I've been reading a LOT of Children's books lately. I have really enjoyed reading what is out on the market today and seeing what other Authors are writing about. It has been an incredible outlet for me during this pandemic. I will update this page with more reviews as I complete them! What are your favorite books that have been published in the last 3-4 years? I'd love to hear!
Ten Ways to Hear the Snow by Cathy Camper: The main character was a little girl named Lina. Her grandmother is losing her sight and Lina travels through the snow to visit and cook with her grandma. On her way she is able to hear the sounds of snow because the normal city noise is absent due to the snowstorm. Each page is a different sound she discovers. Lina arrives at her grandma's who knows it was snowing outside because she uses her ears to listen to the weather.
Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey: This book had a pug as the main character named Pig. The author wrote in rhyme and not much happened in the book.
The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt: This book is based on the children's game of rock paper scissors. Each character "rock" "paper" and "scissors" experience a variety of conflicts based on current mainstream things children can relate to like frozen dinosaur chicken nuggets. It was funny, entertaining, and based on something familiar to all.
Dino's Don't Do Yoga by Catherine Bailey: This book was about two main characters "Sam" vs. "Rex". Rex is a rough and tough dinosaur and Sam is a dino to town who does yoga. Sam teaches the tough dino Rex a lesson that it's ok to be tough and kind to a friend even when a friend is rude to you. Rex ultimately ends up trying yoga and likes it.
The Mermaid by Jan Brett: This was a different version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Basically, The Mermaid was Goldilocks and the Octopus family was the Three Bear family. It took place underwater and the Mermaid went to their house under the sea and tried their breakfast, their chairs, and their bed. I did not really like the illustrations and I thought the part of the mermaid giving the baby octopus her crown as a gift at the end was a bit bizarre.
A Thousand No's by DJ Corchin: I actually really loved this book. It really resonated with me. It had simple illustrations, black and white, and easily portrayed what it felt like to be told NO so many times. They added color at the end to show overcoming emotion and strength. The book's message was about resilience and perseverance to not let an idea fly away amongst all odds.
When Pencil met the Markers by Karen Kilpatrick: This book had strong character development and the story was told from an objective perspective. Pack of markers must follow the rules, most do, but Purple doesn't and colors wherever he wants. An unlikely friend Pencil comes along and befriends him to show that creative things can happen if you do color outside the lines and with the help of others. Simple and visually appealing.
Grace and Box by Kim Howard: This book was a very simple storyline written in rhyme. The main character Grace uses her imagination to discover new ways to use a box. Each day of the week takes Grace on a new adventure with her box. There is a conflict on Sunday when the box gets ripped and starts drooping. She gave her box a check-up, let it rest, tried to nurse it back to health but then imagined she was a pirate trying to fix a sinking ship and decided to use tape. It was a cute story.
Windows by Patrick Guest: This book was based on our current life during the pandemic. There is a diverse set of characters and a variety of settings used to portray the message that we are all in this together. The book used real experiences of when people put bears and rainbows up in their windows to spread care and kindness to neighbors which I really enjoyed and felt a connection to. It's a very heartwarming book with strong character emotions and very relatable to today's readers and families.
Please Don't Read this Book by Deanna Kizis: I personally didn't like this book but I know my kids would love it and all my preschool kids. It had simple illustrations and was a very silly book that used graphics of words to emphasize emotion. It was very well done and reminded me of the book with no pictures which my kids and all of their friends love.
