Consuelo Joerns

I had mixed feelings about this book. I think it has a nice story but there is no real message to children or the readers of the book. This story is about a mouse who lost his home, and when he finds an old run down station house he is determined to restore it and create his own home. The characters in the story were the mouse and a young boy, neither were fully developed or given a background. The writing and language were organized and descriptive but the illustrations and writing weren't very engaging.… (mehr)

This small picture book, which would function quite well as a beginning reader, relates the adventures of Sam the bear, who is left behind one day in the attic of a seaside cottage. After languishing for years, Sam sends out a distress message in a bottle, and soon finds that he has an answer...

I found this on the $1 cart at work, and thinking that it looked charming, I picked it up on impulse. I should have just read it there (it takes all of 5 minutes), and spared myself the trouble of owning it. It is short, sweet, and utterly forgettable - which is probably why I have never heard of this author/illustrator. Now it sits on my shelves... a physical reminder (one of many, I am afraid) that all my self-restraint goes out the window when it comes to books... Alas!… (mehr)