A positive start to a new year and I have never said that before. Once Upon A Week has a review, a five star review no less, from US website Readers’ Favorite. Interestingly, this review was initiated by Publishing Push although they did review one of my other books at my request a few years ago. The extra positive thing is that because this is not a paid for review it could have taken months for someone to elect to review it but in fact it has only been a couple of weeks. Rewind got a four star review in 2013 but it took 6 months. Trouble Cross was never reviewed because it was not picked up by a reviewer from their site but has its own 4 star review from another site.

Here it is:

Review Rating: 5 Stars – Congratulations on your 5-star review!

Reviewed By Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers’ Favorite

Fairy tales, those treasured once upon a time stories about princesses, princes, frogs, witches and so much more are a joy to read. However, these fantasy stories are more than just stories: they’re lessons, they teach us to be better people. Putting off for tomorrow what can and should be done today is pure laziness and garners no rewards. Two lazy boys, bent on wasting their time taunting a witch, will learn a valuable lesson in the curse she puts on them. A dragon child, who really isn’t a dragon, teaches an entire community that one cannot and should not live in fear and allow this fear to rule their lives. Fairy tales, classic, medieval, and even modern, both teach and entertain.

David A. Wardle’s Once Upon a Week is a collection of seven fairy tales, one for each night of the week. Each fairy tale evolves from a popular saying, like “Everything comes to him that waits” and “It is better to be safe than sorry.” The story mesmerizes the reader, entertaining while at the same time pointing out quite clearly what the characters in the story did wrong. Each story ends with an author’s note explaining the popular saying that applies to the story and what it means, both in the reader’s life and in the life of the characters in the story. The stories are well constructed and written in the ever-popular, age-old fairy tale format. A wonderful teaching tool with lots to ponder for both young and old. A treasured collection of stories.