Category: Young Readers 5-9

My Review

What a fabulous story to encourage young children with regards to acceptance and building.

This story celebrates when Jana achieves an accomplishment and how her friends not only help her celebrate but how she kindly pays this forward through sharing.

Full of positive language, with a few words per page at a good size and brilliant illustrations to help even the most reluctant reader want to keep reading.

A brilliant story that I really enjoyed and would make a fab addition to the reading curriculum to help children understand and accept different conditions from an early age.

Book Blurb

Jana has just learned how to put her socks on all by herself.

Jana also happens to have Down syndrome.
To celebrate her new skill, she gets loads of brightly coloured socks as a gift.

What happens when Jana shows them to everyone at school?

Join Jana on a fun-filled journey as she discovers what it means to be a true friend and the real value of kindness.

This is a heart-warming and beautifully illustrated book that celebrates friendship and inclusion. It encourages children to embrace the differences and similarities within us.

Author Sally Fetouh was inspired to write this touching story by her own daughter who has Down syndrome, feeling it was important for her and other children like her to be able to see themselves in literature. After reading a different story about a girl with Down syndrome to her daughter’s preschool class, Sally says, “The children were so engaged in the story and asked questions. They were very accepting and loving of their friend—my daughter. I left with a heart overflowing with emotion and that inspired me to write my story.”

Socks were deliberately chosen in this story to reference the extra chromosome in Down syndrome. Chromosomes are shaped like socks. Even though we all have chromosomes that make us who we are, we are still all remarkably unique.

Accompanying child activity and educational information sheets available on the author website: http://www.sallyfetouh.com.

Available to purchase here

Meet the Author

It was important to Sally that her daughter and other children like her were able to see themselves represented in literature. The idea came to Sally when she visited her daughter’s preschool to read a story about a girl with Down syndrome. The loving, accepting, and inquisitive responses from her daughter’s classmates inspired her to write a story reflecting these caring friendships.

Sally believes a great book is one that has impactful characters and a story that provides a new experience or perspective to the reader that stays with them long after the book is closed. She hopes that her young readers with disabilities or those who are different in some way will be able to relate to the main character and see a little bit of themselves, while also aiming for other readers to gain insight into the world of Down syndrome and the importance and impact of kindness and friendship.

When she isn’t writing thought provoking children’s books, Sally works as a lawyer and a
photographer. She enjoys being in nature, hiking, and horse riding. She lives with her family in Sydney, Australia.

Jana’s Brightly Coloured Socks is her debut picture book.

Social Media Links

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sallyfetouh/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profi
le.php?id=100089048475502

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/sallyfetouh

Today I am sharing my review for Magic Marmalade by Petra Quelch, which is a lovely illustrated book perfect for when kids are first starting to read independently.

My Review

I read Lottie Sparkles last year for the blog tour and was excited to read the next children’s book by this lovely author. Petra Quelch has a wonderful way with words and I love helping spread the love for younger readers.

I enjoyed this colourful storybook packed with bright illustrations to capture your little people’s imaginations and an easy storyline for them to understand. In this story we follow Mabel for a few days as she works with her Grandpa to make travel from her home to his easier and more interesting. This is a wonderful adventure that will capture imaginations and help to visualise what is happening for the words they are unsure of.

The story is laid out in a nice clear font with good spacing to make it easier for younger readers. A really enjoyable, fun read to capture imaginations and encourage your little ones to read that they can read individually or you can read to them at bedtime.

Book Blurb

Imagine you didn’t have to travel the ordinary way of transport. You could get from one place to the other quickly and without any delays. Wouldn’t that be fantastic? Mabel Bloom doesn’t like to travel the ordinary way. She dislikes buses, cars, trains or even planes. But one day she receives a very important invitation from the Other Side of the world, so she turns to her grandpa for help. Grandpa sends Mabel a recipe which, when made correctly, will give her the power to travel a very unusual way. And Mabel’s extraordinary adventure begins.

Available to purchase here

Meet the Author

Hi there! I am the author of Magic Marmalade and Lottie Sparkles Magical Discovery. I love everything sparkly, glittery, magical and mysterious.

Aside from all the glitz and glamour, I am a collector of books, pens, tea sets and a huge fan of chocolate.

I have two little girls, also known as “The Little Book-Fairies with a BIG imagination.

Most days, I find myself conjuring up stories for children or reading books in my favourite spot by the window.

Website: https://www.petraquelchauthor.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chronicleofbooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/acaseofbooks?lang=en

Many thanks for the invitation to read and review your latest release.

Massive thanks to everyone who has stopped by to visit my blog, please remember to like and share to help spread the book love far and wide!

Have a great day

Daisy, Jacks & Kel x

Today I am really excited to be jumping on the blog tour for One Night in Beartown, it is so important to encourage our younger readers and I love being able to read and review books that will capture their attention.

My Review

I have been an avid reader since childhood and am lucky that my daughter also followed in my footsteps and loves to lose herself in a book. Even as my daughter now branches into YA fiction I still enjoy reading stories for younger children as I love the magic and wonder that they hold. It was an absolute pleasure to read this wonderful story inspired by Congleton’s Bear Mania in 2011.

We are quickly introduced to Sandy who reminded me of my daughter at that age, she loves her teddies and loves being able to take them with her wherever she goes. So when one of the boys at school teases her and her teddy is confiscated as a result, she has no clue on the adventure that she is about to embark on.

I love a magical story and this one captured me straight away, it reminded me of elements of The Snowman with laughing and dancing teddy bears that captured Sandy’s heart and took her on a wonderful adventure.

This book has a nicely spaced layout in a clear font, I loved the storyline and the colourful pictures help to translate the book for those who may struggle with some of the words. There were a few words I’m not sure if younger children would understand if reading alone but I loved how this story spike about emotions and feelings and I found it magical from beginning to end.

A perfect bedtime read to sit and read either with or to your young reader to capture their imaginations and reinforce their belief in a magical story.

Book Blurb

From the award-winning duo that brought you Sarah’s Shadow comes another magical adventure…

When bear-mad schoolgirl Sandy Lane has her beloved teddy bear Berisford confiscated at school, she dreads the thought of going a whole night without his cuddles.

Little does she know that a bear-rilliant night awaits her, involving Berisford, a bear statue and many other wonderful friends!

Purchase Links are Author Website / Amazon / Full Media

Meet the Author

I’m Nick Jones, an award-winning author originally from Bristol but now living in Congleton, Cheshire. I write books for kids and I’ve also written several joke books for adults. My first book, Gagged and Bound – A Book of Puns, One-liners and Dad Jokes, was a best-seller under Puns and Wordplay on Amazon UK, and two sequels soon followed. You can download a FREE collection of my jokes here.

In December 2017, I tried something different: a children’s picture book about a girl who loses her shadow. Illustrated by the super-talented Si Clark, Sarah’s Shadow has proved popular with kids and parents alike. In 2018 it won Best Children’s Picture Book in the 2018 Book Awards on international book review site Readers’ Favorite. My claim to fame is that the same award was previously won by none other than Jim Carrey, the Hollywood actor-cum-children’s author! Sarah’s Shadow also won Runner-Up in the Book Excellence Awards and received a Purple Dragonfly Book Award as one of the best picture ebooks for children aged 6+.

In 2020 I ran a Kickstarter campaign during lockdown to fund my next book, One Night in Beartown. It was inspired by the Bearmania event that took place in 2011. Thanks to amazing support from businesses and individuals in Congleton and beyond, I raised £4,000 to illustrate and print the book. It was published on 1 December and you can buy it on my online shop, on my publisher’s website or as an ebook on Amazon. For updates, please follow me on social media or subscribe to my newsletter!

Social Media Links

Twitter – https://twitter.com/nickjonesauthor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/NickJonesAuthor

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/nickjones_author/

Many Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to join the blog tour. Please remember to like and share to help spread the book love

Thanks for visiting Love the Smell of a Book today and I hope you have a great day!

Daisy & Kel x