Primary Genre(s): Children’s Fiction, Picture Book
Published: 21 April 2020 by Inspired Muse!
Page count: 16
My Format: eBook
Cover: Cute
Pacing: Good
Ending: Good
Would I recommend it: Yes
Commission Link: Buy Surprising Mrs. Rhubarbson
My rating: ★★★★★
Synopsis
Roxy Rhubarbson is feeling sad for her mum. Mrs Rhubarbson takes care of the Old Tree Home animals all by herself. It’s her birthday today. How can Roxy and her friends Marble Mangosteen and Shooz Starfruiter help plan a surprise for her mum? How can they show her she’s special too?
My Thoughts
According to Goodreads, this is “the first book in the Marble Mangosteen’s Good Deed Collection series. The series aims to inspire and instill good values in each book. For this book, some of the themes and values are as follows: teamwork, not taking others for granted, spending time with the elderly, caring for Mum, friendship, kindness and sharing (among others)”. Here are my pros and cons for Surprising Mrs. Rhubarbson:
Pros
- Adorable illustrations by Oana Boca. They are engaging and humorous.
- I love the characters! The animals remind me a bit of the Calico Critters toys for kids.
- This book really does have some good messages. In particular, I liked that the kids and their friends came together to honor a mom on her birthday. The kids recognized that mom works so hard helping others that she often forgets to do thing for herself, so they stepped up to help make her day special.
- I also liked how the kids realized being kind doesn’t need to have a special occasion! They decided to return to the old folks home once a month to visit the residents there and have a party!
- There are discussion questions at the end of the book for children to contemplate. They would be great discussion topics between parents and children after reading the book.
- There is also a glossary at the end of the book! I love it when children’s books have glossaries! The words are defined with pictures and a brief description.
Cons
- It may be a little wordy for the youngest readers in the targeted age group (ages 2 to 10). It feels more like a book for children ages 4 to 8 years old to me.
Summary
This book is more than just a story. It is a lesson about selflessness, kindness, and friendship and kids would certainly benefit from reading it. I definitely recommend this book.
If you would like to read this book and form your own opinion, please consider purchasing through this link: Buy Surprising Mrs. Rhubarbson. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thanks!
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(image from Goodreads)
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