Once Upon A Tail by Audrey Perrott

It looks like today's read packs tons of good vibes and fun. This book is for beginning readers and uses the graphic novel format. Telling by the two characters on the cover, it's not going to be a boring tale, either. I'm expecting humor, a bit of ridiculousness, friendship goodness, and some Midieval moments. 

Let's get ready to smile and head right in!

ONCE UPON A TAIL

Once Upon A Tail #1

by Audrey Perrott

Illustrated by Charlene Chua

Harry N. Abrams

Children's Fantasy  /  Graphic Novel

72 pages

ages 6 to 9

Full of heart and humor, this early reader graphic novel series stars two best friends in a fantastical medieval setting, perfect for fans of Narwhal and Jelly and Peter & Ernesto

Wallace is a knightly horse who loves rules. Poppy is a free-spirit dragon who loves adventure.

These two unlikely pals disagree on most everything—but still manage to have a lot of fun-filled shenanigans together in the Land of La-Dee-Dah.

Told in three short and silly stories with subtle social-emotional themes, this young graphic novel follows the everyday adventures of two best buds as they step out of their comfort zones, discover hidden powers, and eat a LOT of banana pudding. With a high-interest fantasy setting, accessible reading level, and kid-perfect humor, this series is designed for emerging and reluctant readers alike. 

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON     /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

These two best friends are ready for adventure thanks to their amazing imaginations, a bit of humor, and a few, unexpected revelations along the way.

Wallace is a horse, and Poppy is a dragon, and these two are as good of friends as friends can be. Poppy also embraces fun with a good portion of fantasy, but then, she is a dragon. Or a superhero? Or a banana pudding fan? Poppy is ready to be whatever she wants to be, but Wallace reminds her that dragons should follow some rules. The two go back and forth in enjoyable ways as they discover who they are and who they want to be.

There are three, short tales in this book, each one heading through a small adventure. A Table of Contents in the beginning helps readers immediately go to their favorite one. The first follows Poppy as she wants to prove to Wallace that she, a dragon, can be a superhero...and maybe, horses like him too. The second dives into preconceptions and yummy foods. The last slides by with pure fun and misunderstandings to round everything off with smiles pure. Oh, and there's a final scene with a last, cute interview of the characters. Each tale promises giggles while working in a bit of a message, but it stays silly, adorable, and, for all things, highlights how amazing friendship can be.

The illustrations are bright and bold, bringing across the personalities of Wallace and Poppy nicely. They let the humor work in right along with the text and help beginning readers follow the story while they read the words. The text is set for those readers who are pretty sure of their words but could use a little more practice. It's kept short and to the point to keep even more reluctant readers from growing frustrated. 

It will be fun to see what this enjoyable duo will be up to next.

And here they are...

Audrey Perrott is the award-winning author of the beloved picture books Moo Hoo, Baa Haa, and A Hat for House, as well as board books and many nonfiction books for kids. She believes funny books are just as important as serious ones, and writes both in her North Carolina home. 

Charlene Chua is the illustrator of the Amy Wu picture book series and Love, Violet, a 2023 Stonewall Award winner. When they are not making art, they enjoy cooking, reading, and playing with their cats. She now lives with her husband (and cats!) in Hamilton, Ontario.

Little Ghost's Summerween by Mattie Edkins Willis

A few days ago, I reviewed a book which would fit nicely to Halloween. Today, I'm stepping up the game and have a book, which celebrates Halloween during the summer! This is the second book in a series about these characters, and I reviewed the first one on here around two years ago (HERE) 

Since I found that one cute and fun, I was excited to get my hands on this second adventure.

So, off we go!

LITTLE GHOST'S SUMMERWEEN

by Maggie Edkins Willis

Beach Lane Books

Picture Book

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

Little Ghost tries to pick the perfect party theme for his summer birthday in this charming picture book companion to Little Ghost Makes a Friend by bestselling author-illustrator Maggie Edkins Willis.

Little Ghost loves parties, but he’s only ever had the Halloween kind! After attending his first ever birthday party, Little Ghost decides to throw one of his own. His good friend Anya says his party should celebrate Little Ghost and what he likes most. That’s easy—Little Ghost loves Halloween with all its bats, black cats, candy corn, and pumpkins. There’s just one it’s summertime. And Halloween and summer just don’t mix…or do they?

GOODREADS     /     AMAZON     /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

The thrill of birthday parties meets sunshine, friendship, and spooky nods in a read perfect for Summer.

Little Ghost just received his very first invitation to a birthday party ever! He's always enjoyed Halloween parties, but now, that he has human friends, things are changing. And he's nervous. Luckily, his friend Anya has been invited, too, and can help him with the adventure. Highs and lows hit, but his first birthday party leads to something more. He wants to throw his own birthday party, and he's not sure how to pull it off, especially since it's still summer time.

This is the second book in the Little Ghost series, and now, we meet the Little Ghost as he already has a best friend in Anya and has made several other friends. While he is a ghost...and cute, his situation is also one readers will be able to identify with. He's excited to go to a birthday party but, at the same time, is very nervous and unsure. This desire to want to do everything right makes him relatable and easy to cheer for, especially with Anya's golden friendship at his side. And the end slides in a lovely message about also staying true to yourself to wrap things up nicely.

The illustrations bring across the scenes with details and life, making each one enjoyable to revisit and discover something new each time. Even when Little Ghost is down, the atmosphere remains positive the entire way through. The text fits nicely to the age group and creates a good read-aloud. The plot moves along quickly, making it interesting for even more impatient listeners. 

It's a lovely tale, and it will be fun to see what Little Ghost and Anya experience next.

And here she is...

Maggie Edkins Willis grew up in Missouri and Maine. She now writes and illustrates books for children from her home studio in the Hudson Valley, where she lives with her husband and two children. Her debut picture book, Little Ghost Makes a Friend, is a bestseller. She is also the creator of the picture books Little Ghost’s Summerween, Dinky the Tinysaur, and Thunderland, and the middle grade graphic novel Smaller Sister. You can visit her online at MaggieMadeThis.com.

Happy Book Birthday, Deepa M.D. by Priya Swaminathan

Ready to scream and cheer? Why? Because it's time to celebrate another book birthday! If I could, I'd blow up balloons and offer cake to everyone every time we get to celebrate a book birthday...but I guess we're left with virtual everything.

Today's read hits the shelves tomorrow and caught my interest due to the M.D. aspect. Doctor tales are very popular among adults, and I'm betting that younger audiences would enjoy some of that, too. Obviously, there's a little bit of a problem to slide it over, though. I'm especially curious about this tale, since my eldest daughter is currently halfway through med-school and stressing over her first round of tests this month. (I'm cheering her on, too.) So, I'm curious to see how this book works with this M.D. side, and that in a way middle graders can connect with.

Let's take a look and find out!

DEEPA, M.D.

by Priya Swaminathan

Simon & Schuster

Middle Grade Contemporary

256 pages

ages 8 to 12

A precocious seventh grader whose cancer has recently gone into remission assists her “medical detective” uncle while readjusting to life in middle school in this heartwarming and funny middle grade debut novel that’s Front Desk meets Roll with It.

Twelve-year-old Deepa is ready to un-pause her life. After spending a year in the hospital, she’s itching for things to go back to the way they were before she got sick.

Only everything’s changed. Her parents treat her like she’s made of glass, there’s a mean girl out to get her, and her best friend Renée forgot to mention she has a whole new life now.

But when her Uncle Jai, a genius doctor that patients love to hate and the “Sherlock Holmes” of medical mysteries, needs her help with a tricky case involving a teenage patient, Deepa steps up to the plate—because she knows better than anyone what it’s like to be sick.

But why, oh why, did her first patient have to be her bully’s older brother?

As the case spirals and her illness flares up, Deepa quickly learns that if she wants to save her patient, she’ll have to diagnose what’s going on inside herself first.

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Helping others with a sense of mystery mixes with the struggles of dealing with cancer and friendship drama to form a rich read.

Deepa has been battling leukemia and is, finally, at a stage where she's slowly working her way back into a somewhat normal life and heading back to school. This is proving to be difficult since there are things she still needs to watch compared to other kids her age and the friendship dynamics have changed drastically during the year she was at the hospital. So, there's a tumult of social drama she needs to deal with. But she's found a new aspect of life, too. Her uncle is a doctor, who only does house calls for those who don't want to go to a doctor's office for various reasons. Unfortunately, his bedside manner is awful. When Deepa gets the rare chance to accompany him on a trip and ends up meeting one of her idols, things change. Deepa can do what her uncle can't...relate to the people. Thanks to her own sickness, she has insights he doesn't. But when a trip with her uncle results in a very tough case to diagnose and it connects to bullying at school, too, life gets really sticky.

There are more than a couple things to enjoy in this read. First, Deepa's struggles with cancer are brought across with care, heart, and give awareness to the difficulties individuals like Deepa might face. Deepa isn't completely in the clear of her cancer battle, although she's getting close. She not only has to watch how she goes about her day and life...which makes her stick out at school...but she still carries the weight and also deals with the self-imaging issues that come with it. While this is brought across clearly, Deepa also tackles everything in a wholesome way, which makes her easy to cheer for. Her desire to help others, who are dealing with their own issues, is inspiring. Secondly, the doctor aspect is well done. Of course, Deepa isn't medically knowledgeable, and she doesn't even try to go there. By letting her uncle take over that aspect, the author has found a clever way to work in medical mysteries and challenges in a believable way while keeping Deepa tightly involved. The author's own medical knowledge offers a wonderful basis for this side, and the information is brought across clearly and understandably, while giving the needed sense of medical facts. And it fits the age group well while adding an interesting, mystery aspect. Thirdly, we have the family dynamics. Deepa garners a lot of support and care, which allow her to shine. Yet, the parents' concerns are also clear and clash with her own hopes realistically. Lastly, we have the friend drama. This aspect also adds a realistic touch on what individuals like Deepa face when they need to leave school life for awhile and come back, not only with their own health changes, but face the change that others went through during this time. Unfortunately, it's this friend drama, which also took up too much space, in my opinion, compared to the other aspects. There is so much back and forth on this end that it makes the story slightly confusing, at times, and pulls away from the more interesting aspects surrounding Deepa and the medical mysteries. Sometimes, less is more, and the friendship drama hits that here for me.

All in all, this is well done and keeps the pacing high throughout. Deepa is a character to root for, and I hope we get to see more of her in the future as she accompanies her uncle on visits, since this is such a clever way to open the theme door to middle graders and a fun read.

And here she is...

Priya Swaminathan lived the dream of making movies and TV shows for twenty years before deciding to become a children’s author. In addition to writing, she is embarking on a new journey into medicine by studying nursing at UCLA. She lives in Los Angeles with her family and hopes that someday she’ll convince her husband to get a dog. 

The Clock Spa by Jung-min Kwon

 We're heading around the world in today's read, all the way to South Korea. Jung-min Kwon has received more than a few awards for her children's books...and now, this one is being released in English. The cover looks so calming and relaxing, while the clock hints at fantasy. I'm suspecting that there will be deeper meaning in these pages to add to this playfulness. 

So, let's dive in and see what this one is about. Oh, and it isn't coming out until October, so you have plenty of time to get this one on your reading lists if it sparks your interest. 

THE CLOCK SPA

by Jung-min Kwon

Translated by Jamie Chang

Yonder Press

Picture Book

60 pages

ages 5 to 8

COMING OCTOBER 6th!!!

A whimsical story about time, love, and self-care; when a busy mom turns into a clock, her daughter discovers that even grown-ups need rest.

A young girl is used to reminders about minutes, schedules, and being on time—especially from her mom. One night, she wishes to stop hearing about time forever, and the next day, her wish has come true. . . almost. Her mother turned into a big blue clock!

With her clock-mother ticking beside her, the girl sets off on her scooter to find help. The clock hospital is closed for vacation, but the clock sauna is open—a magical place where worn-out clocks can rest, relax, and be repaired. Thanks to a wise old woman and a little time to unwind, everything begins to make sense again.

GOODREADS    /    PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Light, playful fantasy dances across the worry surrounding a mother's well-being to create a heartwarming and imaginative read.

A young girl is sick of hearing her mother constantly telling her to stay on time and sticking life into minutes and schedules. When she wakes up one morning to find her mother turned into a clock, she's not sure what to think but happily takes the sudden freedom to do things when she's ready and not according to a punctual schedule. At the end of the day, the girl comes home to find that her mother, the clock, as stopped and stands quietly on a chair. Worry hits immediately, and the girl tries to figure out who can help her, but the only helps she gets is from an old woman, who tells her to take her mother to the clock spa...whatever and wherever that might be. But that is something the girl needs to figure out on her own.

The sixty pages had me wondering if this might be a little long for the usual picture book audience, but it works wonderfully. The illustrations take the lead in these pages with the text making sure everything is understood and the tale runs smoothly. The scenes are interesting as they go from familiar life and slowly ease into fantasy. There are plenty of details to grab in and have listeners returning just to gaze and flip through them. These are accompanied with a short text...and sometimes, just the pictures hold the tale on their own. It's very appropriate for a read-aloud for the age group. And for those who enjoy cultural goodness, this one, obviously, carries that magic wonderfully.

There is a bit of sadness and worry as the tale progresses, since the girl is doing her best to help her mother. There are darker forests and moments to give a sense of tension and urgency, but this is kept gentle. The main message hits with potency depending on the listener and age group. The youngest will see that times and schedules may not be fun but carry their own place in life. There's also a message surrounding the need for mothers to, sometimes, take a break from life to reboot before diving right back in. There's also a sense of parent-child love and concern, which warms from beginning to end. Lastly and for older readers, there's a deeper glimpse at how scheduling and times steers life and its meaning, but this is a philosophical exploration on its own.

And here they are...

Jung-min Kwon is the author and illustrator of seven picture books to date. Her works have received numerous honors, including the 2021 62nd Korea Publishing Culture Award (Children & Youth) and the Grand Prize at the 2023 1st Korea Picture Book Award, and were also selected as one of the Most Delightful Books of 2025 in Korea. She also frequently contributes to educational content produced by Educational Broadcasting System (EBS).

Jamie Chang is a literary translator. Her translation of Cho Nam-joo’s Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 was longlisted for the 2020 National Book Award for Translated Literature. She is the recipient of the Daesan Foundation Translation Grant and a three-time recipient of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea Grant.

The Gloom Dragon by Soren Jonsson

Today's I'm taking a look at a 'Smart Book'. This is one of two reads, which mix fantasy, Choose-Your-Own-Adventure formatting, and video games all into one tale. I have no idea how this will play out, but I'm excited to try something new.

So, let's open this one up and see what it holds.

THE GLOOM DRAGON

by Soren Jonsson

Illustrated by Brian Bak Jensen

Andrews McMeel Publishing

Middle Grade Fantasy   /  Game

160 pages

ages 9 to 12

COMING MAY 19th!!!

Can you beat the Gloom Dragon? Become the hero and choose your own path in this innovative story experience. The Gloom Dragon is a Read & Play Interactive Gamebook, a new reading experience with an immersive game built in. Get reading—and playing—this thrilling adventure!

Explore deep caves, fight a Squiddo, hopscotch across a River of Lava, and sneak into the Gloom Dragon's treasure room in this turbocharged Augmented Reality game book.

You are a Swordfighter. Outfitted with the magic sword Rilgist and a shield, you begin your adventure. Solve each mini-game, puzzle, and task to beat the gold-hoarding Gloom Dragon threatening the small village of Randomia. You choose from multiple paths, all leading to different endings. Play and read, again and again.

The reading experience is made interactive with the free downloadable app. Scan the pictures to unlock new tasks, battles, and puzzles!

GOODREADS   /   PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Dragon adventure meets 'Choose-Your-Own Adventure' style with a video game to fight battles and more along the way—three thrilling worlds in one.

This is an interactive tale, which embraces the reader and brings them into the story actively. This is written in second person where the reader is a beginning sword hero, who needs to defeat the Gloom Dragon. The Gloom Dragon attacks villagers and takes their gold as well as their lives, and the reader...the swordfighter...has the self-imposed task to stop this dragon's rampage. This isn't a simple, laid out story, but rather lets the reader often decide between two choices as to what they will do next. This guides the reader to various, numbered sections, where they discover the next step of their journey, battle a monster, collect gold, or something else. Quite often, the reader is asked to pick up their tablet, phone, or whatever device they have, and using an app, actively do the activity video game style. In other words, there's a lot going on, and it's not a quiet read.

The adventure is smooth and easy to follow as it goes from one situation to the next. The text level isn't overly difficult making it appropriate even for the younger end of the middle grade audience. It's all action without much character depth, but that works very well for this tale. The scenes unfold quickly and bring each moment across clearly and with excitement. There are usually only a few short paragraphs or less for each scene, keeping the reader on their toes. It does make for quite a bit of page flipping, but everything is well laid out, so each section is no problem to find. The story holds many surprises and keeps tension rolling along.

The video game aspect adds an interesting layer. It's no problem to download the app, and the steering of each activity is pretty self-explanatory, especially for those readers who already play games. There are directions at the beginning of the read, however, for those who might needs some help. The app is simple and works smoothly. There's a magnifying glass in the middle of the screen, and the camera on the device recognizes the illustration which fits the page the reader has turned to. This unlocks various battles or other activities. Some are more difficult than others, but all are doable and fitting for the age group. 

As a pure read, it's a decent adventure for choose-your-adventure fans. The sections are short, though, which creates a lot of page turning. But it also keeps things from ever growing boring. The game aspect is a nice touch and enjoyable. Of course, this also means that the reader needs to have their device the entire time, too. I read a digital version on the laptop and used my phone for the app, which worked well enough. Also, the app downloaded quickly and was ready to use right away.

And here they are...

Peasoup Books has a mission to create a completely new reading experience for children by combining gaming elements with a printed book. These smart books use augmented reality to enhance the reading experience.

Søren Jønsson is a writer with a background in the gaming universe. He is behind more than 100 children's game titles.