Catowoman Counting by Benjamin Bird & Gregg Schigiel

Catwoman Counting

Benjamin Bird & Gregg Schigiel
Illustrated by Benjamin Bird & Gregg Schigiel
            Catwoman is out for adventures in this unique counting book.  Just right for beginners in counting from one to ten the high jinx of Catwoman’s crafty plan will keep them entertained.  The book begins with Catwoman taking one bag of precious jewels.  The following pages are nothing but genius as they detail her steps to escape such as “listening with two ears”, and “fleeing across four rooftops.”  But never fear good does triumph over evil as Batman takes the scene as he “spots six footprints” and eventually apprehends her.

            This book has the right amount of suspense with assurances along the way that the good guys will win in the end.  Boys and girls alike will enjoy the superheroes’ adventures. 

Bright, bold colors and the large sized board book make it a hit.  The book can still be easily held in the lap or placed on the floor for easy turning of pages. 

I received this book free from the publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Maisy's Christmas Tree by Lucy Cousins

Maisy’s Christmas Tree

Lucy Cousins
Illustrated by Lucy Cousins
            Maisy the mouse gathers her friends to help her decorate her Christmas tree.  Each friend in turn selects a special decoration and adds it to the tree.  As the animal friends add their decorative touch to Maisy’s tree her look of delight demonstrates Maisy’s value of each friend.

            Young children will enjoy seeing each of Maisy’s friends.  They will enjoy seeing the brightly illustrated pages in bold colors.  The smiles on Maisy and her friends’ faces add a warmth to this simple tale.  The last page has all the friends gathered together singing carols for a happy conclusion to this story.

This sturdy board book is easy for little hands to hold and turn the pages.  The illustrations are simple and yet have some details that can lead to discussions with young children.  As in all the Maisy books, Maisy never leaves out her friends but includes all in the merriment. 

I received this book free from the publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Friendship Quilt by Cecil Kim

Friendship Quilt

Cecil Kim
Illustrated by Hajin Jeong

Hank’s friend Raddie is sad because her grandmother has died.  Hank does his best to try and make Raddie happy again but her sadness is too deep.  Then Hank and his friends begin to make a friendship/comfort quilt.  Each little mouse friend brings a patch from a piece of material that has special meaning to her.  When the quilt is present to Raddie each friends shares about their patch on the quilt.  As the memories are shared Hank reminds Raddie of all her special memories with her grandmother.  Raddie determines to make more happy memories with her friends.

This story is a look at grief, sympathy and recovery from a child’s point of view.  The dialogue between the mouse friends describes stages of grief and how others can be supportive during this time.  It also assures children that it is okay to be sad and that they will survive this time of grief and move on to happy times again.

The last page in the book gives idea on how to make friendship/sympathy/memory quilts from paper and ribbons.  There is also a website listed for ideas that the adult reading the book can access for more ideas on activities to help a child dealing with grief.

Cecil Kim has taken a tough topic and put it into a story with characters a child can see as friends.  She creates a sense of community in her story and shows how we can help each other in sad times. Hajin Jeong’s illustrations add a sweet touch to the text. 

I received this book free from the publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Pants for Chuck by Pat Schories

Pants for Chuck
Pat Schories
Illustrated by Pat Schories

           

Chuck the woodchuck gets advice from his friends but he does not listen.  This results in a hilarious tale that is sure to delight young children.  When it seems that disaster has struck we see that Chuck really has learned his lesson and that he can go on to have more fun. 

Beginning readers will find the repeating text reassuring as they grasp the new vocabulary to read on their own. The simple repetitive text in this book makes it an easy read for beginning readers however first graders might find the story line a bit too predictable and not challenging enough.

For younger children in the age range of 3 to 5 years the animal antics and humor keep them engaged in the story.  The drawings of the animal friends and their camaraderie  will appeal to young children.  Young children will enjoy the repeating text as they join in to say the lines.  

I received this book free from the publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Bruno and Titch by Sheena Dempsey

Bruno and Titch

The Tale of a Boy and His Guinea Pig
Sheena Dempsey
Illustrated by Sheena Dempsey

            Titch is a lonely guinea pig waiting for someone to love him.  When Bruno buys him from the pet store and brings him home the adventures begin.  Titch learns that being best friends doesn’t always mean you both like the same things.

            Sheena Dempsey has created a tender friendship story with times of wonder and suspense.  As children listen to this story they will learn about the meaning of compromise, unselfishness and loyalty among friends.  This is a book that gives a warm feeling of belonging.  Sheena Dempsey’s illustrations match Bruno’s excitement of creating fun activities for his beloved pet and Titch’s wonder at discovering them. 

            Adults and children will enjoy reading this book and sharing the deeper meaning behind this tender story.  This book could be used in the classroom as a discussion starter on ways to get along with friends, ways to show you care, how to share or compromise and what makes someone a true friend.

I received this book free from the publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Owls by Laura Marsh

Owls – National Geographic Kids

Laura Marsh

Photography by Laura Marsh

            Owls do not all look alike.  In fact owls have many different habitats and ways of surviving.  Come explore this book to see what you thought you knew about owls and be surprised by new facts and insights into these extraordinary creatures.

            Laura Marsh has captured the beauty and magnificent of owls in this book filled with gorgeous photographs.  This is a level one reader so beginner readers will enjoy exploring this nature book on their own.  There are questions and answers that an adult could use as discussion starters for a shared reading time with a young child.

            The cover photo with the snowy owl flying towards the reader is an eye catcher.  Each photo inside is exquisite.  Each page gives information on a part of an owl’s life such as how mothers care for their young, ways of protection, wing span, types of talons, hunting skills, types of hoots, etc.  Photos are enhanced by boxed comments giving details to a specific part of the owl’s anatomy.

            This book is designed for the early reader but younger and older children will enjoy it for the photography.

I received this book free from the publishers in exchange for my honest review.

A Visit to Dr. Duck by Rosemary Wells

A Visit to Dr. Duck
Rosemary Wells

Illustrated by Rosemary Wells

Felix eats too many chocolates and stays up past his bedtime.  In the morning he feels sick.  His mother tries a variety of home remedies before deciding that Felix needs to visit Dr. Duck.  Children will delight in finding out with Felix that a doctor visit doesn’t have to be scary at all.

This is a board book which makes it easy for toddlers to grip and turn pages while the story line is detailed enough to intrigue preschool children.  The story is cleverly designed to entertain and inform at the same time.  From the moment Felix eats too much till his visit with Dr. Duck the child is shown how a parent takes care of her child.  Then it moves into what a doctor would do to help a sick child.  This book is a reassuring and fun way to help children not have anxiety about being sick or trips to the doctor.

The illustrations are colorful and characters express emotions and thoughts that young children can relate to.  The pictures tell the story but the text adds more meaning for older children. 

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.