AuthorMichelle Nicole Martin
PublisherOutskirts Press
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It's a scary day for a happy little dog named Princess when her family suddenly dissapears. But Princess doesn't give up! Follow Princess as her loving spirit leads her to an enchanted forest full of wonderful surpries. Share her excitement when she meets Missy, the magical butterfly who gives Princess the Crytal Heart and asks for Princess' help to accomplish her important work. Will Missy and Princess be able to overcome the wicked plans of Jaith the Joy Stealer? Find out as Princess and her new friends set forth on a magical adventure!
Reviews
I had the pleasure of reading Michelle Nicole Martin’s delightful story called Princess and Missy’s Magical Adventures: The Crystal Heart, to my children. In this adorable book, Princess faces a scary situation when she is separated from her family and ultimately lost. On her journey to find her family, Princess meets and helps people in need. Her good deeds are noticed by Missy, a charming multi-colored butterfly who befriends her and asks for her help. Princess is happy to help Missy and her friends fulfill tasks that help others who may be hurting or to enrich their lives. However, they must be careful because Jaith the Joy Stealer is lurking nearby and wishes to intervene to wreak havoc.
I felt like Michelle Nicole Martin did a wonderful job with her publication. While the story takes place involving several scary settings, the mood always stays light and optimistic. I think this is a brilliant tactic to use when writing for children. Even though this book is clearly a fantasy, I think that children can relate to the examples sometimes better then when they are given real life scenarios.
Both of my children enjoyed this book and they are ages 8 and 10. However, I do think that the storyline is geared more for younger children. Children enjoy reading about magical and enchanting lands.
As a parent, I appreciate the vivid words and description used throughout this book. I also appreciate the simplicity used to convey such strong moral attributes such as kindness, friendship and having a pure heart. The only criticism that I have is that Princess doesn’t find her family by the end of the story. I completely appreciate leaving some suspense to build up the next book in the series, but when we read the last page, the story just didn’t feel finished. It left us wanting more information and quite possibly, that was the goal.
All in all, I can’t think of enough nice things to say about The Crystal Heart. It was an endearing, whimsical fairytale that positively shows that all things can have a happy ending. I’ll be looking forward to the second book in this series, The Ruby Door.
Reviewed on 05/26/2011 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Pamela Leffler
Princess and Missy’s Magical Adventures; The Crystal Heart is a heartwarming story that children will love. Princess, a sweet dog goes out to play one day and when she returns she finds her family is gone. She waits for weeks and her family does not return. She is forced to leave by her landlord, Bulldog, due to lack of rent money. Princess becomes a homeless dog, but despite her own problems she finds joy in helping others.
Princess wanders into a magical forest and meets Misty a beautiful magical butterfly. Misty gives Princess a reward for her kindness, a magical heart that possesses powers. Princess can use the magical heart to help others in need. Princess embarks on many adventures and meets many creatures, including an evil woman who does not want anyone to be happy. Will good overcome evil, read Princess and Missy’s Magical Adventures; The Crystal Heart by Michelle Nichole Martin, to find out.
This is the perfect chapter book for children ages 6 to 10. The chapters are short and easy to follow. There are wonderful illustrations to go along each chapter full of detail and emotion. This story is filled with life lessons. Children will learn to have a good heart and always help someone in need despite their adversity. You will find a fun game in the back of the book that will help teach children the difference between what is real and what is fantasy. Children will find this fantasy chapter book delightful, a story that they will want to read over and over again.
Reviewed on 03/28/2011 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Michelle Poe
Simply written and easily a moral found, Princess and Missy's Magical Adventures: The Crystal Heart is a sweet, cute story about a dog who loses her family.
What follows is an adventure, one sure to draw any young child in with wonder and excitement.
I had a little trouble with the flow of the story, in particular what appears to be a puppy being bullied by an adult dog. My impression of this story is one that, while fiction, reflects the attitudes we encounter on a daily basis and shows that we don't always have to have a defeatist attitude and hope is always there even in the most dire of circumstances.
The illustrations are wonderfully creative and the only drawback, for me, is the lack of color.
The best feature is the small game at the end of the story about which places were real and which were fictional. I though this encouraged children to learn to read a map and want to learn.
Reviewed on 12/08/2010 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Tina Evans
Princess and Missy’s Magical Adventures: The Crystal Heart
Michelle Nicole Martin
978-1-4327-4954-5
Outskirts Press
Princess wanders from her family at Lake Wizotopia and soon finds that they have disappeared and she is all alone. When Princess is kicked out by her landlord Bull Dog because she has no money, she is left on her own with no home of her own. Princess sleeps in the alleys and eats scraps from the garbage until one night when she meets a girl named Nicole. Nicole is lost. Princess helps Nicole find her way home and from here a series of events take place that mark Princess as a wonderful dog. Soon Princess wanders into a magical forest and meets Missy, a multi colored butterfly, who has watched Missy perform her helpful stunts. She decides Missy deserves a reward, a pink crystal heart that has magical powers! Princess begins to experience many magical and wonderful surprises along with obstacles and a job to do. Will she be able to complete her task? Only the story will tell.
The Crystal Heart is a delightful fantasy story about a dog names Princess and her animal friends. The animals are all kind hearted and do good deeds to help better the lives of others. Along with everything good comes something evil and in this story it is a woman named Jaith who tries to do whatever possible to steal the joy the magical animals give to others through their good deeds. Of course good always trumps evil right?
I thought this was a cute and imaginative story with a good moral. The book has a few pictures that are black and white and consist of nine chapters and forty-seven pages. I would suggest this book for children 6-10 years of age. The book comes complete with a game in the last chapter where readers decide which places in the story were real and which were fantasy. It provides the answers with descriptions and gives the author and illustrators contact information too! It is a cute book for early readers just starting on their own or middle readers that fly solo but still like to see a few pictures.
Reviewed on 10/17/2010 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Tiffany Schlarman
