cute – The Constellation of Moon

Moon Reads: Lightfall – The Girl and the Galdurian

Posted on July 11, 2023

Lightfall – The Girl and the Galdurian by Tim Probert

Rating:

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

I can’t remember why I found this book so interesting, but it was on my wishlist for ages until it suddenly had a price reduction and became affordable alongside the fact that there’s now a sequel out too! So I bought it and I am so glad I did.

Let me start with the artwork which made me want to move into the woods and just live there with the characters, but it was also keeping really into the story and marvelling about everything. Then there are our main characters, Bea who is the adopted daughter of a pig wizard (adorable I tell you, and the ideas are so cute and make me smile), and Cad a Galdurian which is somehow supposed to be extinct but isn’t and this is confusing.

The whole adventure goes from “oh hey I am going to collect herbs” to epic levels quickly and to me the favourite part was that Bea has anxiety and enrves and mental health loitering and this shows beautifully int he art, you can understand how she feels, and relate to her and the situation being so overwhelming.

I think the one thing I wish I had gotten a better view of , is Cad mind, just a little bit and a bit more about the world before this, but it does go at a relatively active pace that starts slow and goes quicker untilw e get to the end of the story and now you want to read more.

Oh and the Pig Wizard grandfather figure kinda disappears, thre’s a bunch of cut interesting creatures and a lot fo epic journeys and saving the world and yet also a lot of “humanity” and kindness.

Cute story to be read together with a child, or just on your own when you need a little bit of hope and your brain is doing circles in a wheel that ti shouldn’t be running over and over, but still keeps doing. Soothing overall, and you will want the next book at the ready.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Life of Melody

Posted on January 10, 2023

Life Of Melody by Mari Costa

Rating:

When two very opposite magical beings, a fairy godfather and a beast both find a little girl in the woods and neither wants to back down, they decide to become the parents and share custody. Razzmatazz (the fairy godfather) is convinced that if he raises the baby human it will be easier to work with her when she turns into a fairy tale protagonist, and Bon (the beast) isn’t sure Razz can take care of her and thinks it is dangerous to leave her with him (and he has a point).

The main story is about them slowly learning to live together but not only that but adapting to a “human” life, where they have a job (which is a lot harder for Razz). Razz becomes a helper in a library and Bon starts helping with kids in a school. But it is not only about that but about them being parents and about slowly falling in love with each other gently and totally denying it initially until they slowly admit it and it is a very cute story.

The artwork fits the narrative and the little details of the story and the town they settle in, alongside some of the backstory of our characters. Melody (the little girl) is also a good part fo the story and helps move it along, but the main focus is this setup of almost “fake dating” but not fully that since they only do it for appearances and because they decided to co-parent her.

It made me laugh and feel all cute and lovely inside, and it is a good cosy book to read and enjoy.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Narwhal’s School of Awesomeness

Posted on November 3, 2022

Narwhal’s School of Awesomeness by Ben Clanton

Rating:

Read before: No

Ownership: Preordered because I love this series

Series: Narwhal and Jelly

If you haven’t read any of the books from the series I can highly recommend it, starting with Narwhal and Jelly. You can search for reviews on them all throughout the blog as I have loved each book and this is the sixth one.

The main thing is we have Narwhal who is enthusiastic, very friendly and extremely chaotic with a high love of waffles and a good heart. Then there is Jelly who is anxious and scared and has not a lot of friends. But they somehow become best friends and go on adventures, mostly started by Narwhal.

In Narwhal’s School of Awesomeness they decide to go to school after finding a school of fish, the puns are gorgeous and really cute. So we embark on a set of lessons by Narwhal and Jelly to the fishes on various topics they deem important, including waffles of course. It is a fun take at how cool school can be at times and learning being a good process which was very enjoyable and obviously there is the whole antics of Narwhal and Jelly and their friendship.

Overall, another winner of the series.

Book Review

Moon Reads: The Last Firefox

Posted on July 4, 2022

The Last Firefox by Lee Newbery. Illustrated by Laura Catalán

Rating:

Read before: No

Ownership: Preordered because it was irresistible

When I saw this book I knew I had to read it and add it to my foxy collection.

The Last Firefox follows Charlie as he is trying to be a little bit braver and deal with bullies at school that make fun of him, while also considering he may need to be more brave as circumstances change in his house. So when he accidentally stumbles upon some chaos and ends up with a baby firefox in his arms that needs care and may well set everything on fire plus also did anyone mention it may be the last one ever? poor Charlie is well in deep waters and needs to figure out if there is any bravery down there because it is well needed.

Thankfully he is not alone and he has Cadno, the little firefox, alongside his best friends Lippy and Roo who have bene trying to help him find his own brand of bravery and ways to stand up to the bullies. And I will actually say that it was lovely to see that the book tackles that bravery comes in different forms and we all learn to stand up strong for ourselves sin our own very personal ways so what works for one person may not work for another but that still doesn’t mean we cant do something or try to be brave. And never mind the fact that the book also features two dads, which was a lovely dynamic to see alongside the topic of adoption.

The adventures are chaotic and made me giggle but it was also how lovely and cosy this book was, the parents arent absent and there is a lot of ridiculous things going on alongside some more serious ones, plus one of the main characters is a fox that has fire and well, if you know me at all, I love fire and fire-themed things and foxes, so this si absolutely perfect. A good balance of all the good things.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Fox & Rabbit

Posted on March 3, 2022

Fox & Rabbit and Fox & Rabbit Make Believe by Beth Ferry and Gergely Dudas

Rating:

Series: Fox & Rabbit, first two volumes

Read before: No

Ownership: Found the first in Forbidden Planet, could not resist, read it ordered the second one and third.

This was an impulse buy because it had a fox and a rabbit on the cover and they are the main characters, plus they are relatively small books and easy to read. What can I say? In the same line of comics like Jelly & Narwhal, we have Fox and Rabbit who are best friends and have adventures together.

The very first one has a few episodes of stories of them having adventures and it also introduces us to other friends like the robin who is always thinking about food. I really loved the robin. Or the turtle that is always late and asking what they have missed. But overall the adventures are wholesome and sweet, and they just were a nice pause and lovely to read.

The second book picks up a little after the first and is all about using your imagination and having adventures in a variety of ways which was adorable, a bit more “fast” paced than the first book but still good.

As much as they are simple books and easy to read, they are good at touching on confidence, friendship and how to navigate certain situations, so it was lovely to read, plus I accidentally shared this with my best friend and there was a chapter that was perfect for our friendship so it felt particularly fated to be a good book.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Yuzu the Pet Vet (Vol 1 & 2)

Posted on February 19, 2022

Yuzu the Pet Vet Volumes 1 and 2 by Mingo Ito

Rating:

Read before: No

Series: Yuzu the Pet Vet

Ownership: Bought it on a shopping trip to London because they looked cute.

Yuzu the Pet Vet starts quite slow, with Yuzu having to move to live with her uncle since her mum is sick and in hospital, but her uncle is a vet and she has to help a little with the animals. But the catch si that she is afraid of animals. However, as you read, the little adventures mean that Yuzu starts paying more attention to the animals and gains confidence.

Each volume was a bunch of short stories, each focused on a visitor to the vet and how Yuzu helps, but it also overall includes more plot like her adapting to her new life, a new school, and dealing with her feelings of how to cope with having her mum being sick in the hospital and not being able to see her much, or feeling it is difficult to see her and not wanting to. They also encourage taking good care of animals and loving your pets, alongside learning from each interaction between the owners of the specific pet and the pet, and it is very cute.

The art style is adorable and the animals are always very cute, and the stories are soft and very child-friendly while at the same time dealing with hard topics at times like illness, death and other challenges but also fear and nicer things like making friends or gaining confidence.

Overall, a nice manga to read with children or to give to children to enjoy on their own. Very soft and lovely, but may cause people to want a pet and to want to be involved more with animals.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Payback’s a Witch

Posted on November 22, 2021

Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper

Rating:

Read before: No

Ownership: Bought for myself

This book was slightly outside of my usual reads, but it sounded like a good change from those usual reads. And I am glad I did.

In Payback’s a Witch you meet Emmy who is on her way back to her home town where magic is real and she is about to venture into her past. She is convinced she left Thistle Grove for good and she has a great life where she is, but the pull of magic and the memories will do a number on her. And it is not only that but the chance to gain revenge on Gareth Blackmoore, the heir to the most powerful magical family in town.

She pairs up with her best friend Linden, and also with Talia, both also heirs to the other magical families, and when they realise they all want to get that sweet revenge, chaos turns interesting.

The book overall was really sassy and with awesome witchy vibes. It leans heavily on cliches, and preconceptions of magic types, but then it turns them don’t their head at times or adds an interesting spin on it to make it its own thing and it was so nice to read. It felt a little like one does when you read a cosy murder mystery, even if there was no murder or mystery in this book particularly. And there is some romance happening here and there, alongside a lot of self-discovery and loads of revenge and payback.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and then even had to share it with friends because it left a good fluffy feel and the revenge and payback vibes were awesome, alongside some of the discoveries in the story. If you like witchy vibes, friendship, romance, and a fun adventure of a contest happening in the background, then this is the book for you.

Subscription Boxes

Moon Hauls: Magical Level-Up! Yume Twins

Posted on November 18, 2021

Subscription box: YumeTwins

Theme/Month: Magical Level-Up!, November 2021

Ownership: One off purchase since I really enjoy the contents but it becomes too much for me on a monthly basis. I am not as cutesy and cuddly as the box is, so I pick and choose the ones I cannot resist.

Yume Twins is a monthly subscription box focused on the kawaii and cute of life. It is focused on fandoms and makes sure to include a lot of items from a variety of them. They are a favourite and you can see reviews of their boxes from even as far back as 2018 because they are always good quality.

So after the Magical Girl theme tempted me too much and I couldn’t resist it, here are the contents of it:

Underneath everything, there is a small blanket from Sakura CardCaptor, it is relatively small but it fits comfortably over a lap or to warm your feet.
Sailor Moon set of cards
Ghibli stationery set which is cute
Tiny round Sanrio figurine, you got a random one from a selection of potential options.
Coffin of notes, at first it surprised me and felt odd but I think they are cute and in a nice little tin.
A squishable super soft magical cat pillow which I adore

As usual, the cutness of this wins a lot and I am very happy with everything that came in the box. No complaints, so if you’re into cute boxes, this is a lovely one. Shipping is fast, and reliable.

Book Review

Moon Reads: The Fire Fox

Posted on November 14, 2021

The Fire Fox by Alexandra Page and Stef Murphy

Rating:

Read before: No

Ownership: Preordered because it was my kind of book.

Book with foxes? Check! Book with a little bit of grief? Check! Illustrated? Check!

The Fire Fox is a lovely book with soft dreamy artwork that fits the story, and it is a lovely heartwarming, hope inspiring story. The story is about Freya and her mum going to a little cabin in the woods to get away since her dad has passed. This has made the colour leak a little away from their lives. But then Freya meets a magical fox in the snow that she befriends and follows into the forest. The trek around the area and is just beautiful to read, and I recommend it as a good night story, or to talk about grief and hope.

I also really like that it is inspired in the concept of fire foxes that spark the Northern Lights, which is a cute concept and I ended up reading up on that too.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Gustavo The Shy Ghost

Posted on November 2, 2021

Gustavo The Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago

Rating:

Read Before: No

Ownership: Bought for myself

Happy Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead)! I had to post this today since it fits perfectly with the day and the book. Gustavo is a shy little ghost who loves playing the violin. He is very good at doing all the ghostly things that ghosts do: walking through walls, haunting objects, making objects fly and glowing in the dark.

But he is shy and he finds it very hard to make friends, or queueing to buy “eye” scream (love the pun, honestly), so as the Day of the Dead comes near, he decides to be brave and do something to deal with this.

The artwork is adorable, the little Mexican details all over the place and the illustrations made my heart warm and fond, and it was such a lovely sweet story about being spooky, making friends, and being a little courage. And even though it is not focused on Day of the Dead as the main theme, the spooky topic, the shyness, everything made this little adorable book a winner in my heart, and I loved it.

Absolutely recommend as a lovely spooky season gift, or read out loud book to share with children, it may be good for talking about not just Halloween but other countries and their specific traditions.