Book Review: Is A Worry Worrying You? by Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz

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Is a worry worrying you? If you are my 8-year-old daughter the answer is yes. If you are me, the answer is also yes. Ellie loved all the whimsy examples of worrying, and I loved watching her laugh away her worries. From the book: Suppose, just suppose, one hundred elephants come to tea and you discover you don’t have any tea bags. uh, oh. What will you do with a herd of thirsty elephants? Now, that’s a worry! But you can get rid of that worry by offering the elephants lemonade instead. Mom, she said, we can make lemonade if we don’t have anything to drink!
What I love about this book is the different coping mechanisms written in a way that kids can understand. After each “worry” we talked about what we would do to make that worry go away, along with the suggestions in the book.
The illustrations were both fun and colorful and made the story a beautiful read. I would recommend this book to anyone with a child or children who are worriers or have issues with anxiety. It addresses a hard subject in a relaxed, gentle way. This is a gem in the world of Children’s Literature.

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine (and Ellie’s).

Book Review: Thunder Moon by Joanne Mallory

Thunder Moon is a novella, not a full-length book. When reading a novella it’s imperative everything be concise and flowing. The characters need to develop in a thoughtful way. Unfortunately, I could not finish this book. I stopped short of 25%. Thunder Moon stars a witch named Thea. It also includes her best friend Ellie, Ellie’s brother Eric, and a whole lot of confusion. It’s lacking flow. The author introduces important points in the oddest and most stilted of ways. Thea’s dog pops out of nowhere as if we should already know she has one. There is also an excruciating long lunch scene where the two women spend a lot of time eating rolls. The focus seems to be in the minutia and not on the story itself. For example, the siblings lament their parent’s move from the family home. Yet they converse several times about their parents being within walking distance. Thea being a witch is revealed weirdly. It’s quite a jumble. I wanted to like this book, the premise seemed interesting and fun. It’s advertised as having a “hint of Practical Magic.” There isn’t an ounce of whimsy and alluring worlds that Alice Hoffman creates. This book needs to be rethought, or an editor. It has potential but it’s stuttering and awkwardness made it laborious to read.

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*I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.