HEATHER PIERCE STIGALL
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REVIEW: IT’S NATIONAL FIRST RESPONDER’S DAY!

10/28/2023

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​Let’s extend a big thank you to all the first responders who risk their own lives to help protect and save ours. I have a soft spot for picture books featuring fire fighters because my dad was a volunteer firefighter for my hometown for over 30 years, so when I saw this book, I knew it was going to be a winner:

​
​TITLE
: FIRE CHIEF FRAN

AUTHOR: Linda Ashman

ILLUSTRATOR: Nancy Carpenter

PUBLISHER: Astra Young Readers/2022

Picture
OPENING LINES: 
Fire Chief Fran meets with her crew.
It’s a new shift—there’s so much to do!
 
The trucks are inspected above and below.
The tools and equipment are ready to go.

Then…

lights begin flashing, and—CLANG—the bells blast.
The leap into action—they need to move FAST!
This fictionalized story about Fire Chief Fran shares a day-in-a-life look of a firefighter. Ashman’s rollicking rhyme make this a fun, engaging read, while simultaneously informing the reader of actual scenarios firefighters might encounter. The book includes back matter with supplemental facts and tips on what it takes to be a firefighter. Carpenter’s vibrant, expressive illustrations are energetic and delightful, a perfect match for this lively story. Readers who love fire trucks, dogs, bells, and fire poles are sure to love this book and request it on repeat!
 
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REVIEW: HAPPY NATIONAL COLOR DAY!

10/22/2023

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​What’s your favorite color? I have read that blue is often named people’s favorite. What is the world’s fascination with blue? This picture book shares some fascinating history that may shed some light:
Picture
​
​TITLE: BLUE: A HISTORY OF THE COLOR AS DEEP AS THE SEA AND AS WIDE AS THE SKY

AUTHOR: Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond

ILLUSTRATORS: Daniel Minter

PUBLISHER: Alfred A. Knopf/2022

OPENING LINES: 

​The color blue is all around us.
Have you ever wondered where it comes from?
It’s in the sky, but you can’t touch it.
It’s in the sea, but when you cup it, it disappears.
Wow! On almost every spread of this book I found myself thinking, “I never knew that!” or “How fascinating!” or both! This book delves into the history of the color blue, from the why (some believed blue had special powers; some believed it was holy) to the how (crushing blue rocks or extracting the ink from the bellies of snails or the leaves of plants) to the who (slaves in the U.S. harvested indigo), when, where, and more. Then the author talks about blue as a feeling and why the word is associated with different sayings (out of the blue, singing the blues). Engaging text, gorgeous (and I mean gorgeous) illustrations, comprehensive back matter, all about a universally known color, but an uncommon topic for a picture book make this book brilliant!
 
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Did you read and like this book? 
One of the best ways to support authors and illustrators is to post reviews for their books. Support an author/illustrator today by leaving a review on Goodreads or Amazon!
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REVIEW: HAPPY WORLD OCTOPUS DAY!

10/8/2023

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Have you ever had trouble getting a little one ready for the first day of school? Can you imagine if your little one was an octopus who is a master of disguise and an escape artist? Well, that’s what this book is all about: 
Picture
​TITLE: HOW TO GET YOUR OCTOPUS TO SCHOOL
AUTHOR: Becky Scharnhorst
ILLUSTRATOR: Jaclyn Sinquett
PUBLISHER: Flamingo Books/2023
OPENING LINES:
Getting your octopus to school won’t be easy.
He would much rather stay home with you and play hide-and-seek or dress-up.
But you know your octopus will love school, if he gives it a chance. 
And you’ll tell him that…as soon as you can find him.
This might take a while. Octopuses are good at hiding.
Very, very good.
This clever picture book is a fresh twist to the classic first-day-of-school-themed-story. Children will giggle when they hear Becky Scharnhorst’s humorous tale, told in “how to” structure, of a reluctant octopus who hides and disguises himself (as octopuses are known to do to evade capture) to avoid going to school. Jaclyn Sinquett’s bright, expressive illustrations will have readers turning the pages to search for where the octopus has hidden himself next. This book has all you could hope for in a picture book: engaging text and art, a seek-and-find element, surprise “undies” under the jacket cover, illustrated end pages, humor, heart, and even back matter full of “mostly” true facts about octopuses. I love HOW TO GET YOUR OCTOPUS TO SCHOOL and I think you will too! 
 
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Did you read and like this book? 
One of the best ways to support authors and illustrators is to post reviews for their books. Support an author/illustrator today by leaving a review on Goodreads or Amazon!
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REVIEW: HAPPY INTERNATIONAL MUSIC DAY

10/1/2023

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​Let’s celebrate International Music Day by reading a picture book biography by an iconic woman known world-wide for her musical talent:
​TITLE: SONG AFTER SONG: THE MUSICAL LIFE OF JULIE ANDREWS

AUTHOR: Julie Hedlund

ILLUSTRATOR: Ilaria Urbinati

PUBLISHER: Little Bee Books/2023

​OPENING LINES:
Julia Elizabeth Wells was born into a melody—her childhood attuned to the timbre of her tiny English village where she heard music
       in the rhythm of the river,
              in the whistle of the wind,
                     in the symphony of songbirds.
Picture
This biography of Julie Andrews tells the true tale of a girl who, despite a troubling childhood, finds her voice and then shares it with the world in iconic roles such as Mary Poppins, Eliza Doolittle, and Maria von Trapp. Hedlund’s lyrical text and Urbinati’s gorgeous illustrations practically sing on the pages of this beautiful book. If you are a fan of Julie Andrews, music, or picture book biographies about perseverance and pursuing dreams, this is the book for you!
 
Read this review on Goodreads and Amazon.
 
Did you read and like this book? 
One of the best ways to support authors and illustrators is to post reviews for their books. Support an author/illustrator today by leaving a review on Goodreads or Amazon!
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    About Heather

    Heather is a busy wife and mom of five rambunctious children and one lovable pup They all provide lots of distractions, but oodles of inspiration.  Sometimes the pictures and ideas in her head turn into her own children's stories, but she always makes time to read other people's books. Sometimes she reviews them here.

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  • Books
    • PAISLEY'S BIG BIRTHDAY
    • GILBERT & THE GHOST
  • About
    • Meet Heather
    • Press Kit
  • Appearances
    • Author Visits
    • Events & News
  • Resources
    • For Writers
    • For Educators & Readers
  • Ramblings & Reviews
  • Contact