Category: children

cats, children

Purrsnikitty

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Kathy Brodsky
Illustrator: Cameron Bennett
Publisher: Helpingwords
Genre: Children / Cats
ISBN: 978-0-578-05059-1
Pages: 40
Price: $19.99

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Purrsnikitty has been chosen from the shelter as the new family cat.  Now’s she’s moved into her new home and settles in quickly. Fully confident in her charms, she does whatever she pleases, sometimes to her new family’s dismay. But when someone new joins the household, Kitty is not happy. What on earth were they thinking, getting a dog? But maybe – just maybe – this new dog isn’t so bad after all.

Told in rhyme, this book shows us all the joys of sharing a home with a cat. Cute illustrations bring this story alive, as children can join in Purrsnikitty’s adventures. Cat owners and kids will appreciate her sometimes destructive antics, while understanding why her family loves her anyway. The last two pages include conversation starter questions about cats and family. Purrsnikitty is a fun read for all ages.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, dogs

Castle In the Mist

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Robert J. McCarty
Illustrator: Stella Mustanoja McCarty
Publisher: Barking Planet Productions
Genre: Children / Dogs
ISBN: 978-0-9786928-1-0
Pages: 112
Price $14.95

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Prince Ukko is a warrior and the leader of the Black Hawk tribes. He is disturbed by the peace declared by Bik and the Stone City warriors, after the Day of the Dogs. Now he wants to go to war, and he wants Bik’s help. But Bik isn’t interested in war anymore, and he turns down Prince Ukko’s request.

Determined to win Bik’s assistance, Prince Ukko comes up with a plan that will force Bik to comply. But Prince Ukko doesn’t realize Bik now has the dogs on his side, and the dogs have other ideas.

In this sequel to Planet of the Dogs, the dogs have yet another challenge in keeping peace on earth. The Stone City warriors have realized that war doesn’t solve anything, and they’re enjoying the peace they have with the people of Green Valley. But can the dogs stop Prince Ukko from threatening that peace?

Castle In the Mist continues the theme that it’s better to have peaceful relationships with our neighbors than it is to be constantly at war with them. Although Prince Ukko acts in a threatening manner to Bik, the dogs know that fighting back isn’t the answer, and they come up with an even better solution to this problem. Humans today could learn something from their wise counsel.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

birds, children

A Bird in a Bathing Suit

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Dawn Mitchell
Illustrator: Josh Will
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-4327-5404-4
Pages: 26
Price $12.95

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A bird in a bathing suit? Could it really be? What a silly sight to see! But that’s exactly what this group of kids notices playing in the bird bath. At first they point and make fun of him, but then they realize he’s pretty cool after all.

Told in rhyming verse, A Bird in a Bathing Suit is fun to read and laugh along with. It looks at the possibilities of birds in clothes with cute illustrations to bring home this humorous point. But although it’s amusing to giggle at this bird in unusual attire, the kids finally notice they’ve hurt his feelings, and that’s simply not okay.

Acceptance of diversity is demonstrated in a non-preachy and enjoyable manner in this fun picture book. I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by: Alice Berger

bilingual, children

Guess It If You Can!

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Celina Penovi
Illustrator: Dario Salvi
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Genre: Children / Bilingual
ISBN: 978-1-4490-2744-5
Pages: 24
Price: $15.99

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Can you guess what classroom items are described in these poems? In both English and Spanish? Cute pictures give clues to these riddles, but you’ll have to read them closely to figure them out.

Guess It If You Can! challenges us with eight different items to discover. On one side the poem is in English, and on the other side in Spanish. Kids can work through the puzzle in the language they’re most familiar with, and then look at the other to learn something new. Although the poems don’t translate word for word, it’s fun to see how a phrase in English is spoken in Spanish.

Creating rhymes in two languages isn’t the easiest of feats, but Celina Penovi does a nice job in this book. Although at times the lines are a bit forced, the message comes through clearly, and kids will have fun trying to figure out what classroom items are suggested. This book is a great tool for kids and adults to learn some new words and phrases in a second language – either English or Spanish.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, nature, tween

Monkey Magic: The Curse of Mukada

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Grant S. Clark
Publisher: Monsoon Books
Genre: Tween / Adventure
ISBN: 978-981-08-1077-1
Pages: 120
Price: $7.95

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Orangutans of the Mukada Nature Reserve are getting sick and heading to the coast. But what’s causing this unusual phenomenon? Is it overpopulation, as suggested by the park warden? Romy and her scientist father plan a visit to investigate, since something doesn’t feel quite right.

Soon after their arrival, Romy hears of the curse of Mukada – and she also discovers Monkey Magic. This magic helps her to communicate with the orangutans, with surprising results. Armed with new information, she and her father are able to solve the mystery and save the orangutans.

Monkey Magic: The Curse of Mukada also provides facts about orangutans, and how their habitats are being threatened by human encroachment. This delightful, magical tale shows us how greed can harm wildlife, and why we need to take immediate action to try to stop it. I highly recommend this enjoyable story with a great environmental message.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Time to Get Ready… A Hurricane Is Coming to Our Town!

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Jill Klaskin Press
Illustrator: Cristan Hellen
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Genre: Children
ISBN: 9781935605126
Pages: 24
Price: $15.99

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Hurricanes can be frightening to kids, especially when they don’t know what to expect. What can they do to help prepare for the storm? Will they need to evacuate?

In Time to Get Ready… A Hurricane Is Coming to Our Town! the family is preparing for a hurricane. They board up windows, buy additional food, and make sure they stay inside during the storm. From watching this family get ready, kids will learn how to handle a hurricane if one should hit their town.

Although there is good information in this book, one can’t help but wonder if it might have been better if written in a non-fiction format. As fiction, there isn’t really a plot, and kids may read it once or twice before losing interest. But kids love non-fiction when facts are presented in a fun way with good photos, and I think this book would have worked better in that format.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, science-fiction

Terratorva

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Laura Rotter
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Genre: Children / Science Fiction
ISBN: 978-1-4490-3092-6
Pages: 30
Price: $12.99

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Wix, the cat, can talk, and he’s from another planet. Terratorva needs help, and Dan, Sarah, and Sean have to save it. When Wix leads them through the portal to another world, they have no idea what awaits them.

Evil dragons threaten to take over the whole planet, but the Rimoras are in hiding, hoping for someone to come and rescue them. The three kids come up with an idea, and set off with Wix to put the plan in action. But if they’re not successful, they may perish along with the Rimoras.

This novel shows some imagination in some of the beings the kids encounter. But there are several things that didn’t work for me. The story isn’t told from any one character’s point of view, and the three kids never develop distinct personalities. The book is short and the plot isn’t very well developed, either. The scenes progress quickly, with no sense of the impending danger or relief at escape. And the typeface may look cool, but it’s a little hard on the eyes – especially for children who may have difficulty reading.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, nature

The Greenzys

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Danielle Mentzer
Illustrator: Cris De Lara
Publisher: DK Publishing
Genre: Children / Nature
ISBN: 978-0-7566-6911-9
Pages: 44
Price: $17.99

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An old pine tree named Orinda is suffering from the pollution of the nearby river. Her only hope of a legacy is her last pine cone. But Grimy has stolen it. In a last tearful effort, Orinda reaches out her branches to the animals of the planet for help.

Coming from all over the world, the animals rush in to save her. And as they commit to stopping Grimy and his dirty habits, their fur becomes green. They’ve become the Greenzys. Grimy is the symbol of all those who choose to pollute the environment, through negligent trash disposal and failure to recycle. And the Greenzys are the hope for Earth’s future.

In The Greenzys, kids will see why it’s important to protect our environment from those who want to do it harm. This cute story shows us how to be environmentally conscious in a way kids can relate, and the beautiful illustrations by Cris De Lara enhance this green message.

The book is printed in an eco-friendly manner, and a portion of the proceeds from book sales benefits the Environmental Media Association. And in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, for every Greenzys book purchase made between April 5 and December 31, 2010, the Arbor Day Foundation will plant one tree in our nation’s forests.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, dogs

Black Dog, Brown Dog

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Nina & Derek Zaragoza
Illustrator: Tominda Adkins
Publisher: Creative Curriculum Connections Publications
Genre: Children / Dogs
ISBN: 978-0-98432-408-8
Pages: 24
Price: $11.99

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Tasha and Lady are Labrador retrievers. Tasha is black, Lady is brown, and both dogs have their own distinct personalities.

Tasha is neat. She has nice manners and comes when called. But Lady likes the mud and wants to do as she pleases. Both dogs are loved by their owners, even though their temperaments are so different.

Black Dog, Brown Dog shares the differences between these two Labs in contrasting pages. But even though children love dogs and will readily pick this book up, it doesn’t have enough of a plot to hold their attention for long. The illustrations are very simple in neutral colors, and don’t add any additional dimension to the story.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

The Forever Friends Club

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Sue Gainor & Sarah P. Gibson
Illustrator: Miranda R. Mueller
Publisher: DRT Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1933084-02-2
Pages: 48
Price: $12.95

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Sam is thrilled when three new kids move to his street. Madison, Nick, and Isabel all become fast friends, and the four play together every afternoon. But one day Sam’s new friends decide to form a club – the adopted club.

Only trouble is, Sam is the only one who wasn’t adopted. He lives with his birth parents, and he feels left out of the club. But Madison, Nick and Isabel have a plan for Sam – a plan to adopt him as a member.

In The Forever Friends Club, Sue Gainor and Sarah P. Gibson offer a new twist on adoption. Sometimes adopted kids can feel awkward around kids who live with their birth parents, but in this story, Sam is the one who feels like he doesn’t belong. As family structures change and evolve, it’s important for all children to feel accepted. And in this story, being adopted – by their parents and by each other – is what makes them all special.

Reviewer: Alice Berger