Category: Book Reviews

Let’s Go Puddling

Let’s Go PuddlingLet's Go Puddling! by Emma Perry, Claire Alexander
Published by Candlewick Press on April 25, 2023
ISBN: 1536228494
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Let’s Go Puddling is a fun onomatopoeic picture book about the joys of a rainy day. A group of small friends (accompanied by their caregivers) race to jump in puddles and enjoy the rain. The illustrations are mixed media with a diverse cast of characters, and both text and illustrations support each other in the telling of the story. A worthwhile addition to a picture book collection.

Reviewed by Mary Randall, Patten Free Library

five-stars

Where’s Waldo? The Great Speed Search

Where’s Waldo? The Great Speed SearchWhere’s Waldo?: The Great Speed Search by Martin Handford
Published by Candlewick Press on March 7, 2023
ISBN: 1536228613
Pages: 24
Genres: Arts
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Where’s Waldo? The Great Speed Search is a novel approach to the classic Where’s Waldo. This book is set up as a challenge, allowing two competitors to sit opposite each other with the pages oriented outward. Each page has the same content and readers are encouraged to find the hidden items faster than their opponent. It is still the classic Where’s Waldo that has maintained popularity throughout the years, but with a nice twist to allow for competition and more engagement. A fun addition to a collection!

Reviewed by Mary Randall, Patten Free Library

four-stars

The Tree Book

The Tree BookThe Tree Book by Hannah Alice
Published by Candlewick Press on March 7, 2023
Pages: 18
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This book does a thorough job of explaining the life cycles of different types of trees, using clear cutouts to help layer each “season” of the tree. This is a dynamic way to illustrate the cycles; however, there are a few pages where it muddies the message by making it unclear whether the infographic is for the current page, or if it is merely peeking through because of the transparent pages ahead of it. The topic is well-explained in easy-to-understand terms and is exhaustive, but it would have been helpful to have more about conservation at the end of the book, rather than wrapping the topic into one sentence. Overall, a worthwhile addition to a nonfiction collection.

Reviewed by Mary Randall, Patten Free Library

four-stars

My Friend, Loonie

My Friend, LoonieMy Friend, Loonie by Nina LaCour, Ashling Lindsay
Published by Candlewick Press on March 28, 2023
ISBN: 1536213934
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

My Friend, Loonie is about a young girl who befriends a yellow balloon and takes Loonie with her everywhere she goes, using it as a security blanket of sorts. When the balloon inevitably drifts away, she is sad but with the help of her two moms, she plants a flower to remember Loonie and begins to find yellow everywhere she looks. The prose is sweet and will ring true for any caregiver who has had to accommodate for the odd friends their children find. The illustrations are where this book shines however; the colors are vibrant and eye-catching and when the balloon disappears, the artist weaves in the color yellow more and more as the book continues. A worthwhile addition to any collection.

Reviewed by Mary Randall, Patten Free Library

five-stars

The Mystery Box

The Mystery BoxThe Mystery Box by Wes Hargis
Series: Down in the Dumps #1
Published by HarperCollins on September 13, 2022
ISBN: 0062910108
Pages: 96
Genres: Adventure, Humor
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Down in the Dumps: The Mystery Box introduces readers to the Westerfield Waste Transfer and Recycling Center and to Nana the moldy banana. This short adventure has the main characters, Nana, along with her friends a broken tea pot and a crusty blob of gum, trying to return a clearly misplaced teddy bear to the non-trash world outside. With short chapters and a quick and easy adventure to follow, this book will appeal to readers in grades first through third. A nice addition to a collection, but not necessary to add.

Reviewed by Mary Randall, Patten Free Library

four-stars

Trash vs. Trucks

Trash vs. TrucksDown in the Dumps #2: Trash vs. Trucks by Wes Hargis
Series: Down in the Dumps #2
Published by HarperCollins on September 13, 2022
ISBN: 0062910159
Pages: 96
Genres: Adventure, Humor
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Down in the Dumps: Trash vs. Trucks is about a trash heap and its inhabitants. This book follows a few pieces of refuse as they try to keep their trash heap where it is, to keep the giant dump trucks from scooping them up and relocating them. The prose is easy to follow and the adventure itself is engaging. The artwork adds to the overall ease of understanding and fun for the reader. An interesting addition to the book is that every now and then it stops and comments on how much the reader has read, which can be a nice benchmark for someone who may need a little encouragement.

Reviewed by Mary Randall, Patten Free Library

four-stars

It’s Not Bragging if It’s True: How to be Awesome at Life

It’s Not Bragging if It’s True: How to be Awesome at LifeIt's Not Bragging If It's True: How to Be Awesome at Life, from a Winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee by Zaila Avant-Garde, Marti Dumas
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on May 2, 2023
ISBN: 0593568990
Pages: 144
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Zaila Avant-Garde is tenacious and intelligent. She is a Scripps Spelling Bee winner, a two-time Guinness World Record holder, and has won Sports Illustrated SportsKid of the Year. She has a lot to teach young people about setting goals and working hard to achieve them. With humor and insight, Zaila offers readers 9 steps to “level up” to meet their goals and become their most authentic selves. These steps include having someone else’s back, knowing when to ask for help, and embracing your own weirdness. Zaila’s positive attitude and confidence shines throughout in this nonfiction self-help book for upper-elementary aged children. Readers will enjoy the short chapters and the photos of Zaila’s achievements through the years.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

four-stars

Pacey Packer, Unicorn Tracker: Dragon Rider

Pacey Packer, Unicorn Tracker: Dragon RiderDragon Rider by J.C. Phillipps
Series: Pacey Packer, Unicorn Tracker, #4, #4, #4
Published by Random House Graphic on March 21, 2023
ISBN: 0593179595
Pages: 240
Genres: Adventure
Format: Graphic Novel
Goodreads
three-stars

Book 4 in the Pacey Packer series. To protect everyone in Rundalyn, Pacey and Slasher collect the pieces of the magic horn before the evil Alpha Unicorn does. Things get complicated when Pacey’s sister, Mina, gets taken by a dragon. The purple-toned artwork is tough on the eyes, but  kids who love unicorns will enjoy this adventure story. Pacey is an intrepid heroine and a role model for young girls overcoming their fears. Having never read the first three books, this book stands alone. A compelling and humorous plot without being too scary. Bonus at the back of book includes instructions for how to draw a dragon.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

three-stars

Frog

FrogFrog (Little Life Cycles) by Maggie Li
Published by Templar on March 7, 2023
ISBN: 1536230235
Genres: Animals
Format: Board Book
Goodreads
four-stars

One of four books in Little Life Cycles series. Clever cut-out of frog’s eyes that transform into frog eggs that young children will enjoy poking their fingers through. This book is a stronger title than Bug in in the same series. Like Bug, this title is too wordy but less so. The illustrations are less busy and more descriptive. Preschoolers will enjoy the frog metamorphosis and will be encouraged to explore and look for frogs in different stages. This book can also be an added resource for K-2 classrooms studying life cycles.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

four-stars

How to Write a Poem

How to Write a PoemHow to Write a Poem by Deanna Nikaido, Kwame Alexander, Melissa Sweet
Published by Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins ISBN: 0063060906
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

A visually gorgeous book that invites readers to immerse themselves in colorful, poetry-making experiences through wordplay and art. Sweet’s collage illustrations and hand lettering exists symbiotically with Alexander and Nikaido’s text, blurring the line between written art and visual art, giving each page both words to ponder upon and endless artistic details to contemplate. A pitch-perfect introduction to all that poetry can be.

Easy to put in the hands of young children who enjoy looking at books on their own, and for families to read aloud; could also be used in a story hour paired with collage crafts. Highly recommend.

Reviewed by Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

five-stars