Category: Young Readers 5-9

I love encouraging children to read and love dipping into books for our younger audience to help spread the love – today I am sharing my review for Hector’s Perfect Cake.

My Review

Today I am delighted to be brightening up your Thursday morning with a review for this wonderful children’s book. Hector’s Perfect Cake is written for our younger readers with colourful illustrations and a great story to entertain children whilst carrying a message about perfectionism.

As soon as I saw the cover for this one it appealed and who can resist a story about cake! The size of the font for the story makes it easy to read and the pages are bright and colourful but not too cluttered.

Hector is trying to make a cake for his Granny’s birthday but hasn’t got his key ingredient and is desperate to make sure it is perfect. This story highlights sharing and that it isn’t always about being perfect but about making the effort and showing you care.

A recommended read that you will love to curl up and read to your little ones in the evening and enjoy as they learn to read and describe the pictures themselves.

Book Blurb

Hector is baking a cake for his Granny and he’s determined that it’s going to be perfect.
But when he discovers that the peanut butter jar is empty, Hector decides that he must head out to find some more, or else his perfect cake will be ruined.

As time begins to run out, Hector’s luck begins to run out too. He may have to accept that sometimes perfection just isn’t possible…

Available to purchase below:

Hector’s Perfect Cake Website

Etsy

Amazon UK

Meet the Author

Lily Clarke is the author and illustrator of Hector’s Perfect Cake. 
She studied Physics at the University of York and now works as an innovation consultant in Cambridge. When she doesn’t have her nose in a book, she runs a small business called Lily in Space Designs, where she sells a range of illustrated products inspired by books and nature. Her favourite animals are badgers, birds and bats, (although she also loves animals that don’t begin with the letter B!). 
Hector’s Perfect Cake is Lily’s first book, inspired by her own experiences of dealing with perfectionism. 

Follow on Social Media

Twitter – @lilyclarkex

Instagram – @lilyinspacedesigns

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

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

Today I am delighted to be sharing my review for The Story of Babushka, I love the opportunity to visit a different genre and really enjoyed the story and illustrations.

My Review

A lovely story written for children about the meaning of the Babushka doll, also known as a Russian nesting doll. I enjoyed the introduction about the Babushka and the toys history in Russia and its links to Russian folklore.

The story is a wonderful way to explain the layers of personality to a child, as each layer is peeled away we get an insight into how each layer contributes to the overall balance of the Babushka doll. I love how it highlights material wealth, friendship and how money and possessions aren’t enough to make you happy.

The layout of the book is easy to read with good size wording so it will appeal to younger children as well. I found this a perfect bedtime story and it is similar to books I read with Daisy when she was younger. I love the illustrations, the font is clear and readable and like how the chapters are kept nice and short to hold a child’s attention.

A wonderful story and I can’t wait to see more reviews as I think this is the perfect bedtime read to share with your little people.

Book Blurb

Babushka wants to find out the meaning of life so she sends her bodies out of the forest and into the world to search for answers.

WHAT IS A BABUSHKA?

The babushka doll, also known as a matryoshka or Russian nesting doll, is a traditional Russian toy first made over 100 years ago. The doll has come to symbolise Russian folk culture, as well as the complex and beautiful layers of women. Babushka dolls are made of wood and painted in bright colours and patterns. Each babushka is comprised of many round dolls, each a little smaller than the last. They separate at the middle so that each doll can be placed inside the one before it. There are some babushka dolls with as many as fifty dolls nested inside. This is the story of one very special babushka doll and her five bodies.

There was the outermost body, Antonia. She was pure beauty. Everyone who saw her admired her good looks. Beneath that body of beauty hid Loretta, who was richly adorned. She wore gold ornaments, and her green robe was decorated with many different gems that glittered like the ocean on a sunny day Hidden within the rich body was Paula, the body that held all Babushka’s talents. Whatever Paula did, she was sure to succeed. She knew how to work and always did so with joy and determination. Within the talented body was Viola, the body of wisdom. Viola knew a lot about the world and learned very quickly. She was always full of brilliant ideas and had clever solutions for every problem. The last body, the smallest of all, was Mary, the embodiment of love. Mary had a warm and compassionate heart and was very helpful. She could dry tears and mend broken hearts.

Available to purchase on Kindle or Hardback

Meet Catherine Flores

Since quitting her full-time job at a branding communication agency in Zurich, Catherine has gone on to become a successful freelance designer and a children’s author. She spends most of her time on the small island of Madeira with her family, spending her time growing vegetables in her garden and working for clients from around the world.

She is currently working on the follow up to the 2020 release of “The Story Of Babushka”

Where to find Catherine Flores

Author Instagram: www.instagram.com/JourneytoFantastic

The Story of Babushka Instagram: www.instagram.com/StoryofBabushka

Twitter:: www.twitter.com/AuthorFlores

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheStoryofBabushka

Author Website: www.catherineflores.ch

The Story of Babushka Website: www.TheStoryofBabushka.com

YouTube Trailer – https://youtu.be/jKnDGZ2e1VY – Book Trailer

Free colouring in downloads for your readers

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

Today I am joining the blog tour for Home Alone Harry.

I found this book to be well thought out with regards to layout, the fonts are clear and a great size for younger readers. The message of this story is about teaching a family how to cope and prevent the anxiety their dog Harry is suffering from.

I found the book informative and with a great family feel for how the kids could also get involved to help Harry feel more settled and relaxed.

When Daisy read this book she liked the way it helped you see what was happening from a dogs perspective. She felt this helped the family to think more about how Harry might behave when they are not home.

A great book to help children get involved with dog training and to help them understand how dogs can respond to situations and how to reward positive behaviour.

Harry is a mischievous young dog, adored by his family, Dad and Mum, Maisie (8) and Max (5). When the family leave him on his own he creates chaos. Dad demands, “That bad dog must go!” Alone and sad in bed that evening, Max asks, “Can anyone help?” How will the Thunkies respond to his call?

Available to purchase here

Jerry Rhodes AUTHOR – Jerry Rhodes’ life-long research and teaching is the inspiration behind ‘Home Alone Harry’, this first book in a series for children featuring the cartoon characters, Thunkies®. After completing his degree and teacher training at Oxford University, Jerry’s career as a school-master was cut short by polio. He changed course to a management career in industry, discovered his talents for creativity, and formed his world-wide consultancy to collaborate with international organisations. A special project with Philips led to the discovery of ‘Thinking-Intentions’, to which he has now given the playful name, Thunkies®. Jerry writes his books from his weather-beaten old farmhouse in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds.

Rachael Messiter AUTHOR – Rachael Messiter, a Dog Listener, uses the approach known as Amichien® Bonding pioneered by Jan Fennell. Rachael has her own practice, Talking Paws, based in Staffordshire. Previously she lived with wolves for close on two years in Colorado, USA, to learn how packs work. She has identified a group of issues that dog owners experience that are due to the well-meaning but flawed behaviours of owners, rather than ‘nuisance’ dogs. How to properly avoid and resolve such troublesome issues will be the theme of each book in the series Thunkies® love Dogs.

Nicky Hill ILLUSTRATOR – Nicky Hill is an illustrator and storyteller from Winterbourne near Bristol. Her artwork is featured throughout the Thunkies® Love Dogs books, bringing a bright, vibrant style that captures the imagination. A great lover of animals both wild and domestic, Nicky also illustrates and writes her own series of books about ‘The Wotton Pack’; a group of inquisitive pooches who spend their days and nights having many adventures. She currently lives with her own pack of three dogs in Wotton-under-Edge, a small town in Gloucestershire, where she also co-runs the shop called ‘The Collective’.

Social Media Links

Website – https://thunkies.com/

Shop – https://shop.thunkies.com/

Facebook – @thunkies

Instagram – @thunkies

Pinterest – thunkiesteam