Kindness Grows: A Peek-through Picture Book
by Britta Teckentrup (Goodreads Author)
5 out of 5 stars

This book teaches the reader that mean words and arguments cause a crack to form between friends, but kind words and working together makes a tree of friendship grow. Thoughtlessness and selfishness only tear people apart, but forgiving and smiling at one another results in a happy atmosphere of support.

Bea by the Sea
by Jo Byatt
5 out of 5 stars

Bea loves lions. She is obsessed with everything to do with lions. But Bea hates going to the beach, because the sand is scratchy and gritty. When she goes to the beach with her mother, Bea meets a Sand Lion who helps her appreciate all the fun you can have with sandcastles and playing in the sand. Sand Lion is afraid of the water, so Bea helps him to not be afraid of the little waves on the shore.

When Pumpkins Fly
by Margaret Lawrence
4 out of 5 stars

Sanikiluaq is a remote town that gets all its supplies through cargo planes. At Halloween, the plane flies in pumpkins for the school children! Each class gets to carve a pumpkin, and they draw names to see who gets to take it home for their front porch. They light candles inside each pumpkin. The children don their costumes and get bags full of candy trick-or-treating at each house. Then the whole community gathers for a Halloween dance. But when they go to bed, the children wonder if the tunnaat spirits will come out and steal the pumpkins. Or will the pumpkins freeze when the candles burn out?

Scruff
by Alice Bowsher
4 out of 5 stars

Scruff is a scruffy dog, and his owner is scruffy too. But Scruff likes to be polished and pampered and clean. So Scruff’s owner gets polished and clean too. But is it enough for them to win a prize at the dog show with all the fancy dogs?

This book is adorable! It is told in a few comical words, and the writing is just perfect for little readers. The story is engaging and fun!

Rosa’s Big Pizza Experiment
by Jessica Spanyol
5 out of 5 stars

Rosa and her friends make pizza dough with yeast and flour. They let the dough rise, and then roll it into shape. After the toppings have been put on, the friends bake their pizzas. Each pizza comes out a little different, but they are all delicious.

Bibbit Jumps
by Bei Lynn
3 out of 5 stars

Bibbit is a frog who has forgotten how to swim. His frog friends try to teach him, but he gets confused. His tadpole baby sister tries to teach him, but he doesn’t have a tail anymore. Bibbit might not be able to swim, but he loves to jump! He jumps to the highest tree to collect a banana. He jumps up to help squirrel collect nuts in the trees. He even jumps high enough to touch a rainbow.

I Am Darn Tough
by Licia Morelli, Maine Diaz (Illustrations)
4 out of 5 stars

A girl begins running a race. But she falls and scrapes her knee. She gets a cramp in her side. She has to call up all her fortitude to continue the race. She discovers strength within herself, both internal strength and outward strength to keep going.

Calvin Gets the Last Word
by Margo Sorenson (Goodreads Author), Mike Deas (Illustrations)
4 out of 5 stars

Calvin’s older brother tells a funny joke right when Calvin takes a drink of milk, making Calvin squirt milk out of his nose at the family breakfast table. Calvin searches the dictionary for the perfect words to describe his annoying brother and plots a way to get his revenge.

I’m confused about the messages in this book. One minute Calvin is standing up to bullies who took a child’s pencil case, not allowing them to tease a younger child. The next minute Calvin is pranking his older brother by dumping an entire cup of water on his head while his brother is sitting in bed reading. How is that any different than the bully who pranked the other kid by taking their pencil case? And then the two brothers laugh about it and sit on the wet bed looking up the word “Family” in the dictionary. And who is gonna get out dry pajamas for the brother, and change those sheets, and dry out that mattress? What a mean prank to sneak up behind someone and dump a glass of water on their head! It’s way too destructive. I think it is supposed to come across as mischievous, but it is more malicious.

Last: the story of a white rhino
by Nicola Davies
4 out of 5 stars

A rhino is taken into captivity and kept in a zoo with other endangered species. He thinks he is the last of his kind, but when he is released and returns to his wild home, he discovers that there are others like himself.

This book was very emotional, told from the rhino’s perspective. You can feel the joy in his free and wild life with his herd family.

Penpals Forever
by C.K. Smouha, Jürg Lindenberger (Illustrator)
4 out of 5 stars

Freddy the mouse and Annabel the elephant become penpals and write letters back and forth. Freddy tells Annabel about the bullies in his neighborhood who stole his skateboard, and when Freddy stops writing altogether Annabel is worried that something must have happened to him.

I love that Annabel’s letters are humongous and taller than Freddy. And Freddy’s letters are tiny, and Annabel has to read them with a microscope. That made me laugh! Nothing can stop those two from being friends!