Format: Picture Book Fiction

Carrot & Pea: An Unlikely Friendship

Carrot & Pea: An Unlikely FriendshipCarrot and Pea: An Unlikely Friendship by Morag Hood
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on April 4, 2017
ISBN: 0544868420
Pages: 32
Genres: Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Using simplistic illustrations, Carrot & Pea teaches us that our differences can be wonderful. Featuring a Pea named Lee and a Carrot named Colin, we first learn how Colin doesn’t fit in with Lee and his pea friends. But then we see all the ways that Colin’s differences are beneficial. The illustrations were made using collaged plastic grocery bags, which is incredible to look at the texture and the vibrant colors. The book has a simple and beautiful message. A must purchase for all libraries.

Reviewed by Kara Reiman, Maine State Library, Augusta

five-stars

The Great Eggscape

The Great EggscapeThe Good Egg Presents: The Great Eggscape! by Jory John, Pete Oswald, Saba Joshaghani
Published by HarperCollins on February 11, 2020
ISBN: 0062975676
Pages: 32
Genres: Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

From the duo that brought us The Good Egg, comes a new adventure with Shel and friends.. The other eggs in the carton have disappeared (as they do every day), and Shel is enjoying some peace and quiet while they’re out having adventures and playing. After a while, however, Shel begins to worry about whether or not the other eggs will come back. Shel decides to head out to find the other eggs, and hijinks ensue.

As with other books from this duo, the story is fun and witty. The illustrations are bright, colorful, detailed, and add humor and whimsy. Fans of John and Oswald’s other books won’t be disappointed with this newest effort. Recommended for K-2nd graders.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Agent Lion

Agent LionAgent Lion by David Soman, Jacky Davis
Published by HarperCollins on February 4, 2020
ISBN: 0062869175
Pages: 40
Genres: Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Ms. Flamingo’s cat, Fluffy, has gone missing, and Agent Lion is assigned the job to track her down. Easily distracted by food of any sort (especially jelly donuts), Agent Lion isn’t the most efficient detective. He searches high and low, interviews witnesses, and even considers that Fluffy may be wearing a disguise.

This book is fun and funny. The humor is pretty subtle and may be lost on younger readers, but they’ll still enjoy the story and pictures. The illustrations are colorful, whimsical, and fun. The facial expressions and details of the illustrations add to the humor of the book. Overall, this is a fun read recommended for K-2nd graders.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Vote for Our Future

Vote for Our FutureVote for Our Future! by Margaret McNamara, Micah Player
Published by Schwartz & Wade Books on January 14, 2020
ISBN: 1984892800
Pages: 40
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

The children of Stanton Elementary are ready to speak up for themselves! Kids can’t vote, so they’re talking to the people who can about why voting is important.

This book is perfectly timed with upcoming elections, and it does a wonderful job teaching kids about the importance of voting. The illustrations are colorful, inclusive, and complement the text well. A recommended purchase for all libraries to share with Pre-K through 2nd graders, though it would also be a great book to share with older kids paired with more detailed discussion about elections and voting.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

The Paper Kingdom

The Paper KingdomThe Paper Kingdom by Helena Ku Rhee, Pascal Campion
on February 18, 2020
ISBN: 052564461X
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

When Daniel’s sitter cancels, he is forced to go with his parents to their night shift janitorial job. He expects to be bored, but his parents help engage him by imagining a world complete with kings, queens, and dragons.

I loved this book. It is a wonderful testament to family, imagination, and the power of kindness. More importantly, it touches on societal hierarchies when Daniel wonders why his parents have to clean up after other people. His parents encourage him, when he’s king of the paper kingdom, to be kind to everyone. The illustrations are colorful, detailed, and convey the emotions of the family. They’re engaging and add depth to the story. This book will appeal to Pre-K through 2nd grade readers.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

The Thank You Letter

The Thank You LetterThe Thank You Letter by Jane Cabrera
Published by Holiday House on October 29, 2019
ISBN: 0823442500
Pages: 34
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

After her birthday party, Grace writes thank-you letters to her friends and family for her gifts. Even when a gift might not have been perfect (she receives a toy dog rather than a living pup and gloves that are too large), she’s thankful nonetheless. But when all the gift givers are thanked, Grace begins to write thank you notes to her teacher for teaching her to read and write. She thanks her cat and dog. She even thanks the sky for being blue. Soon she is receiving love notes from everyone in town. This is a sweet story (without being saccharin sweet) teaching about being grateful for the many wonderful things in your life. The illustrations are cute and clear and represent a diverse community. This book can be used to teach young readers about letter writing, (Who doesn’t enjoy getting a letter in their mailbox?) but most importantly about gratitude. Grace is aptly named as she demonstrates grace perfectly.

5 star

Cream of the Crop

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

Reviews

SLJ – VERDICT A love story about kindness and gratitude that serves as a good reminder for the young and the young-at-heart.
Reviewed by Amy Shepherd, St. Anne’s Episcopal School, Middleton, DE , Oct 01, 2019

 

five-stars

Ruby Red Shoes ( A Very Aware Hare)

Ruby Red Shoes ( A Very Aware Hare)Ruby Red Shoes: A Very Aware Hare by Kate Knapp
Published by Macmillan ISBN: 1509891897
Genres: Animals, Fantasy
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This book is a re release from 2012 and I’m so happy I picked it up! This book not only has a super cute story line but the vocabulary is spot on for introducing young readers to new words. The illustrations are also gorgeous and a little whimsical. Another stand out for me was the chosen font. I thought it was cute and stood out but was still very easy to read. I would recommend this for grades K-3.

Reviewed by Sophie Gagnon, Skidompha Public Library, Damariscotta

five-stars

What does an anteater eat?

What does an anteater eat?What Does an Anteater Eat? by Ross Collins
Published by Nosy Crow on July 9, 2019
ISBN: 1536205915
Pages: 32
Genres: Animals, Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

An anteater wakes up hungry, but here’s the thing: he can’t remember what an anteater eats! He wanders around asking anyone he meets if they know what an anteater eats, but no one seems to be able to help. Eventually he figures out what to eat, but is it the right thing? This book is cute and kids will find it funny. The colorful illustrations pair well with the story and add to the wittiness and humor of the animals’ interactions. This book is best for PreK-2nd grade and would be a fun one for a younger aged story time.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars

Sunny Day

Sunny DaySunny Day: A Celebration of Sesame Street by Brigette Barrager, Christian Robinson, Dan Santat, Emily Winfield Martin, Greg Pizzoli, Joe Mathieu, Joe Raposo, Joey Chu, Kenard Pak, Leo Espinosa, Mike Curato, Pat Cummings, Rafael López, Roger Bradford, Sean Qualls, Selina Alko, Tom Lichtenheld, Vanessa Brantley-Newton, Ziyue Chen
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on October 22, 2019
ISBN: 1984848186
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

I really wanted to like this book more. The text, as expected, is simply the lyrics to the Sesame Street theme song. Each page has an illustration by a different artist, and this gives the book a bit of a disjointed feel. The illustrations are lovely, they just don’t always flow well together. That being said, fans of Sesame Street will enjoy this book — the familiar words, the ability to sing the book, finding familiar faces in the illustrations, it’s sure to be a hit. Best for Pre-K to 1st grade.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars

Little Robin’s Christmas

Little Robin’s ChristmasLittle Robin's Christmas by Jan Fearnley
Published by Nosy Crow on September 10, 2019
ISBN: 1536208256
Pages: 32
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Little Robin is excited for Christmas. Each day for the week before Christmas, he leaves his nest and gives away one of his warm vests to someone else who needs it. Santa notices his generosity and rewards him with a something special.

I appreciate the idea behind this story, but the sudden appearance of Santa seems a bit disjointed and abrupt. The story of kindness and selflessness would have been fine without the connection to Christmas. The Christmas connection feels a bit forced. The illustrations are colorful, simple, and support the story well. An additional purchase for libraries needing to expand their Christmas books.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars