This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Ruth Amanda is an internationally acclaimed award-winning author of picture books for children ages 3-8 and is venturing into middle grade books as well. Her work is characterized with colourful, hand drawn and painted illustrations and teasing rhyme and silliness!
Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite
If puffins could bake, what would they make? Poppy Puffin’s Pastries by Ruth Amanda is about a pastry shop in Scotland owned by a bird named Poppy Puffin. Through playful rhymes and a bunch of puffin characters, the story introduces a delicious-looking assortment of baked goods and desserts. Readers tour the bakery one yummy page at a time, with each stop sharing a different treat, from muffins and popovers to parfaits and more. Along the way, children are introduced to fun food vocabulary, unique dessert names from around the world, and interesting details about the Scottish setting. At the end of the book, there are also facts about the Isle of Skye, Portree, and several of the pastries mentioned throughout. Which tasty sweet would you like to try?
Poppy Puffin’s Pastries by Ruth Amanda, with its alliteration and playful verse, makes it the perfect read-aloud. As a teacher, I think all the sound patterns will help young children with early literacy skills while keeping them engaged from beginning to end. I would use it during a unit on careers, the food pyramid, or even birds. A fun way to extend it would be to have students do a project on one of the desserts from the story or to create their own bakery menu. The facts at the end were interesting, and I enjoyed learning more about the town of Portree in Scotland. The illustrations are delightful and detailed, with calming colors that match the gentle tone of the book. Children will want to search the pictures for details while listening to the rhymes. Anyone who likes reading tales about animals, food, travel, and playful language will want to pick this one. It’s a cheerful mix of imagination and learning that belongs in homes, schools, and libraries.
