There are ten fascinating tattoos of sea creatures in this little book. There's an ultra-colorful blue crab, a stately nautilus, a sprawling octopus, a graceful zebra lionfish, a lovely little blue spotted stingray, an ephemeral sea nettle, a tiny anemone, a sturdy northern sea star, a spiky northern lobster, and a whelk shell.

My three-year old boy got this as a birthday present. Once he saw it demonstrated on "daddy's" stomach (i.e., one temporary tattoo applied), he wanted one. We add one new tattoo each five days or so, just as the previous one wears out. He loves them, is learning the names of sea creatures and giggles like crazy when asked to show off his "lobster" or his "nautilus". I'm here to buy another copy!

After wearing out the copy at my local library, I decided it was time to buy my own copy of The Hawk and the Jewel. It was well worth it as I have read it many times since. I have been a reader my entire life, but Lori Wick is by far the most captivating author I have ever read. Perhaps it is because I should have been born in the eighteenth century, but Wick's series "Kensington Chronicles," from which this book comes, is one to read over and over.

Set in the English days of dukes and duchesses, peasants and servants, this novel relates the story of a young girl named Sunny and her coming to grips with herself, the Lord, and love. You will be captured into the moving story as Sunny learns that her family is not what she thought it was and is thrust into a new life completely different from anything she has ever known. You will feel Brandon's compassion as he watches Sunny try to cope with the hurt and betrayal she feels. You will rejoice with her family when she comes to know the Lord, and cry with her when she feels the knife of rejection. You will laugh at her spirited ideas, and feel the magic surrounding her as she grows older. You will experience Brandon's pain as his life seems to come crashing around him, and want to hold Holly as she deals with an unrequited love. If you are a lover of fairy tales, or simply want to get lost in a good story, allow Lori Wick to take you back a few hundred years and live in England for awhile. You will fall in love with it.

Praise to Lori Wick for her outstanding and truly profound way of writing. "The Hawk and the Jewel" was the third novel that I read by Lori Wick but it is my absolute favorite--I finished the book in about five hours. It was just that good. This book is a must-read for all ages. You will fall in love with the spirited Sunny and hope that you yourself can find a love like that, which is shared between Sunny and Brandon. This book is full of excitement, mystery and of course romance. You won't want to put it down.

The Hawk and the Jewel was the first Lori Wick book I have read, and I was so impressed! The suspense and the captivating story line and setting were enough to make me forget the world outside and read for many hours straight. The frustration of wondering whether Sunny and Brandon will really end up together was worth it all by the end of this wonderful book. And the way Wick intertwines the Bible and Christianity with the stories was very refreshing and welcome.