book reviews
Illustration from Bears Don't Read by Emma Chichester Clark.
CLICK TO READ the Latest review HIGHLIGHTS!
For reviews of older titles, check out our pre-2017 review highlights.
a quick look at some of our most recent reviews (UPDATED 12/7/18)
On Birdhouse & Bug Hotel (Clover Robin):
Notes from Dawn: “These are two wonderful books that are educational and entertaining. … Kane Miller books are books kids love to read.”
On Bully on the Bus (Kathryn Apel):
Mom Read It: “Told in verse from Leroy’s point of view, Bully on the Bus is sensitive, often heartbreaking, and ultimately, hopeful. … It’s a story that encourages kids to seek help and assures them that someone out there wants to listen and wants to help.”
Literacy Daily, "Celebrating Poetry": “Reading this short chapter book in verse is a good opener for discussion of the issue of bullying.”
On Dragon Post (Emma Yarlett):
Imagination Soup: “The story is cute — what to do with an unexpected dragon in your house — and the illustrations are delightful. But the selling point of the whole book is the five letters that kids can take out of the envelopes.”
On Lifesize (Sophy Henn):
Booklist, STARRED: “Full-color illustrations cover every page, and the adorable full-size panda face on the cover is hard to resist. The final pages pull all the examples into a comparison chart, and ask readers to estimate where they would fit. This is a great choice for a more STEM-focused storytime, and here's a helpful hint: make sure there's a mirror on hand so that kids can see how they compare for themselves.”
On Mind Your Manners (Nicola Edwards, Feronia Parker Thomas):
Booklist: “This vastly entertaining book doesn’t reason with or cajole kids to have better manners. It unabashedly points out bad behavior—“Just stop right there!” is the opening salvo—and illustrates its consequences. … The lushly painted backdrop of the jungle, with cartoon-like animals showcased, makes this a delightful, rather than a dutiful, read.”
On Tom & Tallulah and the Witches' Feast (Vivian French, Marta Kissi):
Mom Read It: “Tom and Tallulah are a smart sibling team that work together to get the job done. Tallulah stubbornly tries to do it all on her own, but she has to grow up enough to understand reason and admit her weaknesses. We’ve got villains with ulterior motives, talking animals, and a loving grandmother that needs saving; all good story elements that come together to give readers a magical adventure. Black and white illustrations throughout bring the text to life and create a relationship between readers and characters.”
Notes from Dawn: “These are two wonderful books that are educational and entertaining. … Kane Miller books are books kids love to read.”
On Bully on the Bus (Kathryn Apel):
Mom Read It: “Told in verse from Leroy’s point of view, Bully on the Bus is sensitive, often heartbreaking, and ultimately, hopeful. … It’s a story that encourages kids to seek help and assures them that someone out there wants to listen and wants to help.”
Literacy Daily, "Celebrating Poetry": “Reading this short chapter book in verse is a good opener for discussion of the issue of bullying.”
On Dragon Post (Emma Yarlett):
Imagination Soup: “The story is cute — what to do with an unexpected dragon in your house — and the illustrations are delightful. But the selling point of the whole book is the five letters that kids can take out of the envelopes.”
On Lifesize (Sophy Henn):
Booklist, STARRED: “Full-color illustrations cover every page, and the adorable full-size panda face on the cover is hard to resist. The final pages pull all the examples into a comparison chart, and ask readers to estimate where they would fit. This is a great choice for a more STEM-focused storytime, and here's a helpful hint: make sure there's a mirror on hand so that kids can see how they compare for themselves.”
On Mind Your Manners (Nicola Edwards, Feronia Parker Thomas):
Booklist: “This vastly entertaining book doesn’t reason with or cajole kids to have better manners. It unabashedly points out bad behavior—“Just stop right there!” is the opening salvo—and illustrates its consequences. … The lushly painted backdrop of the jungle, with cartoon-like animals showcased, makes this a delightful, rather than a dutiful, read.”
On Tom & Tallulah and the Witches' Feast (Vivian French, Marta Kissi):
Mom Read It: “Tom and Tallulah are a smart sibling team that work together to get the job done. Tallulah stubbornly tries to do it all on her own, but she has to grow up enough to understand reason and admit her weaknesses. We’ve got villains with ulterior motives, talking animals, and a loving grandmother that needs saving; all good story elements that come together to give readers a magical adventure. Black and white illustrations throughout bring the text to life and create a relationship between readers and characters.”