picture books

Picture Book Review: Dasher

Posted by

0

Dasher by Matt Tavares
Dasher: How a Brave Little Doe Changed Christmas Forever
by Matt Tavares 

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Dasher and her reindeer family are prisoners at a traveling circus, and they tell stories about the cool snow and clear stars of the North Pole. Dasher daringly escapes and searches for the North Pole, using the North Star as her guide. She meets a man dressed in red, struggling to deliver toys to children with only one horse to pull his sleigh. Dasher agrees to help him deliver the toys, and wishes that her family could enjoy the beauty and freedom of the North Pole.

I loved this book! The story is sweet and touching, and the illustrations are beautiful!
Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Santa’s Secret

Posted by

0

Santa's Secret by Denise Brennan-Nelson
Santa’s Secret
by Denise Brennan-Nelson,  Deborah Melmon (Illustrations)

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

One little girl is on a mission to discover who Santa really is. Is it the Santa in the mall, the Santa from the Christmas Parade, or the Santa with a bell and a donation bucket? Or could it be a bearded old man in a coffee shop? With notebook and pencil, she asks penetrating questions as she sleuths around to find the answers. Can she crack the case and discover the REAL Santa?

The illustrations are colorful and festive, with a charming pencil style. The background of each page has interesting details that add to the story. For instance, the Santa in the mall has “Peppermint Beard Oil” stashed behind his Santa chair, along with a book about “How to be a Good Listener” and a toy catalog. So cute! Those details really make this story special. Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Peppa Pig and the Christmas Play

Posted by

0

Peppa Pig and the Christmas Play by Candlewick Press
Peppa Pig and the Christmas Play
by Candlewick Press

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Peppa and her school class are planning their Christmas play. Peppa wants to be a Christmas fairy in the play, and she invites Santa to attend at the school along with all the parents. But Santa is very busy. The schoolmates see him at malls, grocery stores, garden centers, and even at the tree shop. Peppa is sure he will be able to come to their school play, but Madame Gazelle, their teacher, warns Peppa that Santa might not come. The show must go on, even if Santa doesn’t make an appearance.

This adorable picture book has a simple storyline perfect for little children. The writing is easy to read and excellent for beginning readers.

The first part of the story describes what each of the schoolmates will be for the school play, and all the animals prepare their costumes as snowflakes, reindeer, elves, a Christmas tree, and a Christmas star. Suzy Sheep wants to be a Christmas nurse, so she can doctor anyone who is sick at the play! It’s so cute! Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Wishing You Blessings from A to Z

Posted by

0

Wishing You...Blessings from A to Z by Sandi Gore Evans
Wishing You…Blessings from A to Z
by Sandi Gore Evans

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


This Christmas book goes from A to Z as snowmen characters demonstrate the joys and delights of Christmas. A is the “aroma of a warm cup of cocoa,” while C is for the “cookies, candy, and snow cones shared with a friend”, and I is for the “incredible snowflakes”. Each page features snowmen and snow-women singing carols, toasting marshmallows, putting on mittens and scarves, and decorating their Christmas trees.

The artwork is adorable! Such cute little snowmen in sweet hats and coats with lots of Christmas decorations around them. The colors are very festive! But a couple of the illustrations are used twice, and XYZ are lumped together on one page with “Yuletide blessings” making do for all three letters. Continue reading →

Board Book Review: All Around Bustletown: Winter

Posted by

0

All Around Bustletown by Rotraut Susanne Berner
All Around Bustletown: Winter
by Rotraut Susanne Berner

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Everywhere in Bustletown people are getting things done, going to their piano lessons, doing their shopping, finding lost objects, buying a Christmas tree, skating on the pond, getting their car repaired, and tending to the animals. Everywhere you look there is something interesting happening and a story line to follow!

I love the colorful and detailed illustrations! Each page is beautifully drawn with fun little details to draw the reader in. I’m 37 years old, and I was fascinated with each beautiful scene!

It’s so fun to search for people in the hustle and bustle of the scenery and follow them from page to page as their little story unfolds.

Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Little Robin’s Christmas

Posted by

0

Little Robin's Christmas by Jan Fearnley
Little Robin’s Christmas
by Jan Fearnley

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Little Robin has seven beautiful vests to keep him warm in the winter, but he gives them away to animals who are freezing in the snow, until on Christmas Eve he only has one vest left. He meets a lonely mouse who is shivering in the cold, and gives away his last vest. Now Little Robin will be frozen, unless a certain jolly fellow in a red coat can find this generous bird and give him the most precious Christmas gift of all.

Little Robin is such a sweet and generous little guy! He meets a lot of different animals struggling to stay warm in the snow and ice of the winter, and thoughtfully offers them a knitted vest to keep them warm and cozy. Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: One Wild Christmas

Posted by

0

One Wild Christmas by Nicholas Oldland
One Wild Christmas
by Nicholas Oldland

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


A bear, a moose, and a beaver all come together to celebrate Christmas. The moose loves to bake and cooks a fabulous holiday meal for the friends. The beaver is especially good at decorating and puts up twinkle lights. The bear does the heavy lifting, piling up massive armfuls of presents and gifts for everyone.
They search for the perfect Christmas tree to cut down and bring home, but the bear loves all living trees and will not allow his friends to cut down any trees! Will Christmas be ruined without a Christmas tree to decorate?

I loved this book! The characters are so cute. The storyline is interesting and imaginative, and the writing is charming and simple for young readers. The story made me smile! Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Maisy’s Christmas Party

Posted by

0

Maisy's Christmas Party by Lucy Cousins
Maisy’s Christmas Party: With 6 Festive Letters and Secret Surprises!
by Lucy Cousins

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Maisy is inviting all her friends to a Christmas Party, and they each reply with a special letter. Eddie sends Maisy a little calendar to count down the days until the party. Cyril sends her a recipe for gingerbread. Tallulah sends Maisy a star to put on her tree. Charley includes a joke book with his letter, and Maisy laughs and laughs at his jokes. Finally, it’s the day of the party, and the friends have a good time together.

This is such a special Christmas book, with pockets for each of the letters the friends send to Maisy. Inside each envelope/pocket is a letter and a different decoration, recipe, or tiny booklet. Continue reading →

Picture Book Reviews: Disney Stories for 2 and 3 Year Olds

Posted by

0

Disney Stories for 2-Year-Olds by Editors of Studio Fun Inter...Disney Stories for 3-Year-Olds by Editors of Studio Fun Inter...
Disney Stories for 2-Year-Olds
by Editors of Studio Fun International

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

With 14 stories about Mickey Mouse and his friends, this picture book is the perfect treasury of Disney stories for young toddlers. Each chapter is a simple story about Mickey and his friends as they go on a picnic, ride a fire truck in a parade, visit a pet shop, and work on a dairy farm. Donald Duck, Goofy, Daisy, and Minnie are along for the ride too, ready for each adventure!

I love this adorable collection of short stories about Mickey! The stories are simple and easy to read with colorful pictures that make it perfect for little readers. I especially enjoyed that each story has a little lesson about being true to yourself, sharing with your friends, working as a team, or being brave in difficult circumstances. The writing makes this easy to read out loud, and the colorful illustrations are designed to capture a child’s attention. Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Frankie’s Scared of Everything

Posted by

0

Frankie's Scared of Everything by Mathew Franklin
Frankie’s Scared of Everything
by Mathew Franklin

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Frankie is afraid of every noise that he hears in the dark, imagining that there are monsters after him. But his mother assures him that there is nothing to fear from nightly noises, and his imagination can be his greatest tool in fighting off his fears, instead of letting his imagination run wild.

I really enjoyed the story, especially how Frankie’s mother encourages him to harness his imagination and control his fears. The writing is excellent, and I appreciated all the alliterative noises the monsters make, like “crashing, creeeaking” and “scraping, scratching”. Those details make it fun to read, and paint a vivid picture.
Continue reading →