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Huff… Puff… Grind! (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Elizabeth Sanchez

Huff...Puff...Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart: a science folktale (Science Folktales)Huff…Puff…Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart: a science folktale by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Huff puff Grind was a cute take on the 3 Little Pigs story. I read it to my 7 year old and we both enjoyed it. My son said he doesn’t trust that wolf! He leaned a lot of new words- architect, mortar, saplings, lurking… In this story, the 3 pigs are educated and build sturdy houses, that all withstand the wolf’s huffs and puffs. But, unlike the original, these pigs are smart, problem solvers. They came up with a plan so everyone wins! I loved the illustrations, they are colorful and creative; I love that even the font changes to incorporate into the story.

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Reviewed by @way2gosmartguy

Huff… Puff… Grind! (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Crystal Brehant

Huff... Puff... Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get SmartHuff… Puff… Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this story with my 6 year old son. He was shocked but also pleasantly surprised by the new twist! He really enjoyed the ending. He’s all for how this ended! Another great twist on a classic by Lois W. We can’t get enough of her stories!

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Holding Up the Sky (Giants and Monsters) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Crystal Brehant

Holding Up the SkyHolding Up the Sky by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this story with my 6 year old. We both enjoyed reading it. My son liked how his daughter supported him and had such trust in her dad. Another great read from Lois Wickstrom. We have loved all of her books!

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Holding Up the Sky (Giants and Monsters) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Julie Johnson

Holding Up the SkyHolding Up the Sky by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many young girls think their daddy hung the moon, but Colleen is convinced that her daddy holds up the sky. Colleen’s dad is a giant and most of the townspeople fear him and think that he’s made up this story about the sky. One day, Colleen decides to host a party and her dad let’s his hands down for awhile. Suddenly, everyone in town becomes concerned and changes their thoughts on how they feel about Colleen’s dad.

This is a very well written story by a favorite author of mine. The illustrations are super brilliant and vivid! The story and it’s “hidden” meaning are great to share with anyone of any age. This book should be on every library shelf, whether in an actual library, daycare, school, etc.

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Holding Up the Sky (Giants and Monsters) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Cindy Mayberry

Holding Up the SkyHolding Up the Sky by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another Fun and fantastic story to read to our children. Colleen and her Dad have a special job. But the children are afraid of Colleen’s dad, and tease her. Read what happens when Colleen’s dad puts his hands down. Also who comes to the rescue when things start happening. This author never ceases to amaze me. Her imagination is and ability to entertain our children. Just another example of why I enjoy reading stories from this author.

Review@cinful

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Holding Up the Sky (Giants and Monsters) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Bobbi Wagner

Holding Up the SkyHolding Up the Sky by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a children’s author that I enjoy reading. I enjoy the learning aspects as well as the entertaining stories. This is a book about Colleen and her dad. Her dad says that he is holding up the sky but what will happen when he puts his hands down? I enjoyed the graphics of this story. They are interactive and tell the story in a way that will keep your child engaged throughout. I highly recommend this book for all children.

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Review by @bjwagner

Holding Up the Sky (Giants and Monsters) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tanya Wall, June 2023

Holding Up the Sky (Giants and Monsters)Holding Up the Sky by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a great children’s book with a message to not be fearful and to work together is better – at least how I read it! The illustrations are gorgeous. It is a good read aloud that takes you through the story of Colleen, her dad and the community. Being fearful and nonbelieving at first, the community was not sure about Colleen’s dad holding up the sky. But in the end, it all comes together when they realize holding up the sky was an important job, dad wasn’t scary and they could all pitch in and help.

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Holding Up the Sky (Giants and Monsters) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Shelly Kittell

Holding Up the SkyHolding Up the Sky by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a fun story! It’s an entertaining story/myth teaching about helping and being kind. I loved the bright colorful pictures. The story was another big hit in our house for storytime. My grandson now walks around telling me he is holding up the sky. (He is autistic and feels he needs to model heros in many forms). The characters are kind and compassionate. The ones who need to learn lessons always learn a lesson in a good way. I love the stories this author writes because she makes learning fun.

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Holding Up the Sky (Giants and Monsters) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tonya Merritt

Holding Up the SkyHolding Up the Sky by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lois Wickstrom at it again. This story of Colleen and her dad was full of fun and imagination. The way the words intertwined with the pictures made it a fun delight for kids of all ages. A great story to read to your child good night. And a reminder that sometimes fun is fun but responsibility is greater.

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Holding Up the Sky (Giants and Monsters) by Lois Wickstrom

🌼 .•°*°•.🌼 BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE 🌼 .•°*°•.🌼
Holding Up the Sky (Giants and Monsters) by Lois Wickstrom
Genre – Kids, Family
Page Count – 24
Cover Designer – Nicolas Milano

Coleen’s dad is a giant who doesn’t have a job. Or so people say. He walks around with his hands in the air and claims he’s holding up the sky. He steals crops and animals from farmers as he walks around holding up the sky. Nobody but Colleen believes him. One day, she invites the kids in her class to a party. Her dad stops holding up the sky to play with the kids. A star falls on her house and another one burns her yard. What will it take for everyone to believe the truth?

~ AMAZON ~

Click here to view the Book Trailer for Holding Up the Sky (Giants and Monsters) by Lois Wickstrom

Click here to experience a Chapter Reading of Holding Up the Sky (Giants and Monsters) 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

~ FACEBOOK ~ INSTAGRAM ~ BOOKBUB ~ TWITTER ~ PINTEREST ~ GOODREADS ~ YOUTUBE ~ NEWSLETTER ~

~ WEBSITE ~ FACEBOOK ~ TWITTER ~ PINTEREST ~ YOUTUBE ~ INSTAGRAMFACEBOOK GROUP ~ TIKTOK ~

Huff… Puff… Grind! (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Dawn Daughenbaugh

Huff... Puff... Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get SmartHuff… Puff… Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 Stars
Huff… Puff… Grind! (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom
Huff…Puff…Grind! The 3 little pigs get smart is a wonderfully written children’s book that fun retelling of a folktale. My five year old son loved this book so much we’ve read it several times already with lots of questions. The colorful bring the story to life. My son and I are huge fans of this author her many children’s books. I love that all her stories have a message and are educational as well. I highly recommend reading this book find out if the wolf can blow the house down? This is for children ages 3-8 but I think any age even adults can enjoy this story. We can’t wait to read more from this Author.

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Huff… Puff… Grind! (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Cindy Rushin

Huff... Puff... Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get SmartHuff… Puff… Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an enjoyable take on the story of the three little pigs. I like this author and I enjoy this series. The author has created fresh takes on the old standard fairy tales and it’s refreshing. I recommend this book to anyone with children that love to read. The author has found a way to give new life to the classic children’s stories and created a new exciting world.

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Huff… Puff… Grind! (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Shadel Ayerbe

Huff... Puff... Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get SmartHuff… Puff… Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Huff… Puff… Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstorm is a great unique children story

Another science- and STEM-related picture book has been created by Lois Wickstrom! The Three Little Pigs story has a twist since each pig attended school to study architecture. They start out making their homes to see whether they can develop wolf-proof ones. The pigs go through the process of drawing blueprints for their homes before starting to construct them individually.

Every page was exciting and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen. It is a very unique story with even more one-of-a-kind characters. The story really transports you into their world. I couldn’t put the book down.

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Huff… Puff…Grind! (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Anna Hirsch

Huff... Puff... Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get SmartHuff… Puff… Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Huff… Puff…Grind! (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom
4 Stars

This is the story of the three little pigs with a new ending. The wolf is hungry and comes to blow down their houses. Little does he know that they are architects and have built their houses strong and unbreakable. The three siblings put their heads together and come up with an ingenious idea to put all that hugging and puffing to good use.

The story encourages children to be kind and to be helpful even towards people who they think are mean. This is another fun addition to the author’s science folktales series.

Review by @Anna Hirsch
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The Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tanya Wall, June 2023

The Messy KidsThe Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What happens when your kiddo doesn’t want to clean up his messes? Well, he can get some cute little alien guys to come to help. But then, they don’t really help the right way! This book is so cute – the story and the illustrations. This would make littles giggle and make for a good discussion starter!

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Huff… Puff… Grind! (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Jennifer Reimer

Huff... Puff... Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get SmartHuff… Puff… Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a very interesting take on the original version. But I always love to see over people perspective and view on what they think something should be or written. So having these pigs build some incredible houses and then outsmarting the wolf and having him run the windmill was an incredible part of the story. my children who are 4 and 6 found this book very fascinated and wanted me to keep reading till the end. The excitement and guessing what was going to happen on the next page really made them think because this does not follow the normal fairy tale, which was why it brought so much joy to the kids.

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Huff… Puff… Grind! (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Rayne East

Huff... Puff... Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get SmartHuff… Puff… Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

STEM children’s story
This is a scientific adaptation of the children’s story ‘The three little pigs’. It has great illustrations and was cleverly executed. This brings mini-lessons in science and engineering for little minds to ponder. Thoroughly enjoyable and would make a great addition to a home or school library.

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The Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Rayne East

The Messy KidsThe Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cute & fun
This picture story book is a fun story aimed for 4-8 year olds. It has an underlying message of cleaning up after yourself, even when it’s not your mess which is done thing kids don’t like to do. Chester is a great character that most kids would relate to. The illustrations are bright and engaging and the writing is easy to read and follow. Recommend.

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Huff… Puff… Grind! (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Jennifer Crain

Huff... Puff... Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get SmartHuff… Puff… Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I (and the children I shared this book with) loved the different font choices for the pigs’ names and vocabulary or cool words (lurking, overlapped) as well as the traditional story words (huff, puff, etc.).

Science concepts such as mica rock, grinding flour are also introduced. As an adult, I loved the twist ending, and it would be perfect for parents/educators/teachers that are doing compare/contrast between versions of the book- reminds me of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, but yet another refreshing ending.

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@bookworm1909Huff… Puff… Grind!, Science Folktales, Lois Wickstrom, Review, Itsy Bitsy Book Bits, Kids, Family

 

The Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Anna Hirsch

The Messy KidsThe Messy Kids by Lois J Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom
4 Stars

Chester’s mother is tired of things being a mess and tells Chester to clean his room. Chester has surprise visitors that are causing a bigger mess which is frustrating his mother. Will his room ever get clean? This book is highly entertaining in more ways than one. There are colourful pictures, silly creatures and is easy to read. The author writes stories with lessons to be learned in amusing ways which will capture a child’s imagination.

Review by @Anna Hirsch
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The Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

The Messy KidsThe Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Messy Kids is a whimsical and entertaining read with colorful illustrations that will surely engage children (of all ages). The story centers around Chester whose mom has asked him to clean his room, but he decides that he wants to go outside and clean the sandbox instead. While in the sandbox Chester meets a small group of aliens known as the messy kids. Instead of cleaning the sandbox they just make a bigger mess. When Chester goes inside to clean his room the messy kids help him by pushing all his toys under the bed. This does not make Chester’s mom very happy, and she tells him that he must clean it again and to show the messy kids how to clean it properly. An engaging read that will surely have you giggling over the antics of the messy kids. It teaches children how to lead by example and how rewarding it can be when they clean their room properly.

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The Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Kerry Baker

The Messy KidsThe Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is yet another fun and entertaining book that the whole family can really enjoy together. Our entire household has become such a huge fan of this author and we are yet to come across a book we don’t enjoy. I loved this one so much. I loved how it teaches kids to use their imagination. My daughter really enjoyed this book too. This is the first book by this author that she has tried to read herself, and not just listen to me read it for her. These books are great for those who are learning to read as they are short and punchy stories. I am already looking forward to the next book and having it read to me!

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The Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tonya Merritt

The Messy KidsThe Messy Kids by Lois J Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lois Wickstrom out here teaching your children everything. Her books include teaching science, imagination and values. In this book, we learn about the messy kids and Chester. A fun book for the younger children with imagination and learning! What will The Messy Kids mess up next?

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The Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Angela Hayes

The Messy KidsThe Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

 

4 Stars

The Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom is a fun children’s storybook with interesting, bright, and colourful illustrations that help to bring the story to life.
I found it to be a cute ‘adventure’ with lots of fun, aliens, a spaceship, and lessons about cleaning up after yourself. This is a bit of a quirky story with a touch of fantasy that proved to very engaging- feeding both the imagination, as well providing a few lessons along the way.
Suitable for children aged 4 to 8.
Happy reading!

Thank you, Lois Wickstrom!

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The Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Julie Johnson

The Messy KidsThe Messy Kids by Lois J Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Chester does not want to clean his room when his mom asked, so like any typical kid, he goes outside. While playing in his sand box, the “messy kids” come out to play. Eventually they follow him inside where Chester gets some help in cleaning up his room.

First of all, I LOVE the illustrations in this book! They are very vivid and appealing to the eye! Second, this is a story that kids can relate too. So can moms! It’s a good life learning story about the value of help, but also of teaching others what you need help with.

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The Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Jenni Bishop

The Messy KidsThe Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Messy Kids is a fun 30-page story with bright and colourful illustrations by Nicolas Milano. The pictures bring Lois’s words to life. Children as well as adults will enjoy. It is nice to read children’s books that bring such joy.
I like that Lois’s stories have messages within and that we get to share these with our children or grandchildren or those that we love. These books are geared for kids ages 4-8 years of age. It is nice to sit with them and watch as the gears turn, and their imaginations run wild.
Chester has better things to do and honestly what child likes to clean up after themselves especially when it is not him making the mess. All he has to do is teach cat-faced aliens. Easy, right?
An excellent book not just for special occasions.

Reviewed by @jennadb

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The Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Lorralei Hoerner

The Messy KidsThe Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

🌟🌟🌟🌟

I always enjoy this author’s book and The Messy Kids is a fun story with full of imagination and wonderful illustrations.

Chester needs to clean his room up by his mothers request….but Chester has more fun things to think about and do. When he has The Messy Kids to help….will Chester be able to clean his room with the help and make his mother happy?

This story can be enjoyed for all ages and I know I certainly look forward to each book that this author writes as we all can learn how to be helpful and amazing!

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The Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Carrie Reed

The Messy KidsThe Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Beautiful art work. Chester wants to to have the skills and qualities the messy kids have, he thinks they always do things better than he ever could, but, in the end, he is the leader, showing the messy kids how to clean up properly. I love this book showcases the good behind cleaning up your mess, being a leader instead of following along and, the imagination of children.

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The Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Shelly Kittell

The Messy KidsThe Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the funniest book I’ve read. Chester learns how to clean up messes the right way. This is a humorous story. My grandson and I read it in a restaurant yesterday waiting for our meal. We were giggling at the messes Chester and the Messy Kids got into. The ending was our favorite parts. The illustrations are bright colorful. You can’t help but laugh with the story. It’s entertaining and teaches a wonderful lesson. This is the funniest book I’ve read. Chester learns how to clean up messes the right way. This is a humorous story. My grandson and I read it in a restaurant yesterday waiting for our meal. We were giggling at the messes Chester and the Messy Kids got into. The ending was our favorite parts. The illustrations are bright colorful. You can’t help but laugh with the story. It’s entertaining and teaches a wonderful lesson.

The Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Jennifer Crain

The Messy KidsThe Messy Kids by Lois J Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have read several books by Lois Wickstrom, and all of them tell a message or solve a problem but through a narrative or story instead of being preachy. I can see kids making up their own imaginary friends, or even turning this into a STEAM experience and have them make a messy helper to remind them to clean their spaces.

I appreciate how the illustrator always depicts kids with different skin colors, disabilities, etc. as well as the central messages of the story line. Some picture books tend to be too wordy for young kids, but this one does not- I could see young kids really enjoying it!

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