9 Little People by Regina Feldmann ~ Children's Picture Book Review

 

9 LITTLE PEOPLE

By REGINA FELDMANN

Illustrated by Martina Stuhlberger

Children's Picture Book / Multicultural / Community

Publisher ‏ : ‎ NorthSouth Books

Expected Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 2, 2025

Print length ‏ : ‎ 40 pages

Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 8 years

------ 🕮 -------

ABOUT THE BOOK: A sweet, joyous celebration of nine unique children and their lifelong friendship.

Nine little people are born on the same day. All of them experience love and care in their different families, and they grow up doing everything together. They become the best of friends.

9 Little People is an ode to friendship and family. It is an ode to belonging and acceptance. It invites children–and their families–to imagine a community where everyone is brought together by their commonalities, as well as celebrated for their differences.

In sweet, rhyming text, author Regina Feldmann shares how the nine children change and develop, celebrating important and silly moments together—and many moments in between. Martina Stuhlberger’s thoughtful illustrations bring their world to life in vibrant colors.

PRE-ORDER NOW!

Help fund my retirement by using these Affiliate link:

AMAZON

or buy from any of these sellers:

Barnes and Noble   Bookshop.org   Books-A-Million

------ 🕮 -------

BOOK REVIEW

I don't spend time on plot summary, so please read the book synopsis above.

HALL WAYS REVIEW: Oh, what a delight it is to read 9 Little People! And it's double-y delightful to read it with my observant five-year-old granddaughter, Amelia. While we did have a misfire trying to read the ARC on Kindle (formatting was awful), and she was frustrated at having to read it on my iPad via the NetGalley app, (MIMI, why don't you have this REAL book to hold???), we had a wonderful time reading together.

In 9 Little People Martina Stuhlberger's soft, expressive illustrations are a perfect accompaniment to Regina Feldmann's rhythmic and rhyming text. The combination invites young readers to truly study the pages. My young reader made sure to verify that there are indeed nine little people on each page, and when there wasn't, she was quick to explain that some kids have siblings. 

"9 little people make big plans together. 9 little people stay best friends forever." 

Since the story progresses from when the babies are bulges in their mommies' tummies to when they're independent children, there are even more opportunities for page-studying and discussion. In 9 Little People, readers see children and their adults who celebrate what they have in common and their unique connections that bond them together.    

Adults will likely find the author's note in the "Dear Reader" section of interest. It explains the impetus for writing the book, and it's a reminder to place faith and hope in our younger generations. 

When Amelia and I finished 9 Little People (the second time), I asked her to give me a thumbs up or a thumbs down to buying the hardcover edition. She gave me TWO thumbs up! Can't get a better recommendation than that. 

I received a copy of the book and reviewed this book as part of Camp NetGalley.

------ 🕮 -------

ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR

Regina Feldmann was born in Germany. After living in Malta, Ireland, New York, and Portugal, she now lives in Berlin with her family. Regina writes and translates children's books and is also involved in projects that promote a diversity of voices in children's literature.

Martina Stuhlberger lives and works near Linz, Austria. Before realizing her childhood dream of becoming an illustrator, she studied journalism and languages in Salzburg and Nicaragua, and later worked as a copywriter and screenwriter. Her work is inspired by foreign worlds, the beauty of nature, diversity, and cohesion.

All of a Sudden and Forever ~ Picture Book Review

 

ALL OF A SUDDEN

AND FOREVER

Help and Healing After

the Oklahoma City Bombing

by

CHRIS BARTON

Illustrated by Nicole Xu

Children's Picture Book / Nonfiction / Healing / History

Reading age ‏ : ‎ 7 - 11 years

Carolrhoda Books

40 pages

Publication Date: February 4. 2020

BUY NOW WITH MY AFFILIATE LINKS

and help fund my retirement

or from your favorite local indie bookstore

HARDCOVER *** KINDLE

------- 🕮 -------

FROM THE TBR PILE. I've been a Chris Barton fan for a long time. He's a gifted author (my favorites are What Do You Do with a Voice Like That and Glitter Everywhere!) and engaging speaker, and an amazing advocate for libraries and readers' rights. I subscribe to his outstanding newsletter, and one feature of that is regular giveaways. I was lucky enough to win autographed copies of Barton's All of a Sudden and Forever, Manatee Summer by Evan Griffith, and Wintergarden by Janet Fox in the August, 2024 contest.  

I remember ALL OF A SUDDEN AND FOREVER being released around the 25th anniversary of the bombing, and I remember thinking, "How in the world do you write a children's book about that?" Now I know.

ABOUT THE BOOK: A profoundly moving nonfiction picture book about tragedy, hope, and healing from award-winning author Chris Barton. 

Sometimes bad things happen, and you have to tell everyone. Sometimes terrible things happen, and everybody knows. On April 19, 1995, something terrible happened in Oklahoma City: a bomb exploded, and people were hurt and killed. But that was not the end of the story.

Those who survived—and those who were forever changed—shared their stories and began to heal. Near the site of the bomb blast, an American elm tree began to heal as well. People took care of the tree just as they took care of each other. The tree and its seedlings now offer solace to people around the world grappling with tragedy and loss.

Released to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, this book commemorates what was lost and offers hope for the future.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY: Bank Street College of Education, Cooperative Children’s Book Center, Evanston Public Library, Fuse #8 Production, Kirkus Reviews, Los Angeles Public Library, Only Picture Books, School Library Journal, Waking Brain Cells, and Writers’ League of Texas.

------- 🕮 -------

MY BOOK REVIEW

HALL WAYS REVIEW: This past Saturday, April 19, 2025, marked thirty years since the Oklahoma City bombing, which is the subject of Chris Barton's ALL OF A SUDDEN AND FOREVER. I was still teaching junior high and remember the day very well. I turned on NPR, and as the reports were coming in, I recall the near desperate urge to leave work to get to and hold my then nine-month-old baby. As more and more information was released, the magnitude of the event and loss of lives coupled with the reality of domestic terrorism was almost more than my young-mother's heart could take. Sadly, since then, my mother's heart has had to endure one heartache after another as incidents that should be unimaginable have struck our nation. But still, I remember and I share the stories so they are never forgotten. And Barton's book helps that cause.

“Their stories would keep alive those they had lost. Those stories, told and retold, would make sure the past had a place in the present.”

Initially, I was not sure about who is the intended audience or how to use ALL OF A SUDDEN AND FOREVER. The point of the book is to remind us, all of us, to remember. And part of how that happens is by telling the stories to our younglings. Any elementary aged kid or older is already aware of dangers that happen in our world – they do school drills for active shooters, after all. But Barton handles the topic with finesse.  He writes intentionally, sensitively, and carefully, and I like that it’s left in the readers’ hands to decide if they want to learn more.

Barton's style of keeping things generic underscores to me that this is any person’s story and every person’s story. Had Barton included more details, it could be too much for the youngest readers.  Older readers will surely want more information, so I can see the book being a good springboard for additional research and discussions. He provides an Author’s Note, Illustrator’s Note, and recommended reading and resources (an extended list can be found on his website). 

Nicole Xu's multimedia illustrations keeps faces and places muted – a good move, I think, coupled with how Barton refers to people vaguely. Xu uses somber colors, darker at first, but as the story unfolds and the focus is on recovery, hope, and survival, the colors lighten. 

A recurring element in the story is the Survivor Tree. Its roots continue to spread and feed the damaged tree that is above ground and its seedlings bring comfort and hope to people. This brought to mind the more recent tree that symbolizes hope, Lahaina's resilient banyan tree, a similar symbol of recovery and community. We hold each other up. 

“And because of the stories so many of us have shared . . .

We will remember the help so many needed.

We will remember the help so many received.

We will remember the help so many provided.

We will remember.”

------- 🕮 -------

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Chris Barton is the award-winning author of picture books. He visits schools by the score and also loves speaking to professional gatherings of librarians, educators, and fellow writers.

He's married to middle-grade/YA novelist Jennifer Ziegler, and they co-host the children’s literature video series “This One’s Dedicated to…” in which we talk with other authors and illustrators about the dedications they’ve written for their books. 

They have four adult children and one dog and live in Austin where Chris serves as vice president of the Texas Institute of Letters, a 501(c)(3) non-profit honor society founded in 1936 to celebrate Texas literature and to recognize distinctive literary achievement. 

WEBSITE   LINKEDIN   BLUESKY   FACEBOOK    INSTAGRAM

In Praise of Mystery ~ Children's Book Review

 

IN PRAISE OF MYSTERY

By Ada Limón

Illustrated by Peter Sís

Poetry / Children's Picture Book / Science & Environment

Norton Young Readers

35 Pages

Published October 1, 2024

ABOUT THE BOOK: As part of her tenure as U.S. poet laureate, Ada Limón has written “In Praise of Mystery,” which will be engraved on the Europa Clipper spacecraft that launches to Jupiter and its moons in October 2024. Published here as Limón’s debut picture book, this luminous poem is illustrated by celebrated and internationally renowned artist Peter Sís.

In Praise of Mystery celebrates humankind’s endless curiosity, asks us what it means to explore beyond our known world, and shows how the unknown can reflect us back to ourselves.

BUY NOW WITH MY AFFILIATE LINKS

and help fund my retirement!

(I get a small commission when you click & buy from here.)

Kindle *** Hardcover

FREE 30-Day Kindle Unlimited Trial

*

HALL WAYS REVIEW: IN PRAISE OF MYSTERY is tough to review as a children's book. BUT, it is absolutely worth having on your shelf, whether you're five or fifty-five or ninety-five, simply for the reason it exists in the first place: the poem is engraved on NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft which will launch any day now (Hurricane Milton delayed it) and journey to Jupiter's second moon, Europa. How glorious and unique is that? 

The poem, written by 2023 US Poet Laureate Ada Limón, is beautiful and evocative, and as a stand-alone poem, I'd give it 5 STARS. The illustrations, created by multiple-award-winner Peter Sís, are a visual delight -- dreamy, engaging, and also evocative -- and they are also worthy of a 5 STARS rating.

Unfortunately, the execution of putting the two elements together is where the book suffers. So as a children's book, I'd rate it 4 STARS. The poem is a bit advanced for younger readers to process, but when the words of the poem are separated from each other and scattered across pages, comprehension is even more difficult and the poem loses its cadence and flow. At times, the text blends too much with the artwork, and the font is lovely, but not really young-reader friendly.

Even so, IN PRAISE OF MYSTERY would make a good read-along title where younger readers can wallow in the beauty of the art and older readers can wallow in the beauty of the words. And I could even visualize the book being used in the classroom with high schoolers as a springboard for a multitude of activities across the curriculum.

Thankfully, the poem is included in full at the end of the book, as is the Author's Notes section that gives the explanation of why the poem was written and where the otherworldly journey it will take. VERY cool. 

I received a digital ARC from the publisher as part of School Library Journal's Day of Dialogue. I will definitely be purchasing the hardcover edition for my personal collection. 

CLICK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EUROPA CLIPPER MISSION 

Porter & Midge: Paws and Playtime ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Book Blitz & Giveaway!

PORTER & MIDGE:

PAWS AND PLAYTIME

by

Jennie Chen and Giselle Nevada

Children's Picture Book / Pet Care / Dog Training

Series: Porter and Midge series

Publisher: Raise the Woof Press LLC

Page Count: 32 pages

Publication date: December 12, 2023

Scroll down for Giveaway!

Discover the enchanting world of Porter and Midge: Paws and Playtime - a rhyming children's book that follows the heartwarming bond between two furry friends, Mastiff Porter and Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Midge, and their devoted companions, CJ and Lora.

On a sunny day, CJ's thoughtful idea sets the stage for a joyful exploration of new ways to make Porter and Midge's days even brighter.

Through rhythmic verses, follow their journey as they uncover imaginative games, canine enrichment activities, and thrilling dog sports, all while strengthening their unbreakable connection.

Click to purchase!

Watch on YouTube

Giselle Nevada has owned several mastiffs, acquired both from reputable breeders and via rescue. Fostering rescued mastiffs and helping them work through their issues led to a keen interest in socialization as a means of preventing future issues. She loves working with her dogs and has dabbled in carting, conformation, agility, rally, trick dog, nose work, and many other canine sports. Her puppy Porter is a testament to early socialization - he has achieved many performance dog titles and has done commercial work. He also has a role in a movie called Match Me If You Can directed by Marian Yeager.

Jennie Chen is a homesick Austinite who founded Keep Austin Dog Friendly. Over the last 20 years, Jennie has owned Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs and Lowchen. She has earned numerous titles in conformation, competitive obedience, rally, herding, animal assisted therapy, and more. She is passionate about the relationship people build with their beloved canines, and she has been an advocate for people living with disabilities who need a service dog to live independently. She is active in various dog clubs and can be seen on AKC.TV from time to time.

WEBSITE ◆ FACEBOOK ◆ INSTAGRAM

--------------------------------------

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

ONE WINNER

Pawtographed hardcover copy of Porter and Midge: Paws for Safety

+ a series water bottle

(US only; ends midnight, CST, 12/21/2023)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

--------------------------------------

CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE

FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH BLOG PARTICIPATING IN THIS BOOK BLITZ!

blog tour services provided by

The Puppy Adventures of Porter & Midge: Out and About~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Book Trailer & Giveaway!

THE PUPPY ADVENTURES

OF PORTER & MIDGE:

OUT AND ABOUT

by

Jennie Chen and Giselle Nevada

Children’s Book / Pet Books / Pet Care

Publisher: Raise the Woof Press

Page Count: 38 pages

Publication Date: May 16, 2023

Scroll down for a giveaway!

Introducing The Puppy Adventures of Porter and Midge: Out and About – a quick introduction to early socialization and training for puppies that will make them outstanding canine citizens and wonderful family pets. 

Kids will love following along with the two puppies’ story set in Austin, Texas, as they learn about how to take care of their own puppy. This is the first book in a series of story books, journals, and activity books. 

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK:

“Gift this book to any new puppy owner you know!”-Lynn M. Hayner, Author at dogster

“Chen and Nevada write in an easy and enjoyable style…If you are a dog lover, this storybook is for you. Help your children become the best dog companion they can be.” -Philip Van Heusen, Reader’s Favorite

Purchase on Amazon

Jennie Chen is a homesick Austinite who founded Keep Austin Dog Friendly. Over the last 20 years, Jennie has owned Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs and Lowchen. She has earned numerous titles in conformation, competitive obedience, rally, herding, animal assisted therapy, and more. She is passionate about the relationship people build with their beloved canines, and she has been an advocate for people living with disabilities who need a service dog to live independently. She is active in various dog clubs and can be seen on AKC.TV from time to time.

Giselle Nevada has owned several mastiffs, acquired both from reputable breeders and via rescue. Fostering rescued mastiffs and helping them work through their issues led to a keen interest in socialization as a means of preventing future issues. She loves working with her dogs and has dabbled in carting, conformation, agility, rally, trick dog, nose work, and many other canine sports. Her puppy Porter is a testament to early socialization - he has achieved many performance dog titles and has done commercial work. He also has a role in a movie called Match Me If You Can directed by Marian Yeager.

Website ◆ Instagram ◆ Facebook

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

Three winners receive a PAWtographed/autographed copy of

The Puppy Adventures of Porter & Midge: Out and About

(US only; ends midnight, CST, 6/9/23)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CLICK TO VISIT

THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE

FOR PARTICIPATING BLOGS, ADDED AS THEY POP UP.

blog services provided by

Saving the Seas for the Purple and Green ~ Book Blog Tour Review & Giveaway!

SAVING THE SEAS

FOR THE PURPLE AND GREEN

A Story of Cleaning Up the Ocean 

WRITTEN & ILLUSTRATED

BY NANCY CARLISLE

Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7) / Science & Nature / Environment

Publisher: Sage Green Press

Pages:  34 pages

Release date: March, 2022

Content Rating: G. There is nothing even close to PG or R in this book, it is totally G

Book Description:

A young girl loves the tide pools that she sees on her runs by the ocean, but one day notices garbage amongst the colorful creatures she finds there. Along the beach she meets conservationists cleaning up the beach who educate her about the dangers that trash poses to ocean life. She decides to help also.

 

Buy the Book:
Amazon
add to Goodreads

Science Makes It Work Series ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours BONUS Spotlight & Giveaway!

 

SCIENCE MAKES IT WORK SERIES:
Secrets of the Snow Globe

&
The Wonder of Color

by

CATHERINE STIER

Categories:  Picture Book / Science / STEM (ages 4-8)

Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co.

Date of Publication: March 1, 2022

Number of Pages: 32 pages 

 

Scroll down for Giveaway!

 

Secrets of the Snow Globe:

After starting to collect snow globes with the help of her grandmother, Lily has questions. She wants to know who invented them, what the snow is made of, and how the tiny scenes look so magical when she peers inside. As she researches and experiments, Lily learns about light waves, magnification, and density—all while gathering ingredients to make her own snow globe.

CLICK TO PURCHASE!

│ The Twig│ Barnes And Noble │Amazon│

The Wonder Of Color:

When Ms. Vega announces a mural painting contest at school, James can’t wait to draw a picture to fill the library wall. But as he explores color, he has a lot of questions about where color comes from and how our eyes see it. As he experiments and reads, James learns about prisms, the color wheel, and light waves—all while working on his colorful contest entry.

 

CLICK TO PURCHASE!

│Amazon│ Barnes and Noble │
│The Twig│

HALL WAYS BLOG Mini-Review of The Wonder of Color. Okay, technically I didn't read the hardcover (read the digital ARC), but I can tell that having this colorful, informative, and well-written book in hand will make the 5-Stars rating double to 10.

The illustrations by Floss Pottage are warm and make learning how science works less intimidating -- and dare I say it - fun! Author Catherine Stier uses the correct terms, which I applaud even for such a young audience. The key, that she clearly gets, is explaining those terms in a way readers of all ages understand it.

The main character's curiosity is refreshing, and readers will enjoy the family dynamic and gentle lessons about kindness and sharing. There’s so much to love in this book, and I think it will become a classroom favorite for any teacher or librarian who shares it with students.

 

Catherine Stier is the author of more than twenty children's books including the SCIENCE MAKES IT WORK picture book series and the Kirkus star-reviewed A DOG’S DAY chapter book series. She holds a master’s degree in reading and literacy and has served as a magazine writer, newspaper columnist, and writing instructor. Stier resides in San Antonio, Texas.

◆  WEBSITE  ◆ FACEBOOK  ◆  TWITTER ◆

◆  AMAZON  ◆  GOODREADS  ◆

◆  INSTAGRAM ◆  TIKTOK ◆

--------------------------------------

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

 ONE WINNER 

Autographed copies of both books, pin (for adults), snow globe socks,
& a snow globe making kit.

(US only, ends midnight CST, 3/19/2022.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway