TheRicanReader

Estimated read time: 1 minute, 15 seconds Stopping By Jungle on a Snowy Evening by Richard T. Morris, illustrated by Julie Rowan-Zoch Richard T. Morris offers a whimsical, energetic twist on Robert Frost’s iconic poem by pairing the famous poet with an imaginative child riding through the woods on a hippopotamus. The result is a playful juxtaposition—old meets new, quiet contemplation meets joyful chaos. For young readers who love poetic rhythm, fantasy, and humor, this is a lively introduction to Frost and to the idea that creativity comes from both discipline and distraction. The book’s conceit is clever: Frost is trying to write his now-legendary poem, but each time he settles into the woods, the child and his hippo interrupt him with an escalating parade of imaginative detours—snow, rain, aliens, cookie dough, and more. The poet keeps attempting to construct a line; the child keeps joyfully derailing him. It becomes a gentle tug-of-war between order and play, tradition and spontan...

Estimated read time: 1 minute Claude by Emma Bland Smith Claude is a beautifully told children’s picture book based on the true story of Claude, a rare all-white alligator born in a Louisiana swamp. From the start, his striking appearance makes the other alligators uneasy—and that difference puts him in real danger. Rescued and brought to a Florida zoo, and eventually to his permanent home at the California Academy of Sciences, Claude’s journey becomes a gentle, affirming exploration of what it means to be different in a world that doesn’t always know how to react. Emma Bland Smith tells this real-life story with warmth, clarity, and respect for young readers. She never oversells the message; instead, she allows Claude’s experiences to show how uniqueness can attract fear but also draw in people who recognize value, vulnerability, and strength. Jennifer M. Potter’s illustrations are excellent—expressive, detailed, and perfectly tuned to the emotional beats of Claude’s life. Her artwor...

Cheryl B. Klein delivers a charming, thoughtful story about two hamsters who could not be more different. Henry is quiet and orderly; Marvin is loud, fast-talking, and endlessly excited about one thing—“Seeds!” After 205 days as roommates, Marvin’s nonstop chatter finally pushes Henry over the edge. Their fallout is brief but meaningful, and their reconciliation is even better: both realize they weren’t truly listening to each other, and open communication helps them find a way to live together in harmony. The illustrations by Alwar are a standout—expressive, funny, and perfectly tuned for young readers. Kids will easily pick up on the emotions in each scene, and the art adds depth and humor to the story’s message. A sweet, relatable tale about introverts, extroverts, and the importance of understanding one another. Great for early elementary readers and a solid pick for classroom shelves. C.Francis 12/11/25

Review: Don’t Feed The Lion by Bianna Golodryga and Yonit Levi (Estimated read time: 2 minutes) 
My thanks to NetGalley and Arcadia Publishing for providing an Advanced Reader’s Copy. Childhood is rarely simple. Most of us remember the awkwardness of those preteen and teenage years—the uncertainty, the longing to belong, the sting of every slight, real or imagined. Now place yourself back in that fragile space and imagine seeing your locker at school defaced with a swastika painted across it. What does a 13-year-old do with that kind of hate? In Don’t Feed The Lion, journalists Bianna Golodryga and Yonit Levi take that moment and widen it into a timely, deeply human story about antisemitism, courage, grief, and the fragile ways young people build meaning when the world shows them its ugliest side.
 Theo, a Jewish teenager and gifted soccer player, is thrust into a crisis he never asked for. His response is not heroic in the cinematic sense—it is confused, painful, halting, and hone...

Review: A Buddhist Path to Joy by Mel Pine - Read Time 2 minutes  Advanced Reader’s Copy courtesy of NetGalley Mel Pine sets out to explore the promise of joy through a Buddhist lens—a timeless topic with the potential for clarity, comfort, and guidance. Unfortunately, A Buddhist Path to Joy rarely finds its center. What begins as a sincere attempt at spiritual illumination gradually dissolves into digressions, redundancies, and thematic meandering that obscure the book’s more valuable insights. There are moments where Pine succeeds: an anecdote that lands, a practical reminder about compassion, a succinct explanation of mindfulness that cuts through the fog. These flashes of usefulness suggest a more focused book hiding inside a much larger, less disciplined one. Readers willing to sift will find a few helpful nuggets. But those moments are overshadowed by the sheer volume of material that feels tangential or unnecessary. Rather than guiding the reader along a coherent path, the n...