Kid's Book Blog

By Brian P. Cleary

by Mary Newell Depalma
Ages 4-8

Lori, a tiny bird, has found the most beautiful red strawberry to give her grandmother, but PLOP! it falls into the river. Not even the help of all of the bird's friends can get it back before a hungry crocodile snatches it up. The friends put their heads together and come up with the perfect idea of a new gift for Grandma: they'll create a book about their adventure with the strawberry! Grandma loves the story and so will you.

The illustrations show movement making this a great book for kids with persistent wiggly arms and legs.

The placement of the words on the page is perfect and the font is easy to read.

Most of all, the story is has a wonderful message. Friends help Lori and they work together to make a really great gift. Don't sit around and cry. Get creative and solve the problem.

Also another great book for summer reading. Make a Splash!

by Katharina Grossmann-Hensel
Grades: Kindergarten-2

Here is another great book to go along with our summer reading program theme: Make a Splash!

 A stubbly chinned father claims to spend his days not at the office, but rather taming sea monsters, putting on pirate shows for cruise ships, and talking to his parakeet named Petey (in Petey's little bird heart, Petey is a parrot). This gentle, oversize man tells his skeptical son stories of his life at sea and how he rescued the boy's princess mother.

The illustrations are colorful and detailed. Surprises pop up in the painterly pictures, such as a treasure chest on a sea monster's tail and an electric toothbrush on an island. Children will enjoy examining the artwork to catch the little details.

It's a fun story that is great for Dad to read to the kids!

by Florence Parry Heide
Age 4-8

I was not really expecting this book. I thought that Hyacinth was going to float in water. But she just floats all the time.

Princess Hyacinth has a problem: she floats. And so the king and queen have pebbles sewn into the tops of her socks, and force her to wear a crown encrusted with the heaviest jewels in the kingdom to keep her earthbound. But one day, Hyacinth comes across a balloon man and decides to take off all her princess clothes (except her royal underwear), grab a balloon, and float free. Hooray! Alas, when the balloon man lets go of the string . . . off she goes. Luckily, there is a kite and a boy named Boy to save her.

The illistrations are great.

There are rather alot of words on the page. But it is a very entertaining book.

Ages: 4-8

Here are 26 ways to say goodnight!Fans of Brown and Katz’s A Child’s Good Morning Book may want to close their days with this companion alphabet lullaby: “A is for Aaaah when a small kitten sighs / B is for Baaaaaa when the lambs close their eyes.”

Katz’s interpretation of Brown’s text is joyful and energetic and features her trademark, round-faced, multicultural children, rendered in collage-like art, bouncing around a sunshine-bright room before they finally catch their Zs in a very realistic bedtime pattern. Likely to be just what little not-yet-sleeping beauties will want.

Adorably illustrated alaphabet story all about heading off to bed! A simple read aloud for naptime or evening bedtime! Another wonderful story from beloved author Margaret wise brown and with the added bonus of Karen Katz beautiful illustrations. This book can be shared over and over with all your little ones!

By Ruth Galloway

This is a story about one crab's attempts to fit in. Nipper is clumsy and always breaking things. His clumsy claws are always breaking things or getting in the way. He can't play like the other sea creatures. He is sad. But his friends suggest that they play hide and seek--Nipper seeks while they hide. Nipper finds everyone but during the game Octopus gets caught in some seaweed and is panicing. Nipper uses his claws to free Octopus from the tangle of seaweed.

Children often feel like they are different from everyone else. Even though this is nearly a universal feeling, children like to hear stories that indicate that their differences are useful and good. Nipper is the perfect story for this.

The pictures are bright and happy and really great. The detail in the pictures really helps the story and keeps the reader interested. I wanted to see what was going to be on the next page.

This is a super cute story with great illistrations and fits in perfectly with our summer reading program theme, "Make A Splash!" Our summer reading program may not start until June 7th, but you can read this book anytime!

Grades: PreSchool-Kindergarten

This is a pretty darn cute book. There is a baby bear who is bored. The baby bear wakes up the sleepy bear and they use their imagination to find something to do. They go for a walk and find a stick and start drawing in the dirt. They create (by drawing in the dirt) a ladder to go to the moon and then draw stars until they get tired and hungry and go home.

The drawings are simple and look like they were drawn with a crayon. The colors are simple: gray and black with a splash of color (like the cover). The font of the text is large and easy to read; there is plenty of negative space left on the page.

Drawing things into creation is an interesting thought that I always enjoy when explored thematically in picture books. Writing a story is creation and is done with pen and paper. So why not create a ladder and climb to the moon? I love that this concept is being introduced to young minds.

This is a simple story that brings up lots of topics you can discuss with your child.