Review 5 star

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Tales of Mr. Snuggywhiskers: The Summer Tales by C. F. Crawford is the 4th book in a series of reading adventures for kids. Picking up on earlier stories, this installment follows a genial talking mouse and his large, vivacious family of ten children as they team up with two human sisters, Hallie (age 8) and Cory (age 6), to reunite the girls' mother with a long-lost talking mouse, Mr. Snuggywhiskers’ father. But how can they find the elusive Cap’n Snuggwhiskers if they can’t leave home? When a visit to their mother’s old college gives the girls the chance they’re looking for, they get on the Cap’n’s trail at last.
 
C. F. Crawford tells a lovely story of reunion, friendship, and daily adventure. A modern-day companion to children's classics like The Wind in the Willows, Tales of Mr. Snuggywhiskers offers a great mix of relationships, ingenuity, and a little science all at the same time. Along the way they magically shrink in and out of mouse size; become living science experiments; and have a great deal of fun. The curiosity and inventiveness of the gaggle of Snuggywhiskers kids and their friends the Squirrel family echoes that of children, to whom an ordinary day is loaded with creativity. Their journey finding the long-lost Cap'n is just up the alley of young readers, and the wholesome, pleasant story makes this a solid children’s book. Populated with a delightful cast and an idyllic world for kids to explore, Tales of Mr. Snuggywhiskers is something parents will love to give their kids--and won't mind reading with them too. 

Review 5 star

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Astrid’s Dragon by Karen Christian is a delightful, humorous fantasy adventure story for about ages 6-8. Younger children can also enjoy it, even if they’re not reading yet, since it has many illustrations and is well-suited to reading aloud. Astrid, an ordinary princess, lives in an ordinary fantasy kingdom—ordinary except that it has no dragons. When a dragon swoops in unexpectedly from another kingdom, burning up half a field, everyone panics. Astrid sneaks out of the castle and finds herself kidnapped by the dragon and taken to his lair. In a series of funny, light-hearted adventures, Astrid learns the dragon is not the menace he seems—and must inform her parents before it’s too late.
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As far as princesses, dragons, children, and fun go, this book was just about perfect. Parents are likely to find their kid is drawn to it repeatedly like a magnet, and the adults might enjoy it too, because it’s spontaneously addictive. It would make a great read-aloud, with a parent doing all the voices, and there’s a lot of room to improvise and entertain kids because the gentle comedy and peaceful-but-faintly-zany world of Astrid’s Dragon have plenty of layers and character development. Astrid has a lot of personality, as do her parents, the dragon Fafnir, and his hilarious, domineering mother. The story flows naturally in a bubbling stream of tension, banter, surprises, let-downs, and all-around charm until the world gains a reality hard to achieve in such a short book. I could easily read a hundred stories about Princess Astrid.

Review 5 star

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Cecile and the Kingdom of Belamor is a 3-in-1 collection of stories about a young princess in a fantasy kingdom. The storytelling and presentation were fantastic. In the first story, “The Spider Queen,” Cecile must rescue her kingdom from an evil enchantress who threatens her knowledge of who she is. In the next, “The Treasures of Belamor,” Cecile and her friend Jerome learn about Belamor’s past and the epic struggle between two wizards, as they rescue the last dragon, Melchor. Finally, in “The Future of Dragons,” Cecile helps resolve the ancient fight between the two wizards, and protects the dragon race from extinction. Marilyn Churchill adeptly uses brilliant illustrations to help along a pristine, subtly enchanting storyline in this collection.
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There’s very little that’s not to love about this sweet, quietly enchanting children’s book. Reading like a well-paced animated TV movie, I think it’s a must-read for girls 8-11. Cecile and the Kingdom of Belamor is a little gem and a worthy addition to any children’s library. The gorgeous pictures perfectly capture the story and highlight the simple, but intelligent adventures of the princess Cecile and her quest to successfully navigate Belamor. At 14, and later 15 and 16, Cecile is older than the audience, making her someone to look up to as she develops over the course of the stories. Several good points were brought to light within the fantasy kingdom—including friendship, misunderstandings, self-esteem, discovering true from false, and finding solutions to problems—providing positive lessons for children along with entertainment. This one is on my bookshelf to stay.