Paula Knight (1)

The Facts of Life is a graphic memoir of Paula’s attempts to get pregnant and the miscarriages she suffers in that pursuit. The story is divided into three parts: her childhood, her struggle to become pregnant, and her decision not to try any more. While this sounds like a sad story (and parts of it definitely are), it is also a story of hope and healing.
While this is a very personal story, it is also one many can relate to. Polly struggles with whether or not she really wants to be a parent throughout much of the book and she often questions her motives for wanting children. After all, she grew up at a time when it was just *expected* that women would get married and have kids, so is her current desire for children really her own wishes or just falling in line with her childhood conditioning. I’m sure many people, whether they choose to become parents or not, have similar doubts and concerns rolling around in their minds.
Covering a topic that tends to only be discussed behind closed doors, this memoir does the hard work of normalizing difficulties in becoming pregnant, miscarriage, and the choice to not have children. I would recommend it to anyone who is currently struggling through these things or who enjoys heart-felt memoirs.… (more)

(ARC was provided to read and review.)

Lionel loves to do one thing in particular and he does it all day long, he roars.
As his roar was rather loud he startled other animals and gave his mother a headache. Mama Lion's suggestion to try and sit quietly and draw for a change falls on deaf ears. (I must admit, I hugely enjoyed this part of the story. It's only fair to see, that lion parents face the same making-a-lot-of-noise-is-fabulous situations. "Drawing is boring! I like roaring!.")
But the next morning, when the young cub wakes up, his voice is gone. All that roaring and now his throat is sore. Eventually Lionel feels now ready to try and draw and astonishingly, he's quite talented and what's more, it turns out to be a lot of fun.
But what will Lionel do when finally his voice returns? Will he continue to draw or be his old self again?

A while ago, I discovered the Storytime picture books for my preschoolers and have become a fan of them. The lovely stories all come with cheerful and vivid illustrations and they all carry a message. All books are rounded off with suggestions for next steps at the end.
The Lion Who Lost His Roar encourages children to try new things, before they give it a miss. By trying something different, they can discover something else they might love to do and it broadens their horizon. But it's also important to stay true to yourself and never give up doing what you enjoy the most.
I also love, that the story introduces a lot of interesting adjectives, like squawk, chatter, trumpet, which will enhance the young readers vocabulary.… (more)