Reviewed By Barbara Fanson for Readers' Favorite

Like many of us, Buddy the teddy bear has dreams of belonging to a loving family and traveling to faraway lands. From the lonely top shelf of a toy store, to the inside of a box, to the inside of an airplane, finally the box opens and Buddy can see light again. Buddy the Soldier Bear has seen and done quite a bit; he’s flown in helicopters, parachuted from planes, gone on long trips, and seen some things he’d rather not see. Travel along as Buddy becomes part of a loving military family and shares in their experiences. And watch as Buddy’s dreams come true. Author Marie Joy takes on an adventure with a bear that accompanies a soldier on duty in another country.

The Stencil font on the front cover was an excellent choice for a book about a soldier bear. The illustrations by Brandon Pollard are very well done and clearly demonstrate the scene and set the mood for the book. Their rich, dramatic tones place us in the adventure. Buddy the Soldier Bear is an easy-to-read book, which many families can relate to. Parents and children will enjoy reading about the exciting trip of Buddy and his military friends. Author Marie Joy has written a wonderful, imaginative story about a bear that has dreams and achieves them. Buddy the Soldier Bear is a feel-good story with a happy ending. If you were traveling, which toy would you take and what would it see?

Reviewed By Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

The Amazing Snowman Duel: Snowman Paul Book Series, Volume 5 is a children's picture book written by Yossi Lapid and illustrated by Joanna Pasek. There's a new snowman in town, and he means trouble. Bill was pretty proud to show off his new friend, Snowman Nick, to Paul and his friends. Nick was much bigger than Paul and muscular as well, plus he had a stick. Bill cheerily announced that Nick was challenging Paul to a duel that night, while his giant snowman posed menacingly behind him. Surprisingly, Paul didn't seem all that worried about the challenge or that evening's battle. And when Bill taunted them about not backing out, Paul assured him that the bout would take place, but under Snowman Land rules, which did make Nick pause and think a bit. Everyone knew about the midnight bout; there was even a plane flying a banner to announce it. There in the snowy clearing, a boxing ring was all laid out, and Nick was there at midnight, looking ferocious, armed and ready -- but where was Snowman Paul and could he really survive this fight?

Yossi Lapid's children's picture book, The Amazing Snowman Duel: Snowman Paul Book Series, Volume 5, blends action and atmosphere as the tension mounts before Snowman Paul’s bout with Snowman Nick. Challenges are something all children run into at some point or other, either in the schoolyard or during playtime, and Lapid's Snowman Paul's response to Nick defuses the situation beautifully. The author and illustrator, Joanna Pasek, have created an exciting, action-packed story that works so very well. Pasek's watercolors are masterful. She imparts depth, atmosphere, and a sense of wonder in each winter-themed panel. You can feel the frosty air, sense the weak sun as it tries to warm the snowy hillsides, and watch as the day passes and the shadows lengthen into the nighttime setting for the duel. The facial expressions on her people, snowmen, and the animals who arrive for the duel are spot on. Prepare to spend some time with this book; the story addresses an issue that really matters to kids, and each picture is a delight to peruse and immersed yourself in. The Amazing Snowman Duel: Snowman Paul Book Series, Volume 5 is most highly recommended.

Reviewed By Tracy Slowiak for Readers' Favorite

In a fun, funny and adventurous new story targeting children in later elementary grades, The Land Without Color is the first book in a new series by the same name written by author Benjamin Ellefson. This book will engage its readers from the very beginning and will keep them reading all the way through until the very end. Follow the story of protagonist 12-year-old Alvin, a boy who finds himself in quite a predicament. After floating through the air with the aid of a huge gum bubble, he lands in a world unlike any other he's seen before, a land without color. Everything there is gray, and no one is quite sure why. Alvin meets some new friends that are set on helping him, as well as solving the mystery of the colorless landscape that surrounds them. Will they succeed, and will Alvin find his way home? You'll have to read the book to find out!

I loved The Land Without Color. Loved. It. How's that for a review? Well, it's definitely how I felt about this lovely book for older children. Author Benjamin Ellefson has done a wonderful job in creating a story line that will entertain its readers and please their parents with its message and tone. This book contains elements of fantasy, fairy tale, action and adventure, is fast paced, and is simply a fun read! Any child, but especially those between fourth and sixth grades, would enjoy this book, and their parents should absolutely buy it for them. I highly recommend this book, and look forward to seeing more in this promising series by author Benjamin Ellefson, hopefully in the very near future!

Reviewed By Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Benjamin Birdie's First Flight is a children's picture book written by Michael Dotsikas and illustrated by Morgan Spicer. Benjamin Birdie lives high in a tree with his mother. He's been watching all the birds soaring and flying in the sky around him, and he wants to start flying as well. His mother tells him that he's not ready yet, but he will soon be. When she goes off to find food for him, however, Benjamin decides to try out his wings. At first, he's doing pretty well. He flaps harder and harder and then he's flying. At least for a while, then Benjamin falls all the way down to the ground far below. He has no idea how to get back to his nest until he sees a friendly elephant who thinks he can help. When the elephant gets Benjamin as high as he can reach, the next friendly animal steps up to the task of returning the young bird to his nest.

Michael Dotsikas' children's animal picture book, Benjamin Birdie's First Flight, is a playful and entertaining book that teaches as it entertains. The author's story is set in rhyme that's natural and never forced or singsong, and the vocabulary selection is geared toward beginning readers. Morgan Spicer's illustrations are marvelous! Each panel is brightly colored and carefully inked, and the animals' faces are expressive and lively. Benjamin's rescue story also introduces a wide variety of animals. The Meet the Tree Dwellers section and Glossary are excellent resources for both young readers and adults who are sharing the book with younger children. Benjamin Birdie's First Flight is a most impressive children's book, and it's most highly recommended.

Reviewed By Michelle Robertson for Readers' Favorite

Have you ever met someone that looked totally different from the way you thought a person should look? Was there something unique about them that made them very different from you or others you know? Freddy, a half shark, half octopus, found that his classmates at his new school thought this way. It made him feel very sad and not like himself very much. But when they all found out that he had special talents for swimming to go along with his different looks, they began to change their way of thinking. They cheered him on all the way to the championship swim meet against the barracudas, where Freddy receives the MVP award. Freddy is then no longer sad about his differences, but thanks Jesus in a prayer for making him different and blessing him with new friends at his new school.

Fast Freddy by Lee Ann Mancini is a delightful pictorial and early reader book, introducing young readers to the concepts of acceptance, differences, uniqueness, bullying, and friendship. Children are often drawn to animals and sea creatures, and by using sea creatures as the characters the author has made the story more relatable and comfortable for its audience. Too many times, at a young age, children don't get taught about the importance of accepting others for who they are and not what they look like on the outside. Name calling and laughing at someone who is different is morally wrong and unacceptable. The author brings that life lesson to the fore within the story plot when Freddy is laughed at for looking different. But when his classmates realize the individual talent Freddy has, they begin to like him and realize they were wrong.

Lee Ann Mancini includes within the text a few indications that this book is meant for a Christian reading audience. Those who don't share that belief may not enjoy certain parts, but can still enjoy the overall story. With its very vibrant and eye-catching pictures and important life lesson within the text, Fast Freddy is a book for readers of all ages to enjoy.

Reviewed By Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

What A Bragger by Lee Ann Mancini is an adorable story about Melissa who loves to brag. She brags about anything and everything. Melissa has more sand toys than anyone who is playing with her, her ham sandwich is the biggest, she can swim the fastest and climb the highest, and she has the best of everything when compared to all her friends. Her friend Corey finds her crying one day. Melissa had broken her sand shovel and Corey is surprised to learn about Melissa's broken home. Corey says a small prayer to God, thanking Him for all that she has. Corey feels bad for Melissa and has a plan. She decides to ask all the Sea Kids to chip in treasure coins to buy a nice gift for Melissa for her birthday.

It's a beautiful story of love and friendship and the incident also opens Melissa's eyes to true love and friendship and helps her understand the meaning of friendship and the value of friends. The story has a lovely message for young readers. The illustrations are bright and colorful and they complement the story very well. The pictures also breathe life into the characters and give pace and movement to the scenes. The storybook is perfect for read aloud sessions in classrooms and libraries. It can also be used as a bedtime storybook for kids. The message conveyed is touching and heartfelt. It teaches kids to believe in God and be grateful for those people around them who love them and take care of them.

Reviewed By Rich Follett for Readers' Favorite

Spring-Heel’d Jack, a shadowy, daemon-like figure with red eyes, metallic claws and breath like blue fire, terrorized Londoners and was immortalized in the penny dreadfuls of the Victorian era. In Spring-Heel’d Jack by E.J. Hagadorn and wickedly gifted Gorey-esque illustrator Sophie Lees, ol’ Spring-Heel is revivified in a sinister and seemingly gleeful incarnation as the dark hero of a cautionary tale for children. In a series of clever and macabre quatrains, Hagadorn relates the probable fate of a wide-eyed young Victorian lass who scorns her governess’s admonitions to tuck in for a good night’s sleep. Spring-Heel’d Jack is on the prowl, she is warned, and children who do not go to bed when they are told are just begging for him to pay a call. The text is equal parts charming and terrifying; accompanied by Lees' playful, gothic black and white illustrations, the overall effect is the stuff of the most delicious nightmares that ever compelled a child to behave.

In our politically correct, modern world where virtually every shred of content for children is sanitized, watered down or compromised by maudlin platitudes, it may well be time for an unvarnished, unabashedly evil ne'er-do-well like Spring-Heel’d Jack to make a re-entry into the collective consciousness of our children. If childhood education does not include a frame of reference for real dangers, the world becomes an even more dangerous place. There could hardly be a more delightful or eloquent way to encourage a healthy respect for villains than E.J. Hagadorn’s Spring-Heel’d Jack. Like the Victorian era from which this classic character has been so masterfully resurrected, Hagadorn and Lees’ work bespeaks an elegant but unforgiving code of rules for survival that modern children would do well to revisit.

Reviewed By Cheryl Schopen for Readers' Favorite

Paris Hop!, written by Margie Blumberg and illustrated by Renée Andriani, is a story about Grandma taking her granddaughter to the Eiffel Tower on a visit to Paris. They are determined to see how the city looks with the sun shining over it, but they continue to get distracted by the other wonderful places and sights of “Paree,” such as museums and clothing stores. Will they be able to make it there before the sun sets? And if they don’t, how will their day trip to Paris end?

This was a cute little story that children and their parents (and grandparents) will thoroughly enjoy. While children will enjoy the entertaining rhyming quality of the book, they will also have fun learning common French phrases. Parents don’t need to worry about mispronouncing or not understanding these phrases because there is a very helpful glossary in the beginning of the book that clearly states the meaning and the pronunciation for each word and phrase. And the actual story is just so charming. I adore the idea of a grandmother and her granddaughter exploring Paris together. Children will get to experience the culture of Paris through the many stops this young girl and her grandmother make. Plus, the illustrations make it that much more delightful. The vibrant colors and adorable images will keep children engaged and wanting to read the book over and over again. Margie Blumberg definitely has a new fan, and I’m sure that Paris Hop! will be among my daughter’s favorites.

Reviewed By Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Little Jimmy Says, "Same Is Lame" by Jimmy Vee is an entertaining book for children. Jimmy is just five feet tall and unusually small for a man. He tells us how every individual is different from each other and each one has their own special ability which makes them unique. Jimmy can do a lot of things because he is short. He also likes the fact that he stands out in a crowd instead of getting lost in it. Many a time, Jimmy is the butt of jokes because of his size. This book conveys a beautiful message of learning to accept one's uniqueness and to use it in a positive manner.

The theme is very interesting and relevant and the author has touched on a topic happening in society. He has put it across beautifully so that kids can understand it well. The illustrations are lively and they convey the concept with a lot of clarity and crispness. It is a highly encouraging book that will boost the confidence of readers and motivate them to succeed, irrespective of their drawbacks.

The message: 'We are all special in our own unique way. We all have our talents to work and to play' is an awesome message for kids to rid them of their insecurities and convert their so-called negatives into positive points. I would recommend this book for all kids. It is a must-have in everyone's personal collection, as well as schools and libraries. Little Jimmy is indeed an inspiration to all of us!

Reviewed By Bil Howard for Readers' Favorite

Beauty certainly is in the eye of the beholder and nothing illustrates that truth better than My Fingerpaint Masterpiece written by Sherrill S. Cannon and illustrated by Kalpart. When a child is interrupted from a fingerpainting of his dog while at school, it is the start of a chain of events that leads one to wonder exactly how people determine what art becomes a masterpiece. On the way home, the child’s painting is blown out of his hands and lands in an art shop. It is then accidentally entered into an art contest and after the judges turn it in every direction, they decide that it is the winning entry. Disgusted with the outcome and the way that everyone is attempting to discover the deep meaning of his painting, the child tries to get everyone’s attention, but no one will believe him.

Sherrill S. Cannon and Kalpart have created a delightful story that actually gets right to the heart of what I think about some of the “masterpieces” that I have seen. My Fingerpaint Masterpiece expresses a truth about abstract art that few would ever admit. Splash several different colors on a canvas and anyone who is an “official critic” with enough imagination to make it into something will determine that it is a masterpiece. The colorful interpretation of the story by the illustrator of this story far exceeds many of the “masterpieces” in the modern art world in my opinion. Funny, colorful and brilliant, My Fingerpaint Masterpiece will put a satisfied smile on your face as you consider how silly some people can be about art.