children – Page 34 – Bergers Book Reviews

Lazy Hero Cat and the Pirates

February 11, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Stanford Crow
Illustrator: Nancy S. Hemmingson
Publisher: Bliss Group Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-940021-06-5
Pages: 26
Price: $7.50

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Bubastis “Bub” the cat is back (Lazy Hero Cat of Egypt) and this time he’s sunning himself on the bank of the Nile, enjoying a cozy catnap. When the river floods, he’s too lazy to notice he’s floating away. Pirates net his cat bed and bring him on board their ship to catch rats.

Bub just continues to snooze, so the pirates get angry and make him walk the plank. But Bub has no intention of doing anything but sleep. Luckily for the pirates, his laziness will pay off in ways they never expected.

Lazy Hero Cat and the Pirates is a delightfully humorous read. Kids will really enjoy this fun series.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Fishy World

February 3, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author & Illustrator: Carolyn Ortiz
Publisher: CreateSpace
Genre: Children
ISBN: 9781481225878
Pages: 24
Price: $8.50

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Gabriel, the silver angelfish, believes there is something bigger than his fishy world. As he explores his surroundings, he talks endlessly with his friends about his thoughts on this subject.

Gabriel’s beliefs are confirmed when he comes face to face with the enormous kissing fish, as he does every day. And as a little girl looks up at the stars, she also believes, as Gabriel does, that there must be something bigger out there.

Fishy World is a gentle reminder to kids that something much bigger than we are is watching out for us. Although we don’t meet him directly in this story, it’s obvious that this is God. This cute story would be a great opening to bedtime discussions about God’s constant love and care.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, mystery

The Case of the Paranoid Panda

January 29, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Bruce F. Murphy
Illustrator: Christian Paniagua
Publisher: Bliss Group Books
Genre: Children / Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-940021-09-6
Pages: 120
Price: $10.00

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Irwin LaLune, skunk detective, has just stopped into Suzie’s Diner for a quick bite, when he meets Larry, an excitable squirrel. Larry has just visited Roger the raccoon at the zoo, who told him the panda was acting strangely.

Irwin can’t pass up this unusual case, and proceeds to visit the panda, Ling Ming, who refuses to talk to him. Puzzled by this paranoid behavior, Irwin begins to question the other animals at the zoo, looking for clues. As the evidence mounts, things look very grim for Ling Ming.

The Case of the Paranoid Panda is one of the best mysteries for kids I’ve ever read. The plot is well-developed, the animal characters have great personalities, and the case is solved in an interesting and exciting manner. I highly recommend this really enjoyable mystery.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Books!

January 28, 2014January 28, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Murray McCain
Illustrator: John Alcorn
Publisher: Ammo Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-162326020-0
Pages: 42
Price: $17.95

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What is a book? A book is for colouring, for looking at, for writing in, and most important for reading. Thus begins this 1962 classic, reprinted for today’s kids to discover the joys of books and reading.

Books! explores the binding, glue and paper used in making a book. It shows us the letters that make up words, leading to sentences, creating ideas. The illustrations are fluorescent colored pen and ink drawings in an over-sized format, perfect for coffee-table display.

But the best part of all about books is the excitement and curiosity they generate. Books are a window to a whole new world, just waiting to be explored. After reading Books! kids will be eager to dive into some books of their own.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen

January 22, 2014January 22, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Howard Binkow
Illustrator: Susan F. Cornelison
Publisher: Thunderbolt Publishing
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-9715390-1-3
Pages: 32
Price: $15.00

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Howard B. Wigglebottom doesn’t listen. He won’t sit quietly while his teacher reads. He doesn’t listen when she asks him to stop bouncing. And he doesn’t hear his friend telling him something important. As a result, Howard ends up in time-out, so he can think about how he’s behaving.

Since Howard is a smart rabbit, he realizes he’s in trouble because he doesn’t listen, and he makes up his mind that he will be much better. When he changes his actions, he finds out that life is so much more fun.

Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen is a cute story with a good message. It doesn’t preach, but instead demonstrates by example what it means to be a good listener. There is also a lesson guide after the story, which highlights the important points and offers discussion questions. This book would be a great classroom resource, as well as one parents could use to establish good behavior at home.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, dogs

Dog Daze (S.A.V.E. Squad: Book 1)

January 16, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Authors: Lauraine Snelling & Kathleen Damp Wright
Publisher: Barbour Publishing
Genre: Children / Dogs
ISBN: 978-1-61626-560-1
Pages: 160
Price: $5.99

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Aneta Jasper is Ukranian by birth and new to the United States, having recently been adopted. So when her new mother encourages her to enter a contest, she’s willing to try, mostly out of fear of saying no and being sent back. She never actually expects to be a winner and have to team up with three other girls as junior event planners.

But Aneta soon finds herself happily working on their group’s big event – the Bassett Waddle. They not only want to raise money for the animal shelter, but also catch the culprit who tried to drown a Bassett puppy, Wink. And since Aneta has fallen for Wink, her motivation includes figuring out a way to convince her mom to let her adopt him.

Dog Daze is a wonderful book on so many levels. It highlights the feelings Aneta has as an adopted child wondering if her new mom really intends to keep her, along with the isolation of not being familiar with the English language. And it brings four very different girls together to work as a group toward something important. It also touches on the problems of puppy mills and animal abuse. I enjoyed reading this great story, and I look forward to the next installments in the S.A.V.E. Squad series.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Wooby & Peep

January 14, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Cynthea Liu
Illustrator: Mary Peterson
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-4027-9644-9
Pages: 40
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Wooby is happy living in his quiet, little town with his pet goldfish, his prized petunia garden, his 547 year-old tree, and his magnificent water fountain… until Peep moves next door. But Peep wants to be friends, and in his excitement, he creates turmoil in Wooby’s quiet and peaceful life.

Wooby is gentle and kind-hearted, and forgives Peep for his misdeeds. And when Peep reveals that he’s lonely, Wooby suddenly realizes he’s lonely, too. Letting the past go, they forge a bond over a game of “Go Fish” and decide to be best friends.

Wooby & Peep is a delightful tale of friendship. Even though things go dreadfully wrong for Peep, Wooby shows patience and tolerance throughout. This cute story demonstrates to kids that even the most unlikely of folks could turn out to be best of friends.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

cats, children

Lazy Hero Cat of Egypt

January 8, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Stanford Crow
Illustrator: Nancy S. Hemmingson
Publisher: Bliss Group Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-9885359-1-6
Pages: 24
Price: $7.50

Buy it at Amazon

Bubastis the cat is very lazy. He sleeps all day on top of the sarcophagus of Queen Nefertari, too lazy to look, listen or smell anything. So he doesn’t move at all when two tomb robbers break in to steal from the sarcophagus.

But being lazy is just the right way to handle these thieves. In a comedy of errors, Bubastis manages to knock them both out, just by doing nothing. And the next day, he is hailed as a hero when the men are discovered in the tomb.

Lazy Hero Cat of Egypt is a humorous tale that’s pure fun for kids to read. I highly recommend this delightful story.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

audio book, children

Jimi & His Friend Joe

January 7, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Anna-Christina
Produced by: Busy Bees Publishing

Music Audio Stories

Jimi the cat lives on a farm. Although he gets along well with the farm animals, the Collie dogs are bullies, and he tries to avoid them. So when a new Collie named Joe shows up, Jimi isn’t pleased. But Joe wants to be friends with Jimi, and that makes them both happy.

One night Jimi and Joe notice the barn is on fire. The other Collies are sleeping inside, and Jimi and Joe need to act quickly. Working together with all the other animals, they rescue the Collies, who learn that everyone can be friends – even cats and dogs.

As Music Audio Stories says on their website: “These special audio books can be enjoyed by children of all ages but are tailored for the blind as well. They can also be a useful learning tool for children with impaired vision or vision disabilities.” These unique audio stories use music as an essential part of the story, as the tension rises and falls.

Jimi & His Friend Joe is a sweet tale of friendship, reminding kids to look past their differences to find the best in each other. With the touch of drama created through the music, it’s an enjoyable story that kids will listen to over and over again.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Life is Beautiful!

January 6, 2014 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Ana Eulate
Illustrator: Nívola Uyá
Publisher: Cuento de Luz
Genre: Children
ISBN: 9788415619260
Pages: 28
Price: $16.95

Buy it at Amazon

Violet is a little girl living in Kenya. She knows nothing but the town she lives in, the surrounding area, and the hunger in her belly. But one day, a giraffe with wings takes her on a magical journey over all of Africa.

The beauty she sees below amazes Violet. Elephants splash in the river as flamingos look on. A rainbow forms overhead, but she learns it fades when children lose their smile. And goats can’t stop laughing when she tickles them.

Throughout the journey, Violet is surprised to see the souls of the people below. When she asks what can be done for these souls, the wise giraffe offers her thoughts. Life is Beautiful is a touching look at the people of Africa, which also reminds us of the poverty they live in.

Reviewer: Alice Berger