Jessica Long

Beautiful, underwater illustrations meet heart and determination in all the right ways.

The little mermaid lost her tail fins shortly after birth, which wouldn't be bad if the other mermaids wouldn't tease her constantly. Worse, yet, she'll never be able to take part in the Mermaid Games...or can she? When she decides it's time to give it a try, she seeks out the help of the strongest swimmer in the ocean, a shark, who just might be able to help her out.

The lovely illustrations are already show more enough to make this book worth a peek. The ocean scenes are inviting and create the perfect backdrop for a cute mermaid. The fish swirl as this little mermaid comes to life, her personality shining on each page. Readers/listeners will enjoy flipping through this one on their own and taking a peek at each scene again and again.

While the first pages do start with a bullying theme, this tale is all about determination. The little mermaid doesn't really let the other mermaids get to her but gives a satisfied and friendly impression. It's wonderful to see how she takes fate into her own hands and puts in the effort to achieve her goals. This doesn't come easily but takes time and hard work. Listeners/readers will have no problem cheering for her until the very end.

The text is a little long for the youngest readers out there, but it works very well for a read-aloud in a story time setting or as a read to cuddle up with. Readers, who have a pretty good grip on their words, will be able to hit this one on their own.

Obviously, this read also is a great way to lead into a discussion or theme surrounding the Paralympics, which also makes it great for classrooms and homeschoolers. show less

I started embroidery last year during the pandemic after my sister bought me my first materials as an early birthday gift (and to help pass the time while in quarantine). Since then I've done a few patterns here and there.

I grabbed Cute Critters from my library because I needed a change of where I was getting my designs. I absolutely love everything in this book. I can't wait to do a giraffe and the cat in the meadow.

I also loved the direction Jessica Long gives for different stitches. I was show more having a hard time getting my short and long stitches to look nice and smooth and she broke it down in a way I was quickly able to understand.

This will be a book I will for sure be adding to my soon to be embroidery section of my personal library. show less

I liked this book more than I thought I would. We have a copy for our YALSA book review group and I will book talk it at our next meeting. Why should you care about a young, adopted, Russia-born orphan girl who earned gold in the Paralympics? Because our kids need to learn empathy and acceptance for those who are different from themselves, AND learn that people can do extraordinary things and overcome obstacles. It's a double whammy learning opportunity. Jessica's struggle viewing a silver show more or bronze medal as a failure is also a fantastic teaching point as our kids really put so much pressure on themselves to be perfect. 3.5 stars. show less

Cute Critters: An Embroidery Pattern Compendium by Jessica Long is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. This has the most darling patterns and pictures! I am a beginner and I am sure I can make a half decent attempt at some of the simpler patterns and with practice and following the instructions, build up to the others! The step-by-step instructions seem clear and the photos help. The end results of these cute creatures is a real incentive! The patterns and steps show more are all there! If you are already an intermediate level then you should have lots of fun! show less