I Won't Eat That

I Won't Eat That. Christopher Silas Neal. 2017. [November] Candlewick Press. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Dogs eat dog food. Fish eat fish food. But I'm a cat, and I will NOT eat cat food. It's dry and dull and not very yummy. Yuck. But if I don't eat cat food, what will I eat?

Premise/plot: The cat in Christopher Silas Neal's I Won't Eat That is a very picky eater. He knows one thing: cat food is not for him. But what is the right food for him? Cat goes around asking all sorts of animals what they eat. He rejects their answers one by one. Too wiggly. Too bouncy. Too boring. Will Cat find his answer?

My thoughts: I liked this one. Picky eating isn't necessarily a new subject in picture books. But it feels right for a cat to be picky about what he/she eats. Is this one completely realistic?! Perhaps not. I don't know what kind of neighborhood Cat lives in, but his quest takes him to a fox, a lion, a whale, a chimp, a turtle, and an elephant! Certainly not the animals you'd expect.

The twist. I kept expecting a twist. I had a feeling that Cat would ask the wrong animal what they ate. I did NOT want to see curiosity killing the cat. That is NOT the case. But Cat's not the only animal asking questions. And curiosity ends up killing someone....

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

© 2017 Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Quilt Story

The Quilt Story. Tony Johnston. Illustrated by Tomie dePaola. 1985. 32 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: A little girl's mother made the quilt to keep her warm when the snow came down, long ago. She stitched the quilt by a yellow flame, humming all the time. She stitched the tails of falling stars. And she stitched the name, Abigail.

Premise/plot: This book is a story of a quilt. The picture book opens with the quilt's creation. The picture book closes with the quilt's recreation. In between, readers meet two different girls who love, love, love the quilt; girls who take comfort from the quilt. In between, readers see different mothers fixing and repairing the quilt as needed. 

My thoughts: I really loved this one. When the quilt was put in the attic and forgotten, I admit I was SAD. I didn't want the quilt to be found and used by MICE. I didn't want the mice to eat it. I was so happy when the quilt was rediscovered by a new generation. I'm guessing it was several generations removed from the original owner. I don't know if a quilt is really as easy to repair as this picture book makes it appear.

This picture book reminded me of an Alice Walker short story, Everyday Use. Adults who read and enjoy The Quilt Story should read it.

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

© 2017 Becky Laney of Young Readers

If You See A Kitten

If You See A Kitten. John Butler. 2002. Peachtree. 24 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: If you see a cuddly kitten...say, "Ahhh!" If you see a pudgy pig...say, "Peee-ew!" If you see a dozing dormouse...say, "Shhh!" If you see some slimy slugs...say, "Yuck!" If you see a pretty peacock...say, "Oooh!"

Premise/plot: John Butler's If You See A Kitten introduces animals and emotions to the very young. I suppose that is as good a premise as I can do.

My thoughts: I'll start with what I love: I REALLY LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, the kitten illustrations on the cover, the title page, and the second spread. Actually, the illustrations are far preferable to the text. I really enjoyed how realistic most of them were. In particular the kitten, the pig, the elephant, and the alligator.

What I liked: I think that parents or teachers could take the basic pattern of this one and have children write and draw their own books.

If you see a kitten....
If you see a puppy....
If you see a friend....
If you see a rainbow....
If you see a cookie...

What I didn't quite love: I wasn't sure why the author wanted little ones to react in specific ways to the animals. I, for one, thought the pig was nearly as adorable as the kitten. Of all the animals presented, only four had positive reactions modeled: the kitten, the dormouse, the peacock, and the elephant.

Text: 2 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

© 2017 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Big Cat

Big Cat. Ethan Long. 2016. 24 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Big Cat can nap.

Premise/plot: Big Cat is an I Like To Read book published by Holiday House. It features two siblings: a brother and a sister. Both LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to play with "Big" Cat. Does Big Cat love to play with them too?!

My thoughts: The text is simple and a bit repetitive. Some sentences repeat. But the text combined with the illustrations make for one great entertaining story. The text tells a simple story. The illustrations tell a whole other story. They add humor and some depth to the story. The text perhaps tells the story from the point of view of the children. The illustrations perhaps tell the story from the point of view of the CAT. Illustrations are a big part of reading and learning to read.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

© 2017 Becky Laney of Young Readers

Babies Can Sleep Anywhere

Babies Can Sleep Anywhere. Lisa Wheeler. Illustrated by Carolin Buzio. 2017. Harry N. Abrams. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Puppy dogs sleep in a pile on a rug. Kitty cats snooze in a chair. A turtle tucks into his shell nice and snug. But babies can sleep anywhere.

Premise/plot: This picture book is a poem in disguise. There are a lot of animals in this one--sleeping animals. Each animal introduced sleeps somewhere special. But the refrain remains the same throughout: But babies can sleep anywhere. The illustrations give us just a few examples of where babies might sleep.

My thoughts: Can babies sleep anywhere? Probably. Will babies sleep anywhere? That might depend on YOUR baby. In fact, there might be new parents out there asking: Do babies sleep at all?! Babies don't always sleep when you want, where you want, for as long as you want. But one fact remains: BOOKS and BABIES belong together. It's never too early to start reading to your little one. And the rhythm and rhyme of this one makes it a good choice.

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

© 2017 Becky Laney of Young Readers