Stewart Ross

Interesting book with a short history of Greece. There are drawings and pictures of statues, monuments, structures, pottery, coins and more. Greek Gods and Godesses with drawings of them are listed on page 36. Page 31 has the alphabet. The Greek warship, trireme, is on page 49. The Olymics history is on pages 44 and 45. Alexander the Great on pages 52 and 53.
Contents:
THE GREEK WORLD
Who were the Greeks?
Palace Civilizations
The City States
Athens
The First Democracy
The Spartan Way
DAILY LIFE IN ATHENS
Home, Sweet Home
Clothed and Unclothed
A Healthy Diet
The Symposium
Family Life
School
Slavery
GODS AND GAMES
Life & Death
Gods and Goddesses
An Age of Learning
Drama
Healthy Body, Healthy Mind
The Original Olympics
WAR AND DECLINE
The Greeks at War
Sailors and Merchants
The Colonies of Greece
A Great Emperor
HISTORY IN STONE
Evidence Today
REDERENCE SECTIONS
Time Line
Glossary
Index
I have been to Greece twice. It is an archaeological place to visit and learn about history.… (mais)

Twisted Fairy Tales: The Ninjabread Man is a hilarious book that is a must read!

A lovely couple wants a ninja child to carry on their legacy, but they don't get exactly what they were asking for. After approaching a Crafty Fox, they prepare a Ninjabread Man instead of a child! And chaos ensues. Wherever he goes, Ninjabread Man creates havoc and chaos for everyone... and no one can catch him.

My fun notes:
1. Never trust a fox! It never goes well in children's books. These characters never learn!

2. If you do decide to trust the fox - please - for love of all that's good, write down the instructions. THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT!

3. Or don't follow the recipe... And see what happens!

My positive notes:
1. This story was super creative and seriously funny. I was grinning along at the hilarious twists on the Gingerbread Man tale. The ending had me chuckling the most because I didn't fully expect that to happen!

2. I think this book would be a great way to introduce young readers to fairy tales or try to put a different spin on one they've already heard. This book is by no means an educational tool, but it is fun! We definitely need more fun books out there to get kids to love reading. Without books like Grandma and the Pirates (a book from my youth), I wouldn't have loved books as much! I was given far too many educational only books in my youth. This sort of book (packed full of fun and goofy story lines) will create some lifelong readers.

I don't have many criticisms for this book. My only note would be for parents and educators to be aware that this book was designed for fun. You could totally spin some sort of educational tool out of it, but that's not the purpose of this book. And thank goodness for that!

Four out of five stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Arcturus Publishing for a free copy of this sweet little fairy tale!… (mais)

I love a fun, modern twist on fairy tales, so this addition to the Snow White lore was a lovely surprise!

Snow White doesn't have dwarves in this sci-fin inspired tale, she has robots! Score 1 for STEM lovers everywhere! Instead of an Evil Queen, there's a wicked Star Queen (who looks wickedly cool in all of the best yet evil ways!). Star Queen wants Snow White out of the way so she can be the best overall! Also, Prince Cosmo!

This is a cute little story of friendship and robots. It's definitely a fun twist on the typical tale and would be a great addition to a little friend's bookshelf. The fact that Snow White can take care of herself quite well is nice - there's no crazy true love kisses, but there is lots of engineering. The story is overall quite positive and very smart.

I did really enjoy the pictures and art. I think that's the strong point of this story. It felt very magical and full of whimsy.

I found this Twisted Fairy Tale wasn't as easy to follow as the other tales. Perhaps I just didn't enjoy this version as much. Each story is going to hit well with different audiences. In all honesty, I can't point out a bad thing about it. Maybe I've just read too many Snow White stories.

Three out of five stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Arcturus Publishing for this wonderful opportunity to pick up this book!… (mais)

This twisted fairy tale is hilarious and a must read on your children's shelf.

When a pirate ship sinks and leaves treasures along the ocean floor, some friendly narwals discover it and get into some mischief. Spike wants to build a house, but then the big, bad shark comes after him!

Positives:
1. That cover is so colourful and so much fun! The cover alone drew me to this book and I am totally impressed by it. There's a lot going on and it's very busy, but it made me want to know more about it. The pictures throughout the story continue with the colourful and fun pictures. There aren't strong, clear lines - more soft and bubbly.

2. The names are adorable! Spike, Spiral and Stubby stand out and sound super fun. They all have distinct personalities that make them stand out but still seem like cool narwals. Kids will love them!

3. This twisted fairy tale retells The Three Little Pigs. I think this was a fun way to remake this tale. It's underwater, keeps the original tones but adds a little more fun to it.

4. The book is a little longer than the typical picture book I've been reading. There's paragraphs and dialogue on the page. It's a great way to introduce longer stories to your kiddos! I'd say grades one through five would enjoy this length.

5. Important themes galore! Looks aren't everything is one of the major themes brought up in this book, and I have to say it's a good one to pick.

Negatives:
1. The version of the book I received had a table of contents. I don't think this short of a book needs one, but that's just my personal opinion.

Overall, this was a fun and exciting book. I'd definitely recommend it for parents or readers looking for a great, modern twist on a tale as old as time.

Five out of five stars!

I received this book for free through NetGalley.… (mais)