Reviews
Late for School!
“Rhythm and rhyme follow a tardy Mr. Bungles as he races to be on time. From end pages that trace his route to brightly colored angles of each page, this book shouts MOTION and encourages listeners to fill in the rhyme with each turn of the… View →
Accordionly: Abuelo and Opa Make Music
“Members of multiracial families may have more in common than expected . . . . Even more, the boy’s problem-solving abilities offer an opportunity to talk to children about situations that trouble them, and possible solutions. A thoughtful picture book for storytime and one-on-one… View →
Remembering Ethan
“Broaching a difficult but important topic, this heartbreaking story takes on a family’s loss in a delicate and relatable way. . . . [T]he work encourages communication and connection in desperate times. . . . This is an important work on mental health, for any collection aimed at… View →
Monster Songs
“These realistic. . . stories address some of the frustrations and fears of childhood. . .In Monster Songs, Hal is afraid of the creature that sings under his bed until his brother Jack helps him conquer his nighttime fears. . . [The books ueses] a limited vocabulary, making… View →
“This gentle tale is both comforting and effective as an explanation of the mezuzah. Noah’s emotional arc rings true, and information is smoothly woven into the narrative. The art is warm, welcoming, and interesting with its combination of watercolor, collage, pen and ink,… View →
Willie McLean and the Civil War Surrender
“These beginning readers offer basic historical overviews in story format. Both books have clear, unencumbered texts complemented by serviceable period art in color and an author’s note. These books offer perfunctory descriptions and interpretations for readers just… View →
Hunter's Heart
“Like many 14-year-old boys, Simon is fascinated by weapons and wilderness survival, but his fascination transcends the norm and his obsession with hunting fills the early pages of the novel with a powerful sense of foreboding. . . the compelling characters and story will keep… View →
Apple Cider Making Days
“The realistic illustrations are soft with autumnal colors and show the process that results in that glass of cider. Although listed as fiction, there is more straightforward information than story. The addition of the children makes this book more personal for young students. A… View →
Honestly, Mallory!
“Mallory’s friends take a backseat in this episode, as she faces the internal turmoil that comes with knowing you’ve done something wrong, and young readers will empathize with her. . . Recommend this book to fans of Amber Brown, Judy Moody, Junie B. Jones, and the… View →
Captured by Pirates: Book 1
“Pirates allows readers to control where the story goes, using both fairly lengthy prose and comic-book-style pages to move it along. The medium works well with the second-person narration, and Witt’s illustrations provide an excellent reflection of the tone… View →
Sail Away, Little Boat
“Ishida’s brilliantly colored spreads, done in mixed media, cast a swirling, whirling spell of balanced design. Working together in perfect pace, both text and illustration explore the natural world. . .The book supports standards in science, art, and language arts while… View →
Rhyme and PUNishment: Adventures in Wordplay
“The puns are in bold print and a different color than the rest of the text, and potentially unfamiliar words are explained at the bottom of the page. . . Sandy’s lighthearted cartoons add to the silliness, and make this a good choice for either browsers or for… View →
Finding Day's Bottom
“After the death of her father in a sawmill accident, Jane-Ery, 11 passes through levels of grief so poignantly revealed that her voice sets a ragged emotional tone throughout. . . it both uplifts and uncovers the family’s raw and slowly healing spirits. A novel full of… View →
Dazzling Dragonflies: A Life Cycle Story
“Clearly written text and bright-hued watercolor collage illustrations introduce the life cycle of that zip-a-dipping aerialist, the dragonfly, from newly laid eggs, through months of aquatic life as a nymph, to the final metamorphosis into a glitter-winged creature. . . basic,… View →
Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes: A Very Silly Alphabet Book
“This ambitious book provides colorful collages, hidden letters, word pictures, and alphabet sentences presented in rhyme while avoiding many of the pitfalls of the genre. By melding together nonsensical sentences that are as wacky as the illustrations, Cleary opens up the field… View →
I Know an Old Teacher
“Gammell’s lively artwork is a colorful combination of watercolor, colored pencils, pastel, and crayon framed by a mix of font sizes and colors. Assisted by conversational responses from Miss Bindley’s students, who are spying on her, the tale progresses as tails… View →
Lazily, Crazily, Just a Bit Nasally: More about Adverbs
“The CATegorical cats are back. A professorial feline opens this offbeat lecture with a definition of adverbs and a color-coded guide to the types found throughout the book. Readers are then drawn into another of Cleary’s signature rhyming narratives, which tumbles across… View →
![Cover: The Hero Twins: Against the Lords of Death [A Mayan Myth]](https://assets2.titleleaf.com/lerner/product/cover/s_9781580138925_fc.jpg)
The Hero Twins: Against the Lords of Death [A Mayan Myth]
“A narrative of a contemporary boy assigned to read the myth for school begins and ends the story. . . this framing device may draw in readers resistant to the historical or ‘educational’ theme. Children may not pick this up on their own, but once they begin… View →
Always an Olivia: A Remarkable Family History
“Tugeau’s vibrant paintings highlight the various moods of the story, from the fear of the Inquisition to the warmth of a family dinner, from the darkness of the pirate ship to the vitality of the Geechee community. This beautifully illustrated offering skillfully shows the View →
Doug's Dung
“Digital illustrations of buggy-eyed beetles have subtle elements, such as belts, that characterize each and add charm. The prose is succinct, with select bolded words that could lead to discussions after reading the book . . . . This book successfully focuses on resilience… View →
Come Morning
“We are drawn into the action through tightly written text and short chapters which entice the reluctant reader. The adventure has historical authenticity coupled with the aptitude of a master storyteller. . . Come Morning traces the rite of passage for this young black. The… View →
My Brother, the Pest
“These realistic. . . stories address some of the frustrations and fears of childhood. My Brother, the Pest is narrated in rhyme by a young girl who expresses her annoyance with her little brother until she realizes that they do have some fun together. . . [The books ueses] a… View →
Arctic Explorer: The Story of Matthew Henson
“Accurately written and filled with precise details about Arctic survival skills and Inuit customs, the book is a jewel of an adventure story. With black-and-white photographs, a bibliography of primary and secondary sources, and an index, it’s a worthwhile and up-to-date… View →