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Little Bella's Nighttime Wonderland
As Little Bella snuggles down for bed, she looks out her window and can't believe what she sees! Fireflies illuminate a nighttime wonderland that unfolds right before her eyes, revealing the many woodland creatures that live just outside her home.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published July 20, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 3, 2019
More of a window than a mirror for my kids.
This review was originally published at http://www.drttmk.com/books/little-be....
This book was given to my by the author to review. As a presumably self-published book, I may be less blunt than usual, and I certainly don't want to discourage anyone from writing and publishing their own books. Self-published books are usually more a labor of love, and I try to recognize that.
A little girl named Bella is going to bed. Her mother brushes her teeth and reads her a book, and then Bella asks to look outside. Her mother says yes (that would be a pretty weird thing to disallow). The whole rest of the book is her watching the animals she sees outside her window, then going to sleep and dreaming about the animals.
As somebody living in Southern California, this book doesn't really make sense. We don't even have half of these animals here. We don't have foxes or fireflies. We've got deer, but they're nowhere near most people's houses. Most of us (and I would think this would include people in other parts of the country, as well) don't have houses that border on the wilderness. And around here we don't have forests. Even if I could see the wilderness outside my window, it would be chaparral or desert.
So, at my house, if I looked outside at night, I'd see a fence. And above it, the neighbor's house. On the other side, I'd see the street. As far as insects go, we've got mosquitos. Everyone does, really, but you never see people trumpeting their majesty. We've also got things like moths and crane flies, but they're not much to look at in the dark. If I saw animals around here at night, they'd probably be outdoor cats. Lizards and snakes keep to the daytime. Once in a great while, I might see a possum, or a raccoon, or even a coyote. In the air, pretty much only rare bats. Owls are pretty uncommon. I guess we would hear crickets, though. Maybe those are everywhere.
So to me, living in a suburb, it's baffling that this child is able to see quite this many animals from her house. And I'll nitpick about crickets-- they don't sing. They rub their legs together, which would make it difficult to leap from blade to blade at the same time.
There's not much to the actual book. It's written in rhyme, but the meter is off, and some of the rhymes feel forced. It's not a bad book, nor does it have a bad message. It just feels like this book was written for the author's family and they decided to try to publish it for the world. Perhaps the author has a daughter named Bella. The author's note does mention that she "resides in the beautiful countryside outside of Fredericksburg, Virginia." So as far as wilderness goes, she's lucky, and I'm glad she and her kids appreciate it. But it's so caught up in the beauty of nature and the awkwardness of its rhyming that it doesn't recognize that this situation is unusual.
Message: Nature is wonderful.
This review was originally published at http://www.drttmk.com/books/little-be....
This book was given to my by the author to review. As a presumably self-published book, I may be less blunt than usual, and I certainly don't want to discourage anyone from writing and publishing their own books. Self-published books are usually more a labor of love, and I try to recognize that.
A little girl named Bella is going to bed. Her mother brushes her teeth and reads her a book, and then Bella asks to look outside. Her mother says yes (that would be a pretty weird thing to disallow). The whole rest of the book is her watching the animals she sees outside her window, then going to sleep and dreaming about the animals.
As somebody living in Southern California, this book doesn't really make sense. We don't even have half of these animals here. We don't have foxes or fireflies. We've got deer, but they're nowhere near most people's houses. Most of us (and I would think this would include people in other parts of the country, as well) don't have houses that border on the wilderness. And around here we don't have forests. Even if I could see the wilderness outside my window, it would be chaparral or desert.
So, at my house, if I looked outside at night, I'd see a fence. And above it, the neighbor's house. On the other side, I'd see the street. As far as insects go, we've got mosquitos. Everyone does, really, but you never see people trumpeting their majesty. We've also got things like moths and crane flies, but they're not much to look at in the dark. If I saw animals around here at night, they'd probably be outdoor cats. Lizards and snakes keep to the daytime. Once in a great while, I might see a possum, or a raccoon, or even a coyote. In the air, pretty much only rare bats. Owls are pretty uncommon. I guess we would hear crickets, though. Maybe those are everywhere.
So to me, living in a suburb, it's baffling that this child is able to see quite this many animals from her house. And I'll nitpick about crickets-- they don't sing. They rub their legs together, which would make it difficult to leap from blade to blade at the same time.
There's not much to the actual book. It's written in rhyme, but the meter is off, and some of the rhymes feel forced. It's not a bad book, nor does it have a bad message. It just feels like this book was written for the author's family and they decided to try to publish it for the world. Perhaps the author has a daughter named Bella. The author's note does mention that she "resides in the beautiful countryside outside of Fredericksburg, Virginia." So as far as wilderness goes, she's lucky, and I'm glad she and her kids appreciate it. But it's so caught up in the beauty of nature and the awkwardness of its rhyming that it doesn't recognize that this situation is unusual.
Message: Nature is wonderful.
March 28, 2019
Each page embraces a realistic wonderland and draws to nighttime dreams.
It's Bella's bedtime, but before she snuggles into her bed for the night, she asks her mother if she can stare out of the window for a few moments. And what a wonderful sight it is! The nighttime displays its beauty as shy creatures peek out and insects begin their songs and play. It's the thing dreams are made of right outside her bedroom.
I love how this book takes the simplicity of nature and shows how wondrous it really can be. Each two-page spread draws into a fairy tale like atmosphere while portraying nothing more than deer, grasshoppers, fireflies and the such. Young readers are sure to discover a new appreciation for the world around them and will even peer out of their windows themselves to catch the world's wonders.
The text is just right for the intended age group and written in gentle rhyme, which flows fine. The illustrations are, for the most part, beautiful and truly capture the magic nighttime can display. It makes for a nice read aloud at bedtime.
I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed every page.
It's Bella's bedtime, but before she snuggles into her bed for the night, she asks her mother if she can stare out of the window for a few moments. And what a wonderful sight it is! The nighttime displays its beauty as shy creatures peek out and insects begin their songs and play. It's the thing dreams are made of right outside her bedroom.
I love how this book takes the simplicity of nature and shows how wondrous it really can be. Each two-page spread draws into a fairy tale like atmosphere while portraying nothing more than deer, grasshoppers, fireflies and the such. Young readers are sure to discover a new appreciation for the world around them and will even peer out of their windows themselves to catch the world's wonders.
The text is just right for the intended age group and written in gentle rhyme, which flows fine. The illustrations are, for the most part, beautiful and truly capture the magic nighttime can display. It makes for a nice read aloud at bedtime.
I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed every page.
July 7, 2020
My Rating: 3.5 Stars!! Little Bella's Nighttime Wonderland by Joy Fernandez is such a cute picture book! Little Bella is getting ready for bed, and she looks out the window. She sees the stars and the moon. She sees some amazing creatures, feels the breeze, and hears some nighttime sounds. I love the illustrations. Little Bella's eyes are so beautiful and bright, and the scenes are so serene and peaceful. This is a really cute book. You may read my full review on my book blog: thereadathon.com.
June 20, 2019
This is a very soothing and sweet book, perfect to read to your kids as they are slowly drifting off to sleep and dreams. More detailed review here:
https://www.storymummy.com/kids-book-...
https://www.storymummy.com/kids-book-...
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews