Henry and the Yeti by Russell Ayto


Henry and the Yeti by Russell Ayto
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Genre: Childrens, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 3+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Henry loves yetis.

Yes, yetis.

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Told through charming illustrations, this is a heart-warming and witty story about believing in yourself (and yetis).

If yetis are real, why hasn’t anyone found one yet?

Henry was such a brave kid. One of my favorite scenes in this story happened early on when his parents told him he could search for a yeti so long as he didn’t stay up late that evening. The descriptions of how far he travelled after that conversation were as humorous as they were exciting. I couldn’t wait to find out if he’d actually find a yeti before his time ran out.

The one thing I didn’t like about this tale was how abruptly it ended. There was a conflict happening between Henry and some of the other characters that was never resolved. Based on how much they teased him earlier on in the storyline, I was surprised by this. It felt like something that should have been addressed again not only for the sake of wrapping up the plot but also to show why it was wrong for them to treat him the way that they did.

There were a few fun plot twists that kept me coming back for more. I enjoyed Mr. Ayto’s tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, especially when it came to how the main character interacted with the various people he spent time with before, during, and after his adventures. The author’s humorous spin on all of the unexpected things that happened to Henry only made those twists even more amusing than they would have otherwise been.

Henry and the Yeti made me smile. It should be read by anyone who has ever wished that their favourite mythical creature wasn’t so mythical after all.

Elmore by Holly Hobbie


Elmore by Holly Hobbie
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (40 pages)
Age Recommendation: 3+
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Elmore is a porcupine desperate to make friends. But it is hard to seek closeness with others when you’re covered with spikes that shoot off your back every so often. Elmore suffers rejection and heartbreak, but the goodness of his forest community ultimately shines through as the animals find a way to connect with this prickly bundle of love.

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It was nice to get to know the main character a little bit before the narrator began to describe why he was such a lonely little guy. I knew just enough about Elmore to have sympathy for the long days he spent all by himself. He had so many positive qualities that I hoped would become clear if someone would simply give him a chance. The more I learned about him, the more I hope that he’d figure out a way to make some friends soon.

I loved the fact that Elmore’s quills were treated with so much respect. Yes, he was different from all of the other animals in the forest, but those differences were truly a cause for celebration. His quills were an important part of who he was as a porcupine, and I appreciated how much attention was paid to embracing this uniqueness instead of making him feel embarrassed about it.

The ending was perfect. It echoed all of the lessons of the earlier scenes while still feeling like a fresh take on the subject. One of my favorite parts of it had to do with how the author tied Elmore’s loneliness in with his feelings about having quills when none of the other young animals he wanted to play with had been born with the same feature. There was so much gentleness and acceptance in her descriptions of how he adjusted to the realization that some creatures were afraid of quills.

Elmore was a heartwarming tale that I’d wholeheartedly recommend to readers of all ages.

Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein


Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (40 pages)
Age Recommendation: 3+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

It’s time for the little red chicken’s bedtime story—and a reminder from Papa to try not to interrupt. But the chicken can’t help herself! Whether the tale is Hansel and Gretel or Little Red Riding Hood or even Chicken Little, she jumps into the story to save its hapless characters from doing some dangerous or silly thing. Now it’s the little red chicken’s turn to tell a story, but will her yawning papa make it to the end without his own kind of interrupting? Energetically illustrated with glowing colors—and offering humorous story-within-a-story views—this all-too-familiar tale is sure to amuse (and hold the attention of ) spirited little chicks.

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This story had a fantastic sense of humor. I couldn’t help but to laugh every single time the little red chicken interrupted one of the fairy tales her father was reading to her in order to warn the characters about what would happen to them next. She felt she had good reasons for the choices she made, but she also struggled to understand why her father didn’t appreciate her antics.

The ending felt abrupt to me. While I appreciated the fact that Mr. Stein took such a creative approach to how this evening ended for his characters, I would have preferred to see them spend some more time finding a resolution for the problem they were facing. This is something I’d want to discuss with a preschooler after reading it to make sure they understood how it ended and why it ended that way.

The message of this tale was clear, but it was never heavy-handed. I respected the fact that the author trusted his audience to understand what he was trying to say. This was even more important to me than the narrator’s ability to find the funny side in what can be a very annoying habit. Including such a lighthearted approach to the author’s message meant that I’d be happy to read this over and over again.

Interrupting Chicken should be read by anyone who has ever felt the irresistible urge to speak up before someone else is finished talking.

Paper Son: Lee’s Journey to America by Helen Foster James


Paper Son: Lee’s Journey to America by Helen Foster James
Tales of Young Americans
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Genre: Childrens, Historical
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

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Travelling halfway across the world alone would be a little scary for anyone. This is even more true for someone who is a child.

I can’t imagine sending a kid on this sort of journey by himself, especially since Lee didn’t speak any English when he arrived in the United States. Comparing the way children were treated in the 1920s to how most of them are looked after today was eye-opening. No adults looked after this character while he was headed to America or for his turn to go through customs and immigration. He had to figure just about all out by himself. The world has changed quite a bit over the past 90 years, and this was an intriguing look at one of the many shifts that have taken place since then.

It would have been nice to have a little more attention paid to the train and boat Lee rode on his way to America. Those seemed like they would have been the most memorable parts of his trip to his new home, so I was surprised by how quickly the narrator skimmed over those sections. This is a minor criticism of a tale I liked quite a bit in general, though.

Lee was such a brave character. No matter what happened to him during his travels, he always remained calm and tried to remember the instructions his grandparents had given him before he left China. I was impressed by how good his memory was for those things and how closely he followed all of their rules. He was a great role model for his readers.

Paper Son: Lee’s Journey to America kept me reading until the end. I’d recommend it to anyone who is interested in history.

Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian


Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (33 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Day OneI swam around my bowl. Day Two I swam around my bowl. Twice. And so it goes in this tell-all tale from a goldfish. With his bowl to himself and his simple routine, Goldfish loves his life..until one day… When assorted intruders including a hyperactive bubbler, a grime-eating snail, a pair of amorous guppies, and a really crabby crab invade his personal space and bowl, Goldfish is put out, to say the least. He wants none of it, preferring his former peace and quiet and solitude. But time away from his new companions gives him a chance to rethink the pros and cons of a solitary life. And discover what he’s been missing.

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I loved the fact that Goldfish was such a strong and confident introvert. There aren’t many children’s stories that feature main characters who have this personality trait, so I always perk up when I come across authors who write about this kind of stuff. It was interesting to see how Goldfish handled suddenly sharing his home with so many strangers and what happened when he’d reached the limit of how much socialization he could handle. As someone who has a similar personality to his, I thought this scene was written really well.

There was a plot hole in this book that was never really addressed. It had to do with why Goldfish’s human was putting so much stuff into that tiny fish bowl in the first place. While I could make guesses about the owner’s motivations for doing this, it sure would have been nice to have the characters mention it long enough to know if my assumptions were correct.

The ending was perfect. Not only did it suit Goldfish’s natural temperament, it came up with a solution that worked for everyone who was currently living in the fishbowl with him. There was a point in the plot when I was a little worried that this character was going to be scolded or teased for needing personal space, but that concern turned out to be totally unfounded. He was treated with every bit of the respect I was hoping he’d receive.

I’d recommend Memoirs of a Goldfish to introverts from every species and background.

Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima


Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genre: Childrens, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (40 pages)
Age Recommendation: 3+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Growing up in the ocean, Kelp has always assumed that he was a narwhal like the rest of his family. Sure, he’s always been a little bit different—his tusk isn’t as long, he’s not as good of a swimmer, and he really doesn’t enjoy the cuisine. Then one night, an extra strong current sweeps Kelp to the surface, where he spots a mysterious creature that looks just like him! Kelp discovers that he and the creature are actually unicorns. The revelation leaves him torn: is he a land narwhal or a sea unicorn? But perhaps, if Kelp is clever, he may find a way to have the best of both worlds.

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What a creative premise! As soon as I read the blurb, I couldn’t wait to find out why a family of narwhals gave birth to a baby unicorn and what would happen to Kelp once he realized that he wasn’t like anyone in his community. The beauty of this premise lay in how many ways it can be read. It worked both as a charming fairy tale as well as an example of how to live happily for children who are different from the people around them for a wide variety of reasons.

The plot could have used some more development. All of the basic things any story needs to be a good one were implied or briefly mentioned, but the narrator didn’t go into detail about any of them. I was honestly expecting to love Kelp’s adventures. Unfortunately, I had trouble getting into them because of this issue, although I would have selected a much higher rating if it hadn’t happened.

One of the things I enjoyed the most about the characters in this book was how they reacted to Kelp. I was expecting him to be teased or bullied due to all of the various ways he stood out from the crowd. How his peers actually behaved made me smile. While I can’t go into detail about their reactions without giving away spoilers, this is something that would completely appropriate for even the youngest readers.

Not Quite Narwhal should be read by anyone who has felt out of place in the world.

Too Much Glue by Jason Lefebvre


Too Much Glue by Jason Lefebvre
Publisher: Flashlight Press
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Although Matty’s art teacher has warned him that too much glue never dries, Matty loves glue. After all, he and his dad make oodles of glue projects at home. One day during art class, Matty finds the fullest bottles of glue, and the fun begins. With a squeeze and a plop, Matty pours a lake of glue before belly-flopping right in the middle and finds himself stuck to the desk. When Matty’s dad arrives at the school, instead of being mad, he celebrates his son’s creativity and calls him a work of art. With vibrant language and artwork and a wild, silly plot, Too Much Glue is sure to appeal to all children who love to get messy.

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Matty was such an energetic and amusing kid. His obsession with glue made me smile, especially once I realized he was going to ignore all of his teacher’s warnings about using too much of it in his art project. I looked forward to finding out what would happen to this character once he crossed the line and truly used more glue than anyone could possibly need for such a purpose. Based on his stubborn and curious personality, it was only a matter of time before this happened.

The ending felt a little anticlimactic after everything that had happened to the main character earlier on in his day. I would have liked to see that energy carried through to the final scene. The beginning and middle were so exciting and entertaining that I would have given this a much higher rating if I’d felt the way about how everything was wrapped up.

Everyone in Matty’s class had unique reactions to his plight after he accidentally stuck himself to his own desk at school. I enjoyed seeing all of the solutions they came up with to free him just as much as I did waiting to find out if any of them would work the way the kids hoped they would. There was a lot of creativity tucked into these scenes, and that made them a great deal of fun to read.

Too Much Glue should be read by craft enthusiasts of all ages.

Can Hens Give Milk? by Joan Betty Stuchner


Can Hens Give Milk? by Joan Betty Stuchner
Publisher: Orca Books Publishers
Genre: Childrens, Historical
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Tova lives with her family on a small farm in the famous town of Chelm, a mythical village populated, according to Jewish folklore, by fools. Tova’s farm has hens and even a rooster, but no cow. Her mother, Rivka, wishes they could afford to buy a cow, so they could have fresh milk and butter every day. One night Tova’s father has a dream about how to get milk without actually owning a cow. He asks Tova to help him find a way to get milk from their hens, and the results are hilarious. Finally, to the family’s joy and the hens’ relief, the problem is solved by none other than the wise Rabbi of Chelm himself, and a little extra help from Tova.

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This was one of the funniest stories I’ve read in ages. The thought of coaxing chickens to start producing milk was as amusing as the various methods the characters came up with to make their plan work. I couldn’t stop giggling as I waited to find out if they’d find a way to make this plan work. The more I read, the more amusing this whole scheme became as I learned more about it.

There was only one minor tweak I would have liked to see made to the plot, and it had to do with how the father, Shlomo, came up with his plan to persuade their chickens to start lactating. It would have been nice for the narrator to spend a little more time explaining why the dad thought this solution would work. In no way did my slight confusion over this matter prevent me from enjoying the rest of the storyline, but it did make me pause long enough that I thought I should mention it in this review.

The ending was delightful. Not only did it wrap up the main conflict beautifully, it left room for the possibility of a sequel. I don’t know if the author is planning to write one, but I’d sure be interested in seeing the idea discussed in the final scene be developed into its own tale if Ms. Stuchner ever decides to revisit these characters. As satisfied as I was with how things left off, there was room left for development here in a very good way as well.

I’d heartily recommend Can Hens Give Milk? to young and old readers alike. There was something for everyone in this tale.

Kima by A.H. Amin


Kima by A.H. Amin
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Childrens, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Length: Short Story (126 pages)
Age Recommendation: 8+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Christmas Eve 1928 gave birth to a yearly phenomenon in South Africa. A herd of false killer whales were found beached upon the shore. It has also given birth to the story of two young children who meet an old woman named Kima. Kima somehow knows why this has happened, but that’s not all she knows. The children, Alex and Alice, realize that there is more to this woman that what meets the eye, and ear. She will reveal to them a tale, a mysterious story she claims was passed on to her by a mythical Black Seagull.

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Animals can be smarter creatures than any human would have ever guessed was possible.

One of the things I liked the most about the animals in this book was how different their understanding of the world were when compared to the way a human being would interpret the same events. There were times when I needed to sit and think for a moment about what these characters were describing to the audience before I realized what they were talking about. Their descriptions were clearer to understand once I’d done this once or twice, but I liked the fact that I needed to put a little effort in at first to see where they were coming from.

I found it challenging to get to know the large cast of characters in this story. There simply wasn’t enough time to explore anyone’s personality or backstory in depth. That made it difficult for me to bond to the characters since I didn’t know a lot about them and the scenes switched between various points of few so often. If not for this issue, I would have chosen a much higher rating for it as the plot itself was well done.

Figuring out the right age group for this story was a bit of a challenge in the beginning. The narrators talked about serious topics like death and grief, but they did it in a way that was poetic instead of frightening. As someone who reads a lot of fiction meant for children and teenagers, it made me happy to see a story for elementary students tackle sensitive subjects like these with so much empathy. While I would recommend readers be aware of the themes ahead of time, I do think this is an appropriate read for children who are eight or older.

Kima is the kind of fable that I’d recommend to adults and children alike. It has something for anyone who is old enough to read something a little longer than is usual for this genre.

Down by the River by Andrew Weiner


Down by the River by Andrew Weiner
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (40 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

One beautiful autumn day, Art sets out with his mother and grandfather for a fishing trip. Fishing days are Art’s favorite. He loves learning the ropes from Grandpa—the different kinds of flies and tackle and the trout that frequent their favorite river. Art especially appreciates Grandpa’s stories. But, this time, hearing the story about Mom’s big catch on her first cast ever makes Art feel insecure about his own fishing skills. But, as Art hooks a beautiful brown trout, he finds reassurance in Grandpa’s stories and marvels in the sport and a day spent with family, promising to continue the tradition with his own grandkids generations later.

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Learning a new skill often takes times and practice.

Art had such a warm and loving relationship with his mother and grandfather. I enjoyed seeing all three generations of this family spend the day together at the river. They clearly liked being with each other and sharing happy stories of previous fishing trips that happened when Art’s grandfather and mom were young. These scenes were a highlight of the story for me, especially after the main character decided to try catching a fish.

The plot could have used some more development. There wasn’t a lot going on in this story, especially when it came to how little conflict it had compared to what the blurb hinted at. I was hoping to see Art spend more time worrying about the fact that his mother had caught onto fishing when she was his age much faster than he did. There was plenty of room for development there, but it never quite happened.

It was interesting to see how the narrator included animals other than the fish in the storyline. Art’s pet dog was brought along on the trip, but he wasn’t the only creature they saw that day. While I can’t go into too much detail about this without giving away spoilers, I liked the fact that the setting felt so much like many of the rivers I’ve visited in the past. The examples of what someone might encounter so far from any buildings or roads were handled nicely.

I’d recommend Down by the River to anyone who enjoys fishing or spending time out in nature.