Children’s Book Reviews

Books About Knights

August 19, 2011

We love knights! I am so thankful that my son is interested in knights because not only are there lots of story books about them, there are fantastic non fiction choices too. Here are a few recent reads that we’ve read.

Small Knight and George by Ronda Armitage is a gem! This story is funny, cute and a great message about not being what we think we should be but rather who we truly are. Small Knight is not so sure about being, brave and fighting but he does know how to make a friend. When he sets out to slay a dragon he ends up befriending one. A great book for all kids . Even though my son is presently all about battles and weapons he still likes and relates to this more peaceful story of a knight. As soon as I read it to him I was searching for the next in the series.

Imagine You’re a Knight! by Meg Clibbon is a fantastic book for children interested in what being a knight is all about. There are so many great details and answers given that I am eager to read more in tis series. My son loves this book and not just because it answers his many questions about knights but also because it’s the type of book that you can open and close as time permits , reading a little or a lot and still enjoying it. I like the humor and illustrations by Lucy Clibbon. It’s a great choice for 4 and older. 3 year olds might find it to be too much.

Knights & Castles (Insiders) by Phillip Dixon is a visually stunning book. This is not a book intended for preschoolers . But kids eager to learn more about medieval life, how castles were constructed and the realities of being a knight ( and other social positions) will appreciate it. I urge parents to read through it first because it’s geared towards older elementary through adult and explains the history in great ( not necessarily preschool appropriate) detail. My son loves this book, mostly due to the incredibly illustrations that offer a look back in time. As a mom who has a degree in history I adore these books but make sure to read it with him to explain the more complex information that is included.

My Favorite Michael Laura Heiman is such a wonderful book about pretend play. In it a little boy Michael dresses up as all sorts of roles from business man to knight to pirate. Eventually he pops out with no costume and his mom tells him that she likes him as all those other roles but that this everyday Michael is her favorite. Kids who love to dress up and get deep into pretend play will like this book. My son who is almost never without his sword and shield and loved this book, since taking it out of the library a few days ago it’s been read many many times.

The Bravest Knight by Mercer Mayer had my son smiling on the edge of his seat until the end. The story is about a little boy who imagines he’s a knight living a thousand years ago. He imagines he is a squire who is loyal to a knight and even saves the knight from time to time. My son loved this, especially the part about the squire saving the knight. Then in the end the knight battles a troll and dies. You don’t see it but after that the little boy decides maybe living back then wouldn’t be so cool. I was like really Mercer Mayer? He’s dead? What?! I totally didn’t pre read it either ( will I ever learn??) and my son was stunned. Thankfully my resilient bossy 4 year old announced I needed to turn back the page and re read it saying the knight was just inside eating . So yeah we loved most of the book.

Take Care, Good Knight by Shelley Moore Thomas such a sweet book about three little dragons who agree to cat sit a wizard’s pets and the Good Knight who helps them get it right. The story is filled with mishaps when the dragons who can’t read yet try to figure out the wizard’s written instructions. The outcome is hilarious and will have your children giggling. I also love the message about using pictures to give clues for reading, but to remember to ask “Does this make sense?”

Posted in Book List, Books About Knights, Children's Book Reviews, Knights |

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5 Great Children’s Book Authors

August 12, 2011

Parents often ask me which books they should be reading to thier kids. My answer is always books that their kids like. Reading is so important and making it fun and enjoyable right away is a great step in the journey to making your children life long readers. Which is why I love doing themed book reviews so you can easily find great books that suit your child’s interests. That said I do have some favorite authors I want to share, here are my 5 of my favorites.

Todd Parr

What I love about Todd Parr is that his books are incredibly inclusive. Every child can relate to some character in his books and his use of bright colors make his books a fun read for all ages. My favorites are the I Love You Book and The Family Book.

Anne Rockwell

There are a few authors that I always check for when I go to the library, Anne Rockwell is one of those. Her books are usually simple and many like her adorable book President’s Day bridge the divide between fiction and non fiction, telling a story while explaining facts as well.

Robert Munsch

No author’s work have created such discussion here as Munsch’s I Love You Forever. It seems like everyone either loves or hates that book, but I am not suggesting this author based on that book. I am including Robert Munsch because of all his other books like Stephanie’s Ponytail, The Paper Bag Princess and Zoom that tell stories of strong girls and are hilarious. He writes smart funny boy characters too, but I adore his sassy strong girls.

Kevin Henkes

No other author writes about children’s frailties, anxieties and inner voice the way Henekes does. I love how accepting his books are, how sensitive the parents in his books are and the humor put in only for parent readers. Wemberly Worried is a great book for the first day of school , Julius The Baby of The World was one of my favorites for preparing my son for becoming a big brother and Shiela Rae The Brave is one of my son’s absolute favorite books ever.

Eric Carle

Did you think I could possibly leave him out? Don’t be discouraged by the marketing of The Very Hungry Caterpillar in shampoo, pillow cases, birthday cards… there is a reason people want these products, because the book is fantastic, as is the author/ artist. While the debatably over exposed Caterpillar is my favorite book I also love the Grouchy Ladybug for teaching time and House For A Hermit Crab for teaching about months of the year and even moving . That’s what I love about Carle, his simple books have such depth of teaching possibilities.

Who is your favorite picture book author?

Posted in Book List, Children's Book Reviews, Crafts |

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Picture Books About School

July 29, 2011

Whenever a big change is on the horizon my first place to turn to is the library to grab books that will help explain, ease anxiety and excite my kids. These school themed books are perfect for going to school for the first time or heading back after a fun summer off.

Maisy Goes to Preschool: A Maisy First Experiences Book by Lucy Cousins is not groundbreaking , it’s text is very formulaic but that doesn’t matter to most young readers who are being introduced to preschool for the first time. My daughter loved this book and my son loved helping me read it to her. It was sweet to see my son tell his little sister all about what she will do at preschool between reading. The book covers all the basics and one thing that really stood out was the page showing Maisy and other students in the potty. The reason I liked this was that for many children a big step at the same time as starting preschool is potty training. The bright colors absolutely thrilled my toddler.

First Year Letters by Julie Danneberg is a really great book about a new , eager teacher and her loyal class. My son loved this book because it was filled with funny mishaps during a teacher’s first year of teaching. The mishaps include runaway pets, falling buffalo, visits from the fire department not once but twice, and more every day things like barf. If you have a child like mine that thinks barf is funny, they will love it. I love the premise, letters written by students much like journal entries with coordinating illustrations. It made me want to get back to teaching and my son asked me if he’d get to have a teacher like that some day. I hope he does!

Miss Mingo and the First Day of School by Jamie Harper is a delightful book. Miss Mingo is a flamingo and teacher who wants to know about her students on the first day of school. She starts the exercise by sharing some fun facts about being a flamingo , like why she is pink, and before you know it the whole class of different animals are sharing. This book not only shows kids that it’s okay to share about themselves but it is full of fun facts about animals in the fine print. I learned something I never knew about a Narwhal! It is a bit long for a toddler but each page highlights new animals and it’s easy to skip a few for those that aren’t ready for a book of this length. This is going on my buy list!

The Babies on the Bus by Karen Katz made my daughter squeal at the bookstore when we read it . She loves babies and this book was full of them. The text is the song ” Wheels on the Bus” tweaked a little to be babies on the bus and illustrated with Karen Katz’s adorable babies. I can not read it without singing though so I sang it loud and proud in Barnes and Noble to my delighted daughter.

I Love School! by Philemon Sturges is a great simple book. I am a fan of this author and his basic books that kids love. He manages to cover all the things that happen at school from the start to the end of the day in an easy rhyming text. What makes this book stand out for me is that the boys and girls were both playing with dolls, something that you see in classrooms every day but rarely in books, it was a nice touch.

Posted in Book List, Books About School, Children's Book Reviews |

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Children’s Books From A-Z !

April 15, 2011

For some reason I thought it would be fun to compile this list of our favorite picture books from A-Z ! I am nuts. Do you know how many books we’ve reviewed? Yeah , I haven’t kept count either. Also for some reason there are a huge amount of great books that start with A? I had a terrible time deciding which to choose. Since I didn’t have a suggestion for X I was a little loose with the rules. I hope you like this list because if you don’t I’ll cry. By clicking the title you will be taken to the original review .

Animalia

Brown Bear , Brown Bear What Do You See ?

Corduroy

Dog’s Colorful Day

Edwardo The Most Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World

Freight Train

Ghosts in The House

How To Bake and Apple Pie and See The World

In The Town All Year Round

The Paper Bag Princess

The Very Quiet Cricket

Road Builders

Something From Nothing

Trashy Town

Up Above , Down Below

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Whoever You Are

AleXander and Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day

Yum Yum Dim Sum

Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin

Posted in Best Books A-Z, Book List, Children's Book Reviews |

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More Books About Bunnies

March 25, 2011

Spring conjures up many images for me and while chocolate bunnies are my favorite type of rabbit these books about bunnies are a close second! These aren’t Easter books, I will do a post devoted to those in the coming weeks and check out our previous Bunny book reviews.

White Rabbit’s Color Book by Alan Baker is a classic in my mind and if you have never read it you must. It’s not a complicated story, instead it’s a brilliant book and lesson about color mixing . The cover illustration of the bunny in the paint always makes me think of dying Easter eggs which is another great opportunity to teach about color mixing. Kids love this book and adults reading it will enjoy the fun and dynamic language used to describe the vibrant colors that the bunny plunges into.

Thunder Bunny by Barbara Helen Berger was a big hit with my son although I think I over analyzed it or maybe just didn’t get it. I kept trying to turn it into a metaphor and really the only way to look at it and it’s magical illustrations is how my son did with wide eyes and acceptance. Thunder Bunny is different but magnificent kinda like this book. The text is melodic and the illustrations will keep the interest of a wide range of ages.

Little Bunny’s Sleepless Night by Carol Roth is a sweet story of an only child bunny who wants to share a room and go to sleep with someone else. He ventures out to a series of friend’s houses before eventually realizing that maybe sleeping alone in his own bed is what he really wants. My son loved it , he thought the skunk who sprayed by accident promoting the bunny to leave was hilarious and suggested that bunny should just climb into his mom’s bed. I like it because the bunny learns that he isn’t missing out on anything by not having someone to share a bedroom with , that he has the perfect spot for him after all.

Moon Rabbit by Natalie Russel is a calm, beautiful book about two rabbits who find each other and become great friends even thought they are from different places. White Rabbit is a city rabbit and loves her urban home but is called away by the longing for company. She finds it in a park with Brown Rabbit who is wonderful and plays beautiful music. There is just one glitch White Rabbit misses the city. I loved this book, my son liked it too but it almost made me cry. My husband and I are from different countries and long distance relationships are so hard , I wanted to jump in the book and tell White Rabbit that . I had to restrain myself from saying ” The pressure will be too much , the limited time will make them argue and fight.” when my son pointed out that I shouldn’t be sad that White Rabbit leaves the park and goes home because he comes for a visit in the end. But if ever I projected my on experience onto a book it was this , wow. It really is a sweet tale about friends who can be friends despite physical distance. Oh and the illustrations , they are the very definition of springtime. Lovely.

A Very Big Bunny by Marisabina Russo is a nice book about two bunnies that don’t fit in at school. This book opened a good dialogue between my son and I as we were reading about how both the tallest and the shortest bunny in the class got picked on. The students in their class were mean but not purposefully bullying, they excluded these bunnies because they simply didn’t fit. The part that hit me the most was when the teacher lined the kids up by height, and Amelia the tall bunny was always last. It just made me think of how adults so often single kids out without trying to be terrible, but really hurting them. All that aside, the book itself comes to a nice conclusion and I think it’s worth grabbing for any child tall or short or in between.

Posted in Book List, Books About Bunnies, Children's Book Reviews |

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