by Norah Colvin and Jovan Carl Segura (Illustrator)
I bought this for my granddaughter, who has just started reading. There are beautiful illustrations of a gray striped cat, along with the rat and bat he meets along the way. This is great for beginning readers and would be a fun book to read to a smaller child who doesn’t like to sit for longer stories. “The Happy Cat” gives an appropriate reading level, an easy font to read, and follow-up questions. I look forward to giving this as a gift and then getting to enjoy having it read to me!
Sir Chocolate and the sugar dough bees story and cookbook
by Robbie Cheadle and Michael Cheadle
This is a great addition to my grandkid’s book collection. I love the pictures of the beautiful fondant and the cute poetic story with a nice rhyming flow. A bonus is the recipes included for family cooking. It’s a cute story where Sir Chocolate helps the sugar dough bees after a snail damages the flower patch where the bees feed. I can’t wait to share this book with my youngest granddaughters the next time they visit. Mother and son wrote a fun book for early readers, or adults to enjoy reading to younger children!
Two Faces of Janus: Story Story of Ancient Rome
I love how fiction and history are blended so seamlessly in this short story. Young nobleman Lucius fully expects to get the position he wants after schooling. When he is summoned to see Augustus Caesar, first he feels joy, but then doubt and worry creep in. Ms. Tanner not only captures all the emotions of this moment but allows the reader to see how Rome was for not only a noble but an enslaved person. Although short, it managed to pull me right in while I felt concerned for Lucius and his family. The realizations that followed that meeting were real, heartfelt, and painful. Beautifully written, with attention to detail and history, this is a story I won’t soon forget. I can highly recommend this, especially if you enjoy historical fiction.
I only post my 4 & 5-star reviews. If I don’t like a book, I won’t finish it. It doesn’t feel right leaving a review in that case, but I have been known to email the author:) Life is too short not to enjoy every book you read!
NOTE: I’m moving March Book Reviews Part 3 up a week to March 28th as I will be on vacation the week of March 21st. Although, I will still be posting Books That Changed Me, 2022 Spring Edition on March 20th, and sending out my monthly newsletter a couple of days early! Watch for both 🙂
Embrace your inner child with a huge hug by reading a great book! D. L. Finn
Three great reviews, Denise! Sir Chocolate and The Happy Cat sound delightful, and I think I’d learn a lot from Two Faces of Janus.
Thank you, Priscilla 🙂 The children books are a fun read, plus I get to enjoy sharing them! Two Faces really did capture that historical time.
Great reviews. Congrats to the authors. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Denise 💕🙂
Thank you, Harmony 🙂 Always excited to share the good book I read!
Super reviews, Denise. Congratulations to all.
Thank you, John 🙂
😊
I love the Sir Chocolate series and Two Faces of Janus. The Happy Cat looks adorable. Great reviews, Denise! 🙂
Thank you, Yvette.
Sir Chocolate is such a great series for kids and their adults. Two Faces was an incredible read and Happy Cat was adorable! Thanks, Yvette xo
Two wonderful sounding books for young readers, plus what sounds like a engrossing short historical. Thanks for sharing your reviews, Denise.
P.S. that book cover for The Happy Cat is adorable!
They are both fantastic books to pick up for younger readers. Two Faces was definitely an engrossing read. Yes, I was sold on the Happy Cat cover, Mae 🙂
Thanks for sharing these wonderful tales with us.
Happy to share the good ones, Craig 🙂
These are some great reviews, Denise! And I love that you’re buying books for the grandbaby. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you, Mar 🙂 I love I get to share my love of reading with the next generation!
Somehow I missed Norah’s book. What a nice review. And Robbie’s–loved that one. I’m looking forward to your next edition of books that changed you. What a great idea for a post.
I couldn’t pass up Happy Cat with that cute cover. Robbie has a great series that my grandkids, and of course me, enjoy. Thank you, Jacqui. It’s my verison of top 12 books.
HI Denise, what a lovely surprise to find this review of Sir Choc and the Sugar Dough Bees here today. I am so glad you liked it. The other books sounds lovely too. I bought Linnea’s this weekend and have read a few of Norah’s delightful books.
The kids and I enjoyed it. They really like this series. You will enjoy Linnea’s story 🙂 I have to read more of Norah’s now.
Great reviews, Denise. I need to start looking a children’s books again!
Thanks, Staci 🙂 Reading with grandbabies is the best!
I already read to her, but she wasn’t quite invested yet. A few more months… I can’t wait!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on these, Denise. I just picked up Janus and look forward to reading it. Congrats to Linnea, Robbie and Norah!
Happy to share these books, Jan 🙂 You have a good read ahead!
I love Robbie’s new Sir Chocolate book, Denise. Norah’s Happy Cat looks adorable. Linnea’s historic fiction sounds engaging. Thank you for the great reviews.
Robbie’s new book was a hit at our house 🙂 That cat made me buy Norah’s book, and glad I did! Linnea’s story is a wonderful peek intot that time. Thanks, Miriam.
Wonderful reviews bring our attention to those great books, Denise. 😊
Great reviews, Denise. Seeing the illustration of The Happy Cat makes me smile!
Thanks, Joan 🙂 It made me smile, too!
Thank you for your lovely review of The Happy Cat, Denise. 💖
I enjoyed it and the cover, it catches the eye. It was a hit with the grandkids 🙂
That’s great to know. Thank you so much, Denise. And your purchase supports a worthy cause so I am grateful for that too.
🙂
Look at that Happy Cat:)
Yay happy cats!
The children’s books make me wish for more grandkids, lol. Two Faces of Janus seems like a moving read. Wonderful recommendations, thank you!
Hope you have an amazing vacation with lots of photos to share later (hint, hint)
And I love the new blog color!
They grow up way too fast. Mine will be out of this reading stage soon. Luckily, an older one reads and I can share my favorites with her, and a couple of mine. I hope there’s more grandkids too….never know, but unlikely.
We hope to go to the ocean. I will definitely post pics if it’s anything fun 🙂 Thanks, Jacquie xo
Your happy place 🙂
Three lovely reviews Denise.. congratulations Robbie, Norah and Linnea.. x
Thank you, Sally. Can’t go wrong with any of them! Xo
Thank you for the congrats!
While all the children of friends and family, along with my own, are a bit old for the, “Happy Cat” and Robbie and Michael’s book, they sound like fun reads! Linnea’s book caught my interest and I’ll check it out. Thanks for sharing these great reviews, Denise. 🙂
Happy Cat is definitely for the younger childern and beginning readers, but Robbie and Michaels book offers ways for the family to cook together, which is nice. I think you’ll enjoy Linnea’s story.
Thank you, Mark, for your comment!
Thank you for sharing, Sally:) xo
What a great group of reviews, Denise. I haven’t read any of these, but I enjoy short intermissions between long books. I don’t have little ones around anymore, so I’m glad you included Linnea’s short story. Happy Reading!
Thanks, Diana 🙂 I like to read these fun kids books to pass on to the grandkids. Although I have a feeling I will keep doing after they grow up, especially middle grade and up:) It is nice to have a short story between books and I believe you’ll enjoy Linnea’s story.
Thank you, Denise, for posting your in-depth review of “Two Faces of Janus,” and for our fabulous support of authors. The children’s book like fun reads!
I enjoyed the story and history, Linnea 🙂
The Two Faces of Janus sounds intriging to me. I’ve been a fan of ancient Rome since being reading I, Claudius.
You should enjoy this read, Liz 🙂
Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for the very lovely and useful reviews, Dennise! So i got the first time information about this book about ancient Rome, A very interesting topic. Thanks again for your share, and have a beautiful week! xx Michael
Sorry, have to use Twitter for commenting, because WP.com has locked my out again.
It is a wonderful setting back in ancient Rome, a time I’ve hardly read about fictionally. No problem, WP can give us trouble sometimes, can’t it? Thank you, Michael. Have a great week too!