Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

I probably rewrote this review a billion times before I thought I was done, then realized I needed more, so just read this book okay? 

You Can Never Die: A Graphic Memoir by Harry Bliss

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I learned early on in my journey of reading Harry Bliss that there are two styles when it comes to his artwork. One is kid friendly and the other adult friendly. However, via an online reader copy of You Can Never Die: A Graphic Memoir, I learned there is a third type to Bliss: the really adult Bliss. This memoir takes slices of life and puts them on the page of a journal. These journal entries, illustrations and more come out in the book. He […]

Harley’s Boys…er… Hyenas

Harley Quinn's Bud and Lou: Trouble Times Two by Ben Hed

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The title, Harley Quinn’s Bud and Lou: Trouble Times Two by Ben Hed is exactly what you expect from a hero/villain comic/graphic novel, and that makes this a fun read. It is comforting, and yes, it is cheesy and goofy and has way bad puns, but I want more of Bud and Lou! They are perhaps the coolest hyenas since The Lion Kings Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed.  Hed is the author and illustrator of several comics, but the only one I know I have read […]

Just a couple of moms and their talking cats

Urban Tails by Ilana Zeffren

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I first found Urban Tails by Ilana Zeffren as an online reader copy, though the book has been available since May 2022. I was having trouble reading it online due to the illustrations. The text bled into the images. The colors were dull and this made things feel unfinished overall. The story wasn’t engaging me. But there was something about it that made me want to read it. I knew there was something there. Perhaps it was because it was about Israel. Or because there […]

I like picture books

The Duck With No Luck by Gemma Merino

Stray Dog for Christmas: How Suzy Was Adopted by Jack Jokinen

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How many times will I tell you I really like picture books? Oh at least once more, or I should say at least this review. Not only are they quick for the adult reader, but they allow you to spend time with your favorite little reader, or make a reader with the right book, or find your classroom having a quiet time. And these two books fit the ticket.  Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the story, The Duck With No Luck by Gemma […]

Friends, pets and understanding

Calvin and the Sugar Apples by Inês F. Oliveira

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Calvin and the Sugar Apples by Inês F. Oliveira and a few illustrations by Vanessa Balleza is a cute story about friendship and loss. There are a few illustrations that help highlight a few points of the story. The story is a hit or miss for most people (a few might be in between, like I was, but I don’t see a lot of middle ground). Our young heroine is a girl who might be on the autism scale, or is just a bit young/naïve […]

Happy April and Happy Poetry Month

All of Those Babies by Mylisa Larsen

Aunt Sue's Stories by Langston Hughes

Bless Our Pets : Poems of Gratitude for Our Animal Friends by Lee Bennett Hopkins

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Happy April and Happy Poetry Month. I am sure I will find other poetry books for kids, but I will start with three that I just found. All are available (or with the last one “soon” in April 2024) but all have been read via online reader copies. The first is All of Those Babies by Mylisa Larsen and illustrated by Stephanie Laberis . This book is one solid poem that rhymes and has repetition. The idea is how all babies, be they lizard, human […]



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