Book Review - Doña Esmeralda, Who Ate Everything

About the Book

In Doña Esmeralda, Who Ate Everything you get a silly, laugh-out-loud read-aloud picture book debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz!

Once upon a time, in the middle of a group of seven thousand happy islands named after King Philip of Spain, there lived a lady named Doña Esmeralda.

She had a big bouffant hairdo and was much smaller than you.

And she was always hungry...

And so begins the wickedly hilarious tale of one very old, but very stylish little lady who loves to eat, but can only find the ooey, gooey, mushy, smelly leftovers of naughty children to nosh on. But what happens when Doña Esmeralda finds out about all the tasty treats that children do eat? Hold on to your hairdos as Esmeralda eats everything in sight in a cumulative read-aloud inspired by stories from author Melissa de la Cruz's childhood in the Philippines


My Take on the Book
This is a character that simply jumps off the page. It is a great book that my daughters completely loved. On top of the character though the story itself is so memorable! It is a crazy, off the wall story that every kid will love! Get ready for a read-aloud experience you will not forget!

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Book Review - John's Turn

About the Book
In John's Turn E. B. White Read-Aloud winner Mac Barnett celebrates individuality in a story told with tenderness and subtlety. It’s John’s big day at school today—a performance for Sharing Gifts time. His bag is carefully packed and prepared, his classmates are ready, and the curtain is waiting to open. John is nervous, looking out at all the other children staring back at him. But he takes a big breath and begins. Mac Barnett’s compassionate text and Kate Berube’s understated and expressive art tell the story of a kid who finds the courage to show others his talent for dancing.

My Take on the Book
This is a wonderful book that allows you to see the importance if sharing your gifts no matter what, but also shares a story of courage that will inspire other children too. The book also opens up dialogue for kids to be able to see the importance of acceptance, kindness and more. Get ready for an emotional ride as you read this amazing book!

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Book Review - Little Sherlock Books!

About the Books

Solve puzzles with Little Sherlock!

Could there really be a ghost haunting the amusement park? Little Sherlock and his friends are on the case!

• 
  Read & Solve to uncover the mystery!
• Easy-to-read story for ages 6 and up.
• Includes fun, engaging puzzles that encourage active reading.
• Young readers will practice language, logic, and reasoning skills as they solve the mystery.
• Sturdy hardcover binding.
• Read & Solve Storybook measures 6'' wide x 9'' high.
• 48 full-color pages.

Books in the Series

• Little Sherlock A Ghost at the Carnival
• Little Sherlock The Case of the Mysterious Goldfish
• Little Sherlock The Mystery of the Vanishing Potatoes
• Little Sherlock The Secret of the Treasure Chest

My Take on the Books
These were such fun books. If you have a child that loves mysteries, you will want to share these books with them. In each of the books your child will be challenged to deduce what is happening in each of the stories. Your child will love the characters and the illustrations are fun and invite you in to learn even more. All-in-all these were very fun books for parents and children to share together!

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Book Review - Sometimes, All I Need Is Me

About the Book
In Sometimes All I Need Is Me you get gentle themes of resiliency, mindfulness, and self-care are brought home in this sweet and soulful picture book with charmingly graphic illustrations and a poetic text.

I love listening to music, especially samba!

It feels like my heart follows the beat.

Meet a young girl who loves her cozy home. It smells like cinnamon tea and feels like warm pajamas. But even when she’s away from home, and everything is different, she finds a way to become her own home, where she feels calm. At night, when it’s too dark and her feet are cold, her room can be a little scary. But she creates her own light when she closes her eyes and thinks of the sun. With friendliness and charm, Juliana Perdomo, in her debut as author-illustrator, shows young readers how to find comfort and confidence within. Her heartwarming picture book reassures children that sometimes, everything we need—courage, joy, peace, and love—is already inside us.


My Take on the Book
I loved this story and how well it allows a parent and child to connect and learn about things that are so important. The book introduces you to concepts of mindfulness and more as you get to talk through these issues and opens up lines of communication with young readers about how they can care for themselves and advocate for themselves too!

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Book Review - Tisha and the Blossoms

About the Book
In Tisha and the Blossoms, Tisha and Mommy are always having to hurry up. What would happen if they slowed down? A gentle, gorgeously illustrated story of mindfulness—and sharing the small moments.

Tisha was catching a blossom in her backyard.

“Hurry up,” cried Mommy. “You’ll be late for school.”

Tisha has spent the entire day rushing. She has to hustle for the bus in the morning, though she wants to stop and listen to the sounds around her. She has to quickly put her crayons away at school, though she’s not finished with her drawing. She even has to speed through recess so she doesn’t miss lunch. So when Mommy picks her up, Tisha asks if they can please “have a little slowdown.” What if they walked instead of taking the bus? What if they counted cars and seagulls, umbrellas and hats? What if they simply sat on a bench in the sunshine and gave names to the pigeons in the park? From the creators of Grandpa’s Top Threes comes a beautifully illustrated, tenderly told story about taking the time to experience the world around us, listen to one another, and enjoy the little things in life.

My Take on the Book
To often kids are going 100 miles a minute and fail to learn to slow down and be mindful of the world around them This book takes on mindfulness in a fun way and allows kids to understand mindfulness in a whole new way. This was a fun book for parents and children to enjoy together!

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Book Review - The Bad Day

About the Book

In The Bad Day you get a timely message about the value of collaboration and helping those in need

Squirrel is left hanging when a search for a tasty nut goes wrong. Meanwhile, Bird has his beak buried in a tree trunk, Snake is tied in a knot, Tortoise is upside-down, and Fox? Well, Fox has a suspicious stomachache. These animals are all having a VERY BAD DAY!

But soon it becomes clear that little Mouse is having the worst day of all, and his friends can only help him—and one another—if they work together.


My Take on the Book
This is a very cute story to read to your child that allows you to nicely talk about helping others in a fun and inviting way. The images were fun and drew you into the story. The story is short and to the point but you leave with a good message being shared. I found this to be a story that I could have easily read over and over again to my girls when they were young!

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Book Review - Take Off Your Brave: The World through the Eyes of a Preschool Poet

About the Book

In Take Off Your Brave: The World through the Eyes of a Preschool Poet, see the world through a small child’s eyes in this enchanting collection of poems by a four-year-old, joyfully illustrated by an award-winning artist.

For scared-sugar things, you put on your brave
And you can take it off again, when you realize it’s OK.
And that’s it. Scary and sweet. Scared-sugar.

Four-year-old Nadim puts his words on paper and gives us a glimpse of how he sees the world: one filled with glitter, magical boxes, and cuddles with Mom. A place where school smells like daffodils and honey (and sometimes dirty socks), where Wednesdays are rainbow-colored, where fish in the sea make a shhhh sound, and where everyone has love, even baddies. The poems in this anthology make for joyful reading and are paired with vibrant, child-friendly artwork by Yasmeen Ismail that invites us to full-heartedly enter Nadim’s world. At once funny and sweet, gentle and zany, this anthology may just entice readers young and old to release the poet within.

My Take on the Book
I loved this book! It is funny, but also allows you to see the world through young eyes that make you reevaluate the world around you. The poetry through the book really draws you in and in the end reading this to your young child will allow them to see how the world can be described and shared in a whole new way. 

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Book Review - Everywhere with You

About the Book

In Everywhere with You you get the heartwarming friendship between a girl and the dog next door tenderly evokes the power of stories to bring—and keep—us together.

Two houses stand side by side: one is home to a dog, the other to a young girl. Though a fence divides them, girl and dog build a sweet and sturdy friendship rooted in make-believe . . . and are lonely no more. Paired with moving illustrations and based on a true story, this endearing tale from the author of I, Cosmo testifies to the transformative power of creativity and inter-species friendship.

My Take on the Book
This is a wonderful story that puts the mind of a child in the forefront and allows you to better understand the world around them. This was a nice story about a girl and a dog but even more about friendship, love and more. This was a wonderful story with great illustrations that allows you to connect with your child and open their eyes to the possibilities around them.

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Book Review - Nervous Nigel

About the Book

In Nervous Nigel, a nervous crocodile from a long line of competitive swimmers must find the courage to be honest with his family in this illustrated picture book about being true to yourself.

Nigel loves swimming. The water is his favorite place to be, and he comes from a long line of swimming champions. His mother is the fastest swimmer in crocodile history, and his sister was the first crocodile to get a perfect diving score. But Nigel doesn’t like competitions. His heart hammers when the whistle blows, and his tail trembles when he hears the shouting from the sidelines. But he doesn’t want to disappoint his family, so he never tells them how he really feels. And when they enter him in his first real competition, Nigel doesn’t know what to do. Will he ever find the courage to tell his family the truth?


My Take on the Book

This is a great book for kids. The story and illustrations really draw you in from the beginning to end. The great thing of this book is the overall message of the book itself. You and your children will be drawn into the book and will leave learning a lot about people and the world around you!

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Book Review - The Boy with Flowers in His Hair

About the Book
In The Boy With Flowers in His Hair, Jarvis offers a moving tale of friendship, kindness, and acceptance, softly touching on the subjects of illness or hardship in a way that young children can understand.

Everyone likes David, the boy with flowers in his hair. He’s sweet and gentle, just like his colorful petals. David and his best friend have a great time together, finding the good puddles, making up songs, and running away from the bees. But one day David comes to school wearing a hat, and he is quiet. When he takes off the hat, his bright petals flutter down like butterflies. Now, where his flowers were looks twiggy and prickly, causing the other children to stay away. But David’s best friend has an idea—a way to help David get his color back, wielding paintbrushes and plenty of love. Sensitively told and simply illustrated, Jarvis’s story invites even the youngest children to talk about difficult subjects in an age-appropriate way—and feel inspired to support others when they face trying times.


My Take on the Book
This was a great book for boys in your life that are sensitive. The story is fun and the illustrations are beautiful. This is a story for all parents to read to their children. The story speaks of friendship, inclusion and more and in the end the story teaches you about acceptance.

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Book Review - I Am Ruby Bridges

About the Book

In I Am Ruby Bridges you get a beautiful and poetic reflection, Ruby Bridges tells her story as never before and shares the events of the momentous day in 1960 when Ruby became the first child to integrate the school system as a six year old little girl -- a personal and intimate look through a child's lens at a landmark moment in our Civil Rights history. My work will be precious,

I will be a bridge between people…

I will bridge the “gap” between black & white…

… but hopefully all people!

I suppose some things in life are just meant to be.

When Ruby Bridges was just six years old, she became the first African American student to integrate an elementary school in the South. Based on the pivotal events that happened in 1960 and told from her own point of view for the first time, in a poetic reflection on her experience that changed the face of history and the trajectory of the Civil Rights movement.

I Am Ruby Bridges offers hope and confidence to all children and is a perfect learning tool for schools and libraries to teach the story of Ruby Bridges as never before and introducing this landmark story to young readers in a powerful new way. This story of innocence and courage is brought to life by NAACP-nominated artist, Nikkolas Smith through stunning and beautiful illustrations. Embracing the meaning of her name, Bridges reflects with poignancy and heart on the way one brave little girl stood proud and tall to help build a bridge between all people and pave the path for future generations.


My Take on the Book
This was a wonderful book that really tells an amazing story of an important time in the history of the civil rights movement. The book was written from Ruby's point of view which was a lot of fun to read. The book had a great flow and as a reader I loved reading on how Ruby was the first. While you may not know what the first was, you get to know throughout every page that goes by.

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Book Review - Dragonfly Eyes

About the Book
In Dragonfly Eyes Ah-Mei and her French grandmother, Nainai, share a rare bond. Maybe it’s because Ah-Mei is the only girl grandchild. Or maybe it’s because the pair look so much alike and neither resembles the rest of their Chinese family. Politics and war make 1960s Shanghai a hard place to grow up, especially when racism and bigotry are rife, and everyone seems suspicious of Nainai’s European heritage and interracial marriage. In this time of political upheaval, Ah-Mei and her family suffer much—and when the family silk business falters, they are left with almost nothing. Ah-Mei and her grandmother are resourceful, but will the tender connection they share bring them enough strength to carry through? This multigenerational saga by one of China’s most esteemed children’s authors takes the reader from 1920s France to a ravaged postwar Shanghai and through the convulsions of the Cultural Revolution.

 
My Take on the Book
This was a powerful book that shares the story of a family that has many trials and tribulations. One of the things I appreciated was that the book brings in a ton of history of Japan and China. The historical tie in helps the reader to better understand the plight of the family too. As someone that loves historical fiction this book really was one that stood out. While the author does use history throughout the book, it is well coordinated throughout the entire book which makes the book even more enjoyable. 

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