Kids Book Reviews ~ Library Haul #23

Welcome to our Kids Book Review Library Haul post! This is my mostly-weekly series where I give you quick and snappy reviews of our favorites from our weekly library haul. We read a LOT of children’s books from the library and I like to keep things positive too, so books that I thought were terrible don’t usually make it into the list… unless I just really want to rant about it for a while. That has happened too! Let us know in the comments which books were winners in YOUR library haul!

 

 

 

#1. Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin

Giggle, Giggle, Quack is a story about some farm animals that get up to mischief when the farmer goes on vacation and leaves somebody else in charge. He warns his brother to ‘Watch out for the duck’, but the duck gets the better of him anyways.
Giggle, Giggle Quack is a board book with lots of funny-ridiculous quirks that most kids find hilarious. What kind of farm animals write notes and eat pizza? Farmer Brown’s animals, that’s who. It was cute enough, as farm books go, and an easy read.

We liked it: 3 out of 5 stars

 

#2. Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy

When Mabel blows a bubble that scoops up her baby brother, the entire town rushes into a panic, following his journey through the sky and brainstorming ideas to get him back safely.

This book was definitely the star of our library haul. The entire thing is written in the most lilting, perfect rhymes a la Dr. Suess, but with a VERY impressive vocabulary. There are a few made up words, but a very impressive collection of actual words that fit into the story and the rhymes. Cavil, nefarious, groveling… you get the idea. You guys, I had to look up one of the words. That NEVER happens with little kids books, but it thrills my soul. My kids loved it too, lest you think my adoration is tainted by my love of vocabulary. It was Sophia’s second choice to the (TERRIBLE) Barbie book that she chose, loved, and wanted to read at least once every. single. day.

We all loved it: 5 out of 5 stars

#3. Cold Snap by Eileen Spinelli

The town of Toby Mills is experiencing the coldest snap anybody has seen in a very long town. The icicle on the statue of General Toby is growing daily, and there’s no end in sight. The inhabitants of Toby Mills are having to get more and more creative just to stay warm, and everybody is wondering… When will the cold snap break?

Cold Snap was a particularly fun book to read since it hasn’t gotten cold here yet. The idea of snow and cold snaps is still firmly lodged in that nostalgic part of my brain, and the wondrous, magical part of my kids’ brains. I know… give us until January, y’all.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

#4. Hilda Must Be Dancing by Karma Wilson

Hilda is a hippo who loves to dance, but when she dances the ground shakes, trees lose their leaves, and the other animals clutch their heads and groan. They try to convince her to take up different hobbies, but nothing makes Hilda feel quite as good as dancing. They’re at an impasse until one day Hilda discovers something new…

This was a cute picture book story about doing what you love and solving problems. Hilda’s perseverance and creativity go a long way towards helping her find the perfect solution. Plus, it rhymes. Have I mentioned that my kids are really into rhyming books lately? To be fair, I enjoy them a great deal myself, but they really do love them.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars.

Kids Book Reviews ~ Library Haul #21

Hi everybody!  We’re officially moved from Washington to Kentucky (!!!), have a house, AND found the library, which means, of course, the return of our Kids Books Library Haul! So welcome to our Kids Book Review Library Haul post! This is my mostly-weekly series where I give you quick and snappy reviews of our favorites from our weekly library haul. We read a LOT of children’s books from the library and I like to keep things positive too, so books that I thought were terrible don’t usually make it into the list… unless I just really want to rant about it for a while. That has happened too! Let us know in the comments which books were winners in YOUR library haul!

 

 

#1. Fancy Nancy’s Favorite Words: From Accessories to Zany by Jane O’Connor

Ah yes, the return of library day, which practically means the return of Fancy Nancy.  Sophia loves these books.  This one was a bit of a twist on an alphabet book.  Each word began with a different letter of the alphabet, and there were definitely some fancier words in there, plus easy-to-understand definitions.  It was not my favorite to read aloud.  In fact, it was a little bit annoying to read aloud since it was basically a vocabulary drill, but there were definitely some great educational benefits there and Sophia did love it so…

We liked it: 3 out of 5 stars

 

#2. Let’s Sing A Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy by Jan Thomas

This fun little rhyming bedtime caper tells the story of a cowboy who is trying to sing his cows to sleep, but keeps getting distracted by big scary shapes in the night.

I personally loved this book–partly because it was entertaining with it’s cute little bedtime song and shadowy interruptions, but mostly because this is the first book Klaus has loved.  He’s 18 months old, and thus far in his life, he has had a take-it-or-leave-it attitude towards reading.  He’ll sit with me on the couch for about 2 minutes when we’re reading, and then he’s done and ready to move on.  You guys, he brought this book to ME! He fished it out of the library bag, trotted over to my lap, and actually sat there for the entire.book. Yes.  I was amazed too.  And then he did it again a couple hours later. It made my day.

We loved it: 5 out of 5 stars

#3. Too Purpley by Jean Reidy

Too Purpley is all about one girl’s struggle to find the right outfit.  Nothing is just right.  Things are too purpley, too taggy, too stripey, and too polkadotty.  Naturally, she has to try on a hundred different things before she finds the perfect outfit, but when she does it is comfy and just right.

If the cowboy book was Klaus’ favorite from the week, this was Sophia’s favorite.  We had to read it every. single. day. And sometimes more than once.  It’s a cute little book, don’t get me wrong, but even some cute books lose their charm on the three-thousandth reading. Luckily, it’s a pretty speedy read.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

#4. All of Baby: Nose to Toes by Victoria Adler

This was a sweet little twist on the traditional baby anatomy books. It had a bit of a rhyme to it, and the little verses that went along with the body parts were super cute.  Bonus points for being a board book, but not a bored book. (:DI crack myself up…). There are enough words/enough of a cadence to this story that even Sophia got a kick out of it, and I didn’t have to have a panic attack every time one of the kids grabbed at the pages.  I call that winning. This is definitely a board book that I’m going to be looking to add to our home collection.

We loved it: 5 out of 5 stars.

 

Kids Book Review: Fort Applegate and The Battle of Wounded Knee

Book Review of: Fort Applegate and The Battle of Wounded Knee by Brian Wu

Genre: Children, Fiction

This book was sent to me as an advance review copy by the author for no compensation.  All opinions expressed are my own. It is available for pre-order through Amazon, and will be available early in November.

Fort Applegate and the Battle of Wounded Knee is an educational foray into the science of the immune system: specifically, what happens inside the body to fight off infection. Nolan Applegate is out for a day of exploring the woods behind his parents house and searching out the perfect spot for a fort.  Right in the middle of his exploration, he falls in a stream and cuts his leg.  He’s been learning about the immune system in school, and he knows he needs to go home and wash the abrasion to help get rid of the bacteria from the stream.  He imagines his body is a lot like a fort and the many different things that happen beneath his skin to protect and heal from the cut are like a battle–the battle of wounded knee.

Technically, this book is for kids around the age of 9. Though not quite a middle grade novel, it does have a couple of chapters and full pages of words.  Even so, I think Sophia will be able to enjoy it a little at a time. The story is engaging and presents science to younger kids with a winning combination of age-appropriate narration and scientific explanations.

One thing I particularly loved about this book was the abundance of actual educational information.  Even though the immune system was reimagined into a more relatable context, the proper medical terms were still included and everything was thoroughly explained. Cytoplasm, Lymph Nodes, and the different kinds of cells working in the immune system are all explained briefly in the text and a little more thoroughly in the glossary.  I just think it is great to go ahead and teach kids the actual words.  Sure, they might stumble over Cytoplasm or butcher the pronunciation completely, but they’ll learn eventually and you can’t learn without trying.

Overall, I thought this was a cool blend of education and entertainment, and am looking forward to spending a little more time reading it with Sophia.

I really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

Kids Book Review: Henry The Turtle by C. K. Sobey

Review of: Henry the Turtle by C. K. Sobey

Genre: Children’s

I was sent this book for review by the author, but all opinions expressed are my own.  Check out her website for more information, here.

Henry the Turtle is abandoned as an egg on a stretch of sandy beach near a duck pond, but when one of the mother ducks adopts the egg, the ducks welcome Henry to their midst, and he grows up perfectly happy and cared for–just a turtle in a duck pond.

Punctuated with some fun facts about nature and eggs, Henry the Turtle is a sweet story about adoption and the love of a family.  The general plot reminded me of the Dr. Seuss classic, ‘Horton Hatches the Egg’, but there was definitely a unique voice here too.

The educational facts about eggs and duck habitat were interesting, and struck a good balance of story/fact for a younger child.  I haven’t stumbled across very many children’s books about adoption during my forays to the picture-book section of the library and maybe that is only because I never particularly looked for them before, but I’m always pleased when they do turn up!

Now, I loved the story, but this has to be said. My sole complaint about this book is an issue with the grammar and typos.  I would never claim to be a model of perfection in the grammar department, but when I notice multiple typos or obvious grammar problems within a single book, it really has to be noted–if only to stop my own eyes from twitching.  Luckily, this is something that should be easy to remedy in the next edition or revision.

Overall, the story was lovely but the grammar made me wince, so I’m going to have to go with a basic ‘liked it’ rating until a revised edition comes out.

I liked it: 3 out of 5 stars

Kids Book Review: Outside Inside by Cindy Helms

Review of: Outside Inside by Cindy Helms

Genre: Children’s

Outside Inside is the story of a bird who goes looking for his friends one morning.  When he can’t find them, he wonders where on earth they could be, and what they might be doing without him.  Opposites and colorful illustrations liven up the story as the bird is happily surprised when he does find his friend.

This is a great book for bridging that precarious childhood gap between reading board books and full blown picture books with lengthy stories.  The illustrations are much more in depth that one would expect for a baby, but the story itself is simple enough that even the youngest of children could sit through it.

While there are words, the majority of the story is told in the illustrations.  Without  the illustrations, the words are just a constant reiteration of the outside vs. inside relationship.  The illustrations themselves are clever and multi-faceted, although I doubt whether a preschooler or younger would necessarily pick up on all the undertones.  Still, who complains about something that makes a children’s book more enjoyable to read as an adult?!  Not I…

My only complaint/suggestion, is that I would love to see a sturdier version so that the medium matches the between-stages vibe of the story.  I’m not saying to make it into a board book, just use some stiffer paper products that will stand up to the rougher attentions of toddlers and preschoolers.

Overall, Outside, Inside was a cute, original story about waiting for friends and surprises.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

Kids Book Reviews ~ Library Haul #19

Hi everybody! Welcome to our Kids Book Review Library Haul post! This is where I give you quick and snappy reviews of our favorites from our weekly library haul. We read a LOT of children’s books from the library, so I don’t bother reviewing all the ones that were just mediocre. I like to keep things positive too, so books that I thought were terrible don’t usually make it into the list either… unless I just really want to rant about it for a while. Let us know in the comments which books were winners in YOUR library haul!

 

 

 

#1. Places In Time: A New Atlas of American History by Elspeth Leacock and Susan Buckley
Places In Time introduces children to different eras in American history through different people and the towns they lived in. It’s really a collection of short stories. Each page spread shows a different town or compound and tells just a snippet of it’s history. Certain things are highlighted all over the page with numbers and corresponding paragraphs of explanation.
To be honest, this one is on the edge of being too much for my kids to sit through, but Sophia will sit through a few pages at a time, and since each of the pages is a story in and of itself, I think it’s a fun way to work through the book. Even though her attention span doesn’t quite last the whole book, she seems interested in what we’ve read and has asked a lot of questions.
This is one of the books I’ve added to our reading haul to balance out the fluff for a couple of weeks. It will take some time to get through it, but my goal is to balance out the endless princess stories with some nonfiction.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars.

#2. Beauty and the Beast by Ursula Jones

Ah yes, the princess stories. This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. There is not much that makes this retelling unique, just based off of the story itself. It is the age-old story of Beauty and the Beast, and it stays more true to the original tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont than the Disney version does. What really set this book apart was the illustrations. The illustrations, done by Sarah Gibb, are GORGEOUS. I don’t often read kids books and think, ‘Oh, I just love the pictures in this book’, and I’ve never really considered using pages as artwork in a nursery, except for maybe Dr. Suess, but with this book, I would. They are so pretty!
This is Sophia’s favorite book out of the haul this week.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

#3. The Princess of 8th Street by Linas Alsenas

The Princess of 8th Street is a story about the tiny, shy, Princess Jane, who hasn’t made friends with any of the lords and ladies at the pleasure grounds, because they’re all very loud and very fast, and she can’t keep up. She doesn’t usually mind, though it can get a bit lonely with just the royal zoo and her very silent ladies in waiting for company. One day, all of that changes though. Princess Jane plays a game at the play ground and finds an eternal ally and friend in the Princess of 10th street.
I don’t know what happened between last week and this week, but suddenly all the books that we have are SO. LONG. I’m glad Sophia’s attention span has apparently made the leap to the next level, but my vocal chords are wearing out.
This is a cute little story about making friends, even when you’re anxious about it. As it is also coated in a healthy dose of princess-ese, Sophia was a huge fan.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

#4. Building a Skyscraper by JoAnn Early Macken

This easy to read, nonfiction book covers the most basic steps to building a skyscraper. It really could have covered a bit more, in my opinion. I wasn’t exactly expecting an encyclopedia on the subject, but a little more encyclopedia would have been nice. Each page only has a few words, but it’s not the sort of book that appeals to a very young child. I imagine that it is meant to be read by a beginning reader.
All that aside, it was still an addition to the nonfiction, and Sophia started drawing skyscrapers, so I consider it a win.

We liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

Kids Book Reviews ~ Library Haul #18

Hi everybody! Welcome to our Kids Book Review Library Haul post! This is where I give you quick and snappy reviews of our favorites from our weekly library haul. We read a LOT of children’s books from the library, so I don’t bother reviewing all the ones that were just mediocre. I like to keep things positive too, so books that I thought were terrible don’t usually make it into the list either… unless I just really want to rant about it for a while. Let us know in the comments which books were winners in YOUR library haul!

 

 

 

#1. Go! Go! Go! Stop! by Charise Mericle Harper

Go! Go! Go! Stop! was an overnight favorite at our house. It tells the story of a little green guy who rolls into town and starts saying the only word he knows. That word happens to be “go”. At first, “Go” is a great word, but as time goes on, things become more and more chaotic. Green can’t even fix the problem. Every time he says “Go!” things just keep on going. Luckily, a new guy rolls into town, named Red, and the only word HE knows is “Stop!” Green and Red learn to work together to get things running smoothly again.

Go! Go! Go! Stop! is an innovative and fun way to reiterate the function of traffic lights to your children. Sophia already knew the basic traffic light signals (Green means go, red means stop) but she adored this book and we couldn’t read it to her enough. There are lots of ways to experiment with dynamics within the book, which I think is definitely part of the appeal for youngsters. I mean, what kid is going to turn down the chance to bellow “STOP!” at the top of their lungs?! Not mine…

We loved it: 5 out of 5 stars

#2. Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk

Sam is a library mouse who has a pretty sweet life. During the day he lives in his cozy hole at the library, and at night when the library is empty he comes out and reads everything… at least until the night he decides he needs to write his own story. Sam begins writing stories and leaving them around the library, much to the fascination and curiosity of the library staff and children. Eventually, they leave a note asking him to let them meet the author. Though Sam puzzles over what to do about this particular predicament (he’s a mouse after all, and mice don’t generally interact well with humans) his solution is both touching and inspiring.

This was an adorable little story, all about inspiring you to do things you never thought of doing before–just because you can. I was surprised at how sweet the ending was. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but it was completely charming. Definitely go search this book out! Well worth it!

We loved it: 5 out of 5 stars

#3. Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson

Yet another twist on the classic Cinderella tale, in this rendition, Cinderella is rather whiny and boring. She has a hard life, and she basks in it. Cinder Edna, her next door neighbor, on the other hand, has exactly the same trials, but she hasn’t let her troubles keep her down. She works hard to better herself, and doesn’t rely on fairy godmother’s to bail her out of difficult situations. Cinder Edna proves that your personal outlook and ambition is worth everything, and far more powerful than a magic wand.

This was such a great book to read, especially in today’s age of entitlement and whine-culture. You’re only a victim if you choose to see yourself as a victim. Otherwise, get up out of that fireplace and make a tuna casserole! Delightful. This is one I want to get on my home shelf, eventually.

We loved it: 5 out of 5 stars

#4. My Family Tree and Me by Dusan Petricic

My Family Tree and Me is a simple book with great illustrations, all about how one’s ancestors led to one’s existence. Great-great grandparents down to “me” and back again, this book is meant to be read backwards and forwards–something that I didn’t realize the first time I read it. Not gonna lie, it was a little confusing that first round. It makes much more sense reading from the front (Father’s side) to the middle, and then from the back (Mother’s side) also to the middle. Confusion aside, it was still a great book to reiterate the different relationships in families. Sophia has been very curious lately about the different titles for people in our family. Sisters, brothers, cousins, daughters, grand parents, grand daughters, and the like have all proven to be fairly confusing for her, especially as she realized that people can hold much more than one title. It’s been interesting, to say the least, but this book was definitely in perfect time.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

#5. Sophia the First by Catherine Hapka

If you have a youngster who is into princesses, you’re probably already well aware of the Sofia the First franchise. Sofia the first is a princess TV show, centering around (for the first time ever, at least to my knowledge) a child princess. Needless to say, my Sophia loves her, and this book was another instant favorite. The story is pretty cute–all about family learning to get along, and a little girl learning how to be a princess.

My proudest moment though, was when, after reading the book several hundred times, Sophia was watching an episode of the TV show and turned to me to say brightly, “I read a book about this, Mommy!” Yes, Sophia, always, ALWAYS read the book first! ❤

We loved it: 5 out of 5 stars

Kids Book Reviews ~ Library Haul #17

Hi everybody! Welcome to our Kids Book Review Library Haul post! This is where I give you quick and snappy reviews of our favorites from our weekly library haul. We read a LOT of children’s books from the library, so I don’t bother reviewing all the ones that were just mediocre. I like to keep things positive too, so books that I thought were terrible don’t usually make it into the list either… unless I just really want to rant about it for a while. Let us know in the comments which books were winners in YOUR library haul!

 

 

 

#1. Being Frank by Donna W. Earnhardt
Frank has always been taught that honesty is the best policy, but when his friends start to get mad at him for being honest about their freckles, or their bad breath, he begins to wonder whether it’s true. Is honesty the best policy or not? Luckily, he has a Grandpa to help him realize that honesty IS always the best policy, but sometimes it’s better to focus on being honest about the good things. “Honesty is best served with more sugar… less pepper.”
If you have a child who has discovered the wonderful world of awkward moments, created by innocently meant questions or statements, this book can be a great tool to help navigate the fine line between telling the truth and not hurting your friends’ feelings. The story was charming, and even though it had a definite lesson to it, it was entertaining to read.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

 

#2. I’m Gonna Climb a Mountain in my Patent Leather Shoes by Marilyn Singer
Sadie loves to be dressed to the nines, but that doesn’t stop her from having adventures! She still climbs mountains, swims in lakes, and chases Bigfoot–she just does it while enjoying her stylin’ accessories. This is a rollicking rhyme, similar in style to the ever popular ‘Going on a Bear Hunt’ rhyme, but it has a great message for girls. Adventuring can be done, any way you like it! This is definitely a book that I’ll be happy to read to Sophia few more times, even if it means she wants to wear her princess dress the next time we go hiking 😉

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

 

#3. Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood Yet another makeover of the traditional Cinderella story, and this one is my favorite so far. In this story, Cinderella lives in space with the traditional evil stepmother and mean stepsisters, but she is a whiz with a toolbox. She can fix anything, and quite frequently does, through the entire book. When the gang of steps head off to the ball with Cinderella’s toolbox, leaving her stranded with a broken spacecraft, the space version of godmother fixes the spacecraft, but tells Cinderella that it will only remain fixed until midnight. When Cinderella fixes the prince’s malfunctioning space craft, he can’t wait to see her face (she’s wearing an astronaut helmet), but she has to dash off in order to get home before te charm wears off her space craft. I won’t ruin the ending for you, but I will say this: The ending is not traditional, but it IS age appropriate and girl power! Definitely look this one up! It was so much fun!

We loved it: 5 out of 5 stars

#4. Frances Dean Who Loved to Dance and Dance by Birgitta Sif

I did not realize that the majority of our favored books from the library this haul had a very “mighty girls” theme, but this is our third book today that kind of has that tone. Not planned, but pretty awesome! Frances Dean loves to dance, but whenever she is surrounded by people she can’t. All she can think about is how they’re looking at her, and how they might laugh at how she dances. But when Frances sees a tiny little girl, singing loud for all to hear, she begins to think that maybe… just maybe… she could do it too. This book is all about overcoming fear. It’s a really sweet little story, and the illustrations are just darling.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars.

 

#5. Outstanding in the Rain

The plot for this one is pretty simplistic–boy goes out, gets ice cream, he loses the ice cream, it rains, at the end he gets more ice cream. Not gonna lie–by itself, the plot is quite the snoozefest. Luckily, the illustrations and cutouts make the book. The pictures expand on the story, and provide great incentives to discussion. As a bonus, the cutouts in this book provide great illustrations of the similarities between words for your curious-about-reading young one.
Altogether, this was an appealing, educational book and suitable for a wider age range.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars.

BOOK REVIEW: Captain No Beard Children’s Books by Carole P. Roman

This is the second review post I have done to highlight some of Carole P. Roman’s fantastic children’s books! I was sent these books for review by the author, but all opinions expressed are my own.

Captain No-Beard and his crew mates are an imaginative collection of stories that really remind me of fables, with their easily identifiable ‘lesson of the day’. It’s a unique find in modern children’s literature because there are really very few books that I’ve come across that still actively try to relay an obvious ‘lesson’ in the style of Aesop’s fables.

#1. Captain No Beard: An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate’s Life
This is the original introduction to Captain No Beard, and where the other stories have very definable lessons/morals, this is more of an adventure tale that sets the stage for the rest. We’re introduced to Captain No Beard and the Crew, and they have their first adventure–surviving a huge storm, and meeting a mermaid. At the end of the book, we realize that all of the adventures actually happen right in Alexander’s bedroom. It’s a very imaginative story, and a delightful introduction to the series.

 

 

 

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#2. Fribbit the Frog and the Tadpoles

Fribbit the Frog is out of sorts, and after some nudging, he finally reveals that he is worried. He recently became the big brother to a hundred or so tadpoles, and they are all swimming around, getting under foot, and taking all of his parents time. Captain No-Beard and his first mate, Hallie, take it upon themselves to share with him how much fun having siblings can be. Hallie only wishes she had a brother or sister until the very end of the book when they get back to Alexander’s bedroom and Hallie finds out that she has her own little tadpole. The moral of the story is that there’s no need to be jealous of little siblings.

I certainly agree with the lesson here, but I dislike how much people fixate on jealousy issues with younger children. If you look up any children’s books to do with having a younger sibling, jealousy ALWAYS comes up. I was the oldest of 9 siblings growing up, and as each of my brothers and sisters was born, we never even THOUGHT about jealousy. We were all happy and excited to have another brother or sister–jealousy was just not a thing. In light of that, I tend to think that if the adults around children exhibit the fact that there’s no need for jealousy, it won’t even occur to kids to feel jealous or worried of the change. That’s my two cents. Carry on…

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#3. Strangers on the High Seas

Captain No Beard is frustrated with his little sister, Cabin Girl Cayla. She just keeps making messes and getting in his way! But when the intrepid pirates find themselves being followed by some scurvy strangers, Cayla proves to be a valuable secret weapon.
This one has dual morals, I’d say. First of all, the most obvious one is ‘Do not talk to strangers’. The second, slightly more subtle, reminds one of the power siblings can have together.

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#4. Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis

Captain No Beard is leading an exploration in the far north, but when his crew discovers that his plan is to take some treasure without asking qualms of conscience ensue. When the crew stands up to him and tells him that they don’t want to be part of stealing something, it comes out that Captain No Beard is hoping to take home the Aurora Borealis. Since it is physically impossible to do that, the crewmates come up with a solution.
The moral of this story is that it is wrong to take things that don’t belong to you when you haven’t asked permission.

I don’t really think the story applies to most natural things that little kids are inclined to pick up, and so I can see it being a little confusing to children. I mean, who exactly is a kid going to ask if they can pick up a pinecone? Not EVERYTHING that exists is owned by somebody else, and it’s certainly not wrong to take some things, but it’s a helpful introduction to other lessons about sharing, ownership, and not stealing.

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#5. The Crew Goes Coconuts

When Cabin Girl Cayla finds a new friend to bring aboard the ship there are mixed emotions among the crewmates. A few of them like Matie the Goat, and the others complain that she’s weird and smells funny. When Captain No Beard is forced to step in, he encourages them all to think of their own faults, and see that they’re not really so different. This is a clear, empathetic lesson about bullying, and I think it’s a great learning lesson for kids and adults alike. Kids, obviously, should be learning not to bully, but I think this book really gave me some insight into different ways to diffuse bullying type situations among little kids. It really is sad how unkind children can be. It starts so young–I’ve even seen the beginnings of it in my daughter’s age group (3 years old). It breaks your heart, as a parent, but the best way to combat it is through education and encouraging empathy.

There are several other books in the Captain No Beard series, covering topics like patience, sharing, and negotiation with siblings. I think the most adorable thing about this series (from a grown-up perspective) is how each new sibling/cousin enters the book. I don’t know if it’s ever said specifically, but I can just imagine that these books were loosely based on the author’s own children and nieces/nephews. The unity of the crew, even with a new addition every book or so, really binds the whole series together.

The main thing I didn’t like about the books was how they are sometimes quite repetitive (not within the story, just as a series in general) but I know kids tend to feel differently about repetition in books… I mean, it’s pretty obvious. They have to like repetition to be able to tolerate reading/watching anything 1247 times. I loved the uniformity of presentation in Roman’s geography series (read about it here), but I think I was expecting a little more variety for an adventure series.
Still, that’s not really such a big issue, more a peeve of mine that I would remedy by reading one or two books at a time instead of the whole series in one sitting.
Sophia, on the other hand, loves these books. I caught her yesterday playing that she was a ‘pirate princess’, and I just thought that was immensely fun.

Overall, we really liked this series. Check it out! 4 out of 5 stars.

Kids Book Reviews ~ Library Haul #15

Hi everybody! Welcome to our Kids Book Review Library Haul post! This is where I give you quick and snappy reviews of our favorites from our weekly library haul. We read a LOT of children’s books from the library, so I don’t bother reviewing all the ones that were just mediocre. I like to keep things positive too, so books that I thought were terrible don’t usually make it into the list either… unless I just really want to rant about it for a while. Let us know in the comments which books were winners in YOUR library haul!

 

 

 

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#1. Not All Princesses Dress in Pink by Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple

This was hands down Sophia’s favorite book this week. We just HAD to read it every day. In this story, none of the princesses wear pink. Some wear soccer cleats, or baggy shirts to garden in… and a sparkly crown. They don’t just dance the day away either–they plant gardens, use power tools, and wrestle in the mud with their pets… and a sparkly crown. Always the sparkly crown. I’m fairly certain the sparkly crowns were actually Sophia’s favorite part of the book. Yes, I see the irony of that 😛

We loved it: 5 out of 5 stars

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#2. Plant a Kiss by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

What happens when you plant a kiss? Well, it grows into a beautiful golden flower tree. And what happens when you give all those flowers away? More grow!
This book doesn’t have a lot to it, but the substance of the plot is easily grasped by the younger set and the illustrations are beautiful. This is a great book for early readers. There aren’t too many words, but those that are there tend to share common phonics tendencies. “Ou” makes the “Ow” sound in “doubt, pout, about” etc.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

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#3. The Magic Nesting Dolly by Jacqueline K. Ogburn

This was one of our first attempts at reading a longer, more traditional fairy-tale–you know, beyond the disney Rapunzel books. It went really well. When Katya’s Grandmother dies, she leaves Katya a special magic nesting doll, with the message that when all hope is lost and she can’t see any escape, she only has to open the magic doll and help will come, but it will only work three times. When a mysterious freeze settles over the kingdom, and the prince is lost in a deep, frozen sleep, Katya sets out to save the prince and the land. Along the way she encounters an evil viscount and lots of danger, but her grandmother was right. The nesting doll has enough magic to save Katya three times, and it rids the land of the frozen magic, but Katya must save the prince on her own.

Besides the fact that this story is at least passingly reminiscent of the movie Frozen, (or maybe it’s the other way around–Pretty sure this book came before Frozen.) this is a pretty great fairytale for kids. It’s very traditional in style, and not too Disney-style ‘Happily Ever After’ in the ending, but it isn’t quite as dark as some of the original Grimms either. I consider it a good introduction for the younger set to more traditional fairy tales.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

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#4. CockaDoodle Dance by Christine Tricarico

What happens when the barnyard animals get into the doldrums from working all the time? They get themselves out of their funk by dancing. They dance all day long, and all night long, until they’ve not only danced their blues away, but all of their energy as well. The hens can’t lay eggs, the cows can’t make milk, and the rooster sleeps so long that he forgets to wake everybody up. It takes a while, but they learn that even though working all the time isn’t fun, dancing all the time doesn’t solve any problems either. No sooner have they learned how to balance their work and their dance, when the farmer and his wife take off, dancing all the time.

This is pretty humorous, and teaches a valuable lesson at the same time. It’s particularly funny how after the animals finally get their act together and figure out the balancing act, the farmer and his wife just go off on the same thing–basically proving the point that all of humanity is destined to have to try to figure out this balancing act over and over again on an individual level.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars.

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#5. Baby Love by Angela DiTerlizzi

This fast little rhyming book is perfect for bridging the gap between board book babies/toddlers, and picture book preschoolers. Rosy cheeks, chunky thighs, warm kisses, snuggly teddy’s–all mean it must be Baby Love. It doesn’t have an overwhelming amount of words for a younger child, and preschoolers–mine at least–love the gentle cadence of the words, and of course, talking about the pictures. I feel like at this stage, we read the book and then Sophia wants to talk about the pictures for at LEAST as long as it took to read the book. It’s crazy, y’all. And also pretty normal.

We really liked this book: 4 out of 5 stars.

So there you have it. The 5 best books out of our library haul this week. What were your library favorites this week? Let us know in the comments!