Cecile and the Kingdom of Belamor by Marilyn Churchill

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.