Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Kiyomi And The Sacred Dreamlily Review




Author: Kristi Shimada

Illustrator: Eko Setiawan

Publisher: Dreampath Publishing

Released: June 2, 2025

Format: Paperback, Kindle

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

ISBN: 979-8989912254

Page Count: 44 pages

Price: Paperback $16.99, Kindle $4.99

Age Range: 6 - 9 years

Reviewer: Ellwyn Autumn

Rating:   3 1/2 Lemon Drops

Available on Amazon

A story of friendship and finding your life path.


I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author and agreed to give an honest review.





Review:

Book Summary: 

Kiyomi was born from the seed of a Sacred Dreamlily. One day, a gust of wind transported the Sacred Dreamliy to the Golden Temple, Master Fuji’s home.

To ensure their safety, Master Fuji put Kiyomi and the Sacred Dreamlily in the Sacred Pond of Life. Not long after, Kiyomi befriends Roku. The Dreamlily’s journey begins again, taking the pair on an adventure.

During their quest to return to the Pond of Life, Kiyomi and Roku encounter and befriend more characters who help Kiyomi find her true home and her life’s path.





Opinion:


Kiyomi and the Sacred Dreamlily is a heartfelt story about friendship and the personal journey we all take in life. The basic premise is imaginative and uplifting. A cast of eclectic characters model kindness and fellowship young readers will appreciate.

Kristi Shimada’s prose is charming and easy-to-read. One of my favorite lines is found in Chapter 1 on page 1. “The exquisite blue flower shimmered in a brilliant white light. Her soft petals were subtle yet strong.”

Setiawan’s vibrant illustrations give the story a sweet, energetic feel.

I’d like to briefly discuss a few story details that will improve the reader’s experience.

Kiyomi’s creative shrinking ability, used with the Dreamlily, felt rushed and out of place in the story. A short explanation of its origins would help the reader understand this skill better.

The dialogue is too formal and doesn’t sound like real conversation. Simpler words and fewer contractions would make it more kid-friendly.

I have some doubts about how it ends. To avoid spoilers, I’m not going to reveal what occurs, but I felt it detracted from the story’s enchanting quality.


I give it 3 Lemon Drops!





About The Author:





Kristi Shimada is an award-winning children's book author. She wrote and illustrated her first unpublished book, The Little Shoe Shop, when she was eight. As a child, she loved the story Cinderella because she saw the inner beauty, kindness, and strength in Cinderella, and she loved books with happily-ever-after endings.

As a visionary artist and registered hypnotherapist, Kristi is passionate about how her stories empower the inner spirits of children and adults who read her books. She feels that having colorful illustrations is essential to the readers' experience. She believes every book she writes has a sprinkle of magic that brings a story to life.

Kristi lives in Washington with her loving husband, Chris, and their tuxedo cat, Jasper. She has five children and ten grandchildren, whom she loves dearly.

She is the author of Mariko and the Magic Mirror, The Enchanted Starflower, The Samurai's Gift, Princess Serafina and the Mystical Unicorn, Princess Serafina and the Jeweled Circle, Princess Serafina and the Wings of Heaven, Megumi & Kukana Friends Forever, Journey to Rainbow Valley, The Samurai's Gift Among the Forest, The Sea Princess, Pistachio the Owl, The Samurai's Gift A Ninja's Promise, Dragons of Lilia, and Dragons of Lilia: A New King.


Monday, June 16, 2025

Made With Love By Mummy Book Review

 



Author: Poppy Meadows 

Illustrator: AI

Publisher: Independently Published

Released: April 9, 2025

Format: Paperback

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

ISBN: 979-8314397091

Page Count: 30 pages

Price: $13.29

Age Range: 2-6 years

Reading Level: Kindergarten-1st

Reviewer: Ellwyn Autumn

Rating:  3 Lemon Drops

A cute rhyming story about one mother’s venture into motherhood through IVF.


I received a complimentary copy of the book from Reedsy and agreed to give an honest review.





Review:

Book Summary: 

Made With Love By Mummy follows the journey of one mother as she conceives and prepares for motherhood. Throughout the text, the mother displays unconditional love. The mother’s dedication to her son’s physical and emotional health shines through, from pregnancy to his toddler years.





Opinion:


I appreciated the story’s focus on diverse family structures. Multi-racial, single-parent, and same-sex families are shown happily expressing love for one another.

The story is complemented by the vibrant illustrations. However, subtle inconsistencies between the mother and son’s appearances made me suspect AI image generation. From my experience as a children’s author, I recognize the vital role of the human artist in picture books. 

Diverse representation is now more critical than ever given our current polarized society. Quality stories are crucial for teaching children about empathy, diversity, and acceptance. That goal is achieved by this book.

I review books through an educational lens. Things I consider: Would I read this to my Pre-K/Kindergarten class? Is there value in the story that will teach my kiddos something new or reinforce a concept or skill?

I analyze the story by focusing on some of the key elements that I taught my students during a read aloud: characters, plot, language, setting and illustrations. Other characteristics I look for are text quality and theme.

Characters:

When analyzing a story with students, the characters should be genuine, relatable and elicit emotion. This story’s depiction of a mother’s love for her son is both beautiful and real. The characters, as noted before, are diverse, inclusive and radiate joy.

Plot:

In a Pre-K/Kindergarten classroom, we describe the plot as the Beginning-Middle-End. Some stories present better examples of this concept, but many offer rich opportunities to explore various story elements.

The illustrations clearly show this story’s plotline progressing from beginning to middle to end. The story starts with conception, progresses through pregnancy, and concludes with moments of tender love.

Setting:

The story takes place in several locations, including the mother’s home, the doctor’s office, and the park. In every location, the mother is present. Typically, people aren’t the setting of a story, but in this case, I think the story’s true setting is the mother’s heart.

Language:

Vocabulary is key in children’s books. It’s one of the critical elements I taught my kiddos before each reading. I’d focus on five key words and develop an understanding of the words through the read aloud and related activities.

Fun, descriptive words in the story vividly recall the tenderness of early motherhood. One of my favorite lines, “Tiny toes in bubbly streams, First bath fills the night with dreams.”

Text:

This story’s loving message gains a musical quality through its simple rhyming scheme. The poem’s easy rhyme scheme flows nicely and sounds good until a sudden change on page 9 disrupts the pattern. It interrupted the lovely experience of the story for me.

Theme:

Illustrations and text combine to abundantly express the theme of family love on every page.

In short, this heartwarming story celebrates families of all types. While I was tempted to give it five stars, the jarring rhyming section on page nine and the AI-generated images, prevented me from doing so. 


I give it 3 Lemon Drops!






Monday, May 19, 2025

Two Free Library Books About The US Constitution

 

          Image by Wynn Pointaux from Pixabay

A constitutional crisis is gripping the U.S., and those who are paying attention know it. Teaching students to be responsible citizens is our duty as educators. Our daily words and actions matter, but these turbulent times demand more from us.

A sovereign country needs an educated populace that believes in the rule of law. To ensure a thriving USA, it’s crucial now more than ever for our children to understand their civic rights and responsibilities before becoming adults. 

I discovered two books at my local free library that explain the US Constitution’s history and purposes.





We The People The Story Of Our Constitution 

Author: Lynne Cheney

Illustrator: Greg Harin

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Released: January 3, 2012

Format: Hard Cover, Paperback, Kindle (Amazon)

ISBN: 978-1-4169-5418-7

Age Range: 6-10 years

Grade Level: Kindergarten-4th

Reviewer: Ellwyn Autumn

Rating:  5 Lemon Drops

Hardcover and Paperback Available on Thrift Books 

Book Summary: 

We The People chronicles the tumultuous period before and during the creation of the United States Constitution.


It opens on October 19, 1781 with the ending of the Revolutionary War. Citizens of the emerging country were hopeful but this optimism was short-lived. The Articles of Confederation weren’t working.


The United States couldn’t pay its bills and other countries were taking advantage of the situation. At one point, farmers in Massachusetts, frustrated with their own debts, rose up against the government. Americans were getting killed.


In 1787, a convention was held in Philadelphia to prevent a government collapse. The attendees were charged with revising the Articles of Confederation. A distinguished list of patriots with differing opinions on how to revise the Articles of Confederation led to hot tempers and heated arguments.


After much debate and compromise the US Constitution was drafted. The process began on May 25, 1787; the US Constitution was approved on September 17, 1787.


Mini Review:

A wonderful and authentic history of the US Constitution’s conception. This book doesn’t understate what really happened. The men who gathered to revise the Articles of Confederation, argued and raged about topics like States’ rights, slavery and how representatives were chosen.


George Mason, a Delegate from Virginia is quoted, “Slaves bring the judgement of heaven on a country.”


There are many more quotes from prominent historical figures included throughout the book and anecdotes on aspects of their daily lives. The paintings are reminiscent of the time period they depict. 


I highly recommend to anyone who wants to introduce their children to the history of the US Constitution. 


I give it 5 Lemon Drops!







The Constitution Decoded

Author: Katie Kennedy

Illustrator: Ben Kirchner

Publisher: Workman Publishing Company

Released: September 1, 2020

Format: Paperback, Kindle (Amazon)

ISBN: 978-1523510443

Age Range: 8-11 years

Grade Level: 5th-9th

Reviewer: Ellwyn Autumn

Rating:   Lemon Drops

Paperback available on Thriftbooks

Book Summary: 

Book Blurb:

It’s hard to be a good citizen if you don’t know your rights and responsibilities. The Constitution Decoded helps us all understand where the ideas that formed our country came from, and what we need to know to shape our future.


Be an active citizen. Know your Constitution!

 

Ever wonder why the president has a Cabinet? Why there’s such thing as trial by jury? Why someday you’ll have to pay income tax, or why there are no Dukes, Duchesses, Counts, or Countesses in the United States? Because the Constitution says so––and so much more.


And now, in The Constitution Decoded, the ideas, concepts, and rules that make America are unpacked and explained in detail to help all of us, kids and parents too, become more informed citizens.

 

Written with impeccable clarity and illustrated in a style that brings America’s early days to life, this fascinating guide goes through the Constitution literally word by word, sentence by sentence, and idea by idea to give readers a true understanding of not only how the Framers envisioned the United States, but also why they made the choices they did.


Here’s why, for example, the United States has three branches of government—legislative, executive, and judicial. It explains how bills become laws, why we have the right to free speech, how we can change the Constitution as our country evolves, and so much more.


Packed with historical context and figures, vocabulary, anecdotes, and trivia, this book is an accessible yet richly layered work that belongs in every family library.


Mini Review:

The Constitution Decoded is a great tool to help educate young people in the U.S. about their country. The book’s large print and colorful illustrations draw the reader in as they learn about the origins of the document that founded the U.S. government. Diverse and inclusive illustrations present an accurate representation of the nation’s population. 

From the preamble to the amendments, youngsters will gain a solid foundation of the Constitution and their rights as citizens of the United States of America.

Other topics presented in the book include:

*Influential figures who advanced our nation’s ethics and justice through their contributions. (George Washington, Frederick Douglas, Dred Scott, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Richard Oakes, and many more!)

*An analysis of the division of powers among federal, state, and local governments.

*Key dates in national history, their impact on the nation, and the Constitution.

*Eligible Voters

*A chapter is dedicated to each Article. First, you’ll find the original article, then a kid-friendly version.

*Important words are on each page, with a glossary of key terms in the back.

*Another resource I highly recommend for a deeper dive into the study of our nation’s laws.


I give it 5 Lemon Drops!





         Image by Venita Oberholster from Pixabay


Additional Books from the Free Library:


We The People The United States Constitution Explored And Explained

By: Aura Lewis $ Evan Sargent

National Geographic The Constitution

By: Paul Finkelman



         Image by John Hain from Pixabay


Resources:


Youtube Videos About The Constitution


Teacher Pay Teachers Constitution Resources


https://constitutionus.com/constitution/when-was-the-constitution-ratified/#:~:text=The%20Constitution%20of%20The%20United%20States%20was%20officially%20ratified%20and%20therefore%20approved%20on%20June%2021st%2C%201788.


https://www.civiced.org/images/stories/downloads/United_States_Constitution_for_Kids.pdf