Sorry, Bill, I could not finish this one. Twas a tad too long for me and the focus was much more historical instead of humorous. Great for some, just not for me.

Age: 2nd-4th grade
Fairytale: Princesses
Identity of Protagonist: Unidentified mixed (black hair, brown skin)
Identity of Colorist: Argentinian

Fantasy and mystery intertwine in this graphic novel about Max, an aspiring sleuth who also happens to be a princess graced with the powers of all the famous princesses. Her pony sidekick has the annoyingly humorous personality of Garfield which adds some fun banter between him and Max.

Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
Multicultural: Locations around the world
Science: Solar

From animals to humans, current to historical times, everyone shares the sun. The concept felt like it dragged out towards the end of the book but children won't mind. Each spread may contain several panels so it is best read in the lap. Lovely diversity both in body attributes and locations.

Age: Toddler-Preschool
Toys: Stuffed animal lovey

Brand new neighbors stop by the Llama household and are invited inside for a playdate. Llama is hesitant to share his toys with Nelly Gnu but eventually warms up to her presence. When Llama Llama realizes that Nelly is playing with his precious Fuzzy Llama he tries to pull the toy away from her, causing it to break. After a sewing fix, the little ones apologize and look for another activity to play.

Llama Llama books are essential tools for early childhood experiences, helping children talk through the situations and emotions that they so often encounter.

Age: Toddler-Preschool
Animals: Dog, cat, raccoon, squirrel, blue jay, snake, skunk

A cumulative tale that you can act out with your audience as we join each animal trying to squeeze into a dog house. Rover is happy to oblige, but appreciates his solitude at the end of the book.

Age: Preschool-2nd grade
Food: Hot Dogs

Duckling enters the Pigeon series to counter Pigeon's silly, abrupt cajoling with a cute, inquisitive style of getting what he wants. Excited to bite into a hot dog, Pigeon is interrupted by Duckling's curiosity. "What do they taste like?" sets off pigeon into a loving rant about the deliciousness of the hot dog leading him to almost offer Duckling a taste--wait a second! Kids will love seeing Pigeon bamboozled by a tiny, precious Duckling.

Age: Preschool-2nd grade
Emotion: Grief
Familiar Experience: Vacation, losing a beloved toy
Location: Holland
Toys: Stuffed animal lovey

After leaving Knuffle Bunny on the plane, Trixie experiences the grief of losing something very dear. Surrounded by fun activities and new toys, Trixie walks around with wide eyes and a slightly down-turned mouth. Nothing makes her feel better until she dreams of all the travels of Knuffle Bunny and the lives that he touches. On the airplane ride home, destiny allows Trixie to find KB again, but having already known that she can have happiness without his constant companionship, Trixie offers Knuffle Bunny to a crying baby seated behind her.

A loving sendoff to Knuffle Bunny full of real, palatable emotions.

Like most people, most of this book is truly a jem but that one part about looking nicer when you smile or laugh is truly a miserable choice of words. A better phrasing could have said

"That person would almost always rather be happy, smiling, and laughing.
But it takes a kind gesture to make that person feel loved and appreciated."

Age: Toddler-Preschool
Emotions: Forgiveness

Mistakes happen but it's how we respond to those mistakes that makes all the difference. We oftentimes encourage our children to say "I'm sorry" or to forgive others, but Sesame Street writer Tim Kubart offers a way for children to forgive themselves and move on by saying "oopsie-do." While each situation stops with the words "oopsy-do," readers are encouraged to use the illustrations to talk about what happens afterwards.

Age: K-2nd grade
Tough Issue: Tragedy (losing a pet or friend, alludes to a terrorist act--all briefly mentioned)

"Peace is a joining, not a pulling apart."

Peace is not a tangible concept. A child cannot hold an object and say, "This is peace." But they know what it means to share, to be included, to offer protection, and to feel safe. All these things represent peace. LeBox takes the word peace, which is so often thrown onto coffee cups and lifeless bathroom signs, and packs it full of real-life emotions and experiences. The illustrations are sometimes set against backgrounds of white space, giving a child a moment to breathe in the relationship and the 1-2 sentences.

The format of the book is small, so best to scan and project if you plan to read it aloud.