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Chapter Book Review – The Scrumptious Life of Azaleah Lane

April 1, 2021
goodreadswithronna
African-American interest, Ages 5-7, Chapter Book, Children's Book Reviews, Children's Books > Social Situations > Family Life > New Experiences, Early Chapter Book, Family & Relationships, Juvenile Fiction, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Sisters

THE SCRUMPTIOUS LIFE OF AZALEAH LANE

Written by Nikki Shannon Smith

Illustrated by Gloria Felix

(Picture Window Books; $14.95, Ages 5-7)

The Scrumptious Life of Azaleah Lane, written by Nikki Shannon Smith and illustrated by Gloria Felix, is the third title in this chapter book series set in D.C. featuring a personable and persistent main character who kids will adore.

For those not familiar with the series, the book begins with a one-page introduction to eight-year-old Azaleah and the people in her world: her parents, Mama and Daddy, who own a restaurant, her two sisters, older sister Nia and four-year-old Tiana, and her Auntie Sam, who often looks after the girls.

AzaleahLane3_int01 — Interior text from The Scrumptious Life of Azaleah Lane written by Nikki Shannon Smith and illustrated by Gloria Felix, Picture Window Books ©2021.

Divided into ten fast-paced chapters, the book begins with Azaleah and her sisters going to their Auntie Sam’s for the weekend while their parents are away. Azaleah has the thoughtful idea to bake chocolate chip cookies as a surprise for her parents’ return. But when they turn out less than scrumptious, horrible even, Azaleah has a mystery on her hands, trying to figure out what went wrong since she had followed the recipe perfectly.

She soon thinks she’s figured out the problem, but after baking a second batch that also doesn’t taste just right, she’s left wondering what went wrong. At this point, Azaleah is determined to solve the mystery, and still bake a perfect third batch before her parents’ arrival.

Azaleah’s first guess at solving the mystery is something that young readers might guess at also (I did!) but the real answer to the mystery might be harder for them to figure out (I didn’t!) despite a planted clue which will encourage them to keep reading until the very satisfying end.

Full-color and bright illustrations are depicted in every chapter, adding to the readability for those children who are reading on their own at this stage but still look forward to seeing illustrations along the way.

AzaleahLane3_int02 — Interior text and art from The Scrumptious Life of Azaleah Lane written by Nikki Shannon Smith and illustrated by Gloria Felix, Picture Window Books ©2021.

Extensive educational backmatter rounds out the book which includes a glossary of nineteen of the more difficult words that appear in the story; Let’s Talk!, which presents different ideas to discuss from the story; Let’s Write!, which gives budding young writers some ideas to write about based on the book’s plot, and a chocolate chip cookie recipe. Yum!

I love a children’s book that treats its audience as intelligent readers and The Scrumptious Life of Azaleah Lane does just that by creating a mystery whose solution will introduce children to a topic they may not be aware of while, at the same time, entertain them with a likable and realistically portrayed cast of characters.

Reviewed by Freidele Galya Soban Biniashvili

Snow Sisters! Written by Kerri Kokias

January 17, 2018
goodreadswithronna
Activity Book, Ages 3-7, Children's Book Reviews, Concepts - Weather, Family & Relationships, Juvenile Fiction, Siblings, Sisters, Snow, The Seasons of the Year, Winter & Cold Weather

SNOW SISTERS!
Written by Kerri Kokias
Illustrated by Teagan White
(Knopf BYR; $17.99, Ages 3-7)

is reviewed today by Cathy Ballou Mealey.

When swirling snowflakes fill the morning sky, two creative, independent Snow Sisters! react in unique and complementary ways throughout author Kerri Kokias’s debut picture book.

The title page, a peek into their cozy shared bedroom, hints at the distinctive personalities of each sister. One girl lies sprawled across her bed with toys and clothes strewn about, while the other sleeps tucked in tight with toys in a row and an alarm clock nearby. After they wake, the first sister, on left hand pages, dresses in snow gear and rushes outside. She throws, builds, and tracks alongside a fluffy squirrel. Her sister, on right hand pages, opts for indoor comforts. She keeps busy with books, baking and snowflake making.

Snow Sisters! by Kerri Kokias Interior artwork by Teagan White — Interior spread from Snow Sisters! Written by Kerri Kokias, illustrated by Teagan White, Knopf BYR ©2017.

Kokias’s clever parallel text draws us into their individual worlds right up until an exciting mid-book switcheroo. When the outdoors becomes too cold and wet for one sister, the second is drawn outside after spotting a chubby bunny from the window. “Bye!” the sisters greet one another as they trade indoor and outdoor delights. Each embarks on re-visiting fresh interpretations of the words we heard in the beginning: baking, making, throwing, building, etc. The short, simple, active verbs make this book a reading experience that is very accessible for young ears and eyes.

Interior artwork from Snow Sisters! by Kerri Kokias illustrated by Teagan White — Interior spread from Snow Sisters! Written by Kerri Kokias, illustrated by Teagan White, Knopf BYR ©2017.

White’s homey illustrations utilize a purple-pink palette for one sister, and orange-peach tones for the other, complementing their respective brunette and auburn hair colors. Interior scenes are accented with mellow teal greens, contrasting with the beautiful outdoor images glowing with purple and pale grey snow. Young readers will enjoy discovering amusing repeated details from scene to scene, whether it be favorite stuffed toys or paper snowflakes.

Interior spread from Snow Sisters! by Kerri Kokias illustrated by Teagan White — Interior spread from Snow Sisters! Written by Kerri Kokias with illustrations by Teagan White, Knopf BYR ©2017.

The final spread repeats the book title, Snow Sisters!, and shows us how the two have found a time and place to come together and share their snowy fun. Readers young and old, with or without siblings, will appreciate the abundant and inclusive approaches for having fun and celebrating snow in this delightful, cheery debut.

Click here for author tour dates.