Last: the story of a white rhino
by Nicola Davies
4 out of 5 stars
A rhino is taken into captivity and kept in a zoo with other endangered species. He thinks he is the last of his kind, but when he is released and returns to his wild home, he discovers that there are others like himself.
This book was very emotional, told from the rhino’s perspective. You can feel the joy in his free and wild life with his herd family.
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Penpals Forever
by C.K. Smouha, Jürg Lindenberger (Illustrator)
4 out of 5 stars
Freddy the mouse and Annabel the elephant become penpals and write letters back and forth. Freddy tells Annabel about the bullies in his neighborhood who stole his skateboard, and when Freddy stops writing altogether Annabel is worried that something must have happened to him.
I love that Annabel’s letters are humongous and taller than Freddy. And Freddy’s letters are tiny, and Annabel has to read them with a microscope. That made me laugh! Nothing can stop those two from being friends!
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Now You See Me, Now You Don’t
by Patricia Hegarty, Jonny Lambert (Illustrations)
5 out of 5 stars
Chameleon uses his disguise skills to play tricks on the other jungle animals. He plucks feathers, steals food, hides away during chore time, and even makes poor sloth fall out of his tree. But when Frog plays a trick on Chameleon, he learns that it’s not so fun when the tables are turned.
I love the positive messages in this book, and how Chameleon learns a good lesson about playing tricks on people. The moral in the story is not too preachy, and the story is light and fun.
I LOVE the rhyming text in this book!
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Britannica 5-Minute Really True Stories for Bedtime
by Britannica Books
4 out of 5 stars
This book gives true stories about the history of sleeping, nocturnal animals, interesting bed designs from around the world, the largest bed and the biggest sleepover, with a dozen other amazing facts about the nighttime.
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Why Do We Worship?
by Miranda Nerland, Hayley O’Neal (Illustrator)
3 out of 5 stars
This book details all the reasons why Christians should worship God for his goodness, his power, and his love. God is strong even when we are weak and tired. God is good and loves us even when we make bad choices. God is big and all-knowing so we can ask him for help with anything we need.
Why Do We Pray?
by Miranda Nerland, Hayley O’Neal (Illustrator)
This book gives reasons why Christians should pray, and ways that prayer helps us to become closer to God. Prayer brings us peace, and is a way for us to talk with God and tell Him our wants and needs. Through prayer, we can thank God for everything He has given us. We can confess when we are struggling to do right, and ask for forgiveness. We can pray with confidence that God always hears us.
Why Do We Sing?
by Miranda Nerland, Hayley O’Neal (Illustrator)
This book details all the reasons why Christians should sing together and learn lessons and tell stories through song. Singing together helps us to worship God and thank Him for His blessings to us. Songs about God’s goodness and power can make people more courageous and happy. Sharing our joy through music can comfort people who are sad.
I love how these books take big spiritual ideas, and puts them into simple language that a child can understand.
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The Three Wishes
by Alan Snow
5 out of 5 stars
A young man living in the far North stumbles into a hidden land of summer where time stands still. He is only allowed to return to visit his family in the dead of winter each year, and he leaves gifts for them so that they know he is alive and well. He is given a magic feather that allows his deer to fly.
I loved this myth of the origins of Santa Claus told in an old-fashioned style. The story is so imaginative and charming! The plot is sort of strange, until you start to realize that all the components of the plot are adding up to the red suit and the flying reindeer and the gifts. Then it all begins to make sense, and it’s like a wonderful discovery.
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Weird But True: Halloween 300 Spooky Facts to Scare You Silly
by Julie Beer
5 out of 5 stars
This Halloween book combines colorful illustrations and photos with tid-bits of weird information about spiders, vampires, pumpkins, candy, ghosts, and a million other subjects!
I read through the entire book in just a half hour, fascinated with every wacky statement and attracted to each page by the stunning photos. I learned so many freaky things, like the loudest scream ever recorded, the largest jack-o’-lantern, and the craziest costumes!
Did you know that Abraham Lincoln is the most commonly sighted ghost in the White House? Or that you can make edible pumpkin play-dough? haha! There is even an asteroid that is shaped like a skull. Weird and random and hilarious!
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Skunk and Badger (Skunk and Badger #1)
by Amy Timberlake, Jon Klassen (Illustrations)
5 out of 5 stars
Badger has a simple and quiet life studying rocks and doing Important Rock Work. One day Skunk shows up on Badger’s doorstep as his new roommate, and Badger’s quiet life is thrown into chaos. Skunk cooks delicious meals, but dirties up the kitchen. Skunk moves furniture around and recycles all the cardboard boxes that Badger was saving. Skunk invites guests over for a story-time popcorn party until the house is overrun with chickens! Badger is torn between enjoying all the excitement and being angry with Skunk for his wild behavior. How will these two roommates ever find a way to live together in harmony?
I loved this book so much! It reminds me of one of my favorite animal books, “Wind in the Willows”. There is a quiet character and an adventurous character, and they learn to be friends.
The character development is fantastic! Badger goes through a whole internal journey as his world begins to open up and he realizes just how isolated he has become. He is initially dismayed at Skunk’s antics, but also enjoys the good food and companionship that comes into his house. Skunk makes him think differently about his life and see things from a new perspective. I love the warmth of their friendship and how they laugh together.
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Claris: Holiday Heist: The Chicest Mouse in Paris
by Megan Hess
4 out of 5 stars
Claris and her best friend, Monsieur Cat, are visiting New York for the holidays. They are Christmas shopping at Cartier when they witness a burglary, and set off across New York to catch the thief!
I loved the beautiful illustrations in this book! The colors are bright, and the lines are delicate. I love all the Christmasy decorations!
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Claris: Bonjour Riviera
by Megan Hess
4 out of 5 stars
Claris the Paris mouse is on her way to the French Riviera for a holiday with her best friend, Monsieur Cat. They pack their bags with chic ensembles by Dior, Gucci, Prada, and Pucci. They travel with style in a Louis Vuitton bag to a glamorous hotel where they see movie stars. But Claris meets a beautiful songbird who is in trouble, and the two are tossed into a wild adventure aboard a fancy yacht.
I loved the beautiful illustrations in this book! The colors are bright, and the lines are delicate. Each scene is designed to give the story more depth. I did feel like some of the artwork is just cut and pasted from one page to the other with only a wardrobe change to make it different. I would have appreciated separate art for each page, instead of copies of the same facial expressions.
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