16. Toto

    

16. Toto. Hyewon Yum. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book]

First sentence: Sometimes I wonder
how I would look without Toto.
Would I look pretty?
Would I look plain?

Premise/plot: A little girl with a birthmark (a birthmark she has named Toto) starts school and makes a friend.

My thoughts: I liked this one. I did. I'm not sure I absolutely loved, loved, loved it. But I strongly liked it. I will always be the first to check out stories with characters with birthmarks because of my own experiences. I am glad that more books are coming out in recent years. The text is simple and joyful.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

15. Trouble Finds Plum!

   

Trouble Finds Plum. Matt Phelan. 2023. 128 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, animal fantasy, early chapter book, j fiction]

First sentence: Some days are just perfect for a trip to the zoo. Clear blue skies. Pleasant sunshine. Warm, but not sticky hot. This was not one of those days.

Premise/plot: Trouble Finds Plum is part of a series. If GoodReads bothered to include the number in the title or description, I could place it within the series for you. Plum, our hero, is in TROUBLE, big trouble thanks to a gang of bossy, demanding raccoons who have 'invaded' the zoo and are demanding special treatment. It may just take all the animals in the zoo working together and some brainstorming besides to clear up this mess.

My thoughts: I have really loved some of this series. I've liked some of the books in the series. This one was good. I definitely enjoyed it. Plum and friends are super fun. 

IT is the third book in the series.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

14. Ratnip: Lost and Found in the City

 

14. Ratnip: Lost and Found in the City. Cam Higgins. Illustrated by Allison Steinfeld. 2025. [February] 128 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, animal fantasy, early chapter book]

First sentence: "First one out of bed is a rotten egg!" Mmm, rotten egg. I licked my lips. Rotten eggs are the slimiest. And the yummiest! My nose wiggled as I imagined the deliciously stinky stench of a rotten egg. My whiskers twitched as I almost tasted its gooey greenness.

Premise/plot: Ratnip is....you guessed it...a rat. He and his large family live in the city in an abandoned pizzeria. Not all of his siblings are comfortable enough going out on the streets to scrounge for food, but Ratnip finds it quite the adventure. Humans are so curious! In this first book in a new series, Ratnip finds a cell phone and becomes determined to return this lost object to its owner. But how is this to be achieved? After all, he's a rat and the phone is awkward to lug around! It might just take some friends new and old to get the job done.

My thoughts: I liked this one. I am always happy to give new early chapter books a try. Would I have liked it more if it had been mice instead of rats? Perhaps. I do always enjoy animal fantasy. This one was cute enough--well, if you can get over rats and cute being in the same sentence. There are three more books already in the works for this series. And the author has another series as well. 

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

13. Pasta! These Names Are Fun To Say

 

13. Pasta! These Names are Fun To Say. Felice Arena. Illustrated by Beatrice Cerocchi. 2024. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars]

First sentence: These pasta words are fun to say...
macaroni
rigatoni
cannelloni
Pasta! 

Is the book strictly necessary? Of course not! Is the book fun? Strongly leaning towards yes. What I can say with confidence is that THESE [pasta] NAMES ARE FUN TO SAY. So the book delivers on its promise.

The book is straightforward enough. It is a celebration of all things pasta--mostly. It views pasta as a way of life. (Almost). It's silly and exuberant.

I definitely enjoyed this one. I didn't love the illustrations though I did love the cover. 

It reminded me of one of my favorite Sesame Street songs/skits about tortellini.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

12. Gnome and Rat: First Snow

12. Gnome and Rat First Snow (Gnome and Rat #3) Lauren Stohler. 2024. [November] 80 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, graphic novel, early chapter book]

First sentence: A four-letter word for 'something fluffy and white, that falls overnight...'

Premise/plot: Gnome and Rat star in their third adventure together in Lauren Stohler's Gnome and Rat First Snow! Rat and Gnome have been invited to Rat's family event Nest Fest. But the journey to get there, well, it is packed with a lot of missteps and adventures. 

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved the first book. I haven't read the second book--still on order at the library. The third book is one I wanted to love: it sounds FUN. However, it just didn't charm and delight me like the first book. Though the misadventures were technically different/distinct, the journey to get there just seemed so slow-paced to me. Granted I am NOT the target audience, obviously. I do enjoy the characters. I will definitely read the second book when it arrives.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers