Title: Alien Invaders / Invasores Extraterrestres
Author: Lynn Huggins-Cooper
Illustrator: Bonnie Leick
Translator: Eida de la Vega
Publisher and/or Distributor: Raven Tree Press
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-9724973-9-0
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: June 2005
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
We are not being invaded by aliens; we already have been—insects! This is the theme to this very cute picture book. The author goes on to explain how they are everywhere and maybe we better make friends with them. The illustrator renders some really wacky insect pictures to accompany the text. Kids will be fascinated by this bi-lingual book. We rated it five hearts.
Title: Bowlegs’ Bounty
Author: Joseph Kropp
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Daytodayenterprises/Book Clearinghouse
Pages: 192
ISBN: 1-890905-24-0
Price: $9.95
Publishing Date: February, 2005
Reader: Judy Schuler
Rating:
When the Kaye family goes on vacation to the Emerald Coast in Florida, ten-year-old Benjamin and eight-year-old Martin are inspired by the setting, pirate legends, and their father’s bedtime stories about the pirate, Billy Bowlegs, to dig for treasure on the beach. Of course they won’t find anything, right? Don’t be too sure. Using the children’s adventures of the day, Mr. Kaye tells a thrilling tale each night about Billy Bowlegs and two boys, Tip and Tap Pettigrew. Benjamin and Martin can’t wait to hear the next installment of Tip and Tap’s adventures each night. Neither could I. The fast-paced story about the boys’ adventures and pirate chases kept me turning pages.
Joseph Kropp has written an adventure within an adventure. The Kayes’ trip has its adventurous moments, as well as some educational experiences. The bedtime story is an adventure with a moral, designed to make kids think about theft and what the whole idea of stealing entails. Bowlegs’ Bounty is educational as well as fun. We give it four hearts.
Title: Disabled Fables
Author: Members of L.A. Goal
Illustrator: Members of L.A. Goal
Publisher and/or Distributor: Star Bright Books
Pages: 56
ISBN: 1-932065-97-0
Price: $19.95
Publishing Date: 2005
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
Imagine a group of mentally and physically disabled people who dare to tell the tales of Aesop and create the accompanying artwork. Then imagine a famous actor, Sean Penn, coming down to their worksite to labor at their packing and wrapping assembly line (and finding he needed quite a lot of instructions from these people, before he could get it right). Sean was impressed by his experience—enough so he wrote the foreword to this book. And what a loving and teaching book it is. Each disabled person tells a story and then tells what it means to him or her at a personal level. The project was a major positive happening in many ways. Many gained from it at L.A. Goal, and many more normal children will profit by reading this book. We rated it a high five hearts.
Title: Firecracker Jones is on the Case
Author: Christopher Klim
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Hopewell Publications
Pages: 111
ISBN: 0972690670
Price: $9.95
Publishing Date: July 4, 2005
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This mid-grade (8-12) book is the first in a series featuring the protagonist Francis “Firecracker” Jones, a ninth-grader suffering from Attention Deficit Hearing Disorder. Socially challenged because of his handicap and the usual adolescent angst, Firecracker generally seeks to fade into the woodwork at school, with the exception of his best friend who is a highly popular jock. Suddenly, his friend’s family moves away in the middle of the night. The adults in the neighborhood seem to know where they family went and why, but they’re not telling. It’s up to Firecracker, along with his inept sidekick, Chub, to locate his missing friend and get him back to school before he loses an opportunity to set a football record.
The author, a former space program physicist, has written several successful adult novels. This is his first attempt in the juvenile genre—apparently successfully as well. I especially liked the way the protagonist uses his disorder in a positive way to problem solve. We rated this book a high four hearts.
Title: Horse Showing for Kids
Author: Cheryl Kimball
Illustrator: Various
Publisher and/or Distributor: Storey Publishing
Pages: 160
ISBN: 1-58017-573-2
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
Horse training and showing has become an immensely popular activity. This book assists youngsters interested in this field in learning all they need to know about horse showing and everything required to successfully compete in this arena. It is very well illustrated with photos, drawings, and cartoons—a visual delight. Its information is fairly complete, at least for the children’s level. Any young lady or lad will have a good idea as to what to expect when they get into this activity. The information is grade appropriate and quite logical. We rated this five hearts.
Title: Knuffle Bunny
Author: Mo Willems
Illustrator: Mo Willems
Publisher and/or Distributor: Hyperion Books for Children
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-7868-1870-0
Price: $15.99
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This picture book is a fascinating combination of sepia photos and color cartoons mixed together. A young baby accidentally leaves her favorite toy, “Knuffle Bunny,” down at the Laundromat. She has difficulties communicating her problem with her father; however, her mother seems to understand. The family rushes back to the Laundromat, and Knuffle Bunny is found in a drier. In her excitement, the baby shouts her first words—“Knuffle Bunny!”
The story is cute and the pictorial concepts are new and interesting. The author is a six-time Emmy Award winner for his work on Sesame Street and has also won the Caldecott Award for a previous book. We scored this one four hearts.
Title: Ocean Whisper / Susurro del oceano
Author: Dennis Rockhill
Illustrator: Dennis Rockhill
Translator: Eida de la Vega
Publisher and/or Distributor: Raven Tree Press
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-9741922-4-9
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: June 2005
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
The book begins with a one-page poem about dreaming about the sea and becoming a mermaid who plays with the whales. On the next page is the Spanish translation. The rest of this visually interesting book is without words. It is designed for the child to tell the story he sees unfolding in pictures in his own words. This allows a child’s imagination to develop. We rated the book four hearts.
Title: Popeye the Little Tree Frog’s Big Adventure
Author: Jack Crandall
Illustrator: Bob Cavanaugh
Publisher and/or Distributor: Scott Graber Company, Kalispell, MT
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-930043-46-5
Price: $7.95
Publishing Date: Oct 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
Once upon a time, there was a googlely-eyed tree frog named Popeye who crawled up among the leaves of a spinach plant. Imagine his surprise when the plant gets harvested and he finds himself inside a clear plastic bag on its way to a grocery. Now imagine the surprise of the person who buys and opens that bag of spinach to find little Popeye. Based on a true story, Popeye ends up as a school classroom pet and science display.
The author tells a wonderful tale in a manner in which young children can quickly connect with. The story is both interesting and educational. The illustrator, a retired Disney animator, provides very realistic pictures about the little frog’s journey and the people who interact with him. We rated this book a high four hearts.
Title: Tito the Firefighter / Tito el Bombero
Author: Tim Hoppey
Illustrator: Kimberly Hoffman
Publisher and/or Distributor: Raven Tree Press
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-9724973-3-1
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: June 2005
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This story of a young Hispanic boy in Harlem helping NY firefighters out by translating a call for help is structured differently than many other bi-lingual books. The Spanish words are scattered throughout the text so that young readers and listeners can learn by the context setting—akin to immersion language training. The book is on the mark as it shows how often young children are thrust by situations into translation responsibilities dealing with emergencies. We rated it a high four hearts.
Title: The Crow
Author: Edith Tarbescu
Illustrator: various
Publisher and/or Distributor: Franklin Watts
Pages: 64
ISBN: 0-531-16470-5
Price: $8.95
Publishing Date: 2000
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This is an excellent juvenile social/historical commentary on the Crow Indians. These plains Native Americans, currently residing in South Eastern Montana, fought long and hard to protect their land holdings from rival tribes and the White Man. They ended up staying in the heart of their once-vaster territory by compromising with the government, serving as scouts in campaigns against their traditional enemies.
The author has coupled an easily understood text with excellent graphic images and maps to give young students a clearer idea of who these people are. We rated this book four hearts.
Title: Mother Fox and Mr. Coyote / Mama Zorra y Don Coyote
Author: Victor Villasenor
Illustrator: Felipe Ugalde Alcantara
Publisher and/or Distributor: Pinata Books
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-55885-428-2
Price: $14.95
Publishing Date: Nov 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This bilingual picture book tells a well known Hispanic and Indian folk tale about how mother fox saved her babies from Mr. Coyote and ended up watching over all children from the moon. As always, this is an excellent tool for teaching language as well as cultural understanding. We rated it a solid four hearts.
Title: Mis abuelos y yo / My Grandparents and I
Author: Samuel Caraballo
Illustrator: D. Nina Cruz
Publisher and/or Distributor: Pinata Books
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-55885-407-X
Price: $14.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This age 3-7 picture book illustrates the close, loving relationship between a little Puerto Rican boy and his grandparents. Set as a rhyming poem in Spanish with a very close rendition in English, this book is a wonderful illustration of the universality of family. The pictures are especially detailed and colorful, showing an environment many in the United States have not had a chance to experience. We rated this fine book five hearts.
Title: A School Named for Someone Like Me / Una escula con un nombre como el mio
Author: Diana Dávila Martίnez
Illustrator: Anthony Accardo
Publisher and/or Distributor: Piñata Books
Pages: 63
ISBN: 1-55885-334-0
Price: $7.95
Publishing Date: 2001
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This bilingual book tells the story of a young Hispanic man who exemplified kindness and concern for others all his life. He rose from a working class home to become brilliant young lawyer for the people. After an untimely drowning death, an elementary school in his old neighborhood is renamed after him. The story is told through the author’s eyes as a young girl. The use of both an English and a Spanish version on the same page will be helpful to students trying to learn the other language. The story of this fine young man’s life and the people he helped is touching. The fact that he was Hispanic makes him important as a role model for both Hispanic and Anglo youth. We rated it five hearts.
Title: Waiting for Papa
Author: Rene Colato Lainez
Illustrator: Anthony Accardo
Publisher and/or Distributor: Pinata Press
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-55885-403-7
Price: $14.95
Publishing Date: Nov 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This 3-7 picture book touchingly illustrates the problems families split by necessity and immigrating to the US have bringing loved one here through the legal immigration system. A little boy misses his father who was left behind in El Salvador so very much. His writing a letter to his father as a school assignment starts many wheels of fate rolling. He finds himself reading his letter on a radio program dedicated to an immigrant audience. A friendly immigration lawyer hears the program and calls to say he will help bring the boy’s father to the US The boy starts collecting empty soda cans to help raise money for a present for his father. His whole class joins in to help, collecting $80 to buy his father new work boots. At last, the father arrives to join his family.
The author, an El Saladoran migrant himself, teaches us that families should be together and love one another. This book teaches us children can be resourceful and can bring about important things in their lives if they work hard enough and get the right kind of help. We rated it five hearts.
Title: John Denver’s Ancient Rhymes: A Dolphin Lullaby
Author: Christopher Canyon
Illustrator: Christopher Canyon
Publisher and/or Distributor: Dawn Publications
Pages: 36
ISBN: 1-58469-065-8/1-58469-064-X
Price: $8.95Paperback/$19.95 hardback with CD and Score
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This is lovely illustrated picture book featuring John Denver’s song of the same title. It speaks to a young dolphin and what he can expect in his new world. It is ideal for both read along and sing alon exercises. It is based on an experience john’s pregnant wife had swimming alongside a female dolphin, feeling a communication link had been established between two future mothers and their respective off-springs. We rated this book four hearts.
Title: Where Do Balloons Go?
Author: Elena Davis
Illustrator: Anna Jurinich
Publisher and/or Distributor: Red Rock Press
Pages: 32
ISBN: 09714372-3-8
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This a very cute picture book that answers a common children’s question when they let their helium-filled balloons fly into the sky—to balloon fairy land. The mother answering this question in the story carefully structures a whole framework of actions and fairy characters involved in the use of these released balloons. Even the tooth fairies become involved. This is a clever handling of a child’s curiosity. The illustrations are especially good. We rated it four hearts.
Title: The Big Ocean: An Underwater Naptime Adventure
Author: DR Thompson
Illustrator: DR Thompson
Publisher and/or Distributor: This New World Publishing, LLC
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-9723252-2-0
Price: $14.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This picture book teaches about what lies beneath the ocean by using the device of a naptime turning into an adventure (did they dream it?). This is one of a series of naptime books. In this case a little girl and her mother are at the beach. They take a nap and wake to find they’ve turned into mermaids. They swim into the ocean and experience many interesting sights. We rated this book three hearts.
Title: Have You Fed the Cat?
Author: Michèle Coxon
Illustrator: Michèle Coxon
Publisher and/or Distributor: Star Bright Books
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-932065-90-3
Price: $15.95
Publishing Date: Sept 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This book will quickly extract chuckles out of any of us who have kept cats. Young tomcat Sam found himself becoming lonely as he grew up because his family had less time to pay attention to him. He had learned, however, that when he yowled and cried as if he was hungry, people paid attention and fed him. Since he was a long-haired cat, the family didn’t realize everyone was feeding him and he was becoming very fat until the day he got stuck in the cat flap entrance to the house. Sam had to go on a diet and everyone started playing with him again to give him more exercise.
This is a very cute early reader picture book. We rated it five hearts.
Title: The Monster Run
Author: MyLinda Butterworth
Illustrator: Matthew Mercer
Publisher and/or Distributor: Day to Day Enterprises
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-890905-23-2
Price: $14.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
The Monster Run addresses the perennial problem of children who are afraid of the dark, fuels by their imaginations of monsters who live in their closets and under their beds. Nicole is one such child. It takes a loving and understanding grandpa to work with Nicole to chase all the monsters out of their hiding places and out of the house by allowing Nicole to participate in the exhortation process. The process works great, but now we have to find new homes for all these displaced monsters. Any takers? We rated this book four hearts.
Title: No-Whining
Author: Janice C. Villnerve
Illustrator: Joyce M. Turley
Publisher and/or Distributor: Paradigm Publishing
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-9746013-0-6
Price: $14.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This is an excellent parenting training aid picture book designed for ages 1-5. It focuses on a family of cats. When mama takes her three kittens out to play and offers rewards for good behavior, one of her kits gets so overly excited, he begins to whine. When that happens, his mother has to remind him that when you whine, you get nothing. This has to happen over ice cream and a balloon before it really sinks in that whining gets you nothing. We rated this book four hearts.
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Title: Wash Day
Author: Barbara H. Cole
Illustrator: Ronald Himler
Publisher and/or Distributor: Star Bright Books
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-932065-36-9
Price: $15.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This is an extraordinarily touching picture book about a white and a black family, their interactions on wash day, and how race and age need not be barriers to friendship and love. Black Miss Ett washes the clothes for a poor white family in a giant kettle hung over a hot, outdoors fire every week. The young white girl and Miss Ett’s grandson love to assist in collecting firewood and listening to the girl’s grandfather tell WWI war stories and play his trumpet. When Grandpa takes to his sick bed, he gives his horn to the young black boy to learn to play. Soon there is music around this Depression era wash day scene.
The storyline is believable and teaches unconditional love without preaching. The illustrations are lovely. We rated it five hearts.
Title: When I Was a Boy…I Dreamed
Author: Justin Matott
Illustrator: Mark Ludy
Publisher and/or Distributor: Green Pastures Publishing
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-9664276-2-9
Price: $17
Publishing Date: Oct 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
When I Was a Boy…I Dreamed is a compendium of all the exciting, wonderful things boys dream and hope for someday. The accompanying illustrations are sheer genius—allowing the reader’s imagination to take wing and fly. This book covers such a wide scope of boyish thoughts, it really provides a very accurate insight into what young boys really care and think about. We rated this book five hearts.
Title: The Girl on the Yellow Giraffe
Author: Ronald Himler
Illustrator: Ronald Himler
Publisher and/or Distributor: Star Bright Books
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-932065-93-8
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This is a fascinating picture book, ages 4-8, that shows how a young girl living in the big city fantasizes about the people and everyday events and scenes around her. As she rides a small, giraffe-shaped push trike, she comes upon wizards, dragons, and many other magical things, even a small room that carries her up and down to where she and her mother live. We rated this pleasant read four hearts.
Title: Alex and the Amazing Lemonade Stand
Author: Liz, Jay, and Alex Scott
Illustrator: Pam Howard
Publisher and/or Distributor: Paje Publishing Company
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-975-32000-9
Price: $15.95
Publishing Date: June 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This is a touching picture book story of Alex Scott, a little girl struck by a childhood cancer. Although her treatments caused her to lose all her hair, she didn’t sit back and blindly accept all that happened to her. She set up a lemonade stand to earn money to give to the doctors so they could develop a cure for other children. It is now an annual event with children from all over America beginning to sell lemonade to send to Alex, while people from miles around line up at her own stand. We rated this a solid four hearts.
Title: Dreams to Grow On
Author: Christine Hurley Deriso
Illustrator: Matthew Archambault
Publisher and/or Distributor: Illumination Arts Publishing Co.
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-9701907-2-7
Price: $15.95
Publishing Date: 2002
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This picture book shows the day dreams of a young girl imagining many possible futures for herself. The illustrations do an excellent job of showing her in her young girl form with her adult form working in a projected career. This is a 2003 Independent Publisher Outstanding Book of the Year Award winner. We rated it a high four hearts.
Title: The Errant Knight
Author: Ann Tompert
Illustrator: Doug Keith
Publisher and/or Distributor: Illunination Arts Publishing Co
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-9701907-6-X
Price: $15.95
Publishing Date: 2003
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This picture book, a Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Award winner for 2003, is a tale of a young knight called into service for his king. As he travels to the castle, he keeps getting sidetracked along the way by people who desperately need his help. Finally, as an old man, he reaches the castle in rags, only keeping his golden spurs to prove his identity. There the king rewards him for his faithful service to the kingdom’s people, while the knight thought he had had been errant on his way to the king. This is a touching fable which teaches the importance of service to others as a way of showing love for one’s Lord. We rated it five hearts.
Title: George Rogers Clark: Boy of the Northwest Frontier
Author: Katharine E. Wilkie
Illustrator: Cathy Morrison
Publisher and/or Distributor: Patria Press, Inc.
Pages: 114
ISBN: 1-882859-44-8
Price: $9.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This is another book in the award-winning Young Patriot Series. This biography of the revolutionary war hero, George Rogers Clark, older brother of William Clark of the expedition fame, is written for 8-12-year-olds. It focuses on the subject’s boyhood with a minor explanation of his adult accomplishments. Its purpose is to not only teach history, but to show how a young person can grow into greatness. The illustrations are well-matched to the story. We rated this book four hearts.
Title: A Lucky Dog: Owney, US Rail Mail Mascot
Author: Dirk Wales
Illustrator: Diane Kenna
Publisher and/or Distributor: Great Plains Press
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0963245902
Price: $15.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
In the late 1880s, a small pup in search of shelter from cold rain wanders into the Albany, New York post office, crawls up on the mail bags, and falls asleep. The workers adopt him and give him the name of “Owney” after one of them. Owney loves the smell of the mail and the friendship of the workers. Then he discovers the mail cars on trains and begins a wander all over the US. One day he discovers the mail goes into ships and follows it onto one. This begins a trip around the world. He becomes known throughout the world.
This delightful story with accompanying cute pictures is a true delight. It incorporates history, kindness to animals, and acknowledges their needs and curiosity. The most amazing part is that it’s all true. We rated it a solid four hearts.
Title: Mama
Author: Kelly Jones
Illustrator: Ken Kewly
Publisher and/or Distributor: Stunt Publishing
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-9745930-0-1
Price: $13.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
A big sister takes it upon herself to interpret what her baby brother is saying every time he cries out “Mama”. This picture book models a caring, helpful big sister role that may help families adjust to a new young one. The illustrations use an unusual collage technique that is considerably different than the usual illustrations seen in picture books. We rated this book three hearts.
Title: A Mother’s Promise
Author: Lisa Humphrey
Illustrator: David Danioth
Publisher and/or Distributor: Illumination Arts Publishing Co
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-9701907-9-4
Price: $15.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This picture book of a young mother-to-be is about all the values she plans to teach her soon-to-be-born baby. The text is touching and the illustrations are beautiful; however, be advised, there is one picture of a topless, pregnant mother-to-be. This is a good book for soon-to-be and new mothers. We rated it five hearts.
Title: One Smile
Author: Cindy McKinley
Illustrator: Mary Gregg Byrne
Publisher and/or Distributor: Illumination Arts Publishing Co.
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-935699-23-6
Price: $15.95
Publishing Date: 2002
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This Benjamin Franklin Award winning picture book illustrates how one little girl’s smile at a sad young man starts a chain of actions and good deeds that bring happiness into the lives of many. As always, the artwork is lovely and the text is touching. We rated this book five hearts.
Title: A Tallgrass Prairie Alphabet
Author: Claudia McGehee
Illustrator: Claudia McGehee
Publisher and/or Distributor: University of Iowa Press
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-87745-897-9
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
For those who like theme-based alphabet picture books, this is a well-done representation of the tallgrass prairie for young children. The artwork is a most unusual blend of scratchboard and watercolors. Each letter is related to an animal or plant of the tallgrass environment. We rated this book three hearts.
Title: Washoe Seasons of Life: A Native American Story
Author: Karen Wallis and Diane Domiteaux
Illustrator: Lea Saling
Publisher and/or Distributor: Beagle Bay Books
Pages: 44
ISBN: 0974961035
Price: $19.95
Publishing Date: 15 July 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This is a nicely illustrated picture book about the daily and seasonal life of a young Washoe girl and her friends as they work and play in the Lake Tahoe area of what is now Nevada and California. It is also multi-lingual with a glossary of Washoe equivalents to key words on each page and at the end of the book. It opens a window into a bygone culture, helping to preserve a heritage of Native America in the Carson Valley region. We rated it four hearts
Title: We Share One World
Author: Jane E. Hoffelt
Illustrator: Mary Husted
Publisher and/or Distributor: Illumination Arts Publishing Company
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-9701907-8-6
Price: $15.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This sister-produced picture book illustrates how much incommon children are all over the world. The pictures of children in their native settings with small map insets as the where their countries are located are very instructive in terms of geography and anthropology. We rated it a solid four hearts.
Title: Counting Coconuts/Contando Cocos
Author: Wendi Silvano, Translated by Elda de la Vega
Illustrator: Marty Granius
Publisher and/or Distributor: Raven Tree Press
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-9720192-6-X
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This picture book follows the antics of monkey counting his coconuts singlely, by pairs, by threes, etc. He’s so busy counting in various combinations as suggested by various jungle animals, that it’s a late night before he finally takes time to eat one. We rate this book three hearts.
Title: Not Just a Witch
Author: Eva Ibbotson
Illustrator: Kevin Hawkes
Publisher and/or Distributor: Dutton Children’s Books
Pages: 192
ISBN: 0-525-47101-4
Price:$15.99
Publishing Date: August 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
Heckie is a good witch who only wants to help rid the world of evil. She has a failsafe way of doing it, she believes. Since animals can’t be evil by nature, why not change the evil people of the world into animals. But how is she going to tell really evil people from people who are just having a bad day and take their frustration out on her or another at the wrong time? Come along with Sumi and Danie as the try to help Heckie with her mission. But are they helping her out of their own selfish desires? You’ll have to read ‘Not Just a Witch’ to find out. This book earns 3 hearts.
Title: My Pal, Victor / Mi Amigo, Victor
Author: Diane Gonzales Bertrand
Illustrator: Robert Sweetland
Publisher and/or Distributor: Raven Tree Press
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-9720192-9-4
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: May 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This picture book celebrates close friends and all the things these two boys do together while accepting each other’s differences totally. The story is told in both English and Spanish on each page, making for an excellent language practice book. We rated it a high three hearts.
Title: Isabel and the Hungry Coyote / Isabel y el coyote Hambriento
Author: Keith Polette
Illustrator: Esther Szegedy
Publisher and/or Distributor: Raven Tree Press
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-9724973-0-7
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: May 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This is a wonderful bilingual picture book of a Southwest adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood. In this case, Mr. Coyote, is foiled not by a hunter or a woodsman, but by Red herself, who feeds him very hot chili peppers. Throughout the story, Spanish words are inserted, which match words in a glossary in the back. All in all, this is a cute story, cute pictures, and an effective teaching approach. We rated it five hearts.
Title: Polar Slumber / Sueño Polar
Author: Dennis Rockhill, Translated by Eida de la Vega
Illustrator: Dennis Rockhill
Publisher and/or Distributor: Raven Tree Press
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-9724973-1-5
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: May 15, 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This is a very interesting interactive picture book–interactive between the child and the adult reader. The child’s imagination is brought into play and his interpretations of the pictures are discussed. There is a poem at the end describing the winter scenes. There are instructions for the adult at the beginning of the book. We rated this book four hearts.
Title: Saving Samantha: A True Story
Author: Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuyzen
Illustrator: Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen
Publisher and/or Distributor: Sleeping Bear Press
Pages: 48
ISBN: 1-58536-220-4
Price: $17.95
Publishing Date: April 2004
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This beautifully illustrated and chronicled picture book of the saving of a fox kit is the work of the remarkable van Frankenhuyzen couple from Michigan. The family’s journal of how the kit was found, the fun that was had in raising her, and how she acclimated back to the wild is a wonderfully constructed nature book. The illustrations are absolutely top notch. We rated this five hearts.
Title: 100 Athletes Who Shaped Sports History
Author: Timothy Jacobs and Russell Roberts
Publisher and/or Distributor: Bluewood Books
Pages: 112
ISBN: 0-912517-53-0
Price: $7.95
Publishing Date 2004
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
100 Athletes is a collection of over 20 different athletes that have made a difference on the world of sports. It is a great reference book that encompasses history from Milo of Crotona in 558 B.C. to Tiger Woods of today. This book would be an easy way for students to learn the history of sports, for homeschoolers to add the history of athletics to their chronological studies, and a great trivia book for sports buffs. This book gets four hearts.
Title: Chiles for Benito/ Chiles para Benito
Author: Ana Baca
Illustrator: Anthony Accardo
Publisher and/or Distributor: Pinata books
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-55885-389-8
Price: $14.95
Publishing Date: November 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
“Chiles for Benito” is the Spanish version of a Jack and the Beanstalk with his magical beans kind of story except these beans make great tasting recipes. It is a cute rendition of how one bean can grow and create a huge garden of success for a family. The chiles beans and the recipes are passed down from generation to generation with the story being told at harvest time. Ana Baca also adds the recipe for salsa at the end of the story. This would be a great book for a social studies class learning about Mexico and sharing some of the traditions of folktales, gardening, and cooking. This book gets 4 hearts.
Title: The Empanadas that Abuela Made/ Las empanadas que hacia la abuela
Author: Gonzales Bertrand
Illustrator: Alex Pardo DeLange
Publisher and/or Distributor: Pinata Books
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-55995-388-x
Price $14.95
Publishing Date: November 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
The Empanadas that Abuela Made is a bilingual story involving how Empanadas are made at harvest time and supply a yummy pumpkin desert for families to share. The pumpkin recipe follows at the end of the book. DeLange did a great job of enlarging the context of Bertrand story. The story will have the child believing that the characters are going to cover a large pumpkin in the field with the dough they make. The colorful pictures go great with the poetic verse by Bertrand. This story gets 3 hearts.
Title: My Tata’s Guitar
Author: Ethriam Cash Brammer
Illustrator: Daniel Lechon
Publisher and/or Distributor: Pinata Books
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-55885-369-3
Price: $14.95
Publishing Date: May 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
My Tata’s Guitar tells the story of a young boy exploring in his Tata’s garage and finding an old guitar. His Tata finds him in the garage and reminisces over the guitar that his Tata had given him when he was a boy. He tells how the guitar was a part of his life as his is growing up and then passes the guitar onto his grandson. A cute story of how music is passed down within the family and helps a family stay connected. This story gets 4 hearts.
Title: Woods Walk
Author: Henry W. Art and Michael W. Robins
Illustrator: full-color photography and illustrations
Publisher and/or Distributor: Storey Kids
Pages: 128
ISBN: 1-58017-452-3 (p)
Price: $14.95
Publishing Date: June 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
Woods Walk: Peepers, porcupines and exploding puffballs! What you’ll see, hear and smell when exploring the woods is a nature guide that is a must for all adventurous hikers. This guide will lead you through each of the seasons and share with you information on what you will find on your hike. This is a plethora of information with full-color photos and illustrations that make learning fun and interesting. Little blips of information are boxed off to give the reader interesting trivia about the animals and foliage that the hiker will want to look out for while searching the woods. A must have for any library. This book gets five hearts.
Title: Around One Cactus
Author: Anthony D. Fredericks
Illustrator: Jennifer DiRubbio
Publisher and/or Distributor: Dawn Publications
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-58469-052-6
Price: 7.95
Publishing Date: Fall 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
The beautiful illustrations brought the Tucson desert back to mind while reading Around One Cactus. The poetic rhythm of the story made the book almost sing. Educational material given at its best, the pictures almost strike at you off the page. Watch out for the rattlesnake! The desert life is brought to life around the Saguaro cactus that is only found in the southwest desert in Arizona. The children not only get a zoology lesson but geographical lesson as well. This book would make a great addition to any home library.
Title: Dear Mr. Leprechaun Letters from My First Friendship
Author: Martin Nelson Burton
Illustrator: Clint Hansen
Publisher and/or Distributor: London Town Press
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-9666490-0-1
Price: 15.95
Publishing Date: 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
Dear Mr. Leprechaun Letters from My First Friendship is an intriguing story since is it based on true happenings. A seven-year friendship began with the simple writing of a note and the friendship lasted a lifetime. This book grabs at your heartstrings and the illustrations will memorize you. The long hours and awesome job put into illustrating this book is amazing. Mr. Hansen my hat off to you! Mr. Burton and Mr. Hansen have put together a wonderful story that will bless any bookshelf. This book gets 5 hearts.
Title: Eggy Meggy and Peggy
Author: Miriam Cohen
Illustrator: Miriam Cohen
Publisher and/or Distributor: Star Bright Books.
Pages: 14 board
ISBN: 1-932065-09-1
Price: $5.95
Publishing Date: 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
The young readers or listeners will become just involved in the story as the rabbit and Hamster. “What’s going to happen?” they all want to know. The children will follow this story over and over again so be ready Mom and Dad and get ready to sing ‘Happy Birthday’. This book gets 3 hearts – one each for Eggy, Meggy and Peggy.
Title: Ernest’s Special Christmas
Author: Laura T. Barnes
Illustrator: Carol A. Camburn
Publisher and/or Distributor: Barnesyard Books
Pages: 36
ISBN: 0-9674681-3-2
Price: $17.95
Publishing Date: 2003
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
This is a cute picture book. It teaches that animals can be friends and they will try to help one another. Chester the draft horse, a friend of Ernest the donkey, is missing and a blizzard has started. Chester is eventually found in the blinding snowstorm, lying collapsed on the ground. Ernest gathers all his other barnyard friends to go to the rescue of Chester. Will they get him on his feet?
This is a good series, filled with values and presented in a positive manner. We rated this book a high four hearts.
Title: Frogazoom!
Author: Linda S. Day and MyLinda Butterworth
Illustrator: Linda S. Day
Publisher and/or Distributor: Eco Fiction Books
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-890905-03-8
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: November 2003
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
Frogazoom! is a cute picture book which blends a fun story about some little stink bugs confronting a bullfrog in a bog with the ecological concerns about such creatures in the Florida wetlands. It teaches natural science while providing a delightfully entertaining storyline. This is an ideal book for preschool science and ecology curricula. We rated it four hearts.
Title: The Horse Breeds Poster Book
Author: Lisa H. Hiley
Illustrator: Bob Langrish, photographer
Publisher and/or Distributor: Storey Publishing
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-58017-507-4
Price: 9.95
Publishing Date: 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
The Horse Breeds Poster Book is one book that won’t stay together long in the right hands. Every horse loving person will want to plaster these posters on their walls! The beautiful pictures of horses in all shapes and sizes, is a wonderful way for a child to learn about the many breeds. Each poster is of a different breed with interesting facts and information on the back of the poster. The posters are 9x12 inches in size, just perfect for placing on a bulletin board or the wall. My sons only wanted rabbits until they saw this horse book! This book gets 5 hearts from all of us.
Title: How I Became Champion of the Universe
Author: Kenny Harrison
Illustrator: Kenny Harrison
Publisher and/or Distributor: Tricycle Press
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-58246-077-9
Price: 14.95
Publishing Date: 2002
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
Come learn the secret to being the ‘Champion of the Universe’ but don’t tell anyone what you find out. It has to remain a secret. Kenny Harrison has done a cute job with the one thing all boys love to do with their dads – wrestle. Little boys will enjoy finding out the secret so they can use it in their own adventures to become ‘Champion of the Universe’. I give this book 3 hearts.
Title: John Muir America’s Naturalist
Author: Thomas Locker
Illustrator: Thomas Locker
Publisher and/or Distributor: Fulcrum Publishing
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-55591-393-8
Price: 17.95
Publishing Date: 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
Thomas Locker has done a beautiful job of introducing children to one of America’s foremost naturalist who helped preserve our wilderness from development. The amazing landscape paintings introduce John Muir’s life in beautiful colors and scenery. The poetic verse allows the children to see the pictures through the use of words and gain an insight to how amazed John Muir was over God’s creation. The landscape paintings are a perfect teaching tool for any advanced art classes. Thomas Locker’s book has a lot to offer to many different readers, from the child learning about nature to the advanced artist and poet. I give this book 4 hearts.
Title: Rinny and the Trail of Clues
Author: Robyn Leslie
Illustrator:
Publisher and/or Distributor: Sugar Ducky Books
Pages: 184
ISBN: 0-9727388-8-6
Price: $7.95
Publishing Date: September, 2003
Reader: Judy Schuler
Rating:
Rinny Olson is running for president of her fifth-grade class. Her opponent is Billy Perez, class clown and troublemaker. When she finds a dead rat on her doorstep, she’s sure Billy’s trying to scare her into dropping out. She enlists the aid of her best friend, Temple, to solve the mystery. Clues keep showing up, and she and Temple follow each one. As she follows the trail of clues, Rinny discovers the people she knows have many layers. She learns not to judge people by appearances.
Rinny and the Trail of Clues is a fun and fast-paced mystery that middle-grade readers are sure to like. We give it four hearts.
Title: Shapesville
Author: Andy Mills & Becky Osborn
Illustrator: Erica Neitz
Publisher and/or Distributor: Gurze Books
Pages: 28
ISBN: 0-936077-44-1
Price: 7.95 (P)
Publishing Date: 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
Shapesville is a great learning tool for a teacher or parent to read over and over to their young children. It is important for children to learn that they are loved and accepted by who they are on the inside. Children in the same family can see by the Shapes in Shapesville that even brothers and sisters can be extremely different and don’t have to like the same things. I give Shapesville 4 hearts and will be reading it again to the boys of our house.
Title: Too Many Pears
Author: Jackie French
Illustrator: Bruce Whatley
Publisher and/or Distributor: Star Bright Books.
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-932065-47-4
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
Too Many Pears is about having too much of a good thing and will show the reader what happens when they don’t control their desires. Pamela is a cow with a nonstop hunger for pears. She eats and eats and eats and doesn’t leave any for the farmer’s family until one day when they set out to cure her of her desire. You will have to read Too Many Pears to find out if it works. I give this book 3 hearts.
Title: Tub Toys
Author: Terry Miller Shannon & Timothy Warner
Illustrator: Lee Calderon
Publisher and/or Distributor: Tricycle Press
Pages: 32
ISBN#:1-58246-066-3
Price:14.95
Publishing date: 2002
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
Tub Toys is a cute way of showing your child what will happen if they take all their play “Friends” into the tub with them at bath time. The authors have done a good job with their poetic prose. The children couldn’t wait to hear what was next in line for the tub and how it was going to get there! From the first rubber ducky to the last page when the little boys finally joins his toys you will have fun watching him get ready for his bath. I give this book 4 hearts.
Title: Anna’s Table
Author: Eve Bunting
Illustrator: Taia Morley
Publisher and/or Distributor: Northword Press
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-55971-841-2
Price: 15.95
Publishing Date: 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
Anna’s Table sits in her room and holds the collection of life science objects she has collected from outside. Shells, nest, dead insects, lizards and butterflies are part of her collection. Anna learns about nature as she investigates her different findings. The illustrations are brightly colored and bring the colors of nature right into the room with you. Young children will get plenty of ideas for show and tell items to take to school. This book gets 3 hearts.
Title: Beach Dog Goes Country: Jake the Beagle’s Crazy Adventures #1
Author: Regina Hernandez
Illustrator: Regina Hernandez
Publisher and/or Distributor: Regal Enterprises
Pages: 91
ISBN: 0-9717771-0-5
Price: 11.99
Publishing Date: September 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
Beach Dog Goes Country is written through the eyes of Jake the Beagle and gives his life story. This is book one in a series of seven books (or more). Jake tells how he overcame the puppy mill, rundown pet store to find his first endearing owner. Then he must endure being dropped off at the pound where life becomes scary. Jake finally finds the family he has been waiting for and life explodes into adventure after adventure. Young readers will get a kick out of Jake’s adventures. This story gets 4 hearts.
Title: “I Don’t Like Mosquitoes!”
Author: Michael Ambrosio
Illustrator: Bob Langan
Publisher and/or Distributor: LionX Publishing
Pages: 48
ISBN: 0-9716085-2-0
Price: 16.95
Publishing Date: October 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
“I Don’t Like Mosquitoes!” How many times have you personally said that? Everyone needs a little puppy like Poochiegrass to take care of their mosquito problem. Unknowingly Poochiegrass clobbers those pesky mosquitoes right and left but then he is left with one problem. The lone surviving mosquito wants revenge. Who will win? Poochiegrass must find a way to stop the swarm of mosquitoes that is out to get him and protect his owner from them also. Michael Ambrosio and Bob Langan did a great job making Poochiegrass our hero. The kids love him and absolutely hate those pesky mosquitoes! This book gets 5 hearts.
Title: Inside Out
Author: Wendy Stofan Halley
Illustrator: Roberta Collier-Morales
Publisher and/or Distributor: Illuminations Arts
Pages:32
ISBN: 0-9701907-5-1
Price: 15.95
Publishing Date: 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
Inside Out is a brightly illustrated tale of a young girl learning to be a friend with herself so that she can be friend with others. Through the guidance of her imaginary friend she learns about her inner spirit. But will she learn to let her true self shine so others can see who she is? Little Karly has to learn how, as do we all. This book gets 3 hearts.
Title: Mystic Horse
Author: Paul Goble
Illustrator: Paul Goble
Publisher and/or Distributor: Harper Collins
Pages:32
ISBN:0-06-029813-8
Price:16.99
Publishing Date: 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
Paul Goble does an excellent job with the retelling of this fabulous Indian tale. Mystic Horse is a folklore story from the Pawnee Indian tribe that shows the tribe in truth. The story tells how the tribe must follow the buffalo and how the horse became such an important part of their lives. Mystic Horse will intrigue the young reader who is interested in horses, Indians, and their ways of living. The artwork is superb, enabling the story to leap right off the pages. Paul Goble has done another outstanding piece of work.
This story gets 5 hearts.
Title: The Orphans of Normandy
Author: Nancy Amis
Illustrator: Nancy Amis
Publisher and/or Distributor: Atheneum Books
Pages: 48
ISBN: 0-689-84143-4
Price: 17.95
Publishing Date: 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
The Orphans of Normandy; a true story of World War II told through drawings by children from the orphanage in Caen, France. This is a powerful book for young readers to experience the horrors of war through the eyes of children. The drawings from the young orphan girls describe what they saw as they marched across France to reach a safe haven. The Orphans of Normandy is a record of history like no other. Nancy Amis did a great job putting together the pictures and translating what the girls wrote about their drawings. This book will touch your hearts. I give it five of mine.
Title: Dandylion
Author: Terry Bremer
Illustrator: M. Deborah Pierce
Publisher and/or Distributor: Bearver's Pond Press
Pages: 32
ISBN: 1-931646-90-2
Price: $15.00
Publishing Date: 2003
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
Dandylion: The Most Misunderstood Flower, a cute poetic story about the life of a dandylion and her attempts to fit in with the other garden flowers. She deals with discrimination and hate, and then learns she really is a flower, when picked and given in love from the hands of a small child.
This book gets 4 hearts
Title: Ghost Town Mystery Series : Goodbye God, I'm going to Bodie, Ghost of Nighthawk and Shadow of Shaniko
Author: Calamity Jan
Illustrator: Calamity Jan
Publisher and/or Distributor: Wild West Publihing
Pages: 109-112
ISBN: 0-9721800-0-1, 0-9721800-1-x, 0-9721800-2-8
Price: $10.00
Publishing Date: 2002
Reader: Jane Deskis
Rating:
A great new mystery series that kids are going to enjoy. Watch out Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and even Scooby-Doo, this series actually includes some history. What more could you ask for? Join Meggie and Paige as they get to explore different Ghost towns across the western USA, and always find a mystery still lingering, after all these years, that needs to be solved. This series gets 5 hearts for each book.
Title: I Love the Night
Author: Dar Hosta
Illustrator: Dar Hosta
Publisher and/or Distributor: Brown Dog Books
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0-9721967-0-6
Price: $16.95
Publishing Date: Summer 2003
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
I Love the Night is a delightful picture book by a young and talented author/illustrator, Dar Hosta. It is reminiscent of Good Night Moon, except it includes the activities of many nocturnal creatures. The text has an interesting repetition of adjectives being defined by an adverbial form of the adjectivequite catchy that. The illustrations are highly comparable to Eric Carl's. They include collage technique, of which this illustrator is known for. We look forward to more books from Ms Hosta, and we rated this one four hearts.
Title: The Legend of Leelanau
Author: Kathy-jo Wargin
Illustrator: Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen
Publisher and/or Distributor: Sleeping Bear Press
Pages: 48
ISBN: 1-58536-150-X
Price: $17.95
Publishing Date: 2003
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating:
The Legend of Leelanau is a native American equivalent to Peter Pan. A young Indian girl does not want to grow up. She much prefers to explore and play in the dark forest, Spirit Wood, with the little people, the Pukwudjininees. As is typical of the illustrator, the artwork is breath taking. The author's text is easy to follow and connects well with children and adults alike. Sleeping Bear Press has done it againbrought the early American legends to life.This is a well-done book and deserves its high four hearts rating.
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