“When Lulu went to the zoo…

she was sad for the giraffes and the penguins too.

The tigers were crying really big tears

and the life had gone out of the llamas’ ears.”

Sneaking into the animal cages to have a quick chat, Lulu (who is two times two years old) discovers that all the animals dream about is being free.  So one night she lets them all out of their cages and smuggles them back home with her.  Unfortunately, despite her claim that “There’s room for you all, from elephant to mouse” a whole house full of zoo proves to be rather too much for a four-year-old to handle.   ”The fridge was too full of penguins and seals.  There was no room for food, so no one had meals.”  The polar bear in the bath is also a bit of an issue.  When the zoo-men arrive to take back the animals, what will Lulu do?

This is a delightful little story with superb illustrations.  Andy Ellis’ spiky drawings capture the zoo animals perfectly and are full of humour.  The penguins and seals poking out of the fridge are highly amusing and the bewildered expression on the face of the postman under seige from a porcupine and a gang of small brown furry creatures is perfectly captured.  Although the rhyme is not always perfect and is not as polished as it might be, the story is well-expressed and it trips along easily with a simple, readable rhythm.

The story has a clear message about zoos, and although to be fair there are few zoos in Britain that are as old-fashioned as this the point is still a valid one.  Even quite young children will learn from this and it would form the basis for a good discussion with older readers about the sort of conditions that animals in captivity should be entitled to.

A charming, attractive story.

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax took the top spot at the box office this weekend. I’m not surprised. Not only was it released close to the beloved author’s birthday, but many schools–especially around here since Theodore Geisel grew up about ten minutes from where we live–read The Lorax during their Dr. Seuss day celebrations. With the voice talents of Danny DeVito, Ed Helms, Zac Efron, Taylor Swift and Betty White, to name a few, I have a feeling audiences will be busting a gut if they go see this movie.

You can check out the trailer and other free downloads at www.theloraxmovie.com.

Do you and your family plan to see the movie or have you already been? Feel free to share your thoughts.

The Baby Touch series was created by Ladybird books in 2005 and since then a number of books in the series have won awards. They are popular with both parents and educators for their bright, simple graphics, the variety of textures, the peekabo holes and the dialogue that they invite between parent and baby.  The Ladybird website suggests they are aimed at ages 0-2 but different books will be appropriate at different stages of that journey and with different children.

Quack Quack

This is more suitable for younger babies but is a good first word book. The animal tabs are a brilliant way to encourage babies of around 6 months and older to turn the pages themselves and the smiley faces of the various animals are very positive.  Each double page has a group of animals on the left with names and some noises, and a larger picture on the right with a textured area to touch.  The animals are grouped roughly into jungle animals, farm animals, sea creatures, pets and garden animals so will help babies starting to establish a sense of groups and categories.

The text clearly aims to encourage interaction between reader and child and to develop basic social skills.  Next to each tab is a little conversation.  “Hello, Lion. Roar!” “Miaow! Miaow! Hello, cat.” (I would like to award bonus marks for the proper spelling of miaow, which is satisfying!)  There are also built-in ‘instructions’: “Feel her soft wings”; “Baby, say “Ooo-ooo,” like a monkey.”  This is great for those who are not so confident with reading as in encourages the kind of talking that helps children develop language skills.  However it does come across as slightly patronising.

Playbook

This is a hard book to read as it leaps about all over the page and its non-linear approach makes it hard to work out what to read next.  Not one for children who like their books read the same way every time as you could never possibly remember! That said, it means there is a lot to explore and would make this of greater interest to slightly older toddlers and perhaps even those of two years plus.  There is no real theme to the book but there are some flaps, some nursery rhymes, some shapes, some textures, some holes and some animals to say hello to.  As the name suggests there are good things to play about with; plenty of things to count, for example, and various learning opportunities such as the colours of the rainbow, the basic shapes and some animal names.

Some things are very irritating, however. For some reason the ‘tall’ flower (which is fun as it has a mirror at the top) is paired with a ‘small’ one, instead of a ‘short’ one.  Only half of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is printed in the book.  The garden snail rhyme is, I think, printed wrongly.  There is a disembodied baby face which follows you disconcertingly from page to page and the final group of touchable textures makes a spurious distinction between ‘fluffy’ and ‘soft’.  The flaps, too, are poorly designed; they attach at very narrow points and are too easy for enthusiastic babies to rip.

Although you can see the premise behind this book and the play it attempts to encourage through its diverse choices of text and graphics on each page, the actual effect is too bitty and bewildering.  Young babies would simply be too distracted by the number of pictures in front of them, and for older babies the concepts are not really developed enough to make for useful learning.

Rhyme Book

This is an original way of presenting a rhyme book.  It contains five classic nursery rhymes with a large bright picture on one page and some porthole pictures on the other.  The idea is that children should spot the little pictures in the larger one - particularly good fun as some are furry!  The nursery rhymes are suitable for all ages but the picture spotting gives this book some longevity, or an activity you can do with an older sibling whilst reading to the baby.

In summary…

Overall this series has many positives.  A lot of thought has gone into each book and although the Playbook is not convincing all three have been enjoyed.  They encourage active reading and discussion between parent and child and are (for the most part) big, bright and sturdy.  Certainly it would be worth looking at other Baby Touch books to find ones that would suit your child.

What they do lack, however, is charm.  The pictures, by Fiona Land, feel like graphics, not illustrations, and to be honest the identically bland smiling faces become irritating very quickly  The learning feels a little forced, as if designed by committee (which it may well have been) and everything about them is just a little too obvious.

Excellent beginner books for babies that you can pick up and put down and leave with them to play about with.  Should probably be avoided with older toddlers who would be better served by books that develop their vocabularly in more interesting ways and introduce them to narrative.

Get ready for a zany book filled with useless advice in Don’t Juggle Bees! by Gerald Hawksley.

A rhyming book that shares Dos and Don’ts, this book will have you and your kids laughing out loud. Filled with advice like, “Do remember where you keep your toes,” and “Don’t share your bath with a crocodile,” Hawksley really knows how to tickle your funny bone. His colorful illustrations are just as silly as the text.

I highly recommend Don’t Juggle Bees! if you’re looking for a quick and fun read.

Rating: 

• File Size: 1747 KB
• Publisher: Gerald Hawksley; 1 edition (September 22, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• ASIN: B005OZ6ROE
• SRP:  $2.99

I downloaded a free copy of this book to my Kindle. I received no monetary compensation for my review.

Less a book than a phenomenon, more than 3 million copies of The Gruffalo have been sold in over 30 countries worldwide.  Published in 1999, its most prestigious award was the Smarties Book Prize that year.

“A mouse took a stroll through a deep dark wood…”

The tiny mouse encounters three hungry predators on his (probably ill-advised) walk through the woods.  Each time, he manages to put them off by suggesting that he is meeting up with the Gruffalo, a – so he thinks – fictitious monster “with knobbly knees and turned out toes, and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose.”  This creature gets more and more developed with each telling of the tale.  As each animal thinks better of eating the mouse he scoffs to himself “doesn’t he know? There’s no such thing as a Gruffalo!”  At least, he does until he suddenly runs into one himself.

Faced with the terrifying prospect of his own creation (shades of Frankenstein, perhaps!) the quick-witted mouse decides, with incredible bravado, to claim that he is the most terrifying creature in the wood.  Of course the other creatures are terrified when the mouse returns with an enormous hairy monster and quickly disappear, leaving the less than quick-witted Gruffalo ‘astounded’.  All it takes is the suggestion that the mouse might fancy some Gruffalo crumble and off he runs.

The Gruffalo has been made into a CGI animation in which Axel Scheffler’s world comes attractively to life, and some well-known voices provide those of the central characters.

So why is this book such a success?  Part of it is down to the story – the repeated tripartite structure and the universal appeal of the successful underdog in the shape of the cunning little mouse.  Axel Scheffler’s Gruffalo is instantly iconic.  And Julia Donaldson’s verse is at its pared down best, with creative plays on the potential favourite foods of the Gruffalo:

” ‘Where are you meeting him?’

‘Here, by this stream.  And his favourite food is owl ice-cream!’ “

Perfectly crafted and beautifully illustrated, three million readers can’t be wrong: a modern classic.

Jekyll the cat has a book full of advice for kids of any age in Jekyll Says…Good Deeds Cats Do, That You Should Too! by D.C. Blackbird.

From waking up happy to getting plenty of rest, from eating healthy meals to dressing your best, and from being a hard worker to being proud of who you are, this book is filled with tons of advice. Inspired by the real life Jekyll, D.C. Blackbird immortalized his beloved pet in a rhyming book that is helpful and fun.

Young children will enjoy the flow of the prose as they move from section to section. The story is so sweet and the rhymes flow so well, it’s possible they will forget they are learning anything. But learn they shall the importance of being clean and being someone’s hero, and so many other things. Adults could heed Jekyll’s advice too.

While I like that this book has wide appeal, I wonder if it would be better to have two different series going:  one for kids and one for adults. Why would a child think about dressing his best? While being a hard worker is important, arriving early and not being lazy might be concepts that are beyond a young child’s comprehension. Defending the helpless is something they won’t understand much at all, and children are the helpless in many situations.  

The illustrations provided by Christine P. Flores are fabulous. Filled with bright colors and humor, they capture exactly who I felt Jekyll was as I read the book.

I would love to read more books in this series.

Rating: 

• Paperback:36 pages
• Publisher:CreateSpace (December 9, 2011)
• ISBN-10:1468057243
• ISBN-13: 978-1468057249
• SRP:  $7.75

I received a free copy of this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book in exchange for my honest opinions. I received no monetary compensation of any kind for this review.

This well-known collection is less a story than a collection of poems linked by the idea that ‘funny things are everywhere’.   It’s filled with Dr Seuss’s imaginary creatures – not just red and blue fish, but the Zans, the Gox, the Gack, the Nook, the Ying, the Yink and the Yop, not to mention poor Ned in his too-little bed.

‘Dr Seuss’ was one of several pen names used by the American writer and cartoonist Theodor Seuss Geigel.  Geigel had written several books before being approached by William Ellsworth Spaulding, (director of the education division at Houghton Mifflin).  Spaulding had read a report on illiteracy in American schools which concluded that young children were not reading because the books were too boring.  He compiled a list of 348 words he felt were important for first-graders to recognize and asked Geisel to trim the list to 250 words and write a book.  This book was The Cat in the Hat, and Seuss followed it with several other lively, creative books with a vocabulary that made them accessible to young children.  One Fish Two Fish was published in 1960.

The great thing about Dr Seuss books is that the constant rhymes and galloping rhythms make them a joy to read aloud.  Not only that but the visual image of the rhymes on the page – for example Nook, cook, hook, book – clearly shows a young child learning to read how the change in first letter affects the pronunciation of the word.  It is a subtle and effective lesson in phonics.

One Fish Two Fish is an enjoyable collection of poems.  Notable highlights include a larged tusked creature in an enormous bottle being carted cheerfully home by two small children.

“Look what we found / in the park / in the dark.

We will take him home / We will call him Clark.

He will live at our house. / He will grow and grow. / Will our mother like this?

We don’t know.”

The zany, unpredictable animals are brought to life by Seuss’ dancing verse and even very young children should enjoy the sounds before they can appreciate the meaning.  By no means his best, but still a good read.

This fabulous little book was an unexpected hit for us – and bought for 99p at one of those factory outlet type bookshops.  It has been in constant demand for nearly three years by both little bookworms and was the first book that the elder one learned off by heart.

Cleo is a lonely little cat who sets out to find a friend.  She wanders into a home and, although initially frightened, when she is given a saucer of milk she calms down and falls asleep purring in someone’s lap.

Caroline Mockford’s drawings are absolutely exquisite – bright, simple and stylish – and the text is short and sweet.  There are only a couple of lines per page and the story trips along gently in rhyming quatrains.

It’s very short, so great for babies, and the falling intonation at the end makes it an effective bedtime story:  “Cleo licks her paws / Cleo takes a leap / Cleo starts to purr / Cleo falls asleep.”

A lovely little book.

What would you do if one day you woke up and instead of your brother there was a monkey sleeping in his bed? Monkey Made Dream by Tom Listul and Heather Listul Hewitt is an imaginative tale of one girl’s big surprise and the day that follows.

This is an adorable book. A girl wakes up to find her brother isn’t in his bed. Instead, there’s a monkey. Funny thing is no one–not their mother, their teacher, or their classmates–sees anything wrong with her brother being a monkey. It’s like they don’t seem him as a monkey at all. This reminds me of Wacky Wednesday by Theo LeSieg, where one person can see things all crazy, but no one else can.

The rhymes keep the story flowing along at a nice pace, and the illustrations, while simple, add so much character to the story.

Monkey Made Dream is destined to get some laughs from young readers. They’ll enjoy this one.

Rating: 

• Paperback:40 pages
• Publisher:Trafford Publishing (December 8, 2010)
• ISBN-10:1426949863
• ISBN-13: 978-1426949869
• SRP:  $19.57

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation of any kind for this review.

“One hot summer in Itching Down, four million wasps flew into town”…

The villagers of Itching Down are suffering under a plague of wasps, and nobody has a good suggestion of how to get rid of them.  Then Bap the Baker has a brilliant idea: “What do wasps like best to eat? Strawberry jam! Now wait a minute - if we made a giant sandwich we could trap them in it!”

And so begins the villagers’ task to build the biggest jam sandwich anyone has ever seen.  It needs fifty cookers in an old mill to cook it, several people and a saw to slice it, and eight horses to pull it to the enormous picnic cloth ready for the wasps.  They add butter and jam, and several helicopters and an implausibly airborne tractor hover in anticipation with the top slice of bread.

This is an enjoyably surreal story with a pacey metre and detailed, stylish illustrations.  They do look dated by today’s standards simply because of the cut and print of the clothes, but it is unlikely that anyone under the age of ten will care.  Try getting children to describe what’s happening in the pictures, or talk about the words and what rhymes are.  Count the wasps; discuss whether you think the plan would really work – even make some bread and watch it rise!

An undisputed classic.

The Hairy Maclary stories are immensely popular and this audio version is a real treat.

There are eight stories on one CD:  “Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy” “Hairy Maclary, Sit!” “Hairy Maclary and Zackary Quack”, “Hairy Maclary’s Rumpus at the Vet”, “Hairy Maclary Scattercat”, “Hairy Maclary’s Bone”, “Hairy Maclary’s Showbusiness”, and “Hairy Maclary’s Caterwaul Caper”.  (Some of these will probably be reviewed in their own right later).

Lynley Dodd’s scruffy little Scots Terrier gets up to all sorts of mischief with his friends Hercules Morse (as big as a horse), Bottomley Potts (covered in spots), Bitzer Maloney (all skinny and bony), Muffin McClay (like a bundle of hay), and Schnitzel von Krumm (with the very low tum).   He causes chaos at the vet’s, disrupts the local cat show, leads a stampede at the Kennel Club obedience class and nearly drowns trying to get away from the persistent (and utterly adorable) little duckling Zackary Quack.  Lurking around every corner though is the toughest Tom in town: Scarface Claw…

The collection is read by David Tennant, RSC actor and former Doctor Who, in his natural Scottish accent.  It seems strange to have to point that out, but the majority know him from Doctor Who where he suppresses that!  Here it works brilliantly.  The rolled ‘r’s of Hairy Maclary and the galloping rhymes sound as if they were written for him, and the whole set of tales is a joy to listen to.

This is great fun for car journeys, and as the whole CD only lasts about twenty minutes you don’t have to go very far to hear all the stories.

“Once there was a fish and his name was Tiddler.

He wasn’t much to look at with his plain grey scales.

But Tiddler was a fish with a big imagination.

He blew small bubbles but he told tall tales.”

These delightful lines are the opening to Tiddler, by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler (of Gruffalo fame).  Tiddler is the aquatic equivalent of the boy who cried wolf.  He is always late for school and concocts more elaborate excuses with each passing day.  His classmates don’t believe him (“”It’s only a story,” said Rabbitfish and Redfin, “Just a silly story,” said Dragonfish and Dab”) except for Little Johnny Dory, who repeats Tiddler’s tall tales to his Granny.  However, one day, whilst dreaming up his ‘tallest story yet’ Tiddler is accidentally caught in a fisherman’s net.  Although they throw him back to sea, he is far away from home.  But then he hears a story he recognises…

Axel Scheffler’s illustrations are at their best in this book, as the underwater theme allows him to pack lots of detail into every scene and the colours are vibrant and exciting.  (There is even a cheeky cameo from a Gruffalofish!)  The rhymes are clever and the repeated sections work well for young readers to anticipate lines (“Tiddler? Tiddler? Tiddler’s LATE!”) which makes for enjoyable, interactive reading.

If you are reading this out loud, try adopting different voices for the different fish, particularly in the final section where Tiddler traces his stories back to their source.  With older children you could even discuss what voices you might expect from a lobster, an eel, a whale and a shrimp!  With younger ones, take advantage of the detailed pictures and expand their vocabulary playing ‘find the octopus/jellyfish’ or count the starfish and eels.

A great book with lots of potential for enjoyment.

A fun rhyming tale that celebrates a famous landmark is what you’ll find in The Dancing Clock by Steve Metzger.

Every hour the Delacorte Clock in Central Park chimes and the merry band of animals performs for the crowd. From his home in the zoo, Milo the monkey wants to join in and do the dance, but his friends just want to play. When the zookeeper forgets to the lock the gate to the monkey house, Milo sets out on his adventure and learns a great lesson too.

From the author of The Ice Cream King, comes a rolicking, rhyming story of one monkey’s adventurous trip outside his home. This is a splendid story that your three- to seven-year-old is sure to enjoy.  Just as imaginative as Metzger’s The Ice Cream King, The Dancing Clock will captivate readers with its rhymes and wonderful artwork. John Abbott Nez is the artist for this one. I don’t recall ever seeing anything else by him, but I would definitely be on the lookout for more books he’s provided artwork for. He captures New York City and Central Park so well. We just visited the city last weekend, so I felt right at home as I scanned these illustrations.

I don’t often comment on book design or fonts, but I liked the total package here. The inside front and back covers contain illustrations from inside the zoo, including the Delacorte Clock. The selected font (I’m not cetain what it is) adds to the whimsy of the story.  The final page of the book includes facts about the Delacorte Clock, which parents will like, and kids will find fascinating.

I highly recommend The Dancing Clock by Steve Metzger and look forward to his next book.

Rating: 

• Publisher:Tiger Tales
• ISBN-10:1589251008
• ISBN-13: 978-1589251007
• SRP:  $12.95

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

Cloot has too many toys. Many he no longer plays with. So, his dad gives him the task of cleaning up and clearing out, which turns into a fun new project for him and others.

Clutter Cut, Inc. by Lester Lex is a silly and fun way to encourage kids to clean up and clear out their unused toys and donate them to those in need. In this rhyming story, Cloot’s mountain of toys is soon brought under control when he donates some of them to the local children’s hospital and then decides to start Clutter Cut, Inc. so others can get involved too.

Lex takes something that is most likely a problem for many families and helps children create a solution for it. This is an issue my girls and I speak about at great length, as it seems they are never willing to let go of any toy, no matter how long it has been since they’ve played with it. Both girls read this book on my Kindle and managed to get a few things together to donate to our church tag sale. It’s a start.

While it’s difficult to get the full effect of the artwork on my older version Kindle, the girls didn’t seem to mind at all. Guillermo Piloto provided the illustrations for Clutter Cut, Inc. These zany illustrations did an excellent job of sharing the essence of the story. I like how we see some traditional toys–blocks, rubber ducky, and a teddy bear–alongside some odd toys (flying clock).

Clutter Cut, Inc. has been remastered for Kindle and Nook and is currently available for both. I look forward to more from Lester Lex in the future.

Rating: 

• Publisher:SilverHouse Books
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language:English
• ASIN: B0059CJL86
• SRP:  $1.99 (Kindle only)
• SRP:  $3.99 (Nook)

I purchased a copy of this book for my Kindle on 7/9/11. This review reflects my honest opinions, for which I received no monetary compensation.

A dog can’t be anything other than a dog, right? Well, maybe it’s not that simple. Young readers follow along as the dog changes from one animal to another, laughing all the way.

This is the perfect picture book for kids because it has simple words and rhymes that will get them reading on their own soon. A Dog is a Dog will have them laughing out loud and eager to turn the pages. Shaskan’s lyrical prose is complemented by adorable artwork that is just as zany as the story itself.

Highly recommended!

Rating: 

• Publisher:Chronicle Books
• ISBN-10:0811878961
• ISBN-13: 978-0811878968
• SRP:  $14.99

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

In this second Life of Shouty book, Food & Fitness, young readers find a rhyming story about a man who lives an unhealthy lifestyle. Lack of exercise and eating junk food–two things modern-day kids hear a lot about the evils of these days–find Shouty gaining weight and struggling to change his eating habits and incorporate exercise into his daily life.

Having reviewed the first Life of Shouty book, Good Habits, I had a feel for the author’s style before cracking open this new one. While I don’t understand the need to use an adult male to show children the importance of eating right and exercising, Food & Fitness does a fine job of showing kids how the wrong choices impact our bodies and mental health. With First Lady Michelle Obama’s campaign to fight obesity, and televisions stations like The Disney Channel speaking regularly on these topics, young readers will easily be able to grasp the point of this book.

NeonSeon’s whimsical and funny illustrations return in Food & Fitness. These pictures help lighten what is a heavy topic for today’s youth. Childhood obesity has been a hot topic for a few years now. Medical professionals are seeing diseases in children that previously they had only seen in adults. A book like Food & Fitness can be helpful in encouraging even normal-weight children to implement practices that will help them throughout their adult life.

Rating: 

• Publisher:Rixkin
• ISBN-10:0984206914
• ISBN-13: 978-0984206919
• SRP:  $14.95

I received a free copy of this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Tours in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation of any kind to provide this review.

Shouty ignores the advice of a man who encourages him to develop good habits. He doesn’t plan and prioritize. He chills out and relaxes. He doesn’t floss every day. His room is a disaster. He watches too much TV and his lawn is an unmanageable, overgrown mess. Looking in the mirror, he has a great vision of who he could be and begins making changes to find that person.

In this motivational children’s book geared toward ages 7 and up, the reader finds a rhyming story meant to instill good habits in kids early on. Life of Shouty: Good Habits by NeonSeon does mention important traits like setting goals, prioritizing, reading over watching TV, and taking care of your teeth. I’m not certain, however, that a book where an adult avoids paying his bills and lets his lawn grow up to his chin is the most effective for young readers. Overall, I believe the book will go over kids’ heads. While the cover art and interior illustrations are cute and whimsical, kids might not understand things like the “Something for Nothing Currency Exchange” or the “Live for the Moment funeral home.”

The main thing that caught my eye, however, is the quote on the back of the book. Here we have a book that is meant to motivate kids and it has a negative quote from Shouty on the back:

 ”I have this great vision of who I could be!

As I look in the mirror, that’s not what I see.”

I would have preferred to see a more standard back cover blurb.

Shouty Mack started out as a comic strip geared toward high school students. It would work well for that market and older, but it misses the mark for younger kids. That said, I also have the second book in this series, Life of Shouty: Food & Fitness, here. I skimmed through it, and it seems much more age appropriate than its predecessor.

Rating: 

• Publisher:Rixkin
• ISBN-10:0984206906
• ISBN-13: 978-0984206902
• SRP: $14.95

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinions. I received no monetary compensation of any kind to provide my review.

I reviewed an earlier book in this series, No Bones About It, in 2009. I immediately fell in love with Kirk’s witty rhymes coupled with the unique, and sometimes zany, illustrations provided by Eugene Ruble. Together, these men create a book that makes young people want to learn about a subject they might find boring otherwise.

Every elementary science classroom studying the body should have a copy of each of The Sum of our Parts books. With Muscles Make Us Move, Kirk and Ruble continue  to offer young readers a book that contains silly rhymes, factoids, word quests, and a glossary, all complemented by fabulous and funny artwork. I hope these men continue to collaborate. They always deliver a winner!

Rating: 

• Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc
• ISBN-10:1616331348
• ISBN-13: 978-1616331344
• SRP:  $10.95

I received a free PDF of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinions. I received no monetary compensation of any kind to provide this review.

But I digress … The House that Witchy Built (Pelican Publishing, 2011) delivers on its promise of Halloween fun, including sound effects for each story element. Between the creaking, rattling, flapping, cackling and smooching – yes, I said smooching – the reader will hardly be able to hear himself above the din. Holly Stone-Barker uses cut paper and collage for the artwork. Have I ever said how much I like this technique? Well, alot, especially for lower elementary stories. Just look at the cover – kids are going to pick that right up – and every page is just as inviting.

I’ll be giving my copy away to one lucky person. Leave a comment on this post by September 2nd and you’ll be included in my random drawing. If this is your first comment to my blog, the comment will not post until I approve it. This is a nice addition to your Halloween cache. And if you don’t have a copy of The House that Drac Built, it is worth locating, it’s still in print. Share the contest with anyone who might be interested.

Genres: Elementary, Early Childhood, Rhyming, Folk tales.

Things to like about this book: Fantastic illustrations! Audience participation is built right in. Fun story that is campy – including corny headstone sayings. The scare factor is very low so this is appropriate for the youngest school children.

Audience: Preschool and early elementary.

Reviewed from: Hardcover provided by publisher.

In Shoes for Me!, Hippo is off to the store with her mom for new shoes – and she gets to make the choice. Oh, the power! The young fashionista goes through every shoe in the store before her mom threatens  to leave without a purchase. That gets our girl’s attention and she finally makes her selection. Mike Laughead‘s bright and snappy illustrations go well with the clipped rhythm of the short text.

The colors, patterns, and types of shoes in the story lend themselves to a multitude of classroom activities – and the importance of making a choice is a lesson in and of itself. Nice work, Sue. I can’t wait to see what happens when Hippo goes clothes shopping in next year’s A Dress for Me!

I’ll be giving my copy away to one lucky person. Leave a comment on this post by August 19th and you’ll be included in my random drawing.  If this is your first comment to my blog, the comment will not post until I approve it. It’s a great book for the younger set. If you don’t have any young children hanging around your house you could share it with a preschool teacher or librarian. Feel free to pass the contest on to anyone who might be interested.

Genres: Picture Books, Rhyming Books

Things to like about this book: Great rhyme! It’s fun and colorful and makes a great read aloud.

Audience: Toddlers, Preschool, kindergarten, 1st grade. Also great for parents looking for a quick bedtime read.

Reviewed from: Hardcover provided by publisher.

What do you think would happen if a silly stork thought golf balls were eggs? If you read Stilts, the Stork by Dixie Phillips, you’ll find out. In this rhyming tale, Stilts, the Stork flies over New York and past Peru to discover a bunch of people bouncing up and down and zipping around in carts. She is soon thrilled when she finds an orphaned egg. She’s eager to call her brother and tell him all about it. She builds her nest and gets ready to become a mama. But every day she keeps finding more eggs to rescue and she’s sure she’s going to have quite a brood.

Stilts, the Stork is a delightful story that will make kids laugh; though I would have enjoyed it more if it wasn’t set to rhyme. The confines of creating musical prose can be tough to work with. It’s the same great storytelling I’ve come to expect from Phillips, but there were moments when the words didn’t flow smoothly as I read it aloud.

K.C. Snider does a fine job capturing the antics of Stilts and the lovely golf course background. My favorite page is when Stilts is getting ready to build her nest and is dancing a jig.

It’s nice to read a book that is created just for fun. Stilts, the Stork  definitely fits the bill. Families who enjoy golfing will get a kick out of this one.

Rating: 

• Publisher:Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc
• ISBN-10:1616331437
• ISBN-13: 978-1616331436
• SRP:  $10.95

Celebrate nonsense poetry and its father in His Shoes Were Far Too Tight by Edward Lear, masterminded by Daniel Pinkwater.

As a child, Pinkwater was captivated by The Complete Nonsense of Edward Lear.  In this wonderful tribute, he has captured Lear classics such as “The Pobble Who Has No Toes,” “The Owl and the Pussycat,” “The Jumblies,” and more. Coupled with the equally zany artwork of Calef Brown, young readers are sure to be laughing out loud at this lyrical collection.

This book is too fun to pass up.

Rating: 

• Publisher:Chronicle Books
• ISBN-10:0811867927
• ISBN-13: 978-0811867924
• SRP:  $16.99

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation to provide my review.

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site is a bedtime story for rough and tough truck lovers.

The trucks have worked hard all day at the construction site, but now it’s time for bed. One by one they finish their work and lie down so they can be ready for another day.

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site is a fun, rhyming book for ages 4 to 8. With tons of action words and truck parts, this story by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld will entertain the truck aficionado in your house. I am familiar with Lichtenheld’s work from Duck! Rabbit! He does another great job with this book and his illustrations work perfectly with Rinker’s rhymes.

This book will help your tough one settle down for a good night’s rest.

Rating: 

• Publisher:Chronicle Books
• ISBN-10:0811877825
• ISBN-13: 978-0811877824
• SRP:  $16.99

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation to provide my review.

Told in rhyme, First Spring will help your young child (Birth – 4) fall in love with all the new experiences that come in spring. From green grass to gentle breezes, from bright sun to squiggly bugs, and from blowing bubbles to playful puppies, you can’t help but enjoy everything about this one.

Artist Marina Movshina offers her lovely illustrations to match Rose’s softly flowing prose. I am familiar with her work from other Guardian Angel Publishing books that I’ve reviewed, but she’s really outdone herself with First Spring. Her artwork captures the mood of this book perfectly.

This is a book you’ll be reading time and again.

Rating: 

• Publisher:Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc
• ISBN-10:1616331194
• ISBN-13: 978-1616331191
• SRP:  $10.95

I received an ecopy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinions. I received no monetary compensation of any kind to provide my review.