Little Critter Little Blessings Collection by Mercer Mayer

Some stories, some characters are so familiar you cannot wait to introduce them to your children. In our home, Little Critter is just such a character. I have so many memories of snuggling up with these books as a child it just made sense to share them with my boys. Sadly, our oldest is getting to the  stage where he wants a little more story development, which is why I loved the idea of the Little Blessing Collection.

These stories are filled with the same characters I love but still have a story that keeps my oldest engaged and learning solid lessons.

Overall, I was impressed with this collection. The characters brought about enough nostalgia for  this Mama while still appearing fresh and relatable enough for my children. The stories varied in their topics covering the importance of telling the  truth, thankfulness, letting others go first, and forgiveness.

I was impressed at how Mayer's laying out of Little Critter's dilemmas naturally prompted my kiddo to ask questions and think through how he would feel in similar situations. I love a book that inspires good dialogue and these stories certainly delivered on that front.

I also felt that the variety of topics still flowed well with one another. Thankfulness could easily be linked  to letting others go first. Telling the  truth tied to thankfulness. This allowed us to really build onto topics and the concepts of building a strong foundation with our kids, rather than bouncing around through unrelated issues.

My only downfall was the story on forgiveness. While the other stories were age appropriate, well-rounded stories, the forgiveness story is very self-centered with  no mention of making amends (despite the story  allowing for such a conversation), a limited talking about reconciliation (which felt minimized), and no broaching of the  scope of issues which may need forgiveness and the importance of acknowledging the damage. My little guy was so confused by this story and was really concerned that "forgiveness" was just a free pass to getting away with things.

4 out of 5 stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. 

Oath of Honor by Lynette Eason

In her new novel Oath of Honor, Lynette Eason has offered a drama/mystery that would easily fit into any Friday night  television lineup.

Eason excels in placing her readers at the  heart of the action. I appreciate how she can weave her plot and truly make her main characters the readers eyes. I did not feel  the plot was overtly obvious and  never felt like I was moving too far ahead of Izzy and Ryan's discoveries. Eason really strives to lay her story out not without twists but still in a way that feels logically as Izzy and Ryan uncover their trail of clues.

As a main character, Izzy strikes me as your typical heroine. Easily likable thanks to her hard work ethic, her kind heart, and her appropriate mix of vulnerability and police smarts she easily holds this book together. I appreciate how relatable Eason makes her heroine, spiritual elements are not overly heavy but pop up in natural flowing ways given the high stress/short time frame of the narrative.

That said, those looking for a  book with a sermon should probably look elsewhere. Throughout the story I was constantly struck by how easily this could be turned into a series screenplay, bringing the strengths and weakness of that genre. 

The action and adventure kept me pressing on to discover Kevin's killer, the budding romance felt a little rushed but tempered thanks to the author's skillful use of established character history. 

Eason keeps her pace tight and fast which helps build the tension and convey the stress Izzy and Ryan were under in tangible ways. 

That said, some areas struggled though in the written format.

I felt that  the scenes with the family whether at home or during heavy emotional moments struggled to convey the nonverbal emotion that is so present in those moments. As a result, those scenes lost impact and  even felt awkward at times.

I was also unsure  how to interpret the mental health  aspect of the story line. I wish more emphasis had been placed on the differences between  illness and where the story eventually went (seriously don't want to give away spoilers).

3.75 stars out of 5

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

The Middle of the Mess by Sheila Walsh

The Middle of the Mess is insightful, informative, and filled with the perfect blend of real talk and vulnerability. 

Walsh excels in her gentle combination of story and reflection. Her ability to bring life to her words by letting the stories take their time to ebb and flow adds depth that only an experienced storyteller can bring.

I spend a lot of time with my nose buried in psychology and self-help books (counselling classes tend to do that to a person) but the most impactful are always the ones where the author weaves together heart with truth, a mix Walsh has mastered.Walsh has walked through the darkest of valleys and calls out to readers from a place of familiarity not superiority. I loved this as it makes the book relatable and referable. Let's face it, everyone today is touched by mental health. It's also probably one of the more stigmatized categories of illness. Walsh's book seeks to battle the stigma with information, heart, and humanity, the best weapons. 

Obviously, for those familiar with Walsh's career the presence of a strong faith/theological component will come as no surprise. While there are no startling revelations in her material such as the importance of community, the journey of salvation, God's desire in our lives - the straightforwardness with which she pairs  these truths with the realities facing those battling mental illness is encouraging and a great resource for those in the middle of such a battle or supporting someone who is.

4.5 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.