Source: MSL Book Review

Good Night, Little Fish

Good Night, Little FishGood Night, Little Fish by Lucy Cousins
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536224448
Genres: Animals
Format: Board Book
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

On the cover, this book is described as “A perfect bedtime story!”, and I could not agree more. Before Little Fish goes to bed, he says good night to all his friends – Red Fish,  Blue Fish, Yellow Fish, Eye Fish, Sky Fish, Bumble Fish, Scary Fish (shark) and Upside-Down Fish – before kissing Mommy Fish goodnight.  In typical Lucy Cousins style, primary colored, bold illustrations depict friendly and comical characters. Sure to induce giggles from toddlers! Probably best as a book to be owned rather than a library book as kids will want to read it over and over again.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

four-stars

Stone Age Beasts

Stone Age BeastsStone Age Beasts by Ben Lerwill, Grahame Baker-Smith
Published by Candlewick Press on November 7, 2023
ISBN: 1536231347
Genres: Animals, Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

This is a much needed informational book about the Stone Age  – after the dinosaurs and before modern day. After introducing the Stone Age, this colorful book presents some of the large, now-extinct animals that roamed the world back then. Likely the only one you will be familiar with is the wooly mammoth, which also graces the enticing cover. On each double-paged spread is an entry on a creature along with a range map and fact box featuring a stylized human silhouette for scale.  Each beast radiates a ferocious, feral presence that will rivet young viewers. A Conclusion and Glossary are included at the end but I would have liked to see a Bibliography that list where the author and illustrator gleaned their information.

five-stars

Kitty and Cat Bent Out of Shape

Kitty and Cat Bent Out of ShapeKitty and Cat: Bent Out of Shape (Kitty & Cat) by Mirka Hokkanen
Series: Kitty & Cat #2
ISBN: 1536223689
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

It’s bathtime for Cat, but Cat is hiding by contorting his body behind different shapes. Housemates Kitty and Puppy seek out cat’s hiding places and eventually get Cat in the bathtub. Cute and comical  illustrations, including the many shapes that Cat takes, but this book will take quite a bit of additional comments and questions in order for a young child to understand what is going on and where Cat is hiding. Not that this is a bad thing but just something the readers should be aware of before reading. The text primarily is a repetition of “Where’s Cat?” and “There’s Cat.” The end pages are helpful,  with the front being 9 shapes of different colors and labeled and the back end page depicting the cat contorted into those shapes . It will be fun to find those shapes in story.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

three-stars

A Spider Named Itsy

A Spider Named ItsyA Spider Named Itsy by Steve Light
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536225290
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

An origin story of the Itsy Bitsy Spider and how he found a new home at the top of the water spout. First, a small tree branch falls on his web destroying his home. Then, he spies the area between a waterspout and roof and decides to move there. As the story goes, the wind starts blowing,  the rain comes, and he’s washed away. Not by himself though. In this version he has lots of insect friends who help him reach his destination, and they successfully all live together under the eaves. The messages of picking oneself up after disappointment and friends helping each other leads to  happier lives are playfully delivered. There is a lot going on in the muted illustrations in these double-page spreads. This book can be used for Story Time along with other spider books, but the illustrations will likely be enjoyed more in a one-on-one setting.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

four-stars

Ways to Play

Ways to PlayWays to Play by Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Gabriel Alborozo
Published by Levine Querido on August 8, 2023
ISBN: 1646142594
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Riley likes to play in ways that his bossy older cousin Emma says are all wrong. Emma and her little sister, Violet, make a lot of noise when they play. Riley, however, can sit for hours doing one particular thing, like tearing paper or sharpening crayons or lining his stuffies up by size. Riley finally takes the girls out into the yard to play ball with Charlie the dog. Charlie doesn’t play ball right so they have a grand time chasing after him around the yard illustrating Riley’s point that there are lots of ways to play. Although it’s never explicitly mentioned that Riley has a diagnosis, it seems likely the child is autistic, like both the author and illustrator; many neurodivergent children will feel affirmed. There are cartoon-like illustrations of fair-skinned children with big heads and no adults present. Reminiscent of the Peanuts comic strips.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

five-stars

I Am a Dragon!: A Squabble & a Quibble

I Am a Dragon!: A Squabble & a QuibbleI Am a Dragon!: A Squabble & a Quibble by Sabina Hahn
Published by HarperCollins on July 18, 2023
ISBN: 0063253992
Pages: 32
Genres: Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

A squad of frogs spot a Very Big Frog in their pond, but then the creature says that he is a dragon. The frogs insist that he’s the one who is wrong and this results in a fiery loss of temper from the dragon. This is a hilarious readaloud and  the  simple, cartoon illustrations are perfection. However, the heart of the story is about being believed and the courage to stand up and say it.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

five-stars

Snail and Worm, of Course: Three Stories About Two Friends

Snail and Worm, of Course: Three Stories About Two FriendsSnail and Worm, of Course (Snail & Worm, #4) by Tina Kugler
Series: Snail & Worm #4
Published by Clarion Books on July 4, 2023
ISBN: 0358521203
Pages: 32
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Horses
Format: Early Reader
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

The 4th book about these two invertebrate friends and has three stories: snail is dismayed by the cloud and the flower that floats away, snail gifts a tree to worm, and being too small to stay safe. Clever, humorous tales with limited text. The cheerful illustrations enhance the humor.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

four-stars

Wacky Weather: All About Odd Weather Events

Wacky Weather: All About Odd Weather EventsWacky Weather: All About Odd Weather Events (The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library) by Alan Batson, Aristides Ruiz, Todd Tarpley
Series: The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library
ISBN: 0593433831
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Part of  The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library. With a little help from Thing One and Thing Two, the Cat in the Hat introduces beginning readers to 17 strange but true weather events. A lot of information about Northern lights,  waterspouts, dust devils, ball lightning, snow donuts, fire whirls, red sprites, sundogs, ice tsunamis, clouds shaped like UFOs and cinnamon rolls, diamond rain, and metallic snow is packed into this rhyming text. A fun introduction that likely will cause young learners to further research these topics.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

four-stars

Spread Your Wings

Spread Your WingsSpread Your Wings (Emma Dodd's Love You Books) by Emma Dodd
Series: Emma Dodd's Love You Books #5
ISBN: 1536232556
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Horses
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Part of Emma Dodd’s Love You Books. A small cockatoo and large cockatoo celebrate their unconditional love for each other in this sweet story full of gentle rhymes. Simple text makes it easy for young children to understand. Affirming and the colorful illustrations are enhanced with shiny gold embellishments.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

four-stars

Gigi and Ojiji: Food for Thought

Gigi and Ojiji: Food for ThoughtGigi And Ojiji: Food for Thought by Melissa Iwai
Series: I Can Read #16
on September 5, 2023
ISBN: 0063208113
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Early Reader
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Book 2 about “Gigi and Ojiji.” As in Gigi and Ojiji: What’s in a Name? , multigenerational relationships, Japanese culture, and social and emotional learning are highlighted in this sweet biracial story. It’s breakfast time and Gigi makes her favorite meal — Peanut Butter Toast. But Ojiji doesn’t like peanut butter. He prefers Japanese foods — like natto, made from fermented soybeans. Plenty of topics for discussion. Colorful digital artwork. A glossary in back of book for meaning of Japanese words but does not include pronunciation.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

 

four-stars