Charlie is excited about attending his new school, but when he gets there all his classmates are cats! Charlie finds it hard to make friends when he feels so different, but he tries his best to be friendly and is rewarded with a new friend.

This book is so adorable! Charlie is so spunky and sweet, and full of energy. I love how he approaches his problems with enthusiasm and hope. The first thing he does is look in the library for some answers about how to befriend cats, and he learns about cat culture. I love the positive messages of acceptance in this story!

The illustrations are so cute! I fell in love with the art style and the hilarious expressions on the characters’ faces. The colorful cartoon style is perfect for this story, and all the little details in the background make this story special. The art really shows the energy and action of each scene in a way that draws the reader into the story. Continue reading →

Turtle is born on a beach, and immediately dives into the ocean. She travels through the ocean landscape, making friends, and living a good life. One day she returns to the beach where she was born to lay her eggs. On her journey to and from the beach, she notices that the ocean is not the same as it used to be. Plastic bags and bottles float around, and plastic rings or bits of net trap the sea creatures. All the garbage is making the ocean toxic, but Turtle encounters some friendly humans who start cleaning things up.

This book took me on an emotional roller coaster ride of ups and downs as Turtle revels in the joy of her beautiful ocean and then is devastated by all the garbage and trash that is floating around. What a wonderful story! Continue reading →

Every day Elliot and Ruby walk to school together. Ruby is very imaginative and sees adventure everywhere, but Elliot is more practical and scoffs at Ruby’s silly games. But gradually Elliot begins to get interested in Ruby’s flights of fancy, and finally joins in her imagination adventures.

Ruby thinks that rain puddles are really magic portal puddles that will whisk you away to a pirate ship. She thinks that a rock could be the last remnant of a crashed alien spaceship. A newspaper is really a treasure map, and a broken branch is a witch’s broom. Anything is possible when you use your imagination!

I LOVED this book so much! So cute and funny! Ruby is so spunky and sweet, and Elliot is adorable as he tries to hide his interest in Ruby’s games. I was enchanted with all the many imaginative things that the children discover. Continue reading →

Keith is a cat who wishes he was a pigeon. He tries to make friends with the pigeons, but they just fly away. The other cats make fun of him for trying to eat birdseed and coo like a pigeon. Will Keith ever be accepted just as he is?

The author says “This story is for anyone who feels that the way they are expected to be doesn’t reflect who they truly are.” It’s a really thoughtful and insightful look at accepting your own identity and finding friends who accept you too.

I like the emotional journey that Keith goes through to discover his true self. Personally, I think pigeons are rats with wings, but apparently Keith likes them for some reason. I definitely liked his strong personality and how he thoroughly committed to being a pigeon. haha! Continue reading →

Milo and Monty are two dogs with very different personalities. Monty loves to play and be petted and hugged by people. Milo likes to find a quiet spot by himself, and hates being petted. Monty is laid-back and relaxed. Milo is anxious and worried. Can Milo’s family learn to understand him and give him the space he needs?

I loved how the idea of different introvert and extrovert personalities is explored in this book, especially when a little boy comes to visit who is very quiet and retired like Milo. It was wonderful to see how the family learned to accept Milo just as he is and give him what he needs in different situations. Sometimes introverts need a safe and quiet space a little apart from others, but where you aren’t excluded from the activity. I loved how the characters learn to respect and appreciate Milo’s unique characteristics and needs. Continue reading →

Little Bear accidentally breaks Mommy’s favorite sunflower, and she is worried that her mother will be upset with her. But Mommy reassures Little Bear that they are always connected by their love, even when things go wrong.

This book made me cry, it’s so sweet and full of love! I really like that the story is not too cutesy or sentimental, but still has a loving message that is powerful. This is one story that will NOT make little kids roll their eyes.

Little Bear is such a spunky character! She plays the drums, runs in a race, flies a kite, and climbs a tree.

Mermaid is hiding, and we have to look for her behind the seaweed, in the coral, in the treasure chest, and all over the ocean! Along the way we meet the Seahorse, the Dolphin, a Fish, and an Octopus, until we finally find Mermaid at the end of the book.

The cuteness factor is through the roof in this board book!! I can’t handle how adorable this is!

The design is really lovely and clever with die-cut openings and felt fabric flaps to look under. We have to search for Mermaid under the seaweed by lifting the seaweed green flap to reveal Octopus underneath! I love how this design gets young readers using tactile movements and coordination. Continue reading →

A little mouse makes friends with different animals on each page where everything is shades of the same signature color. The orange monkey, the red lion, the pink flamingo, and blue elephant all join the mouse, and they meet the yellow giraffe at the end for some fun games together.

I found it strange that the giraffe is the titular character, and yet only appears on one page. The mouse is the main character who meets all the other animals throughout the book. Odd.

I loved the way that each color is described as having a mood. It’s really thoughtful and sweet! Not only does this book introduce colors, but also gives some little lessons about healthy emotions too. Continue reading →

Noah goes on an ocean adventure, first snorkeling in a coral reef, then diving deep in a submarine, finding a sunken treasure, and moving into Antarctic waters.

I love the die-cut openings in this board book! Each one is like a little peek into the next adventure, and the openings are arranged very cleverly. There is also a surprise pop-out design at the end that is very cool!

The illustrations are so colorful and bright! I love the cartoony style of the art and how expressive Noah is. You can really see the action in the artwork as Noah discovers new things on every page. Continue reading →