Category: children

Author & Illustrator: Anna Llenas
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-4549-1729-8
Pages: 20
Price: $19.95

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The color monster is all mixed up. He’s covered with crayon colors all over his body. A little girl suggests that he identify the feelings that go along with each color, and put each into its own bottle. Yellow happiness, red anger, blue sadness, and others are all depicted in pop-ups on two page spreads. Finally, all the bottles are shown filled with the color and feeling identified on them.

Pop-ups are always a favorite with kids, but younger children will need to be careful with some of these elaborate creations. The cover is durable, and as long as the book is closed properly, it should last for a while. The Color Monster is a cute book that will help parents explain feelings to their kids.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author & Illustrator: Kelly Canby
Publisher: Peter Pauper Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-4413-1804-6
Pages: 32
Price: $16.99

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Olive goes for a walk in the city and hears a strange noise coming from the manhole below. Curiosity gets the better of her, and she climbs down the ladder to see what it is. An old woman greets her, letting her know that she is the keeper of all the lost things. And since no one has come to claim them, Olive can have as much as she likes.

One might think a young girl would look for toys and candy among the neatly labeled boxes, but what she takes with her is surprising. She fills five jars with amazing things that she wants to give to others. And as she shares her goodies, she turns the drab black-and-white city to vibrant full-color.

All the Lost Things has a great message for kids that their own actions can really impact the people around them. I highly recommend this uplifting and hope-filled book.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author & Illustrator: Hyeon-Ju Lee
Publisher: Peter Pauper Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-4413-1826-8
Pages: 38
Price: $17.99

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Mina thinks the gray winter day feels dull and gloomy, so she takes her crayon and draws snowflakes in the sky. Soon the landscape is covered in snow. Exploring outside in the forest, she discovers a woodpecker who can’t come down from the tree, so she draws him a ladder to climb. Soon a bear, a frog and a baby bunny appear, all with problems Mina’s crayon can easily fix.

Mina’s magical crayon, along with her imagination, transports her out of the house to a place where she can make new friends. But at the end of the day, her adventure must end, leaving behind warm and delightful memories.

Mina’s White Canvas will captivate and charm children with its simple wonders. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author & Illustrator: Mary Ann Fraser
Publisher: Peter Pauper Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-4413-0855-9
Pages: 32
Price: $16.99

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An older brother convinces his younger brother that today is a perfect day for a yeti hunt. They quickly dress for the snowy weather, grabbing a camera just in case they spot one. As they walk, younger brother peppers older brother with questions about the yeti. How will they know when they see one? What will he sound like, or even smell like? Where does he live?

As they trudge through the winter landscape, a yeti appears in the distance, watching their actions. When they finally spot him, they panic and run. But the yeti is friendlier than they expect.

No Yeti Yet is a charming book that shows the joys of friendship, even when the other seems big and scary. Kids will have fun spotting the yeti hidden in the snowy background, as the brothers explore, and they will love the sweet ending. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Lane Fredrickson
Illustrator: Michael Robertson
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-4549-1345-0
Pages: 26
Price: $14.95

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Winifred Schnitzel isn’t afraid of anything. So when bedtime arrives, the monsters come out in force, attempting to frighten her. Though she tells them to go away, they simply won’t let her sleep.

Tired and worn out, Winifred realizes she needs a plan. So she sets up monster traps to finally get rid of these pesky nuisances. Nothing works. But drowsy from too many sleepless nights, she does something the monsters never expect, which finally chases them all away.

Told in rhyming verse, Monster Trouble! features a fearless African American girl standing up the monsters of the night. This cute book will bring a smile to any children plagued by unseen monsters lurking in own rooms.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Catherine Bailey
Illustrator: Oriol Vidal
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-4549-1103-6
Pages: 32
Price: $14.95

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The monsters have invaded the little town, and they’ve created chaos everywhere. They’ve chased the mail carrier, scared kids at the park, and generally terrorized the people. The townsfolk tried to ignore the monsters but it finally got too hard, and one day they all decided to pack up and leave. But a giant ogre blocked the only road out and the other monsters destroyed boats and planes. The people were trapped with the monsters and there was no way out.

Wally suddenly had a bright idea. He asked the monsters to stop being destructive, and they finally listened. Soon every one of the monsters was friendly and well-behaved, and the townspeople grew to love them. Everyone wanted to know his secret in getting through to the monsters. Wally had remembered the magic word!

Remembering to say “please” and “thank you” is difficult for young children. Mind Your Monsters reminds them of the terrible consequences of forgetting this important concept in a fun and original way. The illustrations of these monsters are particularly cute, also, and make this story a really enjoyable, non-preachy read for kids. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Lisa Maggiore
Illustrator: Ross Felton
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-63450-151-4
Pages: 32
Price: $16.99

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As she’s geting ready for bed, Ava finds out that Piggy is in the dryer in the basement. Mom is on the phone, dad is in the garage, and big brother is too busy to get him for her. So Ava will need to brave the monsters in the basement and rescue Piggy all by herself.

Donning her superhero cape and sword, along with pink rain boots and a princess tiara, Ava marches down the basement stairs, smelling the stench of monsters hiding below. One monster has Piggy in his clutches, while another waits to devour her. Ava may be cute and wear glasses, but when Piggy needs her, she fiercely defends him. Soon those terrible monsters are running for their lives.

Presented in comic-book style, Ava the Monster Slayer is a great book for any kids who are afraid of monsters lurking in the dark. Ava is courageous and devoted to her beloved Piggy, and she won’t let anything stop her from saving him. She’s a great role model for girls in facing her fears head-on. I highly recommend this book, and hope to see more of Ava in the future.

Reviewer: Alice Berger