The Girl and the Bicycle

The Girl and the Bicycle
Author: Mark Pett
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Reviewer: Denise Z.

Summary: A wordless picture book in which a girl sees a bicycle she wants to buy, works hard for a kindly neighbor to earn the money for it, then gets a pleasant surprise.

Review: This is one of the few wordless picture books I enjoyed. I like the clear message it sends to kids of earning money to get something you really, really want. We see the character doing all sorts of chores so she can one day go to the bike store and purchase her bike after all her hard work. The surprise twist at the end and simplistic illustrations adds emotion to this wordless story.

Here Comes Santa Cat

Here Comes Santa Cat
Author: Deborah Underwood
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reviewer: Christi

Summary: Cat wants off Santa's naughty list and makes several valiant attempts, but this 'being nice' business is trickier than he thought.

Review: I get such a kick out of Cat! I read aloud the Easter book with Cat during story time and the kids loved it. This new book is equally as good. The author does a great job of bringing the readers into the story. In this tale Santa Cat is worried he’s on the naughty list and has a couple ideas on how to change that. Of course, nothing goes as planned. This book makes you feel like you’re having the conversation with Cat. Lots of humor and a great Christmas read!

Snowmen at Christmas

Snowmen at Christmas
Author: Caralyn Buehner
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reviewer: Sue

 

Summary: This wonderful story takes place after a boy builds a snowman on Christmas Eve, and notices that the snowman’s arms are trembling with anticipation.  How do snowmen celebrate Christmas?  Oh, the fun you will experience with these happy snowmen as they enjoy Christmas activities with their family and friends!  But, you don’t have to worry, the snowmen will slide back to their approximate original positions by morning, with a special glow in their hearts, a smile on their faces, and dreams of their Christmastime.

 

Review: Rhyming text, magical illustrations, a Christmas party, snow Santa, and snow gifts all make this a special holiday book.  The book is great to share with a child, or for a child to look at by themselves.  Take the time to look for the cat, rabbit, Santa face, Tyrannosaurus Rex and little brown mouse hidden on each painting.  This book is a true treasure!



 

Time for Bed, Fred!

Time for Bed, Fred!
Author: Yasmeen Ismail
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Reviewer: Leslie

Summary: Meet Fred--a mischievous, playful, loving dog. It's time for Fred to go to bed . . . but Fred really, really doesn't want to! From hiding up in trees, to splashing in muddy puddles, to hiding behind bookshelves, Fred will do anything to avoid bedtime. He would even rather have a bath than go to bed . . . but all of this running couldn't possibly have possibly made Fred sleepy--could it? Bound to strike a chord with parents and children with their own bedtime distraction techniques, Yasmeen Ismail's hilarious text and cheerful, vivid illustrations will have every reader shouting by the very last page, "Time for Bed, Fred!"

Review: This was a very funny book and a quick read. I enjoyed it because as a parent it is easy to relate to because just like Fred, kids will stall bedtime! I really enjoyed the illustrations in this book as well.

101 Freaky Animals

101 Freaky Animals
Author: Melvin and Gilda Berger
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Reviewer: Christi

 

 

Summary: Presents over one hundred interesting facts about animals from around the world, including armadillos, cuttlefish, giant clams, sharks, scorpions, and meerkats.

Review: This book has great pictures to go with the short paragraph descriptions. A lot of the animals I’d never heard of! I would definitely recommend this book to children for a fun and interesting read! Great pick for a reluctant reader.