Posts Tagged ‘book-review’

“My thoughts: I loved this one. I really liked Macy. But I loved, loved, loved Iris. Together these two make for a GREAT read. I also enjoyed the other characters in the book. (Her best friend, Olivia, her mother, her step-father-to-be, Alan, her step-sisters-to-be, Kaitlin and Bethany.) Macy is a flawed heroine–my favorite kind. So […]

“Woodrow at Sea is another ocean-faring adventure story, this time about an elephant and mouse on separate but strikingly similar journeys…The characters are likeable in their animation and the ‘plot’ finds just the right mix of silly and scary….With this book, [Wallace] Edwards is moving in a different direction, forgoing his rich, deep-coloured palette for one […]

“First published in Germany, this picture book tells a story with universal appeal, particularly for children with night fears. The text reads aloud well, while the handsome watercolor artwork transforms elements of Morgan’s daytime experiences within the dream sequences. The most dramatic shift is the simplest: one double-page illustration shows Morgan in bed, ready for […]

“…when I’d recently read Iris Baby Cakes, by Theo Heras and Renne Benoit, she’d declared, ‘That’s such a good book, Mommy.’ Mostly because she’s obsessed with cupcakes, but still. Plus there was a recipe for cupcakes in the endpapers; I said, ‘We’ve got to make these.’ And so on Saturday night, we did. This book would […]

“This picture book shows a young child and the family cat helping mom make cupcakes….The illustrations are cute and everyone looks like they are having fun. It’s a nice idea for kids who like to help in the kitchen….[T]here has been much discussion of late of more children’s books where the children can see themselves […]

“[4/4 stars]…Wendy Orr’s Dragonfly Song is a work of beauty. From the stunning cover to the mythological imagery and lyrical prose, readers are drawn in and carried along on an intense ride. Since Aissa is mute for much of the story, her thoughts and observations are inserted in the form of short poetic phrases. This change in […]

“From morning to bedtime, this little girl is go, go, go! She’s not just a wild thing, she’s the Wild One!… Wild One is Jane Whittingham’s first picture book and it’s a charming recount of a child’s day filled with play and activity. Kids love pretending that they are animals–how often do they imagine themselves to be bears […]

“An exuberant little girl, the titular ‘wild one,’ romps energetically all day before finally collapsing into a well-deserved slumber….The rhyming text flows smoothly and has a jaunty rhythm that lends itself well to reading aloud. The playful watercolors start off saturated with bright colors that become muted as the child’s day comes to a sleepy […]

“Following a scary nightmare, a little boy receives a toy lion, and that makes all the difference…The final spread of Morgan confidently raising his sword echoes Sendak’s Max as king of the wild things. A comforting, enabling, picture-perfect bedtime read.” Click here to read the full review

“Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a starred review) 5… Everything works out in the end, but in a way that feels natural and realistic. A glossary of hummingbird facts and an author’s note add dimension to the story. This is a sweet, gentle novel about friendship….Recommend to readers who are moving beyond early chapter books into […]