99. Up On Bob

Up On Bob. Mary Sullivan. Illustrated by Mary Sullivan. 2020. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]

 

First sentence: This is Bob. Up on the bed Bob has work to do. The work is hard. But Bob does not mind. Bob likes hard work. Hard work pays off.

Premise/plot: Bob, the dog, has a plan. A good plan, I might add. A plan that involves NAPPING in a bed. (Looks like a child's bed since it has a LOT of toys--hence his "hard work" in the opening sentences in clearing off his napping place.) But Bob's plans might be thwarted...by the cat! Bob calls the cat 'Someone' and that Someone also has a plan--a good plan for how to spend the day.

 My thoughts:  I really loved this one. Sullivan's story is simple--whether deceptively so or not--and hilarious. None of the sentences are complex. My guess is that it would be good for new readers or even pre-readers. (I do think that you get a good idea of the story based on reading the illustrations.) I love, love, love the repetition--the similarity between Bob's good plan and Someone's good plan. I also like the moral of the story--that sometimes life's unexpected "problems" or "obstacles" lead to something better than the original plan. I say the story has a moral, but, to clarify it isn't a preachy message. Readers have to conclude that for themselves.

 Text: 5 out of 5

Illustrations: 5 out of 5

Total: 10 out of 10

 

© 2020 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Daddy-Sitting

Daddy-Sitting. Eve Coy. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: This is Daddy. Today I'm Daddy-sitting.

Premise/plot: A little girl spends a LOVELY day with her Dad.

My thoughts: It had me at hello. My love for this one started early with the END PAPERS. This lovable, adorable, show-stealing cat isn't the one and only reason I adored Eve Coy's Daddy-Sitting. Though spotting the cat on each spread to see what he/she is up to is oh-so-satisfying. (You don't need words to read this cat!)

I loved the relationship between parent and child. It was loving, sweet, tender.

I loved the celebration of the ordinary. This book celebrates the joys of daily family life--mess and all.

I loved reading between the lines. The text tells a definite story. But the illustrations hint at MORE. The narrative shows HER perspective of the day. The illustrations perhaps comes closer to an objective account.

I loved how full of life, full of action, full of IMAGINATION this one is.

I loved how relatable it is.

Also how quotable!

Daddy is very smart. I tell him he can do anything when he grows up. He could be a lion tamer or an astronaut. He could be a famous chocolate maker, or a detective on the case of the missing chocolates...or a nurse treating children who have eaten too much chocolate. 

It's just a joy to read.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 10 out of 10


© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Board book: I Love Science

I Love Science. Allison Wortche. Illustrated by Steve Mack. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 14 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Scientists are curious. Do you wonder...How do volcanoes erupt? What makes a rainbow glow in the sky? What was the BIGGEST dinosaur? Scientists try to figure out how the world works. How does a caterpillar become a buttefly? Why do green leaves turn red, orange, gold?

Premise/plot: This board book is a lovely little introduction to science. It features pages that fold out, flaps that lift, and wheels that turn.

My thoughts: I enjoyed I Love Space. I did. I thought it was fun--clever. But I really LOVED I Love Science. I thought the text was great and the illustrations were bold.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Board book: I Love Space

I Love Space. Allison Wortche. Illustrated by Steve Mack. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 14 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: CALLING ALL ASTRONAUTS! Ready to zoom into space? Hop into your shuttle. 3-2-1...Blast off!

Premise/plot: This board book introduces SPACE to little ones. It is an interactive board book. There are pages that fold out, flaps that lift, and wheels that turn.

My thoughts: I thought this one was cute. It has simple, basic facts about our solar system. It is also super-colorful. I've never thought about space being PURPLE, but why not?!

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Crayon Man

The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons. Natascha Biebow. Illustrated by Steven Salerno. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy]

 First sentence: Once there was a man who saw color everywhere.

Premise/plot: The Crayon Man is a picture book biography of Edward Binney the creator of crayons.

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved this one. The narrative is well written. It's packed with information--which I loved. Plenty of information is included within the sidebars. But at its heart it remains an entertaining story.

Edwin invented a new kind of inexpensive slate pencil that wrote very smoothly--it was gray. Children loved it! He invented a kind of chalk that wasn't dusty and didn't crumble--it was white. Teachers loved it! He invented a wax crayon that would write on wood and paper packaging. It was really, really black. People loved it. 

Edwin's wife was a former school teacher. She told him that children needed better, cheaper crayons. So he set about inventing something that would work.

In a large tub at the mill, Edwin's team measured out the ingredients: melted wax, clay to thicken, something for texture, colored powders, each in just the right amount every time to make...a top secret formula. Slowly, carefully, stirring by hand, they poured the special formula into thin, crayon-shaped molds, smaller than any other inventors' just the right size for children's hands. The mixture cooled and hardened. Edwin watched, and Edwin waited.

The illustrations are fabulous.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 10 out of 10

© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Hooray for Babies

Hooray for Babies! Susan Meyers. Illustrated by Sue Cornelison. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

 First sentence: I'm glad that I'm a baby. I love my baby face. Two eyes, two ears, one mouth, one nose, each in the perfect place. I love my tickly baby toes, my fingers big and little. I love my baby belly. There's a button in the middle!

Premise/plot: Hooray for Babies is a rhyming picture book celebrating BABIES.

My thoughts: If you find babies irresistible, then you might love this book. The illustrations are cute, sweet, adorable, precious, delightful, lovely--the expected bunch of adjectives that like to hang around together in books for this age group. Some people love and adore cutey-cute books. Some people don't. There is much to love in this one. The illustrations. The cutesy text. (To name just two.) I personally liked this one. The pages showing off belly buttons is a special favorite of mine.

We're babies making baby friends.
We love to play together.
We take our turns.
We share our toys.
At least until we don't.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Arrr, Mustache Baby!

Arrr, Mustache Baby! Bridget Heos. Illustrated by Joy Ang. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]

 First sentence: Baby Billy was born with a mustache. Baby Javier was born with a beard. Usually they were fine young gentlemen.

Premise/plot: It is always a joy to see Baby Billy playing well with others. But. Sometimes he doesn't. In this newest book in the series, Billy and his friend, Javier, become PIRATES. Will they end up in the dungeon?

My thoughts: I love, love, love this series. I think this book may just be my new favorite. The book opens with these friends at THE POOL. The text reads, "One day Javier and Billy set sail across the seven seas. Ahoy!" It continues, "As Captain and first mate, they rescued shipwrecked passengers..." the accompanying illustration reveals it's a Barbie doll. From the start, readers can catch on this one is going to be a HOOT.

I loved the story. I loved the text. I loved the illustrations. It just works.

My review of Mustache Baby and Mustache Baby Meets His Match.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 10 out of 10



© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Giant Jam Sandwich

Board book: The Giant Jam Sandwich. Janet Burroway. Story and Pictures by John Vernon Lord. 1972/2018. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 28 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: One hot summer in Itching Down, Four million wasps flew into town.

Premise/plot: I would NOT want to be in Itching Down when FOUR MILLION wasps flew into town. I wouldn't want to be there for even ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND wasps. Would you? This classic picture book is told in rhyme. Though the situation is far from ideal, the text is DELIGHTFUL.

My thoughts: I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this one. It is so much fun. I love the rhythm and rhyme of it. From cover to cover it just works. Not all books written in rhyme do work. Some seem to struggle a bit here and there. This one is practically perfect in every way.

Quotes:

A truck drew up and dumped out butter,
And they spread it out with a flap and a flutter.
Spoons and spades! Slap and slam!
And they did the same with the strawberry jam.

Suddenly the sky was humming!
All four million wasps were coming!
They smelled that jam, they dived and struck!
And they ate so much that they all got stuck.

Original audience born circa 1968 to 1970.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Woof and Quack in Winter

Woof and Quack in Winter (Green Light Readers Level 1) Jamie Swenson. Illustrated by Ryan Sias. 2017. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 37 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Woof, I am not flying south this year. But ducks always fly south, Quack. I want to stay with you in winter. This duck is staying put.

Premise/plot:  Woof and Quack are an unusual duo. Woof is a dog that doesn't like to play fetch; Quack is a duck that doesn't fly south in the winter. This book is about what these two friends do in the winter.

My thoughts: I liked this one. It was silly just like the first book in this early reader series. (The first book is Meet Woof and Quack.) The dialogue between these two is fun.


© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Meet Woof & Quack

Meet Woof and Quack (Green Light Readers Level 1) Jamie Swenson. Illustrated by Ryan Sias. 2017. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 37 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Would you like to play a game, Woof? Yes. What shall we play, Quack?

Premise/plot: Quack wants to play fetch with his friend Woof. But Woof is a dog who does NOT like to play fetch. Fortunately, Woof is a dog who likes to throw. So the two do get to play fetch together. What makes this one silly is WHAT is being thrown.

My thoughts: This one is super-silly. Woof and Quack are a silly duo that your little one may love to meet. I enjoyed the text. I didn't quite love, love, love the illustrations. But overall I'd recommend this one.  

© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Board book: Bow-Wow's Colorful Life

Bow-Wow's Colorful Life. Mark Newgarden. Illustrated by Megan Montague Cash. 2009. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 18 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Red! Orange! Yellow! Green!

Premise/plot: Bow-Wow is the star of a board book series. Each board book "teaches" a concept. This one teaches colors. Bow-Wow is tugging the socks off his human. It's a silly, super-simple story that I found delightful.

My thoughts: I think this one is my favorite Bow-Wow story. I love the ending. It's predictable--since Bow-Wow is a dog--but fun too.

Have you read the Bow-Wow series? Which one is your favorite?  

© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Board book: Bow-Wow Hears Things

Board book: Bow-Wow Hears Things. Mark Newgarden. Illustrated by Megan Montague Cash. 2008. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 18 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Honk. No. Splash? No. Tick-tock? No.

Premise/plot: This one stars a little bird and Bow-Wow. It is a simple story doubling as a concept book teaching sounds. (But I think that is a far, far, far stretch of an imagination.) What sound should the bird be making?

My thoughts: This is a STRANGE board book. I've appreciated the other books in the Bow-Wow series. They've been short, simple, even very-very simple. Yet they've been funny too. This one is just bizarre. Of course, I am bringing my adult perspective to it. If I was a toddler would I find the idea of a bird going tick-tock hilarious? Maybe?!

If your little one has enjoyed the other books in the series then this one might be worth it as well. But don't start with this one. It might not be the best one to try out in terms of appeal.
 

© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Board book: Bow-Wow Orders Lunch

Board book: Bow-Wow Orders Lunch. Mark Newgarden. Illustrated by Megan Montague Cash. 2007. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 18 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Bread. Cheese. Bread. Cheese. Bread.

Premise/plot: Bow-Wow is getting ready to enjoy a sandwich. But what does he want on his sandwich? This board book doubles as a concept book teaching patterns. But it is also a very simple--yet funny--story.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. It is 100% silly. It's a stretch to call it a concept book even. But even though there's not much to it--I couldn't help finding it charming. I don't know why I liked it so much. I just know that I do.




© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Bow Wow Meow Meow

Bow Wow Meow Meow: It's Rhyming Cats and Dogs. Douglas Florian. 2003. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 56 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence:

"Dog Log"
Rolled out of bed.
Scratched by mhead.
Brought the mail.
Wagged my tail.
Fetched a stick.
Learned a trick.
...

Premise/plot: Bow Wow Meow Meow is an animal-themed poetry collection by Douglas Florian. There are twenty-one poems in all. Eleven poems feature dogs. (One of the dog poems is about a wolf.) Ten poems feature cats. (Only four poems are about house cats. The other six are about BIG cats: lions, cheetahs, leopards, panthers, etc.)

One of my favorite poems is "The Siamese"

I am a cat.
A cat I am.
My ancestors
Were from Siam.
My ears are brown.
My eyes are blue.
And I'm the boss, you know,
Not you!

My thoughts: I really, really loved this one. I liked Zoo's Who, which I reviewed earlier today, but I LOVED this one even more. I had favorite dog poems and favorite cat poems. Overall, I think most readers will find at least one or two poems to absolutely love.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Zoo's Who

Zoo's Who. Douglas Florian. 2005. HMH. 56 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence:

The Lizards
Lizards laze
And lizards bask.
What's their favorite food?
Don't ask!

 Premise/plot: Zoo's Who is an animal-themed poetry collection by Douglas Florian. There are twenty-one poems in all. Each poem is accompanied by an illustration--a painting--also by Florian. The poems are short, quite a few include word play. For example, "The Eagle."

I'm not a seagull.
I'm royal.
I'm regal.
All birds are not
Created eagle.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I did. I must admit that "The Eagle" is probably my favorite from the whole book. But there were plenty of other poems that I enjoyed as well. (I also really, really loved his poem about pigs.)  I would recommend this one.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 7

© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Zola's Elephant

Zola's Elephant. Randall de Seve. Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski. 2018. [October 9]  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: There's a new girl next door. Her name is Zola. I know because our mothers met this morning and decided we should be friends. But Zola already has a friend. I know because I saw the big box.

Premise/plot: In Zola's Elephant, a little girl's imagination gets carried away. She imagines that the girl next door, Zola, has an elephant. She imagines ALL the things Zola and her elephant are doing in their new home. Readers, however, know the truth. There is no elephant and Zola is lonely. Will she make a new friend?

My thoughts: I have mixed feelings on this one. On the one hand, I'm thinking DON'T TEASE ME WITH ELEPHANTS WHEN THERE ARE NO ELEPHANTS. If a book has the word 'Elephant' in the title and shows an elephant on the cover, I am going to expect an elephant. On the other hand, it is a nice enough book that celebrates friendship and the imagination.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10




© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Farm Babies

Farm Babies. H.A. Rey. 2017. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 24 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence:
Cluck, cluck, cluck!
Calls Mother Hen.
Help count her chicks
From one to ten.

Premise/plot: Farm Babies is a lift-the-flap book. It is neither a board book or a picture book--not properly. (The pages are thick but not board-book thick.) It is adapted from H.A. Rey's Where's My Baby?

Each spread shows a family. The rhyme tells a tiny bit about the family. Many are animal families, but not all.

Many piglets
Has Mother Pig.
Now they are little.
Soon they'll be big.

My thoughts: I liked this one!  I admit I am a bit partial to farm books for little ones!

Reading is a shared experience, especially with books like this one. Parents should treasure each and every moment of it. Lift-the-flap books are a great way for parents and little ones to interact with each other and with the book in hand.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Whose House?

Whose House? H.A. Rey. 2017. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 24 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence:

Here in this house
Lives something you know
That likes to go
And go and go!

Premise/plot: Whose House? is a lift-the-flap book. It isn't a proper board book or a proper picture book. It's an in-between book for parents to share with their curious little ones. (It is adapted from H.A. Rey's Anybody at Home?)

Each spread reveals another type of home. There is a rhyme asking little ones to guess whose home it is. The flap reveals the answer, of course. The clues are not to be found in the text--for the most part--but in the illustrations. (There are definite exceptions!)

My thoughts: Reading is a shared experience, especially with books like this one. Parents should treasure each and every moment of it. Lift-the-flap books are a great way for parents and little ones to interact with each other and with the book in hand.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10


© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Cat Wishes

Cat Wishes. Calista Brill. Illustrated by Kenard Pak. 2018. [July] HMH. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Once in the windy wood, there was a hungry Cat.

Premise/plot: Cat Wishes reads like a fairy tale. A cat shows mercy to an animal--a snake of all things!--and receives three wishes in return. What will she wish for...and will her wishes come true?!

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one! It was a lovely, sweet story. Cat may be skeptical that wishes are real, but readers probably won't be.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Board book: Beach Day

Beach Day. Karen Roosa. Illustrated by Maggie Smith. 2001/2018. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 30 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Waves roar,
Rush, and soar!
Rolling, crashing
To the shore.

Premise/plot: Beach Day was originally published as a hardcover picture book in 2001. It is newly reprinted in board book format. This board book CELEBRATES a fun day at the beach--a fun day OUTDOORS--and the celebration is ALL VERSE.

My thoughts: Those that know me know that I can be harsh when it comes to books written in rhyme. I have nothing but praise to offer for Karen Roosa's Beach Day. Her rhymes go above and beyond my expectations or standards. Lovely rhythm and rhyme throughout. Everything feels NATURAL and never forced.

Waves lapping,
Babies napping.
On the water
Sails are snapping.
Launch a boat,
Help Father float,
Build a castle
With a moat.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers