Miss Camelia and the Hugelkultur Mound: How Miss Camelia Found Her Smile Again

Have you ever lost something?

Miss Camelia lost her voice.

Since she's a musician, that's a big thing to lose, don't you think?

What will she do to find her voice and smile again?

MISS CAMELIA AND THE HUGELKULTUR MOUND is a story by author Crina-Ludmila Cristea, with illustrations by artist Benja Hughes.

This story will reveal to you the joy and beauty of following your heart, planting seeds, being in the wilderness, and making unusual, one of a kind, friends.

Reviews (posted on Amazon) by:

J.D. Estrada

A lovely kid's book that surprised me in countless ways

When you're 40 and you read a kid's book, it's a curious experience because you need to put yourself in the place of a child when reading. Recently I read a book by Beatrix Potter because a friend asked me for my opinion on the plot and to discuss the interpretation. Although the illustrations were lovely, the story felt a bit flat for me. And this is an all time great children's book so I was wondering if it's just something I can't connect with...

Then I read Miss Camelia's book and find it absolutely charming.

This is a small book with a big heart and one that honestly made me smile a ton, because of its story as well as because of its artwork. What I enjoyed about the story was that it was both current, yet a throwback to times of simpler joys. Consider it an invitation to be less on the phone and more connecting with nature. As for the illustrations, Benja Hughes does a wonderful job of capturing the charm of Cristea's story and truly bring it to life.

Mrs Hopkins

A charming story with beautiful artwork

On the surface, Miss Camelia is a simple story about a woman who started a garden and found her smile again. But honestly, I think there is so much more to it than that. It's also a timely commentary on the hustle and bustle of our modern over-worked society. It reminds us that sometimes we just need to take a break from it all, get closer to nature, and find something meaningful in our otherwise material world.

Children will delight in the artwork, appreciate the happy ending, and fall in love with the curious cast of characters in the forest. And meanwhile, adults might just find a prescription for what ails them, while becoming inspired to take a break, put down the devices, and get their hands dirty in the garden.

Deborah Barwick

A great message

This well thought out book will appeal to confident readers in age range of around 8/13 years.

The illustrations are engaging and interesting, and the main character well designed. A small niggle was that the illustrations sometimes appear a page too late. I’d suggest the picture faces the prose mentioning the subject, rather than overleaf.

The story has a great message about ecology and conservation, and eco-minded children will learn what a hügelkultur mound is, and how to construct one. I also enjoyed the ‘escape’ of Miss Camelia from the strictures of everyday life, and how she found her place amidst nature.

All in all a thoroughly worthwhile and well-written book that would sit easily on any school book shelf.

Cristina

A wonderful book

The story of Miss Camelia and her mound is a wonderful story of rediscovery and of resilience. She teaches us that no matter how bad things can get, we can always return to our roots, dig deep into our hearts and soul and rediscover ourselves. I did love her story and would recommend that you read it too!