Vamos! Let's Go to the Market

Vamos! Let's Go to the Market
Author: Raul the Third
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Reviewer: Yolanda

Summary: Little Lobo and Bernabé show us their morning routine starting with Kooky Dooky waking them up. They eat huevos and make their way to their warehouse to gather up deliveries they need to take to the Mercado. They show how everyone has a job at La Placita or at the Mercado. They stop to watch performers and to say hi to friends. They also make stops to make deliveries to Chiva’s Zonkey, Yerbería Azteca, Mr. Mosca’s Dulcería, Sombrero Stacks, and many more. Little Lobo and Bernabé explore the Mercados many booths and shops!


Review: This book is very busy with images and words. There are many Spanish words all around, but are translated in English for everyone to understand. The storyline is very cute and shows how a fox and his dog go to work and hangout with their many friends throughout the market. This is a very cute book, but very busy to look at. It feels like an Ispy book with a storyline.

Bob

Bob
Author: Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Reviewer: Kelly

Summary: Livy is back, visiting Australia, after five years and is having trouble remembering much of her first visit. Slowly, things start to come back to here and then she finds Bob in a closet. Bob is a short, greenish creature wearing a chicken suit and he remembers EVERYTHING about Livy. He has been waiting five years for her to come back and he has waited in the closet, just as Livy told him to.
Livy promised to help Bob find his way home. After all this time, will she keep her promise? Clue by clue, the two will discover and unravel Bob’s story and hopefully, help find his way home.

Review: Bob was chosen as the Books and Bites, book club pick for the month of May. I chose the title after hearing about it at a seminar, featuring the best books of 2018. I enjoyed the audiobook version on this title but I was a little disappointed.

The story tackled themes like friendship, family and love. I thought that the authors could have done a better job in general. The story is told from Bob’s point of view and then alternates to Livy’s point of view. I felt that the story was lost a bit or slightly repetitive and I wonder if it would have been better, with only one author. The idea behind the story is fantastic and I think kids could get lost in its magic.

Wishtree

 Wishtree

Author: Katherine Applegate

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Reviewer: Aleece

Summary: Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood "wishtree"—people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red's branches. Along with her crow friend Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red's hollows, this "wishtree" watches over the neighborhood.  You might say Red has seen it all. Until a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red's experiences as a wishtree are more important than ever.  (From Goodreads) 

Review: Unfortunately I did not enjoy the audio of this book.  I liked the premise of the book and overall was a very quick story to listen to but I just couldn’t get into this audio unfortunately.  I don’t know if it was the narrator or if it was the book itself.  

The Discovery of Ramen: The Asian Hall of Fame

The Discovery of Ramen: The Asian Hall of Fame
Author: Phil Amara & Oliver Chin
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Reviewer: Aleece

Summary: Dao, a red panda, takes Ethan and Emma on an adventure to the history of ramen.

Review: A cute story that has a lot of history of how ramen came to be in Japan and how it changed over the years.  There is a lot of information that sometimes doesn’t seem like a story and just looks like history.  Overall, the cute illustrations are going to be a hit with kids.

Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls

Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls
Author: Lynn Weingarten
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Reviewer: Emily

Summary: They say Delia burned herself to death in her stepfather's shed, but June does not believe it was suicide because she and Delia used to be closer than anything. But one night a year ago, everything changed when they and June's boyfriend, Ryan, let their good time get out of hand, and now, a year later, June owes it to Delia to know if her best friend committed suicide or was murdered.

Review: If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be “predictable.” Not bad, just not shocking. There was only one “twist” that I did not predict, but for me, that did not make up for all of the ones that I could see coming from a mile away. The funny thing is that I did really like the characters of the story and wanted to spend more time with them; it was like hanging out with friends that you really like with nothing to do. This is a great book for just passing time, not one to pick up if you’re looking for something new or thought-provoking.

Hank Has A Dream

        

Hank Has a Dream 

Author: Rebecca Dudley

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Reviewer: Denise Z.

Summary: Hank relates to a friend a dream in which he flies to the sea, past the trees, and over the clouds.

Review: I enjoyed the unique illustrations in this book more so than the story. Author and Illustrator Rebecca Dudley impressively designs everything that is depicted in each picture for the story, including Hank the bear and the scenery that surrounds him. This is a picture book with few words and unique illustrations that makes it worthwhile to pick up and read at least once.