Sunday, 17 August 2014

Book Review of The Adventures of Holly Holstein: Holly Greets the World (Volume 1) by Jim Shroyer



Synopsis:

It is Grandma Helen's birthday and the family has come for a visit. Mika wants to see a new born calf. When a calf is born, Farmer Tom shows Mika how to feed the calf. Once the calf is nice and warm, Mika asks to name the calf. Most farmers don’t name their cows, but Farmer Tom agrees to name the calf Holly.

Review:


The Adventures of Holly HolsteinThe Adventures of Holly Holstein by Jim Shroyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This is a sweet children's book. I loved it!

Mika is a curious young girl, who visits the family farm to celebrate her Grandmother's 90th birthday. I liked this little girl very much. She is cute and sweet.

But, the star of the book is Holly, a Holstein calf, born in harsh conditions.

This story is a wonderful tale, with heartwarming moments and fantastic characters. The story gives children (especially those in cities) the opportunity to see what life on a farm is like. The story, although short, will keep the youngsters hooked from beginning to end.

I only had one issue with this story, and that was when Mika fed Holly a cookie. I find it odd that a calf of a few days should be offered this type of food. Granted, they eat grass as they get older, but calves, just like babies, usually only have milk for the first few days/weeks of their lives. However, as I am not a farmer/rancher, I could be mistaken.

As this is the introduction to Holly, and her new life, there is not really a lot of adventure for her yet. But, as the series progresses, I am sure that there will be action aplenty!

Every page in the book is complimented by wonderful illustrations drawn by Rita A. Kraushaar. Her pictures are beautifully drawn and give the reader a visual guide to make it easier to see - especially for those younger readers who cannot read yet.

Jim Shroyer has written a fantastic children's book, which is educational as well as fun. He has a wonderful writing style that is not too fast, nor too slow, which will keep even the most fidgety child entranced. The flow of the story was wonderful too. I would definitely read more of this author's books in the future.

I highly recommend this book to children aged 4 to 6 as a bedtime story, 5 to 8 as a read-along and 9 to 10 as a read-alone. - Lynn Worton

View all my reviews


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