Vivienne finds something joyful in all the sights she sees as she wanders the Paris streets. She brings sparkle and wonder to her experience and that is shared with readers.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

This is a story about how a young Parisian girl spends her day, at least when she doesn't have school. She goes all over Paris, it seems, although she probably remains in a single arrondissement. She visits her favorite shops and gets some of her favorite treats, and just spends the whole day wondering around this heavily populated city. As an American parent of a teenager and a tweenager, I have a hard time wrapping my head around this being allowed. But as an American who spent several years living in Germany, I recognize that things we would never consider allowing our children to do here in the US, are actually pretty commonplace elsewhere in the world.

The illustrations had a soft, wispy feeling to them and did a wonderful job of showing all the places that Vivienne visits on her day wondering around her neighborhood. This is a book that I'd probably be okay reading a few times when requested without getting annoyed. Overall I give this book 4.165 out of 5 stars.

An extremely thin story with no real narrative, direction, depth or resolution. Just a girl describing sights, sounds and smells in Paris but we don't ever really get to know her or any of the characters. The writing is awkward and stilted. Despite all the descriptions and imagery, the book fell flat for me and certainly does not evoke wanderlust.

Vivienne in Paris is said to be a children's book but does not seem like one. The text-to-illustration ratio is off and so is the layout on my device. Also, there's vocabulary that might be way above a kindergartner's reading level.

Nevertheless, I appreciate the author's intent. The cover is gorgeous and I would love to see the illustrations in full colour (they are grayscale on my digital arc). Perhaps my reading experience will be more better with a physical copy. But on Kindle, it was an underwhelming read.

Vivienne in Paris, by Maria Castellucci Moore, Illustrated by Emanuela Mannello
Vivienne in Paris follows a young local girl on a journey to discover what makes her feel true happiness as she visits her favorite bakery, an opera, a flower shop and much more. This cute book with beautiful illustrations shows how mindfulness of the surrounding world can help harness your senses of sight, sound, smell, and taste to bring yourself great joy.

Readers will enjoy the colorful illustrations, with a soft palette of pastel colors pleasing the eye, simultaneously invoking feelings of calm and peace in the reader. The illustrator succeeded at displaying Vivienne’s various emotions as she enjoys her surroundings, and the imagery helped support her transformation as the story progressed.

The author’s rich descriptions of Vivienne’s surroundings help readers imagine that they are on a sensory journey through Paris, as they learn more about her lifestyle in a new city other than their own. Vivienne In Paris incites curiosity about the culture of other cities across the world and sparks a love for travel in children.

This book is a perfect read for summer, with its colorful, summer-themed illustrations.

A beautiful journey through Paris for young readers. This is a picture book I would probably aim at KS2 simply for the quite advanced vocabulary. With beautiful illustrations and a focus on the senses, this story could be set anywhere, and could even be used to encourage readers to go on their own mindful journey around their locality. It reminds readers to really stop and appreciate the things they see, feel, smell, hear and taste as they take a journey and exposes them to some quite advanced vocabulary, including a little French,

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the electronic ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

What a charming little book!

Vivienne is Paris was splendid! A beautiful story with GORGEOUS illustrations, about enjoying the simple things we take as granted in our day to day lives. Following Vivienne we see her spend a day where she follows her regular routine paying attention to the joy it brings to her. The story is short, well written and makes the perfect tale for children and adults alike!

The illustrations in this book are exquisitely colored, making them a real pleasure to look at! And the message is a good one: that taking the time to really notice what your senses are encountering can refresh and invigorate you, bringing a new feeling of happiness to even everyday encounters. I enjoyed this very brief story and its beautiful pictures.

This was cute. A nice way to share Paris will a little and learn a few French words while reading. It did seem there was quite a lot of text per page and I would have liked to see it a bit more broken up. But the pictures were lovely and it was a cute read about finding happiness.

Vivienne in Paris is such a delightful and enchanting book. It has beautiful illustrations and author’s writing is enthralling. I enjoyed every second of it.

This follows the odyssey of a young Parisian girl as she discovers the true joy in enjoying today and finding a little happiness in everything. The book is like a breath of fresh air. To find her true happiness, Vivienne go to her usual places and she discovers her favourite smell, sights, taste, feel and the exquisite beauty of Paris, places, people, memories and conversations and sounds makes her feel alive and she finds her true happiness.

Small things gives us happiness but when we become busy in life, we often forget about the places, memories, people, and sights that truly capture our heart. This book will give such a precious message to children and it will fill their heart with such a delight, enchantment and liveliness. It’s really short, you can read it in an hour or less than that.

Thank you Netgalley, Publisher, Author and Illustrator.

What an exquisite treat! Vivienne in Paris is a gorgeous illustrated children’s book. It tells the story of how Vivienne spent the most perfect Sunday in the famous French city. The author struck the right balance between substance and aesthetics. Children’s books deserve a fair amount of text to actually tell a story that is brought to life with the illustrations, and I’m glad this one chose to go that way. Besides, the story is actually very cute, the pictures are just oh so precious, channeling an idyllic vision of Paris to daydream to your heart’s content.

A fabulous moment of escapism for book lovers of all ages, if you enjoy delicately crafted books.

I received an ARC of this children's book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful book. The pictures are beautiful and the story was great!

This was a delightful and engaging book to read to my niece. She and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is fortunate that I can speak some French to pronounce some of the phrases spaced throughout, which was also a delightful surprise. However, the English interpretation is also there, so French isn’t necessary.

A sweet book with adorable illustrations that will make any child want to rush to Paris. The language is too often awkward, though, and the translations of French might have been better tucked below the main text so as not to interrupt the flow of the story (and allow children to try and figure out the language for themselves).

This was a sweet short book about finding things that make you happy and Vivienne's love for her city, Paris. She uses some French words in her tale and tells us about her relaxing Sunday enjoying the best Paris offers.

This was a great children’s book that teaches kids how to appreciate the simple things they do every day. Vivienne sees things differently on a particular Sunday when she takes the time to take everything in whether it’s the sites, smell, taste etc…
I feel this book can be appreciated by all ages since we tend to forget to be grateful every day for the small things that we often take for granted. I highly recommend this book. The illustrations were well done and went perfectly with what the author was conveying.

Vivienne in Paris is so beautifully illustrated it whisks you away to Paris! The story of mindfulness is perfect for young readers and in today's always hectic modern world. I love that grandpere is the advice giver of this story and it adds a wonderful homey feeling of love to the book. This is a delightful read that will make your kids ask you to pronounce the French over and over again, and they will beg to go Paris.

Vivienne in Paris is a gorgeously illustrated children's book that follows Vivienne as she adventures around her city while truly appreciating the experience it brings her 5 senses. It is definitely advanced vocabulary for younger readers, but I enjoyed reading it to my 4 year old simply for word exposure. My 4 year olds biggest quip was, "Vivienne looks too young to adventure alone!" haha. Lovely story otherwise :)

Thank you to Amplify Publishing, Mascot Kids and NetGalley for this ARC.

"Vivienne in Paris" is a beautifully illustrated children's book that follows the adventures of a young Parisian girl named Vivienne. As she explores her city, she discovers what makes her feel alive and joyful, from the smells of freshly baked croissants to the sounds of street musicians.

One of the things I appreciated about this book is how it seamlessly integrates French words and phrases throughout the story. As a parent, I loved the educational aspect of this, as it helps children to learn new vocabulary and immerse themselves in another culture. As Francophones, we don't often get to see our language integrated in English books we love, so this was a wonderful change. We both felt a kinship with the French vocabulary and culture seamlessly integrated into the story. It was a joy to see familiar French phrases and landmarks sprinkled throughout the book, adding an extra layer of cultural immersion that made the story even more special for us.

The book also explores the concept of mindfulness, which is a great lesson for children. Vivienne reminds us that by being present in the moment and paying attention to our surroundings, we can experience wonder and joy in the world around us. This is an important message for children who are often so caught up in their thoughts and worries that they forget to appreciate the beauty in their everyday lives.

The illustrations in "Vivienne in Paris" are charming and sweet, with a soft and dreamy quality that perfectly captures the mood of the story. My daughter loved looking at the pictures and pointing out the different landmarks and objects in each scene.

While I enjoyed the book, I did find that some of the vocabulary was a bit advanced for younger readers. My daughter needed help understanding a few of the words and phrases, which interrupted the flow of the story a bit. Additionally, while the book's message is clear throughout, I felt that the ending could have brought it all together in a more satisfying way.

Overall, "Vivienne in Paris" is a delightful children's book that will inspire young readers to explore the world around them with wonder and curiosity. It seamlessly integrates French language and culture into the story, while also teaching important lessons about mindfulness and the beauty of everyday life. Despite some minor flaws, I would recommend this book to any parent looking for a sweet and educational story to share with their child.

Vivienne in Paris is an absolute must read!

The enchanting story follows a young Parisian girl who finds joy and curiosity in all that she encounters throughout her exploration of Paris.

This charming and delightful tale is written with precision and filled with beautiful illustrations that paint a vivid picture of the City of Light. Whether you're a Francophile or simply have a love for exploration, Vivienne in Paris is sure to ignite your heart and leave you with an abundance of newfound appreciation for all that this wonderful city has to offer.

An absolute pleasure to read!

Ages 4 - 8

This adorable little story book
” Vivian in Paris” is a delightful read for children of all ages between 3 and 103!

It tells a story of a young girl, Vivian, who visits with her grandfather. Her grandfather asks when she has felt the most alive and full of spirit.
She goes about her routine on Sundays, visiting some of her favorite places in Paris. She visits a flower shop, the opera house, a boulangerie, and other memorable stops.
With her visits to her usual stops on any given Sunday, she really becomes mindful of what she smells, tastes, sees, hears and touches. Her grandfathers question gets Vivian to fully experience her favorites stops on her routine Sunday. She finally becomes aware of possibilities that she didn’t think of before.
This is a book truly about being mindful and appreciating your surroundings. The title of the book which happened to include the word“ Paris”, is what led me to want to read this book. I truly find that the sights, sounds, and all my senses are very peaked when I am fully aware of my surroundings, whether it is in Paris, or in my own hometown.
This is why I believe that this book, albeit a children’s book, is really for children ages 3 to 103.
The illustrations in the book were colorful, adorable, and relatable.
My concern regarding this book is with some of the vocabulary that might be a little harder for younger minds to understand. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it can allow for discussions with a parent or grandparent to read with a child. Conversations regarding places to visit or interests can develop from reading this little gem of a book.
I would have loved to have had more exposure to the gardens, museums, chapels, Eiffel Tower, artists, and other notorious grandeurs of Paris France.
I recommend this to share with your friends, your age, and with the little people in your life.
🗼🎡🥐🌷

I just reviewed Vivienne in Paris by Maria Castellucci Moore. #VivienneinParis #NetGalley
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Many thanks for this opportunity to spread the review. Thanks to NetGalley and Mascot Kids!