Review of Mister Pushkin Breaks The Ice

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markodim721
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Review of Mister Pushkin Breaks The Ice

Post by markodim721 »

[Following is a volunteer review of "Mister Pushkin Breaks The Ice" by AC Michael.]
Book Cover
3 out of 4 stars
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The book, Mister Pushkin Breaks The Ice, by AC Michael, is another collection of short stories for children. The main role is played by the cat, Mister Pushkin, the only specimen of Ukrainian Blue in Scotland. A very valuable cat is taken care of by its owner, Klem, who is often accompanied by his partner, Emma. Unlike a similar collection of stories from the same series in which most of the stories are set in Klem's or Emma's home, in this series, this is only partially the case. Following the author's idea that each collection of stories is dedicated to one season, all the stories in this series take place during the winter.

There are no illustrations in this series either, that would help readers get a better idea of Mister Pushkin's personality and better highlight certain parts of the book. An intelligent but also stubborn cat of eight kilograms often shows that he is aware of his position in society. Because of his hedonistic nature and stature, as well as his propensity for mischief, a cat named after a famous writer often seemed like Garfield to me.

What I really liked about Mister Pushkin Breaks The Ice is the personality of the main protagonist. In this series, Mister Pushkin is presented as an even braver and more determined cat, all with a refined sense of humor. Despite the fact that Mister Pushkin reacts better to the smell of salmon than to his owner's voice, he has defended the weaker than himself on several occasions. Although all the stories are of uniform quality, I would say that the story after which the entire collection of stories takes its name stands out. A curious and mischievous cat and a diamond ring were all that a gifted author needed to write an extraordinary story. Patient readers will be able to see what happened when salmon was not served in the luxury hotel and Mister Pushkin was drawn to the fish that the hotel procured for entirely different purposes. Some details, such as Mister Pushkin's attempt to communicate with the hen in Hennish, are simply fantastic.

The main objection I have to the collection of stories concerns the lack of any introduction that would introduce new readers to Mister Pushkin, his owner, Klem, and other characters and locations. The absence of illustrations within the book is very unusual for a book intended for children. I believe that one or two illustrations per story would significantly raise the quality of the book and make it much more attractive in children's eyes. In this collection of stories as well, certain details seemed to me to exceed the level of their primary readership due to their complexity.

The decision on how to rate Mister Pushkin Breaks The Ice was complex. I rate the book with three out of four stars. A refined sense of humor, adventures that seem quite natural, harmonious dialogues in the right places, and excellent coordination of well-designed characters overcome minor shortcomings in the form of the occasional excessive complexity of individual details and a lack of illustrations.

The book would be the right choice for children aged seven to ten, regardless of gender. Due to the lack of illustrations and occasionally complex details, I believe that the book is primarily intended for joint reading by children and adults.

******
Mister Pushkin Breaks The Ice
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OTrain Disene
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Post by OTrain Disene »

I love the cover of the book. It gives me Garfield's vibes.
markodim721
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Post by markodim721 »

OTrain M wrote: 26 Jan 2022, 09:26 I love the cover of the book. It gives me Garfield's vibes.
The cover of the book is superbly designed and it is a real shame that there are no more illustrations in the book itself. Thanks for the comment.
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Oyedele Tomijane
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Post by Oyedele Tomijane »

Mr. Pushkin is an awfully lovely cat, and I love reading about him. Oh to be a cat with an attitude. Thanks for the lovely review.
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Post by Vivian Stones »

Interesting review, thank you. Seems interesting.
Aisha Yakub
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Post by Aisha Yakub »

Thank you for your detailed review. This seems to be a great read, however, first time readers may have a problem getting familiar with the story.
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Sharon Christanto
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Post by Sharon Christanto »

I love the book cover! Well, the negative side is no illustration given in this book. But apart from that, I think this novel is hilarious! Thank you for the review
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Post by Unsullied »

Wonderful cover page, I'm surprised the book itself lacked enough illustrations. Thanks for the nice review.
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Sou Hi
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Post by Sou Hi »

Thanks for your interesting review. "Fish over owner" sounds like a typical way a cat would behave :D.
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Post by markodim721 »

CleverSpider001 wrote: 28 Jan 2022, 17:41 Mr. Pushkin is an awfully lovely cat, and I love reading about him. Oh to be a cat with an attitude. Thanks for the lovely review.
The author thoroughly described Mister Pushkin's character with a lot of authenticity. Thanks for the comment.
markodim721
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Post by markodim721 »

Fine Brand wrote: 28 Jan 2022, 22:08 Interesting review, thank you. Seems interesting.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment, I appreciate it.
markodim721
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Post by markodim721 »

Raymond N wrote: 30 Jan 2022, 08:20 Thank you for your detailed review. This seems to be a great read, however, first time readers may have a problem getting familiar with the story.
Exactly. After reading two books from the same series, it was easy for me to follow the stories, but I believe that this will be a challenge for readers who meet the characters of this series for the first time.
markodim721
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Post by markodim721 »

Sharon Christanto wrote: 30 Jan 2022, 11:21 I love the book cover! Well, the negative side is no illustration given in this book. But apart from that, I think this novel is hilarious! Thank you for the review
It is not a novel but a collection of stories. The stories are interesting because Mister Pushkin is also a vivid character. Thanks for the comment.
markodim721
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Post by markodim721 »

Unsullied wrote: 30 Jan 2022, 13:52 Wonderful cover page, I'm surprised the book itself lacked enough illustrations. Thanks for the nice review.
This also surprised me because the cover is well illustrated. Thanks for stopping by.
markodim721
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Post by markodim721 »

Sou Hi wrote: 30 Jan 2022, 23:20 Thanks for your interesting review. "Fish over owner" sounds like a typical way a cat would behave :D.
The author got a great insight into the character of cats and described it perfectly down to the smallest detail. Thanks for the comment.
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