This was a cute one, telling a story about where snow comes from, namely mischevious Little Snow jumping on his feather bed. the bed jumping really apThis was a cute one, telling a story about where snow comes from, namely mischevious Little Snow jumping on his feather bed. the bed jumping really appealed to my 4.5 year old, but I think the rest of the story was a bit too simple/repetitive to really hold her interest. Unique and excellent illustrations though, and definitely worth a read, especially in a classroom setting to talk weather/creation stories....more
This one I found kind of meh, overall. Good book if you're having a lesson around weather but otherwise not super engaging. The parts about what's besThis one I found kind of meh, overall. Good book if you're having a lesson around weather but otherwise not super engaging. The parts about what's best when it's raining (forts, etc) were sweet but overall it just didn't really do it for me and the rhythm felt a bit off throughout....more
My 4.5 year old really enjoyed this silly one about a surly bear and a hula hooping moose and we read it most nights for bedtime for about 2 weeks. ShMy 4.5 year old really enjoyed this silly one about a surly bear and a hula hooping moose and we read it most nights for bedtime for about 2 weeks. She especially liked the ending where the bear gets what he wants and is still grouchy. Silly and fun with good illustrations....more
My 4.5 year old really enjoyed this one, which is honestly very cute, about a baby duck who's like "listen mom and dad, I hate the rain" and whose parMy 4.5 year old really enjoyed this one, which is honestly very cute, about a baby duck who's like "listen mom and dad, I hate the rain" and whose parents are like "no you don't, get over it". Luckily Grandpa is there to take Baby Duck's concerns seriously and help find a way to make the rain more fun. Very cute and cozy including a family pancake breakfast, an attic all jumbled with stuff, and fun puddle splashing....more
I really love this one. I find it to be the perfect book for Spring as it captures the impatience and the excitement of spring coming in a way that enI really love this one. I find it to be the perfect book for Spring as it captures the impatience and the excitement of spring coming in a way that engages all the senses. Sophie can't wait for spring and keeps asking her parents when it will come, and they tell her all the different ways her senses will let her know spring is here, from what she'll hear (birdsong) to what she'll feel (sticky mud). Sophie takes it upon herself to keep checking until finally she knows spring has come. We've made it a habit to read this one every year and I wish we could see more from Yael Werber as I really enjoyed the illustrations, vibe, and content of this story!...more
This was one of the better ones from the Squirrel Family series. We all really enjoyed it, with the (relatable) dad being kind of crusty about toboggaThis was one of the better ones from the Squirrel Family series. We all really enjoyed it, with the (relatable) dad being kind of crusty about tobogganing and then warming up and getting more and more into it. Lots of fun tumbles and laughs throughout. Great for a winter reading list!...more
This one was alright but a little thin on plot. My copy from the library had a page ripped out, so we missed a bit of the plot, but mostly got the driThis one was alright but a little thin on plot. My copy from the library had a page ripped out, so we missed a bit of the plot, but mostly got the drift. The squirrel kids get caught in a summer downpour and end up sheltering in a cave with a bunch of other cute critters, and they all become friends. Not a lot of there there, but it was still ok as a summer story with great representation of the excitement of a thunderstorm. ...more
I love the Katie Morag books, they just have so much personality and detail of place. This one does a great but fun job showing the concerns that comeI love the Katie Morag books, they just have so much personality and detail of place. This one does a great but fun job showing the concerns that come from "progress" in this case in the form of a new pier that will bring a boat to the island 3 times a week instead of just once. Grannie Island is worried about losing the old ways, but Katie Morag comes up with a great solution that works for everyone. Really enjoyed this one and it shows the Island of Struay with so much character. My almost 4 year old loves this one too, we've read it over and over again....more
This is a book with lovely illustrations but there wasn't enough there there to hold my 4.5 year old's attention. Felt like it would be more effectiveThis is a book with lovely illustrations but there wasn't enough there there to hold my 4.5 year old's attention. Felt like it would be more effective in a school unit than for a storytime....more
This was a beautifully done book with incredible illustrations and information about all kinds of natural disasters. Seems like a really great referenThis was a beautifully done book with incredible illustrations and information about all kinds of natural disasters. Seems like a really great reference/story book for these kind of conversations, and especially useful for this generation of kids growing up with climate change front and centre. But I took it out of the library to read to me for year old who was like “what, this is scary and has no narrative”. So we’ll have to try it again later. ...more
This is a cool wordless picture book and I'm not usually a fan of those. But this has some amazing hyper-realistic images and an exciting plot that haThis is a cool wordless picture book and I'm not usually a fan of those. But this has some amazing hyper-realistic images and an exciting plot that had my 4 year old flipping through it over and over again - On Her Own! Hallelujah! Very cute and creative story that I can totally imagine capturing my attention as a kid with children's chalk drawings coming to life!...more
Patricia Polacco - all her books are great! Even though I know I love them, I'm always a bit skeptical, because they're older, because they're not flaPatricia Polacco - all her books are great! Even though I know I love them, I'm always a bit skeptical, because they're older, because they're not flashy, because they can be on the long side. But as always, she tells a great and evocative story and holds your attention while making you feel something. This one does a great job of having a kid learn she's braver than she thinks, without even noticing. And then they get cake at the end! What's not to like? My almost 4 year old really enjoyed this one and the idea of being brave as it's shown in the story, although at first she found the pencil-drawn faces of the characters scary and said she didn't want to read it because it was about skeletons! Definitely recommend! Only complaint, and it's a silly one, is that the timing in the story didn't make a lot of sense. It took the same amount of time for them to pick three tomatoes as it did to mix, bake and frost a cake...but who cares! It was a fun story....more
I have to give this five stars even though my four year old wasn’t super into it because it is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever seen. I love I have to give this five stars even though my four year old wasn’t super into it because it is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever seen. I love Francesca Sanna who usually does books about tough stuff like migration and feeling afraid. This one is just an amazing celebration of the earth and nature, with the earth personified as a child of colour who goes throughout the book making the weather and caring for the animals in incredibly illustrated pages with cutouts used in a way I have never seen before. I loved this book and want to spend all my time wrapped up in its ambiance. I will have to try it again when my kid is a bit older and open to books that aren’t so narratively driven because it’s gorgeous. ...more
My three year old LOVED "I hear a pickle" when she was younger, which is a very similar book, so I grabbed this one from the library. She enjoyed it tMy three year old LOVED "I hear a pickle" when she was younger, which is a very similar book, so I grabbed this one from the library. She enjoyed it too, and it was nice to go through the different seasons in this style. It wasn't quite as strong (or perhaps age appropriate) as I hear a pickle, but a cute read in the spirit of what we call "people books" non-stories with lots of different, diverse people doing stuff. We also got a cute family moment where my three year old said "do I have to wear a coat" in the morning and my wife went through a whole thing of checking the weather and starting to negotiate with her until I pointed out she was just asking for the book. ...more
This was one my three year old picked out at the library. It was the kind of thing that you feel like would make a funny story, as an anecdote many paThis was one my three year old picked out at the library. It was the kind of thing that you feel like would make a funny story, as an anecdote many parents could relate to but it was only partly successful. One thing I found strange about it (and this may just be me being too literal) was I couldn't totally get if the kid thought it WASN'T raining on her side, or if she knew it was raining and was just trying to work an angle. This book feels like the kind of thing if you picked it up in a waiting room or a cottage or something you'd be like "that was suprisingly not bad" but if you actually take it out of the library or purchase it, it leaves something to be desired....more
My three year old loved this book. Very classic feel that reminded me of my childhood. One of those stories where not much happens but it's ambient anMy three year old loved this book. Very classic feel that reminded me of my childhood. One of those stories where not much happens but it's ambient and cozy feeling. I couldn't really understand the relationship between Ernest and Celestine, so we'll be checking out some of the other stories for clarification - is this a parent/child situation, are they friends? Why do adult bears live with childlike mice in multiple houses in these stories? Either way worth a read for a cozy rainy picnic and friendship story....more
Agree with a number of other reviewers. It’s a 2 bumped up to a 3 for illustrations. It’s a colour book, a seasons book, and a feelings book all wrappAgree with a number of other reviewers. It’s a 2 bumped up to a 3 for illustrations. It’s a colour book, a seasons book, and a feelings book all wrapped into one but not really successfully. One of the kids is just an incredible bummer and the other keeps working with her to see the various colours and options in a situation but it was just not fun to read. My three year old seemed to enjoy it but it was never at the top of her list.
Looking for a story about moods and colours? Try My Blue is Happy, I can’t recommend it enough....more
Beautiful book with really intricate and complicated cut outs and also a unique story that starts from either end and meets in the middle where the inBeautiful book with really intricate and complicated cut outs and also a unique story that starts from either end and meets in the middle where the inkdrop and snowflake meet together. Very creative illustrations and story speak to this idea of longing for "something else" and connection/belonging. But I gotta admit, when the inkdrop and snowflake finally meet it felt kinda...sexual? Like they merge into one and it feels like it goes on forever....I dunno. Not in a way a kid would pick up on but I was like, this definitely has a Euro energy. My almost 4 year old really enjoyed the cutouts and inspecting the illustrations....more
Liked this one for the story's focus on a thing that really matters to the kid but which adults don't always take seriously. Thought it did a good jobLiked this one for the story's focus on a thing that really matters to the kid but which adults don't always take seriously. Thought it did a good job of showing how a thing that matters can change and still find new meaning in your life. I also appreciated the showing of a relationship between a kid and a non-family community member, something we are often hesitant to show these days because of stranger danger. Kind of a funny illustration style which I wasn't sure about but worked in the end.
I think my three year old enjoyed it, enjoyed the tough feelings part, and the building and the idea of having a swing. Not the most fascinating story for multiple re-reads, but a little unique and does what it does well....more
This is a strange one, very much in the style of a seaside tall tale, but I liked it. A grandfather explains to his grandson about a hurricane that haThis is a strange one, very much in the style of a seaside tall tale, but I liked it. A grandfather explains to his grandson about a hurricane that happened while he was young and basically attributes all his signs of aging to that wild storm, from his wrinkles to his (more unsettlingly) bald head and lack of teeth. Some of the more fantastical parts I thought might unsettle my 3.5 year old, like how all his hairs were plucked one by one during the storm, but she just went with the flow and seemed to enjoy the story. Great to have a book coming out of Newfoundland as well....more
Loading...
