The Bad Guys (#1)

The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mr. Wolf is tired of being thought of as a Bad Guy just because he's a wolf, so he rounds up some other folks (Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, and Mr. Piranha) who have faced the same prejudice, cajoling and convincing them to join his new Good Guys Club to seek out opportunities to do Good Deeds and change their reputations. They aren't at all certain this plan will work or whether they even want it to, but Wolf sweeps them along through sheer force of personality and enthusiasm. The team starts with rescuing a cat in a tree and moves on to liberating a dog pound.

My kids screeched with laughter as we read this fast-paced graphic novel, and I was quite glad I'd bought the full set. The series is a strong incentive for them to get ready for bed on time for a change so as to maximize bedtime story time.

For readers' advisors: story doorway is primary, language (humorous banter) is secondary. Target audience is elementary school children. Piranha gets swallowed temporarily, and both Piranha and Snake get smacked against the side of a building a few times, but no realistic violence.

View all my reviews

 

Hey, Bruce! An Interactive Book

Hey, Bruce!: An Interactive Book by Ryan T. Higgins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ryan T. Higgins' books are an auto-buy for our family, and this one did not disappoint. My kids giggle and take turns poking, swirling, lifting, turning, and shaking the book, etc. as the mice try and "help" Bruce take his nap. We've read it many times since the Easter Bunny first delivered it in April.

View all my reviews

 

A Small Kindness

A Small Kindness by Stacy McAnulty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kindness is like "a game of tag," and every one of us can pass it on to someone else.

A delightful story, with illustrations reminiscent of Trudy Ludwig's The Invisible Boy, where kindness spreads color as the tale progresses. It's set at an elementary school with a very diverse class of students (and teacher) with varying hair and skin colors, as well as a child who uses a walker and another with a hearing aid.

View all my reviews

 

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book introduces a modern Cherokee family and some of their traditions throughout the year, centered around being grateful for each season. Cherokee words are integrated into the text, then at the bottom of the page, that page’s word is spelled out in English, written out phonetically, written in Cherokee script, and defined. There is a glossary at the end of the book to explain concepts like shell shakers, Trail of Tears, gigging, stickball, etc. It’s just a fabulous book about gratitude and Cherokee culture.

View all my reviews

 

Mary Had a Little Snowplow

Mary Had a Little Snowplow by Rachel Matson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What I LOVE about this book is that the main character, Mary, is a clever girl who knows how to use tools to build things—in this case a tiny snowplow that follows her like the lamb in the original nursery rhyme. I also love that she is depicted as possibly being Asian, with classmates who have a variety of skin and hair colors. And when the text follows the rhythm of the nursery rhyme, the story rolls delightfully off the tongue. 

However, there are some pages when the rhythm falters, requiring practice and thought to figure out which syllables to emphasize, and one page where I simply cannot figure out where the rhythm went. (“The shovel bravely went SWISH/As the snow turned to muck.” What??  It doesn't fit with the "Mary had a little lamb" pattern.)

Bottom line is there is lots to love but rehearse before reading aloud!

View all my reviews

 

Norman Didn't Do It! (Yes, he did.)

Norman Didn't Do It!: by Ryan T. Higgins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Norman and Mildred are best friends. The fact that one is a porcupine and the other a tree makes no difference at all. That is, until the day that a seedling begins to grow nearby. Then Norman's worries sprout and take root as well, until he feels the new tree is such a threat to his relationship with Mildred that he digs it up in the dark of night and takes it far, far away. Fixed! Except...it didn't fix anything, and now Norman feels horribly guilty and ashamed of himself. What's a porcupine to do?

As always, Ryan T. Higgins' artwork is worth many thousands of words. So much nuance and emotion conveyed with his illustrations. Brilliant, as always.

I love that this is a book depicting someone making a horrible choice, realizing the harm his actions have caused, coming up with a plan to make amends, and following through--a really critical life skill! And this book does it in such a way that it doesn't come across as preachy or afterschool-special-y. A great read-aloud for preschool through early elementary school. Or let's be honest, it's a great read for *adults* too!

View all my reviews

 

Monsters and Mold

Monsters and Mold by Asia Citro
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Zoey and her pet cat Sassafras are back with their second magical creature to help. This time they meet Gorp, a monster who wants to attend the upcoming Monster Ball but cannot bear to go with his fur all moldy. Zoey and Sassafras have less than a week to figure out how to stop the mold from growing, and it's going to take some scientific experimentation to find a solution.

The second book in the series delighted my kids just as much as the first. I really appreciated how Zoey didn't give up when her first (and second) theories didn't solve the problem. She kept using the scientific method to figure out what went wrong and why, giving her a new direction to try the next time.

One thing that bugged me and kept this book from a 5-star rating was that Zoey focused on treating the effect (the mold) and not the cause. Figuring out why something is occurring in the first place and preventing *that* is so often a much more valuable use of time. I mean, she did think to have Gorp make sure he didn't go to bed with wet fur, so that was good, but when that didn't stop the mold growth, she didn't revisit to see what other factors might be in play. And yes, I realize this is a very adult, nitpicky thing to pay attention to in a book aimed at young elementary school children. But it's my review, and this is a science-based book!

I have no idea whether Gorp will make a return appearance in any future books in the series, but if he does, I hope we find out more about why Sassafras is so drawn to Gorp. I kept expecting it to somehow relate to the mold problem--like maybe because Gorp's fur was, I don't know, covered in catnip or something. But alas, no clue!

For readers' advisors: story doorway is primary. This is a great STEM title for kids ages 4 to 9 or so. Human characters are drawn as African American. Lots of illustrations to go with the story, and the main character is a strong female who loves science.

View all my reviews

 

Dragons and Marshmallows

Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Zoey's mom is packing for a work trip when Zoey stumbles across an old photograph of her mom as a child. But it's no ordinary photo--this one glows, and Zoey is the first person other than her mom to be able to see the glowing purple frog in the photo. Next thing she knows, Zoey is in charge of monitoring the secret doorbell on the barn, which magical creatures ring when they need help. At first nothing happens, but eventually the bell chimes. Zoey and her cat, Sassafras, must figure out how to nurse a tiny dragon back to health. Thinking Goggles and the scientific method to the rescue!

My kids LOVE this book and series. Every night they beg to read "just one more chapter, Mommy! No, TWO more chapters!" They love the magical creatures and the problem-solving skills Zoey uses. I love how the STEM concepts are woven into the story! For example, Zoey follows the rules of scientific experimentation to change Just One Thing At A Time, observes how that change affects the result and adjusts accordingly if it doesn't have the desired effect. Zoey makes science a delightful adventure.

For readers' advisors: story doorway is primary, character secondary. Zoey's skin color and hair indicate she is most likely African American, though it's not mentioned in the text of the book. In our household it's a read-aloud; the text itself is about a third-grade reading level.

View all my reviews

 

The Rabbit Listened

The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When birds knock Taylor’s magnificent building block creation down, Taylor’s animal friends come by one at a time to offer comfort, but it isn’t until Rabbit snuggles up and sits quietly that Taylor feels ready to process the grief, going through all the stages and techniques suggested by the previous animals. “Through it all, the rabbit never left. And when the time was right, the rabbit listened to Taylor’s plan to build again.”

I hope I can be someone’s rabbit. 

This is one of the loveliest books about coping with grief that I've ever seen. 

View all my reviews

Gimme Shelter: Misadventures and Misinformation

Gimme Shelter: Misadventures and Misinformation by Doreen Cronin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The squad is back, and this time they've got spoons. And brushes. And voluminous feathers. Soon their squabbles over digging a meteor-storm-prehistoric-unicorn-preserving shelter spread to the squirrels and the chipmunks, but all is forgiven and forgotten when a powerful wind starts blowing all of a sudden, and a mysterious furry-faced creature leads them to safety.

This book had my kids, especially my 7-year-old, shrieking with laughter. There were also plenty of opportunities to discuss what's real and what isn't, the dangers of jumping to conclusions based on inadequate information, what is and is not in the US Constitution, and how voting does and does not work, etc. We love this series!

View all my reviews

Ramona and Her Father

Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ramona is just timeless. I'm so glad my daughter is old enough to fully appreciate these books now. She begged me to read her an extra chapter one afternoon, in addition to our regular bedtime chapters, and would have happily read the whole thing in one sitting if there had been time.

This book takes place as Ramona's father loses his job and struggles to find another one. Her mother has to increase her hours at her job to compensate, but money is very tight (because of the sexist pay gap, but that's not addressed in the book). After Beezus mentions how smoking turns your lungs black and makes you sick, Ramona begins a campaign to get their father to stop smoking. Given the current stresses and job losses of the pandemic, the themes in this book feel especially relevant right now, although the particulars aren't to my daughter, whose parents have never smoked and who remain employed. But the FEELINGS--those transcend time and place, a testament to Beverly Cleary's brilliant writing.

View all my reviews

The Magical Yet

The Magical Yet by Angela DiTerlizzi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We borrowed this book from the library a few weeks ago because my daughter has been struggling with learning math, reading, and P.E., and getting very frustrated and upset because she unfortunately inherited my perfectionism without my facility for numbers and letters. We've been trying to communicate our faith in her ability to learn if she persists and doesn't give up, but nothing was really getting through until we read this book together. She LOVES it. So today I bought her her very own copy, and she squealed with wide-eyed delight.

The embodiment of the Yet as a magical creature who remains with you even into adulthood, helping you persevere, learn, and grow seems to have flipped a switch in my daughter's mind. This is not to say that she doesn't still get frustrated and try to procrastinate or stall...a LOT...but she now better comprehends that the struggle is part of the process of learning, and she's more willing to keep trying. When she gets upset because she can't do something the way she would like and howls, "I can't do it!" we can say, "You can't do it YET," and that usually helps her calm down a bit. Her reading level is improving daily, and I have hope that the math will eventually click into place in her brain. The P.E., well, we make sure she gets exercise. An Olympic athlete she is highly unlikely to be.

I really appreciate that the main character is a brown-skinned child, and other diverse characters are depicted throughout, too. I love the easy-to-read rhyme scheme that helps the story flow right along, and I love that learning is depicted as iterative, with plenty of mistakes and stumbles along the way.

View all my reviews

Waking the Rainbow Dragon

Waking the Rainbow Dragon: A Branches Book by Tracey West
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Five stars for kids, 3 stars for adults.

My children LOVE these books, and they are very fast-paced and exciting (even to me). I have a hard time not commenting on some logical fallacies & oversimplifications, not to mention the absurdity of 8-year-olds being dragon "masters" or being sent to a far-away country to battle a trickster giant spider's spell and save a whole country from drought with zero adult supervision. BUT...as I said, this book was very fast-paced and exciting and kept my 7-year-old and 3 1/2-year-old riveted and really mad when I only read 4 chapters at bedtime, then begging me to read the rest the next afternoon. So I will go with a 4-star rating for the enthusiasm it engendered in my kids and for the attempt to have a couple of non-white main characters, although the series clearly isn't OwnVoices.

View all my reviews

Tacky's Christmas

Tacky's Christmas by Helen Lester
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Tacky the Penguin and his friends are back in this tale of Christmas preparations and mistaken identity. It's a lucky thing Tacky gave his friends shaving cream and happened to be squirting it onto their faces as the Hunters (a bear and two wolves) approach. Soon both penguins and hunters are having a Christmas party together, no longer predators and prey, since the Hunters think the penguins are "Sandy Clawz" and elves.

The story is cute and has some funny lines. I am bothered by the illiterate dialogue the hunters speak, however. It dropped my rating from 4 to 2 stars. The uneducated speech and clothing* seems like it's supposed to suggest the animals are Southerners, likely from remote, rural areas--some sort of "hayseed" or "hillbilly" persona. My husband is a Southerner, and these stereotypes are offensive and hurtful.

So this was a 4-star book for me, right up until the end. Darnit!

Our copy was part of a Christmas book bundle from Scholastic, and it didn't come with a CD at the end, so I have no opinion on that part.

(*Yes, I also realize that I'm talking about a book where penguins talk, wrap presents, wear hats & scarves, & decorate for Christmas, so it's not like ANY of it is the least bit realistic.)

View all my reviews

'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving

'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Cute story based on the rhyme/pattern of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” The kids were drawn with different skin & hair colors; however, the adults were both white. The story requires a fair amount of willing suspension of disbelief, but that makes it silly & fun, so OK. The ending does rather seem like it’s trying to influence kids toward vegetarianism, which I have mixed feelings about, but overall it’s a funny book I think my kids will enjoy.

View all my reviews

Amelia Bedelia Unleashed

Amelia Bedelia Unleashed by Herman Parish
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Amelia Bedelia is back and anxious to adopt a dog, but she has no idea what kind she wants. Her attempts to figure out the answer to that question are full of hilarious mishaps, but in the end, she finds exactly the right kind of dog for her.

This second installment in the Amelia Bedelia chapter book series was just as entertaining as the first. My 6-year-old loved having me read it to her at bedtime. It's fun and silly and engaging.

My biggest quibble is that all the characters are white/presumed white. Seriously, would it have killed the illustrator to have drawn some of the characters with darker skin? There are so many illustrations, I'd almost characterize the book as an illustrated novel, yet not a one looked anything but white. That's what is keeping my rating at 3 stars instead of 4.

View all my reviews

Bruce's Big Storm

Bruce's Big Storm by Ryan T. Higgins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Like all the other Bruce books, this one is absolutely delightful--funny for kids and for their grown-ups. This time around, Bruce is the reluctant host of all the neighborhood animals during a big storm. When a tree crashes through the roof and slices the house in two, the neighbors rally to fix up the house even better than before--adding a "rumpus room" (It's for rumpusing!) where everyone can hang out and play cards. My kids ask for this as a bedtime story over and over and can now recite pretty much the entire book. Or at least sections of it before dissolving in giggles. We love Bruce books so much!

View all my reviews

Quiet

Quiet by Tomie dePaola
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I love the concept: how everyone is hurrying, even in nature, and how essential it is to take time to be quiet and still. Unfortunately, Tomie dePaola's style of artwork isn't my cup of tea, and in this case that mattered more than with many of his other books. I didn't find it restful, as it really should be for maximum impact. And my kids, who usually ask me to read books over and over (and over and over...), never requested this one beyond the first time, which tells me it didn't resonate with them either. But other reviewers have had the opposite opinion, so I'm glad they liked it!

View all my reviews

The Girl and the Bicycle

The Girl and the Bicycle by Mark Pett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely LOVE this sweet, wordless book about a girl who spies a bicycle in a store window and does chores all year to earn money to buy it, only to discover it's no longer available. She chooses kindness and generosity to her little brother instead, despite her overwhelming disappointment. And there is a surprise waiting for her at the neighbor's house when the children return home.

I checked this out from the library last week, and my son has been fetching it, asking to read it to me--yes, I have my kids tell ME what's happening on each page--every single night since then. That makes my librarian-mama's heart so happy!!

View all my reviews

Enemy Pie

Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a story about a little boy who experiences jealousy when a new boy moves in next door to his best friend and invites the friend to play but not him. He decides the new boy is his enemy. Thankfully, he has a wise father who suggests feeding the new boy Enemy Pie, which is guaranteed to get rid of enemies. The catch is, he has to play nicely with the boy all day first, before they eat the pie. Unsurprisingly, playing all day teaches the boy that the new kid is not that bad...in fact, he's pretty great! Enemy pie becomes friend pie that the boys and the dad share together after dinner--delicious!

Ultimately, this is a story about how kindness and spending time getting to know a stranger breaks down barriers and heals misunderstandings. I read (watched) the TumbleBooks version of this book, so I'm not sure what the static pages look like, but it looked to me like the characters were all white males, although hair and eyes were brown, so it's hard to tell for sure.

View all my reviews