Book Review - Stick by Steve Breen

Stick by Steve Breen


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Stick is about a small frog by the name of Stick. Stick likes to do things himself. Until on day, Stick tries to catch his own lunch. Maybe his eyes are too big for his stomach, because Stick gets carried away - really carried away. He goes over the swamp, through a city and out to the ocean. Now Stick must find his way back.
Stick is a semi-wordless picture book. The illustrations tell much more of the story than the words so this a great book to share with your non-readers. You can make up your own mind what Stick is feeling as he flies through the air stuck to a dragonfly or balloons. The illustrations are beautiful and the expressions on the faces of the people, animals and Stick, as he is taken from one place to another, are delightful. I would recommend this to adults reading to those children who are getting ready to read but not quite there yet. Or for older children who like to make up the story themselves.

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Book Review - Ain't Nothing But a Man" by Scott Reynolds Nelson

Ain't Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry by Scott Reynolds Nelson


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Author Scott Reynolds Nelson seeks to find the truth behind the folksong “John Henry”, the story of a contest between John Henry, a strong steel drivin' man, and a steam drill. Was there really a man named John Henry? Did he challenge and beat a steam drill? Nelson takes us step by step through the process that he used to answer these questions and more to find the real John Henry.
I put this book on my "must read" list. John Henry is a icon in American folklore - the symbol of man vs. the machine. No one truly knows who the real John Henry was or even where the legendary contest took place. Many have sought to find this information, and Scott Nelson will not be the last. However, the journey Nelson takes on his historical quest to find John Henry and the meaning behind the song is both entertaining and educational. Did he find the real John Henry? You will have to read the book and draw your own conclusion.

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