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Mr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Jenni Bishop

Mr. Barsins' Toy EmporiumMr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium by Lois Wickstrom is a wonderful and magical tale.
Imagine having friends where you can see each other’s playmates. Well, that is what Lois gives her readers. Four friends Jack, Lily, Audrey and Nick who all end up at Mr Barsins’ Toy Emporium and find their playmates and thus the true adventure begins.
This delightful tale made me think of the movie Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium. Great movie. Anyhow I digress.
Mr Barsins’ Toy Emporium is a lot of fun and the vivid narrative lets your imagination run free and wild. A place that you can create your own world. A world that is only limited by your imagination. I realm of possibilities. A realm of dreams. A realm where real or imagined friends come together.
A magical adventure that is full of joy, wonder, hope, friendships and so much more.
This is a great tale that any child will fall in love and want to visit Mr Barsins’ Toy Emporium

Reviewed by @jennadb

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Mr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium by Lois Wickstrom-Review by Julie Johnson

Mr. Barsins' Toy EmporiumMr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

This is a middle grade read by Lois Wickstrom and was a very fun read! You must, however, have an imagination to really enjoy this book! It’s what it’s all about!

There are 4 youngsters who will become unlikely friends through a series of challenges placed on them by Mr. Barsins after they wander into this Toy Store. All the kids are fascinated by the word “emporium” (I mean, it *IS* a pretty cool word) and his “wall that isn’t there”. This is an adventure full of fantasy and wonder!!

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Mr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium by Lois Wickstrom by Jennifer Crain

Mr. Barsins' Toy EmporiumMr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lois Wickstrom is probably better known for her picture books, but this is an extraordinary and magical middle grades read.

Right away, the whimsical cover “grabs” you in and invites you in like an intoxicating toy store. The beginning hooks you right away, wanting to find out about the characters, for the book follows 4 kids and their connection to the toy store of the title. I enjoyed reading about each characters’ stories, however, at times, the story felt disjointed and not smooth transitions between the different character stories within the overarching book.

I did appreciate the author’s world building, each child had a completely different and unique story, but all had a reason(s) to visit to toy shop. The slightly open ending was also appreciated, for it lets ones’ imaginations finish the story, especially with Jack.

The pacing was quick, with the exception of some disjointed flow as I mentioned above. Love the actual writing style, feels like the characters are acting out the scenes instead of talking to you. Overall, an enjoyable read!

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@bookworm1909

Mr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Kerry Baker

Mr. Barsins' Toy EmporiumMr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn’t realise when starting this book it was a Lois Wickstrom one, but it didn’t take me long to figure it out. The writing style is so indicative of the fantastic writing I have come to expect from her. It is intended for a slightly older audience than some of her others books but it was just as imaginative and interesting. This is one that I haven’t yet read to my kids as they are a little young to understand it. However, this is one that I will be keeping in my back pocket for the second they are old enough to enjoy it and appreciate it.
It took me no time at all to get through this book. It was full of interesting characters that added depth and complexity to the story. It was enjoyable and a brilliant read. This is a book that would appeal to all audiences.

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Rocketship Made Of Stars: Naming Of Constellations (I Am An Alien #2) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Shirl is a young girl who has made friends with an alien called Eee-ah who lives quite far away and she has decided to visit Earth and Shirl, but she still needed to give some directions. When Eee-ah arrived Shirl was very excited and asks to stay in her flying saucer with her, Eee-ah agreed but only if Shirl agreed to take her to school the next day.

The next day, Shirl arrives with Eee-ah and her friends are also excited and ask lots of questions, but before there were any answers, the school bell rang. This is where Eee-ah answered questions about where she lived, so she answered by drawing dots and joined them into images and this is where everyone learned about constellations!

This is a charming and informative story which talks about the differences between how we each see the world and how just because people aren’t all the same, does not mean that it is a bad thing, a must read for all little and large ones alike.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Mr. Barsin’s Toy Emporium by Lois Wickstrom Review by Shelly Kittell

Mr. Barsins' Toy EmporiumMr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What an entertaining story! This was an entertaining story in our house. We loved all the mystical elementals in the story. The imagination and creativity that went into creating this was so good. My grandson loved the dragon. My favorite was the sylphs and the question-marks. We loved the action and adventure of the story. It totally started with the crazy red zinger suit Mr. Barsins’ wore and went on from there. A cool story that younger ones would like.

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Mr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium by Lois Wickstrom

🌼 .•°*°•.🌼 BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE 🌼 .•°*°•.🌼
Mr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium by Lois Wickstrom
Genre – Kids
Page Count – 236
Cover Designer – Ty Meier
While on his birthday cruise, Jack spies a mermaid. He finds her later in the secret room at Mr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium. Lily lost her sylphs when her father moved to Florida. Like her other friends, her sylphs stayed behind. But now they are looking for her in Mr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium. Audrey sees herself as a noble knight, whose duty is to slay a dragon. She seeks one at Mr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium, and she intends to slay it. And Nick has been lying about a bad gnome causing all the trouble at his house. He finds a really bad gnome at Mr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium. Why is Mr. Barsin giving out imaginary playmates? Are they in danger?

~ AMAZON ~

Click here to view the Book Trailer for Mr. Barsins’ Toy Emporium by Lois Wickstrom

Click here to experience a Chapter Reading of Mr. Barsins’  Toy Emporium by Lois Wickstrom

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.

She writes by herself. She writes with co-authors. She asks illustrators what they would like to draw. If she ever writes her autobiography, the title will be My Life as a Group Project.

Her mother used to get angry with her for daydreaming. Her little sister picked on her. So she lived in books and wrote her own stories in which the bad-guys made sense, and the good-guys had a chance. As she has grown older, her imagination has grown weirder. Even she doesn’t know what she will write next.

Author Interview with Lois Wickstrom

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Jennifer Ramos

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely love reading Wickstrom books! Always so interesting, fun adventures and keep families engaged in the new stories! Stories focus on friendship and kindness mixed in with eager curiosity to learn something new about who they are interacting with as well as knowledge of the fascinating world around them. In this book, an alien Eee-ahh meets new friends and goes to school with them. At school, the alien teaches the teacher and school mates about where he comes from and what he calls the constellations. Same ones they have learned of with different names. It is great for children to learn to appreciate how the same world to others may have different names and find common ground. Love reading this one and cannot wait to read more!

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Shannen Kern

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We love bringing these books home because this author is amazing! We are also a bunch of stargazers, so it was quite fitting for us. I love that we continue to learn about Eee-ahh and Shirl. They learn about all of the different constellations which I absolutely love! The illustrations are fabulous and definitely add a bit more to the story. My kiddos are 7 and 11, and they both thoroughly enjoyed it. It even started an evening of laying outside on a blanket and seeing which constellations we could find. We also may have made some up as well, so it was a memorable time. I highly recommend picking this up and share it with the younger ones in your life!

Reviewed by @shannlynn

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Donya Pedigo

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve read several children’s books by author Lois Wickstrom and each one encompasses a great tale along with a fun learning moment for the reader. Rocketship Made of Stars is no exception as it is a fun story about Shirl and her alien friend who has traveled through the stars to visit her. The reader gets to learn the names of stars and constellations along with what Eee-ahh, the alien calls them.

This is a beautifully illustrated book by artist Nicolàs Milano. The colorful, engaging illustrations help you visualize the story and make it come alive for the reader. Ms. Wickstrom’s books continue to be great reads for my family and myself.

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Ashley Sugar

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was such a cute and fun read. I read it with my daughters and they both loved it. Great way to engage in subjects about science and constellations. Loved this because it made such a fun time with my kiddos! They love to read just as much as me so we loved spending time before bed to read a couple books! This was one of their favorites. Highly recommend.

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Rebeca Elliott Figueiras

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is another great book for kids by the author, the second in the I am an Alien series. What I love is how it makes learning about constellations fun and easy for young children, keeping them engaged in the fun story as they learn.
The story itself is fun as well as educational, and the illustrations are bright and keep the younger kids engaged. The constellation facts are accurate and displayed in an entertaining and creative way making it easier for children to learn.
I am never disappointed by the author’s easy and simple writing, making the harder aspects of a topic more accessible to the kids, and there’s always a chance for the adults to learn something too!
If you’re looking for an enjoyable and educational book about constellations, this is the book for you!

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Cindy Rushin

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book and I think it will interest many kids. It will be especially interesting for those kids who enjoy watching the stars and dreaming of exploring them someday. The book had a lot of interesting information on constellations and interesting concepts about how children can have fun renaming them based on their own imagination. It is a good book and I recommend it for children who love to explore and learn new things.

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Ayla Phipps

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Once again, beautifully illustrated. This book picks up after the first one. Eee-ahh is on Earth with their new friend Shirl and asks about school, when they find out Shirl goes to school to hear stories Eee-ahh decides that they want to go to school with Shirl. At school Eee-ahh shares the names they have for the stars and learns about Earth’s names and stories for them. This is a quick read that helps get kids more interested in looking up at the stars and not at a screen. Very cute and informative book that leads to hours of learning with your little ones looking at the wonder of the stars.

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Rocketship Made of Stars ( I am an Alien ) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Caralee Loonat

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is again another great book by this author that helps young kids learn. I like how this author is able to bring science to kids and make it fun and interesting to learn. I really wish that my children were younger but I know that I will keep this in my library for the future when I eventually have grandkids. The author really has a very unique writing style that makes harder subjects easy for kids to learn and comprehend. I will definitely recommend this to anyone with younger kids who want to introduce them to science and get their interest peaked.

Reviewed by @caraleeloonat
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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Brandy Vaughn

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is book two in the I Am An Alien series. I like the cuteness of the alien and the friendship with Shirl. It’s cute how the kids at school all the alien a bunch of questions. The constallations map is a great conversation starter about the nigh sky. I didn’t know Hercules was a constallation. There are pictures of different constallations throughout and at the end of the book with additional information. I have read several of Wickstrom’s books and they are entertaining!

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rocketship Made of Stars is a children’s book designed for kids between the ages of four to eight years old. The story centers around a young girl by the name of Shirl and her alien friend Eee-Ahh. When Shirl takes Eee-Ahh to school with her the teacher and her classmates quickly realize that Eee-Ahh is an alien. The teacher asks her where she came from so, she draws a map of the stars and gives the names of all the constellations. The constellations look the same except the names Eee-Ahh gives the constellations are different from what the teacher calls them. Shirl and her classmates receive a lesson in the names of the different constellations, what they look like, and what they are called. This book is great for any child to learn about the stars and what the constellations are called. It is fun, easy to read, and full of bright illustrations that bring the story to life. I highly recommend this book!

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Dawn Daughenbaugh

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 Star’s
Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom

Rocketship Made of Stars is the second book in the I am an Alien series and is a wonderfully written children’s book that children of any age will enjoy reading. My son is in kindergarten and we are learning to read and he loved this book and we read it a few times in row so he could “read” it too. The colorful illustrations help to bring the story to life. Shirl and her alien friend go to school and the teacher asks Eee-aah where shes from so Eee-aah draws a map of the stats then draws a circle around the constellation that looks just like a rocketship. Eee-aah gives all the constellations names. But what will the teacher think of of the different names? My son and I highly recommend reading this cute little book . We love this author and look forward to reading many more

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Crystal Brehant

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The second story in the I Am An Alien series. My son and I always love Lois Wickstrom’s books and that hasn’t changed. In the first book we meet Shirl who believes Earth is not her home. She reaches out to the universe and gets into contact with an alien named Eee-aah who also feels like her planet is not her home. In this book, Eee-aah goes to school with Shirl. We learn all about Eee-aah. The educational information at the end is a fun addition.

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Heather Bass

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is too cute. I read this one to my niece and she loved it as well. I love how the author makes science fun and very interesting. This adventure is about the stars and their constellations.
The main character Shirl takes her friend Eee Ahh to school with her. Eee Ahh is an alien from another planet. The teacher is teaching all about the constellations on earth and where they got their names from. Will Shirl and Eee Ahh have the same names?
Review by @heatherbass

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Jules Herbert

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A young girl Shirl and her Alien friend Eee-ahh go to school together and the lesson is about constellations. This is a fantastic read to engage young ones in science and learning with fun illustrations from a very creative author.

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Carrie Reed

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great artwork, I love how colorful the book is. This is a fun book to teach kids about stars and constellations, especially the with the back of the book listing different constellations and the shape they would appear in the sky. Very informational and fun to think aliens are out there.

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Cindy Mayberry

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is such an informative children’s story. A story with learning and fun, for both adults and children. Eee-ahh goes to school to learn, but the teacher wants to know where she lives. Therefore the lesson begins for all, including you the reader. I absolutely love this story. As well as the author. Her imagination opens so many doors for children. Creating so many projects and activities for all who read her book. The story is short enough to keep the children’s interest, and includes so much more. I hope you and your little ones enjoy it as much as my grandchildren do.
Review@cinful

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Emily H

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Shirl and her friend Eee-ahh, who is an alien, head to school together. The teacher is teaching the class about constellations and Eee-ahh shows different planets and how you connect the dots to show images. Shirl and her friends share their constellations as well.

Great story to engage children into looking at the stars and seeing the constellations. I think this is a wonderful way to start a conversation with young children and get them interested in science.

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Rayne East

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Engaging and education
As always with this author’s books there is wonder amongst the pages. Rocketship Made of Stars is an entertaining and educational book that teaches children, aged 4-8 years, about the constellations in a fun and engaging way. The illustrations are bright and detailed and the writing easy to follow with the added message about acceptance of differences interwoven. Recommend for any home or class library.

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Carlie Del Gallo

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lois Wickstrom has done it again! This is an adorable book that is not only engaging for children but adults who read this with the kids! This book is science being made entertaining for everyone reading it! This book was about constellations and kids learning about them. I enjoyed reading this book! I cannot wait to read this with my best friends children. I know that they will love this book as much as I did! The graphics were also amazing and colorful.

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Elizabeth Sanchez

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rocketship Made of Stars is the 2nd book in the children’s series I am an Alien. While it does follow the first book, it is cute and can be read without the previous book. Shirl has a friend who is an alien, that we met in the first book. The alien’s name is Eee-ahh, and has landed on Earth and decided to stay a while. She decides to go to school with Sherl one day, to listen to the stories. Turns out, the kids are just as interested in HER story, and she is in theirs. They learn about constellations and the different names for them. It is a cute, but educational story. My seven year old enjoyed it, but we both struggle to see pictures in the common constellations.

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Reviewed by @way2gosmartguy

Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Candice Estes

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a cute book for grade school age kids. My 9 and 10 year old enjoyed it. Shirl is a little girl on Earth who reaches out to the vast reaches of the Universe by sending out a radio transmission that Eee-aah, an alien from a far away planet, responds to. Eee-aah is excited to go to school with Shirl, and Shirl is equally excited to introduce her new friend to her schoolmates. While Shirl and Eee-aah are at school, the young alien talks to Shirl’s class about her home planet and the constellations that can be seen from it, as well as the constellations that can be seen from Earth, with help from the other students and the teacher. The illustrations are fantastic, and the information section at the end of the book about constellations is an excellent addition.

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Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling – Review by Stephanie Robb

Xenia Navarro and the Magic AntsXenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The book follows the main character Xenia and her family, living as undocumented immigrants in America. The themes of immigration and deportation are addressed in a way that children can understand but I would recommend reading it with an adult to help discuss the themes. As always another beautiful and education book from this author.

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Rocketship Made of Stars (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Darla Yocom

Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations (I am an Alien)Rocketship Made of Stars: Naming Constellations by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This adorable book follows a human school child, Shirl and their alien friend, Eee-Ahh. Shirl explains why she goes to school and how she enjoys hearing stories every day. Intrigued, Eee-Ahh chooses to go with Shirl the next day, as she too enjoys stories. While the other children immediately notice how different Eee-Ahh is from the others, they quickly become enamored with constellations and where she comes from.

I think children and adults will enjoy this book and the dynamics between the very open minded teacher and the children’s incredibly curious minds. Astrology is always a great subject to share with children and they may often come up with their very own ideas of what shapes they can find in the stars.

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