Cover reveal: ‘Love and Other Unknown Variables’ by Shannon Alexander
Posted: April 3, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: book covers Leave a commentLove and Other Unknown Variables
by Shannon Alexander
Release Date: 7 October 2014
Entangled Teen
(Note from Cass: This pack didn’t come with an official blurb, but I stole the one from Goodreads, because I think the idea for this book is cute as anything. Please note the blurb may change between now and release day.)
Charlie Hanson has a clear vision of his future. A senior at Brighton School of Mathematics and Science, he knows he’ll graduate, go to MIT, and inevitably discover the solutions to the universe’s greatest unanswerable problems. He’s that smart.
The future has never seemed very kind to Charlotte Finch, so she’s counting on the present. She would rather sketch with charcoal pencils, sing in her pitch-perfect voice, or read her favorite book than fill out a college application.
Charlie’s future blurs the moment he meets Charlotte. She’s not impressed by the strange boy until she learns he’s a student at Brighton where her sister has just taken a job. At Charlotte’s request, Charlie orchestrates the biggest prank campaign in Brighton history. But by the time Charlie learns Charlotte is ill and that the pranks were a way to distract her sister from Charlotte’s illness, Charlotte’s gravitational pull on him is too great to overcome. Soon he must choose between the familiar formulas he’s always relied on or the girl he’s falling for (at far more than 32 feet per second).
About the Author
Top Ten Tuesday: gateway books
Posted: April 1, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: top ten tuesday 3 Comments
Inspired by my fellow Aussie Owned and Read blogger Emily Mead, I thought it might be fun to do the Top Ten Tuesday meme from over at The Broke and the Bookish. (I may not do it every week; I’ll see how I go.)
Today’s theme is gateway books—books that got you into reading, an author that got you into reading a genre you never thought you’d read, a book that brought you BACK into reading. That sort of thing.
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. This was the first high fantasy I ever read (which I read obsessively in my pre-teens), and the first one that made me realise make-believe stories could be for older kids too.
The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey. I picked this up thinking it was high fantasy (and after The Hobbit, dragons were a thing for me). But, as anyone who has read the entire series will know, the Pern books are actually light science fiction with a draconic twist. I then went on to read pretty much everything McCaffrey ever wrote, which included a lot of other light, character-driven sci-fi—and everything I could find by anyone she ever collaborated with too.
Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling. I remember hearing news stories about teenagers queuing outside bookstores for a Harry Potter release—I think it was The Goblet of Fire. I was so impressed I grabbed a copy of the first book to see what all the fuss was about. Thus began my love of YA. (The same thing happened with Twilight later but, although I read the first two books in that series, I didn’t like either Bella or Edward very much, which made it hard to get into.)
Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff. Jay is an acquaintance of mine (we used to be part of the same club) so I was curious to see what his debut novel was all about. I was familiar with the idea of Steampunk but hadn’t read any. AND I LOVED IT. I’ve since gone on to read other Steampunk—Dehlilah S. Dawson is particularly awesome—because of Stormdancer.
The Witches of Eileanan series by Kate Forsyth. I’ve blogged about the revelation that was Kate Forsyth’s high fantasy series before. In short, it was a revelation to me: Australians could publish high fantasy! And do very well at it, thank you very much.
The Problem With Crazy by Lauren K. McKellar. I hardly ever read contemporary fiction. But this latest release by McKellar—which, again, I read because I know her personally—blew me clean out of the water. I think I’ll look a little harder at new adult contemporary, especially the issue-driven stuff, because it was ah-MAY-zing.
The Stone Cage by Nicholas Stuart Grey. This was the first fairytale spinoff or retelling I ever read. It’s a Rapunzel retelling from the perspective of the witch’s cat.
Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series by Laurel K. Hamilton. This is one of the early urban fantasy series I read. I loved Anita and her world of vampires and werewolves. Anita’s a little different from your average urban fantasy heroine in that she raises the dead with sacrifices for a living, between slaying rogue vampires on behalf of the police. (As an aside, once you get past about book eight in the series it transitions to erotica, pretty much. That’s not really my genre so I lost interest. Others may appreciate it, though.)
The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland. As I’ve said before recently, I read a lot of picture books nowadays. Like all other genres there are good ones and very, very bad ones. This is one of those picture books that shows you how beautifully illustrated, funny and thoughtful they can be.
Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. I went through a phase where I read a lot of what I’d kindly call nerd novels: those based on or in worlds from roleplaying or computer games. There’s a definite appeal to reading a book, knowing you can actually create your own story in that world (something fanfic writers can appreciate, I’m sure). Other than Dragonlance, I’ve also dabbled in World of Darkness and World of Warcraft fiction. The WoD stuff in particular has some pretty epic backstory, even though the game is as addictive as many illicit drugs.
What books would you say were your “gateways” into new genres or experiences?
My book purchases so far for 2014
Posted: March 30, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: reading 5 Comments
I think I have a problem. I’m sure I’m not unique in having this problem, especially among the type of folks who are likely to read my blog.
My name is Cassandra and I’m a bookaholic.
After Emily Mead shamed me into ordering a copy of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (no I haven’t read it yet SHUT UP THAT’S WHY), I was looking at all the other books I’ve got either on order or have already received.
These are my book buys for the first quarter of 2014, in order of purchase:
- Sky Song by Sharon Sant
- The Young Moon by Sharon Sant
- Not of Our Sky by Sharon Sant (Sharon had a sale on and I love her The Memory Game so I snapped these up)
- Sleeper by S. M. Johnston
- Immagica by K. A. Last
- The Problem With Crazy by Lauren K. McKellar
- How to Write Descriptions of Eyes and Faces by Val Kovalin (non-fiction — obviously)
- Trajectories by Tess Grant
- Spider by Jennifer Anderson
- Forget Me Not by Stacey Nash (I received an ARC of this but then bought a copy for a friend, so that counts!)
- Cinder by Marissa Meyer
- Unclean Spirits by Chuck Wendig
- The Cormorant by Chuck Wendig
- Wicked After Midnght by Dehlilah S. Dawson
- The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth
- The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
- Cat and Mouse in a Haunted House by Geronimo Stilton (for my son)
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
- Splintered by A. G. Howard
I also bought Shadows by Paula Weston but that was a gift for someone, so that doesn’t count…right? And I received Twelve Steps by Veronica Bartles free (my review of it is scheduled for 4 April as part of the book launch blog tour), so I haven’t included it.
The saddest part of all this is that I already had more than 50 books on my TBR pile. And so far I’ve read three and a half of the books in the list above.
How many books have you bought this year? Please tell me I’m not the only one with this addiction!
When small presses go bad
Posted: March 27, 2014 Filed under: On Books, On writing | Tags: small presses 8 CommentsI’ve been debating whether to write this post or not. On the one hand, this issue affects some fellow authors who are very dear to me. On the other hand, there’s a lot of anger out there — mostly being very politely handled, at least in public, to folks’ credit — and I didn’t want to be seen as adding to the noise or trying to drum up a lynch mob.
But then I thought, I’ve written posts explaining why I chose to sign with a small press rather than self-publish. And the issue I’m referring to relates to the small press that offered on Isla’s Inheritance at the same time Turquoise Morning Press did…so this one would cut a little close to home even if I didn’t know others who’d been affected.
What I’m talking about, if you hadn’t guessed, is a small press that went belly up this week.
Fortunately the authors in this instance are all getting their rights back, but will they get royalties owed? Nope. Will the cover artists and editors ever get paid? Nope.
There’s nothing about this situation that doesn’t suck.
I don’t know whether the owner of the press set out to scam people or just went into creating a company with blinkers on and not enough startup capital to pay the bills till the royalties came in. I gather from reading this post at Absolute Write (which I found the day before yesterday) that lack of starting capital and a failure to do the proper paperwork are the two biggest reasons small presses collapse.
One thing I took into consideration when choosing which small press to sign with, out of TMP and the other one, was how long they’d each been around. I read somewhere that most small presses collapse within the first two years of being established.
When they offered on Isla, the press that collapsed was about four months old.
There were other reasons, obviously, that I chose TMP. But both had lovely editors who were really enthused about the book. Both were willing to negotiate parts of the contract I didn’t love. I really could have gone either way.
Collapses like this one are likely to be enough to scare writers off small presses altogether. I’ve got to say, if I’d been with this other press, I’d be self-publishing Isla rather than risking going through the same heartache again. And I don’t blame anyone that does a bit. (In fact, given there were three separate books from this press that I loved and was waiting for the sequel to, I kind of hope they do!)
Anyway, in the interests of trying to come up with something useful to drag out of this mess, here are the things I suggest you look at when considering a small press:
- How long has the press been around?
- Look for them on a site like Absolute Write. What does the thread about them say? If there’s not a board for that press, start one. (This is a great place to research agents too.)
- Does the press have a decent sales record on sites like Amazon? They don’t need to have a list of bestsellers, but if their books all rank in the billions, that’s a bad sign.
- If there are free book samples available online, what is the editing like?
- What do other authors signed with the press say about what it is like to work with? Find one that’s been with them for a year or more, ask about the royalties and statements. Are they prompt?
- Do they offer any kind of marketing? (Most small presses rely on you to do the gruntwork, but obviously more is better.)
Are there other things you’d want to know before you signed with a small press? Please leave a comment and I’ll edit them in.
And to everyone who’s feeling down this week after what happened, I LOVE YOU!
Cover reveal: ‘Fragile Line’ by Brooklyn Skye
Posted: March 21, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: book covers Leave a commentFragile Line
by Brooklyn Skye
Release Date: 21 April 2014
Entangled Teen
It can happen in a flash. One minute she’s kissing her boyfriend, the next she’s lost in the woods. Sixteen-year-old Ellie Cox is losing time. It started out small…forgetting a drive home or a conversation with a friend. But her blackouts are getting worse, more difficult to disguise as forgetfulness. When Ellie goes missing for three days, waking up in the apartment of a mysterious guy—a guy who is definitely not her boyfriend, her life starts to spiral out of control.
Perched on the edge of insanity, with horrific memories of her childhood leaking in, Ellie struggles to put together the pieces of what she’s lost—starting with the name haunting her, Gwen. Heartbreakingly beautiful, this poignant story follows one girl’s harrowing journey to finding out who she really is.
Add Fragile Line on Goodreads!
Brooklyn Skye grew up in a small town where she quickly realized writing was an escape from small town life. Really, she’s just your average awkward girl who’s obsessed with words. Her Best-Selling New Adult debut, STRIPPED, is out NOW! Represented by Bree Ogden of D4EO Literary Agency.
Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook
Review: ‘The Problem With Crazy’ by Lauren K. McKellar
Posted: March 17, 2014 Filed under: Reviews | Tags: aussie-owned, AWW, reviews, self-publishing 5 Comments
The problem with crazy is that crazy, by itself, has no context. It can be good crazy, bad crazy . . . or crazy crazy—like it was when my ex-boyfriend sung about me on the radio.
Eighteen-year-old Kate couldn’t be more excited about finishing high school and spending the summer on tour with her boyfriend’s band. Her dad showing up drunk at graduation, however, is not exactly kicking things off on the right foot—and that’s before she finds out about his mystery illness, certain to end in death.
A mystery illness she is likely to inherit.
When your whole life goes from adventure and ecstasy to sad and suicidal, what’s the point? Not knowing who to love, and who to trust . . . where does it end?
The Problem With Crazy is a story about love and life; about overcoming obstacles, choosing to trust, and learning how to make the choices that will change your life forever.
Regular readers of my blog will know I don’t usually read contemporary fiction. For me to pick up a contemp, it has to be special. In this case, I’d read and loved Lauren K. McKellar’s previous book, Finding Home. (I reviewed it here if you want to catch up.) Lauren is one of the co-founders at Aussie Owned and Read, and as well as being brilliant she’s simply adorable.
All of that being said, The Problem With Crazy blew me away. I stayed up till after midnight — on a work night, no less — thinking “just one more chapter”. It’s such an emotional rollercoaster of a book. Right from the first chapter, Kate, our main character, is left reeling with the sudden changes to her life. Graduation. Her drunk, absentee father turning up and embarrassing her. Discovering that he has Huntington’s Disease, and that she might have it too.
Her boyfriend’s, ah, less-than-stellar reaction to the news.
Dave. Ah, Dave. I don’t think I’ve ever hated a character as much as I hate Kate’s boyfriend, a wannabe rockstar and lead singer of Dave & the Glories. Even before Dave finds out about Kate’s potential illness it’s clear he’s a jerk, dismissing Kate’s organising of the band’s tour as “making a couple of phone calls”, when clearly she’d worked her butt off. I thought after the way he broke up with her he couldn’t sink any lower.
But he did.
I won’t say how due to spoilers, but I was reading this on my Kindle and had to physically restrain myself from throwing it across the room. (That scene was one of the THREE TIMES times I cried reading this book.)
On the other hand, there are some truly wonderful characters, including Lachlan — probably the sweetest book boyfriend ever — Stacey, and even Kate’s dad, as ill as he is. His neurodegenerative disease actually gives him a much more cheerful outlook on life, something that Kate and her mother slowly come to appreciate. Between Lachlan and her dad, Kate learns to live in the moment and appreciate what’s happening now rather than being terrified of the future.
The Problem With Crazy is in turns heartwrenching and beautiful, and Lauren is the sort of crazy-ass talented that will keep writers awake at night. Or maybe that’s just me?
Read it. Love it.
Cover reveal and giveaway: ‘Son of Set’ by Kelsey Ketch
Posted: March 16, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: book covers, guest post Leave a commentSon of Set (Descendants of Isis #2)
by Kelsey Ketch
Release Date: 2 May 2014
“. . . the Sons would never just let him go—alive.”
Seth O’Keefe has broken the laws of his god. He never thought he would sacrifice his own future to protect a Daughter of Isis. But when the Sons of Set discovered Natti is the Secret Keeper, he had no choice. Now, Seth and Natti are on the run from his father, who wants nothing more than to see Seth dead. With no allies, Seth turns to the Daughters of Isis for help, hoping they would protect Natti. But when they meet the Daughters, he discovers a secret that puts both their lives in more danger. Low on options, Seth sees only one possibility for survival. He must help Natti solve an ancient puzzle and find the secret name of Ra.
Natara “Natti” Stone is having a hard time swallowing the truth. She can’t believe what she has learned in the past twenty-four hours: Seth is a Son of Set blessed with charm; she is a Daughter of Isis blessed with a sliver of Ma ‘at; the locket her grandmother gave her holds an ancient Egyptian secret linking to Osiris and Isis. That along with being tortured and brutalized by the Sons of Set, she can hardly hold herself together. Thank God for Seth’s touch! That warm, tingling sensation that drowns it all out. Yet her heart struggles to stay focused. She must quickly embrace her destiny before the secret name of Ra falls into the wrong hands.
*Note: Content for Upper YA*
Add Son of Set and Daughter of Isis (Descendants of Isis #1) on Goodreads.
Cover reveal giveaway
Two prize packs, each containing a silver ankh pendant with seven knot anklet, Son of Set e-reader bling, 3 bookmarks, 2 temporary tattoos, 2 character collectable cards, and 2 wristbands (INT).
(Cass: Wooooh!)
About the Author
During her high school years, Kelsey Ketch could always be found tucked away in a little corner of the hall or classroom, writing her fantasy worlds and creating illustrations and maps. Today is no different, except now she’s writing in the break room at her office building or at the tables of the Barnes and Noble Café in Cary, North Carolina. She is also an avid reader, a part-time book blogger at Ketch’s Book Nook, and lives with her two orange tabbies and awesome and humorous flat-mate.Daughter of Isis is her debut novel.
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook
Cover poll: ‘Don’t Fall’ by Rachel Schieffelbein
Posted: March 15, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: book covers Leave a commentIn which a teenage girl endures the over-protective love of her adoptive mother until she falls for a boy who has her wanting to spread her wings, pitched as a contemporary retelling of RAPUNZEL
Seventeen-year-old Anya leads a very secluded life in a house on the edge of town with her adopted mother. She doesn’t go to school, but instead has a private tutor. Her over-protective mom keeps her so sheltered that she doesn’t even have a best friend.
But Anya doesn’t seem to mind. She has her books, her photography, and her daydreams, and would do anything to please her mom. Until one day at the library, the only place she’s allowed to go, she takes a picture of a beautiful boy.
Before long she’s lying to her mom, and sneaking out late at night to meet Zander. But Zander wants more than a secret romance. If Anya wants to be with the boy of her dreams, she will have to risk her relationship with the only other person she’s ever cared about.
Add don’t fall on Goodreads.
Swoon Romance wants you to help them decide the cover for Don’t Fall! They have three lovely cover options for you to choose from. Please vote below on your favorite cover!
Option #1: Designed by Taylor.ink, photograph by Beth Mitchell
Option #2: Photographed and designed by Laura Lanning
Option #3: Designed by Anna Zaffke, photo from Shutterstock.by Aleshyn_Andrei
Vote here!
About the Author
Rachel grew up in a tiny town in Minnesota. She still lives there, with her husband and their four kids. She coaches high school speech and theater, rides Arabian horses, reads as much as she can, and writes stories.
Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook
Excerpt and giveaway – ‘The Eslites: The Arrival’ by C. M. Doporto
Posted: March 10, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: book covers, book launch, self-publishing 1 Comment
Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi/Dystopian (ages 12 and up)
Number of pages: 203 pages
Word Count: 55,966
Cover Artist: Cora Graphics
Can Miranda save the human race?
An elegant, sophisticated alien species on the verge of extinction has invaded Earth and confined an entire generation of young women, after negotiating a treaty with the world’s governments. Eager to help the aliens reproduce, but frightened by her imprisonment at Nidus, the Eslite medical compound, sixteen-year-old Miranda Mays endures callous scientific experiments in the Eslite’s quest for survival.
When Miranda discovers the ultimate consequences of her egg donations, she organizes a rebellion, enlisting fellow donors in her cause. But soon she realizes the mysterious headmaster, Dimas, knows of her plot. And there’s something about him that bothers Miranda, though she can’t describe it. The fate of humanity hangs in the balance, so she can’t back down. But will Dimas expose her defiance?
Kindle Countdown deal
9–15 March
Available from Amazon US, Amazon Canada and Amazon UK.
Enter the giveaway HERE!
Trailer
Excerpt
(Trigger warning: mention of rape.)
“Yes, thank you. It’s nice to be out of the scrubs.” For whatever reason, I grinned when our eyes met. I’d never paid much attention to Dimas’ features, but the more I stared at him, I noticed how young he looked. If not for the slight five o’clock shadow, I’d have to say he wasn’t older than twenty. I wasn’t sure, though, because all the Eslites had flawless skin.
“You are quite beautiful.” He arched a brow and sipped his water.
“Thanks.” No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t tear my gaze from his. It was as though he had me in a trance. I noticed everything about him. From his debonair smile, to his square jaw, and his perfectly sculpted body that belonged in a Calvin Klein underwear ad. The guy was hot. What the heck was wrong with me?
That freakin’ alien might rape me.
I had to be losing it. He was pure evil. Wasn’t he?
I dug my fingernails into my palm, and the pain broke our connection.
“Consider them an early birthday gift.”
What? How did he know my birthdate? Oh, wait, they’d poked and prodded every hole in my body, of course he would know my birthday. But why would he observe an earthly custom? For half a minute I didn’t say anything, just kept staring at the shaggy, black rug beneath my feet. Hoping and praying he would let me leave as soon as possible, virginity intact.
I managed to squeak out another, “Thank you.”
“I also have another gift for you. I thought it would be better if I told you in person.”
I immediately glanced at him but didn’t meet his gaze, directly.
Please don’t rape me.
Please don’t rape me.
“What’s that?” I asked, feigning courage, even though my entire body shivered. I tapped my feet repeatedly, and I leaned forward, ready to make a run for it. Every muscle in my gut clenched, my thighs tensed, and I pressed my knees shut.
“I thought—”
“No matter what you do to me, I’m not going to copulate with you,” I blurted. “At least, not willingly.”
For several seconds, Dimas said nothing. Then, he did something I hadn’t expected. He laughed. “Well, that’s fine, because I didn’t invite you here to have sex with me.”
“Oh.” I felt the color drain from my face as I almost died of embarrassment.
“I’m allowing you to go home for a few weeks, unless you would rather stay here and have sex with me.” His playful tone was disarming and unnerving, at once.
“What?” Excited and relieved, I did the unthinkable. I started to consider his offer.
With a chuckle, he glanced at the glass in his hand. Slowly, in small movements, he swirled the water, the way my dad did a fine wine, and for some strange reason I focused on it. The urge to flee subsided, and I relaxed, as the tension in my shoulders seemed to evaporate. Gradually, my heart rate slowed, my ears no longer rang, and my mouth was no longer dry. I imagined brushing my fingers through his soft, sandy blonde hair. Allowing the warmth of his breath to tickle the curve of my neck as he pressed his full lips to my skin. Feel his strong arms wrapped around me as my body melted into his. When Dimas set the glass on a nearby table, I snapped to attention.
What the heck just happened?
How did I let my mind go there? I couldn’t possibly have the hot’s for the guy. Yet, I was crushing on him, I knew it, and I hated myself for it.
“You are scheduled to depart Nidas on Sunday afternoon.” He smiled, and my stomach flip-flopped. “I’m sure your family will be happy to see you. Besides, I think you need a little break.”
Through some invisible haze his words came to me, and I blinked a few times to make sure I was still in his living room. Then my mind processed what he had said, and though I should have panicked, I remained eerily calm. Was the warden really offering me a prison break?
Crap. Did he know about my plans for escape?
Was it some sort of trap? Were there conditions tied to his surprise?
“That’s—um, great. Thanks. When can I leave?” I tried my best to act cool. I started to stand, but he stayed me with an upraised hand, so I sat on the couch, clutching the edge.
“You will return to your quarters in a few minutes, but I want to set a few ground rules,” he said, as he rose from his chair.
Although I tried not to study him, I couldn’t stop admiring the ripples of muscles beneath his tight fitting shirt, not to mention the spandex-type pants that outlined every curve from the waist down. And I mean every curve. When he paused before an unlit fireplace, I glanced at my glass of water and noticed silver speckles floating on the surface.
Had he given me something?
Had I been drugged?
Because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t fight an uncontrollable desire to watch him. The lights dimmed and the fire ignited behind him, bathing the room in a fiery orange glow, but the air remained bitterly cold. A frightening chill shivered over my arms and legs.
Was I hallucinating?
“Okay, sure.” I set the glass on the coffee table and rested my arms on my knees. Clasping my hands, I prayed for strength.
About the Author
CM Doporto lives in the great state of Texas with her husband and son enjoying life with their extensive family along with their Chihuahua, Mexican Redhead Parrot and several fish.
She writes Young Adult and New Adult Sci-Fi/Urban Fantasy stories about ordinary women who do extraordinary things, become a heroine, and find love along the way.
You can find her at her blog and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Goodreads
Review: ‘Twinkle’ by Nick Bland
Posted: March 8, 2014 Filed under: Reviews | Tags: reviews 1 CommentRegular readers of my blog (or those who cyberstalk me via other means) will know I have a four-year-old son. He doesn’t own as many books as I do, but he does have a bookshelf in his room, and when we moved late last year he had two full boxes of his own books. They’re almost all picture books, although we have started acquiring some chapter books since then as well.
The removalists didn’t like lifting those boxes very much.
The upshot is that I read a lot of picture books. There are a few brilliant ones among the rest and, even though I’m straying a little far from my usual blogging fare, there’s one I want to mention: Twinkle by Australian author illustrator Nick Bland.
Little Star lands in Penny Pasketti’s backyard, and in a twinkle the night is filled with fun. Eventually, though, it is time for Little Star to go home. But how do you make a star fall up?
I found Twinkle on a sale table and snapped it up for my son. We have Bland’s The Very Cranky Bear, which was (until now) my favourite children’s book—if only for its hilarious picture of a brown bear, hands on his hips, scowling at the reader in his new, unwanted finery.
But Twinkle has ousted it. Bland’s artwork is breathtaking. My son and I have happily spent several minutes just looking at a single page, picking out different aspects of the illustration. And the story is sweet too—a little girl finds a fallen star in her yard and helps him to go home. What the words don’t capture but the pictures do is that there must have been a shower of falling stars, because there are a dozen other children in the background trying to do the same thing.
My favourite page reads, “Together they chased the quietness away and filled the night with giggle and bounce.” HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THAT?!
Anyway, if you have small children and can find a copy of this book, you won’t regret buying it. Five (falling) stars!
What’s your favourite picture book?
(PS I’ve previously reviewed another picture book, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore. You know, if you’re interested.)
Cassandra Page 