Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Rob Albanese GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: January 25, 2022 RATING: 3.25 stars. A funny little book about an old man and a young boy who lives across the street from him. The man is an avid birdwatcher and is trying to locate an elusive snowy owl. But the little fellow, who is bored of staying at home, manages to get in his way and turns his attempts topsy-turvy. The book has many hilarious situations. The little boy is really funny and smart at the same time. The bond between the old man and him develops as the story progresses and they realise that they both can help each other and learn from each other. So I liked the ending much more than the beginning of the book. The story seeks to create an interest in bird-watching. There’s a page on bird-watching tips and snowy owls at the end of the book. The illustrations are quite cute. Nothing extraordinary though. The language is quite simple and will work fine for beginner readers. Somehow, it feels like t...

AUTHOR: Poornima Manco GENRE: Short Story Anthology. SERIES: Around the World, #2 RATING: 4.25 stars. The title and the tagline of this book tell you precisely what this book has: eight fantasy stories from around the world. But is that ever enough in a review? Aren’t you always curious to know more? Read on to see if the book does justice to every part of its name. “Eight”: The number of the stories in this little anthology was just right for me. Not too many, not too few. I read a story a day, but each tale is so different from each other than even if you read it in a go, you won’t find it repetitive. “Fantastical”: Often assumed to be only the adjective form of ‘fantasy”, “fantastical” actually contains a broader meaning: strange, bizarre, outworldly. Every story in this book fits most of these adjectives as each has some content from out of this world, literally. Don’t take this to be your typical fairies and dragons kind of fantasy. Each tale has a specific magical element and in...

AUTHOR: Anthony C. Delauney ILLUSTRATOR: Chiara Civati GENRE: Children's Picture Book. PUBLICATION DATE: December 7, 2021 RATING: 4.25 stars. This book is an interesting and a fun-filled way for children to learn many valuable life lessons. Dash and Nikki are siblings who find a new game prepared for them by their mother. The reward involves jellybeans, and the task seems quite simple at first. However they both soon realise that the game is not as easy as it sounds. The content is broadly based on the Stanford marshmallow experiment on delayed gratification, which proved that those who wait patiently reap greater success in future. This complicated concept is put forth in a straightforward and easy-to-understand story that children will definitely enjoy. The tale is written in simple rhythmic verse. While I’m not a fan of forced rhymes in children’s books (I prefer prose-based content), this book doesn’t go overboard in fitting in rhyming words compulsively. The meter has a very r...

AUTHOR: Christina Dankert ILLUSTRATOR: Chad Dankert GENRE: Children's Picture Book. PUBLICATION DATE: March 22, 2022 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A cute story with a simple yet powerful message. Story: Mr. Wilson is a second grade teacher who is known for his imaginative inventions. One day, he walks into his class with something huge draped with a sheet. On uncovering it, the surprise is revealed to be a “kindness machine.” ( Not a spoiler; the title should tell you what was underneath the sheet! 😉) Mr. Wilson uses this machine to explain to the children how to implement kindness in their daily routine and make it their superpower. While the idea of such a big machine to explain some simple ideas sounds grandiose, the impact it will have on little kids is undeniable. Each suggestion is so straightforward and practical that any child (and adult) can incorporate these suggestions easily. What I especially loved was that one of the points spoke about being kind to yourself. Tha...

AUTHOR: Ruth F. Stevens GENRE: Contemporary Drama PUBLICATION DATE: October 26, 2021 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: Strong mixed feelings. Loved some parts. Disliked some other parts. Story: Barbara, a single mom to teenaged Sally, has dedicated her life taking care of home and family. She is underconfident about her strengths but is a whiz with organising and planning. Their mother Dolly has recently been admitted in a nursing home as she is in an advanced stage of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Here, Barbara meets Jack, an older man whose wife Helen is at an even later stage of AD. Soon a bond develops between Barbara and Jack. But will their circumstances allow them to take their relationship ahead? The story comes to us from the first person perspective of Barbara, and third person narratives from the points of view of Jack, Sally and Jack’s grandson Scott. Where the story clicked for me: 💖 The portrayal of AD and dementia, and the devastation they cause on a person was traumatic an...