Tag: picture books

Review: Beaches by Gray Malin

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My love for everything and anything concerning summertime – the beaches, the weather, the freedom – is unlike anything other. I’ve had it instilled in me since childhood and it’s not going away anytime soon.BEACHES 8-- bookspoilsBut since I began browsing through this gorgeous book at the end of January, aka the coldest month where I live, it made me ache so dearly for all the aforementioned. In particular, that irreplaceable sensation of swimming in the ocean, even if I still make sure to walk down to the beach and breathe in that unique hit of saltwater every day. Beaches will make you reminisce about the summers filled with nostalgia, bliss, and laughter.

So I made sure to savor the collection until the weather would warm up, and lo and behold, flipping through this ethereal photography collection must’ve brought some good luck into my life because the weather is sure warming up a lot this week! We’re so close to summer where I live, and I’m bursting with anticipation.BEACHES 9-- bookspoilsI think it goes without saying that a book dedicated to capturing different beaches around the world was a shining, bright star for me. Gray Malin’s Beaches offers an extremely rare and unique experience by including aerial photographs of beaches around the world that are shot from doorless helicopters.

I also adored the fact that if you get the digital version of the book, you can zoom in on the picture and spot people looking up at you. It’s like the summer version of Where’s Waldo?.

Without further ado, here are some of my personal favorites shots taken from Beaches:BEACHES 1-- bookspoilsBEACHES 2-- bookspoilsBEACHES 3-- bookspoilsBEACHES 4-- bookspoilsSECRET BEACH
Saint-Tropez, France

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Dubai, UAEBEACHES 6-- bookspoilsBEACH WITH GRASS
Kaua’i, USA

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I will be sure to revisit this work of art many times in the future, especially come summertime!

ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: May 10th 2016

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Note: I’m an Amazon Affiliate. If you’re interested in buying Beaches, just click on the image below to go through my link. I’ll make a small commission!

Review: Happiness Is … 500 Things to Be Happy About by Lisa Swerling, Ralph Lazar

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Happiness Is 16-- bookspoilsI came across this cute yellow collection in the bright tweet below and decided in that instant to hop on to read it as soon as possible. And since I’d already read (and reviewed) Happiness Is … 500 Ways to Be in the Moment, I went on knowing what to except, more or less. Plus, these kind of vibrant collections somehow always arrive at the right exact time for my headspace.

This adorable gift book illustrates 500 things to be happy about. Happiness is . . . an unexpected bouquet, watching the sea, fixing something, a good high five, and so much more! The charming, make-you-smile illustrations hit just the right note—not too sappy, not too sweet—and remind us that there are dozens of things to be happy about every day.

Some of my favorite little moments captured in this book include:

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My face right now.

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I read through it in a whirlwind. These kind of collections never fail to brighten up up my day, and I’m beyond thankful that they exist. Plus, the ongoing use of the color yellow throughout this happy book fit like a glove.

3.5/5 stars

Note: I’m an Amazon Affiliate. If you’re interested in buying Happiness Is … 500 Things to Be Happy About, just click on the image below to go through my link. I’ll make a small commission!

Review: Hortense and the Shadow by Natalia O’Hara, Lauren O’Hara

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Hortense hated her shadow. Everywhere she went, it went. Everything she did, it did. And every time night fell it grew, tall and dark and crooked.

So Hortense decided: the shadow must go! Only later, alone in the wolfish woods, she learned that a girl without a shadow is far smaller… a fairy tale about light and shadows. 

I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump this week, so this swift picture book couldn’t have come at a more perfect time to save me. I was even more surprised to discover that not only was it full of brilliant and darkly illustrated pages, I cherished immensely the message it put across to its readers, both young and old. Plus, the rhyming was another key point for my adoration.

And here’s what I mean when I talk about how the art will leave you reeling:

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ARC kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publication: October 5th, 2017

3/5 stars

Note: I’m an Amazon Affiliate. If you’re interested in buying Hortense and the Shadow, just click on the image below to go through my link. I’ll make a small commission!