Board Book Review: Baby Bug by Wednesday Kirwan (1/11/2022)

Quick Booktalk

A little baby with wings emerges from under a leaf and begins to explore her world.

About the Illustrations

The muted colors of the pictures give them a feeling of Spring freshness that really complements the garden setting. Thick black lines outline the figures and flowers on each page, making everything stand out really well against the white background in a way that appeals to infants. The scrawling font appears a bit sloppy, but it is pretty easy to read since it so large. The baby is drawn in such a way that her movements feel realistic. 

Story Time Possibilities

This book is not a story time book for me because it includes a page where the baby passes gas. I don't read books to my own kids with that kind of stuff in them, and I don't really think my friends whose kids come to my story times really want me to encourage anymore bathroom talk than is already going on in their own houses. 

Reader's Advisory 

Other than the toilet humor, I thought the book was really sweet. I especially love the page where the baby is playing with a pill bug, and the text reads, "Holy moly, roly poly." I think that kind of rhyming language is just perfect for a book like this, The only other thing that I'm not sure works is that at the end of the book it's revealed that all the bug stuff was just the daydream of a human baby. That kind of reveal at the end is going to be totally lost on the intended audience for the book, and it's too much of a cliche to be amusing to parents. 

Disclosure

I received a review copy of Baby Bug from Little Simon in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: Mermaid Dance by Matthew van Fleet, illustrated by Mara van Fleet (1/18/2022)

Quick Booktalk

In this thick book filled with pull-tabs, a school of merkids learns to dance from the sea creatures it meets.

About the Illustrations 

The pictures in this book are very colorful and sweet, and the characters are a diverse cast of boys and girls of varying skin colors, but the real appeal is in the moveable parts that are activated by pull tabs. Each page as well as the front cover shows a sea creature moving whichever part of its body inspires the merkids' dance moves. For the seahorse, it's the tail; for the narwhal, it's the horn, etc. The tabs and the pages to which the movable parts are fastened are really thick and sturdy, which is what makes the book so bulky. 

Story Time Possibilities

This book seems like it will be really fun in story time, but I'm a little concerned about being able to support its weight and move the tabs at the same time. My story time audience includes my own kids, and I often call on them to help me do things, so for me, it might just be a matter of roping my eight-year-old into holding the book. In other settings, I'd be less inclined to want to invite the kids to pull the tabs just because it opens up a potential logistics nightmare where not everyone gets a turn and there are hurt feelings. I also feel like one rough kid could potentially destroy the whole book. I'm pretty determined to try it in my story time, but your mileage may vary. Potential themes include dancing, sea creatures, the ocean, and, of course, mermaids. 

Reader's Advisory

Though this book is technically a board book, I wouldn't hand it to either of my toddlers, both of whom are supremely rough on books. It's better suited to a four- or five-year-old who understands how to be careful with books and who will be interested in acting out the movements along with the merkids. My friends and I have several four-and-five-year-olds among our kids right now, and I can already tell they are going to love this book. 

Disclosure 

I received a review copy of Mermaid Dance from Paula Wiseman Books in exchange for an honest review.

Board Book Review: Five Little Leprechauns by Jeffrey Burton, illustrated by Tommy Doyle (2/8/2022)

Quick Booktalk

This is a leprechaun-themed rewrite of Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.

About the Illustrations

The pictures are very commercial-looking, cartoonish illustrations of three leprechaun boys, two leprechaun girls, their mother, their doctor, and the various locations where they hide. Rainbows, gold, and clover provide the St. Patrick's Day atmosphere.

Story Time Possibilities

I wanted to read this book at story time right before St. Patrick's Day, but unfortunately the rhyme scheme makes it impossible to read aloud well. In the original Five Little Monkeys, the final two lines of each verse rhyme: "Mama called the doctor, and the doctor said, no more monkeys jumping on the bed." This book keeps the word "said" in that same spot, but makes no attempts to rhyme anything with it. The result is very awkward and unpleasant-sounding text. (My eight-year-old tried reading it aloud, and she was not impressed.)

Reader's Advisory

My twins are so hard on board books that I'm probably going to give this to them and let them tear it to shreds in the hopes it might prevent a book I like better from biting the dust quite so soon. I really don't want to read it to them, however, because the rhyme scheme bothers me so much. I do think it will be fun to just talk about the illustrations, though. I do want them to learn the word leprechaun. 

Disclosure

I received a review copy of Five Little Leprechauns from Little Simon in exchange for an honest review.

Family Story Time (Halloween-ish Theme), 10/20/21

Opening Song: Story Time is Starting

Book: The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams, illustrated by Megan Lloyd 

Action Rhyme: Scarecrow, Scarecrow (based on Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Turn Around)

Book: Give Me Back My Bones by Kim Norman

Book: Web Opposites by Rob Hodgson      

Song: Five Little Skeletons Jumping on the Bed

Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider 
We also sang about a great big spider and quiet and loud spiders. 

Book: Pick a Pumpkin by Patricia Toht 

Song: Five Little Pumpkins Round
The pumpkins (from Dollar Tree) were "picked" by finger puppets of a monster, a witch, a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost.

Goodbye Song: Story Time is Over