Book Review: Engella By Paul Ian Cross

	Title: Engella Written By: Paul Ian Cross Illustrated By: Alison Rasmussen Series: The Engella Chronicles Categories: children’s fiction, kid’s book, adventure, future, past, time travel, science fiction. Read: 14th April, 2017 Rating: 3 / 5 Obtained: Amazon.com.au, Smashwords Crossposted Review to: Goodreads, Amazon.com.au, Smashwords, Booklikes.

We first meet Engella in New Shanghai. The year is 2074 and she’s living on the streets. She’s on the run from the authorities and, when she’s about to get caught, she activates a device which launches her through time. She finds herself in Scotland, the year being 1998. Annys is an elderly lady, walking her dog, Rupert. She takes Engella into her home.

Both Engella and Annys are reasonably interesting characters. There’s obviously a lot of back story to either of them. However, seeing as it’s a short story, it feels like a lot of details are missing or simply crammed in, without fully explaining points to the reader. For example, when Engella and Annys meet. Annys simply accepts Engella into her home and they have an in-depth conversation. This would be a fantastic opportunity to introduce us further to either character. However, the author skims over the events and it feels like it was kind of a wasted opportunity. The same can be said of the rest of the story. The setting and scenes, for example; I don’t think we get a reasonable explanation as to why either Engella is being chased by the authorities. It’s also a bit mystifying as to why she has some sort of time device; I think they ought to go to highly trained people and not teenagers. Especially considering the effects of time and how it might change future periods if someone were to change the past. However, I suppose a lot of that might be a bit too complex for a kid’s book.

Another thing I’ve been considering is that there’s nothing really special (for lack of a better word) about either time area. We visit both New Shanghai or Scotland in the book, but I don’t feel like there’s much to take in at either location. We don’t get to take in much scenery and the author doesn’t give much explanation about the qualities of either place. I feel like this is difficult to explain. Think about if you were to travel to appear in a random city, in any time period, and find yourself in an alleyway. What year is it and what city are you in? Can you tell this from your surroundings? It wouldn’t always be likely. The same if you were to appear on some random beach; you mightn’t be able to tell the year you are in. I feel like this is where the time travel aspects fall short. In both these cases, we know we’re in a certain place and in a certain year. However, if we weren’t told such things, it mightn’t be obvious. If the author skipped telling us the date and place, it could even be the same year, in the same city (possibly connected to a beach), where Engella comes across a Scottish person.

The illustrations are by Alison Rasmussen and very well done. They’re very detailed and obviously took a lot of effort on her part. The first is the cover image and I like the delicate colours. I also like the simplicity. The second is of a cat; it’s my favourite of the drawings as it’s very adorable. A third is of Engella and a fourth image is of Rupert, the dog.

It’s a fairly original book, but I think we miss out on a lot of the important back-story and details. It has a great premise. I think it would get a lot of kids interested in time travel and science fiction. It’s a short story of only ~3,700 words. However, it ends sort of abruptly and will be continued in the autumn of 2017. I don’t think I would necessarily buy the next story in the series; it’s just a bit too short and doesn’t have a proper conclusion. Plus, I would likely then need to pay for the story after if it also has a cliff-hanger ending. I might consider purchasing it if it were novel length.

I obtained free copies of this book from Smashwords and Amazon.com.au. This is an honest review.

You can get your own copy of the book from these sites (as of right now, 14/04/2017): Amazon.com, Amazon.com.au, Smashwords, PaulIanCross.co.uk (the author’s website).

However, please be aware that this is likely for a limited time. Please double check the price before purchasing!

Source:
www.goodreads.com/review/show/1971314301?

Original post:
Cattereia.booklikes.com/post/1552623/book-review-engella-by-paul-ian-cross

Book Review: The Everywhere Bear by Julia Donaldson

	Title: The Everywhere Bear Written By: Julia Donaldson Illustrated By: Rebecca Cobb Categories: Kid’s book, teddy bear, adventure, children, short story Read: 31st March, 2017 Rating: 5 / 5 Obtained: Hip Little One (Giveaway) Cross posted Review to: Goodreads, Booklikes

In “The Everywhere Bear” by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Rebecca Cobb we get to take a look in a school. We visit Class One, led by Mrs. McAllister. Not only are there a bunch of great kids in the class, they have a very special friend- the Everywhere Bear. He sits on a shelf and he gets to go and have adventures with each kid. On one journey, he accidentally gets lost and we experience him going on an adventure that no one could have predicted.

One of the things I appreciate most is that each child is different. There are a variety of characters to relate to, each with differing appearance and hobbies. I really like that the Everywhere Bear gets to play with each of his friends differently. The text features a lot of rhyming which makes the story quite fun and I feel like it’s very encouraging to try new things.

The illustrations are great! They give the readers a great view about the town and community. From the classroom to the sea, there are all sorts of brilliant scenes for us to view. We get see a lot of the action and, even though he’s only a little bear, the Everywhere Bear sure goes on an amazing adventure!

Overall, I really enjoyed it. It’s a lovely little story with literal highs and lows. I’m sure that any child will love this!

I was lucky enough to receive a free copy of this book thanks to Hip Little One & Pan Macmillan, but this is still an honest review.

Source:
www.goodreads.com/review/show/1957658457

Original post:
Cattereia.booklikes.com/post/1547894/book-review-the-everywhere-bear-by-julia-donaldson

Book Review: Follow The Sun by James Savill

	Title: Follow The Sun By: James Savill Categories / Themes: science fiction, doomed Earth. Read: 15th February, 2014 Rating: 5 / 5 Obtained: Goodreads Cross posted Review to: Goodreads

Edgar Every is the creator of a visionary formula which helps calculate the growth of the universe. He does this through his pleasant views outside his window as well as a little help from a theme park ride called “The End of the Universe”. A decade later, his work has made him a minor celebrity and it we soon find that the Earth might be doomed. Thanks to Edgar’s findings, a team is put together to save the Earth and its people.

With the beginning of each chapter, we’re enlightened with snippets, glossary terms and extracts from what’s going on in the novel. These provide little bursts of information that sort of make it seem as if someone is looking back on these events as some sort of research or report, summarising the events of these Earth problems. I think this plays well for the story, because that’s basically what the entire book is. It doesn’t provide unnecessary information, there’s no unnecessary drama and the all the relevant findings are explained to the audience.

Do you know what it also reminds me of? It reminds me of Rocket Ship Galileo by Robert A. Heinlein. I thoroughly enjoyed that book. It really played a great role for its time. The same can be said for Follow the Sun, in the sense that they both have a sort of innocence to them. I’ll go on with characters, with that point in mind. Edgar Every has a unique innocence about him. We begin the novel with him taking his young nephew to an amusement park. From here on, he’s found what seems to be the key to the universe as we know it. The book doesn’t go into the pain staking work he’ll likely have done as a scientist or the ridiculous amount of research he would have trolled over in order to finish his work. It just limits his massive findings to a dream and a theme park ride. I can see it as kind of an inspirational point; that people will look on it and say something like, “well, if astronomy is that easy, maybe I should have a go.” (On the flip side, I can also see it as being disappointing down the track, if that happens…) I appreciate that, from the beginning of the novel, we know he’s not in this just to be well-known. He’s not trying to do this for financial profit and he’s not doing it just to be a hero. It’s pleasant because we can see that he’s just doing this to help others, not just to understand the universe, but he then takes on a role to try and save the planet. Soon enough, we meet his research team (though this is a little further onward in time) and we get a little background on a few of each of the members. It’s hard to find fault with any of these characters and I think all of these people are a valuable asset to the team. We don’t find out much about these people, but I think it’s beneficial to the novel because we all focus on the goal at hand. I also like the way that, although they each have their own specialities, we can visualise them learning new things for their project wherever they need to.

There are very few things that are unnecessary in this novel. There is basically no unnecessary drama, no awkward relationships between characters and very little mundane problems in the plot. The actual plot takes place over a few decades. It’s fast and we get the basic elements of what’s going on with the team. The one thing I like most about this novel is that it’s not a depressing novel. The main cast of characters all know that the Earth has a tragic ending (that they’re trying to prevent), but the author keeps a positive spin on everything that’s happening. We have what is basically a good natured outlook to saving Earth. The novel is set in the future, but does not label a specific date. The planet has been integrated to one government, “Earth Ops”, and one space program, “Space ops”. The related scientific principles and technologies are explained so that the everyday person can understand the information presented. Much of it is saving Earth from “drifting” out into the universe, while trying to give the reader the feeling as if they’re on the team making it possible. We have little information toward what country the novel is set in, or even the races and backgrounds of team members. The author has basically given us the option of creating that imagination ourselves, providing an interactive element to it. For a scientific novel, I think it works well. I think it has a timeless element. In twenty or thirty years, I could probably reread it (though I’ll probably reread it again in the meantime) and it’ll still be a good book (to me, at least). The ending was disappointing and silly to me, I must admit. I won’t go into details or spoil you on that.

I haven’t reread the book as I had intended, but thinking back on it long time after reading, I don’t remember the characters as much as I thought I might. It was two years ago, of course, but I don’t think I remember much about the characters. I actually reread the snippet on Amazon to remind myself of Edgar’s name, I’ll be honest. The characters are definitely something I wish we had known more about. At the time of originally writing the review, my consideration was that the lack of knowledge about those people kept the book on point and focused about the save Earth role. However, I would like to know more about these people and about their histories. It would have been nice to see how they got to be at this position in their lives. Overall, I’m impressed by the author’s ability to present a pretty happy novel without creating too much negative outlook. I think it’s quite a good novel for a younger crowd and I’m pretty interested in seeing what kind of attention this book will receive in the future. Despite there not being a continuation or mention of one, from the author, I think that it would make an interesting series and would be interested in reading more in the future.

I won a copy of this book via Goodreads Giveaways and these are just my honest thoughts on it.

Book Review: Ten Zany Birds By Sherry Ellis (free Smashwords coupon code until 26th Oct, 2016)

	Title: Ten Zany Birds By: Sherry Ellis Illustrated: Charu Jain Categories / Themes: picture book, birds, counting, personality. Read: 11th January, 2016 – 12th September, 2016 Rating: 5 / 5 Obtained: Smashwords (via a free Coupon Code) Crossposted Review to: Goodreads, Smashwords

Ten Zany Birds is a short, beautiful book by Sherry Ellis with amazing illustrations by Charu Jain! It tells the story of birds in a tree through rhyme. As we follow the events, we encounter visitors to their home and what happens, counting down as each bird leaves for various reasons. The pictures are just gorgeous and are brilliant displays of colour, sure to please any reader. The rhymes introduce the children to varying colours, counting and patterns.

I think the thing children will appreciate most is that each bird has a different personality. Throughout the book, each bird associates with varying objects and other creatures. For younger readers, it’s an excellent introduction to many different types of actions. For an older reader, I think it’s very interactive and any child will like the illustrations. Overall, it’s a very enjoyable book.

Title: Ten Zany Birds
By: Sherry Ellis
Illustrated: Charu Jain
Link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/547690
Words: 240
Expires: 26th Oct, 2016
Coupon: WJ95M

I was lucky enough to receive a free eCopy of this book when there was a free coupon code for it at Smashwords. These are just my honest thoughts on it.

As for the coupon code, I am not officially affiliated with the author. I am simply reposting a coupon that was offered freely on their own blog, hoping to spread a little bit of joy to others. 🙂 Please, if you do use the code, make sure that it functions correctly when using.

Book Review: Open Very Carefully by Nick Bromley

	Title: Open Very Carefully: A Book with Bite By: Nick Bromley Illustrated: Nicola O’Byrne Categories / Themes: picture book, humour, animals. Read: 03rd December, 2014 Rating: 5 / 5 Obtained: Bought by someone I know, as a gift for someone else. Crossposted Review to: Goodreads

Open Very Carefully: A Book with Bite is by Nick Bromley and features the illustrations of Nicola O’Byrne. We begin with a lovely little story, though someone is crashing the party. A crocodile! What’s he doing here? The crocodile causes ever such a mess! He begins eating words and even later munches a hole through the back of the book. It is a fantastic book. It has adorable drawings and a lovely story.

I think the thing children will appreciate most about the book is that the narration is entertaining and is easy to follow. It talks to the reader in such a way that that any child will feel like they’re being useful in helping getting rid of this monster. I also appreciate that one of the main themes is that we can make the crocodile less scary through what we do in the journey and that it gets children to consider their options when they have a problem.

Overall, it’s a great story and is fun for any reader.

I borrowed a purchased copy and got the opportunity to read it before it was given to away. These are just my honest thoughts on it.

Book Review: Hilly Colors Her Dreams & Hilly Finds Her Quiet Place by Meytal Raz-Nave

Title: Hilly Colors Her Dreams By: Meytal Raz-Nave Illustrated: Shany Golan Categories / Themes: spirituality, colours, creativity Read: 21th March, 2015 Rating: 5 / 5 Obtained: eBook from Amazon.com.au Crossposted Review to: Goodreads, Amazon Title: Hilly Finds Her Quiet Place By: Meytal Raz-Nave Illustrated: Shany Golan Categories / Themes: spirituality, meditation, children, calm Read: 21th March, 2015 Rating: 5 / 5 Obtained: eBook from Amazon.com.au Crossposted Review to: Goodreads, Amazon

Hilly is a lovely, young girl. We meet her first when she colours her dreams, then we continue down her journey as she finds her quiet place and later when she discovers her feelings.

In book one, morning always comes too soon for her. She loves going through her dreams and all the colours she experiences throughout them. She dreams about dragons and the milk man, within incredible scenes. At the end of the book, we are treated to a little bit more information about colours and chakras for children to read into.

In book two, things are a little less peaceful for Hilly. She goes through her daily life, but everyone and everything is ever so loud! Day after day, she goes through this. Until one day, she meets a man who teaches her how to meditate. Because of his help, she manages to find her quiet place.

I think both books are a wonderful journey for the reader. They give children the opportunity to look into alternate forms of religion and spirituality. Not every parent might appreciate something like that, but I think it gives children a valuable look into other cultures.

I think that the best bit about the books is the illustrations. Shany Golan deserves a pat on the back for such incredible work! In book one, the dreamscapes are a magical journey, helped along by the illustrators beautiful works. Book two’s illustrations really convey how busy Hilly’s life is. I think the illustrator has done very well.

Overall, I think both books are really something that children can relate to. There is a third book, Hilly Discovers Her Feelings. I have not read it, but it also looks like a lovely read which I’m sure any child will love! Just looking over the reviews of all three books on Amazon, it seems that a lot of people enjoy these works and the praise is well deserved.

I have legal copies of the first two books; I bought them when they were each free on Amazon.com.au. These are my honest thoughts on them.