Click the link to see a list of all the books shown in this video….GoodReads Shelf: Favorite Picture Books: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5836046-kailey-booksformks?shelf=favorite-picture-books
children reading
Picture Book Review: Neil Armswan
Wild Bios: Neil Armswan
by Courtney Acampora, Maggie Fischer, Zoe Persico
by Courtney Acampora, Maggie Fischer, Zoe Persico
5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
“One small step for swan, one giant leap for birdkind.”
This colorful board book tells the story of Neil Armstrong’s journey to the moon, but with a cast of animal characters, and hilarious animal puns.
This colorful board book tells the story of Neil Armstrong’s journey to the moon, but with a cast of animal characters, and hilarious animal puns.
This book follows his life story and legacy, starting from when Neil “Armswan” grew up as the oldest of his “flock” with two siblings. Neil learns to fly, becomes an Eagle Scout, and serves in the Korean War where he receives three air medals as a naval aviator. He becomes a test pilot, and falls in love, starting his own “flock” with his lovebird “Gannet”. They “migrate” to Houston with their “cygnets”, where Neil launches into orbit in the Gemini 8 and Apollo 11 missions, leaving “webbed” footprints on the Moon.
I loved the silly puns and adorable animal characters! The whole book is so bright and funny, and the legacy and accomplishments are truly inspiring. The writing is perfect to read aloud with young children, and the illustrations are engaging with interesting details in the background to capture the attention of little readers.
This book is also well-timed with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, when so many people are celebrating that national accomplishment, and little ones might be wondering what it’s all about. Continue reading
Picture Book Review: Lost Kitties #ADORBS
Hasbro Lost Kitties Level 3 Squad Goals: #ADORBS
by Maggie Fischer
by Maggie Fischer
4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
These cute little kitties are into all sorts of hijinks, pranks, and kerfuffle…
Nap-kin can’t find a decent place to nap.
Bon-bon keeps baking and baking, but the kitties tummies are never full.
Francis gets a crick in his tail that only some relaxing yoga can undo.
Prankster Pants mixes sugar into the soap and it attracts a garden full of butterflies.
Memez is practicing for a music contest, but his dance moves are uninspiring until the dancing kitties tell him that the “best dance moves are the ones that make you feel like yourself.”
Nap-kin can’t find a decent place to nap.
Bon-bon keeps baking and baking, but the kitties tummies are never full.
Francis gets a crick in his tail that only some relaxing yoga can undo.
Prankster Pants mixes sugar into the soap and it attracts a garden full of butterflies.
Memez is practicing for a music contest, but his dance moves are uninspiring until the dancing kitties tell him that the “best dance moves are the ones that make you feel like yourself.”
I love the cute storylines and funny little dramas! The illustrations are full of bright colors and hearts and rainbows. The writing is perfect for this reading level, and the fun comedy and short chapters keep it interesting.
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Picture Book Review: The Big Book Adventures
The Big Book Adventure
by Emily Ford, Tim Warnes
by Emily Ford, Tim Warnes
5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
Foxy and Piggy love to read. They share their reading adventures with each other, and describe all the wonderful characters they have met. They encounter mermaids and dragons. They fly on a magic carpet, and find buried treasure. Foxy goes to outer space on a rocket, and Piggy has tea with Alice and the Mad Hatter in Wonderland. The two friends decide to start a book club, so that they can go on even more reading adventures together!
I loved the sweet characters of Piggy and Foxy. They are so cute!! They bounce from story to story enjoying each adventure and happy to share the experience of reading with a friend. Continue reading
Picture Book Review: Big Cat
Big Cat
by Emma Lazell
by Emma Lazell
5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
Isobel’s Grandma has lost her glasses, and when a stray cat wanders into the garden, Isobel and her Grandma adopt the very big cat. Without her glasses, Grandma can’t see that the new cat is really a tiger! Food goes missing, and all the little cats are jealous. How will Isobel take care of such a big cat, and when will Grandma realize her mistake?
This is the cutest, most adorable picture book I’ve ever seen! The story is so funny and whimsical. The characters are a delight, and I love how Isobel just takes things in stride when a massive tiger moves into the house. Meanwhile, Grandma is utterly oblivious, and can’t understand why they keep running out of cat food.
The illustrations are bright with wild splashes of color and movement. I especially love all the little details in the background of each page. We can look for Grandma’s glasses hidden behind a flower pot. We see a newspaper advertising “Missing Tiger!”, and Isobel reads a book about tigers while the tiger reads a book about Humans. So many sweet details like that, which make this book truly special and a joy to read.
Continue reading
Picture Book Review: Rabbit and Bear
Rabbit’s Bad Habits
by Julian Gough (Author), Jim Field
by Julian Gough (Author), Jim Field
5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
Bear is peacefully sleeping through the winter when she is awakened by a thief stealing her stockpile of food. She stumbles out of her cave into the snow, and decides that as long as she’s awake, she might as well build a snowman. The cranky Rabbit is determined to build a bigger, better snowman on the neighboring hill, but when the ravenous Wolf shows up, Rabbit’s plans take a dangerous turn when he can’t get back to his safe burrow.
Who stole all of Bear’s food? How will Rabbit get to safety? Who will win the snowman-building competition? And the most important question of all, can a Bear and Rabbit really become friends? Continue reading
Who stole all of Bear’s food? How will Rabbit get to safety? Who will win the snowman-building competition? And the most important question of all, can a Bear and Rabbit really become friends? Continue reading
Picture Book Review: Have I Ever Told You?
Have I Ever Told You?
by Shani King, Anna Horvath
by Shani King, Anna Horvath
3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
This picture book reminds each child that they are loved, that it’s okay to ask questions, that it’s important to do the right thing, and that they should always be respectful and kind.
I loved the text of this book, with its insightful statements about being inclusive and kind, about honest communication, and especially about love and family. It reminds the reader that it’s important to talk about the important things, and make sure that every child feels safe and loved and heard. I think this book will open good dialogue between children and adults, and provide opportunities for “teaching moments”, or maybe just provide a chance to listen to a child and hear what they want to say.
However, I did not always love the artwork.
Picture Book Review: Miss Pinkeltink’s Purse
Miss Pinkeltink’s Purse
by Patty Brozo, Ana Ochoa
by Patty Brozo, Ana Ochoa
5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
Miss Pinkeltink is homeless, and she carries around a massive purse full of random stuff. Sometimes she knocks things over with her enormous purse, and the townspeople complain that she has run over their roses with her purse, or knocked down their fence, or bumped children off their bikes.
But Miss Pinketink has a good heart, and she shares the stuff from her purse with the townspeople. She gives out a roll of tape to fix a flat bike tire, or a comb to a bald man, a bone to a cat, and a plunger to a car mechanic with hilarious results!
A little girl named Zoey recognizes that Miss Pinkeltink’s heart is in the right place, even if her gifts are not always the most useful things. Zoey organizes the townspeople to provide a home for Miss Pinkeltink, and show their appreciation for all her gifts to them!
Continue reading
Picture Book Review: How to Trick the Tooth Fairy
Jennifer Hansen Rolli
5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
Kaylee is a prankster who tries to trick the Tooth Fairy, but the Tooth Fairy has a few magical tricks of her own, and the two begin a prank war with disastrous results. Can Kaylee and the Tooth Fairy put an end to their endless pranks, become friends, and clean up the mess they’ve made?
The cuteness! The adorableness! The hilarity! I fell in love with this darling book the second I saw the glittery cover art. The illustrations are utterly delightful on every page, with cute little details that bring the story to life. Continue reading
Book Review: Martin’s Mice
Martin’s Mice
by Dick King-Smith
by Dick King-Smith
4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
This adorable story follows Martin, a farmyard cat who doesn’t want to eat mice. Instead, Martin begins keeping a pet mouse confined in a bathtub, until he learns just how awful it is to imprisoned as a pet.
I loved the delightful writing style with all the humor and silly situations that Martin goes through. Poor Martin is quite clueless when it comes to the workings of a farm, and forgets the proper place of each animal. This leads to a lot of ridiculously funny dialogue with various farm animals.
This would be a wonderful book to read aloud, with different voices for the cows, sheep, pigs, and ducks all around the farm.
I found the plot to be interesting and surprising, despite its simplicity and straightforward story-telling style. A very enjoyable read!
