Kid's Book Blog

It's Halloween, and Splat is determined to be the scariest cat in the class. Unfortunately he's just too much of a scaredy-cat. He's afraid of a little spider, and everyone says his costume looks more silly than scary. And when Mrs. Wimpydimple tells a ghost story in the dark, Splat gets so frightened that he tips over his jack-o'-lantern. But when the lights go back on, the entire class is scared silly by a small, black, furry creature with a big pumpkin head. Whooooo can it be?

an adorable addition to the Splat the Cat series by Rob Scotton! This halloween story would make for a great read-aloud at a Costume Party!

Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 2—The defensive, domesticated tan-and-white cat is back in this sequel to Bandit (2008). He has a new roommate, a little gray kitten, and he is not happy. Mitzy drinks and eats from his bowls, uses his litter box, and, worse of all, plays with Fuzzy Mouse. He swipes at Mitzy's face and is scolded by his owner. In response, Bandit says, "I'm outta here" and leaps through an open window. Later, when he is stuck outside in the rain, Mitzy comes to the rescue and Bandit reluctantly shares some of his precious belongings with her. The story is told through brief narrative and dialogue balloons that are filled with cat witticisms such as calling Mitzy "Tattletail" and "Fish Breath." To children, Mitzy is like a new sibling who steals their toys and attention, and they will identify. The clever pencil and ink illustrations are digitally enhanced and capture Bandit's frustration and annoyance and his misery when he is locked out. Both felines' humanlike expressions give feeling to the text. Bandit's story will console children with an attention-getting younger sibling and entertain them with the laugh-out-loud dialogue and situations.

PreS—Short lines of bouncy, rhyming text describe how several adorable, chubby babies and toddlers participate in their local Hispanic celebration. For instance, "Fiesta Babies march on parade/wearing coronas Mamá has made." These lines of text stand alone on a page, embellished with the detail of a gaily decorated lamppost that echoes the street scene opposite. The length and rhythm of the text make this book an excellent choice for toddler and preschool storytimes. Córdova once again demonstrates how her award-winning style brilliantly brings an author's words to life. Her bold acrylic colors and brisk brushstrokes capture the fiesta's energy and good cheer. The images of sombreros, serapes, and papel picado are firmly rooted in Mexican culture, and the artist shows black, brown, and white babies celebrating this fiesta together. A short glossary explains the Spanish words in a child-friendly context.

a simple text book about  babies, toddlers and fiestas ! A perfect simple read aloud or for one on one sharing!

On the first day of school, the teacher gathers her students into a circle to share their wishes for the coming year. Some are negative (“I won’t be a vegetable in our school play”), some rosy (“I’ll look good in my school picture”), and some perhaps overly optimistic (“We’ll have SKATEBOARD DAY”), but as a group, they reflect a great many facets of the elementary-school experience. The text concludes with the teacher’s wish to “get to know each one of you,” which falls a bit flat. The final, wordless double-page spread, with happy children holding crayon pictures emblematic of their wishes, creates a more satisfying ending for this picture book. And, in the classroom, it could lead straight into the year’s first art project.

An adorable addition to read to any classroom about the start of school! It reminds of the Book May there always be sunshine by Jim Gill as the children in the book's wishes for the school year are illustrated in a fun way in this great simple read aloud!