Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Jameon’s Closet is an educational children’s picture book written by Shauna Havlina and Leanne Richter. Jameon is not sure how he’s going to clean out that closet in his bedroom. If it were an ordinary closet, he’d have no problem, but he’s frightened of even opening the door to look inside. You see, he’s been putting dirty socks and t-shirts, empty candy wrappers and anything else he didn’t want to put or throw away inside that closet. Jameon’s bedroom always looked so neat and tidy that his grandma would actually let him have extra time to play his games, but eventually she found out about the closet. All those stinky socks and t-shirts, combined with the fact that he had no clean socks left at all, made her suspicious. Now she wants that closet cleaned out. She’s going to make it a bit easier for Jameon though. Grandma knows a guy named Jon, who is pretty good at figuring out how to clean closets. Jon’s a counselor, and he showed Jameon how they could fix that closet just a little bit at a time -- and it worked!

Richter and Havlina are licensed marriage and family therapists who’ve worked with traumatized kids and their families for over ten years. Their story, Jameon’s Closet, provides kids and their caregivers with a helpful metaphor for helping kids release long suppressed feelings and emotions in slow, supportive and contained processes. The story explains to kids how storing up their memories and feelings is similar to Jameon’s awful closet. The illustrations provided are bright, funny and lively, and they work perfectly with the upbeat and positive message of the story. Jameon’s Closet is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Edith Wairimu for Readers' Favorite

The Fabulous Life of Minnie the Sassy Chick: Minnie's Sassy Birthday (Volume 2) by Cindy L. Shirley is a captivating read that features Minnie, a beautiful, stylish and sassy hen. She lives with Carly and Riley who constantly fuss over her. The two sisters have made it their mission to provide Minnie with everything and include her in all they do. They create moments with her and consider her to be their best friend. From dancing to rock music to playing beauty shop, Carly and Riley have the best time with Minnie, who seems to be enthusiastic and happy around the two girls. On top of what the girls do with their unusual friend, they organize a birthday party for her which becomes the culmination of all their excitement and enthralling, fun-filled activities.

The Fabulous Life of Minnie the Sassy Chick: Minnie's Sassy Birthday (Volume 2) by Cindy L. Shirley is a story coupled with fun and humor. The activities the girls engage in with Minnie will leave any reader laughing. Best of all is the love that the three friends share. Carly and Riley go out of their way to make Minnie a part of them and organize the best birthday ever. Their fun-loving and enthusiastic personalities are also a great addition to the story and will definitely resonate with many readers. The idea of using a hen for the main character was a great idea which added a comical and interesting twist to the story. This was also enhanced by Cleoward Sy’s illustrations. I definitely recommend Cindy L. Shirley’s book to young readers who love a fun and captivating tale.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Riley the Brave is a children’s picture book written by Jess Sinarski and illustrated by Zachary Kline. Riley’s a pretty happy-go-lucky bear cub who enjoys having fun with his friends. He races on his scooter with his buddy, Travis; indulges his artistic side by painting with Ernie; and shares his love of honey with Sophie. Sometimes, however, he doesn’t feel so happy-go-lucky. Riley gets caught up in memories from his past, things that he holds secret and can’t share; he feels angry and confused and all mixed up at those times. When he was younger, he had to be like a porcupine so big bears couldn’t hurt him; hoarding food so he wouldn’t go hungry; acting angry and aggressive to discourage others from coming near, and, worst of all, sometimes he could only survive by hiding deep within a turtle-hard shell. Riley is brave, though, and he’s learning it’s cool to be a cub. He’s beginning to see that he can talk to his safe big-critters about the things that scare him. He knows what safe critters do and don’t do. Riley doesn’t have to hide any more.

Jess Sinarski’s picture book for children, Riley the Brave, comes with an afterword for grownups that discusses brain functioning and the long-lasting effects of trauma on young children, even when they are in safe, loving and stable environments. The author discusses ways in which kids will act out or don porcupine quills, and she demonstrates how to “embrace that porcupine,” even if it’s just hooking pinkies or sharing a smile. She shows how a caregiver’s non-reactive approach can help kids regain access to their upstairs brain. Sinarski recommends reading Riley’s story using different voices for each character and taking a traumatized child slowly through Riley’s process of becoming brave. Some kids can only go through a few pages at a time.

Riley the Brave addresses issues of importance to everyone, especially those kids who don’t have traumatic pasts, but may have friends who do. Sinarski’s book teaches kids to have empathy for kids like Riley, and her lesson on what Safe Critters do and don’t do is also crucially important for all kids to understand. While the book addresses serious subjects, Zachary Kline’s upbeat, humorous and colorful illustrations make the book work so very well, especially in providing contrasts between Riley’s difficult past and his present. That image of Riley curled up in the turtle’s shell will resonate with many kids, I’m afraid, but knowing others have felt the same way goes such a long way towards healing. Riley the Brave is a remarkable book that gets trauma and the pain kids feel, and helps caregivers become partners and safe critters. It’s most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Mr. Hoopeyloops and His Amazing Glass by Andi Cann is the story of Mr. Hoopeyloops, a special man who lives in an old, odd house with an old, odd barn. The town he lives is an ordinary town where all the buildings have the same structure and pattern. He drives an old, odd red pickup truck. Smoke curls out of his barn’s big fireplace and there are sounds of strange and compelling music drifting from the barn. The people of the town are accustomed to Mr. Hoopeyloops's odd behavior. One day he sends an invitation to everyone in the town: ‘Please come and see the wonders and magic that delight me.' The townspeople are excited and what they see inside the barn amazes them and changes their opinion about Mr. Hoopeyloops.

The story conveys a beautiful message, that of seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary. I like the contrasting images of a neat and organized town with that of Mr. Hoopeyloops. The illustrations are delightful and they give a good pace and movement to the story. Mr. Hoopeyloops’s secretive behavior makes his character mysterious and readers will be curious to know what he is doing with the sand and small steel pipes. There is an element of whimsy too in the story, which makes it a magical experience for young readers. Stories like this are good for children to help them understand the message clearly and change their perceptions on how to look at life, people, and appreciate the special talents people around them possess. It is a perfect story for read aloud sessions in classrooms and school libraries because of its magic, the secret, and the lovely message.

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

The ABC Animal Picnic by Janina Rossiter is an educational tool to introduce children not only to the alphabet, but it also helps in enhancing their vocabulary. The animal picnic also helps children understand that an alphabet can have different sounds and the story will fascinate them with the creativity and imagination of the author. Every page is fun to read and children will love repeating the words, the alliteration, and the sounds. The author’s imagination is on full display when readers flip through the pages and discover a lot of new things while learning the alphabet.

I like the way the author makes learning the alphabet and new words fun and interactive. What makes it unique is the manner in which the author has introduced the alphabet to readers, which is not what one gets to see usually. It is a perfect book for parents if they have small kids at home who are going to start school, because it makes learning easy, fun, and interesting. It is a good book for teachers and educators to introduce the alphabet and new words to children in classrooms, and parents and grandparents can read it out to their children and grandchildren at bedtime.

It is a great book with some colorful and excellent illustrations that are eye-catching. Informative and educational books like this are always good for child readers as it helps them not only learn new things, but will also make them more creative and imaginative. It is definitely a must-have in every school and children's libraries, and in homes.

Reviewed by Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite

Counting Sea Life with the Little Seahorse is an educational and delightfully illustrated children’s book, written by Sheri Fink and Derek Taylor Kent, and illustrated by Lynx Animation Studios. Immediately engaging the reader, the Little Seahorse takes children through a marvelous underwater world of magic and mystery, utilizing aquatic friends in showing how easy and fun it is to count. Whether it be whales, turtles or hungry sharks waiting in the midst, your child will ride the waves of happiness in learning the joy of counting with these enchanting underwater creatures in brilliant color.

Taking a child through the learning process of counting numbers 1 through to 20, Sheri Fink and Derek Taylor Kent have provided a magical and colorful world which will entice, excite and encourage any child to learn their numbers. Although I am well past the age of learning these things, I still found myself wearing a broad smile as I turned each page and entered a new world of color and entertainment. Some of the sea creatures were new to me, and their extraordinary fantasy-like activities piqued my interest through to the very end. Never before had I seen an underwater version of Romeo and Juliet until today, but I am sure it will be entering my dreams when I sleep tonight. Counting Sea Life with the Little Seahorse would definitely be an ideal book to add to your home library, having your child counting a vast array of marine life on their way to dreamland each night. I thoroughly enjoyed this educational journey, and recommend it to be read to children prior to entering kindergarten, resulting in some good counting habits.

Reviewed by Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite

Elphie and Dad Go On an Epic Adventure by Hagit R. Oron and Or Oron details the story of Elphie the Elephant and his father, who offers to make Elphie an extra special chocolate milk, only to discover that there is no milk in the fridge. Initially, Elphie doesn’t want to go to the store with his father because it is such a boring thing to do, until Elphie’s father points out that anything can become an adventure, if only you use your imagination. Elphie tucks away his sword, dons his cape, and is ready to have an epic adventure with his father. On the way to the store, Elphie slays clouds shaped like monsters, chases a lizard which is trying to catch flies, and then climbs a wall. With each adventure, Elphie's father warns him to be careful or he will hurt himself. When the cell phone rings and engages his dad, Elphie becomes bored and wishes he'd never gone to the store. He then spots a friend across the road and runs out to greet him, running right into the path of an oncoming car... What will happen to Elphie?

Both the graphics and the story were wonderfully done. Hagit R. Oron and Or Oron have written a book which not only details the principle of “look before you leap,” but also shows how imaginative children can be. Elphie’s facial expressions emoted perfectly what he was thinking and feeling during the entire journey, whether it was boredom, excitement, or fear. Elphie and Dad Go On an Epic Adventure would be a wonderful book to read at bedtime for smaller children, teaching them about road danger, adventure, and using your imagination to have fun.

Reviewed by Barbara Fanson for Readers' Favorite

One to Ten: Squirrel’s Bad Day is a fun storybook for children, as well as providing a coping mechanism for learning to deal with problems. Ranking a problem on a scale of one to 10 will help them to understand that bad things happen and, when you compare them to other problems, maybe some of them aren’t that bad. This educational children’s book by Carole Roman will help children to understand their problems and to realize that maybe some problems are small—less than 5 on the scale—and shouldn’t bother them at all.

One to Ten is a wonderful story of Rabbit explaining to Squirrel how the ranking system helped him to cope when trouble happens. Squirrel was feeling sad when he dropped his acorns into the stream, but with Rabbit’s trick, he doesn’t feel so bad. Rabbit shares some examples of problems that happened recently and demonstrates to Squirrel how to rank those examples. Rabbit also explained how sometimes good things come from problems. In the end, losing some acorns in the water doesn’t seem as bad when you rank it on a scale of one to ten. I think parents and children will find this story entertaining and educational.

The beautiful watercolor illustrations by Mateya Arkova are well done and add so much to the story. The use of tones and shadows is very effective for children’s book illustrations. I like the divided page technique used on some pages, just like a graphic novel. I also liked the talk bubbles with shadows like a comic book and the fun, whimsical drawings of animals dancing or cheering.

Reviewed by Lucinda Weeks for Readers' Favorite

The Adventures of Zealy and Whubba: A New Life Begins! is created by Roe De Pinto. An adorable baby seal pup named Zealy is born. Zealy is a beautiful baby, covered with white fur. Zealy opens her eyes for the first time to discover her adoring parents. Her parents could not stop smiling when they saw Zealy. They spoiled their beautiful new daughter with lots of hugs and kisses. Like new babies do, she cuddled with her mother, drank her fill of warm milk, and drifted off into a deep slumber. Zealy awakens and discovers a new friend, Whubba. Whubba is a baby orca whale. Whubba is a good friend who watches over Zealy and protects her.

De Pinto has created a very beautiful story that readers are bound to fall in love with. This story is filled with vibrant and colorful pictures. The characters are an adorable seal family with mom, dad and new pup Zealy, who are joined by the baby orca whale. Young children and parents alike are certain to be fascinated by these characters. This heartwarming story is one that all new parents can identify with. As a mother of three, I was reminded how joyous it was to welcome my new babies into the world. I would have liked to see more depth to this story, which is why I am eagerly awaiting the next title in this series. I am looking forward to seeing how this series unfolds. I recommend The Adventures of Zealy and Whubba: A New Life Begins! as an entertaining story to be shared with all young children.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Off the Hook: A Christmas Ornament Adventure is an adventure picture book for children written by John Arvai III and illustrated by Eminence System. Most people think that Christmas ornaments are just there for decoration purposes, but they're really much more than just decorations. Those heroes on hooks actually make sure the tree lights are working properly, guard the cookies and milk from the family dog, and keep the fireplace in good shape so Santa can visit your house. Then there's the star that goes on top of the tree. This is an especially important ornament as it guides Santa to your house by sending out a golden glow that Santa can see from his sleigh. But what would happen if that star wasn't on top of your tree? What if your cat knocked it off the tree, and it tumbled out of reach? Something very much like that happened at the Thompson house when they were hosting their Christmas party. No one noticed that the star had ended up in a gift bag, and no one saw Aunt Connie leaving with it. Or did they?

John Arvai's adventure picture book for children, Off the Hook: A Christmas Ornament Adventure, follows the front and back side ornaments of the Thompson family's Christmas tree as they try to save Christmas for their family. This is an exciting story complete with conflicts, impossible situations, and a deadline that looms ever closer. Arvai's ornament characters are marvelous! He endows each one of them with a personality and his/her own role in this action-packed holiday tale. The illustrations provided by Eminence System are brilliantly colored and add depth and dimension to the plot. I found myself getting lost in each panel as I delightedly found every detail and action described in the story. Children of all ages, including those adults who volunteer for story time rather than have to sit and chat with the grownups, will thrill to this most unusual Christmas tale that actually gets better with each successive reading. Off the Hook: A Christmas Ornament Adventure is most highly recommended.