Friday, April 30, 2010

April Favorites


These are my favorite reads for April 2010.

Where's Your Nose? Begin Smart Books. 2010. May 2010. 16 pages.
My Little Baby. Begin Smart Books. 2010. May 2010. 16 pages.
The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah. By Leslie Kimmelman. Illustrated by Paul Meisel. 2010. February 2010. Holiday House. 32 pages.
Dogs. Emily Gravett. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages.
Farm. Elisha Cooper. 2010. April 2010. Scholastic. 48 pages.
I Am Going! (An Elephant & Piggie Book). Mo Willems. 2010. Hyperion. 64 pages.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Poetry Friday: Dinothesaurus


Dinothesaurus: Prehistoric Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian. 2009. March 2009. Simon & Schuster. 56 pages.

If you've got kids that love dinosaurs, this one is too fun to miss! Douglas Florian has written poems about all sorts of dinosaurs. And with the pronunciation guide, you might just be able to read some of these aloud.

One of my favorites is Stegoceras.

Thick head. Brick head. Hard head, too.
Round head. Mound head. Odd head, you.
Bone head. Stone head. Head like a dome.
Bash head. Smash head. Then head home.



If you're familiar with Douglas Florian's previous works, you know that he is a great poet for kids. If you're not familiar with his works, you should be! You may or may not be all that interested in dinosaurs, but chances are you'll find something of his to appreciate. (Some of his books include Laugh-Eteria, Insectlopedia, Mammalabilia, Comets, Stars, The Moon, and Mars, Lizards, Frogs, and Poliwogs, Beast Feast, and Bing Bang Boing.)

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Princesses Are Not Perfect


Princesses Are Not Perfect. Kate Lum. Illustrated by Sue Hellard. 2010. March 2010. Bloomsbury. 32 pages.
Once there were three princesses: Princess Allie, Princess Mellie, and Princess Libby. They lived in a rose-covered palace by the sea. They weren't the kind of princesses who sit around doing nothing. They were very busy. They grew things in the garden, baked things in the kitchen, and built things in the workshop. Each princess had her specialty.
What happens when these three princesses decide to switch jobs one day? They each learn that princesses are not perfect, that each princess has their own special talent, their own gift, that certain something that makes them special, unique. And of course, they learn it is best to do what they love.

I liked this one. I didn't expect to like it. The illustrations didn't seem all that inviting--to me--a bit too busy perhaps. But once I started reading this one, I found it be charming.

This one is a follow-up to Princesses Are Not Quitters (2003).

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Not All Princesses Dress In Pink


Not All Princesses Dress in Pink. By Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple. Illustrated by Anne-Sophie Lanquetin. 2010. June 2010. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages.
Not all princesses dress in pink.
Some play in bright red socks that stink,
blue team jerseys that don't quite fit,
accessorized with a baseball mitt,
and a sparkly crown.
I like the premise of this one. That no two princesses are alike. That you don't have to love pink to be a princess. But while it celebrates individuality, I couldn't help but notice that while princesses don't all dress in pink--apparently all of them do have to have a sparkly crown. Sometimes the use of the phrase "and a sparkly crown" sticks out more than others. In my opinion, this insertion sometimes spoils the story.

For example,
Some princesses roll around,
wrestling on the muddy ground,
then get right up to skip and dance
in tattered, stained and muddy pants,
and a sparkly crown.
I also wasn't crazy about the artwork. Though illustrations are certainly something subjective. Just because I didn't care for them won't mean that you won't.


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Lily Brown's Paintings


Lily Brown's Paintings. By Angela Johnson. Illustrated by E.B. Lewis. 2007. Scholastic. 32 pages.

Lily Brown loves her mama, daddy, and baby brother and the world they live in.
Sometimes she spins around her room thinking about their world. And it's wondrous.
But when Lily Brown paints, her world starts to change.

The sunlight turns to stars,
and Lily begins flying
around them. All the universe
is one big colorful splash.

The stars circle the planets
in Lily Brown's paintings...
Lily Brown's Paintings is a book about wonder and joy. A celebration of life and art. Of beauty and imagination. I really enjoyed this one. I thought it was beautifully written. And I thought the illustrations by Lewis complemented the text well.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Monday, April 26, 2010

Nonfiction Monday: Wangari's Trees of Peace


Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story From Africa. Jeanette Winter. 2008. Harcourt. 32 pages.
Wangari lives under an umbrella of green trees in the shadow of Mount Kenya in Africa.
She watches the birds in the forest where she and her mother go to gather firewood for cooking.
And she helps harvest the sweet potatoes, sugarcane, and maize from the rich soil.
Wangari Maathai is an environmentalist who won in the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. This book is the story of how she started a movement in her own country by planting just nine seedlings. After returning to her country--after attending school in America--Wangari was saddened by the loss of trees. She hated seeing what the lack of trees was doing to the environment, the community, the village. She wanted everything to be green again. What can one woman do? Well, for one thing get other women involved too! By working together they can make a difference!


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Saturday, April 24, 2010

What's Your Sound Hound the Hound?


What's Your Sound, Hound the Hound (A Cat the Cat book) by Mo Willems. 2010. April 2010. HarperCollins. 32 pages.

This one is part of Mo Willems' newest series for young readers, Cat the Cat. (Other titles include Cat the Cat Who is That? and Let's Say Hi to Friends Who Fly! Another title Time To Sleep, Sheep the Sheep! is scheduled for June 2010. So it will be exciting to follow this series as each one is released.)

I love this one. It's cute. It's simple. It's fun. Cat the Cat is back talking with her animal friends. And this time the question is what's your sound.

What's your sound,
Hound the Hound?
Woof! Woof! Woof!

What's your sound,
Chick the Chick?
Peep!
I love books with animal sounds, and this one is no exception! I found it very playful. And I liked the twist on this one!!!


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Friday, April 23, 2010

Let's Say Hi to Friends Who Fly!


Let's Say Hi to Friends Who Fly (A Cat the Cat Book) by Mo Willems. 2010. February 2010. HarperCollins. 24 pages.

Simple can be a good thing. Such is the case with Mo Willems' latest series Cat the Cat. Let's Say Hi To Friends Who Fly is one of the books in the series.
Can you fly, Bee the Bee?
Watch me!
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Go, Bee the Bee!
Cat the Cat is asking all of her friends (like Bee the Bee and Bat the Bat) if they can fly. The text is a bit predictable, but that doesn't mean it's not without its surprises!

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Moon Bear


Moon Bear. Brenda Z. Guiberson. Illustrated by Ed Young. 2010. May 2010. Henry Holt. 40 pages.
Who blinks in the sunlight that peeks through the Himalayas?

Sleepy moon bear,
waking up
from a long winter snooze.
I liked this one. I liked the question and answer format. I liked the way the book progresses through all four seasons. I liked learning more about Asiatic black bears. (I thought the format was very reader-friendly.) And I thought the illustrations were very expressive. Some were quite striking!


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Farm


Farm. Elisha Cooper. 2010. April 2010. Scholastic. 48 pages.

Take a farmer, another farmer, a boy, a girl.
Add a house, two barns, four silos, some sheds, three tractors,
some trucks, a few farmhands, and plenty of equipment.
Then cattle, chickens, countless cats, a dog.
Put them all together and you get...
a farm.
There is so much to appreciate about Elisha Cooper's Farm. It's a very detailed picture book--an informational picture book--about the ins and outs of farm life. Readers get a glimpse of what a farm looks like--up, close, and personal--throughout the year, through all the seasons. What do I mean about getting up, close, and personal, well, it means that readers get descriptions of what a farm, a modern farm, is really like. This isn't a simplified, cutesy picture book for the preschool crowd.

I like it because it's straight forward. I like it because it's down-to-earth. I like it because of the layered details.

For example,
Some of the barn cats don't have names. Some do. There's Oreo. She's black and white. She's sweet, and good at catching mice. There's Claw. He's always scratching something--the dog, the other cats, the barn. Fern has a purr bigger than she is, and a tail she wraps around the legs of anyone who walks past. Martha S. is constantly cleaning herself with her tongue. She's very clean, for a barn cat.
I love the descriptions! I do. Overall, I thought the writing was great in this one. And I'd definitely recommend it.


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

I Am Going!


I Am Going! (An Elephant & Piggie Book). Mo Willems. 2010. Hyperion. 64 pages.

This is a good day.

I love Gerald and Piggie. I do. I find Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie series to be one of the best, one of the funniest series ever. In I Am Going, Gerald, the Elephant, becomes distraught when he learns that Piggie, his best friend, is going. Where is she going? He doesn't know. He doesn't really care where. He just knows that she absolutely, positively can't leave him. Why if she left him, who would he "skip and play ping-pong in a silly hat with?!?!" Can Gerald convince Piggie to stay?

Read and see for yourself!

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Monday, April 19, 2010

Max Spaniel: Funny Lunch


Max Spaniel: Funny Lunch. David Catrow. 2010. May 2010. Scholastic. 40 pages.

My name is Max.
I am not a dog.
I am a great chef.


Max is back in his second adventure. If you haven't read Max Spaniel: Dinosaur Hunt yet, you should! It's one of my favorite books (for this age group) that I read last year! It was so funny. It just felt so right.

Is Funny Lunch funny?! Yes! I enjoyed this one. I really did. Readers (of all ages) have to pay attention to the illustrations to "get" everything this one has to offer. I personally like it when the illustrations take the story a bit further than the text. I love discovering all the small details in the illustrations. My favorite spread shows Max growling. The text reads, "A tummy growls. I growl back."

I definitely recommend both of these books.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Friday, April 16, 2010

The Night Fairy


The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz. Illustrated by Angela Barrett. 2010. February 2010. Candlewick Press. 128 pages.

Flory was a night fairy. She was born a little before midnight when the moon was full. For the rest of her life--and fairies can live hundreds of years--that hour, a little before midnight, would be the time when her magic was strongest.

Flory may be a fairy, but she's not immortal.

There are those who say that fairies have no troubles, but this is not true. Fairies are magical creatures, but they can be hurt--even killed--when they are young and their magic is not strong. Young fairies have no one to take care of them, because fairies make bad parents. Babies bore them. A fairy godmother is an excellent thing, but a fairy mother is a disaster. (2)

So Flory is a young fairy trying to do the best she can to take care of herself. But an encounter with a bat leaves her wounded, fearing that she may never fly again, Flory does the best she can to adapt. To try to be a day fairy. To try to find a way to take care of herself. This is a tricky time for her. And who could blame her for being a little grumpy, a little bitter. And I should add more than a little bit bossy.Can Flory find a way to make the best of this bad situation? Can she make a friend or two?



This one is a nice fantasy for children.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Mercy Watson Thinks Like A Pig


Mercy Watson Thinks Like A Pig. Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. 2008. Candlewick. 80 pages.

Mr. Watson and Mrs. Watson have a pig named Mercy.
Mr. Watson, Mrs. Watson, and Mercy live together in a house at 54 Deckawoo Drive.
One day, Mr. Watson and Mrs. Watson and Mercy were sitting on their patio.
Mr. Watson and Mrs. Watson and Mercy were drinking lemonade.
Mr. Watson said, "Mrs. Watson, this lemonade makes my lips feel puckery."
"I put an awful lot of lemons in it," said Mrs. Watson.
"That explains it," said Mr. Watson.
I finally got a chance to read this one, the fifth in the series. Last month, I read the other five Mercy Watson books. Fortunately, you don't have to read the books in order to appreciate Mercy Watson*.

What is this Mercy Watson adventure about? Well, it's about Mercy being Mercy. And Eugenia being Eugenia. Eugenia, for those that may not be familiar with the series, is a neighbor who DOES NOT like having a pig live next door. Not even a little bit. No, Eugenia is tired of the pig ruining everything. And she's had enough! She's calling animal control. Surely, they can send someone to take care of one not-so-little pig, right?

I love the Mercy Watson books because they are funny. I think you might like them too!

*Here are the other books:

Mercy Watson to the Rescue. Kate DiCamillo. 2005. Candlewick Press. 80 pages.
Mercy Watson Goes For A Ride. Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. 2006. Candlewick Press. 80 pages.
Mercy Watson Fights Crime. Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. 2006. Candlewick. 80 pages.
Mercy Watson Princess in Disguise. Kate DiCamillo. 2007. Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. 73 pages.
Mercy Watson Something Wonky This Way Comes. Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. 2009. Candlewick Press. 96 pages.


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Just Like A Baby


Just Like A Baby. Juanita Havill. Illustrated by Christine Davenier. 2009. February 2009. Chronicle Books 32 pages.
When Ellen was born, the relatives came to celebrate. Grandmas and grandpas. Aunties and uncles. And cousins by the dozens.

Everyone ohhed. "Looked at the sparkle in her eyes!"
Everyone ahhed. "She hardly ever cries."
Everyone cooed and gitchy-gitchy-gooed.
"She's smart." "So cheerful." "And strong!"
Everyone had plans for Ellen.

A family has come together to celebrate a new life, a new member of the family. Each relative has a hope, a dream for this new bundle of joy. And a gift! Each relative has something special to give the baby! So pay attention to the illustrations to see how they complement the text!

Baby Ellen is just a baby though. And she has a personality all her own!

Readers might also enjoy Martin Waddell's When The Teddy Bears Came.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Baby Blessings: A Prayer For the Day You Are Born


Baby Blessings: A Prayer for the Day You Are Born. Deloris Jordan. Illustrated by James E. Ransome. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages.
Today you are born.
You will always be loved with a love that knows no bounds.
You will touch the world in your own special way.
We pray that you will always be kind.
This book is a prayer, an affirmation, a blessing. It is beautifully illustrated by James E. Ransome. The illustrations show a family growing, loving, and living. These domestic portraits complement the text well.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Monday, April 12, 2010

Dogs


Dogs. Emily Gravett. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages.
I love dogs.
I love big dogs and small dogs.
I love tough dogs and soft dogs.
I love dogs that bark and dogs that don't.
I thought this book was very fun! And cute! If you love dogs, if you love animals, you need to read this one! Who's telling this story? Well, I can't tell you. I won't tell you! Just trust me. It's good.

I really, really love Emily Gravett. (I've reviewed several of her books: Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears, and Monkey and Me.) Her illustrations are so detailed, so right. I just love them!!!


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Friday, April 9, 2010

Begin Smart: Animal Faces


Animal Faces. Begin Smart Books. 2009. October 2009. 8 pages.
Chicken
Lamb
Frog
This Begin Smart book is recommended for babies age newborn to six months. It is made of cloth.

This one is simple. Very simple. It shows little ones animal faces. One by one new animal faces are introduced. The backgrounds are very bold colors. I think the fact that it is made of cloth-- plus it's animal-like handle--will make this one easy for little hands to grab, to hold, to chew.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Begin Smart: Look Around and Listen


Look Around and Listen. Begin Smart Books. 2009. October 2009. 8 pages.

This Begin Smart book is recommended for babies age newborn to six months. And it features a squeaky toy. A very small squeaky toy. The book itself is a bath book. One that definitely wouldn't suffer from getting a little wet--which could be a good thing! Each page introduces an object--keys, a bell, a duck, a cat, a sleeping baby, a bird, etc--in the illustration and also introduces its sound--meow, quack, jingle, ring, tweet, etc.


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Begin Smart: Bouncy Baby


Bouncy Baby. Begin Smart Books. 2009. October 2009. 12 pages.

Bouncy baby
Bouncy lap
Little baby likes to
clap, clap, clap

Feet kick
Feet prance
Little baby likes to
dance, dance, dance




This Begin Smart board book is for babies six to twelve months. It is a fun little book! A lift-the-flap book. The rhythm of this one, the rhyme of it, just works perfectly! It's just a fun little book to read aloud.


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Begin Smart: Baby Says


Baby Says. Begin Smart Books. 2009. October 2009. 16 pages.

This one isn't so much a book as it is a collection of vocabulary picture cards strung together on a plastic teether ring. There are words/pictures on the front and back of each card. This product is recommended for babies age six to twelve months. What kinds of words are included? dog, cat, fish, bird, ball, duck, baby, book, apple, truck, boat, train, sun, moon, flower, etc.


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Monday, April 5, 2010

Begin Smart: My Little Baby


My Little Baby. Begin Smart Books. 2010. May 2010. 16 pages.
My pup says Woof!
woof
woof

My chick says bleat!
bleat
bleat
This Begin Smart book is recommended for babies age newborn to six months. It is also a touch-and-feel book. Once again I am impressed with the quality of the touch-and-feel elements in this board book!

In My Little Baby, little ones are introduced to various animals (penguins, elephants, chickens, dogs, cats, etc.) and their babies. (The book also introduces animal sounds.)

There is something so comforting, so soothing, so right about this one. It's just a very pleasing book. The touch-and-feel elements are so well done, the illustrations are so well done. It just works really well.

Definitely recommended.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Begin Smart: Where's Your Nose


Where's Your Nose? Begin Smart Books. 2010. May 2010. 16 pages.
This teddy bear touches his toes.
Can you touch bear's toes?
Where are your toes?

This teddy bear touches his nose.
Can you touch bear's nose?
Where is your nose?
This Begin Smart book is recommended for babies six to twelve months. It's a touch-and-feel book too. And one of the better quality touch-and-feel books I've come across in my reviewing. So many different textures represented. (I especially loved seeing the touch-and-feel sweater!)
The text's many questions make this one have the potential for being truly interactive.

Definitely recommended!

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Aunt Mary's Rose


Aunt Mary's Rose. By Douglas Wood. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. 2010. March 2010. Candlewick Press. 32 pages.
I looked all over the rosebush in Aunt Mary's backyard, the bush she had asked me to water.
I looked at the blossoms. I looked at each petal. I looked at the leaves. At the stems. I even looked around the roots.
"Take care of the rose, Douglas," Aunt Mary had said, "and one day there will be a little bit of you inside of it. And a little bit of the rose inside of you."
I had just poured two pails of water on the rosebush, pulled out some crabgrass, and plucked off a couple of old blossoms and some yellow leaves.
Now I looked it over very carefully, and all I saw was...rosebush.
Douglas Wood's Aunt Mary's Rose is a quiet, intimate portrayal of a family through the decades. A story of what it's like to grow up in a certain time and place. A family story as well. About the bonds a family share and create. About memories. About the stories a family passes on. About family legacies. About the connections we make that last forever. It's a story about love.


It's definitely a picture book for older readers because there is a great deal of text. But for those readers that realize that picture books don't always have to be for the little ones, don't have to be about babyish things, there is much to appreciate here.

I have been a big fan of LeUyen Pham for years. I just love, love, love her work. I do. So anytime I see her name, I just have to read the book!

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Saturday, April 3, 2010

The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah


The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah. By Leslie Kimmelman. Illustrated by Paul Meisel. 2010. February 2010. Holiday House. 32 pages.
The year was passing. The Little Red Hen could feel the change of the seasons in the tips of her tail feathers. She could smell it in the barnyard air. She could see it on her calendar...
"Oy gevalt!" exclaimed the Little Red Hen, thinking ahead to spring. "Before I know it, it will be time for Passover. I will need some matzah for my Seder dinner, and that begins with some grains of wheat."
You're probably already familiar with the story of the Little Red Hen. But in The Little Red Hen And The Passover Matzah, Leslie Kimmelman puts a unique twist on a familiar story. What if The Little Red Hen and all of her friends--the horse, the sheep, the dog--were Jewish?
Before she knew it, it was spring, the morning of the first night of Passover. The Little Red Hen had cleaned her house, top to bottom. There wasn't a crumb of bread to be found anywhere.
"Time to make the matzah," the Little Red Hen announced to her friends. "Who wants to help?" Everyone deserves a second--or fourth chance, she reminded herself. But what do you think the Little Red Hen heard?
I liked this one. I really liked it. I thought it added some much-needed character to the original story!

The book does include a recipe for matzah. In addition there is a glossary of Yiddish words used in the book.

I believe it has received two starred reviews, one in School Library Journal, the second in Publishers Weekly.


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Porky and Bess


Porky and Bess. By Ellen Weiss and Mel Friedman. Illustrated by Marsha Winborn. 2010. February 2010. Random House. 48 pages.
Porky and Bess were best friends, but they could not have been more different.
Porky didn't mind a mess. Bess liked things just so.
Porky lived alone. He liked it that way.
Bess had three kittens. Their names were Two, Three, and Bunky. Porky didn't like children much.
Porky is messy. He likes it that way. Don't even think about trying to make him change his ways.
He liked bread that was three days old. He liked to keep it on the kitchen chair.
He liked to take his socks off every day and leave them on the floor. Once a week he picked them up and put them in the wash basket.
Bess' house is perfect. Or she likes to think so anyway! Just like Porky's house makes Bess nervous, Bess' house makes Porky anxious.
Porky was afraid to touch anything. The cups and plates were all lined up, littlest to biggest. There was not a speck of dust on the floor. All the kittens' toys were put away neatly.
While these two friends may not always understand each other, understand why the other is the way he/she is, there is no denying that these two are really best friends. Porky and Bess is a good chapter book for newly independent readers who are just starting to read books with paragraphs.

I liked this one.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Friday, April 2, 2010

Book Blogger Hop

This is my first time participating in the Book Blogger Hop. But it looked like fun. Here at Young Readers I review mainly children's books. This includes board books (and other activity books for the youngest ones), picture books, early readers, and chapter books.

I'm always on the look out for other book bloggers that review in these same categories. So if you review board books and picture books, please let me know! I'd love to create a blog roll of book bloggers that just focus on books for young children. So feel free to share a link (or two) in the comments!

Have you read any good picture books lately? I'd love to hear about it! Recommendations are always welcome!

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Wee Little Bunny


Wee Little Bunny. Lauren Thompson. Illustrated by John Butler. 2010. January 2010. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages.

It was spring in the meadow and the wee little bunny was all brand-new.
This wee little bunny was a busy little bunny.
The star of this one is a wee little bunny, a little brown bunny who is just as cute as he can be. This bunny is eager to explore the world around him! He's not shy at all! No, not him! He's wanting to do anything and everything right then and there. How many things can this busy little bunny do in one day? Read and see for yourself in Wee Little Bunny.


I love, love, love the illustrations!

This is the third "Wee Little" book. There is also Wee Little Chick and Wee Little Lamb to consider! Have you read any of these? Do you have a favorite?

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Where The Mild Things Are


Where the Mild Things Are: A Very Meek Parody. By Maurice Send-Up. Illustrated by Bonnie Leick. 2009. September 2009. Simon & Schuster. 40 pages.

There was a wonderful land filled with horrible monsters.
They had appalling horns and appalling claws and appalling fur and were drawn with far too many lines, which made them very special.
But Mog wasn't horrible at all. He'd sit quietly in his room, reading the dullest books ever written.
Every couple of days his mother would check to make sure he wasn't dead.

I have never been a fan of Where The Wild Things Are. Not as a kid. Not even as a grown-up. I was hoping that this parody would be something I'd enjoy. But. It wasn't. Perhaps you have to love the original? I'm not sure exactly why this parody didn't work for me. I just know that personally I found the jokes falling flat time and time again. I think it was meant to be funny. That Mog's un-adventures were meant to be really funny. And maybe to you they will be?! Who knows.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Who's That Snoring?


Who's that Snoring? A Pull-the-Tab Bedtime Book. Jason Chapman. 2010. January 2010. Simon & Schuster. 12 pages.
It was quiet in the barn. Everyone was fast asleep. Then someone started snoring--it was loud and very deep.
Someone in the barn is snoring! And that snoring is waking up animals here, there, and everywhere. Can these animals work together to find out WHO is snoring?!

Each spread has a pull-tab for young readers. These tabs show the farm animals waking up one by one. And sometimes they look very grumpy. As more and more animals join the search...it becomes very noisy, very quickly!



If you enjoy books with lots of animal sounds, farm animal sounds, then this one might be just right for you!

© Becky Laney of Young Readers