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Ming Goes to School by Deirdre Sullivan, illustrated by Maja Löfdahl

Source: Sky Pony Press
Hardcover, 32 pgs.
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Ming Goes to School by Deirdre Sullivan, illustrated by Maja Löfdahl, is an introduction to school in a way that downplays the scary idea of separating from a parent and highlights the best parts of school.  Ming meets new friends, she learns to color and play, and she learns to let her imagination take wing.  Löfdahl’s soft watercolor illustrations are gorgeous, producing a calming effect that is matched by the simple text provided by Sullivan.

Ming Goes to School by Deirdre Sullivan, illustrated by Maja Löfdahl, is a good introduction for younger kids who have not been exposed to preschool or kindergarten yet.  My daughter was less than enchanted with this one, which I suspect is because she’s heading into Kindergarten and already has graduated from Junior K.  For younger kids, this could help ease them into a big transition by focusing on the positive aspects of school and growing up.

RATING: Tercet

How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow by Monica Sweeney, illustrated by Feronia Parker Thomas

Source: Sky Pony Press
Hardcover, 32 pgs.
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How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow by Monica Sweeney, illustrated by Feronia Parker Thomas, is a delightful book that will remind young readers of their own drawings with pencil and crayons.  The sun and clouds are best friends, but one little disagreement puts them at odds and drains the colors from the world.  A forgotten box of crayons in a desk draw escape and are appalled at the doom and gloom of grays, blacks, and whites.  They set forth creating rainbows to restore some cheer.

When they see that their efforts to get the attention of the sun and clouds goes unnoticed, they strive to make their displays bigger and better.  Like children looking for attention, their efforts often get bigger and more ostentatious, often pushing the buttons of their parents.  However, this is not the same.  These crayons are developing gorgeous rainbows and make one of the biggest to get the sun and clouds to remember their own fondness for making them.

How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow by Monica Sweeney, illustrated by Feronia Parker Thomas, aims to demonstrate how children can have disagreements with one another, but how those disagreements can be overcome and resolved without coming to blows.  The illustrations will capture the attention of young children easily and may incite them to create their own rainbows.  My daughter has been drawing them for several weeks since reading this one.

RATING: Quatrain

My Grandpa Is a Dinosaur by Richard Fairgray, Terry Jones

Source: Sky Pony Press
Hardcover, 32 pgs.
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My Grandpa Is a Dinosaur by Richard Fairgray and Terry Jones is a delightful book for the imagination, a look at how kids often view the adults in their company, even their own grandparents.  Wanda notices things about her grandfather that other people do not seem to notice, like his green skin, his long tail, and his large presence.  As she explains her observations to her family and they fail to come to the same conclusion that she does, she has little choice but to ask her grandpa directly if he is, indeed, a dinosaur.

Whether the book is meant to be a commentary on how children often find their grandparents to be ancient or not, it doesn’t matter.  Wanda is a delightfully inquisitive child who enjoys her grandpa’s company in spite of his appearance and odd behavior.  She enjoys his company even more once the mystery is solved.

My Grandpa Is a Dinosaur by Richard Fairgray and Terry Jones is a cute book about loving our relatives no matter what, and it explores the imagination of young children at the same time.  The book is similar to the Gorillas in Our Midst book, which can be used for children in the early stages of word recognition.

RATING: Quatrain

About the Author:

Richard Fairgray is also an active Podcaster, blogger, and writer/illustrator of picture books. His Morgan series has sold well throughout New Zealand and overseas and his new title Gorillas In Our Midst was released in April worldwide.

My Amazing Dad by Ezekiel Kwaymullina, illustrated by Tom Jellett

Source: Sky Pony Press
Hardcover, 24 pgs.
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My Amazing Dad by Ezekiel Kwaymullina, illustrated by Tom Jellett, is a little book about loving your dad for who he is, rather than lament that he is not like other kids’ dads.  This dad doesn’t mow lawns well, but he can make amazing mazes.  He’s not great at baking cakes or fixing faucets, or doing many other handy things around the house, but he sure knows how to have fun with his kids.

While I liked the message of this book and the illustrations were vibrant enough, my daughter said the book was boring.  What would have made it more fun for her, I think, would have been some textures for the maze pages or a tag line that the kids and the dad would say together when they played.  Something to make it more engaging for her.

My Amazing Dad by Ezekiel Kwaymullina, illustrated by Tom Jellett, is a nice book with a good message, but for my daughter it wasn’t very engaging.

RATING: Tercet

Watch the Birdie! by Nancy Cote

Source: Sky Pony Press
Hardcover, 32 pgs.
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Watch the Birdie! by Nancy Cote tells the tale of a mouse who helps out a bird who has not yet learned to fly.  The young bird has fallen from the nest, and he’s a little to young to fly, but Mousey knows he has to get back into the nest and soon.  A cat is approaching, ready to pounce.  What’s endearing is that the mouse is so preoccupied with helping the bird, it never occurs to him that his own life might be in danger.

The mouse seeks the help of nearby animals, hoping to get the bird back into the tree, but each time the plan fails as the bird slips off backs and tumbles to the ground without ever getting very far.  My daughter loved watching the mouse come up with new ways and find new friends to help get the bird back into the tree.  She thought the mouse was brave as the cat hid in the tall grass and stood between him and the bird.

Watch the Birdie! by Nancy Cote is a tale of bravery and friendship.  My daughter applauded the mouse’s endeavors and she was relieved by the ending, and other young readers will be too.

RATING: Quatrain

Mailbox Monday #378

Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia at To Be Continued, formerly The Printed Page, has a permanent home at its own blog.

To check out what everyone has received over the last week, visit the blog and check out the links.  Leave yours too.

Also, each week, Leslie, Vicki, and I will share the Books that Caught Our Eye from everyone’s weekly links.

Here’s what we received:

Two Cool Coyotes by Jillian Lund from the Gaithersburg Book Festival second-hand book sale.

Frank the coyote is sad when his friend Angelina moves away, but then he finds a new friend when Larry moves into the den next door.

Where’s Waldo? The Fantastic Journey by Martin Handford from the Gaithersburg Book Festival Politics & Prose tent.

Now in paperback for the first time!

The elusive little guy you loved as a kid has ventured into an affordable new format, ready to boggle a new generationl. Now he’s easier to carry around — but just as hard as ever to find!

The Race for Paris by Meg Waite Clayton, which I purchased in the Politics & Prose tent at the Gaithersburg Book Festival.  I gave my mom the ARC to enjoy but wanted this one for my personal library and the autograph makes this 5-star read even more of a treasure.

Normandy, 1944. To cover the fighting in France, Jane, a reporter for the Nashville Banner, and Liv, an Associated Press photographer, have already had to endure enormous danger and frustrating obstacles—including strict military regulations limiting what women correspondents can do. Even so, Liv wants more.

Encouraged by her husband, the editor of a New York newspaper, she’s determined to be the first photographer to reach Paris with the Allies, and capture its freedom from the Nazis.

Ah-Choo! by Lana Wayne Koehler and Gloria G. Adams, illustrated by Ken Min for review from Sterling Children’s Books.

When hunting for his new best friend, a boy goes through an alphabetical menagerie of animals. From an antelope, to bobolink birds, to wolves and zebras—and of course, a cat and dog, too—he brings them all home. But each creature just makes his sister go AH-CHOO! Will he ever be able to have the perfect pet?

Watch the Birdie! by Nancy Cote from Sky Pony Press for review.

Mousey was watching a baby bird when it fell from its nest. The baby bird is okay, but she can’t fly yet! So how will she get back up the tree to safety? Mousey may be too small to get the baby bird back up by himself, but maybe he can find somebody else who can! Maybe a frog can jump high enough. Or maybe a bunny can hop far enough. Maybe a snail will be able to crawl his way up the tree . . .

Will Mousey be able to save the baby bird? Or will the hungry cat get in the way of Mousey’s valiant attempts? Sometimes it’s just the size of your heart that really counts.

How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow by Monica Sweeney, illustrated by Feronia Parker Thomas for review from Sky Pony Press.

The Sun and the Clouds are best friends. Together they keep the world warm, the gardens growing, and the sky full of beautiful rainbows. But one day they get into a fight and refuse to be in the sky together. And that means there are no longer any rainbows. Without rainbows, the colors start disappearing until Earth was left with no color … except for one little forgotten box of crayons in one little school desk.

Determined to save the rainbows and fix the Sun and Clouds’ friendship, the crayons draw rainbows all over town. Their attempts go unnoticed. Soon they realize that they’re going to have to do something big to get the attention of the former friends. So, the crayons create the biggest rainbow they can and hope it’s enough to bring color back to the world.

My Amazing Dad by Ezekiel Kwaymullina, illustrated by Tom Jellett for review from Sky Pony Press.

This dad is not like other dads. He is not good at:

Mowing the lawn,
Getting his children to school on time,
Baking cakes,
Fixing a leaky faucet, or
Remembering bed time

But….

My Grandpa Is a Dinosaur by Richard Fairgray, illustrated by Terry Jones for review from Sky Pony Press.

This little girl has been watching her grandpa for a very long time, and she is almost absolutely certain that he is a dinosaur. So why is it that nobody believes her? Why can’t anyone else see what she sees? He roars! (And no, it’s not just a snore.) He has green skin! (And no, he’s not from outer space.) He even has a tail! (And no, he’s not a horse!) Determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, the little girl goes straight to the source. It’s time to ask Grandpa once and for all: is he a dinosaur?

Darcy By Any Other Name by Laura Hile, which I won from Just Jane 1813.

At Netherfield, a glorious evening of music and dancing…

But out in the garden two men are arguing, while a ferocious rainstorm swirls round. And then the unthinkable happens: a lightning bolt from heaven strikes. In that instant everything changes.

Jane Austen’s heartthrob hero becomes the bumbling Reverend Collins.

Shorn of his fortune, his social standing, and his good looks, Mr. Darcy is trapped in Mr. Collins’ body. And Mr. Collins wakes up to discover that he is master of Pemberley. Could there be anything worse?

But the inner man is still Darcy. He is in love with Elizabeth Bennet. And now he is living in her house.

The Secrets She Kept by Brenda Novak, which came unexpectedly from Tandem Literary.

The rich and powerful Josephine Lazarow, matriarch of Fairham Island, is dead. The police say it’s suicide, but Keith, her estranged son, doesn’t believe it.

Keith bears scars—both physical and emotional—from his childhood, but he’s worked hard to overcome the past. After walking away from his mother and her controlling ways five years ago, he’s built a new life in LA. He’s also accumulated a fortune of his own. But as soon as he learns of his mother’s death, he returns to Fairham. He feels he owes it to his grandfather to put the family empire together again—and he’s determined to find his mother’s killer.

Problem is…coming home to Fairham puts him back in contact with Nancy Dellinger, the woman he hurt so badly when he left before. And digging that deep into his mother’s final days and hours entails a very real risk. 

What did you receive?

No More Beige Food by Leanne Shirtliffe, illustrated by Tina Kugler

Source: Sky Pony Press
Hardcover, 32 pgs.
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No More Beige Food by Leanne Shirtliffe, illustrated by Tina Kugler, is another winner from Sky Pony Press.  This book is told in verse in a way that kids will find funny, but also relatable.  My daughter is not much of a picky eater now, but she has been in the past, so this book is a reminder that that pickiness could return.  Parents also will want to take note of what they say to their kids in these kinds of arguments, because as illustrated by Wilma Lee Wu and her brother, those kids may take your words literally.

Wilma is sick of bland, beige food, and when her mother says to learn how to cook, she takes her brother by the hand on an adventure around the neighborhood.  While some neighbors are close, others are a bit further from home, to which my four-year-old daughter said, “Wilma and her brother are going to get in trouble.” When I asked why, she replied, “Because they went too far away from home.”  It is unclear how far these children walked or how old they are, but the book is said to be for kids ages 3+.   I promptly explained to my daughter that this neighborhood is probably small and everyone knows one another, so the kids will just be learning from family friends.

The book is a great teaching tool for kids about the different foods that people eat and the recipes they make, which can vary widely from our own.  It also demonstrates how different foods, spices, etc. can be just as tasty as the foods we eat regularly at home.  Variety is never a bad thing in food.  The only complaint, other than the distance the kids seemed to travel, from my daughter was that the finished recipes were not illustrated every time.  She was curious to see what each one looked like.  Her favorite parts were the discussion about frog legs and mousse, and how the kids popped into the playground on the way to another house.

No More Beige Food by Leanne Shirtliffe, illustrated by Tina Kugler, will demonstrate different cultures and food to children in a friendly way, and encourage them to think outside of their own daily lives for inspiration.

About the Author:

She is a humor writer, a mom to nine-year-old twins, and the author of DON’T LICK THE MINIVAN: Things I Never Thought I’d Say As a Parent (2013). My first picture book, THE CHANGE YOUR NAME STORE, will be out in May 2014 (Sky Pony Press) and my humor gift book, MOMMYFESTO: We Solemnly Swear…Because We Have Kids, hits the shelves in November 2014. I contributed to the hilarious anthology I JUST WANT TO BE ALONE (2014).

Rudy’s New Human by Roxanna Elden, illustrated by Ginger Seehafer

Source: Sky Pony Press
Hardcover, 32 pgs.
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Rudy’s New Human by Roxanna Elden, illustrated by Ginger Seehafer, is a great way to introduce young kids to the changes that can occur in families as they grow.  This is particularly helpful for an only child who will soon become a sibling.  Rudy has been the smallest member of the family for some time, and he’s used to getting all the attention.  But when a new bundle of joy arrives, there are some adjustments that have to be made.  Rudy needs to learn how to play new games and wait patiently while the new smallest member of the family is taken care of.

Rudy is a cute little dog with some fun facial expressions that will translate well for young kids, as they try to determine what emotion Rudy is feeling and why.  Kids will likely question why Rudy refers to the readers as fellow dogs, but it’s all in fun.  Some of my daughter’s favorite parts were when Rudy smelled the new arrival’s diaper and when he did tricks to get attention, but she also loved that Rudy opened up his heart to let someone new in, learning to be patient, being happy when his name was learned, and sharing in the fun things the new family member could do.

Rudy’s New Human by Roxanna Elden, illustrated by Ginger Seehafer, is a cute picture book that will teach kids about acceptance, patience, and empathy.  This would make a great series of books, given that the narrator is so adorable, and kids seem to love doggies.

About the Author:

Roxanna Elden is a National Board Certified high school teacher currently teaching in Miami. Her book, See Me After Class: Advice for Teachers by Teachers, is widely used as a tool for teacher training and retention. Elden is also professional speaker, providing humor, honesty, and practical advice to teachers and the people who love them.

Mailbox Monday #357

Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia at To Be Continued, formerly The Printed Page, has a permanent home at its own blog.

To check out what everyone has received over the last week, visit the blog and check out the links.  Leave yours too.

Also, each week, Leslie, Vicki, and I will share the Books that Caught Our Eye from everyone’s weekly links.

Here’s what I received:

No More Beige Food by Leanne Shirtliffe, illustrated by Ginger Seehafer, for review from Sky Pony Press.

One night Wilma Lee Wu sits down for dinner—in front of some food that might’ve been meat—when she declares she can’t take it: “Please, no more beige food!” She’s tired of the bland and mushy meals her parents make. So Wilma and her little brother venture in search of some neighbors willing to teach them how to cook new food. From Khun Joe’s pad thai to Ms. Azar’s Lebanese kibbe, they learn to make all sorts of tasty dishes. But how will Wilma respond when Monsieur Poutine offers to teach her how to make frog legs?

Rudy’s New Human by Roxanna Elden, illustrated by Tina Kugler, for review from Sky Pony Press.

Rudy loves being top dog in his family of three. When Rudy’s human parents tell him that they are having a baby, Rudy thinks the newest member of the family will be interested in the same games he likes—chewing bones, chasing cats, and playing fetch. But Rudy’s new human is not what he expected! The baby cuts into Rudy’s naptime, gets him in trouble, and, worst of all, steals the spotlight! Will Rudy ever find his place again in his family now that he’s sharing it with the new human?

What did you receive?

The 5-Minute Brain Workout for Kids by Kim Chamberlain

Source: Sky Pony Press
Paperback, 416 pgs.
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The 5 Minute Brain Workout for Kids by Kim Chamberlain, illustrated by Jon Chamberlain, is a great activity book for kids ages 7 and older, and includes games, puzzles, and teasers that will keep kids brains active and developing outside the classroom.  But what’s great is these activities don’t feel like school work, even though they will be learning new words and how to spell them, learning how to concentrate, and establish their own goals.  However, the book also can be used as a fun additional activity in the classroom and with family.  From alliteration to spelling and definitions, kids will learn new words and how to use them and when.   As kids, parents, and teachers move through the levels (1-10) in the book, the games and puzzles will get harder.

Puzzles in the book are those with specific answers, while games are those activities that may have more than one “right” answer, allowing users to be creative and to do games more than once.  The book contains 37 types of exercises and three bonus puzzles at the end, and the answers are in the back of the book to help parents and teachers.  Throughout the book, kids will notice a blue-tongued lizard named Ra, which is based on the authors’ pet lizard at home.

Although this book is aimed at kids older than my daughter, we had fund giving some of the games and puzzles in level 1 a try.  One of her favorites was the “Word Line” where she was given a saying from Kermit the Frog to follow in the word jumble using only 1 line.  It was fun to teach her how to look at the phrase and look for each letter in each word and follow it to the end.  She liked how it made a “snake line.”  The simple anagrams were tough for her, as she’s only learned how to recognize a few words.  We did the train words together, and she seemed to enjoy discovering new animal words in the jumbles.

The 5 Minute Brain Workout for Kids by Kim Chamberlain, illustrated by Jon Chamberlain, is a book I’ll be holding on to for her when she’s in Kindergarten this fall.  We’ll start again, and as she goes through school, I’m sure she’ll be doing more of these puzzles on her own.  It will be a good way to see how she’s developing.

About the Author:

Kim Chamberlain has been writing and creating activities, games, and puzzles since childhood. The author of Five-Minute Brain Workout as well as communication skills and activity books, she has a master’s in linguistics. She worked with teenagers for many years and is a volunteer reader/writer for college students. She is an award-winning international professional speaker and was founding president of a professional speaker’s association chapter. She lives in Wellington, New Zealand, with her husband, Jon, their two children, and their pet lizard.

About the Illustrator:

Jon Chamberlain has been drawing for a long time, collaborating with his wife on several book projects and for his own enjoyment. He worked exclusively in inks and watercolor until recently, when he acquired a drawing tablet and consequently relearned how to create digitally. He is a professional IT geek, comic book aficionado, and collector of old science fiction novels. He resides in Wellington, New Zealand.

Piglet Bo Is Not Scared! by Geert De Kockere, illustrated by Tineke Van Hemeldonck

Source: Sky Pony Press
Hardcover, 32 pgs.
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Piglet Bo Is Not Scared! by Geert De Kockere, illustrated by Tineke Van Hemeldonck, is a cute story about the things we tell ourselves when we feel fear creeping over our shoulders.  In this story, Piglet Bo claims not to be scared of anything or anyone, but as Bo pumps himself up and tries to project fear onto a tiny mouse, readers come to realize that Bo is afraid.  Kockere’s story is a little more wordy than other picture books, but this story is one that demonstrate to young readers that emotion can be not only portraying in illustrations but also through words.

Piglet Bo is the typical child looking for greater independence and refusing to admit the need for help or reassurance, especially when fear is involved.  Bo puffs up at the sign of shadows, making excuses for not going into the dark room or riding the roller coaster, but when Bo wakes up in the forest at night, there is little room for an excuse.  A realization strikes that fear is real and can be overwhelming.

Piglet Bo Is Not Scared! by Geert De Kockere, illustrated by Tineke Van Hemeldonck, is a great book introducing children to fear and how it can be rationalized into other emotions and how excuses do not let them escape the fear but trick their minds.  Younger readers may wonder why Bo is so afraid of a mouse or a roller coaster, but adventures will require courage and fears can come in all sizes and forms.  Kockere’s book enables young readers to see that it is okay to be afraid, and that in some cases, it can be useful.  The illustrations are a little abstract at times, which will require a little explanation for younger readers.

Other Reviews:

Piglet Bo Can Do Anything!

About the Author:

Geert De Kockere studied to become a teacher but instead became a professional journalist. Currently he is the editor of Buitenbeen, a nature magazine for Flanders and the Netherlands. He has written many children’s books, including several collections of poems, and has won a variety of book prizes for his work. He resides in Kempen, Belgium.

About the Illustrator:

Tineke Van Hemeldonck studied graphic design, specializing in illustration, at Provinciale Hogeschool Limburg in Hasselt. She has done all kinds of graphic design work, and this is her first children’s book. She currently resides in Bunsbeek, Belgium.

The Runaway Santa: A Christmas Adventure Story by Anne Margaret Lewis, illustrated by Aaron Zenz

Source: Sky Pony Press
Hardcover, 40 pgs.
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The Runaway Santa: A Christmas Adventure Story by Anne Margaret Lewis, illustrated by Aaron Zenz, is an adorable book about Santa Claus and his desire for a vacation away from the North Pole.  The author teams up with the same illustrator of The Runaway Pumpkin, and the results are very similar, only this time the wife is carefully watching her husband on his adventures instead of the mother watching her pumpkin son.  We’ve read this one a couple of times, and she loves picking out where Mrs. Claus is hiding in the background as Santa talks about his adventures in the mountains and the jungle, among other places.

The drawings are simple line drawn characters that are easily recognized by young readers, and the adventures give young readers an idea of what different locations look like and what equipment or items you might need to pack.  This one also had a lot of my daughter’s sight words that she’s learning in preschool, which was good for her to practice recognizing them outside of her flashcards.  Out favorite parts were when Mrs. Claus rode a Kangaroo and Santa swung through the jungle with the monkeys and rode an elephant.

The Runaway Santa: A Christmas Adventure Story by Anne Margaret Lewis, illustrated by Aaron Zenz, offers advice on how to be prepared for adventures, even though they are supposed to be fun.  It also expresses love and care for loved ones, teaching kids empathy for others and concern about their well-being — allowing them to look outside their selves and their own concerns.  Finally, the story also offers a moment of inclusion, as Santa realizes that his wife thinks the vacation adventure may be a good idea and that he would love for her to come along.

Other Reviews:

The Runaway Pumpkin: A Halloween Adventure Story