picture books
Picture Book Review: Nervous Nigel
Nervous Nigel
by Bethany Christou
Nigel’s family are all champion swimmers, and they have the medals and trophies to prove it. But Nigel doesn’t like to swim fast. It makes him nervous when the whistle blows and the coach yells for him to go faster. He likes to float along and relax when he swims. It’s his special time to think. Nigel’s family enter him into a swim race, and Nigel is too scared to tell them that he doesn’t like racing. How will Nigel get his overachieving family to understand?
Continue readingPicture Book Review: Books Aren’t For Eating
Books Aren’t for Eating
by Carlie Sorosiak (Author),Manu Montoya (Illustrator)
Leopold is a goat who owns a bookshop. A long time ago, he used to eat books, but then he learned to read them instead. Now he loves to help other people (and animals) find the perfect book to inspire and entertain them. Leopold is thrilled when another goat comes into his bookshop! He offers the goat a special book that he thinks the goat will enjoy, but the goat eats it! Leopold tries everything to get this goat to stop eating the books. He searches high and low for a book that will inspire the goat to read instead of eating the pages. Finally Leopold thinks he has found a solution, but he will have to sacrifice his favorite book.
Continue readingActivity Book Reviews: Merriam Webster’s Activity Mysteries
Merriam Webster’s Activity Mysteries: Please Don’t Laugh, We Lost a Giraffe!
by Tish Rabe (Goodreads Author)
Merriam and Webster are best friends. They visit Wildlife World, and the park ranger asks for their help. There is a giraffe missing! They must follow the clues and solve the puzzles to search for the giraffe. They ask the animals for help, and track the giraffe through all kinds of terrain.
Continue readingPicture Book Review: Healthy as a Dragon!
Healthy as a Dragon!
by Štěpánka Sekaninová, Veronika Zacharová
The Dragon has a toothache and he is crying and wailing so loudly that the Princess hears him. She takes him home to the castle to teach him about eating healthy foods and brushing his teeth. But this Dragon needs a serious education about hygiene! The Dragon stays at the castle and learns about the importance of good clean habits. He learns to clean his new room, take a shower, get exercise, and go to bed on time. In the end he is a happier and healthier Dragon!
Continue readingPicture Book Review: Norton and the Bear
Norton and the Bear
by Gabriel Evans (Goodreads Author)
Norton prides himself on being unique. He likes to dress in unique styles that no one else has. But then he meets a Bear who starts to copy him. The Bear buys the exact same sweater that Norton is wearing. Norton adds a scarf to make sure that his look is different. But the Bear buys the same scarf too! Norton adds a hat and a flower and socks, trying to find something completely original and unique that no one can copy. But the Bear just keeps copying his outfit and laughing that they are twins. Finally Norton yells at the Bear to stop copying him! But then Norton feels guilty for being so rude. Can Norton and the Bear learn to be friends and still feel unique?
Continue readingPicture Book Review: A Perfect Wonderful Day with Friends
A Perfect Wonderful Day with Friends
by Philip Waechter
Raccoon wants to bake a cake, so he walks over to Fox’s house to borrow some eggs. But Fox is trying to repair her roof, and needs a ladder. So they walk together over to Badger’s house to borrow a ladder. Badger is trying to solve a crossword puzzle with a clue about honey, so they join Crow in looking for Bear down by the river. Bear will know the answer to a clue about honey. Bear is fishing, but the fish are not biting. Will the friends ever manage to complete all their tasks? Only if they work together!
Continue readingPicture Book Review: The Ugly Place
The Ugly Place
by Laura Deal, Emma Pedersen (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars
A boy is in an ugly mood, and he vents his anger by stomping in the tide pools and the mud at the beach. He sits on an ugly rock in the ugly rain and stares at the ugly fish. But gradually, he notices that the seagulls’ white feathers are not ugly as they glide effortless through the sky. He breathes slowly with the waves going in and out. He closes his eyes to feel the warmth of the sun as the clouds part. His ugly mood evaporates with the rain, and the beauty of the sea reminds him to smile.
Continue readingPicture Book Review: Leilong’s Too Long!
Leilong’s Too Long!
by Julia Liu, Bei Lynn (Illustrations)
Leilong works as the school bus for the children in the city, but he is just too big for the roads. His tail is so long that he knocks over houses, and gets tangled in telephone lines. He broke a bridge because he is too heavy. Finally there are too many complaints about accidents, and Leilong can’t give the children a ride to school anymore. The children comfort him, but he cries so much that his tears fill up the swimming pool. The children take the opportunity to slide down Leilong’s back into the water and play on his tail. Leilong finds a new job as a playground and pool slide for the children, and he is happier than ever!
Continue readingPicture Book Review: Patti at the Music Shop
Patti at the Music Shop
by Vítězslav Mecner
Patti loves trying out the different instruments in the music shop. She tries everything- trumpet, piano, drums, flute, harp, harmonica, and the maracas. But what she really wants is a bass guitar! When Patti finally gets to try out the bass guitar, it’s too big for her! Her little fingers can’t reach around the body of the instrument to strum the strings. She is disappointed until her dad suggests the perfect solution! She can first learn to play on the small ukulele, until she grows bigger and can handle the bass guitar.
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