Member Reviews

Sweet story: I liked the way a sad classroom in a bleak school was warmed up by a caring little boy delivering chocolatrs to his classmates! A community brought together by chocolates is such a friendly idea to break the ice. Littles will enjoy the tale. The illustrations, while not in color on my Kindle, looked very niv=ce and detailed.

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This is a Children's book that I read to my twin boys. This is a super cute and sweet book, and this book really shows the meaning behind giving it forward. I really loved the writing in this book, but I do feel some of this book was a little wordy for small children. My boys enjoyed this book, but they did not understand when the book said the school looked "cold". They kept thinking that the use of the word "cold" meant the inside temperature of the school was cold. I had to explain what the author meant when using the word cold, but I enjoyed teaching them that words can mean different things depending on how they are used. The pictures in this book were good, and they helped to bring the story to life. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Pajama Press) or author (Sandra Bradley) 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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Set in the 1920's. When Daniel is eight years old he becomes an apprentice to his uncle at his chocolate shop. He loves learning from his uncle and who doesn't love the taste of chocolate?
Mixing up the many varieties of chocolate he learns there is more than cocoa beans in chocolate. There are special ingredients in these perfect treats and they are empathy, generosity, and thoughtful acts of kindness.
When a new lonely girl joins his classroom he brings her a golden boxed delicately wrapped chocolate hidden in her desk. This not only brightens her up but brings her out of her shell ready to help others. He does this for other children day after day. His doing this shows how the magical ingredients, empathy, generosity, and thoughtful acts of kindness spreads among the whole school and teaches this to all the children.
This is a positive book for young children. The vintage illustrations are charming and visually appealing for children. Children will enjoy how happy the children are in the book which in turn will make them feel good. This would make a very nice gift for children.


Pub Date 8 Nov 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

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This is a great story to share with elementary age students about empathy and kindness. How a seed can grow into a plant that we can harvest and then turn it onto something wonderful like chocolate, just as doing one act of kindness grows into more acts of kindness and then in return comes back to you. This will be a great book to share during SEL lessons.

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This is an adorable little book about a boy and his uncle's chocolate shop. The art and setting are adorable, and the message is as sweet as the chocolate in the book. This is a great book to share with elementary school students—and chocolate lovers everywhere!

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Coco magic- what a sweet and wonderful way to teach the littles how a small act of kindness can go a long way. I can’t wait to purchase this book for my classroom library.

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I loved this book!

Daniel is so thoughtful and caring and I love how children get to watch as one small act of kindness turns into everyone completing acts of kindness.

A fantastic addition to any library.

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"In a cozy 1920s chocolate shop, the special ingredients
in each perfect treat are empathy, generosity, and thoughtful acts of kindness."

Daniel, an eight-year-old little boy, loves helping his beloved Great-Uncle Lewis in his chocolate shop every morning. Together they make amazing chocolate creations and his uncle dubs the process magical.

A new girl named Sarah arrives at his school and she feels shy and lonely. Daniel takes note of her plight and surreptitiously begins to bring her chocolates which he embeds in tiny golden boxes. He secretly hides the boxes inside of her desk day after day. When she discovers his gifts of kindness she progressively gets happier and happier.

Daniel looks around and discovers his other classmates have difficulties too so he expands his kindness campaign to all the others in his class and even includes his teacher. How thoughtful and inclusive is that gesture from this special little boy with such a generous heart. Throughout his mission of love Daniel remains anonymous but I'm sure everyone knows who the Super Chocolatier is don't you?

Then one day Daniel feels sad and alone. To his great delight he receives a HUGE payback for all his labour of love from those around him. His spirit is immediately lifted and the wonderful gift giving spirit continues on and on because of Daniel's first small act of kindness.

The illustrations are nostalgic and perfect for that time period. It is a positive inspiring story about how one simple act can influence others to carry out thoughtful acts also. I love the story, I love the illustrations and I love chocolate. I highly, highly recommend this book.

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What a beautiful book! The illustrations are stunning. The book has a great message and a unique setting. Overall, a sweet book that I think kids will really enjoy.

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I love chocolate! A book about chocolate in me up. I didn’t know what a treat I was in for though. A nicely illustrated story with a message everyone needs to hear. How one small act of kindness can inspire the whole school to think of those around them.

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I was drawn to this story because i I like the style of the illustration on the cover, and it also seemed to be able making chocolates. I was right! I enjoy stories that show people involved in using their hands and making something. In this case it is making chocolate candies, and reading this book made me feel warm inside. I did understand the messages that were conveyed in the narrative, and the authors words at the end clarified these ideas. What I also appreciated was the notion that you can give without others knowing that you did so, that giving is a joy unto itself. Too often in our world there is a transactional attitude that if we give we either need to be paid- or to be acknowledged. This book conveys the message quietly and effectively, with charming illustrations that pair well with the images.

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I read this with our three year old and she asked for it a second time!

I loved how Daniel used his passion as a chocolatier to spread happiness among his friends. This story shows that with a little love, showing someone you care, makes a huge difference. He expected nothing in return, but when his friends noticed when he needed a gift.

Also, who doesn't love chocolate?

Thank you Sandra Bradley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Cocoa Magic!

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A nicely illustrated story with a message everyone needs to hear. How one small act of kindness can inspire the whole school to think of those around them.

We enjoyed reading the story, and my children also enjoyed pouring over the illustrations.

Thank you to Netgalley, and Publisher Spotlight for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

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This Canadian book, set in 1920s Charlottetown tells the story of a little boy who loves his great uncle's chocolate shop and begins to give small gifts of chocolate to his classmates and friends as a surprise. As the story continues he begins to see the positive impact of his gifts and one day receives gifts in return. I love that this book includes Canadian historical content, and that it shares a timeless message of the importance of giving to others and offering kindness and generosity, even to strangers. I would recommend this book to parents and teachers (Canadian and also from around the world) of children in the age 4-10 range. As a grade 3 teacher I could definitely see this book in my classroom library. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this sweet book!

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I LOVE chocolate! But I didn’t think it was possible to love it even more. This is a magical story. set in the 19020’s, about a chocolatier and his 8-year-old apprentice Daniel. Each day, Daniel learns to make chocolate from his uncle. Together they learn that making chocolates is much more than just mixing, pouring, and following a recipe. Daniel learns that the most important special ingredient is learning about others and their feelings. Daniel builds his skills in empathy through very small acts of kindness, and soon learns the return on his efforts are priceless.

The illustrations are charming and heartfelt. The sepia toned color palette and character details bring the reader back to a simpler time. Though the tale takes place in times long past, the message is timeless.

“Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?” Henry David Thoreau

Grateful to have received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley & Pajama Press.

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A chocolatey sweet, endearing and magical story of becoming aware of others’ situations, empathizing and acting with kindness, thoughtfulness and generosity. Beautiful illustrations show the coziness of a 1920s chocolate shop, the young boy’s school and how he makes friends empathetically.

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Cocoa Magic was such a heart-warming story about a young boy who works in his uncle's chocolate shop. He spreads joy to his classmates by giving them chocolate, and the joy he gives them, inspires his classmates to give back to him!

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