Sunny Holiday

Paratore, Coleen Murtagh. 2009. Sunny Holiday. Scholastic. 160 pages.

"Bloom like a dandelion, baby girl." That's what my daddy says.
A dandelion is a powerful flower. there's a "lion" right in its name.
What's so dandy about a dandelion?
A dandelion's little but it ROARS.
Do dandelions need a fancy-pants garden?
No, dandelions do not. They need dirt, air, and rain.
And no matter how hard things ever get, those sunny little lions grow.

I really enjoyed this one. I really came to love Sunny, our heroine. She makes for a great narrator. She's friendly and open. And she has a way to make you feel at home. (Yes, I know she's fictional. But still. Sunny is the kind of girl I'd like to know.) She's just easy to love. What is Sunny Holiday about? Well, it's about a girl, Sunny Holiday, and her friends and her family and her community. It's about her life. The ups and downs and everything in between. Her life isn't perfect. But she's not letting anything keep her down. With Sunny's attitude, anything is possible. She encourages those around her to believe, to hope as well.

I'd definitely recommend this one!

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

A Walk Down Sesame Street

A Walk Down Sesame Street. Pop-Up Book. Candlewick Press.

I have mixed thoughts on this one. On the one hand, it is Sesame Street. But on the other hand, it is the new Sesame Street. Do I have the same affection for Abby and Zoe that I do for Grover and Big Bird? No. Definitely not. But who is the book for? Is the book for young readers who can't get enough Elmo? If so, then they'll be pleased. Because Elmo is the star of this one. If the book is for nostalgic adults, then perhaps it's not as successful at capturing the street we knew and loved. What should you expect in this one? Pop-ups and interactive activities--little things to manipulate on each spread. (Tabs to pull, wheels to turn, flaps to open and close, etc.)

Did I like the pop-ups? Yes and no. Some were fun. I loved the fact that you can make Super Grover fly and Cookie Monster stir a bowl of cookie dough. And the final page is just fun. You've got a pretty full cast of characters that pop out at you: Cookie, Oscar, Bert and Ernie, Elmo, Abby, Grover. (And a few more in the sidelines Big Bird, Zoe, and the Count.) But that first picture, the one where Elmo is as tall (if not taller) than the buildings on the street, just a wee bit scary...to me...at least.

So I liked it. But I didn't love, love, love it.

This one releases in October 2009.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Princess Tea: Parties and Treats for Little Girls

Sarlin, Janeen A. with Noelle Shipley. 2009. Princess Tea: Parties and Treats for Little Girls. Photographs by Sheri Giblin. Chronicle Books. (Cook and craft book)

Technically, this one is more for parents than young readers. But it's for parents of young readers, so I'm going to share it with you here. What is it about? Creating parties for young girls. In this case, themed-tea parties. The themes are "Lotus Princess Tea" (China), "Underwater Princess Tea" (South Sea Islands), "Cowgirl Princess Tea (Southwest United States), "Fiesta Princess Tea" (Mexico), "Country Garden Lavender Princess Tea" (France), "Indian Princess Tea" (India), "African Princess Tea" (Africa), and "Fairy Princess Tea" (fairyland). Each theme offers suggestions on how to decorate, suggestions on dressing up, recipe suggestions, and craft and activity suggestions/instructions. Some activities are more complex than others.

I probably would have enjoyed this one more if there had been more photographs. I'd have liked to seen photographs for each recipe and each craft. (That could be me, but I like to see what it is supposed to look like. That way I can judge how I'm doing. Also for recipes, food almost always looks more appetizing, more appealing, if you can see it. Exceptions for this rule do exist, however.)

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Archie and the Pirates

Rosenthal, Marc. 2009. Archie and the Pirates. HarperCollins.

After a night dreaming of drifting and floating...
Archie awakes to find himself on a strange beach.
He does not know where he is, and he is starting to get hungry!
There is no time to worry because...

I like monkeys. I like pirates. So it only stands to reason that I would like this little adventure by Marc Rosenthal. Archie is a smart little monkey. True, he might not always be a brave little monkey. But he's resourceful. Clever. A good friend to have around. As some of the island animals learn!

This one has plenty of story. Lots of text which might call for a longer attention span. But, it's a fun story. How could a story about pirates not be fun? And the illustrations are great. If your little one loves monkeys, then this one may be just right for you!

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

I Spy Fly Guy

Arnold, Tedd. 2009. I Spy Fly Guy! Scholastic.

A boy had a pet fly.
He named him Fly Guy.
Fly Guy could say
the boy's name--

This is the newest adventure of Buzz (the boy) and Fly Guy (the fly).
In this early reader, we get to see what happens when Buzz and Fly Guy play hide and seek. Fly Guy is a bit predictable. (Who would have ever guessed.) And he always has one hiding spot--the garbage can. But what happens when the garbage man interrupts their game? Read and see for yourself in I Spy Fly Guy!

This is my first time reviewing a Fly Guy book, though this isn't the first one that I've read. I liked it well enough. And I think if I was five or six then I might find them giggly fun. The book is silly and fun and predictable.


© Becky Laney of Young Readers