Category: Book Reviews

Gargantis

GargantisGargantis (The Legends of Eerie-on-Sea, #2) by Thomas Taylor, Tom Booth
Published by Walker Books US on May 12, 2020
ISBN: 1536208590
Pages: 336
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This is the second book in the Legends of Eerie-on-Sea series, and it is great. Herbie Lemons and Violet are back, and things are no less eerie at the Grand Nautilus Hotel. When a glowing ancient bottle with indecipherable script washes up on shore, everyone wants to get their hands on it. Violet and Herbie work together to determine the link between the bottle and the storm with monstrous and spectacular conclusions.

This book is well written and the story is one that many kids will enjoy. Herbie is perfectly awkward and witty, and Violet is sharp and inquisitive. The first book in the series, Malamander, isn’t essential to understanding this book, but there are certain aspects that will make more sense if you read it first. Perfect for fantasy fans who don’t love a ton of scare, I’d recommend this book to kids 3rd grade and up. This is a wonderful entry to middle grade fantasy series.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Leap Frog

Leap FrogLeap Frog by Britta Teckentrup, Jane Clarke
ISBN: 1536212059
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars

This book follows a little tree frog named Felix as he explores the sounds of the jungle. Each page brings a new sound and a “what’s that noise?” With each turn, Felix finds there’s nothing to be afraid of, and then he hears another noise. He ends up going to bed with the sound of his father being a familiar one.

The concept of this book isn’t bad, it just wasn’t executed well. The book is written as if the narrator and reader are talking together to Felix. I don’t love that the only noise Felix is told to fear is that of the snake. It’s a completely unnecessary perpetuation of rampant snake fear and doesn’t do anything to further the story. The illustrations are high contrast and colorful, so they’ll hold the attention of small children. Recommended for children 3 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

two-stars

Friday Night Wrestlefest

Friday Night WrestlefestFriday Night Wrestlefest by J.F. Fox, Micah Player
Published by Roaring Brook Press on February 18, 2020
ISBN: 1250212405
Pages: 48
Genres: Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

“…it’s Friday night! … Dinner was pizza. …it’s time for…Friday Night Wrestle Fest!” Featuring a pair of fraternal twins, a baby, and a dad, the wrestling event starts fast and furious. When Mom gets home from work and joins the fray, things take an unexpected twist.

This book is hilarious and adorable. It is a celebration of family in a unique way. The text is written as if it’s a sports cast, and it totally works. The illustrations are high color, and the facial expressions of the characters really bring the story to life. This is just a fun book. Recommended for children 3 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Alice in Wonderland: A Puzzle Adventure

Alice in Wonderland: A Puzzle AdventureAlice in Wonderland: A Puzzle Adventure by Aleksandra Artymowska
Published by Templar Publishing ISBN: 1536210390
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This large format book will surely please the puzzle book fans in your life. The illustrations are high contrast, and very colorful. The puzzles range from easy to very hard and vary from mazes to matching to search and find. A few of the instructions are a little confusing, but even if a reader doesn’t understand one puzzle, they’re sure to find many many more that they enjoy. Recommended for readers 5 and up (with help for reading instructions), but even older kids will love these difficult puzzles. A recommended purchase where puzzle books are popular.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

McTavish Goes Wild

McTavish Goes WildMcTavish Goes Wild by Grace Easton, Meg Rosoff
ISBN: 1536203319
Genres: Adventure, Animals
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Summer vacation is here, and the Peachey family decides to go camping. McTavish couldn’t be more pleased with this decision because he gets to come along. When McTavish decides the Peachey family is being too lazy and grumpy, he goes rogue and leads them on a woods adventure.

This is a great story of family, adventure, and fun. The text is interesting in that the story is written for young readers, but it has a lot of advanced words. For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend this book to a struggling reader because it’s only likely to cause more frustration. The story, however, is a good one. There are a few illustrations, but they do little to further the story and really just break up the text a bit. Recommended for 3rd grade and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

This is a Dog

This is a DogThis Is a Dog by Ross Collins
on August 1, 2019
ISBN: 1536212008
Genres: Animals, Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

This book is just cute and fun. The dog is stealing the stage from all the other animals mentioned in this book, and he’s adorable while he does it. The funny ways he’s interacting with the animals will delight readers of all ages. The text is very simple so this would be a good book for very beginning readers. The illustrations are highly emotive and really bring the story to life. Recommended for children 2 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars

Boxitects

BoxitectsBoxitects by Kim Smith
Published by Clarion Books on January 14, 2020
ISBN: 1328477207
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Meg is a boxitect — she can turn a cardboard box into a tunnel, a tiny house, a castle. When she takes her skills to Maker School, she meets blanketeers, spaghetti-tects, and more, but when Simone, another boxitect, shows up, things get heated.

I loved this book. It’s creative, has a good message about teamwork and friendship, and it’s just fun. The illustrations are very colorful and full of detail. The things that the kids create in Maker School are whimsical, and you will likely see some new and interesting detail each time you read it. There are several pages at the end that detail how to make different things out of cardboard boxes as well. Recommended for children 3 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Alphonse, There’s Mud on the Ceiling

Alphonse, There’s Mud on the CeilingAlphonse, There's Mud on the Ceiling! by Daisy Hirst
ISBN: 1536211176
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Alphonse and Natalie live in a 7th floor apartment, but they want to play in a jungle and sleep in a tent. After slinking around the house in sleeping bags, they build a tent on their balcony and have a jungle adventure.

This book is a fun look at the sibling relationship as well as kids’ imagination. I also love that this book highlights kids who live in an apartment building — this is an underrepresented aspect of life in picture books. I did feel like the book was a little bit of a let down given the title. There is mud on the ceiling is such a small aspect of the story, and the title conveys a lot more zany hijinks than actually occurs in the story. The illustrations are high color, high contrast, and simple. They do add to the story as they depict Natalie and Alphonse in their various adventures. Recommended for children 3 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars

Nesting

NestingNesting by Henry Cole
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on March 3, 2020
ISBN: 0062885928
Pages: 40
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This book is a beautiful look at the American Robin — a very common bird often taken for granted. It follows a pair of robins from nest building in the spring to growing their fledglings to gathering together for the winter. The illustrations are black, gray, and white except for robin’s egg blue highlights throughout. The illustrations are pencil drawings that are exquisitely detailed and gorgeous. They may not engage the youngest readers, though, due to the lack of contrast. Recommended for children 4 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Ollie and Augustus

Ollie and AugustusOllie and Augustus by Gabriel Evans
ISBN: 1536209678
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Ollie and Augustus are best friends. Ollie is small and Augustus is huge. Despite their differences (Augustus is also a dog), they do everything together and have a lot of fun together. Sometimes they argue, but they always make up. When Ollie has to go to school, he’s worried Augustus will be lonely so he tries to find him a dog friend. It turns out, Ollie is Augustus’s perfect friend, and Augustus knows Ollie will always come back.

This is a heartwarming story of friendship. The illustrations are just fun, funny, and really add to the story. Augustus really is a behemoth dog, and his expressions are perfect. Even thought the illustrations are relatively simple line drawings, they really make this book. Recommended for readers 3 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars