Official Review: Tiki the Rabbit: A Scary Dream

[spencermack]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Tiki the Rabbit: A Scary Dream" by Sibongile Mukandi.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Tiki the Rabbit: A Scary Dream by Sibongile Mukandi and illustrated by Mike Motz tells the story of young Tiki who has a terrifying dream and is comforted by his mother.

A scary dream is something that everyone has experienced whether young or old and is easy for the readers to connect with. I love that the author chose this theme because it can allow a child to connect with their parent or guardian about events in their life, just as Tiki did with his mother. I would recommend this book for any parents or guardian reading to their child, especially if you need to discuss the topic of scary dreams.

However, the writing style of this book is predictable and boring. The author uses the same sentence formulation for nearly every piece of dialogue and description. This creates a disruption in the flow of the writing. I also found some of the dialogue to be chunky and unrealistic. For example, when Tiki is describing his scary dream the mother says, “I am curious to hear what happened next.” The language used here is too formal for a mother to use with their child in this situation. The quote could be simplified for better reader engagement and show warmth from the mother to the child.

The best part of this book is the illustrations. Mike Motz has done a terrific job capturing the essence of the story. The characters are simple yet elegantly portrayed to the audience. I love how the illustrator has incorporated beautiful backgrounds that help create the character’s personality beyond the writing.

Due to the above reasons, I am rating Tiki the Rabbit: A Scary Dream by Sibongile Mukandi and illustrated by Mike Motz 2 out of 4 stars. Though the story was exceptionally edited, the writing style hinders the illustrations, causing me to lower my rating. I like the author’s chosen theme, but I wish they varied their sentence structure and critically analyzed which descriptions and actions are necessary for the book and which are just filler.

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Tiki the Rabbit: A Scary Dream
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[Luluwa79]

A child needs a mothers' love, care, and comfort in every stage of his or her life.
So I would love to read this book as it teaches such morals.
Thanks for the review.

[Luluwa79]

A child needs a mothers' love, care, and comfort in every stage of his or her life.
So I would love to read this book as it teaches such morals.
Thanks for the review.

[vmcelwee85]

I like that you didn't sugar coat things. I think the language in children's books is very important. Children easily loose interest if things are too wordy. If she reads your review your honesty may make her a better writer. Great job!

[SweetSourSalty AndSpicy]

The theme is promising. I hope the author takes notice of your recommendations and corrects the errors. Thanks for the insightful review.

[Yvonne Monique]

A great, honest review. Children's books might seem easy to write, but it is not easy at all to use the appropriate language.

[Drianie]

Your honesty is refreshing, and I enjoyed reading your review! The cover of the book immediately caught my attention. Hopefully, another rewrite accompanied by these beautiful illustrations could make this an amazing book that kids will enjoy!

[Cynthia Olyy]

I give it to Mike Motz for his ‘terrific’ illustrations. I hope to see more of his works. Thanks for the review.

[Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala]

While children may enjoy the book despite its predictability, as a parent, I prefer books that promote creativity and provide some mental stimulation. Thanks for the review.

[HannahsReads]

Thanks for a thoughtful review! This sounds like a great comforting message for children. It's too bad that the writing style detracts from the message.

[MURANGA9]

I like the fact that you did not shy from speaking your truth about the book. I appreciate your honesty. Thank you so much for such an awesome review.

[spencermack]

A child needs a mothers' love, care, and comfort in every stage of his or her life.
So I would love to read this book as it teaches such morals.
Thanks for the review.

Thanks for the comment!

[spencermack]

I like that you didn't sugar coat things. I think the language in children's books is very important. Children easily loose interest if things are too wordy. If she reads your review your honesty may make her a better writer. Great job!

Thank you so much for your kind words!

[spencermack]

The theme is promising. I hope the author takes notice of your recommendations and corrects the errors. Thanks for the insightful review.

I hope so as well! Thank you!

[spencermack]

A great, honest review. Children's books might seem easy to write, but it is not easy at all to use the appropriate language.

I fully agree, the language can be difficult. It's 100% engagement 100% of the time.