picture book

Picture Book Review: The Road Not Taken

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The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost, Vivian Mineker (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

“I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
I am in awe of how beautifully this book captures the majesty and mystery of Robert Frost’s poem. That moment of indecision- which path to take- and those moments of inspiration when you realize that your journey has led you to a place of beauty and heart’s ease; all these things are explored in this lovely picture book.

The artwork is warm and welcoming, inviting the reader into the story of a young man who is making choices in life. He grows up, gets married, and has children and grandchildren, and looks back on his journey and the choices he has made that have led him through his life. The illustrations are beautifully colored in warm yellows and oranges as the leaves fall from the trees in an autumn woodland.

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Board Book Review: 100 First Words for Little Gym Rats

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100 First Words for Little Gym Rats by Andrea Veenker

100 First Words for Little Gym Rats
by Andrea Veenker, Patrick Gray (Illustrations)
3 out of 5 stars

For the mommies and daddies who love the gym, now you can teach your toddler about getting healthy and fit! Each page of this board book has four or five words and illustrations about the gym. It covers exercise equipment, types of squats and crunches, the names of major muscles, and even nutrition and supplements.

I think this is such a fun way to introduce little kids to the importance of having a strong and healthy body! The illustrations are bright and colorful, drawing in your attention. Some of the characters in the illustrations have a funny expression, making it enjoyable and fun to read.

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Picture Book Reviews: The Little i Who Lost His Dot, and The Day Punctuation Came to Town

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The Little i Who Lost His Dot by Kimberlee Gard

The Little i Who Lost His Dot
by Kimberlee Gard (Author), Sandie Sonke (Illustrations)
5 out of 5 stars

Little ‘i’ arrives at school only to realize that he has lost his dot. The other alphabet letters try to help him find a replacement for his dot with hilarious results. Each alphabet letter brings him something that begins with their letter. Letter ‘b’ brings a balloon. Little ‘p’ presents a pretzel. Little ‘d’ dashes over with a donut. Little ‘r’ races over with a ring. It’s so cute and funny to see what crazy things the alphabet letters will suggest to replace little ‘i’s dot. I loved the whole adorable story! The letters are all so sweet to want to help, but in the end, it’s up to little ‘i’ to decide what to do.

The Day Punctuation Came to Town by Kimberlee Gard

The Day Punctuation Came to Town
by Kimberlee Gard (Author), Sandie Sonke (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars

The punctuation family moves into town and begins to attend school. All the alphabet letters are confused about what job punctuation is supposed to do when they all get together to make words. They learn about exclamation point, and question mark, and period. However, little comma gets pushed to the side. He just slows things down. When things get too rowdy in the classroom, the alphabet letters learn that they need comma after all. This story is so cute and funny! Poor little comma, he’s not sure where he is supposed to fit in. It’s so adorable how the letters in the classroom learn about punctuation and make words together.

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Picture Book Review: The Book No One Ever Read

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The Book No One Ever Read by Cornelia Funke

The Book No One Ever Read
by Cornelia Funke (Goodreads Author) (Illustrations)
2 out of 5 stars

One little book is tired of sitting on the shelf. He longs to find a reader. The other books are content to sit and wait, but this book is ready for an adventure. I liked the concept of books wishing to be read, and I thought the story was good. The books are caricatures of famous authors like Victor Hugo, Jane Austen, Beatrix Potter, and Alexander Dumas.

I found the artwork… unsettling in a strange way. The books look so weird and creepy! Their ghoulish little faces…. It was like some nightmare unreality of twisted forms and crooked illusions. I can’t put my finger on it, but I just hated the artwork. I could barely look at the page. I found it so disturbing that I just wanted to close the book and throw it away.

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Board Book Review: The Cuddle Book

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The Cuddle Book by Mifflin Lowe

The Cuddle Book
by Mifflin Lowe, Delia Ciccarelli (Illustrations)
4 out of 5 stars
There are two important questions when it comes to the subject of cuddling: Where and when to cuddle, and who to cuddle? Cuddling can chase away sadness on a rainy day. A big group hug makes us feel happy and loved. Hugging is the best way to share joy and lose our worries.

This adorable book reminds us that cuddling our friends, family, or pets with affection can be liberating and bring joy and laughter! I liked the sweet rhyming text and beautiful illustrations.

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Picture Book Review: Welcome to the Symphony

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Welcome to the Symphony by Carolyn Sloan

Welcome to the Symphony: A Musical Exploration of the Orchestra Using Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5
by Carolyn Sloan
5 out of 5 stars

Three little mice attend an orchestral concert and learn about how the different instruments work together to create beautiful music as they play Beethoven’s 5th Symphony (That’s the famous one that goes da-da-da-duh). The mice learn about the concertmaster, the conductor, and all the sections in the orchestra. They learn about tempo and dynamics and themes in music.

As each instrument is introduced, the reader can push the button to hear music played by that instrument. What makes this really special is that the recording plays the exact music that is in the illustrations next to that instrument. If there is a staff drawn next to the oboe playing G, F, E, D in the Treble Clef, then we hear the oboe play those exact notes in the recording. This kind of attention to detail is what makes this book truly special!
(The only instrument recording that does not follow the music written in the book is the trombone, but you know how trombonists are. They rarely follow the rules! haha!)

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Board Book Review: Your Nose! and Perfect Piggies!

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Your Nose! by Sandra Boynton

Your Nose!
by Sandra Boynton
5 out of 5 stars
A fox parent sings a song to their little fox cub all about their cute nose. Apparently this nose is the best nose to ever exist! It must be extraordinary and lovable with a magic all its own, because it makes the fox parent so happy to see that little fox cub nose. I loved this cute book! The illustrations are adorable, and each animal character boops their noses together in the sweetest way.

Perfect Piggies! by Sandra Boynton

Perfect Piggies!
by Sandra Boynton
5 out of 5 stars
A passel of pigs sing a song about how amazing pigs are, because of their delightful ears, curly tails, their snouts, and their general pink plumpness. Other animals may be smarter or more stylish, but these pigs are fabulous and chubby and they have mega-watt smiles. Those pigs are just so cute and cuddly! The illustrations are very sweet and silly, and I love the simple cartoon art style. Every page is so bright and colorful that it is sure to attract the attention of young readers.

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Picture Book Review: Robobaby

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Robobaby by David Wiesner

Robobaby
by David Wiesner
5 out of 5 stars

Cathode (Cathy for short) is about to become a big sister when her parents order a new baby robot. The baby arrives in the mail, but requires some assembly. Mother tries to put the baby together, and Father tries to read the instructions, but they can’t get the gears to attach to the clockwork innards of the child. They call for help! What can Cathy do to help save the baby?

The cuteness level in this book is through the roof! The story is so clever and original, and I adore all the funny characters. There’s Uncle Manny who tries to help assemble the baby. The neighbor brings her little twins to meet the baby. And of course, Sprocket the dog will help big sister Cathy to save the day!

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Picture Book Review: Hello, Neighbor!

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Hello, Neighbor! by Matthew Cordell

Hello, Neighbor!: The Kind and Caring World of Mister Rogers
by Matthew Cordell
5 out of 5 stars

This book tells the true story of how Fred Rogers first began to be interested in television production, and how he began broadcasting the show, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. The story is told in a simple way for children to understand, but it captures the heart of the show through Mr. Rogers personality. He exhibited such a strong kindness and compassion that it reached people personally even through the airwaves of television. I love that this book expresses the true heart of Mr. Rogers and demonstrates just how special and original his TV show really was.

One of the things that is mentioned in this book is that Fred Rogers was a minister, and his faith played a huge role in the type of person he was and how he formed his famous TV show for children. The sincerity and love in every episode are beautifully represented in this book.

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Picture Book Review: Sarah’s Solo

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Sarah's Solo by Tracy Brown

Sarah’s Solo
by Tracy Brown (Goodreads Author), Paula Wegman (Illustrator)
4 out of 5 stars
Sarah wishes that she could go to her ballet dance recital instead of attending her cousin’s wedding. When she hears the music at the wedding reception, she is swept into a dance with the bride and discovers that there is beauty in all types of music and dance, not just ballet.

This book teaches young readers about Jewish wedding traditions and the song Hava Nagila. The wedding guests dance the Hora, and the steps are outlined in the story. I love the rich culture and expressive traditions in this book!

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