Evie and the Strawberry Surprise
by Stefanie Dahle
4 out of 5 stars

Evie the Strawberry Fairy is confronted with a mystery. Her magic wand is missing. Hedgehog has weird red spots all over. Laurel’s hair has turned orange. Summer heard a loud bang that frightened all the sunshine out of her. What could these things mean? Together the friends decide to investigate.

I liked this sweet story, and how the friends work together to solve the mystery. It’s imaginative and funny! However there were a couple of things towards the end of the story that were not explained. Evie finds her wand, but it is broken. A big deal is made about how she can’t use her broken wand. Two pages later it is inexplicably mended. The text just says, “Her wand was mended, and everyone was happy.” But they don’t show HOW she repaired her wand.

Now That Night is Near
by Astrid Lindgren, Marit Törnqvist (Illustrated), Polly Lawson (Translator)
3 out of 5 stars

A little cat roams about the countryside at sunset, observing how all the animals are settling down to sleep. The cows, foals, piglets, rabbits, and lambs are all going to sleep. Finally the cat arrives at home to nestle at the foot of a child’s bed for the night.

The text sort of rhymes part of the time, and doesn’t rhyme the rest of the time. Not really sure what was happening there. The story briefly describes the animals nestling down to sleep in their burrows, pastures, and dens. And there is a repeating phrase, “Even cats are going to sleep, as bedtime’s nearly here.”

Anita and the Dragons
by Hannah Carmona (Goodreads Author), Anna Cunha (Illustrations)
4 out of 5 stars

Anita and her family are planning to leave the Dominican Republic in a large airplane that Anita pretends is a dragon. She is a ‘princess’ on her island. But what if she is afraid and lonely in a new land with a new ‘palace’ home? It will take a lot of courage to walk into the belly of the dragon and start a new life. She will have to learn a new language. She will miss her island home and all the beautiful familiar surroundings.

Bartholomew and the Morning Monsters
by Sophie Berger, Ruan van Vliet (Illustrator)
3 out of 5 stars

Bartholomew has trouble getting ready in the morning because the friendly monsters he partied with the night before, keep stealing his hairbrush, clutching at his clothes, and spilling his breakfast. Finally Bartholomew’s father steps in to help him get ready, and they share a special moment as they go out the door to start their day.

I thought this was a sweet and relatable story, especially for little kids who have trouble getting up in the morning. I really liked how the father comes in to help without criticizing or getting angry at Bartholomew.

The Pocket Chaotic
by Ziggy Hanaor, Daniel Gray-Barnett (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

Alexander lives in his mother kangaroo’s pocket, even though his sister says he is too old and ought to move out. His mother is always throwing random things into her pocket and it’s a big jumbled mess! Alexander tries to keep things organized, but with mixed results. He is so crowded in the pocket that he can barely breathe, and finally decides that he has had enough.

I loved this adorable story! It is completely hilarious from start to finish, and I loved every page!

Grandfather Bowhead, Tell Me a Story
by Aviaq Johnston, Tamara Campeau (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

A little bowhead whale asks their grandfather to tell them a story about all the amazing things the grandfather has seen in the ocean. The grandfather tells about the wonders of the sea, but adds that he has not seen anything more wonderful than his own sweet grandchild.

The Bear in the Boat
by Owen Hart, Caroline Pedler (Illustrations)
5 out of 5 stars

While the rains begin to flood the forest, Bear has a plan for helping all her neighbors to weather the storm. But when the floods begin to reach her own house, Bear will need everyone’s help to get her boat afloat and save her friends.

I Really, Really Need to Pee!
by Karl Newson, Duncan Beedie (Illustrations)
4 out of 5 stars

A little animal realizes that they need to use the restroom, but they can’t find a place to go! The little creature rushes around the forest jungle, trying to find a toilet, but other animals are always there first. He accidentally disturbs a mouse in their home, gets chased out of a cave full of bats, and has a run-in with an angry bear. He tries to sing a song to distract them from their discomfort, but it doesn’t really help.

Sunday Rain
by Rosie J. Pova (Goodreads Author), Amariah Rauscher (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

A little boy is reading a book about a ship and a princess and a dragon. He hears other children playing outside in the rain puddles, and goes to join them. He is not sure how to make friends, so he just starts playing pretend that he is in a ship fighting off a dragon. The other children naturally join in with his game, and they all go sailing to an island with the princess from the story.