Series Review: The Princess in Black 1-3

The Princess in Black Triple Smash!: Three Books in One

Shannon HaleDean HaleLeUyen Pham (illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

The Princess in Black (The Princess in Black, #1)

Princess Magnolia has a secret identity as the Princess in Black. At home, she wears frilly pink dresses and glass slippers, but then she changes into her monster-fighting black outfit and charges to the rescue when monsters attack the land. The monsters sneak out of the underground monster land to try to eat the goats, but the Princess in Black has the ninja skills to beat them back!

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Picture Book Reviews: Our Marvelous Memory and Our Incredible Imagination

Our Marvelous Memory by Helena Haraštová

Our Marvelous Memory (How Your Brain Works)
by Helena Haraštová

5 out of 5 stars

Different parts of the brain work together to create our memories. Some memories are saved for the long-term, and some things we forget within minutes or days. Memories of physical motion are stored in the cerebellum, and the amygdala helps to store memories of emotions. There are explicit memories like facts and dates, and implicit memories like how to swim. The more often you recall a memory, the stronger it will be and easier to recall the next time.

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Picture Book Review: This Book is Too Quiet

This Book is Too Quiet! by Cristina Cubells

This Book is Too Quiet!: You add the noise…
by Cristina Cubells, Joana Casals (illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

In this book about sounds, the reader has to add all the sound effects! We visit a busy kitchen where cooks are whisking and popping corks and slurping spaghetti. A plate breaks, the water faucet gushes, and the reader has to create all the sounds!
We make sounds for rainstorms, fireworks, insects, and animals. But some of the sounds have to come from our own imagination. What would a fantastical cloud factory sound like? What would sound be like in outer space?

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Book Review: The Fire-Breathing Duckling

The Fire-Breathing Duckling by Frank Cammuso

The Fire-Breathing Duckling
by Frank Cammuso (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars

A dragon egg ends up in the nest with the duck eggs. When the baby dragon hatches, the mother duck raises him along with all the other ducklings. But this odd duckling can’t swim. He wonders if he might be more of an “oinking” duckling, so he tries to wallow in the mud with some pigs. He wonders if he might be a “mooing” duckling or a “clucking” duckling, so he tries to do what cows and hens do. When a predator threatens his family, this little dragon discovers that he is actually a Fire-Breathing Duckling!

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Book Review: How Do Fires Protect Nature?

How Do Fires Protect Nature? by Dinyar Minocher

How Do Fires Protect Nature?: A Book About Fire Ecology
by  Dinyar Minocher, Srimalie Bassani (illustrator)

Fires can be dangerous, but they can also be helpful. A controlled burn can revive an old forest and provide a new habitat for animals where new plants can grow. In this book we learn all about how ecosystems can bounce back after a fire and emerge better than ever!

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Book Review: Charley Mouse Cleans House

Charley Mouse Cleans House by Katerina Gorelik

Charley Mouse Cleans House
by Katerina Gorelik

3 out of 5 stars

Charley Mouse is a cleaning lady and she goes around the magical forest and wild wood to clean the homes of the other animals and magical creatures. She cleans the home of Mr. Fox, but is told not to go in the bedroom. We can see that he is hiding caged animals for his dinner. She cleans for Mr. Wolf, and doesn’t see the bones piled up in his pantry. The witch’s house is always filthy, and Charley Mouse knows to stay away from the poison potions brewing in the kitchen, especially one labelled “gin”. The unicorns are sweet clients, but Charley has to clean out their chamber pots. At least their manure smells like strawberry jam, so it’s not too unpleasant. Charley cleans for the gingerbread people, a dragon, the moles, and frogs and snails. But when she gets home, it’s time to clean her own little house!

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Book Review: High Top, Sole Mates

High Top by Tom Lacey

High Top: Sole Mates
by Tom Lacey

High Top is a shoe in Shoe Town. He loves to show his friends how much he cares for them. He does them favors, gives thoughtful gifts, helps them out, and gives hugs and high fives all the time. But he wants to do something REALLY BIG to show them how big his love is. He designs a HUGE sign to show the whole town how he really feels, but disaster strikes and High Top is discouraged…. until his friends show up to help!

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Book Review: Just One More Story

Just One More Story by Perry Emerson

Just One More Story
by Perry Emerson, Sean Julian (illustrator)

Two bunny siblings have very different tastes when it comes to stories. Pip loves to sit quietly and read about sunflowers and love and sunshine picnics. Bun wants stories about bag guys, pirates, and spies with plenty of action… and cake! Can these two siblings find a way to enjoy reading stories together?

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Book Review: The Armadillo Who Came for Dinner

The Armadillo Who Came for Dinner by Steve Smallman

The Armadillo Who Came for Dinner
by  Steve Smallman, Joëlle Dreidemy (illustrator)

When an Armadillo comes rolling into their lives, the animal friends aren’t quite sure how to befriend him. Little Lamb tries to give him a hug, but the Armadillo is too tough for hugs. Wolf is worried that the Armadillo will destroy every vase in the house when he rolls around smashing things. They go to visit the fair, but the Armadillo trips and starts rolling and knocks over everything in sight! He scares all the animals and destroys the ice cream cart and bouncy castle. But when Little Lamb is in trouble, they will be grateful for Armadillo’s tough hide.

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Picture Book Review: Teeth

Teeth by Magda Garguláková

Teeth: You Only Get Two Sets
by Magda Garguláková

5 out of 5 stars

This book is perfect to teach young children about how to care for their teeth and why it is so important to brush and floss regularly. We also learn about the dentist and how we lose our baby teeth. There is a whole section about enamel and cavities and the roots of the teeth. There is a section all about how our teeth form when we are tiny unborn babies and then start to grow out when we are about 6 months old. Incisors, molars, wisdom teeth, and dentures – this book covers all the bases when it comes to teeth!

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