Customer Comments

I'm not sure why I picked up this book. I think it was because of the connection with Chechnya and Russia. Truthfully, I had to push through the first 30-40 pages... I didn't like the characters initially or find them engaging and the shifting perspective and time/date were irritating. At some point, things came together, and I had a very different experience of this book. There was a lot of pain in this book, given the war, physical violence, and brutal decisions people are forced to make. This book is very beautiful despite the heartbreak. Well worth reading, but make sure you're in a situation that you can appreciate reading about characters in very hard situations. Though it is a wonderful book, don't go for it when you want lighter escapist fare.

Our son got his first Mirabelle book (Mirabelle and the Butterfly) when he was 6 months old. It is one of his favorites if I judge by the amount of time he spends looking at it. He is one year old now, and still likes looking at the Mirabelle books. He doesn't have much patience with us reading the Mirabelle books to him. The writing is not very melodic, but our son is definitely impressed with the illustrations. When he saw his first real Boston Terrier, we said "It's Mirabelle" and he lit up. The Mirabelle series (3 books) says "For 2 & Up" but I would recommend that they are appropriate for younger kids, especially for ones who have dogs at home.