Category: children

Author: Dawn Aldrich
Illustrator: Michael Aldrich
Publisher: Halo Publishing
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-097974297-2
Pages: 32
Price: $12.95

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Mommy is going to work, so a little girl goes to visit her Auntie for the day. After bringing some toys down from the attic, they play all day. But where is Mommy? Will Mommy come back to get her?

Auntie’s House was written to address a fear that children often have – that their parent has abandoned them. At the end of the day, this little girl’s Mommy picks her up from Auntie’s house, reassuring her that she hasn’t been left behind.

I liked the theme of this book, in addressing this common childhood fear in a positive way.  But I would have preferred to see this story written in prose, since I’m not a big fan of rhyming books unless superbly done. Illustrations by Michael Aldrich are bright, colorful and cheerful.

Auntie’s House is a fun read for young children.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Kimberly Hutmacher
Illustrator: Sherry Rogers
Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-934359-88-4
Pages: 32
Price: $16.95

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Kids may know they have feet with toes, but what kinds of feet do animals have? A boy and girl go on a nighttime dream journey of discovery to see for themselves.

Vibrant rhyming phrases describe each animal’s activities using their feet. Colorful images created by Sherry Rogers show them digging, leaping, splashing and hopping. This nocturnal adventure takes the kids outside their home, off to the arctic, deep into Africa, and to the wilds of Australia to see the various animals.

Finally the kids arrive back home to their own beds, surrounded by the animals they’ve gone to visit. The last section of this book includes a quiz matching the animals to the feet, as well as facts on the different types of feet.

Paws, Claws, Hands and Feet is an active, rhythmic story that kids will enjoy reading over and over. A fresh look at the animals and their feet educates as well as entertains. This fun and informative book would make a great addition to any kid’s collection.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author & Illustrator: Timothy D. Thomas
Publisher: Thomas Expressions
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-9771059-2-2
Pages: 64
Price: $17.99

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Did you know that kangaroos can’t walk backwards? Or that puffins can stand on their tippy-toes? Well if you didn’t, you need to read Didyano?

This flip book provides a one-page summary of facts on many aquarium and zoo animals. Names of the males and females, as well as the group name, are included, plus some details about their young and how they are born or hatched. “Be aware and care” by learning what the threats are to each, and how we can try to protect them.

Colorful cartoon illustrations of the animals demonstrate the group names. A sleuth of pandas wear Sherlock Holmes attire and carry a magnifying glass, and a knot of snakes is shown all tangled up.

Cute, fun and informative, Didyano? would make a great addition to any animal lover’s collection.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Garth Dahl
Illustrator: Reka Hegedus
Publisher: Modern World Publishing
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-978-2839-2-6
Pages: 32
Price: $11.00

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Gassy only thinks about one thing – food. He has a secret patch of herbs and vegetation that he won’t share with anyone. But eating these fine delicacies tends to leave him bloated and gassy with an obvious tooting problem.

One day Mona shows up on the farm, and Gassy falls in love. His rival, Bruno, catches her fancy, since Gassy can’t stop his smelly toots. Now Gassy needs to come up with a plan to win Mona’s heart.

There were a couple of things that didn’t work for me in this book. I found the illustrations to be odd, since these bovines stand on two feet, and Mona has both an udder and breasts. The author calls them all cows, even though that term usually refers only to the females, and he calls Bruno a heifer, which is a young female. Gassy also thinks he is lactose intolerant, but he has trouble digesting vegetation, not milk.

Gassy the Cow is full of farting humor which is popular with kids, and they will probably giggle over Gassy’s problem. Silly and cute, this romance ends on a happy note.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Micah Linton
Publisher: Beast Stew
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-9821734-0-4
Pages: 32
Price: $14.95

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Once upon a time, the weebeasts had a home. As a result of some unfortunate choices, they find themselves in search of a new place to live. And during their journey, they make some fascinating discoveries.

In Weebeastology, Vol. 1, author and illustrator Micah Linton introduced us to these fictional beings. By providing the pictures without the words, he invited children to discover the story of the weebeasts for themselves. Weebeasts Plight was created for a younger audience and provides the story line along with pencil and watercolor illustrations.

The weebeasts learn a lesson in how to play nice with others. They also discover that it’s exciting to go out and explore new places. Kids will have fun joining these unique creatures on a wonderful journey to their new home.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Meg McLaughlin
Illustrator: Tom Brannon
Publisher: Dalmatian Press
Genre: Children
ISBN: 1-40375-323-7
Pages: 24
Price: $3.50

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Abby Cadabby has never received a letter, so Elmo decides he will make one for her with the help of his Sesame Street friends. As he visits with each of them, they all add their special thoughts to the letter. Elmo then puts the finishing touch on it with his signature.

This adorable little book is full of wonderful learning opportunities. New vocabulary words are sprinkled throughout to help children learn to express themselves more fully. Alphabet references are used with new and interesting combinations, like C is for cantaloupe. All of the drawings explained in the story show up in the final letter given to Abby, so children can match the words to the pictures.

Children will enjoy this sweet story of Elmo being kind to Abby, but they’ll also learn so much from the clever educational tools. I highly recommend Love, Elmo.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Barbara Worton
Illustrator: Don Rodi
Publisher: Great Little Books, LLC
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-9790661-1-5
Pages: 32
Price: $15.95

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Alice is FOUR inches taller than the other girls at Cherry Tree School. So tall she has to stand in the back row with the boys in their class photo. Everyone thinks being tall is okay and perfectly normal, but Alice wishes she was four inches shorter.

One night Alice has a dream that she meets a group of tall women. These women help her see how special she is, and how she doesn’t have to let her height hold her back from being the best person she can be.

In Too Tall Alice, the main character suffers from feeling different – in her case, being taller than everyone else. But kids can all relate to being different in some way and feeling like they don’t fit in. This book reassures kids that they may feel different now, but when they’re grown up, they can be anything they want to be.

Cute illustrations by Dom Rodi and clever “kid-language” make this book a fun read. But the positive message of self-acceptance and hope is what comes through in a TALL way.

Reviewer: Alice Berger