Book Review - Can't Wait Willow

Can't-Wait Willow! 

By: Christy Ziglar
Illustrated by: Luanne Marten
Publisher: Ideals Children's Books
Publication Date: April 2013
ISBN: 978-0824956486
Reviewed by: Holly Connors
Review Date: June 2014

Can you believe it? Today is the day “The Over-the-Top Circus” arrives in town and Willow is super-de-dooper excited. It is going to be an amazing day! Willow heads to the circus, but within a few minutes she spots the ice cream truck. Yum! An ice cream is the perfect way to start an awesome day so Willow takes out her money and buys a cone. She just can’t say no.

Willow keeps walking and soon sees her friends playing kickball. That looks like fun! Willow plays for a bit until she gets thirsty. A little more money for a glass of lemonade and then it’s back to walking to the circus.
Willow gets distracted again and again on the way to the circus until she finally arrives and after a few more distractions, she finds that she is out of money AND the show she was so excited to see has ended. What will she do?

Can’t-Wait Willow! is the sweet story of an adorable little girl who just can’t say no. She wants to try everything, but soon realizes that sometimes you need to say no to the little things so you can enjoy the more important things. There is a note at the start of the book from the author to parents that includes a link for games, apps, and parenting resources. For kids, there is a ‘star search’ within the story where a little yellow star appears repeatedly (can you find it?) and its appearance reflects the choices (good or bad) that Willow makes. A fun story, cheerful illustrations that mesh perfectly with the story, and a valuable lesson make this book a winner!

Quill says: If you want to teach your child how to make good choices, and when to say ‘no’ to things that may not be important, check out Can’t-Wait Willow! Your child will have fun AND learn a valuable lesson.

Book Review - Must-Have Marvin!

Must-Have Marvin! 

By: Christy Ziglar
Illustrated by: Luanne Marten
Publisher: Ideals Children's Books
Publication Date: March 2014
ISBN: 978-0824956578
Reviewed by: Holly Connors
Review Date: June 3, 2014

Marvin was sooooo excited! He had a brand-new dinosaur t-shirt and he couldn't wait to show it to all his friends at school. Marvin was one young man who LOVED new things! Anything new was exciting and fun. He also LOVED showing his new stuff to his friends. What could be better than getting new things? Marvin was about to find out...

When Marvin arrived at school, he was surprised to see that Oscar had the exact same dinosaur shirt! To make matters worse, Oscar had the very cool glow-in-the-dark matching shoes. How awesome was that? Marvin knew instantly that he had to have the matching shoes. A little while later, Marvin sat on a bench thinking about those shoes while the other kids planted the school vegetable garden. He had no time for his friends when there were neat, new shoes to think about.

When Marvin saw somebody with a Super Galactic Robot at recess, well, you can imagine what he thought. He HAD to have one! He thought about that robot during science class, soccer practice, and he even skipped playing with his brother so he could count up his savings to see if he had enough money to buy that robot. Would Marvin ever get his robot? More importantly, would he ever realize just how much he was missing out on by obsessing on new “things”?

Must-Have Marvin is the perfect story to teach little ones the importance of friends over things. Marvin learns a very important lesson when he comes to realize just how much his fixation on getting the newest, and best, of everything impacts his friends. He also learns how much he is missing by placing material goods above his friends. The story is fun and cheerful, with a happy ending, that helps children grasp the importance of friends. The illustrations are bright and children will delight at finding, and following, a little yellow star that appears repeatedly throughout the story and perfectly reflects the decisions Marvin makes by how it looks. In addition, there is a note from the author to parents, with a link to the publisher’s website for additional resources.

Quill says: Not just a fun story, Must-Have Marvin! will teach a valuable lesson to your child about the importance of friendships over the acquisition of material objects.