Category: Picture Book Reviews

REVIEW: But Where Do Sea Turtles Live? by Elina Ellis

REVIEW: But Where Do Sea Turtles Live? by Elina Ellis

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

Alex’s friends in the Curious Explorers Club want to learn about sea turtles, specifically where they live. And while Alex knows the answer, her friends want to explore and find the answer for themselves.

As they ask questions and wonder, Alex shares facts from her field guide – like the various kinds of sea turtles, what they eat, and the risks they encounter in the wild. The book includes information about how kids can start their own Curious Explorers Club as well as a list of resources about sea turtles and ways we can care for the sea turtles’ home, the ocean.

This is another great book in this series, book 3 after books about elephants and tigers. I loved learning about sea turtles with Alex’s friends. The illustrations here are lovely! But my favorite pages are the ones from Alex’s field guide. The field guide pages are colorful and fun while also being beautifully organized and informative.

These books would be great for classroom or homeschool animal studies projects, and easily could be used as mentor texts as students create their own field guides. Parents looking for summer activity ideas could use these as a guide for their kids to do a deep dive into their favorite animals.  Newcomers to this series can definitely start here. These books easily stand alone – but animal fans will want the WHOLE series!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Most Magnificent Team by Ashley Spires

REVIEW: The Most Magnificent Team by Ashley Spires

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The maker girl from the Most Magnificent series finds another maker in her usual work space. And at first that seems amazing – kindred spirits. They can make something together! But working with others can mean changes – and conflicts. Will they quit or find a way forward together?

Review

This was all I hoped it would be! I have been an Ashley Spires fan from the get go – Binky the Space Cat (♥♥♥♥♥), Larf (♥♥♥♥), The Most Magnificent Thing (♥♥♥♥♥), Burt the Beetle Doesn’t Bite. Her artwork calls to me from across the bookstore or library. I can’t resist her work. And as I already love the other books in this series, I was eager to see how this new story fit.

I loved this completely realistic look at the conflict – and magnificence – that can come from working with others. Both girls love building and creating – but they have different approaches and ideas.

This is a great model for kids when it comes to both friendships and group work. This could be a fantastic read aloud before kicking off group projects in the classroom, pre-teaching how to incorporate different gifts and work styles and how to solve conflicts. Ashley Spires fans should not miss this new story!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Bigfoot Field Guide to Campers by Jami Gigot

REVIEW: The Bigfoot Field Guide to Campers by Jami Gigot

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

The Bigfoot Field Guide to Campers (and Other Mysterious Creatures) is two stories in one. The story told by the text is the Field Guide – guidelines for Bigfoots to understand the dangers of encountering campers and how to deal with them. The story told by the illustrations (crayon-coloring style great for the Field Guide feel of this) is the first-hand experience of one Bigfoot with a camper. The layout of this is darling, and the two-story setup is so clever. I enjoyed this friendship story.

This could be a fun mentor text to use while having students make their own field guide. Teachers could pair this with the Alex’s Field Guide series, which I love.

This could also be a mentor text to use with students to see what it is like to tell one story with text and another with pictures. Teachers could pair this with books like Silly Doggy! or Naughty Kitty! (♥♥♥♥).

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz

REVIEW: The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

Ember the dragon is a bit too small to amass a hoard of gold, but he finds his own way to create a different sort of golden hoard.

This is darling! I loved little Ember and the baker who gave him a warm, dry place in a storm – and also a new skill he could share with his dragon friends. The community that is eventually formed between the dragons and the townspeople made for a lovely ending! Pick this up for a cozy read this winter.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Bear in a Bathrobe by Maddie Frost

REVIEW: Bear in a Bathrobe by Maddie Frost

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When Bear’s friends invite him out to go ice skating, he always has an excuse. Bear is not a big fan of the outdoors – especially because he gets to wear his cozy bathrobe when he stays inside!

But Bear’s friends have special things that help them when they feel scared – a special scarf or a lucky hat. Maybe if Bear had a cozy special something he could feel brave enough to join his friends!

Review

This is super cute!! I fell in love with Maddie Frost’s illustrations when I read her Wombats series earlier this year. So I had to check out this picture book  – and it is gorgeous! I love her art style and the cute touches in her spreads. The liner papers in this are rows of coffee/cocoa mugs, and they are darling.

The story here is both funny and inspiring. It’s a friendship story while also being a story about being scared and trying something new anyway. And Bear’s ice skating adventure isn’t perfect. But he’s okay and able to roll with the ups and downs.

This would be a lot of fun to read aloud. And I think kids will want to get up close so they can pour over the artwork in this one. Don’t miss this darling winter story!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great! Might re-read

 

REVIEW: The Imposter by Laura Bower

REVIEW: The Imposter by Laura Bower

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Olive’s beloved Mr. Snuggles goes missing, and she is devastated. So of course, when she finds him again, she is relieved. But Mr. Snuggles is different somehow – cleaner, flufflier. . . .

It’s an imposter!!

Review

This was delightful! Everything works – the simple text, the familiar scenario, Olive’s reactions to every development in the Snuggles situation, the artwork. This would be a hoot to read aloud. Highly recommend!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ – Outstanding!

REVIEW: One Wild Christmas by Nicholas Oldland

REVIEW: One Wild Christmas by Nicholas Oldland

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

Three friends – a bear, a moose, and a beaver – prepare to celebrate Christmas when they realize they forgot to get a tree. Once they find a perfect pine, Bear won’t let them chop it down.

This is an adorable Christmas story that is part of the Life in the Wild series. There’s a small amount of text on each page, and fantastic illustrations that do some of the storytelling heavy-lifting. I enjoyed the humor in this, and the resolution makes this a fun read-aloud for Christmas. This was the first book in the series that I read, and I got such a kick out of it I ended up reading all of them. You can see some of my other reviews at the links above.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: Little Ghost Makes a Friend by Maggie Edkins Willis

REVIEW: Little Ghost Makes a Friend by Maggie Edkins Willis

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Little Ghost has always wanted a friend, but he’s been worried he might scare people away. When someone new moves in next door, and she likes so many of the same things that he does, Little Ghost decides to be brave and invite her over for Halloween.

Review

This is such a sweet friendship story! The artwork is lovely, and the pastel fall colors add to the cozy vibe. And happily, Little Ghost and Anya hit it off right away. She also tells Little Ghost that she’s happy to be his friend exactly as he is – and her human friends agree. This is a super sweet read for the season – check this one out!

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: Mothman's Happy Cryptid Halloween by Andrew Shaffer

REVIEW: Mothman’s Happy Cryptid Halloween by Andrew Shaffer

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and 8th Circle in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

When Halloween gets rained out and everyone decides it’s “the Official Worstest Halloween Ever (in the Whole Entire Universe),”® Mothman and his cryptid friends make a plan to save Halloween.

This follow up to Mothman’s Merry Cryptid Christmas is a fun, quirky story with great artwork. I loved Mothman and Bigfoot especially – Mothman’s costume is a hoot! While the plan to save the day goes awry, there’s still a happy ending, thanks to gracious townspeople and a day off school. The backmatter includes a hilarious cryptid guide.

The next book will be Mothman’s Very Cryptid Valentine, which looks adorable!

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: Griselda Snook's Spectacular Books by Barry Timms

REVIEW: Griselda Snook’s Spectacular Books by Barry Timms

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Tiger Tales in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

Henry helps a bookstore owner on opening day and discovers a “just right” book for himself.

This is a book about the joys of books and bookstores set in a Halloween-ish town. Everyone is friendly, and in the end, the whole town is seen reading. The artwork is lovely – even better in the print version than it was in the electronic! The illustrations will draw kids in to look closely at the book and pour over every picture for the little details. This is would be a good addition to home libraries as well as other collections where you want books with a seasonal feel that are not scary or spooky.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+