Lila Danisa

To be honest, I only understood most of the "Animal Limericks" part of the book. "Cockroach Soup" and "Glue Soup" were just weird for me. I don't know if I couldn't comprehend good or both of the poems were really segmented. However, when I read both poems to my 5 years old son, he was laughing hard. He said it was so silly people making soup of cockroach and glue. He also said maybe they did it for pranking their friends. Quoting him, he said it's really not good to prank someone with something gross. I concluded that even though he found the poems funny, he still didn't like the real action of it.

Though I didn't enjoy this book and the poems inside, I think someone else might have different opinions.

Thank you to Nina Kossman, Kubik, Open Ends Press, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Ah this book was so much fun!

We (my son and I) used this book as our guidance for our morning walks for weeks, even months, I think.

Each and every activity was so fun and educational at the same time. My son personally loved the "poop" discovery activities 😅 Sound gross but it was fun and silly for him (and me).

Though we currently lived in Indonesia, this book was still related to us. Our neighborhood had everything this book mentioned. That's why we could literally do all activities in this book.

Definitely would do every activities this book offered all over again because each time would lead us to new discovery.

Thank you to Editors of Storey Publishing, Hachette Book Group, Storey Publishing LLC, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I humbly confess that before reading a book about Connor McDavid, I didn't know about Wayne Gretzky at all. I only looked up and searched about him because in Connor McDavid book, they said he was (is) almost as good as Wayne Gretzky. I needed to prepare for my son's question(s) on who Wayne Gretzky was (is) and why they called Connor McDavid as good as him. That was the start of my rabbit hole in watching videos about Wayne Gretzky. And what a legend he was (is).

The videos about Wayne Gretzky playing hockey were mostly in black-and-white and/or in low quality, something that made my 5 years old son annoyed eveytime he watched them. He doesn't fully understand that back then the technology was not as advanced as now. However, from those videos, it was certain that Wayne Gretzky was (is) a hockey legend. This book supported that fact by presented the statics from when Wayne Gretzky was still a little boy to his greatest hockey career.

Wayne Gretzky, through this book, inspired my son to keep playing hockey even though it's hard. My son said if Wayne Gretzky could play the sport since he was young, he can do it too.

By the end of the book, there was even more inspirational from this hockey legend. Wayne Gretzky was (is) so humble. I told my son that the legend himself was (is) humble, so there is no reason for us to be arrogant. In hockey and other things in our life.

Thank you to Luke Hanlon, Flux, Press Box Books, and NetGalley for the ARC.

While watching videos of Nathan MacKinnon and Johnny Gaudreau, we (my son and I) stumbled upon many videos of Connor McDavid. I was glad I had this book too so I could read it to my son and proceed to watch Connor McDavid playing an amazing hockey. I barely knew about hockey but reading this book with its statics on Connor McDavid easily convinced me that he indeed played (and still plays) great.

As this book stated, I told and highlighted to my son that Connor McDavid was young (compared to other hockey players) when he started his pro hockey career. That was inspirational and motivational for my son that if you work hard enough to be the best version of you, no matter how young (and old) you are, you can be successful. In hockey and anything.

Thank you to Karen Price, Flux, Press Box Books, and NetGalley for the ARC.

First of all, what a great lost of an amazing sport man. Rest in peace, Gaudreau 🕊

Up until I read this book, I knew nothing about Johnny Gaudreau. As I read this book to my son and watched many videos of him playing hockey, without a doubt his playing was amazing. Especially as this book stated that he statically "too" small to be a hockey player. He proved that being "small" in the sport full of "big-tall-board" boys and men was not a problem. He was truly inspirational.

"Gaudreau may be small, but his talent is huge." (Page 27)

This book smoothly albeit briefly presented Gaudreau playing statics from his promosing pre-NHL to his successful career in NHL.

There was this ironic sentences in this book, "Hockey fans seemed to agree that the future looked bright for the five-foot-nine winger." (Page 27)

Again, what a great lost!

This book didn't mention about his passing. But I needed to tell my son. He was also sad because he watched in videos how great his hockey was.

Thank you to Erin Nicks, Flux, Press Box Books, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I knew almost nothing about hockey. Yes, I read many hockey romance books but they were 80% romance than hockey itself. So yeah, I basically had no idea about hockey games. But my son just recently joined hockey training since there was a new ice rink near our house. His interest in hockey was currently also high. My son made me study (?) more about hockey by watching videos so I could keep up on his hockey bubbles.

This book was great. Focus on a hockey atlet, Nathan MacKinnon. When I chose this book, I was very careful and checked his background first. I don't want to read a book to my son about misogyny men athletes, locker room talking or not. Yes, I am talking about misogynist comments USA teams made in their locker room after they won the gold medal in Olympic. As far as my research went, Nathan MacKinnon was not a misogynist. Though I definitely opened to take down my review if in reality he is one.

Back to the book, this book was good for my son. We watched many videos of him playing the sports and in my amateur eyes, he played so good. My son mostly loved watching the videos while I read this book to him. I think that way he (and I) could understand better what stated in this book about Nathan MacKinnon.

Thank you to Karen Price, Flux, Press Box Books, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Actual rating: 4,25 stars!

Wow this book was more intense than the previous two books. Sad too though. And the ending was not what I wanted, especially for Chani. Poor girl!

I have never read the original book of Dune so I have zero thing to compare this graphic novel with the OG novel. But I felt like there were many plot holes and unexplained matters in this book. For example how the Emperor knew about the South area in Arrakis. Is it Thufir who told him? I guess I will never know until I read the real Frank Herbert's Dune.

As I finished reading this book, I understood why Dune is so famous. Indeed deserved. The world-building was chef's kiss. However I still felt the characters were distant and except for Chani, Alia, and Lady Jessica I didn't root for any of the characters, even Paul.

That was so good! So inspirational!

I think this book would very good for little girls, to motivate them, and make them believe that girls can do anything they have in mind. Genders are not for limiting us.

I read this book to my son though. And the inspirational aspect was still going strong. From Seassy my son learned that he needs to not give up and be nice to others.

I personally loved the details in the characters. For example, Seassy's uncle took care of his sea horse babies all the time. So inclined with how real male sea horses are the ones who take care of the baby sea horses. My son also spotted that detail and he was so happy because he already knew that trivia about sea horses.

Not only the details in the illustrations, my son (and I) loved the vibrant colors that fit the story.

Thank you to Barbara Pinke, Victory Editing, and NetGalley for the ARC.

There was not much in story sides. However my son loved this book so much. He found it silly how the cat was sleepy but still pushed himself to jump higher and higher until reached the highest point. From there I told him about not to be afraid to dream high and try as harder as he can to reach those dreams. Exactly like the cat in this book.

Since my son is a cat person, he loves anything and everything related to cat. Automatically he loved this book and its illustrations. For me, the illustrations were so dreamy with soft pastel colors which fit the theme of this book.

Thank you to Patricia Fitti, Clavis Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book made me cry! I needed to reread it like 5 more times to make sure I wouldn't cry again when I read it to my son. Still didn't work, my voice was still shaking and my son was so attune to me and knew that this book made me sad. My son was also sad with the story and flipped the scenario of what if I someday forget about him. Oh that was the beginning of our long full of tears discussion. At the end, I think he mostly understood about dementia.

This book made him scheduling (impromptu) routine video calls with his Grandma (his father's mother), his Ompung (my mother), and his Mbah (my father). Afterward he sadly concluded that his Grandma is mostly would get dementia because she sometimes forgets where we currently live and his full name. That made him sad again but fortunately could regulate his sadness with the help of this book. Until I write this review, this book is still in our reread shelf.

My son (and I) loved the illustrations. He said the grandpa in this book looks like his belated Grandpa and made him even love this book.

Thank you to Julia Vasileva, Clavis Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Wow. I didn't expect the story would be that intense. I also thought I would not like the story, but I ended up loving it.

The story was dark with strong horror vibe. So heavy in religious theme which somehow I understood well despite the religion discussed was so different with the one I believe and practice.

The illustrations were so good. So perfectly fit with the story and the overall themes.

Though the ending was not cliffhanger, but it opened to many possible stories. Can't wait to read them!

Thank you to Tini Howard, Joe Jaro, BOOM! Studios, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Ah what a wonderful book!

My 5 years son is currently in the stage of knowing bad and mean words. He mostly knows that those words are bad and mean, but sometimes he doesn't know that one bad word could hurt others. This book perfectly relies that message. The idea of words have colors is amazingly easy to understand, at least for my son. He could follow the storyline given by this book and the messages behind it. We (my son and I) discussed many things because of this book. This book indirectly made my son more empathetic to others. With this book, my son concluded that not only we need to always say something nice, but we sometimes need to not listen to what others say about us if they make us sad.

The illustrations were so good. Fit the story and the messages this book try to deliver. Vibrant with colors but also convey the soothing effect.

Thank you to Krista Legge, illust. Leila Nabih, Clavis Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Personally I liked the style of the poems in this book. They were giving story telling vibe. I also found the poems easily to read. But to be honest, I only 50% to 75% understood what could be the real meaning of the poems.

This book divided into two parts. For me the second part has stronger messages because the themes are (kinda) heavy I think. Meanwhile the first part is 100% the story (telling) of the poet in "new" (home) country. Though I am not relate to any of the poems (yet), it was still heartwarming (?) to read others experiences especially in poetry form.

Some of the poems were also sarcastically funny and dark-ish. One of my favorites was "Fear of death numbs rational thinking but the absence of an ambulance strengthens the resolve to live".

Thank you to Tolu' A. Akinyemi, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for the ARC.

The story continued and for me it was getting better. Though it's already book two, the world-building was still so strong. This kind of sci-fi book is always amazed me. How someone could imagine then create the whole (different) universe 👏🏻

Though the story was actually going strong, I still felt distance with the characters. Maybe because I read in graphic novel format so I didn't feel fully connected with the characters.

Still so much going on in plots side of the story, I wonder how everything would get wrap up in the third and the last book. I guess I need to read it and find out myself.

I read this book as soon as I finished Outlier, the last book from this author's previous series, because I assumed that the FMC in this book was kinda same like Vicky (the FMC of Outlier). I loved Vicky so much and I thought I would love Clara (the FMC in this book) too. Turned out Clara was fine-ish. She was kinda doormat for my like. She was strong, yes, but she was kinda slow. So nope, Clara wasn't anything like Vicky.

But my biggest problem was the MMC, Rafe aka Lord Sterling. He was so arrogant and mean. I hated how he easily turned his back to Clara. He even brought other woman to charity/party because he wanted to ruffle Clara's heart. What a dich!!!

I actually understood why Rafe was so entitled prick. With his background, privileges, and posh-ness, it was understandable for him to turn the way he was. But still, him being as close as real life men behaving was not the selling point for me to like his character. Well, yes he actually groveled enough and being so sweet to Clara at the end part of the book, however I still don't like him.

The plots were actually really good. And I loved the found-family aspect in this book so much. I definitely will read the next book(s) in this series. I just hope that the MMC(s) would not as arrogant ass as Rafe.