Sue Fliess

Children experience and interact with all kinds of light in this rhyming picture-book, from the beauty of the sunset to the enchantment of the Aurora Borealis, the flickering flame of a birthday candle to the exploding wonder of fireworks. The importance of light to various cultural and religious celebrations - Yi Peng, Holi, Hanukkah, Christmas - is also touched upon. The book concludes with a two-page discussion of the science of light, and more information about its role in some of the show more cultural traditions mentioned...

Pairing a simple text - just a few words on each two-page spread - from American author Sue Fliess with gorgeous artwork from Vietnamese illustrator Khoa Le, Flash and Gleam: Light in Our World is a picture-book that would be suitable for very young children. The front dust-jacket flap recommends it for ages five through eight, but I think this is a bit of a stretch. The afterword would certainly be suitable for an audience in this age range, but the main narrative strikes me as being too basic for children at this level. I'm a great admirer of Khao Le's artwork - indeed, I tracked this one down largely because of the illustrations - and I was not disappointed on that score, but I think the book suffers from some confusion, when it comes to its target audience. Leaving that aside, I do recommend it, both to fellow fans of Khoa Le, and to those seeking lovely, peaceful books for their toddlers' bedtime. show less

This book is about a little girl who decides she wants to clone a sheep for a pet instead of just going and buying one, so she builds a machine in her lab and accomplishes the feat. But, then it gets a little out of control and the sheep run amok before the community works together to get the sheep to better places.
This book was cute, and a fun representation of females in science and creativity. It showed creativity, planning, and thinking skills. It was written well and illustrated well. I show more could use it in the classroom to teach vocabulary and to inspire scientific creativity. I could use it to show female representation in STEM. I could use it to teach about what cloning is, if that ever came up. Other than that, it's just a fun creative book that could spark creative curiosity in students. show less

{My thoughts} – This is a cute little book about trick or treating. It helps to show children that there isn’t any real reason to be scared, because none of the stuff your seeing is actually scary.

The words and the illustrations blend together nicely. They help to show the reader exactly as the author intended them to see. I think it is a book that was brilliantly put together and that it will make a nice addition to any child’s library come Halloween time.

For all young fairy-lovers out there, this sweet picture-book offers a celebration of the charms of those gossamer-winged creatures, and some guidelines on how to attract and keep one as a friend. In rhyming text, author Sue Fliess describes how a fairy house might be constructed, in order to tempt those dainty damsels to visit...

Reading A Fairy Friend, I was reminded quite a bit of Tracy Kane's Fairy Houses and Fairy Houses ... Everywhere!, and other books I have seen that instruct children show more on how to build homes to attract fairies. This is a real world hobby, as it happens. Of course, the narrative here is more whimsical than practical, with a rhyming text that makes for an excellent read-aloud. The conclusion - "Time may pass while she's away, / But do not let your heart dismay. / For if you're thoughtful, kind, and true, / Your fairy will return to you!" - is sweetly reassuring. The artwork, done by Claire Keene in watercolor, ably captures the delicate beauty of its subject matter. Recommended to all young fairy-lovers, and to anyone looking for engaging picture-books in rhyme. show less