Sounds Good!: Discover 50 Instruments
by Ole Könnecke, Hans Könnecke

3 out of 5 stars

This humorous book introduces the reader to 50 different instruments. We learn how they are played, who invented them, and what type of music they are commonly used for. Each page has a QR code that you can scan, which will take you to a Youtube soundtrack of the instrument being played. The soundtracks are original music composed by the co-author.

Tibbles the Cat
by Michal Šanda, David Dolenský (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

In this true story, a lighthouse keeper brings his pet cat to a small island off the coast of New Zealand. One day the cat brings him a dead bird, and the lighthouse keeper is intrigued. He’s never seen a bird like it before. He sends it to a museum, and they declare that a new species of bird has been discovered. They name it the Stephens Island wren. It captures the attention of a great ornithologist who publishes about the bird, and they organize an expedition for a group of scientists to travel to Stephens Island and study the bird. By the time they get there, they cannot find a single wren. Tibbles the cat has hunted them to extinction.

What Should I Wear Now? (Mixed-Up Fashion)
by Jana Sedlackova, Alexandra Majova (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

The characters in this book have gotten very confused about what to wear to their events. You can’t wear pajamas to school! You can’t wear an evening gown to play soccer! On each page, the character learn that their clothing is not the right thing for what they are doing, and then we learn the proper clothing and accessories for their event. You need a wedding dress and suit for your wedding, not swimwear. You need overalls for farm work, not a tennis outfit. You need hiking gear and boots to go on a hike, not a painter’s smock!

Science FACTopia!: Follow the trail of 400 STEM-tastic facts (FACTopia!, 6)
by Rose Davidson (Goodreads Author), Andy Smith (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

This book gives random facts about science, the earth, the universe, animals, trees, and the ocean. We can learn about astronauts, sloths, weird plants, tennis, rabbits, polar bears, and new technology. The illustrations and photos are eye-catching and colorful. Each factoid is short; just one sentence that tantalizes your brain to learn more! The factoids are arranged so that each fact leads into the next with one small thing in common.

However, I have to wonder just how much of this book is true, and how much is just guess-work and theories. The book does not always make it clear which factoids are theories and which are backed up by empirical data.

Llamando a mamá (Spanish Edition) (Calling Mama)
by Anya Damirón, César Barceló (illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

Max calls for his mother every time he needs something. He screams out “Mama!” if he is hungry or can’t reach his toys or wants a glass of water. He yells for her so much that she tells him to only call for her if he really needs help. One day he screams for his mother, but she doesn’t respond. She waits to see what he will do without her. And he learns to be more independent and solve his own little problems by himself. His mother is still there to help him when he really needs it, but Max starts doing things on his own more and more. Until one day, his mother is the one to yell out “Max!” when he is making a mess in the kitchen!

As Brave as a Lion
by Erika Meza

5 out of 5 stars

A little girl is sometimes scared, but her lion helps her to be brave. They are always together through everything. The little girl goes to a new playground and climbs up the highest slide she has ever seen. The lion climbs up with her. But when they get to the top, they are BOTH scared! It looks too high! How will they ever find the courage to get down? They give each other courage because they are together!

Betty and the Mysterious Visitor
by Anne Twist, Emily Sutton (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

Betty loves to visit her grandmother in the country. They get to work in the community garden and harvest berries to make jam. But one morning they discover that something has destroyed part of the garden, digging up the grass and flowers and plants. Betty stays up late to spy out her window and she sees a badger digging up the garden looking for food. Betty comes up with a plan to scare off the badger and save the garden!

Dakota Crumb and the Secret Bookshop: A Tiny Treasure Hunt
by Jamie Michalak (Goodreads Author), Kelly Murphy (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

Dakota the mouse receives a letter from her cousin Julien begging for her help to find a lost book. Dakota follows the clues to a bookstore in Paris. She must search diligently to find each clue along the way that leads her to the secret book. But when she reaches the end of her search, the book is not at all what she expected.

Moving the Millers’ Minnie Moore Mine Mansion: A True Story
by Dave Eggers, Júlia Sardà (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

In the 1870s, a silver mine was established in Idaho when a dog chasing a gopher starting digging a hole and found silver in the ground. A man named Minnie Moore sold the silver mine to Henry Miller, making it Miller’s Minnie Moore Mine. Henry Miller built a beautiful mansion for his wife and son.

Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories
by Jarvis

5 out of 5 stars

Bird is waiting for Bear to come out and play when she falls into a flower and can’t get out. She’s trapped upside down inside the petals! Bear comes out looking for her and thinks he has found a talking flower that keeps yelling for help.