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100pagesaday's review against another edition
3.0
The magical town of Lake Zuron is surrounded by icy mountains. The town is warmed by the fires of its resident dragon, Daniel. The town is inhabited by all kinds of animals. However, some animals have deemed themselves better than others and decided that they should be in charge while other animals work in menial tasks. However, all of this changes when Daniel the Dragon's fire goes out. A chill sweeps over the town. Spark, a mouse who is considered a 'Streeter' speaks up and thinks of a way to relight Daniel's fire. This fix is only temporary though, so Spark volunteers to cross the icy lands and face the beasts that terrorize the land in order to save their dragon and their home. It is determined that Spark's supervisor, a weasel named Veen will make the trip with Spark. Veen has always looked down on Spark, but Spark's courage throughout the trip might just change his mind.
A Little Spark is a fun adventure featuring animals of all kinds. There are many great messages in this book, the biggest being to believe in yourself no matter how others perceive you. There are also great messages about courage and being able to change. The writing is aimed at middle grade readers and crams a lot into a relatively short book. I would have loved more back story into how the world became icy, the animals were saved and the towns developed. Spark's character showed how your size, station, or how the world perceives you does not determine your worth or capabilities. Veen's character shows that it is possible to change your outlook and feelings about yourself and other. The pictures were colorful and lively and did help me imagine the story; however, they could have been better. The book was enhanced with QR codes that led to songs that the characters sang. This was really cool interactive, especially for kids who are new to reading on their own.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
A Little Spark is a fun adventure featuring animals of all kinds. There are many great messages in this book, the biggest being to believe in yourself no matter how others perceive you. There are also great messages about courage and being able to change. The writing is aimed at middle grade readers and crams a lot into a relatively short book. I would have loved more back story into how the world became icy, the animals were saved and the towns developed. Spark's character showed how your size, station, or how the world perceives you does not determine your worth or capabilities. Veen's character shows that it is possible to change your outlook and feelings about yourself and other. The pictures were colorful and lively and did help me imagine the story; however, they could have been better. The book was enhanced with QR codes that led to songs that the characters sang. This was really cool interactive, especially for kids who are new to reading on their own.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
elizabethferguson's review against another edition
2.0
A Little Spark is a children’s story aimed at ages 7 and up. It has a pretty basic plot and features an unassuming but brave little mouse-turned-hero named Spark. When Daniel the Dragon’s fire goes out, Spark goes on a quest to save his hometown of Zuron from the encroaching ice. Along the way, Spark and Veen the weasel conquer slippery slopes, face off against ice monsters, and meet villagers from a town similar to their own.
For how long this book is (about 160 pages), it seemed underdeveloped, and the ending felt rushed. I think part of this had to do with the number of characters in the story. There were too many for all of them to be well developed, so none of them were. Spark’s journey also seemed unnecessary when, at the end of the story, it was a magic spell cast by a minor character who hadn’t been seen since the beginning of the book that saved Zuron. Lastly, the Together Forever ceremony was just a wedding, so why not call it that?
I also wasn’t a huge fan of the illustrations. They seemed fuzzy, and some pictures looked like poor attempts at Photoshop. I was also prepared for this to be a book about a dragon when I first saw the cover since it was the first thing my eye was drawn to; the mouse is minuscule by comparison. I certainly wasn’t expecting the dragon to play as small a role as it did.
Overall, A Little Spark is a cute story, but it’s lackluster in its premise, characters, and artwork. The book does have accompanying songs that can be accessed via QR code within the story, which was a cute little bonus.
For how long this book is (about 160 pages), it seemed underdeveloped, and the ending felt rushed. I think part of this had to do with the number of characters in the story. There were too many for all of them to be well developed, so none of them were. Spark’s journey also seemed unnecessary when, at the end of the story, it was a magic spell cast by a minor character who hadn’t been seen since the beginning of the book that saved Zuron. Lastly, the Together Forever ceremony was just a wedding, so why not call it that?
I also wasn’t a huge fan of the illustrations. They seemed fuzzy, and some pictures looked like poor attempts at Photoshop. I was also prepared for this to be a book about a dragon when I first saw the cover since it was the first thing my eye was drawn to; the mouse is minuscule by comparison. I certainly wasn’t expecting the dragon to play as small a role as it did.
Overall, A Little Spark is a cute story, but it’s lackluster in its premise, characters, and artwork. The book does have accompanying songs that can be accessed via QR code within the story, which was a cute little bonus.
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