Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


There once was a ship with an old gal and a dog

Whale, That Was Unexpeted by Casey Lyall

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There once was an old dame who was …. Whale, no spoilers   Okay, a few spoilers.  Whale, That Was Unexpeted by Casey Lyall combines the House that Jack Built, There Was an Old Woman, Moby Dick and Pinocchio all into a fairly new story. There is much in the way of familiarity to the story (we have a whale, we have impossible swallowing by said whale, rhyme, and a goat). But there is something new as well (there is a dog, sea lion, a […]

Light up the monsters

There Are Monsters in My Room: (Interactive Shine a Light; A Hidden Shadows Book; Fear of the Dark) by Fanny Pageaud

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There Are Monsters in My Room: (Interactive Shine a Light; A Hidden Shadows Book; Fear of the Dark) by Fanny Pageaud is, to be honest, okay for me when it comes to the story. It was not really “new” but was also not “same old” either, but still, it was not completely grabbing me. However, the clever illustrations are the complete package. These images caught my eye not because of what you do see, but what you do not see. They are fun and I […]

Stick around and see what’s behind door number three

Emily Saw a Door by Mel Rosenberg

Robin and the Stick by E. B. Goodale

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Recently two books (one due mid April 2026, the other late February/early April 2026; both read via an online reader) I read did not “grab me” in the way I had hoped. They were nice, but I was not the audience for them. I figure that probably a toddler to about six or so would be a good reach. They would be good bedtime stories or just relaxing stories. Both have interesting concepts and deal with self-confidence and imagination. Both have their own distinct style […]

Mom and Me

The Brunch Shift by Adrienne Thurman

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When reading a book, you always start with the cover. When I saw it as an online reader, the cover image was just a thumbnail for The Brunch Shift. I did not think I was going to like it based on the cover alone as unfortunately, there did not seem to be anything grabbing me. I figured I knew the story, “Mom was at the restaurant while the child was home with dad or grandparent (other adult) and waiting. It would be a story about […]

Zora Neale Hurston looking for gold

Small-Girl Zora and the Shower of Stories: A Tall Tale Based on the Life and Work of Zora Neale Hurston by Giselle Anatol and Raissa Figueroa

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I did not love nor hate Small-Girl Zora and the Shower of Stories: A Tall Tale Based on the Life and Work of Zora Neale Hurston by Giselle Anatol and Raissa Figueroa as the illustrator. It was an experience book where after reading you need to stop and think about it. You need to take your time in the first place and I would even recommend a second read.. It was interesting and different but had a familiar overtone as well. Taking the life experiences […]

If you let the wild in

The Wildest Thing by Emily Winfield Martin

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When I saw the cover of The Wildest Thing by Emily Winfield Martin I figured it was going to be a fun story. Nothing “wow” but not going to be dull either. And it is just that. We have a child letting their imagination run wild and bring out the wild within them. It is about play and individuality. It has some sweet illustrations that are not “too much” (not a lot of details, not a lot of color, not a lot of text to […]



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