Author: Gina Bayar
Illustrator: Gina Bayar
Publisher: Gina Bayar
Released: June 13, 2025
Format: Paperback
Price: $7.99
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Age Range: 4-8 years
ISBN: 979-8998793431
Page Count: 34
Reviewer: Ellwyn Autumn
Rating: 3 Lemon Drops
An inclusive story about the magic of friendship!
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Reedsy Discovery and agreed to give an honest review.
Favorite quote from the book:
“When we work as a team,” Storma said, “the real magic happens!”
Review:
Book Summary:
Storma is a magical unicorn with the power of teleportation. She loves contributing to the thriving forest where she lives and forging new friendships. One day, a new unicorn named Nara arrives in the forest. She has the power of sunshine. While befriending Nara, Storma hurts her best friend Mira’s feelings by accident. Mira has the power of calling rain and feels left out of the friend group.
Storma brings her friends together after realizing her mistake. When the power of the sun and rain mingle, a wonderful surprise shows up in the sky.
Opinion:
The Tales of Storma: The Magic of Friendship tells a heartwarming story emphasizing the importance of friendship and being inclusive. The protagonist, Storma, possesses many positive characteristics, including empathy and compassion. She serves as a wonderful role model for young children.
The story is advanced by the simple, colorful illustrations. Children are sure to love the rainbow at the end.
The book includes a page at the end filled with facts about rainbows that enhances the reading experience.
One small suggestion for improvement: The story could be improved by properly centering the text in the bubbles.
I give it 3 Lemon Drops!
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Educational Influence:
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 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. The story centers on a Storma and how she juggles making new friends while including those she already has.
Young learners will readily connect with Storma’s experiences and the relatable, age-appropriate emotional responses of all the characters.
Storma teaches children self-reflection, empathy for others’ sadness, and accountability for their role in it. When she sees that she unintentionally hurt Mira, her selflessness shines through as she immediately invites Mira to the play date with Nara.
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 story begins with Storma spending time with her best friend Mira. In the middle, Storma interacts with Nara and realizes Mira is upset. The story concludes with Storma and Mira resolving their conflict and the trio becoming fast friends.
Storma’s conflict with Mira presents a relatable problem for her to solve.
Setting:
The primary setting is the magical forest where Storma and the other unicorns live.
Language:
Vocabulary is key in children’s books. It’s one of the critical elements I taught my kiddos before each reading. My approach would be to select five keywords and help my students gain a deeper understanding through a read aloud and doing related activities.
Appropriately, this story’s focus on emotional language reflects the emotional aspects of friendship.
Example:
Nara came over with a smile. She looked a little nervous.
“Hi, Mira… I was a bit scared to make new friends.”
Mira blinked in surprise.
Text:
The word choices and grammar suit the story; however, the text’s centering is inconsistent.
Theme:
The main topic is friendship through inclusion.
In short, a sweet story with a positive message.
About The Author/Illustrator:
Gina Bayar is a children’s author and illustrator who finds joy in telling stories about nature, friendship, and a little bit of magic. Her picture books, often inspired by unicorns, ancient legends, and whimsical adventures, explore themes of courage, empathy, and wonder in a way that’s gentle and accessible for young readers.
Gina creates both the words and artwork for her stories, blending playful illustrations with heartfelt storytelling. She enjoys weaving in educational elements that spark curiosity and help children learn as they read and dream. Enchanted forests, the Gobi Desert, and other magical settings often find their way into her pages — along with characters who lead with kindness and courage.
New to the world of children’s literature, Gina is grateful to share her stories and illustrations, and hopes they offer young readers a moment of warmth, reflection, and a touch of magic along the way.
