Pack of Hearts by Danette Vigilante

PACK OF HEARTS

by Donette Vigilante

Illustrated by Stefan Henson

Chichi Books

Children's Fiction

124 pages

ages 7 to 10

COMING MARCH 20th!!!

Pack of Hearts is an illustrated early chapter book for readers ages 7–9, inspired by a true story.

Slick is a thoughtful junkyard dog who believes that looking out for others matters, even when life is hard. When Luna, a gentle poodle from the neighborhood, is suddenly separated from her mom, Slick refuses to stand back and hope for the best. He pulls together a small, unlikely pack, each with their own strengths and fears, and sets out to help her find her way home.

As the pack follows clues through the neighborhood, their journey leads them somewhere unexpected, where kindness, responsibility, and courage begin to shape the outcome in ways they did not anticipate.

Warm, emotionally grounded, and gently humorous, Pack of Hearts explores empathy, community, and what it means to take responsibility for one another. With illustrations throughout and a story that invites both independent reading and shared discussion, this book is well suited for young readers who enjoy animal-centered stories with heart.

GOODREADS    /    AUTHOR WEBSITE

MY TIDBITS

Friendship, helping others, and never giving up combine with a pack of dogs (and a cat) to adore.

Slick...or at least, that's what the junkyard owner has named him...has been bought and forced to guard the owner's business. Stuck on a chain and mistreated, Slick is more than depressed and sees no way out of his situation, but he's not as alone as he first thought. Slowly, other pets from around the neighborhood meet him, and while he gains a few new friends, his situation remains dark. Then, one of the dogs goes missing, and Slick knows he has to do anything he can to find her and help out. So, he accomplishes the impossible and breaks free. Joined by his new friends, the group hunts downs clues and learns so much about themselves in the process.

This is a wholesome read with emotional goodness. It's impossible not to feel for Slick as he finds himself in a horrible predicament. More sensitive readers should be aware that there are nods toward animal abuse, but these are kept completely in range of the 7 to 10 age group. It's easy to cheer for Slick when he, finally, breaks free, and the entire group is fun to root for as they work together and face challenges they didn't expect. There's a wonderful sense of friendship, working together, persistence, and stepping beyond ones own comfort zone to make this an inspiring read.

The text fits nicely to the age group with large font and ample spacing. There are well-done illustrations sprinkled in, which add a nice touch. The chapters are nicely sized for readers, who are sure of their words but might still feel overwhelmed by full-fledged middle grade novels. 

It's an adorable adventure and not just for animal fans.

Seven Ways Through The Woods by Jenn Reese

Today's read seems to invite to an adventure, and I'm always ready for an adventure. Add the woods, and these pages hold tons of promises. We live in an area where plenty of woods surround us. While it is fun to walk through them, ticks, honestly, keep our adventures a little more subdued. However, my children have spent plenty of time building lean-tos, mushroom hunting (yes, we have edible ones), looking for things to craft with, looking for treasures, hunting turtles, and so much more. 

Let's see if this book opens up to the amazing wonders the imagination can offer when in the woods.

SEVEN WAYS THROUGH THE WOODS

by Jenn Reese

Illustrated by Devin Elle Kurtz

Greenwillow Books

Picture Book

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

Are you brave? Are you curious? Are you ready for an adventure? Then you are invited on the most magical of journeys—through the woods.

There are many ways through the woods. Some are long and winding. Some are as quick as a blink. You might encounter griffins, giants, serpents, sprites, and more along the way. Which path will you choose? What will you discover?

Acclaimed author Jenn Reese and rising star artist Devin Elle Kurtz celebrate curiosity, imagination, and wonder in this sumptuous and timeless picture book for fans of Knight Owl, The Bakery Dragon, Endlessly Ever After, and Journey. A fantastical and awe-inspiring adventure for listeners of all ages.

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Seven possible paths through a forest offer a magical adventure.

These pages speak to the reader/listener directly and present the situation of standing on a path, which leads into a forest. There are seven possibilities, which the reader/listener can choose, and these pages offer a look at each one. From sprites who enjoy celebrations to flying griffins, the pages open up to a rich, fantasy world. As the reader dreams of each possibility and contemplates which one they might choose, a seventh choice, at the end, offers an inviting surprise.

This is a book which invites to the realm of imagination and dreams. The first image of a girl, who is standing at the edge of a forest, reminds a little of the Red Riding Hood tale. While these pages don't have anything to do with fairy tales, they definitely embrace fantasy creatures and magical possibilities. Each turn of the page holds a new wonder and will have readers/listeners wishing they could step into this forest themselves.

The illustrations are beautiful and let the fantasy and magic flow. Readers/listeners can view these on their own and let their fantasies weave as they take in each scene. The text is kept short enough to hold the interest of even more reluctant listeners and introduces each moment just enough to allow the illustrations to shine. 

Of course, there's a message hidden behind the tale, which encourages young readers/listeners to seek their own path through life and not follow the same steps of others. It makes a lovely read for group settings, individual moments, or even as a bedtime read.

And here they are...

Jenn Reese (they/she) is the award-winning author of the middle grade novels Puzzleheart, Every Bird a Prince, A Game of Fox & Squirrels, and the Above World trilogy. They also write short stories and essays. Seven Ways Through the Woods is their first picture book. Jenn Reese lives in Portland, Oregon.

 

Devin Elle Kurtz is the author-illustrator of The Bakery Dragon and the illustrator of Mother of Sharks, by Melissa Cristina Márquez. She has worked in the animation industry as a background painter/designer and visual development artist and has also illustrated many book covers. 

Happy Book Birthday, When the Rain Came by Matt Eicheldinger!

This month is packed with book birthdays...meaning tons of opportunities to celebrate! Today's read is the first in a brand new series, which hits the shelves tomorrow. This one caught my interest because of its genre and blurb. It's been awhile since I've picked up a dystopian...well, I guess that's not completely true. I did read The Diseased Ones by Danielle Harrington earlier this year (HERE) Today's read should, however, take a less fantasy-filled direction (no powers) and head into survival mode as a girl faces a never ending rain and watches the world fall apart around her. I'm curious how it will go, especially since it's the first in a series.

Grab a warm cup of tea or hot cocoa and curl up into that blanket because this one will, hopefully, hit like a storm and hold all the way through.

WHEN THE RAIN CAME

Volume 1

by Matt Eicheldinger

Andrews McMeel Publishing

YA Dystopia

320 pages

The rain never stops. The world is drowning. Survival is everything. When the Rain Came is the first YA book in an all-new, action-packed dystopian adventure series by New York Times bestselling author Matt Eicheldinger.

“If we stay here, if we keep wandering without a real plan, we won’t last. Maybe The Hill is dangerous. But maybe it’s not. It’s the only plan we have.”


Seventeen-year-old Aurora knows how to survive. Life in the foster system has taught her how to stay quiet, stay smart, and stay ready. But nothing could prepare her for this: a never-ending storm that swallows cities, drowns forests, and turns the world into a flooded wasteland.

Trapped in a collapsing house with her strict prepper foster parents, Aurora is forced to live by their rules just to stay alive. Until the day they disappear without a trace.

Alone. Abandoned. And running out of time.

All Aurora has is a waterlogged scrap of paper and a “The Hill.”

With looters closing in and the floodwaters rising higher each day, she’s left with one impossible choice—stay and wait for the storm to take her, or risk everything on a journey through the drowned remains of the world, to a find a place that may or not exist.

It’s forward or nothing.

With echoes of Life As We Knew It, The Last of Us, and Hatchet, Aurora’s story is a gripping, emotionally resonant survival story about resilience, found family, and one girl’s fight to reclaim her future in a drowning world.

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON     /    PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

A world falls apart under relentless rain, leaving a seventeen-year-old girl on the impossible mission to survive.

It has been raining all over the world non-stop for weeks, and there's no sign of it stopping any time soon...if ever. Hunkered down in her latest foster parents' mansion outside of the city, Aurora's, at least, still alive thanks to their years of prepping for a disaster of any kind. When she wakes up one morning to find them gone, she's devastated that she's been abandoned again, but this only holds for a moment as two men burst in to kill her. Barely escaping, she finds herself on a canoe with a couple days of supplies and no where to go, except for a place she keeps hearing whispers about, The Hill. And these whispers aren't necessarily hinting at anything good.

The author does an excellent job at bring this rotting, wet world to life. The problems of mold, leaks, constant dampness, and more come across with grabbing reality. Aurora's situation makes sense, and her foster parents' distance to her emotionally adds an odd edge to create uncertainty. The first chapters give the reader time to sink into the entire world, situation, and gain a grasp on Aurora's personality. Her fighter spirit mixed with a hidden desire to belong to a family make her easy to sympathize with and give her enough toughness to believe that she might have a chance to overcome what she'll face. There is also a constant sense of tension even in calmer moments, which keeps the pages turning, and it's not just thanks to the never-dying threat of the rain or drive to survive...although these definitely pack enough suspense to make it a grabbing read on their own. Instead, the danger caused by the selfishness of others and the extent they'll go to to survive keeps Aurora's situation dire. Then, there's the entire secret surrounding The Hill and even a possibly more sinister secret underneath the water itself, which poses a constant threat to keep the pages turning. I ended up reading this in one sitting because it was engaging.

This is a great beginning to a series with the promise of so much more to come...and there are sure to be several surprises, which are impossible to see coming. Plus, the plot carries enough uniqueness to make it different than other dystopian reads. There are, however, a few things which kept me from absolutely loving this read. First, Aurora does not come across as seventeen, and I found myself (about 2/3rds the way through) stopping to look back and make sure she wasn't twelve or thirteen. Especially a girl who had supposedly been tossed around in a foster system and borders on adult on her own should have a lot more maturity. So, I am very tempted to recommend this read for the lower end of the YA audience. Then, there were several logic holes. For example, the depth of the water was very unclear with mentions that people in the Rockies were drowning but overpasses and parking garages still above water. Several other aspects also didn't really make sense (abandoned cars might have extra fuel...just saying). 

But all in all, this was still a grabbing read and one I would recommend for survival, adventure, and dystopian fans.  

A Forest Begins Anew by Louise M. Aamodt

Anyone else seeing the first breakings of Spring? I have hyacinthus, daffodils, blue bells, and other small flowers already blooming across the farm. With the freezing coming in the next two days, I'm not sure how long they'll still shine, but Spring is poking out its head and saying 'hello'. Even my cows are finding more and more grass to nibble on.

Today's read fits right into the theme of new life. However, it doesn't concentrate on Spring. Rather, it looks at what happens after a forest fire burns everything to the ground. I'm curious to see how this book handles the theme and hope it has the same hopeful atmosphere the cover radiates.

So, let's open it up and take a look!

A FOREST BEGINS ANEW

by Louise M. Aamodt

Illustrated by Elly MacKay

Astra Young Readers

Picture Book

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

COMING MAY 12th!!!

Told through lyrical rhyme and stunning 3D cut-paper illustrations, this is the captivating story of a forest’s renewal as it goes from ashes to new growth in the aftermath of a sweeping forest fire.

Set against the backdrop of a devastating forest fire, A Forest Begins Anew unfolds the life cycle of a particularly resilient ecosystem. As smoke jumpers leap from planes and pinecones eventually unseal from the heat of the fire, the story poetically weaves the effects of a forest fire into a vibrant tapestry that reveals a delicate balance between destruction and renewal. 

Back matter containing fascinating facts and further reading portrays forest fires not just as destructive forces but as catalysts for growth and rebirth. With its lyrical rhyming text and breathtaking illustrations, A Forest Begins Anew honors nature’s ability to survive against the odds.

GOODREADS    /    PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

With care and respect for nature, these pages help readers understand a little more about how forests recover after a fire.

Starting with lightning striking an already very dry forest, this books leads readers through the moments when the fire spreads and the animals run. Then, come the fire fighters, who use different means to get it under control. But most of these pages cover the aftermath and demonstrate how a burned out forest finds life again. These blossoms, blooms, and sprouting greenery also get a little help as volunteers add their contributions. Then, on the last pages, there's detailed and specific information surrounding all of this and more.

This is a lovely read for anyone wanting to raise awareness for forest fires or anyone wanting to explore the entire process of a forest's rebirth with a young reader. The book fits the age group nicely as it gently leads readers through the entire situation, while making the emotions behind each moment clear. For example, while the fire scenes carry a sense of danger and weight, there's also a sense of hope as the animals successfully flee and the fire fighters arrive. There's a sense of wonder as the dead forest slowly shows signs of life, and the pacing is just right to keep readers interested. The entire thing flows nicely and creates a smooth read-aloud. 

The illustrations are well done and bring each moment to life. Readers can explore these on their own and still get a sense of the story even if they can't read every word themselves. The end of the book holds quite a bit of information, which adults can use to expand on various aspects related to the happenings in the book. This makes it a lovely addition for group activities, homeschoolers and more.

And here they are...

Louise M. Aamodt is an ESL and science teacher, an active SCBWI member, and children’s book author. A Forest Begins Anew, which won the Marvelous Midwest Conference manuscript contest, is her debut picture book.

 https://www.LouiseAamodt.com. 

Elly MacKay is an award-winning picture book maker whose titles include Butterfly Park (a 2015 Junior Library Guild Selection) and Red Sky At Night (a 2018 New York Public Library’s Best Books for Kids Selection). She has been interviewed about her unique illustration process in CBC Arts and the Washington Post. Visit theaterclouds.com.

Have you ever washed a Dinosaur? by Charlie Greene

Today's ready promises tons of fun...and we could all use a little more of that.

HAVE YOU EVER WASHED A DINOSAUR?

by Charlie Greene

Illustrated by Ethan Roffler

Greenehouse Services

Picture Book

20 pages

ages 4 to 8

Explore new worlds of ancient creatures in this exciting adventure. From pools to ponds, through mud and muck, some dinosaurs just don't know how to stay out of trouble. It takes childlike creativity, determination, and teamwork to handle these beasts. It's a dirty job, cleaning dinosaurs...but somebody's gotta do it!

GOODREADS   /    HARDBACK    /    PAPERBACK

MY TIDBITS

If you've never washed a dinosaur, this book will be eye-opening and giggle-inducing.

Children are playing in a small pool outside when a dinosaur happens by. It wants a bath, and the kids are ready to scrub away. This draws the attention of the next dinosaur, who also could use a cleaning. Soon, there's an entire row of various dinosaurs. Not only does this pose a problem with the small pool, but there's a lot of work involved. Luckily, the kids are clever and handle things in an original and interesting way.

This is one of those books, where the text carries some of the story and the illustrations carry even more. The text is written in rhyme, which flows sometimes better than others, but is cute and keeps the tale going. It is clearly printed, which makes it even a nice read for beginning readers out there to tackle on their own. While the story is brought across with lyrical fun, the illustrations make the read. These are very well done and bring across each moment with tons of personality, imagination, and pack the humor and cleverness. An entire new level to the tale unfolds in the imagery, which slyly reveals how clever these kids are. At the end, there's a silly twist to make sure this book gets an 'again' right away.

It's a lovely, light read for small giggles and holds attention nicely for group readings as well as individual settings. And not only dinosaur fans will enjoy this one.

And here he is...

Charlie has lived in places grand and small, and he resides there still. He has a little bit of everything to go with his little bit of life; he just has a little more of it than some may assume. Once you take away the differences, Charlie is exactly the same as anyone else. Charlie likes to be liked, but he likes liking others even more.

 https://charliegreene.carrd.co/