Easy Reader Review: Earth by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by John Wallace (12/14/2021)

Quick Booktalk

This level one Ready-to-Read book introduces basic facts about our planet's axis, rotation, natural history and inhabitants. 

About the Illusrrations

The cheerful illustrations appear to be done in pen and watercolor. They provide strong context for the concepts covered by the text and they make the book visually appealing for developing readers. 

Story Time Possibilities

This is a good basic introduction to planet Earth for preschool and early elementary audiences. Though it's primarily intended to be read by a new reader who can sound out words, the clear writing style and bright illustrations would make it a nice nonfiction addition to a story time as well as a good classroom read-aloud. 

Readers Advisory

Parents who wish to avoid political content and/or confusing messages that attribute human life to something other than God will want to know that the back inside flap of this book includes information about climate change and that the text identifies human beings as children of the Earth. I feel pretty confident that a quick conversation with my beginning reader will be enough to help her read this book with the appropriate understanding, and I plan to give it to her.

Disclosure 

I received a finished review copy of Earth from Simon Spotlight in exchange for an honest review.

Picture Book Review: Behold Our Magical Garden: Poems Fresh From a School Garden by Allan Wolf, illustrated by Daniel Duncan (3/8/22)

Quick Booktalk 

A teacher and a group of diverse students narrate poems celebrating the garden they have created at their school. 

About the Illustrations

The pictures are a mix of fanciful drawings of plants with faces and insects with human features, more naturalistic drawings of the plants and animals in the garden, and scenes featuring cartoonish kids tending to the garden. The illustrations set a very informal and fun tone for the book. 

Story Time Possibilities

While this book is too long to read aloud in its entirety at most story times, the individual poems stand alone well enough that it would be possible to choose a handful of selections to add to a story time plan. The pictures are a bit detailed to be seen at a distance, but the poems can mostly be enjoyed audibly without losing any of the meaning. There is a poem called "Water Lines" that is written for two voices that would be fun to try with school-age kids. 

Reader's Advisory

This is a book that is probably best suited to elementary school classrooms. It's set in a school and focuses not just on the school garden, but in the back matter, on poetry forms. It strikes me as the kind of thing would lend itself to poetry assignments and reports about plants. We happen to be studying plants in our homeschool right now, so my plan is to make it available for pleasure reading, especially to my six-year-old who loves to compose her own poetry. 

Disclosure

I received a finished copy of Behold Our Magical Garden from Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review.

Board Book Review: You're My Little Unicorn and You're My Little Dragon by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Summer Macon (2/1/2022)

Quick Booktalk

Each of these two books likens a sweet toddler to a unicorn or a dragon by showing behaviors that the child shares with the mythical creature.

About the Illustrations 

The pictures in these books are brightly colored and cheerful. Rounded figures are placed against solid-colored backgrounds in a way that makes the illustrations feel clean and uncluttered. The left-hand side of each page depicts the mythical creature's activities, and the right depicts the child. 

Story Time Possibilities

These would be fun for a story time for babies or toddlers. Since the book is written from the point of view of a parent or caretaker, it would be a good choice for a story time where every adult/child pair has a copy of the book in hand. The repeated refrain of "just like you" in the text of both books also lends itself to some very simple audience participation. When I worked in the library, I sometimes did story times on the same theme for all of my age groups. These would have been great options for baby and toddler story time in the weeks when I did fairy tales and imagination with my preschool groups. 

Reader's Advisory

These are gentle little reads that are good to share at bedtime. I'm planning to give them to my twins, who have already learned about unicorns from their big sisters and will undoubtedly be interested in dragons as well. They will also recognize the toddlers' activities as things they do in their own lives and I expect those to present opportunities for them to practice vocabulary they already know and pick up some new words related to familiar situations. My little readers are just about two, but I think kids from ages 6 months to about 2 1/2 will enjoy these books. 

Disclosure

I received review copies of You're My Little Dragon and You're My Little Unicorn from Little Simon in exchange for an honest review.

Board Book Review: One Busy Bunny by Robie Rogge, illustrated by August Ro (2/22/2022)

Quick Booktalk

This board book shaped like a rabbit tells of an Easter bunny who delivers eggs to animals in a variety of habitats.

About the Illustrations 

The pictures in this book are infused with light and the animals have eyes that are just slightly exaggerated to make them look cute. The result is a very gentle and comforting mood. The pages are very short and wide, so the illustrations feel a bit cramped, but for reading one-on-one with a child they should be easy enough to see and understand.

Story Time Possibilities

Though the rhyming text in this book is pleasant to read aloud and flows well, the format of the books make it a poor choice for a group story time. I will most likely have my big kids read it to my toddler twins during Easter week.

 

Reader's Advisory

Everything about the outside of this book feels pretty sturdy except for the little fabric-covered cardboard clasp that keeps it closed. I expect that to be ripped off the first time a toddler touches it. The inside pages, too, are thin enough that even if they're not ripped completely out of the book, they will be bent pretty quickly. Some of my kids were careful enough as toddlers to allow a book like this to last a few years, but my current toddlers will definitely destroy it within days. 

Disclosure

I received a review copy of One Busy Bunny from Little Simon in exchange for an honest review.