picture book review

Picture Book Review: Penpals Forever

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Penpals Forever by C.K. Smouha

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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Picture Book Review: Now You See Me, Now You Don’t

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Now You See Me, Now You Don't by Patricia Hegarty

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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Non Fiction Book Review: 5 Minutes Really True Stories for Bedtime

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Britannica 5-Minute Really True Stories for Bedtime by Britannica Books

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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Picture Book Series: Why Do We Worship, Sing, Pray?

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Why Do We Worship? by Miranda Nerland

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

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

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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Picture Book Review: The Three Wishes

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The Three Wishes by Alan Snow

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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Picture Book Review: Claris, Holiday Heist

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Claris by Megan Hess

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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Picture Book Review: Claris, Bonjour Riviera

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Claris by Megan Hess

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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Picture Book Review: The Little Dancer

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The Little Dancer by Géraldine Elschner

The Little Dancer: A Children’s Book Inspired by Edgar Degas
by Géraldine Elschner, Olivier Desvaux (Illustrations)
4 out of 5 stars

Young Jeanne travels to Paris with her mother, hoping to be accepted into the opera ballet. She works very hard to pass the entrance exam, and then spends her days in endless dance classes and rehearsals. When a painter asks Jeanne to model for a sculpture, she is eager to earn some extra money for her mother.

I love the Impressionist art that honors Degas’ style. The blurry lines and smudges of paint are full of meaning. Each page is awash with color and motion. The design of each scene is enchanting, and each dancer is elegant and graceful.

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Picture Book Review: How to Spot an Artist

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How to Spot an Artist by Danielle Krysa

How to Spot an Artist
by Danielle Krysa
4 out of 5 stars

This book encourages children (and adults) to keep creating, keep making things, and be on the lookout for other artists. You have to watch out for art bullies, whether it’s someone else or your own inner critic who wants to squash your creativity and freedom. Don’t let any criticism stop you from being an artist!

I loved the silly art style in this book. The blob creatures are made from yarn, paint, dots, squares, rainbows, string, glitter, and something that looks like shiny gold foil. They all have stick arms and little dot eyes and big smiles. So cute!

There are so many positive messages in this book! It’s a fresh look at the “Believe in Yourself!” message, and it got me really inspired.

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Picture Book Review: The House of Happy Spirits

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The House of Happy Spirits by Géraldine Elschner

The House of Happy Spirits: A Children’s Book Inspired by Friedensreich Hundertwasser
by Géraldine Elschner, Lucie Vandevelde (Illustrations)
2 out of 5 stars

Some children notice that a house is being built around their favorite tree in the neighborhood. They are amazed at the beautiful designs and colorful structure of the building, but they worry that their tree might have been cut down. Then they meet the architect, and find out what really happened to their beloved tree.

This book was okay. I didn’t like the art style, and the story was weird. It all seems so chaotic. It takes an effort to read and understand what is happening in the pictures. It reminds me of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ when things don’t make any sense in the narrative. Some people like that free and wild style, but it makes me nervous. This book literally made me nervous because it’s so topsy-turvy and nonsensical.

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