Too Many Cats

Too Many Cats. Leah Raechel Killen. 1988. 30 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: Peter's father has a store. It is called Farfel's Food Store. Peter helps his father in the store. There are so many things to do. Every day, Peter takes out the trash. He puts it in a big can by the back door. One day, Peter got a big surprise. A cat was sitting next to the big can. The cat smelled bits of food in the can. He wanted to get into the can. He wanted to eat the food.

Premise/plot: Peter finds a cat; he names him Sam. Peter feeds Sam every day. But Sam never comes alone. Sam has FRIENDS. One day, Peter leaves the store door open, will the cats go into the store and cause a ruckus?! How will Peter ever get ALL those cats out of the store? Is he hiding some cat-herding skills?

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. It did start off slow. But when the cats go into the store, the action begins. Is it realistic? Probably not. I'm guessing that giving away free cats wouldn't be all that easy. But it was fun.

© 2017 Becky Laney of Young Readers

School Bus

School Bus. Donald Crews. 1984. 32 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: Yellow school buses large and small. Empty yellow buses cross the town. STOP. GO. Going this way. Going that way. Here it comes. See you later. Full buses head for school.

Premise/plot: Donald Crews gives us a day in the life of a school bus. The book comes full circle, beginning and ending with empty buses gone 'home again' in a parking lot.

My thoughts: This book is very yellow. It doesn't have the same rhythm and rhyme thing going for it as Freight Train does. Nor is it really a concept book like Freight Train was. (Freight Train is about COLORS.) The language is simple. I think little ones could definitely learn to read this one.

The art is simple, perhaps a little too simple. It does give us a diverse group of people waiting for buses, riding the buses, getting off the buses, etc.  While there could be some pros perhaps to having all the humans lack facial features, I prefer faces.

I'm not sure I'd call this book "dandy entertainment" like Publishers Weekly did back in the day. In fact, I doubt I've used the word DANDY even once in one of my reviews.

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


© 2017 Becky Laney of Young Readers

I Was So Mad

I Was So Mad. Mercer Mayer. 1983. Random House. 24 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: I wanted to keep some frogs in the bathtub but Mom wouldn't let me. I was so mad. I wanted to play with my little sister's dollhouse but Dad wouldn't let me. I was so mad. I wanted to play hide-and-seek in the clean sheets but Grandma said, "No, you can't." I was just so mad.

Premise/plot: Little Critter is having one of those days. He can't do anything that he wants to do. And the list of things he wants to do is LONG. Rejecting his parents list of things he could do instead, he decides to run away...after packing up a hefty supply of cookies...but will his friends' invitation to play ball change his mind?

My thoughts: I love, love, love Little Critter. I do. This book is fun. Little Critter's list of things he wants to do is quirky. Some readers can probably relate to. Others, maybe not so much. For example, one of the things he wants to do is TICKLE the goldfish.

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

© 2017 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Machines at Work

Machines at Work. Byron Barton. 1987. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Hey, you guys! Let's get to work. Knock down that building. Bulldoze that tree. Dig up that road.

Premise/plot: It's not just machines at work in Byron Barton's Machines at Work. Little ones also see construction workers working hard all day.

My thoughts: It doesn't take a lot of words to tell a good story. Though though are just a few words per page, Barton's Machines at Work tells an enjoyable story. The illustrations are also super-simple. In a few illustrations, the construction workers reminded me of duplo people. Speaking of which, this would be a fun story to act out with duplos!

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10
© 2017 Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Hole Story

The Hole Story. Paul Bright. Illustrated by Bruce Ingman. 2016. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: In a land of strange happenings, far, far away, lived two holes, Hamish and Hermione. Their home was a chunk of Swiss cheese, on a plate, in the kitchen, in the royal palace. One day, a family of mice came along and ate all the cheese. The cook chased the mice away, but now the two holes had nowhere to live.

Premise/plot: Hamish and Hermione are looking for a new place to live. These holes have some rough times ahead of them. Because NO ONE wants these two holes around. Places they try to move include: the king's sock, the queen's knickers, the princess's bicycle tire, the prince's row boat. Will these two EVER find a place to live?

My thoughts: Love odd books? You should really pick up The Hole Story. Readers meet a King and Queen and their family, but the ones that really steal the show, are two little holes. For the right reader, I think this one will be pure delight. But not every reader will be the right reader. Alas, this is the case with every book. It is unique, you have to give it that. How many other books about holes do you know?

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

© 2017 Becky Laney of Young Readers