Format: Picture Book Fiction

“Our Favorite Day”

“Our Favorite Day”Our Favorite Day by Joowon Oh
Published by Candlewick Press on August 16, 2019
ISBN: 1536203572
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

A charming  picture book for 3-7 year  old children featuring   a young girl and her grandfather.  There is one day of each week that is very special for them both;  thus the book’s title: “Our Favorite Day.” Each look forward to this special day of the week.  We are shown  Grandfather eagerly awaiting and preparing for the arrival of his granddaughter.   The day before the visit,  we see Grandfather’s eager anticipation  as he goes about  his daily routine while  in addition,  making  several extra stops in preparation for an activity in which both can participate.   And  When that SPECIAL  day arrives,  we see the expression of joy on the young girl’s face as she runs to Grandfather for a hug. The ending of the story shows them sharing lunch AND   the special activity.  This story of pure and simple joy  that such a relationship  brings is exceptionally  well depicted!

A  simple story, but one that nicely highlights  the very special relationship between a grandparent and their grandchild. Appropriate for 3- 7 year old children when doing a unit on grandparents.  May help to foster  appreciation of such a special  relationship.

Illustrations are watercolor, gouache, and paper collage.  Bright,  colorful and expressive.

I give this book a four star rating.

 

Reviewed by Connie M. Smith, Breakwater School, Portland, ME  

The Hundred – Year Barn

The Hundred – Year BarnThe Hundred-Year Barn by Kenard Pak, Patricia MacLachlan
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on September 17, 2019
ISBN: 0062687735
Pages: 48
Genres: Animals, Historical Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

“The Hundred  – Year Barn” is a historical fiction picture book  about a barn that has stood in place for one hundred years.   A young boy  boy who observed the barn raising as a five year old narrates the story of the barn  and all of the changes it  experienced  as the years unfolded.  Life and its everyday activities revolve around the barn and animals and people who work in the barn.  Woven into this  lovely, sentimental tale is the story of the boy’s father who lost his wedding ring when the barn was being constructed.   The young boy  finds the ring  in the grass and put it into his pocket; however, the ring falls  through through a  hole and is lost for many years.  One day,  the boy, now grown, returns home to marry the young girl who years ago fell  into  the meadow stream.   And  later, the  man, discovers his father’s lost  ring in a bird’s nest which falls  from the rafters in the barn.  He then proceeds to hang the ring on a hook beneath his father’s photograph of “the hundred –  year old barn.”

Throughout time the barn has stood  as a symbol of peace, community  and stability.  A  sweet nostalgic tale that gives children, who so often live in the moment, a nice perspective on time itself.  Through this story, children may come to appreciate  the importance of taking pause to reflect, appreciate, and consider  the changes  they have experienced in their own short lives.

The watercolor illustrations are soft colored, tenderly rendered and expressive.  The story itself and the illustrations  tend to evoke a melancholy mood. The story in itself,  however, is not sad.

Reviewed By Connie M. Smith, Breakwater School, Portland, ME

You Are My happy

You Are My happyYou Are My Happy by Hoda Kotb, Suzie Mason
Published by HarperCollins on March 5, 2019
ISBN: 0062887890
Pages: 32
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This is a sweet book about the love of a mama or dad or grandparent and their cub or grand cub. Beautifully illustrated and simply told, children will fall in love with this story of the things in life we all share that make us happy.

Reviewed by Ginni Nichols, Children’s Librarian, Gardiner Public Library, Gardiner,  ME

four-stars

Tooth Fairy in Training

Tooth Fairy in TrainingTooth Fairy in Training by Briony May Smith, Michelle Robinson
on June 6, 2019
ISBN: 1536209392
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Are fairies still super popular? They were all the rage here for a while but now unicorns and mermaids are what the kids are reading. It doesn’t really matter; this is a cute book and will appeal to fairy fans and kids of tooth-losing ages. Tate, a small fairy, is brought on a frantic, cross-species, one night training mission by her older sister. The illustrations are pretty and some border on the kind of creepy that intrigues kids. Some of the animals are not into having their teeth taken but most are pleased to let them go in this good natured story.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

Deep Breaths

Deep BreathsDeep Breaths by Carol Thompson
Published by Rodale Kids on October 1, 2019
ISBN: 1984893971
Pages: 32
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

While originally published under a different title a decade ago (2010 in Australia; 2011 in the US), Deep Breaths has stood the test of time as a sweet story of friendship and reconciliation. Thompson’s loose and whimsical illustrations are a joy, and effectively illustrate the range of emotions that best friends Dolly the Pig and Jack the Rabbit experience throughout their interactions in the book: happiness, love, anger, sadness, and contentedness. Deep Breaths presents young children with relatable friendship scenarios and emotions, and illustrates tangible self-care and self-regulation strategies for when their emotions overwhelm them. It shows the value in acknowledging big feelings, taking time alone to self-regulate those feelings, and then reconciling negative emotions with your friend in a gentle and mutually agreed upon manner. Intended for children aged 3-7 years, Deep Breaths is not only a delightful story, but also a valuable teaching tool for parents, caregivers, teachers, and guidance counselors.

Reviewed by Jennifer Benham, Prince Memorial Library

five-stars

When Pencil Met Eraser

When Pencil Met EraserWhen Pencil Met Eraser by German Blanco, Jr., Karen Kilpatrick, Luis O. Ramos
Published by Imprint on May 28, 2019
ISBN: 1250309395
Pages: 40
Genres: Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

When Pencil Met Eraser is a simple, delightful tale that young readers are sure to enjoy. It begins with Pencil and Eraser, two characters who are separate entities with very different goals. Pencil wants to create art all by himself; Eraser wants to “improve” it in silly ways by erasing pieces of what Pencil creates. Pencil gets more and more annoyed, until he makes a mistake and Eraser helps him to fix it. The two work together after that, creating beautiful, fun drawings that both enjoy. It is predictable, yes, but you can’t help but smile the whole time you’re reading anyway. The narrative and the pencil illustrations are short and sweet and truly have a nice flow. The only odd part is the ending, in which a group of other art supplies (a crayon, a pen, a paint brush, etc.) pop onto the page to ask Pencil and Eraser, “Whatchya doin;?” before coloring all over a final pencil drawing. The words “The End” sit opposite the drawing, with a crayon-made question mark turning it into “The End?” It’s rather cute, and makes a good point, but it’s rather abrupt and creates a lot of chaos for a young child to take in. All in all, though, this is an extremely cute read and would work well for story time.

Reviewed by Nicole Clark, Goodall Memorial Library, Sanford

four-stars

The Tree That’s Meant to Be

The Tree That’s Meant to BeThe Tree That's Meant to Be by Yuval Zommer
Published by Doubleday Books for Young Readers on September 24, 2019
ISBN: 0593119673
Pages: 32
Genres: Animals, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Though this book features a Christmas setting at one of its most pivotal moments, it could certainly be featured in a non-holiday collection year-round. It follows the story of a tree in the middle of a large forest who isn’t quite as perfect as all the trees around it. Season after season it is alone, including the Christmas season, where every tree around it is chosen as a family’s Christmas tree except for it. The tree is lonely and sad, but hope arrives (quite randomly) in the form of the forests’ animals, who somehow notice the tree’s dilemma and dress it up themselves for Christmas night. They continue to visit the tree as the years go on, in all seasons, sometimes curling up to sleep under it or nesting in its branches. So eventually, the little tree realizes that it is just as good as other trees; it is just meant for something else that it originally thought. It is a sweet story and the illustrations are truly lovely. The reason for the slightly lower rating is that the writing is a bit choppy, and again, it can’t seem to decide if it is a Christmas story or not, so it may be hard to circulate.

Reviewed by Nicole Clark, Goodall Memorial Library, Sanford

three-stars

The Cool Bean

The Cool BeanThe Cool Bean (The Bad Seed, #3) by Jory John, Pete Oswald
Published by HarperCollins on December 3, 2019
ISBN: 0062954520
Pages: 40
Genres: Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

While I am a fan of every story Jory John and Pete Oswald have created, I think it is safe to say The Cool Bean is by far my favorite, and would make an excellent addition to any children’s collection. There is a wonderful blend of quirky characters (each “cool bean” even has a distinct personality), fun illustrations, and a powerful message. It tells the story from the point of view of a little bean who is decidedly un-cool – he even goes so far as to describe himself as a “has-bean.” His life is a little lonely, and he is made fun of at school. Meanwhile, the other beans from his pod are the coolest beans around. Everyone likes them, and they don’t really hang around with our protagonist anymore. What I absolutely love about the theme of this book, however, is that it isn’t simply the predictable “You don’t need to be seen as cool to be awesome” mantra. This is present, but what is striking is that at the same time the “cool beans” are starting to do nice things for the “uncool bean,” the “uncool bean” is learning that he needs to give them a chance, too. That just because those beans are popular it doesn’t mean they’re bad. He can be his own weird self and spend time both with them and alone, and no one needs to change. It’s a great message for kids, and the punny nature of the illustrations will be sure to delight adult readers, as well. All in all a fabulous book, and one deserving of “The Cream of the Crop.” 

Reviewed by Nicole Clark, Goodall Memorial Library, Sanford

five-stars

AMELIA BEDELIA AND FRIENDS The Cat’s Meow (Book 2)

AMELIA BEDELIA AND FRIENDS The Cat’s Meow (Book 2)Amelia Bedelia Friends #2: Amelia Bedelia Friends The Cat's Meow by Herman Parish, Lynne Avril
Published by Greenwillow Books on September 3, 2019
ISBN: 0062935216
Pages: 160
Genres: Adventure
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This cute chapter book was written by the nephew of Peggy Parish, who wrote the first books about Amelia Bedelia. 

 This cute first chapter book starts off with a challenge from their science teacher to “think outside of the box” and invent and create something to move marbles.  Of course, Amelia thinks she has to literally be standing outside of a box to start her assignment. The story continues with a delightful discovery of a kitten and Amelia and her friends trying to rescue and then find a home for their new little friend. The end of the book has short cat facts and Amelia “translations”, such as “cat got your tongue” actually means “why aren’t you talking?”

 I really enjoyed this book.  True to the original character of Amelia Bedelia, this first chapter book has simple illustrations on almost every page, and short chapters with large print words to make reading more enticing to beginners.

 Reviewed By Irene Hall, Witherle Memorial Public Library, Castine

five-stars

NEVER TRUMPET WITH A CRUMPET

NEVER TRUMPET WITH A CRUMPETNever Trumpet with a Crumpet by Amy Gibson, Jenn Harney
Published by Boyds Mills Press on May 14, 2019
ISBN: 1629793043
Pages: 32
Genres: Fiction in Verse/Poetry
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This adorable rhyming picture book takes the reader to the Queen’s house for tea.  With 18 mostly wild animals as table guests, we learn about manners appropriate for tea with the Queen.

 The pictures are packed with detail, encouraging the reader to linger and catch all the funny details. “Try one bite of foods you hate.  No hiding crusts beneath your plate.”  Whether it is the adorable pug sticking his tongue out with some food he doesn’t like, to the orangutan hanging from the chandelier sipping tea with his pinky raised, the illustrations are hilarious.

 This would be a great read aloud, as long as the children could mingle over the pictures to get all the nuances.  I can see children reaching for the book again and again to catch more details.

Some of the terms may be new to the children- sugar lumps, curtsy, crumpets, press your Sunday best – but the reader can use this as a learning experience for the children as they explore the customs of manners.

Reviewed By Irene Hall, Witherle Memorial Public Library, Castine

five-stars