Make It Now: Princesses

Make It Now: Princesses. Stephanie Rousseau. 2018. HMH. 12 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Choose a princess page to decorate and then pull out that page of the book. Press out the princess, the little animal pal, and each of their stands. Color the princess's dress however you'd like.

Premise/plot: Make It Now: Princesses is a novelty book. If your little one loves playing paper dolls, loves coloring, loves sticking stickers, this one may be for you. There are five princesses to play with.

My thoughts: I like the idea of liking this one. I certainly loved playing paper dolls as a child. One strength I see is that the dolls (and animals) are printed on very sturdy material. One weakness may be that you can't change their outfits.

One thing that bothers me as an adult is that it is only the front of each outfit that needs coloring. The back of each outfit is already colored in. So your options are to try to match the colors of the front and back to the best of your ability, OR, to not care and embrace the chaos of a clashing outfit.

© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Mr. Pusskins and Little Whiskers

Mr. Pusskins and Little Whiskers: Another Love Story. Sam Lloyd. 2008. 32 pages. [Source: Library] (2007, UK)

First sentence: This is the story of a little girl called Emily and her dear cat, Mr. Pusskins. They thought life couldn't get any better. Then, one day, Emily announced that she had a fabulous surprise for Mr. Pusskins. He was very excited.

Premise/plot: Mr. Pusskins is home again. But does he stay happy and content? Or does he become an ungrateful grump when Emily introduces a new kitten into the house? Will Little Whiskers and Mr. Pusskins make friends? Or will Mr. Pusskins run away again?

My thoughts: I liked this one. I did. I didn't love, love, love it as I did the first book. But I was very happy to see Mr. Pusskins star in another book. What I loved most about this one--and the other one, if I'm honest--was how expressive the illustrations are. The faces Mr. Pusskins makes are priceless. Forgiveness is also part of this second story.

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

© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Mr. Pusskins

Mr. Pusskins: A Love Story. Sam Lloyd. 2006. 32 pages. [Source: Library] (2006, UK)

First sentence: This is the story of a little girl called Emily and her dear cat, Mr. Pusskins. Emily adored Mr. Pusskins.

Premise/plot: Mr. Pusskins does not appreciate Emily. At least not when our story opens. What we have here is a story of a prodigal cat: "He went places he wasn't meant to go and did things he wasn't meant to do, and made friends with the Pesky Cat Gang." But after some adventures and misadventures, Mr. Pusskins may be ready to come home again. Will Emily be waiting for him?

My thoughts: I loved, loved, LOVED Mr. Pusskins. Whether or not it's intentional or not on the part of the author, Mr. Pusskins is a near-perfect adaptation of the Prodigal Son. I loved Emily start to finish. Mr. Pusskins is quite the character, quite the transforming character. "The things Mr. Pusskins wasn't supposed to do weren't fun anymore. And his new friends weren't really very nice. How lovely it would be to have someone brush his fur and tell him how much they loved him. He felt all alone." I thought the text was lovely and heartwarming.

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

© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Lola Gets A Cat

Lola Gets a Cat. Anna McQuinn. Illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw. 2017. Charlesbridge. 28 pages. [Source: Library] (2016 in UK)

First sentence:  Lola loves cats. She wants a real one. Mommy says looking after a cat is a lot of work.

Premise/plot: Lola is a little girl who LOVES cats. Is she ready to get a real cat for a pet?

My thoughts: Lola Gets A Cat is a cute, sweet story about a little girl getting a cat as a pet. It isn't enough to want a pet, you have to be ready to take care of a pet. This involves the whole family getting prepared. It also involves patience. Lola's cat, Makeda, has to get used to her new home.

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


© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Make It Now: Animals

Make It Now: Animals. Geraldine Cosneau. 2018. HMH. 12 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Choose an animal page to decorate, and then pull that page out of the book. Press out the animal, the little plant, and each of their stands. Color the animal's outfit however you'd like.

Premise/plot: Make It Now: Animals is a novelty book for little ones. It comes with five animal paper dolls. Each animal needs the FRONT of their outfit colored. There are stickers to decorate the paper dolls with as well.

My thoughts: I like the idea of this one. As an adult, it bothers me that only half of each outfit needs coloring. The back of of the paper doll is already colored in. Children may or may not care about the front and back matching. But it would bother me now. I would be anxious about trying to match the colors as closely as possible. But if your little one likes paper dolls, coloring books, or sticker books this one may be a good fit for you.

© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers