What Do the Plants Say? by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What a fun, imaginative book. I loved the artwork, and the story entertaining. It would be so fun to be able to fly these balloon flowers like a kite and fly high in the sky. I enjoy seeing what Alex the Inventor comes up with, and how creative the inventions are.
Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow!: The Real Magic of the Beans by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A nice take on Jack and the beanstalk. I really liked how the woman giant was kind and helped Jacqueline, even with her husband. I was also glad to see a happy ending for her, her mom and Bessie. The art is beautiful and the story is fun for kids.
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Adorable book about a sister explaining what monsters look like to her blind sister and how she relates each thing to her world.
Very cute, imaginative and has a little hidden agenda of teaching things that are different aren’t always as scary as you think.
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Meg, who is blind, doesn’t understand how monsters are scary. Her older sister though assures her they are. With descriptions and using her senses Meg begins to understand what Monsters are.
Very creative, I thought the way this was written makes you think about using other senses to understand what a person who does not have the same senses might use to understand. The art work is great in this one as well.
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
We always enjoy books from this author in our household but I think this one has to be one our favourites. The characters are brilliant and so easy to connect with. They were entertaining and fun and I loved the fact that they were sisters.
As usual, we have read this book multiple times but this is the first one from this author we read more than once in a day. Both of my kids really enjoyed this story, despite their difference in age. In a short space of time this author has become one of our most read and I can’t wait to keep reading her stories for years to come.
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a cute story about Meg and her sister Sue. Meg is blind and Sue tried very hard to frighten Meg by talking about monsters but with every scary thing she says Meg answers her with something positive and explaining all the sense she uses to build up pictures in her mind. I can imagine many talking pints for children in this story about how Meg uses her other senses to see what is going on around her and whether Sue was being a good big sister or not. A well written story that was easy to read and illustrated beautifully as well.
Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow!: The Real Magic of the Beans by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a take on Jack and the Beanstalk. In this story, Jacqueline falls for the old trick of giving her cow for some magic beans. She figures out how to make the trick work to her advantage and get her family the food they need for the winter. This is a cute retell, great illustrations and it is nice to see the girl outsmart the giant!
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A Monster for Meg was not what I expected, it was better. I loved the analogies used to help describe things to Meg. She is blind, and her sister is trying to help her understand why monsters are scary. My seven year old son enjoyed it, and liked the pictures. He said Meg’s sister was nice for answering all her questions, because his siblings would tell him to quit asking so many. The book would be great to help young children understand a little of what life would be like for someone who cannot see. It could also be used for a lesson on the senses.
Reviewed by @way2gosmartguy
What Do the Plants Say? by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What I love about Ms. Wickstrom’s books is that she uses girls as inventors and science lovers. This book fits right in with that! Alex listens to the beautiful purple flowers, finds a way to talk with them, and then invents how to allow them to fly into the sky! Alex has perseverance and never gives up. She is exactly what a scientist is – someone who tries and tries again until the end result is found. Beautiful illustrations, a quick story line, and the plot takes you where Alex wants you to go!
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Meg and her sister are discussing monsters. With Meg being blind, her sister tried to explain the monsters. This is yet another child involvement story. It talks about our senses as well as being blind. This interaction between the sisters, and the humor makes for a fun story to read. I enjoy reading books by this author. So do my grandchildren. Her stories are easy to follow and fun to experiment with. Open-ended books are the BEST! I look forward to reading more from this author.
Review@cinful
Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow!: The Real Magic of the Beans by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another lovely retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk with a science twist to it. I really enjoy the stories by this author they are written well and so engaging for young children and great introduction to some simple science. Jacqueline was a sweet character in the story and it was fun to follow her along on her adventure. There were a few talking points in the story for children along the way.
What Do the Plants Say? by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Alex, the inventor, is so creative and full of imagination. This story gives such a chuckle. One can imagine filling little plants with helium and going for a ride. Oh, I can remember asking Calgon to take me away. My grandson asked me if we could really take a flying ride with flowers. I could see his little mind churning. I love how this author’s stories help to stir the child’s creative thoughts with her stories. We love reading about Alex’s adventures and look forward to more. The pictures are colorful. The story is perfect for letting your imagination flow and it’s a 5-star book in our house.
Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow!: The Real Magic of the Beans by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this children’s book. This is an author that writes children’s books that are full of learning aspects. They are colorful and engaging pages. This book is no different. A story about a family who is hungry. Instead of letting her family eat the dry cow, Jacquline takes the cow and sells it for three beans. What will Jacquline find when she plants these beans? Will she learn that just because things are brighter on one side but doesn’t mean that things could be brighter on the other. The pages are interactive and your child will easily understand the meaning behind this story. Great story for all children. I highly recommend this book.
Review by @bjwagner
What Do the Plants Say? by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What Do the Plants Say? Is a picture book that is full of imagination and creativity, talking plants and what’s more our main character can understand them. This is fun story is aimed at young readers aged 8 – 12 years. The illustrations by Janet King are colourful and make the story come alive.
Lois once again cleverly inserts science into the children’s books she writes. It allows them to open up their young minds and imagine what it could be like.
Alex is one smart cookie and believes that plants can talk. She is able to think outside the square and invent something she believes will help her understand them.
Join Alex and her clever mind as she makes some fun and interesting inventions to indulge nature. This is another wonderful story that would make a good present.
Reviewed by @jennadb
.•°*°•. BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE .•°*°•.
Alex hears the balloon flowers in her yard making noises.
Are they talking to her? She invents a plant translator so she can talk to her plants. Soon she and the flowers are planning a party. What do plants want to do at a party?
Can Alex make her plants’ party plans come true?
Click here to view the Book Trailer for What Do the Plants Say? (Alex, the Inventor) by Lois Wickstrom
Lois is a former science teacher. She has written a series of science-based folktales. In each modernized tale, the protagonist achieves a better ending because of learning scientific principles. Lois likes to garden, ride her bike with her husband, cook, and she votes in every election.
https://www.amazon.com/review/R3IAYA53VZ3IWZ/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow!: The Real Magic of the Beans by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was another great story written by Lois Wickstrom. It was a classic story but with a twist. A Mother and daughter was struggling to get seeds to make a garden. The daughter traded her cow for 3 magic beans. The world building and characters was good. The illustration matched the wording and had some colors.
View all my reviews
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/516027076
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5 Stars
This story is pure fun and absolutely wonderful. I have read many books from this author and this story is one of my favorite. How can you describe what a monster truly is? Meg’s big sister, Sue, tries to explain to Meg all about monsters and they can be scary. With each detail Sue has Meg goes along and understands all while being visually impaired. That does not stop Meg for sure to know all about monsters!!
This book is wonderful wonderful wonderful. I very highly recommend everyone of all ages to definitely read this. The illustrations are great and just the story itself and the message…truly fantastic!
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sue tells her younger sister, Meg, that monsters are scary and tries to prank her by explaining what frightening qualities they have. Meg, who is blind, asks lots of questions using her other senses to better understand what her sister thinks is so scary.
This book is a wonderful way to give kids a way to understand that other people experience things differently than you do – and a great way to encourage different points of view and maybe a bit of courage in the face of something scary. Bright, fun illustrations add to the experience for young kids. A fun read together!
Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow!: The Real Magic of the Beans by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow is a recreation of Jack and the Bean Stalk. Jacqueline is a little girl living with her mother and they have a hard time finding food. They own a cow named Bessie and decide to sell her so they can eat. On the way to market, Jacqueline trades for some seeds. Well, as you probably know the seeds grow overnight into a huge stalk with a Giant couple living at the top. The wife is very nice and wants to help the little girl out, while the husband wants to eat her. He chased her and then said he would wait for her to come back because she was bringing his wife beans. Jaqueline sneakily brought the wife beans and got a basket of golden eggs in return, which now makes her and her mother rich. This book is a Science Folktale but I didn’t feel it taught as much as in the other stories the author has written. I thought this one explained how growing food is profitable for the sustainability of life, but how one goes about was fiction. One could take a deeper meaning from it where when you are at your lowest, there are times that your luck can change for the better. Sometimes you just have to take a chance on something that seems unrealistic.
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A Monster for Meg is about a girl who wants to understand why monsters are so scary. Meg is blind so she has her sister start to describe the scariness of a monster. The funny thing is Meg doesn’t find it so scary because everything being described reminds her of something her sister already does. It was a cute book. I like how they made it that just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean you can’t experience something. Also, the fact that although you may not see it doesn’t mean it is scary. It was a cute, inclusive take on a childhood fear for many.
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love the inclusiveness of this story. This is the story of Meg, who is blind, and her sister who is describing to Meg what a monster is like. It’s a very cute story of how Meg’s sister describes the monster and how Meg relates the monster back to her sister. I love how Wickstrom always weaves life lessons into her stories and is very inclusive as well. This is probably one of my favorites. And as always, the illustrations are on point.
Reviewed by @meggs1717
Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow!: The Real Magic of the Beans by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh my goodness, this author amazes me with her talent at telling such amazing and fun stories. This retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk has Priscilla and the Giant’s wife trading beans for Golden Eggs. The magic beans turn out to be self-sustaining. I found the characters quite entertaining. I do love how her characters are positive and not horribly scary. There is always a lesson to learn. The pictures are quite beautiful and the story is fun to read. My family votes this as another winner. It will be added to our collection.
Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow!: The Real Magic of the Beans by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
3 Stars
Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow is the third book in the Science Folktales series by Lois Wickstrom. It is a fun children’s fantasy story- a reimagining of the classic fairytale, Jack and the Beanstalk, with a bit of a twist providing plenty of fun and adventure along the way.
The story has mystery, intrigue, and a little drama to keep things interesting. It introduces children to the concepts of planting seeds, growing food, making bargains/deals, consequences, decision making, and not jumping to conclusions.
I wish the internal quality of the illustrations matched the quality of the ‘new’ cover picture- as the internal illustrations are very simplistic, and a bit ‘bland’. I really didn’t like them and felt they didn’t do the story justice. They just don’t grab and hold your attention like the cover image does, and so I was left feeling quite disappointed because of it.
The Science Folktales Series contains (so far):
-Chicken Little (Book #1)
-Huff…Puff…Grind! The Three Little Pigs Get Smart (Book #2)
-Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow! The Real Magic of the Beans (Book #3)
-Goldilocks and the Six Simple Machines (Book #4)
-Little Red, the Detective (Book #5)
-Just One More Egg (Book #6)
-The Dwarves’ Dilemma (Book #7)
-Saving the Gingerbread House (Book #8)
There’s lots to explore in this series- with plenty of adventures to take, and lots of things to learn along the way.
Looking forward to more from Ms. Wickstrom.
Happy reading…
Reviewed by @angelahayes
A Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a cute little book. I like that the siblings had a “nice” banter going back and forth. We like that this author typically includes a differently abled character in her stories. We’re looking forward to reading more.
https://www.amazon.com/review/R2LDXM7KYFDQ/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
What Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another great book written by Lois Wickstrom. This book was about a grandma who bought her granddaughter a orange tree. The granddaughter got to learn how to care for the tree. She also had to learn about insects and how they eat. This was such a cute book. The illustration was good in it also.
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https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1291629868
What Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This author writes really cute stories for children. Every book includes some fun facts that teach children about the world around them. This series is about bugs and each one provides some knowledge and insight into whatever bug the book is about. I enjoyed finding out about katydids and how beneficial they are to plants. I recommend this book and author to any parent who has kids that love to read and learn.
What Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was such a fun and interesting book. My 8 year old loved it and it kept her attention the whole time. It was also educational in a fun way. I love these kind of books that give you a little information but in a fun and interesting way.
What Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lois Wickstrom has done it again! My kiddos and I love her books, and we get so excited anytime she releases a new one. Bugs are especially popular in my house, so this was such a huge hit from the get-go! Both of my kids relate to Loretta as neither one ever wants to hurt insects. I think this was a great way to teach others how to problem solve without doing it the way it’s always been done. The illustrations are also so beautiful and really add to the story. Somehow we always walk away with valuable lessons as well as a great story time book. I highly recommend picking this up and sharing it with the kiddos in your life!
Reviewed by @shannlynn
What Loretta’s Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What Loretta’s Katydid Did (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom. I have loved every book in this series and so has my 5 year old nephew. In this book Loretta’s Grandma brings them an orange tree all the way from Florida. Loretta finds aphids on the tree which will kill it if they aren’t removed. Only problem is Loretta can’t see to kill them. When Loretta hears a strange sound coming from the tree her grandma tells her its “katydids” saying “katydids. She learns that Katydids eat aphids so the answer to her problem is here. These books are so informational even I have learned things from them. They also make great gifts!
Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow! The Real Magic of the Beans by Lois J Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lois Wickstrom has done it again! Another classic fairytale with a scientific twist! This is a fun retelling of the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. The illustrations are very well done and are wonderfully brilliant! This is a great bedtime story or really, an anytime story!!