4 stars Humorous, fantastical, and filled with magic. Isabella Nagg lives a normal, boring life on a little farm, cooking, cleaning, and (barley) tolerating her husband. But when Mr. Nagg brings home a stollen spell book, Isabella’s life becomes anything but ordinary. With the help of a catlike companion, Isabella navigates the magical world while…
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Illustrated by Sophie Bass 5 stars Absolutely stunning. Weaving together a Rapunzel narrative with the history of enslaved Africans using cornrow patterns to navigate their journey to freedom, Cooke creates a compelling, empowering, and magical tale. Wonderfully written with flowing narration. A lengthy text but certainly worth the read. I love how empowering the narrative…
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Illustrated by Tony Fleecs 5 stars Ended up liking this volume considerably more than the first. While the first volume introduces all the legends, the second one follows Stygian’s account of how he brought the Pillars of the Pony World together. Rather than a simple frame story connecting the different legends, this one has much…
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3 stars A little bit cottagecore. A little bit romance. Plenty of magic. When introverted librarian Kiela is forced to flee the Great Library of Alyssium due to violent political upheaval, she sets out with Caz, a sentient spider plant, and a few crates of spellbooks to travel to her childhood home on an outer…
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by Philippe Asseray Illustrated by Charlène Tong Translated by Grace McQuillan 4 stars A nice little intro to growing indoor plants. The book goes through the basics such as tools needed, best placement practices, watering techniques, fertilizing, and repotting. It provides information about a variety of houseplants including carnivorous plants, water lilies, cacti, mushrooms, and…
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Illustrated by Claire Keane 5 stars Absolutely adorable. A gorgeously-illustrated tale of being yourself, following your passions, and finding your people. To the surprise of her green-thumbed parents, Prunella was born with a purple thumb. While she loves all things prickly, sticky, stinky, and odd, the other children don’t share her interests. So Prunella makes…
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by Fiona Cook Illustrated by Roux 4 stars An nice introduction to the Wheel of the Year, its different spokes, and holidays and activities associated with each. While this is aimed at children, the book also works for adults looking for ways to connect to nature and discover their own inner magic. Each section includes…
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by Vicky Woodgate 4 stars Join feline explorer, Mimi, on a journey through the forests of the world. In this book, you’ll discover what makes a forest, types of forests and habitats within them, and the many ways forests and trees benefit humans, other plants, animals, and the planet. The book includes maps, biographies, timelines,…
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by Heather L. Montgomery Illustrated by Iris Gottlieb 3 stars A unique read packed with interesting information told in an engaging format. Each chapter shows how waste is used to better understand the world and solve problems. From protecting endangered species and producing energy to curing infections and revitalizing land, poop can do some amazing…
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by Mary Kay Carson Illustrated by John D. Dawson 5 stars Wow! A fantastic read for learning about plants and fungi. This is such a great resource. It covers a lot of ground. The book opens with basics about plants and plant spotting. It includes sections on trees and shrubs, wildflowers (including grasses and sedges),…
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