Children's Book Reviews
Children's Book Reviews
Toddler, Preschool, Kindergarten, and School-Age Book Reviews
Newest Book Reviews
Growing an Artist: The Story of a Landscaper and His Son
by John Parra
In this autobiographical tale, author-illustrator Parra's debut, "Growing an Artist: The Story of a Landscaper and his Son", is a creative and heartwarming story of a boy going to work with his landscape architect father.
Today is a big day—the first time Juanito gets to help his papi on the job as a landscape architect! Throughout the day, Juanito sketches anything that catches his eye: a nest full of baby birds, a nursery with row upon row of plants and flowers, and more. Father and son travel from house to house, pruning, weeding, mowing, and turning overgrown and chaotic yards into beautiful spaces.
A few of the clients don’t appreciate Papi’s hard work, like Juanito’s classmate who pretends not to see him. But Papi always feels pride in owning his own business and in a job well done. And at the end of the day, Juanito may get the chance to turn his artistic eye toward landscape design—just like his papi.
A Nest Full of Eggs (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)
by Priscilla Belz Jenkins
Named a Best Children's Science Book of the Year by Science Books & Films, this picture book shows how the birds develop inside their eggs during the spring; how they mature into fledglings in the summer; how they learn to fly in the fall; and how they leave for warmer climates in winter—only to return when spring comes around again.
This is a clear and appealing science book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. It features rich vocabulary and beautiful spreads detailing different bird habitats and feather types. Both text and artwork were vetted for accuracy by Dr. Charles Walcott, Professor Emeritus of Neurobiology and Behavior and former director of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
Two delightful books that are variations of the Cherokee legend that tells the story of how the first strawberry was created.
The First Strawberries (Picture Puffin Books)
by Joseph Bruchac (Adapter) ages: 3 to 5
First Woman and the Strawberry: A Cherokee Legend
by Gloria Dominic Ages 7-10
Puddles
by Jonathan London
"Big ones, little ones, long ones, skinny ones—pieces of sky on the ground."
A delightful picture book about a brother and sister enjoying the delights of a world all wet after a night of rain. With coats and boots, they go outside and discover tiny rivulets to launch boats, worms, frogs, mud, and puddles. Onomatopoeia words emphasize the sounds of the storm and the sounds of playing in the mud and puddles ("splash" "squish"). A fun story with descriptive language that children can relate to. A perfect book to introduce Spring.
A Nest Is Noisy
by Dianna Hutts Aston
From the award-winning creators of An Egg Is Quiet, A Seed Is Sleepy, A Butterfly Is Patient, and A Rock Is Lively comes this gorgeous and informative look at the fascinating world of nests. From tiny bee hummingbird nests to orangutan nests high in the rainforest canopy, an incredible variety of nests are showcased here in all their splendor.
Poetic in voice and elegant in design, this carefully researched book introduces children to a captivating array of nest facts and will spark the imaginations of children whether in a classroom reading circle or on a parent's lap.
Who Likes Rain?
by Wong Herbert Yee
With spring come April showers. A beautifully written story with soft colored pencil illustrations of a young girl
discovering animals who like rain - and who doesn't as she explores the world around her on a rainy day.
The worms like rain, and so do the fish and frogs. The “quack-quack” duck finds purpose and delight in the pitty-plip-plop
and pitty-pat-spalt of the rain. But what about the cat and dog?
In this interactive question-and answer lyrical picture book, one imaginative little girl discovers just who likes rain—and who doesn't—as
she explores the rainy-day habits of the world around her. The rhythm, rhymes, and words that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes creates a delightful and fun storybook.
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