Authors: Kathryn Cloward and Jody Duhamel
Illustrated by: Christine Winscott
Kandon Publishing
Hardcover, 40 pages
Website: www.kathrynthegrape.com
Last week, I received a very purple book to review. Kathryn the Grape Just Like Magic is the first of a planned series of books that will teach life lessons to children. In this book, we are introduced to Kathryn and her magical butterfly friend, Maggie. We follow her as she deals with events that school-aged kids might encounter.
My thoughts: I read this book twice, once by myself and once with both of my children, ages 5 and 9. In this book, Kathryn attends a new school. She's nervous, but makes friends quickly with a little help from her friend Maggie and her magic wand.
Kathryn learns that her magic can only be used for good, since it doesn't work when she wishes bad things on people. I liked the positive message that you should only wish good things on people. In the end, she also learns that everyone is magical, not just her. The book also reveals how she got the nickname of Kathryn the Grape! Be sure to visit the website to learn the back story for this true-to-life nickname.
My kids liked this book too. My 9 year old liked it because it was all purple! She identified with the main character because her gym teacher gave her a nickname back in Kindergarten --- Sara Pancake House, which is after the Aunt Sarah's Pancake House chain that has a presence here in Virginia. My 5 year old said he liked the book too. I think he identified with her fear of under-the-bed monsters. Let's hope he waves his magic wand to make them go "poof!" instead of paying me a midnight visit with a frantic, "I'm scared!"
Overall, we liked the book very much and can't wait to see what Kathryn the Grape is up to next. The next book is due out mid-2011. I also loved the charity aspect. $1.00 from every book sold through KathryntheGrape.com is donated to charity via the Kathryn the Grape Foundation. This book is also available at other booksellers, including Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com.
Love the book? Connect with the authors via Twitter or Facebook.
Disclosure: I received an autographed copy of Kathryn the Grape Just Like Magic at no cost to me for review purposes. Though this book was provided to me for free, the opinions stated herein are 100% my own. I have linked to the author's store above and I will not receive compensation for any purchases made through that link.
1 comment:
Right now I am loving a new children's book. This is one of the best books I have picked up this year for my little brother. I think I'll be adding this to my collections.
Post a Comment