Seaver the Weaver by Paul Czajak, pictures by The Brothers Hilts

ISBN13: 9781938063572

About the book: Seaver is an orb spider with a sky full of inspiration. His siblings prefer tradition and aren’t afraid to let him know. But Seaver doesn’t mind! He loves his new shapes and isn’t afraid to stand out. Told with quiet charm, this picture book tangles readers in a web of delight.


Review:  Seaver the Weaver is a delightful story about an orb spider who has a unique outlook on weaving his own path.  Seaver has many brothers and sisters who tell him that they are orb spiders and they weave round webs and that if he wants to be an orb weaver, “then your web needs to look like ours.”  Seaver wants to do like his brothers and sisters tell him, but he can’t resist the beautiful shapes he sees in the night sky and takes great pride in weaving those shapes.  Each time his family reminds him that he is an orb weaver and must weaver round webs, he looks at their webs all round, perfect, and empty and says that he’ll try to do better next time, but he "must now tend to his guest."

This is a good book about how sometimes it can be a good thing to not always do the normal. I felt that the author and illustrator were insightful in having Seaver make a correlation between the night sky constellations and the varied shapes he wove. The artistry of triangles, octagons, and other shapes different from the traditional round orb's woven by Orb Spiders.

Seaver the Weaver is written by the same author of the “Monster & Me" books, and he has woven a wonderful web of words.  The illustrations are simple, childlike and beautiful.  This is a fun book! (reviewed by P.Howard)

DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher to facilitate this review. Opinions are solely those of reviewer. No compensation was received for this review.

Forsaken City by C.E. Laureano

About the book: Conor and Aine have barely escaped Seare with their lives. Conor knows he must return to find the harp that could end the Red Druid’s reign of terror, but in the midst of their escape, he and Aine are torn apart once more. Surrounded by despair and thrown into as much danger as they left behind, Conor and Aine must cling to the whispers of Comdiu’s plans for them and the homeland that depends on their survival. But at what cost? Will they learn to depend on Comdiu completely? Or will they give up hope?

In books today, the Christian faith is commonly depicted in a real life setting. However, author C.E. Laureano uniquely depicts the Christian faith through the genre of fantasy. In Laureano’s book Beneath the Forsaken City, the heroes and brotherhood wholly devote their lives to the service of Comdiu, who represents the Lord of the Christian faith. In the story, Aine, the heroine, a nobleman’s daughter, and a newlywed, finds herself chased by a tyrant king and betrayed by a covetous aunt. Entirely alone, Aine asks, “Could Comdiu have allowed her isolation as a lesson in trust?” All her life, Aine trusted that Comdiu’s protection was provided through guards, friends, and a husband, which became her expectation. However, she is placed in a situation that challenges her to critically examine her faith and learn that the Lord’s provision is not according to her expectations. As a Christian, I have asked myself the same question. I believe God guides us through specific trials to teach us trust as well as to open our eyes to His expectations for our life. For Aine, her challenges help her to trust Comdui’s omnipotence, just like our trials as Christians help us trust God’s omnipotence.  (reviewed by S.Fowler)

A complimentary copy was provided to facilitate this review.

By Your Side is book 1 in The Crisis Team Series by Candace Calvert (Review & Giveaway)

ER nurse Macy Wynn learned essential, gritty lessons in the California foster care system: land on your feet and trust no one. She’s finally located the fellow foster child she loves like a sister, but the girl’s in deep trouble. Macy’s determined to help, no matter what it takes. Her motto is to “make it happen” in any situation life throws at her—even when she butts heads with an idealistic cop.

Deputy Fletcher Holt believes in a higher plan, the fair outcome—and his ability to handle that by himself if necessary. Now he’s been yanked from Houston, his mother is battling cancer, and he’s attracted to a strong-willed nurse who could be the target of a brutal sniper.

Review: When trained nurse turned successful novelist considers crisis situations, you have a series of books called Crisis Team emerge. Calvert creates realistic and heroic yet human characters out of ER nurses and physicians, chaplains, EMS personnel, and law enforcement personnel.

As this unjoined team works to heal and relieve the stresses of their professions and the cruelties of life and keep the community a safe place in which to live, a lone gunman stalks his prey. Lives are lost randomly and he can’t seemingly be found.

What happens when the healers both of physical and emotional  injuries need help themselves? Who is their helper? What happens when those trying to build a life have their dreams and hopes shattered.

Woven into the thread of the Crisis Team’s very lives is a gentle thread of romance. A blossoming and tender story that is sure to capture the interest of man or woman alike as they cruise the pages of By Your Side.

Who doesn’t love a bit of romance, touch of suspense, and medical or emergency crisis all mixed together. Candace Calvert has brought us another well-written story from her plethora of experience.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy was provided to facilitate this review. Opinions expressed are those of the reviewer. No compensation was received for this review.

The Ghost of Donley Farm Written by Jaime Gardner Johnson Illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein

Paperback ISBN: 9781628554595, $9.95

About the book: Rebecca, the red-tailed hawk, is not afraid of ghosts! One night, she bravely ventures into the barn to meet the famous ghost of Donley Farm. But when she finally meets him, Rebecca is surprised to discover that this “ghost” is much more familiar than she’d expected.  Join Rebecca as she stays up late to talk with her new friend and find out what they have in common and how they are different.

Review: When I first opened the book and saw the amount of text on the pages of this picture book, I thought it was going to be a loser. However, as I read through the story I realized that it flowed beautifully and with grace to tell the story of the Red Hawk raptor comparing himself to the Barn Owl.

There is a nice story here that presents a variety of learning opportunities. Overcoming fear of the unknown. Comparing oneself to others in a favorable light. Understanding the differences in physical attributes of each of these raptors and what makes them particularly suited for either day or night.


I found the story a delightful read and believe it suitable as a read aloud for the young child or early elementary, or even for the middle elementary grade child to read to themselves. As the reader peruses the pages, one can find a variety of critters for which the raptors would be looking. Well done illustrations that convey the spirit of the story.

As with other books in this series, in the back of the book there are four pages of learning activities focused on raptors and free online activities that further enhance the reader's experience.

DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy was provided by Arbordale Publishing to facilitate this review. Opinions expressed are those of the reviewer. No compensation was received for this review.

Animal Partners by Scotti Cohn and illustrated by Shennen Bersani

Paperback ISBN: 9781628554564, $9.95

Arbordale Publishing brings entertainment and education to children and classrooms in an approachable format. Author Scotti Cohn and illustrator Shennen Bersani have teamed to bring a colorful, entertaining book about animals and other critters that partner to keep one another clean, fed, or pest free.

Written in rhyming prose the educational information is delivered with a touch of humor. The bird in the crocodile’s mouth doing his bit of “dentistry” and the barnacles atop the back of the sea turtle are just a couple of the delightful illustrations.

As with other books in the Arbordale series, there is a “For Creative Minds” section at the back of the book with more in depth information and activities. Example:

Commensalism: One partner rides on the other partner without hurting the ride-giver.

• “Fake scorpions” (pseudoscorpions) catch a lift from flies and other insects by holding onto legs or abdomens.
• Remoras cling to sharks and a few barnacles hitch rides on sea turtles or whales.

More free learning activities are location online at http://ArbordalePublishing.com.

I can recommend this as a fun learning book.

DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy was provided by Arbordale to facilitate this review. Opinions expressed are those of the reviewer. No compensation was received for this review.

“Snuggle time Devotions that end with a hug” created by Stephen Elkins; illustrated by Mark Jones, Simon Taylor-Kielty, and Ruth Zeglin

About the book: Every devotional ends with a great big hug!  Little children love getting – and giving – hugs!  Hugs generate warmth, affection, and feeling of acceptance.  This book will get you and your child laughing, playing, and hugging – all while growing closer to God!

Features:  52 fun-filled, activity-based devotions that let children know they are loved and cherished by God; 52 treasured Bible stories kids will want to hear over and over again; 51 Bible verses kids can hide in their hearts forever; and 52 special “hug time” moments for you and your child to share!  

Review: A very nice devotional book for children and their parents, geared to older preschool age through early elementary.  Our daily lives are busy and often it’s challenging to find time to do devotions with our children.  This book is simple, straight forward, and easy to incorporate into our day.  Teaching our children to have one-on-one time with God is critical and an absolute must, and it most definitely should begin with the early years.  Each devotion is divided into four sections:  “my snuggle up story,” “my snuggle time takeaway,” “my Bible time activity,” and “hug time” and can take only 5-10 minutes of your time.  Depending on the child’s age, you may be able to extend your “snuggle time.”  Each devotion also has scripture references at the beginning.

My only complaint about this book, and it really is not a complaint, is that the title initially was misleading to me.  When I first saw the book, I thought it was for bedtime.  But this was my mistake. Once you look through the book, you will see that it is an “anytime” book.  Because with small children, that’s exactly what you have to look for – any time during the day! (reviewer P.Howard)

DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy was provided to facilitate this review from the Tyndale Blog Network on behalf of the publisher and author. Opinions expressed are solely those of the reviewer. No compensation was received for this review.

Easter Stories and Prayers (Little Blessings) by Kathleen Long Bostrom; illustrated by Elena Kucharik

About the book: Celebrate the real meaning of Easter with this special collection of four Little Blessings books.  Each title is written to help kids learn more about Jesus and the sacrifice that was made for us.  This volume also includes a special note from the author, Kathleen Long Bostrom, to help readers understand the meaning of Easter and the good news of Jesus’ resurrection.

Review: This is the first time I have read anything written by Kathleen Long Bostrom.  I did enjoy the stories collected in this one volume.  For me, the target reading age would be 3-yr old and up to early elementary.

Pros:  The illustrations are very nice and calming.  They have a little bit of an old-fashioned feel to them and for this Nana, that is sweet.  There are four books in this one book – easy to keep up with. The titles:  “Why is There a Cross?” – “Who Is Jesus?” – “What is Prayer?” – “What about Heaven?”  Each story is written in a very easy rhyming manner.  It makes reading the stories fun for adults and is engaging to children.

Cons:  The title is a little bit misleading.  Because I’ve never read anything written by Ms. Bostrom, I was expecting the “Easter Story” and while it does have some of the details, it doesn’t go as far as the title implies.  Also, there is no table of contents to list the different stories.  Again, because I wasn’t familiar with Ms. Bostrom’s writings, I thought that this was just “one” book.

Overall, I enjoyed the book.  I don’t know that we can ever stop teaching about our children about prayer and talking with God, even when their young adults.  To quote Ms. Bostrom….

“Talking to God is a great thing to do.  And God’s always ready to listen to you.” (pg 78) 

DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy was provided by Tyndale Blog Network on behalf of the publisher and author to facilitate this review. Opinions expressed are solely the reviewers. No compensation was received for this review.(reviewed P.Howard)