to save them all from the villains. A dress she doesn’t want but just maybe grateful for after all is said and done.
The illustrations by Brandon Dorman help with the imagination of the story.
This fantasy tale is perfect for young fantasy lovers to curl up to.

Reviewed by @jennadb

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The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Carrie Reed

The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand)The Empty Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This episode of Caspian’s unbirthday is very fun. I love the imagination in these books and the magical unbirthday presents. I think all kids would like to squeeze time to have their cake last longer too. I really enjoy the art in this book as well as the story of the invisible magic wand and look forward to more of Caspian’s unbirthday presents.

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Shelly Kittell

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I found this a fantasy that young middle schoolers would like. Princess Zarina requested a dress for her birthday gala and as the old saying goes “be careful what you wish for.” She gets the adventure of her life. There’s drama and adventure along with witches and all the other fantasy creatures you can think of. It’s an exciting story that is a quick read. I may get a paperback copy so I can read it to my grandson in the near future. A story worth reading.

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small – Review by Karen Pearman

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy TaleA Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Written by a new author to me I was not sure what to expect when I picked this book up to read. Let me just say that I was not disappointed. This is an enchanting story about a magical dress that the princess receives and if it will help her to save her kingdom. This story was a mixture of Disney’s Cinderella and Brave. I love that the main character is an extraordinarily strong willed and determined princess and will stop at nothing to save her kingdom. I thought that the author did a fantastic job keeping me interested and intrigued with this book. She has developed such a detailed and imaginable world in this book that I could picture it perfectly. I was rooting for the hero throughout this book, and I was not disappointed. Highly recommended young adult story.

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The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tausha Treadway

The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand)The Empty Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand Series) by Lois Wickstrom. This is such a cute series. In this addition Caspian receives a empty box for his “unbirthday” from his Grandpa. He tells Caspian that its a invisible sword and he has to name it before it will work. This book is full of fun and imagination with Caspian and his Grandpa. Would be a great gift for the youngster in your life.

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The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Shelly Kittell

<a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75858540-the-empty-box” style=”float: left; padding-right: 20px”><img border=”0″ alt=”The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand)” src=”https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1673471043l/75858540._SX98_.jpg” /></a><a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75858540-the-empty-box”>The Empty Box</a> by <a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/331633.Lois_Wickstrom”>Lois Wickstrom</a><br/>
My rating: <a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5394249592″>5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Oh, Caspian is one of my favorites. I love the adventures he has with his Grandpa. Here he gets his invisible wand. This adventure has him playing with time. This brings back so many memories I had with my grandmother and that I’m making with my grandson. This story is fun, creative and full of imagination. It sparks conversation. The pictures are bright and colorful. As a grandparent, this is one of my favorite series to read to my grandchildren. <br />Reasons I enjoyed this book:
<br/><br/>
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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small

~ ☆ ~ 🌈 ~ ☆ BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE ~ ☆ ~ 🌈 ~ ☆
A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
Genre – Kids, Fantasy
Page Count – 192
Cover Designer – Brandon Dorman

A MAGICAL DRESS!

Strong-willed Princess Zarina wants a special dress for the Royal Advancement Ceremony on her birthday in two weeks. She makes a deal with a mysterious dressmaker for a ball gown that everyone will remember.

The dressmaker creates a beautiful black dress for her. However, it’s not the dress Zarina expected. Especially when fire fairies dance across the skirt.

After the deal with the dressmaker goes wrong, Zarina is trapped in the magical dress. She must return to the castle on her own. But invaders attack the kingdom and kill the King and Queen. Princess Zarina must avoid capture.

Will the magical dress help her defeat the invaders and save the kingdom?

Winner of a 2022 Bronze Award from the Florida Writers Association’s Royal Palm Literary Awards in unpublished children’s fiction.

~ AMAZON ~

Click here to view the Book Trailer for A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small

Click here to experience a Chapter Reading of A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small

  1. L. Small is the author of fantasy novels for young readers and those who are young at heart. She was born in Queens, New York. She started college as a Creative Writing major and spent most of her professional career doing business writing.  She is a three-time winner of Royal Palm Literary Awards for her children’s fiction, including A Dress to Remember. Several of her short stories have been published in anthologies.

Her childhood dream was to own a horse and be an author. She is living her dream in Brooksville, Florida, with her husband, Rick, on a ranch called Carousel Acres. They own three horses (Rory, ShyAnne, and Skylark) and four cats (Blanche, Dorothy, Rose, and Stan). You can follow her on the Web at https://kathleenlsmall.com, and sign-up for her newsletter to get updates on her writing activities. Other fantasy novels are coming soon.

Author Interview with K.L. Small

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The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand Series) by Lois Wickstrom

🌼 .•°*°•.🌼 BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE 🌼 .•°*°•.🌼
The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand Series) by Lois Wickstrom
Genre – Kids, Family
Page Count – 32
Cover Designer – Nicolás Milano

The Box Looks Empty. But Grandpa Says it’s an Invisible Magic Wand.

(Formerly Invisible Magic Wand) Every year, on his Unbirthday, Grandpa gives Caspian a silly gift. Something that would not be appropriate for his Birthday. This year, he receives an Invisible Magic Wand, which enables him to control time. He can speed time up to get places faster. He can slow time down to enjoy his favorite foods longer.

Can it help him win a basketball game?

~ AMAZON ~


Click here to view the Book Trailer for The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand Series) by Lois Wickstrom

Click here to experience a Chapter Reading of The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand Series) by Lois Wickstrom

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.

Author Interview with Lois Wickstrom

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Saving the Gingerbread House by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Jamie Burns

Saving the Gingerbread House by Lois Wickstrom is a wonderful picture book packed full of wonderful topics to talk to your child about. The first thing that stood out to me is that you should always know your way home- the crumb trail. Another thing that children should be taught is not to wander away from their parents because it is not safe. I love how Wickstrom has created such an outstanding retelling of Hansel and Gretel. The illustrations and storyline works well together, and are entertaining for children.

Saving the Gingerbread House by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Rachel Moss

saving the gingerbread housesaving the gingerbread house by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a really cute book! I enjoyed the illustrations a lot, they were very colorful, detailed and beautiful! This is kind of like a retelling of Hansel and Gretel, without the bad-ish ending and violence towards children. I think this children’s book had a good theme in not judging books by its cover? Something along those lines anyway. Either this was a cute book for children and I highly recommend it!

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Saving the Gingerbread House by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Stephanie Robb

saving the gingerbread housesaving the gingerbread house by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another excellent book from this author.

I loved this alternative take on Hansel and Gretel, a delightful and happy take on this fairytale.

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Saving the Gingerbread House by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Emily H

saving the gingerbread housesaving the gingerbread house by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hansel and Gretel have heard the rumors about the witch that owns the gingerbread house. While out on an outing they discover the house, but are the rumors true?

This was a different take on the Hansel and Gretel story. Had problem solving skills as well as a couple of lessons along the way. Fun read.

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Saving the Gingerbread House by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Anna Hirsch

saving the gingerbread housesaving the gingerbread house by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Saving the Gingerbread House by Lois Wickstrom
4 Stars

This is a cute version of the fairytale Hansel and Gretal. As this is a book for children, there are no scary parts like in the real fairytale. As Hansel and Gretal are hiking with their father, he mentions that the witch wants to enter the most beautiful house contest. The children find this really silly. Upon hearing a strange noise, they decide to investigate and get lost in the woods. What happens next is an adventure filled with animals, a witch and of course a gingerbread house. The book is filled with colourful pictures sure to keep your children’s eyes glued to the pages.

Review by @Anna Hirsch
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