Book Reviews: Frank and Bean Series

Frank and Bean by Jamie Michalak

Frank and Bean
by Jamie Michalak (Goodreads Author),Bob Kolar (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

Frank is seeking solitude and quiet in the great outdoors. He goes camping so that he can write poetry in his secret journal. But Bean shows up in a loud bus, with loud musical instruments, and a loud motorcycle. Frank begs him to be quiet, but Bean is always yelling and making noise. Finally Bean manages to be quiet for a little while and he hears the sounds of nature all around them. Frank gathers the courage to share his poetry, and Bean puts the words to music. Together the friends are able to write a new song to sing!

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Book Review: The Pie That Molly Grew

The Pie That Molly Grew by Sue Heavenrich

The Pie That Molly Grew
by Sue Heavenrich

5 out of 5 stars

Molly plants a seed in the ground and it grows into a pumpkin vine. After many months, she has a ripe pumpkin to turn into pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving! At the back of the book, there are instructions and a recipe to make pumpkin pie from scratch. There is also information about pumpkins and how they flower and grow.

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Christmas Books from Nosy Crow

Tis the Season by Richard Jones

Tis the Season: A Lift-the-Flap Advent Calendar Full of Christmas Poems
by Richard Jones (illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

This advent calendar book has a lift-the-flap surprise illustration for each day until Christmas as well as a poem to read each day. The poems are lovely selections from poets like Thomas Hardy, Christina Rossetti, Ogden Nash, and James Pierpont, as well as several that are the lyrics to traditional Christmas songs like Deck the Halls and Here We Come A-Wassailing.

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Picture Book Review: How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? (English and Spanish)

¿Cómo baja Papá Noel por la chimenea? (Somos8) by Mac Barnett

¿Cómo baja Papá Noel por la chimenea? (Somos8) (Spanish Edition)
by Mac Barnett

5 out of 5 stars

Tal vez Papá Noel se encoge hasta quedar muy pequeño para poder pasar por la chimenea. Pero ¿se queda atascado alguna vez? ¿Se ensucia todo el traje con el hollín? Tal vez pueda aplanarse para deslizarse por debajo de la puerta. ¿Y qué pasa con los perros en las casas? Tal vez Papá Noel lleve golosinas para perros, para que no ladren. ¿Usa gafas de visión nocturna para ver a su alrededor en la oscuridad? Sea como sea, ¡estamos contentos de que Papá Noel venga en Navidad!

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Christmas Books from Candlewick

Bunnies in a Sleigh by Philip Ardagh

Bunnies in a Sleigh: A Crazy Christmas Story! (Sunny Town Bunnies)
by Philip Ardagh, Ben Mantle (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

A group of bunnies descend on the North Pole, causing mayhem in Santa’s workshop. They tag along in the sleigh on Christmas Eve, helping Santa to deliver presents, making messes, and getting up to all kinds of wild shenanigans. They drink the milk and eat the cookies set out for Santa. They narrowly miss crashing the sleigh. They watch a movie in someone’s house, eat the Christmas candy, get soot all over the carpet, and climb the Christmas trees. These bunnies are crazy, but eventually all the presents have been delivered. Santa and the bunnies go back to the North Pole for a well-deserved snack.

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Christmas Books from Familius

12 Little Elves Visit Georgia by Trish Madson

12 Little Elves Visit Georgia: A Christmas Counting Picture Book
by Trish Madson, Sadie Han (illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

Santa sends twelve little elves to Georgia to check if the kids are sleeping on Christmas Eve, but the elves get distracted exploring the Peach State. They visit the Georgia Aquarium, Anna Ruby Falls, and Jekyll Island. They put strings of twinkle lights on the state tree, the live oak, and they listen to the state bird, the brown thrasher, singing. The elves float on a raft down the Chattahoochee River, and see alligators at the Okefenokee Swamp. And of course, they have to sample the famous Georgia peaches!

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Picture Book Review: The Christmas Elephant

The Christmas Elephant by Maria  Antonia

The Christmas Elephant: a Nativity Story
by Maria Antonia (Goodreads Author), Laura Zarrin (Goodreads Author) (illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

Ellie loves to dress up in her elephant costume, but she is disappointed that there weren’t any elephants at Bethlehem. Ellie’s big sister Piper insists that Ellie will have to change into a sheep costume if she wants to go on stage for the Christmas nativity play, but Ellie tries to sneak on stage with her elephant costume. She insists that elephants never forget, and she wants to be an elephant in the play. When the prop for Baby Jesus is misplaced, it’s up to Ellie to remember where it is and save the day!

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Book Review: 10 Things I Love About Halloween

10 Things I Love About Halloween by Samantha Sweeney

10 Things I Love About Halloween: A Halloween Book for Kids and Toddlers
by Samantha Sweeney, Jordan Wray (Illustrator)

3 out of 5 stars

A little boy and his sister list all the things they love about Halloween. They love making costumes and getting pumpkins. They love decorating for Halloween and making crafts at school. They love trick-or-treating with their friends and bobbing for apples. They tell spooky stories and make shadow puppets. Most of all they love spending this special time of year with their family and friends!

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Book Review: Ava Lin, Best Friend!

Ava Lin by Vicky Fang

Ava Lin: Best Friend
by Vicky Fang (Goodreads Author)

4 out of 5 stars

Ava Lin is determined to find a best friend when she starts first grade. She thinks that maybe one girl in her class might be a possible friend, but then they have a misunderstanding about a sparkly plastic jewel. Ava Lin just wants someone to hang out with and make beautiful notebooks, but somehow everything seems to go wrong. She gets a special pebble stuck in her ear. She finds some little treasures but leaves them in her pockets when her clothes go in the wash. She gets in trouble at lunch. Ava Lin thinks school is a big mess, but maybe she could still find a best friend.

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Picture Book Review: The Library

The Library by Sarah Stewart

The Library
by Sarah Stewart, David Small (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

Elizabeth Brown only wants to read books. When she is a child, she doesn’t want to play with dolls. She just wants to read. When she is a young adult, she doesn’t want to go out on dates. She only wants to read. When she is grown, she buys a house and fills it with books until they are stacked up everywhere. She can’t even get out of the front door because stacks of books are blocking the doorway! What will she do with all those books? Share them, of course.

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