Reviews
Pattern Bugs
“Here is an intelligent math tool that can be used by an individual child or with groups. . . By using the sounds in the poems, the details of the pictures, and the various blocks of color that frame the initial spread, children can find and identify repetitive patterns. . . An… View →
The Bug in the Jug Wants a Hug: A Short Vowel Sounds Book
“Cleary does a masterful job of explaining such potentially dry topics as ‘long vowel sounds with consonant digraphs’ and ‘inflectional endings’ by using comic, incongruous situations to get his point across. . . In his introduction, Cleary states that:… View →
Get the Ball, Slim
“[B]eginning readers illustrated with clear, full-color photographs of people and props dramatically placed on all-white backgrounds. The book. . . feature twins Tim and Jim playing with their dog. . .The characters’ exaggerated expressions give the stories the feeling of a View →
I Like Mess
“[B]eginning reader illustrated with clear, full-color photographs of people and props dramatically placed on all-white backgrounds. The book feature[s]. . .Tess cleaning her room only to begin her messy cycle again. . .The characters’ exaggerated expressions give the… View →
Lemonade for Sale
“These books will add a breath of fresh air to beginning-reader collections. The stories center on a group of friends who live near a small park in an urban neighborhood. The events and dialogue reinforce the “Real Kids” in the series title and will strike a chord… View →
The New Kid
“[This] phonics-based easy reader would make a welcome addition to any collection. . . [This] story [is] interesting, makes sense, and have engaging characters. However, it is the colorful photographs on double-page spreads that make these texts come alive. The children’s… View →
I Like to Win!
“[I]ntended for very beginning readers [that] subtly reinforce concepts of. . . sportsmanship. . . I Like to Win! features an African-American boy and girl. . . who resolve their arguments over winning and losing at board games. The small amount of print per page, the crisp color View →
Best Friends
“These three stories intended for very beginning readers subtly reinforce concepts of friendship, sportsmanship, and emotional expression. I Am Mad! features a bullying older sister, and is the weakest of the lot, due perhaps to the difficulty of telling a complex story with such View →
“Close-up, quality, color photographs of children excelling at activities-physical, mental, musical, and artistic-show that everyone can do something well, that individuals have different strengths and abilities. The brief text suggests that being good at something takes time and… View →
It's Back to School We Go!: First Day Stories From Around the World
“Large, eye-catching spreads introduce the school experiences of children from 11 different countries, including Kenya, Kazakhstan, China, and Canada. Each entry includes the student’s name, age (ranging from six to nine), and place of residence. Then, in chatty style,… View →
Marsh Morning
“Morning comes to the marsh with wildlife awakening amid watercolor mist and movement in grays, browns, green and black, re-creating this unique ecosystem. Rabbit stands in mid-motion, heron is knee-deep in water and red-winged blackbird ‘starts his melody.’ Four… View →
Greetings, Asia!
“These titles focus on each continent’s natural features, highlight many of its animals, and present a brief overview of the people. Useful information is presented in an enjoyable style. Different size fonts and background colors are used to break up the text and add… View →
A Star in My Orange: Looking for Nature's Shapes
“Through one-sentence descriptions and full-color, uncluttered photographs, readers are taken on a journey of discovery in the natural world. Rau begins with a star in the sky and then moves to objects that children might be able to examine more closely to find that shape,… View →
Lots of Feelings
“Many readers will find themselves represented in this multicultural array of close-up images of children displaying their emotions. From grumpy squints, excited grins, and surprised shouts, the photos move to whimsical curiosity, sadness (complete with tears), and sleepy yawns.… View →
Jellies: The Life of Jellyfish
“Gorgeous full-color underwater photos and a simple, readable text provide a fascinating introduction to some little-known and often unheralded marine organisms. Less detailed than Elizabeth Gowell’s equally spectacular Sea Jellies (Watts, 1993; o.p.), George’s… View →
Kathy Ross Crafts Letter Sounds
“These attractive books present hands-on projects to accompany phonics and letter recognition lessons. . . Sounds presents phonics activities such as a ‘Most Marvelous Moose’ made from a brown lunch bag for the letter M. . . [Includes] ideas for supplemental… View →
Crafts from Your Favorite Children's Stories
“Children will like these 20 imaginative projects. . . Each one is covered in a two-page spread, with a materials list followed by a numbered list of steps. The directions are clear and well illustrated with cartoonlike watercolor art. . . As a supplement to storytelling or for… View →
Christmas Presents Kids Can Make
“Ross offers 29 handmade gifts for children to create for their families and friends. Most of the materials can be found in the home and often involve recycling items (old felt-tip pen caps, film canisters, laundry-bottle caps, Christmas catalogs). . . Although there are a… View →
All New Crafts for Valentine's Day
“Colorful, child-friendly,watercolor paintings take readers step-by-step through 20 easy crafts. The materials needed are easy to find and are show at the beginning of each spread. Most projects involve cutting and gluing. Some also require simple drawing and hand lettering a… View →
Nature's Paintbox: A Seasonal Gallery of Art and Verse
“The art is lovely – a snow-covered wall in black and white melts into a spring pastel with the blurred edges of chalk. Summer’s blue sky deepens with a purple cast as the watercolor warm days become a frenzy of oranges and golds carrying youngsters full circle to a… View →
Almost to Freedom
“A compelling story told from the point of view of an enslaved child’s beloved rag doll. This accessible story. . . makes its impact without frightening or overwhelming readers. It is ultimately a story of hope and resilience, love and friendship. The evocative oil… View →
Sometimey Friend
“A heartwarming, humorous sequel to Sylvia and Miz Lula Maye (Carolrhoda, 2002), set in South Carolina in 1978. . . Flood’s characters are likable, and the realistic dialogue lends an appealing ethnicity to this charming story about a loving African-American family.… View →
Read Anything Good Lately?
“From ‘an atlas at the airport’ to ‘a yoga book in the yard’ and ‘the zodiac at the zoo,’ a little girl moves playfully along through biography, comics, dictionary, encyclopedia, magazine, poetry, quotations, recipes, and a variety of genres.… View →