This is a great book and a great lesson on keeping oceans clean. A man rows out to fish, but catches nothing but plastic. The beach cleaners help him learn what to do with all that plastic and even how to do things differently so he doesn't continue to create plastic waste. This book was well written and the illustrations are lovely.

How do you play in an apartment? How do you have a jungle adventure, or pitch a tent if you live on the 7th floor. This book made me think of the Covid lockdown. Kids who can’t leave home stave off boredom. These kids get to do a quick adventure at the park, and current kids cant, but it was a nice journey on how to make almost anything happen at home.

This is a look at what archaeologists do and why they do it. It uses simple words to explain to young kids why they dig in the dirt, and how they dig to find history. It was a nice read, with great information, but not a best seller forever to be published.

I think this book is sending mixed messages. Kiki is a white cat who does not feel special when she looks in mirror because she is not bright and colorful like all her friends. So she starts coloring herself. And so does her brother. When they go back home to mom they feel noticed and special, and as mom gives them a bath she reminds them they are special just the way they are. I know that is the message the book is trying to portray, but I think it gets lost. Every time Kiki adds a color no one really pays attention until she completely changes herself. Her brother the black cat feels the same way. When I put it to real life thinking, it makes me think of people and make up and how some just layer it on like paint to look like someone new. Or even those who darken or lighten their skin color through tanning and skin bleaching. I really wanted to like this book, and as an adult I know I am reading too much into it, but it makes me think that if I find the message mixed, how will children find it.

A little girl remembers her dreams of being an astronaut. Who she wanted to float, discover new things, and explore new lands. As an adult she found all those things were possible underwater. This book shows the child dreaming and then opposite shows how that dream came true. It was an interesting look at how space and the deep sea are alike and unexplored.

Ahhhhh. A family new to country life adopts a baby lamb and learns the growing pains of family and pets. The story is simple, but understandable. The illustrations are the perfect form of basic. All together it makes for a sweet and endearing read.

Writing letters is a lost skill, but going to the post office is not. Especially in this time when the powers that be are trying to close and sell off the post office I find this story more important than ever. I feel for Bianca, as I too have had beautiful letters covered by ugly postage by the domineering post office lady. But with a little courage, we can all make a new friend and find that there is a lot to like, even about Yolanda.

I’m not sure what is more charming, the story of the illustrations. The illustrations are actually pictures of felted animals and scenes they have been placed into. Mole has just moved to town. But he has some peculiar habits like shaking tree limbs instead of hands, buying erasers instead of candy, etc. It turns out that Mole lost his glasses and it’s a cute little bunny that figures it out. This was a lovely story that is reminiscent of Peter Rabbit and his crew.

There are many things to dislike about this book. First off the way Sneezy is constantly described in all his grease like he just needs to take a bath. The authors try to rhyme, but many are a stretch, and there is no cadence which makes the reader trip over their tongue. And the illustrations are interesting, not in a good way. There are some I like, but most are a bit scary. Overall, I would not purchase this book for my or my library’s collections.

This story is so cute. It's about different types of animal hugs such as those that are soft and cuddly and how they relate to human hugs. The illustrations are charming and the leading girl a POC. All together this is a perfect picture book. The rhymes work, the cadence is spot on, the illustrations make the reader feel warm and cuddly, and the story itself works on all levels.