Category: children

children, dogs

Planet of the Dogs

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Robert J. McCarty
Illustrator: Stella Mustanoja McCarty
Publisher: Barking Planet Productions
Genre: Children / Dogs
ISBN: 9780978692803
Pages: 104
Price: $14.95

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The people of Green Valley live a peaceful life. They farm the land, raise animals, and enjoy their homes and families. But the Stone City warriors live very close by, and they’re now threatening the security of Green Valley.

When the Planet of the Dogs receives news of the troubles brewing on Earth, three of the dogs are sent as ambassadors. With the help of two Green Valley children, Daisy and Bean, these dogs will try to stop the Stone City warriors from destruction.

The Planet of the Dogs knows only love and cooperation, so these visiting dogs plan to stop the warriors in a peaceful manner. Rather than go to war, they use their creativity and love to end this threat.

There are so many stories about battles between good and evil, and at times it’s hard to know who’s on which side, when so many lives are lost. So it’s a breath of fresh air to see a book presenting a peaceful resolution. Planet of the Dogs may be a fairy tale, but it gives us hope that peace may someday be restored on earth through kinder and gentler means. Dog lovers and those who love a nice story will really enjoy this book.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Nana’s Getting Married

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Heather Hartt-Sussman
Illustrator: Georgia Graham
Publisher: Tundra Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-88776-911-5
Pages: 32
Price: $17.95

Author’s website
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Nana used to be the best grandma in the world. She baked cookies, knitted mittens, socks, and turtlenecks, and she told lots of bedtime stories. But everything has changed since she met Bob.

Now Nana spends lots of time getting ready for dates, taking long bubble baths, and having her hair and nails done. Everyone is thrilled that Nana has found someone she enjoys being with. But Bob is the focus of Nana’s life — not her grandson — and her grandson does NOT approve!

In Nana’s Getting Married, Heather Hartt-Sussman has presented a dilemma many children can relate to. As grandparents maintain youth and vitality well into their senior years, late-in-life marriages are common. In this amusing tale, she expresses the very real emotions grandkids may feel when their formerly doting grandparent suddenly take an interest in another person.

Georgia Graham provides fun illustrations, showing this little boy in all his sulking poses, as he announces his feelings to anyone who will listen. And she portrays Nana and Bob as vibrant seniors — not as “old fogeys.” I particularly liked Bob’s white ponytail.

Nana’s Getting Married is a delightful read, sure to have kids chuckling as they announce that they DO approve of this fun story.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, health

The Allergy Buddy Club

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Cindy Rice Andrea
Illustrator: Stan Jaskiel
Publisher: Dining in the Light Publications
Genre: Children / Food Safety
ISBN: 978-0-9842717-6-4
Pages: 24
Price: $8.99

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Ollie the Elephant is allergic to peanuts! What is he going to do, since all the other elephants around him love peanuts? He meets Bernie the Brown Bear who’s allergic to fish, and Maleeka the Mouse who’s allergic to cheese. Together they form the Allergy Buddy Club, as a support group for animals who have food allergies.

The Allergy Buddy Club teaches members how to stay safe from the foods they’re allergic to by learning to read food labels, using allergy cards to provide to restaurants, and carrying medicine in case of accidentally coming into contact with a food that causes anaphylactic shock. The club grows, as they discover other animals just like them.

Food allergies are an unfortunate fact of life for many kids. Knowing how to protect themselves from illness or even death is essential. But it’s also important for other kids to understand that these allergies are real and can be life-threatening. The Allergy Buddy Club explains food allergies in a way kids can understand and relate to. If your child suffers from allergies, this book would be a great resource to help him understand and manage his condition.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Topsy-Turvy Town

Bergers Book Reviews


Author & Illustrator: Luc Melanson
Publisher: Tundra Books
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-88776-920-7
Pages: 32
Price: $17.95

Author’s website
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In Topsy-Turvy Town, broccoli rains from the sky, buildings can go for a walk, and robots take baths with children. One little boy can see all of these wonders, but some of his relatives are skeptical and don’t believe they’re real.

In this delightful romp through a boy’s imagination, magical things can happen in the most ordinary places. Whimsical illustrations accompany the text, bringing this highly unusual town to life.

Living in a world of imagination is fun, but it’s even better when you have a partner to join you. Lucky for this little boy, his mom can see everything, too. Children will love visiting Topsy-Turvy Town, and maybe they’ll even find some new surprises yet to be discovered where they live.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Give Me the Moon

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Roxane Marie Galliez
Illustrator: Cathy Delanssay
Publisher: Hammond
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0841-671386
Pages: 40
Price: $14.99

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Ava secretly admires Marcello, the boy who plays the violin so beautifully. But Marcello never says a word to her, although he admires her from afar. Vincent is also in love with Ava, and declares that he will give her the moon if she will run away with him. Torn between her feelings for Marcello, and the hand Vincent offers her, Ava must decide.

This old style romance of a lady choosing between two suitors takes place in Venice, and explains the origins of the cello. Cathy Delanssay’s charming illustrations bring this fairy tale to life in vibrant colors, vividly expressing the emotions of the lovers through their eyes and body language. Give Me the Moon will transport the reader back to old Italy, to a place where love is complex, but life is simpler.

This beautiful picture book is one of Hammond’s new line of children’s fiction. I’ve been privileged to review several of these delightful books, and I’ve enjoyed them very much. Expanding their focus from maps, Hammond is now bringing the world to us through their stories from around the globe. Children will love these beautiful oversize picture books with gorgeous illustrations and cultural tales.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, fantasy

Quasar and the Eye of the Serpent

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: T.K. Reed
Publisher: iUniverse
Genre: Fantasy
ISBN: 978-1-4401-2751-9
Pages: 166
Price: $11.95

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Mathew and Sue are playing in the forest when a strange man approaches. When he begs them to come with him to help save the Great Wolf, Quasar, they are quick to agree. Now they have only twenty-four hours to collect the things he needs to break an evil spell.

Accompanied by Sir Wilfred, the man from the forest, the children visit magical places and solve puzzles to retrieve the necessary items. But they have no idea what form of chaos the breaking of the spell might bring.

Mathew and Sue are kind children, willing to help out a being in need. But I never felt a real kinship with them, since their personalities were not fully revealed. They seemed to solve the riddles a little too easily, going quickly from one puzzle to the next.

I would have preferred a little more information early on about Mathew and Sue’s family life. Although the author jumps right into the plot, I would have understood their mother’s absence a little better had this been explained earlier in the story. I also found the presence of the “revolutionaries” confusing.

Troll-speak and the various creatures they encounter give Quasar and the Eye of the Serpent a magical feel, as does the glowing orb that becomes an important part of their quest. But a little more character development would enhance this fantasy.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

In Search of Happiness

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Juliette Saumande
Illustrator: Eric Puybaret
Publisher: Hammond
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0841-671416
Pages: 34
Price: $14.99

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In the land of Prudence, people are never unhappy. Rather than risk something bad happening, they simply never try anything new. But Alexander still isn’t happy. When the magical bird, Paradiso, tells him about a Land of Happiness, Alexander immediately follows after him.

Over the next year, Alexander explores places he’s never dreamed about. Places where he can have good and bad sweets, where all his wishes are answered, and where he can play and get bruised and meet lots of interesting new people. Alexander is finally living a complete life.

But one thing is missing. Alexander wishes his grandfather was with him, and he sends him lots of postcards about his adventures. He hopes maybe someday Grandpa will accompany him on his visit to the Land of Happiness.

What child can resist the lure of happiness, when everything seems so hum-drum? But all adventures lose their appeal when we realize the important people in our lives haven’t come along with us.

Alexander’s magical journey comes alive in oversize scenes by award-winning artist, Eric Puybaret. In Search of Happiness will bring joy to all who read it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, poetry

Sail Away With Me

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Jane Collins-Philippe
Illustrator: Laura Beingessner
Publisher: Tundra Books
Genre: Children / Poetry
ISBN: 978-0-88776-842-2
Pages: 32
Price: $15.95

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The lure of the sea calls to young and old with its many tales of adventure. In Sail Away With Me, Jane Collins-Philippe has collected many of our favorite poems about the sea, as well as creating some new ones of her own.

Timeless classics like “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod,” “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean,” and “The Owl and the Pussycat” are featured. And kids will also enjoy new poems like “The Good Ship Royal” about a ship with a crew of animals, and “Mary Goes to Sea” about a woman determined to find a space on a crowded boat.

Illustrations by Laura Beingessner enhance these poems, bringing to mind delightful summer afternoons and evenings by the shore. Whether you’re a landlubber or an old salt, you’re sure to enjoy this book of sea poetry.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, education

Dan’s Lost Hat

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Joy Cowley
Illustrator: Annie Hayward
Publisher: Hameray Publishing
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-60559-219-0
Pages: 16
Price: $4.95

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Dan has lost his flying hat. Where could it possibly be? The answer will surprise Dan, and also the man who has lost his cat! But how will they get the cat and the hat back? Dan is clever, and he outsmarts the cat. Now everyone is happy.

Rhyming verse is used to tell this amusing tale, and bright and cheerful illustrations by Annie Hayward bring it to life.

Since this book was written especially for teachers, a guide for classroom use is located in the back. Features include vocabulary, the use of rhyme, questions about the story itself, and ideas to spark the imagination. Dan’s Lost Hat is a sure hit in the classroom, and I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, history, tween

Mrs. Kaputnik’s Pool Hall and Matzo Ball Emporium

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Rona Arato
Publisher: Tundra Books
Genre: Kids
ISBN: 978-0-88776-967-2
Pages: 192
Price: $9.95

Author’s website
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Moshe Kapustin has no idea he’s just traded his family’s firewood for a pet dragon, when he receives the mysterious egg from the peddler. But when the dragon, Snigger, saves them from the Cossacks and allows them to leave Russia for a new life in America, the family decides he will have to come with them. So they depart for New York on a quest to find their father, who has already arrived in America five years earlier.

A mistake at Ellis Island changes the family name to Kaputnik, and life becomes challenging as they adjust to life in New York. In 1898, immigrants faced hardship and struggle in their new country, but when you also have a dragon, things get even more complicated. Somehow, just as in Russia, Snigger seems to have a knack for making things better.

Mrs. Kaputnik’s Pool Hall and Matzo Ball Emporium is a light-hearted story of a Russian Jewish immigrant family to New York. Shoshi and Moshe want to help their mother be successful in their new country, but they also struggle with what they left behind. Living in America is so different from Russia and at times they miss their old country.

Many kids today have no idea what their immigrant ancestors faced when they came to the United States. Although this novel doesn’t paint the dire situations many had to deal with, it doesn’t show life as all rosy either. In a fun and humorous way, Rona Arato has shown us life at the turn of the last century, and given us a glimpse into our own history books. I highly recommend this delightful story.

Reviewer: Alice Berger