Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
I am not an artist. I didn’t study art at school or college and I don’t have any areas of artistic flair so I am a complete novice on the academia of art and the techniques behind it. Elements of Art is a book which anyone, artist or otherwise, can pick up and read, become immersed in a whole new world and learn what the artists were trying to convey.
I had no idea that there are seven essentials that make up any artwork; colour, value, line, shape, form, texture and space. They’re fundamental components of any artwork regardless of the media. Then there’s the principles of art; balance, contrast, emphasis, harmony, unity, proportion, rhythm, movement, variety, repetition or pattern, and scale. See? There’s a lot more to art than you might think!
The book is broken down into two section, Part 1 is the elements of art and Part 2 uses 30 famous works of art as examples to put into practice the elements. There’s artwork there from Jan van Eyck to Andy Warhol and not just two dimensional but sculpture and film too. The chapters are packed with information but also beautifully illustrated and easy to read. I particularly like the detail that Hodge goes into with each of the artworks. It not only brings the artwork to life but ties in the knowledge in Part 1 of the different elements and makes them relevant to other artwork you might see which is not featured in the book.
I really liked reading through Elements of Art and started flicking through as soon as the book arrived. It’s really easy to pick up and put down, so although it’s not a huge, chunky book it’s actually more of a coffee table book. I learned loads about art and how it applies to the era it was created in but also about the elements and principles which I’d never thought of before. You can read the book cover to cover or just delve in to where your favourite artwork is, so you don’t need the commitment of sitting down and reading every single page, unless you want to!
This book is particularly good for art lovers who don’t have an art education and I couldn’t help but think of the GCSE and A-Level art students who would benefit from this and really enjoy it. Either way, I know that this is a lovely book to keep or to give as a gift and provides an insight to enhance any art outing.
This Christmas why not treat the book lover in your life to 2022’s most anticipated novel…
From America’s most beloved superstar Dolly Parton and its greatest storyteller James Patterson comes a thriller about a young singer-songwriter on the rise and on the run, and determined to do whatever it takes to survive.
Every song tells a story.
She’s a star on the rise, singing about the hard life behind her.
She’s also on the run.
Find a future, lose a past.
It’s also where the darkness she’s fled might find her.
And destroy her.
Run, Rose, Run is a novel glittering with danger and desire—a story that only America’s #1 beloved entertainer and its #1 bestselling author could have created.
This wonderfully mysterious novel has the classic James Patterson feel to it with a wonderfully refreshing Nashville twist.
Disclaimer – We received this item for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Wilbur the pig’s life has already been saved by Fern, but when he is sold to her uncle, he realises his life is in even more danger.
Enter Charlotte A. Cavatica, a beautiful large grey spider. Charlotte is determined to keep Wilbur from the chopping block, and comes up with an ingenious way to do just that.
This much loved tale has entertained people for generations and shows no sign of slowing.
It is an exceptional story and leaves the reader with a feeling of joy and acceptance.
I remember reading Charlotte’s Web at school and I was enchanted by it and it’s remained a real favourite of mine.
Puffin Clothbound Classics are stunningly beautiful hardback editions of the most famous stories in the world, now including a beautiful 70th anniversary edition of Charlotte’s Web, the poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl.
Disclaimer – We received this item for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Sally Hunter, is a British creator, illustrator, and author of children’s characters for TV and story books.
Most notably, Sally has gained international recognition for her classic pre-school brand: Humphrey’s Corner, as well as creating the twice BAFTA nominated, global TV show Digby Dragon and the My Unusual Friends baby retail range.
Humphrey’s Corner is a classic British children’s brand adored by many.
Nearing his 20th anniversary, Humphrey and his adorable siblings have been a cornerstone of the UK Baby and Toddler market across different areas of merchandise including children’s books, clothing, china and resin collectibles, soft toys, nursery furniture and décor, bath products, feeding, and gifts.
Humphrey is a soft and gentle, young elephant. He has an older, sometimes bossy sister Lottie and a younger brother Baby Jack. They live in a Victorian house with Mum and Dad at the top of a hill in a small town, a bus ride away from their Grandparents.
The Little Things is a wonderfully charming book featuring Humphrey, Lottie and Baby Jack. It focuses on all the little things in Humphrey’s world and is such a joy to read.
Illustrated and written beautifully, it is a real treasure and will be loved by your children for years.
I loved the warm, feel good vibe from this book and the blank pages towards the end of the book are great for adding your own moments of happiness.
In a society that isn’t always kind, it is lovely to have this book on our bookshelf as a reminder to stay happy even on the toughest of days.
Disclaimer – We received this item for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
There is something so exciting about an advent calendar isn’t there!
Even as an almost 40 something I still get a tingle of excitement when I receive an advent calendar every year and I love the magical feel of this festive tradition.
With 24 books to unwrap this festive season, Christmas will feel like it has come early for your children with these wonderful storybook Advent calendars from Igloo Books.
Disney: Storybook Collection Advent Calendar!
Enjoy a magical tale every day in the run-up to Christmas, including adventures from everyones favourite Disney characters including
Mickey Mouse and Friends – Created in the 1920s, Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character that also serves as the endearing mascot of the Walt Disney Company.
Winnie the Pooh – Pooh is arguably best known for his love of honey (or “hunny” as he spells it). He keeps a supply of pots at his home, but they are often empty due to his unending appetite.
Toy Story – Toy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated comedy film directed by John Lasseter, produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures.
101 Dalmatians – Anita, a fashion designer, and Roger, a computer game writer, have to rescue the puppies of their dalmatians from Cruella De Vil, an insane woman, who wants to use their fur to make a coat.
The Lion King – As a cub, Simba is forced to leave the Pride Lands after his father Mufasa is murdered by his wicked uncle, Scar. Years later, he returns as a young lion to reclaim his throne.
Luca – Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, the original animated feature is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides
Fill the festive season with magic and wonder with this amazing Disney Storybook Advent Calendar!
Princess Storybook Advent Calendar
Packed full of adventures, this advent calendar is sure to make Christmas extra special!
Inside you’ll find enchanting stories from all of your favourite Disney Princess films including:
The Little Mermaid – Ariel is an independent, headstrong, and determined young mermaid. She is the youngest and prettiest princess of the sea, but spends most of her time outside the palace walls of Atlantica singing, daydreaming, and adventuring with her best friend, Flounder the guppy fish, and sometimes Sebastian the crab.
Beauty and the Beast – When Belle isn’t wielding a mighty stick to strike at enemies, she’s got her nose buried in one of her favourite books.
Tangled – Rapunzel may have lived her entire life locked inside a hidden tower, but Rapunzel is no damsel in distress.
Moana – Moana is the vibrant, tenacious and optimistic daughter of the Chief of Motunui, thriving on her island but drawn to the ocean.
Mulan – Mulan proves, perhaps more than any other character, that there is more to a princess than first meets the eye.
Cinderella – Cinderella is kind to all, especially her mice friends, Jaq and Gus. She has faith that if you keep on believing, your wish will come true. With help from her fairy godmother, she gets a chance to live her dreams.
This beautiful edition also includes stories from Disney fan favourite Frozen!
Marvel Storybook Advent Calendar
Get ready to celebrate with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and spend your run-up to Christmas defeating evil super villains and keeping the world safe!
Unwrap a spectacular storybook every day, and join your favourite Marvel heroes on extraordinary adventures.
You’ll be teaming up with the likes of:
Avengers – The Avengers are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Assemble your team of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, embrace your powers, and live your Super Hero dreams.
Spider-Man – American teenager Peter Parker, a poor sickly orphan, is bitten by a radioactive spider. As a result of the bite, he gains superhuman strength, speed, and agility, along with the ability to cling to walls, turning him into Spider-Man.
Black Panther – Black Panther is the title held by T’Challa, a member of the royal family of the fictional African country of Wakanda. After the death of his father, T’Challa claimed the throne and the role of Black Panther. He was exposed to a mystical herb that enhanced his strength and agility to near-superhuman levels
Guardians of the Galaxy – The Guardians of the Galaxy are a team of intergalactic outlaws who banded together to protect the galaxy from planetary threats.
Dr. Strange – Dr. Stephen Strange, M.D., a.k.a. Doctor Strange, was the Sorcerer Supreme for Earth-616. Strange was once a brilliant but arrogant neurosurgeon, until a car accident crippled his hands. When modern medicine failed him, he embarked on a journey to Kamar-Taj in Tibet, where he was trained by the Ancient One.
Ms. Marvel – Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, is a Muslim Pakistani-American teenager from New Jersey. She possess latent Inhuman lineage activated by the Terrigen Bomb. When she was exposed to the Terrigen Mist she became a polymorph with the ability to stretch her body in almost any way imaginable.
I love the idea of bringing books into my children’s lives in the run up to Christmas as reading is such an enjoyable experience.
Disclaimer – We received this item for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
Countdown to a Killing is a different type of book to any I have read before. It used WhatsApp and emails to tell the story and as much as I wanted to hate this new story telling format, I actually loved it!
It was a really refreshing and different way to read this story and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
There were plenty of LOL (laugh out loud) moments and I found it a real delicious read.
Wen Li, an anxious young woman who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, is tormented by an incessant fear that she might have homicidal impulses.Wen falls for her self-absorbed colleague, Lomax Clipper, who is writing a whodunnit in his spare time.
Lomax is pining for Italy and a Sicilian woman he met while on secondment, despite his recurring nightmare about someone being killed on a picturesque street in Palermo.
Wen and Lomax both loathe their boss, Julian Ponsonby, who, unbeknown to them, is struggling… as is Fifi de Angelis, a vulnerable man who has been ostracised by his family.
Packed with humour, heartache and suspense, this contemporary take on the epistolary novel interweaves the different perspectives of characters whose lives become increasingly entangled.
There is a dark undertone throughout which I adored and I devoured it eagerly wanting to know what happened next.
It’s not often that a book really holds my attention before, during and after I’ve read it, but Countdown to a Killing did just that!
About the Author
Tom Vaughan MacAulay is a lawyer and lives and works in London and is also the author of Being Simon Haines.
Disclaimer – We received this item for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.
I love a good book and as soon as ‘Forgive or Forget’ landed on my doormat I couldn’t wait to get stuck in.
I am a big fan of thrillers and crime stories so this book was the perfect holiday read for me and I couldn’t put it down.
‘Forgive or Forget’ a what-why-wheredunit, tells the story of 28-year-old Alice, freshly released from prison after serving a sentence for a horrific crime and struggling to readjust to the outside world.
Weaving back and forth between the past and the present, the fast-paced and thought-provoking narrative reveals the truth behind the events years ago and accompanies Alice on her quest for closure so that she can begin anew.
Filled with suspense, this story about family, crime and the question of how far we are willing to go for those we love will keep you guessing until the very end.
If you are after a great book to read then look no further!
Forgive or Forget Author Elisabeth Krauel
About The Author
Elisabeth Krauel was born in 2001 as the youngest of four children in a bicultural Anglo-German family.
She grew up in a village near Munich where she completed her Abitur (A-levels) at the local grammar school in 2018.
From a young age she expressed an interest in reading, which was further inspired by her German grandmother who was a collector of antiquarian children’s books, and her English grandfather who ran a bookshop in a Harry Potter-esque arcade near Trafalgar Square.
After school Elisabeth spent a year working in local hospitals as a nursing intern, training with the ambulance service, and teaching English to children in Bolivia.
In 2019, she enrolled at the Friedrich Alexander University in Erlangen, Germany, to study medicine and is now in her third year there.
She completed her first novel, ‘Forgive or Forget’, at the age of 20 during the height of lockdown and it reached the Finalist stage of the 2021 Page Turner Awards.
The Review Studio 