This picture book is more for second grade. It’s a longer story about how Beth came to colonize a bridge in Austin Texas. Illustrations are lovely. The story is nice. It’s too long for storytime but altogether works and kids will find it interesting. 

 This is a colon response picture book. I’m reading it in Board book version, and I do not think it works very well. The colon response nature for kids who can’t necessarily answer doesn’t work for me. The story is typical and so are the illustrations. The story is nice, but it’s nothing special. 

 This should be a typical picture book, but it’s odd that the story starts on the title page. And if you don’t need the title page, then it feels like you started in the middle of the story. I’m not a huge fan of the way. The story is laid out, but I do like how it rhymes in the illustrations are quite lovely plus the info bits of how the different animal sleep and sleep required of kids at the end is a great addition to this story. 

 This is a wonderful book. It’s meant more for about second grade than for reading nightly at bed. It is a little long, but it needs to be long for the purpose of the story. I really like how in the very end, not only does the author give her recipes for sauce and for chutney there’s also information about tomatoes, information about farmworkers and a note from the author themselves. I can picture Padma in my head while I’m waiting this. Whether I picture her because the illustrator does a fantastic job or because of the words and having seen her for years on top Chef. I do think this book is uniquely her and it does work. Do I think she could be a frequent picture book writer… Depends. I would need to see more work to make a better opinion. 

 This book greatly surprises me. I was not expecting to love this book as much as I do. Normally, I get annoyed when books start out with a letter from the author telling you the purpose of the book or why they wrote it or giving you expectations that the story cannot live up to.  I’m one where that stuff should be in the back. But in this case, it lived up to it. This book supports the work that Jessica Alba and her co-riders do in an organization called baby DaBaby. This is a great book to help kids understand that not everyone is equal. That some kids have more than others. And that there is always ways to help. But it doesn’t in such a nice thoughtful and simple way That it’s not depressing, and it doesn’t feel like it’s trying to pound in a lesson and change who you are. It points out to the reader and to kids that it’s OK and it’s wonderful to help. I fully admit I loved everything about this book. Both the story and the pictures. It’s well written it’s well illustrated, and I hope they continue to print it so that way they’re organization Have the money they need to continue doing the work that they do. 

 It’s hard to call this a celebrity author or a celebrity picture because it’s the song by a singer put in picture of a format. It’s fine. The song was a hit for multiple years with the Happy Feet movie and yes this book was checked out like crazy. Is there still place for it? Yes… but I have a feeling this is one that when Library copies fall apart, they will not be replaced. I do like that they use real pictures in the book that are set to a theme, and it all goes well together. And I think my favorite thing of this book is the letter from Pharrell to the kids in the back. I think Pharrell should try to really write a picture book instead of just putting his songs in page format. 

 This is written by a celebrity author, and it feels that way. If you’re old enough, you may remember Saturday morning specials or those after school specials where they get a celebrity to come in and teach a very valuable lesson. They were almost always cheesy and overacted. If you put that into a book, it would be this book. First off this book is massively too long for a picture book. It’s told as if a sports news caster is giving a play-by-play and the speech bubbles are the action. The book is fine. The illustrations are lovely and very well done. But this is a book parents would skip a lot of in the reading. Plus, when you get to the super power it screams “This is a lesson you need to learn”. It’s not subtle. It’s right out there and it’s cheesy. This book is fine but when Stephen Curry stops playing basketball, will it stay on Library shelves very long? I doubt it. 

 This book is fine. It’s what I would say it’s a typical picture book. I think this could come from any picture book author. Knowing that the author is Hilary Duff, her history as a child entertainer is what makes this sound so traditional. She lived and breathed what keeps children interested or what message children need to see while being a child herself. Now as an adult she can look back on it and use that experience to make a picture book that while not stupendous and great is one that would be read and has a message worth reading. 

 This book is overly long. It reads more like a book that should be spoken word then should be a written. There are times it feels like part of the story is missing and it’s letting the illustrations do the work. Which can work, but in a book this wordy it feels like a missed thought instead of purposeful. The other thing is the stereotypical southern style dialogue. It’s the colloquialism like wheat, cinnamon, cinnamon biscuits, etc that is not needed and take something away from the story. It is those colloquialisms that make it sound like Reese Witherspoon but at the same time this reads like a celebrity author not a real picture author. 

 Another great simple easy reader. It is a level two Step Into Reading and if fits in that level quite well. Kids will enjoy it and it has a superb message.