Tuesday, May 14, 2024

68-72. Early readers and early chapter books


68. Fox versus Fox. Corey R Tabor. 2024. [March] 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Hi, I am Fox! No, I am Fox. I am Fox, too! Hmm.

Premise/plot: Fox is starring in yet another adventure. In this newest book Fox is meeting another Fox--a white fox. Will these two foxes get along? become friends? Perhaps. 

My thoughts: This newest book has less adventure, perhaps it has less than a plot. It is enjoyable in that it stars FOX. I have really come to love, love, love this character. Fox is always having adventures and getting into trouble. In this one, it is just two foxes getting to know a little bit about each other. This is accomplished technically by action (as opposed to conversation). 


69. Bear and Bird: The Stars and Other Stories. Jarvis. 2023. [October 10] 64 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Bird woke  up and made herself some tea. She was thinking about the argument from the day before. She couldn't quite remember what it was about. Something to do with a spoon. Bust she knew she had fallen out with Bear and needed a new best friend.

Premise/plot: Bear and Bird are friends--best friends. This is an early chapter book for young readers. It features four stories: "The Spoon," "The Cake," "The Rock," and "The Stars." In the first story, Bear and Bird start out in the middle of a fight. Bear is looking for a new best friend. Bird is looking for a new best friend. There's an exchange of [anonymous] letters where each is seeking a new best friend... In the second story, Bird makes Bear a cake....and Bear makes something far from a cake. In "The Rock" Bear and Bird go on the search for a new cake for their tea party. Things take a twist when the "rocks" start moving. In "The Stars," Bear and Bird are reflective about the good things in life. This conversation happens when they are stargazing.

My thoughts: I absolutely love, love, love, love, LOVE this early chapter book. Bear and Bird are delightful characters. The stories are enchanting in a delightful, lovely way. I just learned that this is the second book in the series. I will definitely be checking to see if the first book is at the library.


70. Duck and Moose: Duck Moves In. Kirk Reedstrom. 2024. [March] 64 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Ahhh. What a beautiful day. The sun is shining....the birds are chirping....the bees are buzzing....Blech. I hate it. I want some quiet.

Premise/plot: Moose meets Duck. Duck is SO different from Moose. Duck definitely knows how to liven things up a bit. Moose is a little reluctant to be friends with Duck....yet Duck may just win Moose over by the end. These two may even become best friends.

My thoughts: I liked this one. I don't know that I crazy loved it. However, it was, I believe, the first in a new series. The characters may very well grow on me if I keep reading the series. And this early chapter book is graphic novel. 


71. Duck and Moose: Moose Blasts Off. Kirk Reedstrom. 2024. [March] 64 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: I wonder where Moose is. 

Premise/plot: Moose is VERY imaginative in this one. (A bit out of character maybe from his introduction???) He loves to imagine he is an astronaut in space. Duck is NOT imaginative--at least not at first. (Again not how I'd imagine him to be based on the introduction). Moose is happy to imagine alone...Duck wants to be involved. But Duck's plans for playing together and Moose's plan conflict. Duck wants dinosaurs involved. Moose decidedly does not. Can these two friends stay friends when their imaginations go wild?

My thoughts: This one was silly. I enjoyed how the imaginings were illustrated. I definitely enjoyed this one more than the first book. Though I still don't know if I actually KNOW-KNOW the characters. But it was silly and fun. 


72. Happy Pudding. Kimberly Gee. 2023. [August] 64 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Is that sunshine?

Premise/plot: Arlo invites friends over to celebrate the end of a storm. Sounds relatively predictable, right????

My thoughts: This book is WEIRD. W-E-I-R-D. Namely because Arlo has a stove that HAS A FACE and TALKS back to him (and sometimes sings). Arlo and Cooky (the stove) have a strong friendship. Arlo's friends seem unusual choices--but friendships can at times be unusual and unexpected. (I just never personally thought a rhino (that is what Arlo is???? isn't it????) would be good friends with a [tiny] worm. But really it is all about the talking stove to me. It was just a NO from the get go.

© 2024 Becky Laney of Young Readers

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