Baby Penguins Everywhere! by Melissa Guion. Ages 2 – 5. 28 pages. Philomel. December 2012. ISBN-13: 978-0399255359 Fiction. $16.99 Hardback out now. Board book $6.99 due out October 2013.
Tag Archives: Beautiful Books
Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley with Drawings by Brian Selznick
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley with Drawings by Brian Selznick. Ages 4 – 8. Scholastic Press. October 2001. 48 pages. ISBN-13: 978-0439114943. Nonfiction. $17.99 (But many used copies for $0.01 on Amazon.)
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Popper Possum and the Giant Rats by Mary Brugioni and Illustrated by Albert Saavedra
Popper Possum and the Giant Rats by Mary Brugioni and Illustrated by Albert Saavedra. Ages 4 – 8 (2.5 year old son loved it). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. February 2013. 32 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1482388961. Fiction. $6.99 Paperback/$2.99 Kindle
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Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: The House That George Built by Suzanne Slade and Illustrated by Rebecca Bond
The House That George Built by Suzanne Slade and Illustrated by Rebecca Bond. Ages 4 – 8 (2.5 year old son likes it). Charlesbridge Publishing. July 2012. 48 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1580892629. Nonfiction. $16.95
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Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Eight Days Gone by Linda McReynolds and Illustrated by Ryan O’Rourke
Eight Days Gone by Linda McReynolds and Illustrated by Ryan O’Rourke. Ages 5 – 8 (2.5 year old son loved it). Charlesbridge Publishing. July 2012. 44 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1580893657. Nonfiction. $7.95 (Paperback)
Quick Summary: This picture book is about the Apollo 11′s space mission to the moon in 1969. It’s written in rhyme, has a great rhythm to it, and the illustrations are stunning.
Our Experience Reading this Book: We highly, highly recommend this book. I really love reading this book to my son (over and over and over again). The author makes great use of rhyme to make the landmark mission to the moon accessible to everyone without dumbing it down.
“Michael Collins stays with ship. Waits, observing, tracking trip.”
It is also an exceptionally beautiful book with a retro feel to the illustrations.
The vocabulary is excellent. My son and I talked about the following words used in this book: sprawling, bulky, fasten, lunar, desolation, tranquil, barren, stark, quarantine, and data. I am very impressed with the author’s word choices especially considering there aren’t a lot of words in the book. This book also had my son asking why astronauts need helmets — which led to talking about why there is no air on the moon. I loved how this book inspired a lot of interesting discussions between me and my son. It’s a fantastic introduction to Apollo 11′s lunar landing.
It’s an entirely appropriate and wonderful book to read to any age. I think everyone will enjoy reading and learning from this book.
Where Obtained: Library. Random pick.
FTC Disclosures: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” If you click on the link and purchase the book, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Author/Illustrator Website:
- Linda McReynolds: http://www.charlesbridge.com/contributorinfo.cfm?ContribID=648
- Ryan O’Rourke: http://www.ryanorourke.com/8-Days-Gone-1
Some of my Favorite Reviews of this Book:
- http://shelf-employed.blogspot.com/2012/07/eight-days-gone-review.html
- http://pclkidsbooks.blogspot.com/2013/02/eight-days-gone.html
- http://laurasalas.wordpress.com/2012/10/08/eight-days-gone/
- https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/linda-mcreynolds/eight-days-gone/
- http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-58089-364-0
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I’m linking up this post over at:
Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday.
Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted over at Kidlitfrenzy.com.
Please go visit and hook up a nonfiction picture book review of your own and see other nonfiction picture book recommendations! This is a great resource and Kidlitfrenzy is an amazing blog!
I’m also participating in the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2013. I’ve set my goal for 25 books. This is book 3 of 25 since signing up for the challenge.
Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Marvin Makes Music by Marvin Hamlisch and Illustrated by Jim Madsen
Marvin Makes Music by Marvin Hamlisch and Illustrated by Jim Madsen. Ages 4 – 8 (2.5 year old son loved it). Dial Books for Young Readers. November 2012. 32 pages. ISBN-13: 978-0803737303. Nonfiction. $17.99
Summary: This book is based on the true story of Marvin Hamlisch’s audition and acceptance to the Julliard School. Marvin loves music. He hears it everywhere and his piano is his best friend. He loves composing his own music and he’d much rather play his own music than practice.
One day his father tells him that he and his piano teacher think he’s ready to enroll into one of the best music schools in the city.
The day of his audition is anything but smooth. He and his father actually get trapped on the roof where he’s auditioning. After getting back into the building, Marvin manages to come through and play his best. He becomes the youngest person ever accepted into the Julliard School.
This book also comes with a CD of The Music in My Mind.
Our Experience Reading this Book: We highly, highly recommend this book. It’s a nonfiction book that reads like a fairy tale. The beautiful and stylized 1950′s/1960′s era illustrations set the tone and transport you back in history effortlessly.
It’s a wonderful book that reminds you that even people who are passionate and talented musicians don’t necessarily want to practice. It also reminds us that it is important to overcome the things that scare us (like performing in front of people and auditions) to do what we love.
The suspense when Marvin and his father get locked out on the roof of the building is very well done. My son actually exclaimed, “Oh no!” When we finished reading the book my son wanted to turn around and read it again. We’ve read it several days in a row now and have enjoyed it immensely each time.
After reading this book the other day, it was time for me to fix some lunch. I went into the kitchen and left my son in the living room to play. A few minutes later I was thrilled to hear my son playing on his electronic keyboard. I said, “Oh, what are you playing?” He smiled and said, “Come play with me!” How could I resist that?
It’s an inspirational picture book that I hope will inspire many, many people to come.
Where Obtained: Library.
FTC Disclosures: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” If you click on the link and purchase the book, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Author/Illustrator Website:
- Marvin Hamlisch: http://marvinhamlisch.us/ (I was sad to find out that Marvin Hamlisch passed away last August.)
- Jim Madsen: http://jimmadsen.blogspot.com/ (A lot of wonderful illustrations on his blog.)
Some of my Favorite Reviews of this Book:
- http://marvinhamlisch.us/reviews/marvin-makes-music-by-marvin-hamlisch-a-picture-book-to-inspire-us-all/
- http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/28720/marvin-makes-music/
- http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-8037-3730-3
- http://www.themarthablog.com/2013/01/marvin-makes-music-by-marvin-hamlisch.html (With 20 images from the book.)
- http://www.examiner.com/review/marvin-makes-music-by-marvin-hamlisch-a-picture-book-to-inspire-us-all
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I’m linking up this post over at:
Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday.
Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted over at Kidlitfrenzy.com.
Please go visit and hook up a nonfiction picture book review of your own and see other nonfiction picture book recommendations! This is a great resource and Kidlitfrenzy is an amazing blog!
I’m also participating in the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2013. I’ve set my goal for 25 books. This is 1/25 since signing up for the challenge.
Such a Cool Book: Who Put the B in the Ballyhoo? by Carlyn Beccia
Who Put the B in the Ballyhoo: The Most Amazing, Bizarre, and Celebrated Circus Performers by Carlyn Beccia. Ages 4 – 8 (2.5 year old son loved it). Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. April 2007. 32 pages. ISBN-10: 0618717188. Non-fiction. $16.00
Quick Summary: Lots of fascinating facts and information about the history of the circus — in alphabetical order. Beautiful and rich illustrations of bizarre and unusual performers and performances. Unforgettable and mesmerizing!
Our Experience Reading this Book: We highly, highly recommend this book. My son and I have read this book many times. It’s so well done.
The illustrations, layout, and information work together to create this experience where I felt like I had witnessed a performance. It’s creative, it’s beautiful, and it’s factual without feeling didactic. The vocabulary is excellent and it gives a great historical perspective of the circus.
Some of the images are a little creepy — but sometimes so was the circus. The Fiji Mermaid and the Wild Men of Borneo are two pages that we kinda gloss over because they’re pretty gruesome. When my son’s older it won’t be a problem, like when he’s in the actual age range that this book is intended. (Go figure!)
This book is so cool and I’m really impressed with it. It has certainly upped the, “What’s that?” game with my son and keeps me on my toes as I try to explain what a tattoo is and why a flea is being shot out of a cannon.
Carlyn Beccia has another picture book called: I Feel Better with a Frog in My Throat that won a 2011 Cybils. I’m looking forward to checking it out.
Where Obtained/FTC Disclosure: Library. I liked it so much, I bought it.
FTC Disclosures: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” If you click on the link and purchase the book, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Author/Illustrator Website: http://blog.carlynbeccia.com
Some of my Favorite Reviews of this Book:
- Author-Illustrator Interview: http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2007/09/author-illustrator-interview-carlyn.html
- http://www.armchairinterviews.com/reviews/who_put_the_b_i
- http://www.lookingglassreview.com/html/who_put_the_b_in_the_ballyhoo_.html
- http://amoxcalli.ginaruiz.com/2012/05/15/who-put-the-b-in-the-ballyhoo/
- http://bluebird-br.blogspot.com/2008/01/who-put-b-in-ballyhoo-by-caryln-beccia.html
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I’m participating in the Kid Lit Blog Hop over at MotherDaughterBookReviews. Go check out all the bloggers talking about great children’s books!
George Washington’s Birthday: A Mostly True Tale by Margaret McNamara and Illustrated by Barry Blitt
George Washington’s Birthday: A Mostly True Tale by Margaret McNamara and Illustrated by Barry Blitt. Ages 4 – 8 (2.5 year old son loved it). Schwartz & Wade. January 2012. 40 pages. ISBN: 978-0375844997. $17.99
Quick Summary: This is a very creatively done book about George Washington as a child on his 7th birthday. This is a fictional book about George Washington that cleverly integrates and dispels many of the myths about him. A fictional book dispelling myths — a happy irony. It is done in a simple narrative that is easy and fun to follow. The illustrations are beautiful and accessible to adults and children alike. The illustrations along with the text make this book a great introduction (and reintroduction) to George Washington.
Our Experience Reading this Book: We highly, highly recommend this book. It was a lot of fun to read this book and my son wanted me to read it to him again and again and again. I was thrilled every time my son pulled this book off the shelf, of his own volition, and asked me to read it to him. I learned things about George Washington and loved looking at the illustrations. It’s a light introduction to George Washington and I’m thrilled that this is how I was able to first tell my son about him.
What has surprised me about this book is how long lasting of an impression this book has made. My son and I read this book months ago. We read it every day for about six weeks and sometimes two or three times in a row. This led to me telling him more about what I know (or think I know) about George Washington. I pulled out a dollar bill and told my son that this is what he looked like when he grew up. I showed him some quarters, too. A few weeks later I showed him the dollar bill and my son proudly declared (at not even two and a half years old at the time) that it was, “George Washington and he was the first president AND he chopped down a cherry tree.” Well, at least he got the first two parts right and he can learn about myths a little later — and at least he has the right myth with the right president. Anyway, I’m one proud mama.
I think it is great that my son has this information somewhere in his brain now and it’s a great start. We’ll come back to this book many more times. I’m impressed with how many layers this book has. I’m also looking forward to my son and I having deeper discussions about George Washington when we read this book later. It’s a book that will become even more interesting to him as he gets older and understands more about the world around him.
I hope you get a chance to check it out. It’s elegant, fun, and very informative.
Where Obtained: Library.
FTC Disclosures: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” If you click on the link and purchase the book, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Author/Illustrator Website:
- Margaret McNamara: www.margaretmcnamara.net
- Barry Blitt: http://barryblitt.com/
Some of my Favorite Reviews of this Book:
- http://childrenslitcrossroads.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/review-george-washingtons-birthday/
- http://www.hbook.com/2012/01/choosing-books/recommended-books/picture-books-for-presidents-day/
- http://lookingglassreview.com/books/george-washingtons-birthday-a-mostly-true-tale
- http://www.mydailyfind.com/2013/02/04/kids-book-corner-we-%E2%99%A5-books/
- http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/books/review/bookshelf-presidents.html?_r=0 (This article also gives a great slide show and list of other picture books about presidents. It is a great resource.)
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I’m participating in the Kid Lit Blog Hop over at MotherDaughterBookReviews. Go check out all the bloggers talking about great children’s books!
Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs by Giles Andreae and Russell Ayto
Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs by Giles Andreae and Russell Ayto Ages 2+. Margaret K. McElderry Books. September 2005. 25 pages. ISBN: 978-1416907138 $16.99
Summary: When Flinn goes back into the art supply closet at his school to get some supplies he finds a pirate, Captain Stubble, crying because someone has stolen his ship. The boy and his friends help the pirate find his stolen ship. Oh, and they battle pirate dinosaurs, too. But they’re pretty nice about it. So it’s fun and good and everyone ends up happy. We Highly, Highly Recommend it!
Our Experience: I was in the library with my son perusing the cart of to-be-shelved books when this one stopped me. Pirates? Dinosaurs? Pirates + Dinosaurs? Okay, this book looks like it could be good. And I was right! (I love it when I’m right.)
First off, the illustrations are a lot of fun. The ink and watercolor illustrations are done with bright, bold colors with lots of exaggerated lines. A few of the illustrations and the cover have a person’s mouth wide open with a dangling uvula. My son and I spent a while discussing what a palatine uvula is and then I got a flashlight and opened my mouth wide so he could see mine and then we tried to look in a mirror so he could see his uvula. Anyway, it was a lot of fun and led to lots of giggling. It was hilarious and educational and all because of this book. Also, my 2.5 year old knows what a palatine uvula is — which is fun.
The characters in this book are all top notch. The actual pirate dinosaurs aren’t exactly the most well-mannered or friendly dinosaurs, but they aren’t inappropriate. I didn’t feel compelled to edit the book at all while reading it to my son. Nor do I think he’s going to imitate these dinosaurs and so far after reading this book no less than 25 times (and probably closer to like 35 times) he hasn’t. There’s one part where the pirate dinosaur says that he’s going to cut up Captain Flinn and BBQ him with, “much too much ketchup.” I wasn’t so sure about saying that to my 2.5 year old — but it seems just fine. He hasn’t threatened to cut me up, but he has been threatening to add much too much ketchup to things. (Which I find pretty cute.) If you’re not comfortable with it, it is easy to take out of the story.
I really liked the friends in this story. They were supportive of their friend Flinn and wanted to go with him to help rescue Captain Stubble’s stolen ship. Good friends are always a win for me when reading a story. There’s also a part where Captain Stubble doesn’t want to be the captain of the ship they’re using to find his stolen ship — so he’s the cook instead and makes fish stew. We’ve been having a lot of pretend play around fish stew since this book entered our house.
Also! There’s a simple, fun song in the book that goes, “Yo Ho Ho! Yo Ho Ho! Somethingy Something! Go! Go! Go!” Which is entirely too much fun to sing. We sing it a lot these days.
In writing this review, I have learned that there are several other books in this series and I’m really looking forward to checking out and reading with my son.
I hope you get a chance to check out this book. We love it so much and hope you do, too.
Where Obtained: Public Library. Random grab off the to-be-shelved cart.
FTC Disclosures: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” If you click on the link and purchase the book, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Author/Illustrator Websites:
- Giles Andreae: http://www.worldofhappy.com/author
- Russell Ayto: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Ayto (He doesn’t appear to have an official website.)
Some of My Favorite Reviews of this Book:
- http://awfullybigreviews.blogspot.com/2012/09/captain-flinn-and-pirate-dinosaurs.html
- http://1001-book-reviews-kids.blogspot.com/2011/05/review-captain-flinn-and-pirate.html
- http://www.bigbooklittlebook.com/2011/10/captain-flinn-and-the-pirate-dinosaurs/
- http://www.families.com/blog/captain-flinn-and-the-pirate-dinosaurs-by-giles-andreae
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I’m participating in The Children’s Bookshelf. This is a weekly Linky party that connects parents with great books for their kids. Please add one of your book-related posts to the Linky party.
Click here to enter your link and see links others have added. It will be added to all of the following co-hosts listed below. This is a fantastic group of people and I am always impressed with the book recommendations they have. You can find more details here.
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Abe Lincoln’s Dream by Lane Smith
Abe Lincoln’s Dream by Lane Smith. Ages 2+ (Publisher rec 5+). Roaring Brook Press. Oct. 2012. 32 pages. ISBN: 978-1596436084. $16.99 Fiction.
Quick Summary: A little girl runs into the ghost of Abraham Lincoln while she is on a tour of the White House. President Lincoln asks the girl questions about how things have changed since 1865. She goes with him to show him how things have changed.
Our Experience Reading this Book: We highly, highly recommend this book. I am so impressed with the illustrations. This book makes me wish I knew more about art so I could describe this book better. It gave me chills thinking about what we would say to someone, anyone really, if they asked us how things have changed since 1865. It was interesting contemplating If we’ve met and how we’ve met some of the ideals that were at least presented as important to America in 1865.
My son enjoyed this book and had me read it to him again and again. He loves how the dogs are afraid to go into THAT room — Abe Lincoln’s room. He thought that was fascinating. Though how much he understands, despite me trying to explain it to him, is unknown to me.
We are starting to teach my son about jokes and there are several jokes in this book that we’ve been repeating to each other. The idea of the ghost of Abraham Lincoln cracking jokes with a little girl is heartwarming.
This book won’t do much to teach children about Abe Lincoln, but it is a beautiful and whimsical introduction that strikes me as being more for the adult reading the book than the child. If the images from this book are the first images that my son has of Abraham Lincoln, I will be thrilled. I got pretty choked up reading this book and I have definitely found myself thinking about this book during various random times. This book is hauntingly beautiful.
There’s nothing for me to change or edit when reading this book to my son. We’ve read it many times and we’ve enjoyed it the first time as much as the last.
Where Obtained: Library.
FTC Disclosures: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” If you click on the link and purchase the book, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Author/Illustrator Website:
Some of my Favorite Reviews of this Book:
- http://www.slj.com/2012/12/books-media/reviews/pick-of-the-day/pick-of-the-day-abe-lincolns-dream/#_
- http://www.hbook.com/2013/01/blogs/calling-caldecott/abe-lincolns-dream/
- http://www.onceupon.com/cowsbooks/?p=212
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I’m participating in the Kid Lit Blog Hop over at MotherDaughterBookReviews. Go check out all the bloggers talking about great children’s books! This time there are over a hundred different links. Lots of great things to discover.
