Afro Unicorn: The Land of Afronia, Vol. 1 by April Showers

Text by Terrance Crawford Illustrated by Ronaldo Barata 2 stars Nice to get a longer adventure about the Afro Unicorns. This one focuses on Unique and Divine as they make their way to the Festival of Crowns. Along the way, they learn one of the crowns has gone missing. The story itself was okay. A…

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Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden by Christy Mandin

4 stars A delightful story about being yourself, embracing differences, and sharing a love of plants. Upon moving to Garden Glen, Millie Fleur makes her new house her own by planting all sorts of wonderful plants. But her garden doesn’t fit the tidy aesthetic the community is used to. Can she show her neighbors just…

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We Are Afro Unicorns by April Showers

Illustrated by Anthony Conley 3 stars A sweet introduction to the Afro Unicorns and their magical world. Fun characters, high energy, and nice reminders of how unique, divine, and magical the reader is. The illustrations are adorable. A nice little read. I really enjoy the Afro Unicorn characters. Goodreads

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The Bears Are Back in Town: The Ultimate Guidebook

by Marilyn Easton 4 stars A fun guidebook to the Unlock the Magic world. The book goes through the new versions of the Care Bears, how they found themselves in the Silver Lining, some of the creatures and characters they’ve met there, and various locations in the Silver Lining and Care-a-lot. Beautiful full-color artwork of…

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Pengrooms by Paul Castle

3.5 stars Such a sweet story. Pringle and Finn make fantastical custom cakes for various animal couples and help make their weddings perfect. When it’s time for the penguins own wedding, the other animals return the favor. This is so cute. The illustrations are adorable. A nice gentle story without a big conflict. Also includes…

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The Secret Ingredient by Paul Castle

3 stars Another adorable cake-themed adventure featuring Pringle and Finn. In this one, the penguin couple delivers various birthday cakes to their animal friends until it’s time for a very special birthday cake and a new addition to the family. Sweet artwork with lovely details. A gentle story that makes for a soothing read. These…

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My Shadow is Purple by Scott Stuart

4 stars A sweet rhyming tale about embracing who you are and accepting others’ true selves. The school dance is here and the narrator is excited to attend. But when they’re forced to choose between pink and blue, they don’t see where their purple shadow fits in. With a bit of encouragement, the students find…

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‘Twas the Night Before Pride by Joanna McClintick

Illustrated by Juana Medina 4 stars An adorable rhyming story providing a kid-friendly introduction to the history of Pride and its continued relevance today. Loved the themes of family, acceptance, standing up to injustice, and being yourself. Adorable pictures. The rhymes are a little clunky in areas, but overall this was such a sweet read….

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Nearer My Freedom: The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano by Himself

by Monica Edinger and Lesley Younge 5 stars A biography in verse using found poetry from Olaudah Equiano’s own autobiography. I absolutely adored this format. Fantastically constructed. The found verse format was done in a way that made the text and narrative more accessible to a modern reader without losing the original intent. Throughout the…

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