This book is about the loss of a pet.  What I like is that it does not try to explain that loss, just shows a child in their feelings, or in their “shell”.  It also shows that it may take a bit, but one day soon, that shell will crack and the good things will be remembered, new friends made, and lives changed.  This book was lovingly done, and a great title to add to a collection on grief. 

 

There have been many books that have tried to copy the success of Press Here.  This is just another book in many.  The illustrations are more entertaining, and the conventions of what happens when you press a button work really well for at home reading.  I wouldn’t want to do this at story time, and many of the kids may be strangers to each other and pressing a button that requires everyone to hug, could cause problems.  Overall I liked this book and would add it to my collections, it’s not one I would use in a public setting.  And in all honestly, others have done the trope better. 

 

Birthday parties can be hit or miss.  But Your birthday was the best.  I should know, I was there.  I was on the cake!  You scream.  I was sucked into the vacuum.  I had a great time!  Did I mention I was a cockroach?    Yeah, I’m a cockroach and I loved your birthday party.  Great fun read.  Disturbing, but really really fun. 

 

A bird family finds an egg, takes it home and lets it hatch.  Turns out it’s a crocodile, but instead of turning him away, they keep him, and he is family.  All the other animals in the bush may wonder why, but the family has no need to wonder, Croc is family and he belongs.  This is a wonderful allegory of an adoption story.  It shows that belonging is all that matters.  Someone isn’t “kept” because they are useful or fun.  They are kept because they are family and they belong.  The message of this book is absolutely wonderful and the bright colorful graphics help bring up the funny and make this book truly a joy to read. 

 

This is a great addition to a great series.  I find that they cadence in this book can be broken in places and it takes the reader from the story, but overall it’s a fine read.  Sofia wants to change a landfill to a park, but realizes she cannot do it alone.  She goes to city hall to get her dreams accomplished and realized what it takes to bring others together for the betterment of her community. 

 

This author has topped Seuss’s 50 words for Green Eggs and Ham by writing an entire book with only the letters in BEWARE.  And it completely works.  This would be such a fun read for story time.  The illustrations are great and reminiscent of the Bearenstain Bears.  This was a lot of fun for a single reader or an entire storytime. 

 

Jasper is the fast talking and moving fox, and Ollie is the slow sloth.  And this is a Tortoise and Hair story if there ever was one.  Today this set of friends are going to build a fort.  Nope, correction, they are each going to build a fort to see which is better.  This was a joy to read, and kids are going to love the fun of Jasper and the steadiness of Ollie.  Pair it with vibrant illustrations and you have a book that will spend years getting checked out of the library. 

 

This book is quite simple.  It is about all the ways one likes to read.  I love that it included reading on ereaders, and braille.  It lets the reader know that reading is reading, no matter how or who it is done with.  It’s an absolutely lovely addition to any library. 

 

This book has amazing illustrations.  The wording is simple.  It’s the journey a leaf takes from falling from its branch, being caught, and eventually pressed into a book.  The story is told by the illustrations, not by the few words.  This book is absolutely beautiful.  I suspect it will be on a few people mock Caldecott lists. 

 

The poems and the background information in this books are done quite well.  I just have an overall issue with how Lincoln is glorified and we teach children that he is the ‘greatest” without looking at flaws.  That is my only issue with this book. Otherwise it is well done.