Reviewed by Ana-Maria Leasa for Readers’ Favorite

Naughty, Cira by Rachael Martel is a short children’s book about a playful and sometimes impish cat named Cira who runs away from home. Her mouse and other toys were not enough, so the water bowl and her mother’s jewelry became a new form of entertainment. When Christmas arrived, the tree became a place of wonder and light, full of objects that Cira could play with. Will Cira be scolded for the many naughty things she has done and if so, what will Cira do? Will her mom and dad feel her absence and miss her? Will they worry? Will they look for her and where is Cira hiding?
The way that Naughty, Cira by Rachael Martel is written with the repetition of the words “Naughty, Cira” gave me the feeling of reciting a poem. I was pleasantly surprised by how well Jordan J. Kempain’s illustrations were integrated with the text and how precisely they captured the emotions on the faces and the gestures of its owners caused by the cat’s antics. I could see their love while the cat sat in bed with them and felt their distress when it left them. The illustrations featuring Cira put a smile on my face immediately, at times making me laugh at the odd way her eyes were drawn.

Stephen Kempain’s Mike and The Magic Marble is visually entrancing. Jordan Kempain’s illustrative style has the appeal of a graphic novel from beginning to end. The colors are subdued and give it an odd kind of heavy feeling on some pages, but it works in perfect juxtaposition with the narrative. There are also brighter pages that evoke happier feelings. The way that light and dark are used in the colors is nothing short of moving. The marble itself is perfectly captured on the page and it will make anyone who fondly remembers playing with marbles as a child smile a bit brighter. This is a children’s book that should be on everyone’s shelf and in everyone’s classroom. It’s a story of love, wonder, and the importance of time spent together.

Reviewed by Erin Nicole Cochran for Readers’ Favorite

Mike and The Magic Marble written by Stephen Kempain and illustrated by Jordan Kempain is a touching children’s book about a marble that finds its way to a lonely and bored young boy by the name of Mike. Both Mike and the marble find ways to entertain themselves as Mike’s dad appears to be consumed with working in his office and doesn’t always have the time to devote to Mike. The storyline created by Stephen Kempain is short and sweet and incredibly endearing. Stories involving inanimate objects that take on an animate existence are truly inspiring and they tend to end with a lot of heart, of which this book has heaps.

Stephen Kempain’s Mike and The Magic Marble is visually entrancing. Jordan Kempain’s illustrative style has the appeal of a graphic novel from beginning to end. The colors are subdued and give it an odd kind of heavy feeling on some pages, but it works in perfect juxtaposition with the narrative. There are also brighter pages that evoke happier feelings. The way that light and dark are used in the colors is nothing short of moving. The marble itself is perfectly captured on the page and it will make anyone who fondly remembers playing with marbles as a child smile a bit brighter. This is a children’s book that should be on everyone’s shelf and in everyone’s classroom. It’s a story of love, wonder, and the importance of time spent together.