228-229. Two picture books

228. Mine! Candace Fleming. Illustrated by Eric Rohmann. 2023. [August] 40 pages. [Source: Library] [Picture book]

First sentence: In a tall, tall tree,
at the tip-tippy-top,
hung a single read apple,
just about to drop.

Premise/plot: Various animals--of all shapes and sizes--all wait in anticipation for the apple to drop from the tree. But WHO will get the apple? Each sees the apple as MINE. The story is told in rhyme.

My thoughts: I absolutely LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the illustrations. The text is good, solid. But for me personally it was the illustrations that took it from "really like" to "love." I thought the story was cute and playful. It has perhaps slightly more suspense than most picture books. It was interesting to see WHO got the apple in the end.

229. Who Made This Mess? Laura Gehl. Illustrated by Aleksandar Stojsic. 2023. [July] 32 pages. [Source: Library] [Picture book]

First sentence: Loud moos in the night
gave Farmer a fright.
Who made the loud moos?

Premise/plot: Expect the unpredictable. Don't be led astray by common sense OR rhyming clues. For example, COWS (which you can see outside his window) are not the ones mooing.) It is instead a silly owl. This book celebrates all things silly. And it is a celebration...or sorts...though not a "birthday party."

My thoughts: I didn't love this one as much as I wanted to love it. I'm all for celebrating silly. (Though not all the time. There's a time and place for pure silliness and nonsense.) But the illustrations just weren't my personal cup of tea. It didn't help that I read this one back to back with MINE (see above) which I absolutely adored--mainly for the illustrations. That being said, I could see this one being used in libraries and classrooms as a group read aloud to young children.

© 2023 Becky Laney of Young Readers