Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Susan Verde ILLUSTRATOR: Peter H. Reynolds GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: September 27, 2022 RATING: 5 sparkly stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 In a Nutshell: A beautiful picture book with a very important message for little ones. Awesome content, awesome illustrations. Much recommended! I was just exploring some picture books at my library when my glance fell on this adorable cover. Though not a big fan of self-help/inspirational books, I don’t mind picture books using inspiration and affirmations to help children. And this turned out to be one of the very best! In a world that encourages uniformity and conformity, here’s a book that advocates individuality, that tells you to be yourself, loudly and proudly. At the same time, it also stresses on the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people who accept you as you are. The book is written in first person, so it is very easy for little readers to put themselves in the shoes of the narrator. The content is wr...

AUTHOR: Mimi May ILLUSTRATOR: Aniek Bartels GENRE: Children's Nonfiction Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: June 23, 2026 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book depicting one adventurous day in the life of a slug. Nonfiction that reads like fiction. Informative and funny. Needed a bit of tweaking in some textual portions. Some content might be tough to explain to the target age group. Could work for slightly older children who are interested in animals. Parents advised to read it first. This informative picture book begins by introducing us to Simon the Slug and with a labelled diagram explaining his anatomical features – very useful. I like how there’s a pronunciation key for the tough body parts. The main content covers one day in the life of Simon. Luckily (or unluckily) for us, Simon is having one heck of a day where he eats a lot, narrowly escapes being eaten, almost loses his head, meets another lovely slug to mate, nearly dries out, and so on, all within the timeframe of...

AUTHOR: Lenka Karpiskova GENRE: Children's Nonfiction, STEM. PUBLICATION DATE: January 27, 2026 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A fully-illustrated nonfiction work about how we encounter chemistry in our homes. Aimed at middle-graders and teens. Recommended. This book is a part of a series with three standalone books. I recently read Book One: ‘The Awesome Physics in Your Home’ and found it quite impactful and enlightening. But as Book Two was also about Physics (The Awesome Physics in Your City), I decided to change subjects and try Book Three instead with Chemistry as the focus. Kids are often told in school that cooking is the most common chemistry, but this book explains how chemistry in our daily lives goes far beyond the kitchen. Just as in the Physics book, the content is divided not by chemical concepts but by the parts of the house such as living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and so on. This ensures that we get a practical view of several routine activities where chem...

AUTHOR: Korie Leigh ILLUSTRATOR: Mike Malbrough GENRE: Children's Nonfiction, Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: April 4, 2023 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book exploring the concept of grief and what can be done in its shadow. A good way of getting kids to understand and handle their complicated feelings during times of loss. Interactive questions to help the process. A little repetitive, though this aspect might be helpful as well. Great information for adult caregivers at the end. “Someone I love died.” An apt start for a children’s book on grief. By not naming the “someone”, the book allows itself to be open to any kind of personal loss. It even clarifies how grief is a natural response in the face of a loved one’s death but it can also be felt in other situations. The information provided on tackling grief is simple yet effective for little ones. It explains what might feel changed in their mind as well as their body. For every point it makes, it also asks a related...

AUTHOR: The Amazing Theatre of Physics GENRE: Juvenile Nonfiction, Science. PUBLICATION DATE: June 18, 2024 RATING: 3.75 stars. A fully-illustrated nonfiction book for old middle-graders and teenagers about how we experience physics in our daily life. It covers the physics found in different rooms of the house such as the living room, the bedroom, the kitchen, outside in the garden and the garage, and even in the house structure such as the roof and the chimney. This is not a beginners’ book, so it presumes a certain familiarity with basic concepts such as inertia, centre of equilibrium, friction, infrared colours, and so on. So it will be a good option for those who already know the fundamentals of theoretical physics but do not understand how frequently we encounter it every single day in everything we do, even in common tasks like walking and sitting, riding a bicycle to school, boiling water in a microwave, draining a bathtub, changing a channel with the remote, and drying clothes....

AUTHOR: Scott Goldie GENRE: Children's Illustrated Nonfiction, Science PUBLICATION DATE: January 6, 2026 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: An illustrated book about the anatomical constituents of the human body. Presented in a humorous way. Quite elaborate, with fairly comprehensible explanations. A good option for older middle-graders. The book delivers exactly as promised by the title and the tagline. The content explores the components of the human body, beginning from the basics. So we get a detailed look at the skeleton, the muscles, the key (and not-so-key) organs, the senses, the constituents of cells and blood, and so on. As the content is organised in terms of role in the human body, the book is highly structured and hence easy to peruse through. Beyond the basic biological information, it also has several fun sections such as ‘Four Facts and a Fib’ and Breakthroughs. While the information does get science-heavy at times ( it cannot be avoided in such a topic after all ), ...

AUTHOR: Maria Gianferrari ILLUSTRATOR: Ishaa Lobo GENRE: Children's Picture Book. PUBLICATION DATE: December 5, 2023 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book containing a love letter addressed to our four-legged best friends who go beyond being pets. Beautiful doggies, beautiful thoughts, beautiful illustrations. Could have done better on a couple of things, but overall, a lovely option for all dog lovers. Who can resist a dog book, right? I certainly can't, especially not when it's in picture book form. I know such books always give me warm fuzzies – much needed during the crazy times we are currently living through. As the tagline indicates, this picture book is a love letter to the dogs that help us. It is thus written in epistolary style, with the text containing a thank-you letter addressed to dogs. The book is not just about pet dogs but also about dogs in service. We see dogs who provide comfort during difficult times, dogs who provide healing therapy to the...

AUTHOR: Susan Verde ILLUSTRATOR: Peter H. Reynolds SERIES: I Am Books GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: September 15, 2020 RATING: 3 stars. A picture book that tackles a simple question: How can one person make a difference? "Beautiful things start with just one" - this is represented through the various examples presented at the start. As we all know, it does take one to make a difference, but in a world where the crazy seem to outnumber the sane, my pessimistic side struggles with such idealism. But for the sake of all little ones who are still innocent and still believe in humans and hope, I keep my fingers crossed that this book reinforces their strength and belief in themselves and their individual power. The illustrations are mostly cute, with lovely rainbow hues on every page. I wasn't a big fan of candle wax being dropped in a pond, but it was a trivial issue in an otherwise good book. A good option for the topic of positive action. Works for re...

AUTHOR: Susan Verde ILLUSTRATOR: Peter H. Reynolds SERIES: I Am Books GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: September 7, 2021 RATING: 3.5 stars. A picture book about positive affirmation on the themes of courage and resilience. Written in first person, the simple lines are infused with mental reinforcements about going on in times of trouble. The tone fits the title, being more about strength and determination than blind hopefulness or idealism.  I appreciate how it highlights that the courageous can also have fear and failure, and that helping others is equally important on the journey towards success. The slow change from first person singular to plural is a good way of highlighting team efforts. The author's note at the end presents some simple yoga techniques that help build inner peace. A good option for kids who enjoy reading such topics. Not my kind of book, but I can see its benefit for the right reader. Works for kids aged 4+.

AUTHOR: Pope Francis and Paul A. Reynolds ILLUSTRATOR: Peter H. Reynolds GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: January 20, 2026 RATING: 5 colourful-rainbow stars! 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈 In a Nutshell: A beautiful picture book containing a beautiful message and beautiful illustrations. Based on a message by the GOAT Pope Francis, but secular enough to be relevant to all. Much, much recommended! I am not usually one to pick inspirational books. But just a single glance at the key author’s name on the cover page ensured that I scrambled to get a copy of this picture book. Beloved Pope Francis 🥰, whom I have respected, admired and loved ever since he showed Catholics a new path towards inclusivity and acceptance, spoke about a metaphorical personal treasure chest to a group of youth in 2015. On his passing, the authors, twin brothers Peter and Paul Reynolds ( Love their apostolic names! ), decided to pen this picture book inspired by that message so as to make it reach and influence mo...

AUTHOR: Carola Schmidt ILLUSTRATOR: Dian Ovieta GENRE: Children's Inspirational Book. PUBLICATION DATE: February 6, 2026 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: An inspirational picture book aimed at young girls. Nice uplifting message, fabulous illustrations. A bit too vague, but this can also work to its advantage. Recommended. As the cover indicates, this is a “letter to a powerful girl”. Addressed directly to the young girl reading the book, the content offers a motivating note about how to tackles the various stones that life may throw in their path. I found the tagline quite interesting. The adjective “powerful” is a minor addition but a major game-changer in that line. It highlights how even confident children can face hurdles on their way. At the same time, it serves as a reminder that the little reader is powerful, whether they believe it or not. As far as messages go, the content is obviously as expected. But there are a couple of things that set this book apart. For one, the con...

AUTHOR: Victoria Grace Elliott GENRE: Graphic Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: November 30, 2021 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A graphical non-fiction exploring the development of popular desserts. Contains a good mix of history, pseudo-interviews, stories, and recipes. Quite comprehensive and entertaining. A tempting [pun intended!] read for those with a sweet tooth. 😄 If you ask various people what they consider the yummiest dish, chances are that a majority of the responses you receive will mention some or the other dessert. Even those of us who don't have a sweet tooth enjoy at least some dessert once in a while. Cakes, ice-creams, donuts, pies,… ( gulab jamun, kulfi, and kaju katli for my desi friends 🤤) – there is at least one dessert we like, if not love. But have you ever thought about how these desserts came into being? This graphical book aims to enlighten and entertain you at the same time on the scrumptious topic of desserts. There are eight chapters in this book, cover...

AUTHOR: Jean-Baptiste Aubin GENRE: Maths PUBLICATION DATE: February 3, 2026 RATING: 5 stars! In a Nutshell: Exactly as the title states. A big book of everything pi. Fascinating and hilarious. Not at all dry. Totally enjoyed this book. If only math textbooks were like this! If someone had told me in my school years that I would relish a book about that infernal concept called pi π, I would have laughed right in their face! Not that I didn’t enjoy maths, but so many geometrical formulae involved the use of pi that it became a bugbear. I wish such a book had existed in my childhood. Pi is known to be one of the most enigmatic concepts in mathematics, even when humans (with the aid of computers) have unfurled its decimals to much more than practically necessary. This book seeks to shatter the dread surrounding this concept without sounding like a school textbook, and it is VERY successful in this endeavour. The uniqueness of the approach is that the content is almost conversational despit...

AUTHOR: Jen White GENRE: Children's Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 21, 2025 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book about the connection between art and science and how the two can work in sync. A good concept, but I wanted more from the execution. This might click slightly better for older kids than the targeted age group. Art and Science have long been considered distinct fields. However, there is plenty of science in art ( think colour combinations, geometric arrangements, spatial utilisation, structural knowledge of materials, and so on ) and plenty of art in science ( think botanical sketches, chemical bonds, engineering structures, architectural designs, and so on .) The commonality between the two is a fascinating topic, and hence, I was thrilled when I saw the title of this book. Unfortunately, though it gets some things right, it skips some foundational information and aims at a higher level. The book begins with some generalised statements about how both art ...

AUTHOR: Edward Brooke-Hitching ILLUSTRATOR: Oksana Drachkovska GENRE: Children's Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 9, 2025 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A collection of 365 trivia from assorted subject areas. As mindboggling and amazing as the title suggests. Some of the inclusions sounds too wild to be true, but they are. Much recommended! The title clearly indicates what this book is, but it also constrains the actual scope of the book. 365 – that’s the official count of entries in the book. But there’s a surprise at the end. Amazing – Well, the content is amazing, but it is too prosaic a word for such a fabulous collection. True Things – accurate enough. Every entry is true, even if it seems wildly wild! To read in bed – Again, valid. But such a limiter! The book can be read anywhere and anytime! Of course, the introductory note by the author does mention that while you can read the book anywhere, the best place to open it would be your bed. He justifies this though...

AUTHOR: Mike Rampton ILLUSTRATOR: Guilherme Karsten GENRE: Children's Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 14, 2025 RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A Q&A-styled nonfiction for middle-graders. Contains some interesting questions and some equally interesting answers. Given the title, I expected the questions to be more whimsical and wacky, but these are far and few between. Informative. A good gift option if you are looking for a different kind of encyclopaedic book covering multiple subjects. Author Mike Rampton’s daughter once asked him a question he couldn’t answer. This simple incident led to a wonderful and worthy revelation – there are no silly questions. Thus began the ideation of this book, wherein the author noted more than 200 “silly” questions and the answers for each. I love that the book begins with two “silly questions” right on the title page, questions of which most book-loving readers would surely enjoy the answers. Questions are unfortunately not given enough...

AUTHOR: Collins Kids GENRE: Nonfiction, Trivia PUBLICATION DATE: September 11, 2025. RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: As the title indicates, a collection of “curious facts” on a multitude of topics. Great for trivia lovers. The title tell you that the book contains “Curious Facts About Everything”. The tagline informs you that this book contains 1500 interesting facts to amaze you. The GR page indicates that the book is just 160 pages long. All this together tells you one key feature of the book: it’s a bit crowded. The book does contain 1500 facts. ( They are numbered, so we don’t need to actually count them to verify the claim. ) However, as the thin size of the book indicates, the facts are in a numbered list. Each page contains anywhere between 6 to 15 pieces of trivia. I am not sure if all the entries can be called “curious” in the sense of “strange” or “unusual”, but the compilation is interesting and meticulous. The content is listed topic-wise, taken from seventy-six points...

AUTHOR: Jeanette Winter GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: January 1, 2005 RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book about a real-life Iraqi librarian who saved books during the 2003 attacks on the country. Great intent, decent execution. Doesn't fill all gaps due to the limitation of format. A good way to learn about a brave woman. "In the Koran, the first thing God said to Muhammad was ‘Read’." – Alia Muhammad Baker. Alia Muhammad Baker was the chief librarian working with the Central Library in the Iraqi port city of Basra. The library was a welcoming place for all bibliophiles to indulge in bookish discussions. But when news of the war came , the discussions changed to personal issues such as anxiety and uncertainty. Alia was also worried that her beloved books would be destroyed in the fires of war. When the governor refused to give her permission to move out the books, several of which were rare old editions, Alia took matters into her own ...

AUTHOR: Moira Butterfield ILLUSTRATOR: Ro Ledesma GENRE: Children's Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: August 19, 2025 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A funny and informative picture book about the various hics and toots of the human body. Educational in content and entertaining in tone. A good choice for any child (and adult) interested in anatomical noises. 😉 You already know that the human body makes sounds. Not counting our verbalised intelligible communication, we still create plenty of noises. Involuntary audible sounds through farts, burps, stomach gurgles ( It’s called “borborygmi”! I never knew! ), hiccups, and so on; hidden involuntary sounds inside of our body that we are never aware of such as heartbeats; sounds coming because of age or illnesses such as creaky joints or coughs; voluntary sounds we make while blowing raspberries or shushing someone at the library; and even voluntary noises such as claps – the book covers it all. There are also several examples of animal (and...

AUTHOR: Emily Norris ILLUSTRATOR: Malgorzata Detner GENRE: Music. PUBLICATION DATE: July 15, 2025 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A beginner’s set of holiday songs for the piano. Easy enough, but basic music knowledge is required. Recommended to those who can sight-read notes on the two clefs. I had read this author’s earlier book, ‘My First Piano Lessons’ last year and found it very helpful as a beginner’s guide to playing on the piano. This book, the third in her Beginners series, takes the journey to the next level. The book contains music sheets for twenty-five Christmas songs. Many of the songs are classic carols, but there are a few relatively unknown inclusions as well. The carols are fairly divided between religious carols (Come to the manger, The First Noel,…) and generic holiday songs (We Wish You a Merry Christmas, The Holly and the Ivy,…) The overall variety is quite good. The initial hand positions and note letters have been clearly indicated at the top of each song sheet...