Cover Image: Cole and the Giant Gingerbread House

Cole and the Giant Gingerbread House

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Member Reviews

I received an advanced copy of this text by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is so sweet and full of whimsy! My kids love it and I ordered a copy for them. Highly recommend.

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I absolutely loved this book, the story is so cute, but with such depth of meaning.
The illustrations are exquisite, and the book was a joy to read to my grandchildren and I am sure will be a favourite.

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Things are looking pretty bleak for a brother and sister at the start of this story. The holidays are almost here and they are hungry and penniless. A chance meeting with a mysterious man promises them something that might change their lives. They give these siblings a magical gingerbread house and instructions on what to do with it. Cole’s sister is tempted to eat it but he decides to do what he was told instead. The next morning they both awaken in a magical place and it is clear their lives will never be the same.

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This is a Children's Book. I found this a cute book with a great message, but my problem with this book is a think the message my be to hard for a child to pick up on. I also think this book so child hungry and no one helping them really. I think to is just to much for a children's book. I also think that parents needs to know that is in the book before someone buys it. I do think that the pictures are cute. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher or author (Riya Aarini) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

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Sweet book for children with beautiful illustrations and a great meaning. I received a complimentary copy from Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Riya Aarini via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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I really enjoy the book it was well written and has some lovely illustrations

The book had a great flow to it and it was an easy story to follow and it was one that left me feeling warm and cosy inside, it has a really good underlying theme and had a really important message

I can see it being a firm favourite and one that is read again and again over the festive period

It is 4 stars from me for this one – highly recommended!!

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This is a really great book, i read this with my sister and she loved every minute! We thought it was a really lovely story and cant wait to buy it!

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Want to get some jingle, jangle, Christmas spirit on?! Grab this sweet, short Christmas picture book then!

Cole and Claudia go on a bit of a Christmas adventure and are given a gingerbread house. It's a sweet tale (pun intended) that can get you in the Christmas mood! Who doesn't love a magical tale where you can plant a gingerbread house and then suddenly wake up in one? Fantastical meets fun!

Three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Riya Aarini for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

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This was a quick Christmas read for kids. It started off with a very sad situation with the kids basically being homeless and hungry. It ended with their act of kindness being noticed and rewarded by Santa. It was an interesting concept.

Thanks NetGalley and Victory Editing for this ARC.

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Cole and Claudia are hungry and they have no money or food. Their parents are not well so they walk into town to try and find some food. With people all around them no one noticed the little boy and girl. Then a man in a red suit gave Cole a small gingerbread house with instructions to bury it in a special spot. As hungry as they were they followed the directions. The next morning Cole and Claudia woke up inside a big gingerbread house full of wonderful food and warm beds. They rushed and found their parents and brought them to their new house.

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Thank you so much to Riya Aarini And Netgalley for the earc to read and review.

What a sweet and beautiful Christmas tale, about two poor and hungry children that have incredible hearts and receive a gift they never could have dreamt of.

This is such a great story to read with your children in the holiday season, it has magic, kindness, love and most of all shares a deeper meaning to Christmas. You follow along with these sweet hungry children who meet a lovely gentleman who gives them a gingerbread house but it’s a magical one.

I loved this story it was simple but still so beautiful and had a great message to share in such a small story. I love anything Christmassy and this just gave me the warm Christmas magic.

The illustrations in this book are amazing and so detailed, if you look on every page you will see an elf that is with the children and I admired just that added extra touch of an unmentioned character. The illustrations really help to bring the whole story to life.

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On the positive side, the illustrations were very pretty. However, I'm very confused about what the "message" of the story is supposed to be. These kids are starving, with sick parents in a tent during winter, and there doesn't seem to be any support. They unsuccessfully panhandle and are given a small gingerbread house by Santa, though it's never really explained who Santa is/what Santa represents. Santa instructs the starving children not to eat the gingerbread, but rather to plant it and, crying and hungry, the kids follow his instructions, though, again, it's not really explained why they consider his instructions to be inviolable.

Overnight the planted gingerbread house transforms into a life-size house with food, clothes, etc. for the family. And...the book ends. I'm curious if this is a fable from another culture and something has been lost in translation? Because otherwise I just don't understand what we're meant to take away from this sad, troubling tale.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

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Great book for younger children, with a great meaning and beautiful, colourful illustrations.

I am 38 and this book brought it home for me, just how sad it is that there are still children living in poverty with no access to warmth or food

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I received an advance copy of, Cole and the Giant Gingerbread House, by Riya Aarini. This is a cute Christmas story. Brother and sister are starving, what are they to do? The illustrations in this book are good too.

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Cute little book to read to your younger children. Loved the story & the importance of the meaning behind it. Beautifully illustrated.

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