When Life knocks on the door, one child learns that Life is weird and wacky and not always what you expect. But if you can embrace Life and weather the storms, Life can be a beautiful journey.

This book is so cute! “Life” is portrayed as a little gray monster dude who cavorts around, pulling pranks, and having adventures.
The text of this book is full of wisdom and encouragement, but the illustrations are what make it so fun and silly!
The text says “Life is short.” and the illustration shows Life trying to reach up a tall table to get a cake. The little Life monster guy is ACTUALLY too short to reach the table. haha! The book is full of silly puns and jokes like that. I love how clever the story is! Continue reading →

Mouse has lost her favorite bedtime book, and Frank the Dog is determined to help her find it. They ask Bella the Cat and they ask Owl to help them, but poor Mouse is very upset to have lost such a beloved book. How will Mouse ever get to sleep without her bedtime book?

This book is so adorable! The story is charming and sweet, and I loved the way the text draws the reader into the emotions of the story and the suspense of the mystery. The story has some excellent repetition in it, which is perfect for young readers. The pacing flows smoothly, and I loved the twist at the end. Continue reading →

Swoop and Scribble are an owl and a squirrel who are best friends. They decide to move into a house together, but begin to squabble over who can use the beautiful porch. Swoop wants the porch to be her workshop, and Scribble wants the porch to put on elaborate stage plays. Things escalate into a fierce argument, and there’s only one word that can repair their relationship. But even the word “Sorry” doesn’t work unless you really mean it.

I loved this adorable picture book! Swoop and Scribble are so cute! I love the way the story goes back and forth between the workshop and the stage, until finally the friends learn to compromise. I love how the writing is so insightful to remind the reader that saying you’re sorry doesn’t always work. You have to really BE sorry, and then do something to repair the emotional damage. Such a positive message told in a charming story! Continue reading →

Dog dreams of visiting the ocean, but it’s so far away that he never goes. One day Crab magically appears in his laundry basket, and Dog is forced to finally follow his dreams to the ocean as he helps Crab to get home. Dog thinks the trip is impossible, but with Crab’s encouragement he finds a new confidence that they can do anything together.

I liked this cute picture book! It has a positive message about confidence and trying your best, and the characters are really funny. The plot takes many twists and turns as Dog and Crab go on their journey to the ocean. Continue reading →

Bear is so excited to wake up from hibernation, and run and jump and play in the sunshine! She befriends Tortoise, but has trouble slowing down to his pace. Bear cannot be still for a second, and drags Tortoise along as she runs through the forest, and rolls down a grassy hill, and jumps into the water to swim. Finally, Tortoise begs her to slow down and appreciate all the things she has been running past, too busy to notice the other animals who want to play. Together the friends learn to stop and smell the flowers.

I loved this adorable story! Bear is such a cute character, and Tortoise is very patient with her. You can really feel the joyful energy Bear has to be out in the beautiful Spring, playing in the sun. Continue reading →

This book introduces common animals like pigeons, squirrels, spiders, skunk, earthworms, and butterflies. The text is written in rhyme, which is constructed quite well. I really like that none of these are farm animals. So many children’s books focus on farm animals instead of the type of animals that we normally see in our neighborhood or even in the city.

I am not always a fan of rhyme in children’s books, but I have no cause to complain of the rhyming in this book. The meter is good, and the rhymes are good, although a little contrived at times. However, most of the poems for each animal are four stanzas long. Any child young enough to be interested in an animal book will probably not sit through four stanzas of poetry on each page. Shorter would have been better. Continue reading →

Gloria is trapped in her anxiety. It feels like a big problematic monster that whispers her fears into her ears every day. Gloria feels crippled by her anxiety, and she doesn’t feel comfortable going to the movies or sleep overs with friends. She loves to sing, but is too scared to sing in front of people. Is there any way for her to destroy her anxiety and be able to sing in the big auditions for a musical show?

I loved this book so much! The concept of anxiety is described in a really insightful way, as a mental and physical response, and as an emotion too. I also found it very compelling how Gloria’s family minimize her problem and don’t take her seriously. Most people will not take a child seriously, or will tell you to “get over it.” There are some very powerful messages in this story about taking control of your own emotions and pulling yourself out of your fears. However, the story never feels preachy or overly “inspirational”. The story flows smoothly and is fun and silly, making it a joy to read! Continue reading →