Story Mommy
https://www.storymummy.com/kids-book-review/8ancj4ldf5r8rkrasn6259r56l45yj
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“I want to start off by saying that the authour has a recipie for Honeycakes at the end of the book, which looks delicious. And I will certainly be making that recipie (doesn’t look too hard, I promise), when I get back from Colombia.
The premise of the book is a simple and powerful one and one which bears repeating, especially in this current climate of increasingly violent attacks driven by racism and xenophobia. We are all part of the human race. We all bring different ingredients and flavours to create something big and beautiful, like a honey cake. Our differences, nay, our diversity, is our strength.
This simple message is shown through the means of a Grandma of Russian heritage and her beloved granddaughter, who is of mixed ethnicity, baking Grandma’s honeycake. Seeing the illustrations and following the story gives a warm, fuzzy feeling, as I thought back to my late Grandmother and spending time with her in the kitchen, watching her whip up yet another legendary dish.
i will say that with many independently published children’s books, the font style and colours seem off, kind of amateurish, when put against the illustrations. It didn’t fit the tone and look of the story
Finally, I liked the authour’s decision to make the pages of her book a warm, honeycake colour, too. Made me hungry!”
Editorial Review By: Literary Titan
Honeycake: A Family Of Spices
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“Nala’s grandma is one smart cookie. She is determined for her granddaughter to know exactly how special she is. She has a unique way of explaining to Nala that she is a blend of all of her parents’ and grandparents’ heritages. When Nala stops by for a visit with her grandma, the two of them set about making her family’s famous honeycake. Nala, ever curious, asks her grandma why her pet name is “Honeycake,” and the story begins.
Medea Kalantar’s Honeycake: A Family of Spices gives young readers a fantastic story with which to relate. Nala, the story’s main character visits with her grandmother and hears from her exactly how special her family’s background is. As her grandmother proceeds to bake with Nala, she explains in detail the ancestry of each side of Nala’s family and how the two families blend together to make unique individuals.
It is quite uncommon to find stories explaining heritage to children of elementary age, and Kalantar has certainly delivered a memorable story. When Nala’s grandmother relates cultural diversity to the many spices and ingredients required to make her honeycake, young readers are handed a scenario that is easy to follow and is presented in a manner that has been carefully crafted to demonstrate to readers the way in which they, too, are extraordinary.
Perhaps the most important aspect of Kalantar’s writing is her comment on the human race. The author is careful to emphasize that no matter one’s ancestry, we are all part of one race. This is a message seldom seen in books for young readers and is quite refreshing.
As an elementary teacher, I highly recommend Honeycake: A Family of Spices to anyone looking to teach or emphasize the appreciation of diversity to young readers.”
Editorial Review By: Literary Titan
Honeycake: Help I Swallowed a Butterfly
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“Nala is nervous. In fact, she’s more than a little nervous. When she is asked to read in front of her elementary classroom, she feels a stirring from within. As her teacher explains that she has butterflies in her stomach, Nala begins to picture a literal tangle of butterflies she must have swallowed by accident, and her misunderstanding continues to blossom before she can arrive at home and be set straight by her mother. Honeycake: Help, I Swallowed a Butterfly, by Medea Kalantar, is a precious account of one little girl’s misunderstanding of the idiom, “butterflies in your stomach.”
From beginning to end, Kalantar takes young readers on a journey to understanding the ways this simple phrase can be literally defined and how it relates to nervousness and apprehension. Through young Nala’s conversation with her mother, readers hear the explanation of the idiom and are given breathing techniques for reducing nervousness as Nala’s mother helps her plan for the next time she is faced with anxiety. As an elementary teacher, I can see Honeycake: Help, I Swallowed a Butterfly being used a couple different ways. Figurative language is a huge part of our third grade curriculum, and this is the perfect piece of literature to use in introducing it to students. In addition, I can see Honeycake: Help, I Swallowed a Butterfly as an important tool in an elementary guidance program. The techniques for calming oneself are more than helpful for young students as they face the stresses of everyday life.
Medea Kalantar has succeeded in providing young readers with yet another touching story revolving around Nala and her loving family. The educational value of each of Kalantar’s Honeycake books is unrivaled. Kalantar carefully crafts her stories to touch readers of all walks of life and always includes valuable life lessons for both children and adults.”
Editorial Review By: Literary Titan
Honeycake: Special Magical Powers
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Honeycake: Special Magical Powers is a wonderful children’s book by Medea Kalantar. This book follows the journey of Nala and how she learns about the magical powers she and everyone else has. She learns a valuable lesson from her family about kindness and how much it can mean to another person. I absolutely love this book. It is adorable and teaches children such an imperative lesson. It also presents the idea of kindness in such an understandable way, even for young children. Nala learns about small things, like smiles, but then the story moves on to a much more serious topic. She is donating her old clothes and toys to a shelter for families; she learns about families who have lost everything. Her kindness of donating her old stuff that she has outgrown shows just how important it is because donating her old things cost her nothing, but it meant everything to those families to have clothing and toys. I love how this book can spark important conversations with children about how some people are less fortunate, and how sometimes you need help and it is okay to ask for it.
There are amazing and cute illustrations along with the book which is also good for children’s development. I think reading this book around Christmas time would be especially important to get children to understand why they may not get as much as another, but also maybe spark the idea of donating their items they have outgrown. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has children or works with children. Kalantar provides such a beautiful lesson and presents it charmingly.
Review from Story Mummy for Books 2 and 3
https://www.storymummy.com/kids-book-review/wt2674ykbxs9mfngflxmpyjbhyw42k
Review from Story Mummy for Honeycake: A Circle Of Trust
https://www.storymummy.com/kids-book-review/p38hch48r3h5ss9py5en4zp8z8fn7f
Editorial Review By: Literary Titan
Honeycake: A Circle of Trust
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A Circle of Trust will not only shape a child’s character but will also help moms and dads to adopt effective parenting skills to nurture their children. Sometimes, reading a children’s book can be educational for adults as well. As life gets increasingly complicated books with resonating lessons can remind us of the simplicity and innocence that gets lost along the way
In this fourth installment of the Honeycake series, Medea has imparted a valuable life lesson on building trust between parents and their children. In this book kids learn the importance of honesty and open communication which will ultimately pave way for them to develop healthy relationships in life. Parents will also learn that they must create a safe haven for children so they are not afraid or hesitant to approach them when in trouble or while facing a challenging situation.
It is also equally important that parents continually reinforce the significance of honesty in their children so that it becomes a natural way of life for them. This builds confidence in children and they will be more likely to take the right step. A Circle of Trust was a fun and educational read. I highly recommend it for all children.
Book Excellence Awards Book Review for Honeycake: A Circle Of Trust
Honeycake: A Circle of Trust written by Medea Kalantar is a delightful short story featuring a little girl named Nala who finds herself in a dilemma when she accidentally breaks her Papa’s favourite mug. This book has a dual purpose, to enlighten children on the importance of trust and open communication as well as to educate parents on the vital need to create a safe space for children to open up from a young age. This book is also excellent for strengthening bonds between parents and children as they read it together and implement the lessons learnt in the story. The author has also skillfully used onomatopoeia that successfully brings more emotion to the story and will thoroughly captivate young kids. Moving on, the illustrations were eye-catching and beautiful making this book a very compelling read for young ones who tend to get distracted easily. If you are a parent or caretaker looking for a fun children’s book that simultaneously teaches valuable lessons, this book will be a perfect fit for you.
Review by the Book Excellence Awards
Honeycake book series books 1-4 review from Twirling Book Princess July 15, 2020
Review for Honeycake Series Books 1 to 4
Editorial Review By: Literary Titan
Honeycake: A Helping Hand
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Nala is excited to go out to a fancy fundraising party with her two uncles. She does not realize until she is there that it is a fundraiser for amputee children. Nala learns all about the things that those with an amputee can do. After meeting so many children and seeing her new friends’ incredible work, she is inspired to go home and make a difference of her own.
Honeycake: A Helping Hand is an inspiring picture book about the incredible good that children are capable of. This fantastic children’s book shows kids as leaders, motivators, helpers, and genuinely caring individuals. Author Medea Kalantar teaches children about amputees in a compassionate and age-appropriate manner. Kalantar does not oversimplify the facts but presents them in a conversational tone that sounds like two preteen children talking. If readers have additional questions, there is a glossary at the end to help them understand further.
Aside from the topic of amputees in this unique book, Kalantar introduces the concept of blended families and same-sex relationships, normalizing these dynamics. This book has so many examples of inclusion and compassion that it takes a lot. I love that there is so much representation in this short children’s book. Illustrator i Cenizal brings all the different elements to life, adding to the experience.
Honeycake: A Helping Hand showcases the value of helping others, giving back to the community, and doing your best to be a good person through your actions and words. This well-written children’s book is perfect for classrooms and libraries.
WOW GAL JANUARY 2020
