Book Review: It's So Amazing! A Book About Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies and Families

This book, and others by the author and illustrator, have a prominent place on our bookshelf. A factual, straight forward guide to all those burning questions kids have about bodies and development is covered and explained in an age appropriate way. The book uses anatomical terms to identify body parts and cartoon illustrations to portray accurate images without being grotesque. The book presents information on a variety of topics including reproduction, sexuality, pregnancy, genetics and STDs. Perhaps my favorite inclusions are the pages about becoming a family through birth AND adoption, as well as the pages addressing the many types of love including heterosexual and homosexual love. The information presented is very real and very relevant to modern society.

The book is a bit wordy - okay, a LOT wordy - which may be overwhelming for younger children. Each inch of each age is covered in text and illustration. This is my sole complaint, however, it is such a wealth of information that the book's busyness isn't bothersome enough to be a deterrent. This book has sparked many a discussion in our household and has served as a invaluable resource.


It's So Amazing! A Book About Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies and Families
By: Robie Harris
Illustrated By: Michael Emberley

Book Review: Wilma Jean the Worry Machine

Childhood anxiety has steadily been on the rise for the past several decades. Increased pressures in school, family stress, environmental dangers, and social expectations are just some of the contributors to the worries of children. Often times parents are confused as worries manifest from seemingly the smallest of circumstances. The common root of many anxieties are a lack of control and security. Although some children grow out of this "fear phase," children who experience a significant degree of distress or interference in daily activities due to worries are at risk for continued anxiety in adolescence and adulthood, as well as the development of depression or other mental health disorders.

Wilma Jean the Worry Machine is a helpful resource for parents of anxious children. This book features a worrisome little girl named Wilma Jean whose life is experiencing interference due to her worries.  The book normalizes the experiences of childhood anxiety while guiding both parents and children on the development of coping skills. Near the end of the book, parents have an opportunity to engage their children in a discussion activity as well as create a coping plan to address common fears and worries. Parents will appreciate the inclusion of a specific intervention to utilize at home with an anxious child. The text is a bit lengthy for younger children, but the concepts are applicable to a variety of age groups. The humorous pictures aid in keeping kids engaged in the story while illustrating the experience of anxiety and offering a different perception of the worry. Also worth checking out is a companion idea and activity book.

Wilma Jean the Worry Machine

By: Julia Cook

Illustrated By: Anita Dufalla

Book Review: The Tickle Tree

If you are looking for a whimsical book that bursts at the seams with fantasy, The Tickle Tree just might be what you need. The gorgeous illustrations are attention grabbing and much time can be spent on admiring the delicate details on each page. The text swirls and loops around, adding to the overall magical feel of the book.

The story itself is cute and has words such as "boomjangles," "blubbalub,""wibblebird" which may set off your little ones into a fit of giggles. The story is very lyrical and tells a tale of a little boy's journey to find the tickle tree and all the creatures he meets along the way. The end of the book reveals that the way to get to the tickle tree is to go to sleep. A perfect segue to tucking little ones into bed for the night so they can dream their way to their own tickle tree!

The Tickle Tree
By: Chae Strathis
Illustrated By: Poly Bernatene

Book Review: Uh-Oh, Calico!

Calico is a curious, energetic and sometimes clumsy little cat. Calico, on a particularly bad day, manages to fall, trample her mother's garden and spill milk. Calico is feeling pretty bad about having so man accidents, but Calico's mother reassures the little kitten that everyone makes mistakes and a mother's love is bigger than those mistakes.

An adorable board book that is easy to read, the rhyming story flows smoothly yet carries an evident message to children - it's ok to make mistakes. This book is a great tool to use for kiddos that may be having a rough day.

Uh-Oh, Calico!
By: Karma Wilson
Illustrated By: Buket Erdogan

Book Review: George's Dragon

When George went to the pet store, it was love at first sight as he set his eyes on a purple lizard. George loves his new pet lizard, but George's parents don't love the increasing size of the new family pet. Much to the dismay of George's parents, this was no ordinary lizard, but rather a baby dragon that is growing rapidly into a full sized fire breathing dragon and creating quite the household chaos! The aptly named Sparky sets accidental fires, crashes into things and causes an all around ruckus. Even when Sparky tries to be on his best behavior, he is prone to a mistake or two as he learns to control his limbs and fire. Sparky may not be the most ideal pet, but he is George's pet and George's best friend. George sets out to prove to his doubting parents that dragons do indeed make wonderful pets and even more wonderful friends. Sparky solidifies his place in the family when he exhibits his usefulness when crisis ensues as the family car breaks down. George's parents finally realize that Sparky is truly a loyal and helpful member of the family.

This is a charming tale of an unlikely and unconditional friendship between a boy and his pet. The unwavering loyalty of George for Sparky is admirable, and is exhibited through George's acceptance of Sparky's short comings and his persistence in convincing his parents to recognize Sparky's potential. The story is also a solid lesson in understanding and tolerance as George's parents come to adjust their expectations of Sparky, proving that you are never to old to learn and grow! Also noteworthy is the book's atypical use of gender roles in which the mother takes care of the broken down car and the father takes care of the household chores.

George's Dragon
By: Claire Freedman
Illustrated By: Russell Julian

Book Review: The Knight and the Dragon

This is the whimsical tale of a duel between a knight who has never fought a dragon, and a dragon who has never fought a knight.  Both the knight and the dragon prepare for the occasion by reading up on on the history of knight and dragon fighting, preparing weapons, practicing ferocious looks and brushing up on all the various skills needed to win the match.  Unfortunately both knight and dragon have one critical downfall - both are clumsy and lack the fierce fighting skill to pull the match off.  They try once. They try twice. They destroy everything in their path but each other.  Finally a sensible princess put an end to the madness and convinces them to join their skills for a common cause that results in a favorable outcome for both knight and dragon.

The book's delightful illustrations and your child's imagination are the driving force of the book as the text is limited to only a handful of sentences.  I love that this book allows  for the reader to tell parts of the story.  It's a great opportunity to encourage your child's creative side to emerge and create dialouge to accompany the drawings. The book also provides a great lesson on the best resolutions are not accomplished by brute force.

The Knight and the Dragon
By: Tomie DePaola

Book Review: Alice in Wonderland (A Colors Primer)

Ok, so I'm a sucker for anything Alice in Wonderland and may be a little biased here, but I love this book! It was all I could do to keep myself from squealing in delight when I saw this board book sitting on the book store shelf.

The book's pages are sturdy and easy for little hands to manipulate. The book is a color primer, so bright and bold colors are abound.  Because this book is a color primer, there is not story to be read, other than the one your imagination conjures up. The text is simple and descriptive of only the color and object featured on the page. The drawings are whimsical and eye-catching. I love all the little quirky details in the illustrations, such as the "Don't Be Late" t-shirt on the White Rabbit and the little bat in the Madhatter's tea cup. This book is a fun way to teach your little one basic colors, while introducing him/her to literary classics.

Alice in Wonderland (A Colors Primer)
By: Jennifer Adams
Illustrated By: Alison Oliver

Book Review: Princess Hyacinth

There's no better princess story, than the story of a rebel princess.

Princess Hyacinth has all a little princess could ever dream of. There's only one problem and that problem is that she can float.  It's not so much that she can float that is the problem - it's that she can't stop floating.

Bored, lonely and tired of being weighted down by heavy garments, this unusual Princess finds a smart solution to her predicament while also gaining a bit of freedom from her concerned, although slightly restrictive, parents. Princess Hyacinth rebelliously rips off her heavy crown, weighted socks and massive dress and chooses to embrace her ability by floating freely in the air after being inspired by the kingdom's "balloon man."  As the Princess floats free above the ground, she attracts a suitor, aptly named "Boy," who is supportive of her adventurous spirit and only intervenes when the Princess wishes to return to the ground. The story could have certainly stood alone with out the inclusion of the male character "saving" the princess and reeling her back to earth, but it doesn't take away from the empowering message of the book. In fact, the relationship between Princess Hyacinth and "Boy" sets a terrific example of what it means to be supportive and understanding in a partnership.

The illustrations are beautiful and are refreshingly absent of princess pink.  The typography is marvelous and fun and adds an extra burst of excitement to the story. This book is a whimsical tale to be enjoyed by those who adore Princesses and especially those who don't!

Princess Hyacinth
By: Florence Parry Heide
Illustrated By: Lane Smith

Book Review: Emily

There is something strange about the mysterious lady who lives in the big yellow house across the street. While most call her "the Myth," the young narrator just calls her Emily.

When the narrator's mother receives an invitation to play piano for the elusive Emily, the young neighbor decides to tag along, only after finding the perfect gift to bring to Emily. On the day of the visit, Emily is sick but her sister informs the guests that the music is sure to bring a smile to Emily's face. As the beautiful sounds of the piano fill the home, the curious girl tip-toes up the stares only to find herself face to face with Emily herself!

The story is comprised of sophisticated language and the eccentrities of the character of Emily may be lost on younger children. However, since this book is indeed, a fictional tale of an encounter with Emily Dickinson, this is a nice little introduction to the poet and also makes a great gift for fans of Dickinson. The oil painting illustrations are delightful and do a lovely job setting the mood of the time period.

Emily
By: Michael Bedard
Illustrated By: Barbara Cooney

Book Review: Imogene's Antlers

Imogene wakes up one morning to discover that something is a little different. Something, is in fact very different because over night Imogene has grown antlers! Imogene seems to adjust to the new change in her appearance easily and even decides to make the best to her newly grown antlers by piling donuts on them. Even though Imogene has quickly learned to find the best of the situation, her mother responds less favorably and passes out when Imogene and her antlers enter a room.

The tale is a subtle reference to acceptance, tolerance and being comfortable in one's own skin. It's a great little lesson within a fun little story. The story is quick and short making it an easy read for young readers and the perfect pick for a fast bedtime read for non-readers. More inquisitive readers may be left with questions that the book does not cover such as why exactly Imogene awoke to find herself with a set of antlers or if Imogene's mother did ever come to terms with Imogene's new look.

Imogene's Antlers
By: David Small

Book Review: Click Clack Crocodile's Back

This sneaky, creepy, prowling predator is hungry and he's got his eye on several animals that would make a great meal. Unfortunately this sneaky aquatic reptile wasn't counting on his prey to outwit him by playing into the croc's ego. It's a lesson in the power of brain over brawn and the ability to survive using one's smarts. Kids will get a kick out of the clever route the animals take to fool the seemingly unescapable fate of landing in the crocodile's jaw.

The short rhyming text flows seemlessly to keep little ones entertained while reading along or listening. The illustrations nicely accompany the text with humorous not-so-scary flair.

Click Clack Crocodile's Back
By: Kathryn White
Illustrated By: Joelle Dreidemy

Book Review: The Lost Treasure of Skull Island

This pop-up book is the perfect read for young pirate enthusiasts. Each page holds a terrific surprise with large, detailed pop-ups of parrots, maps, snakes, skulls and silly creepy skeleton pirates. The story is short and takes young readers through a journey of locating the buried treasure of Captain Skull as marked by destinations on the map.

The book has a fun little rhyme that accompanies each larger than life graphic. The last page features the skeleton pirate shown on the cover that is "coming for you!" The creepiness factor of the page is debatable and may not be appropriate for the skittish, but all in all the story is a delight for young readers and more cartoon-like than slasher flick scary.

The Lost Treasure of Skull Island
By: Martin Taylor and Duncan Smith

Book Review: Five Little Monkeys Go Shopping

Part of the "Little Monkeys" series, this tale follows mama and her monkeys on a somewhat challenging back-to-school shopping trip. As mama monkey attempts to get the children outfitted for school, chaos ensues when the little monkeys decide not to wait around for mama in spite of mama's strict orders to "Not go wandering off!" Of course, being mischievous and impatient little monkeys, the little ones randomly disappear in search of beverages, the bathroom and entertainment and poor mama has to constantly go search for her missing monkeys. As the monkeys come and go and monkey friends are added to the group, the number of monkeys waiting for mama changes and providing young readers with an informal addition and subtraction lesson.

The illustrations are cleverly drawn and give another oppotunity for children to get involved with the story as the readers can find the missing monkeys in the backrgound. The book is a little repetative at times as mama often has to remind the monkeys to stay put, but parents can relate to the act of repeating instructions. The story ends on a comical note and is sure to snag a smile from adult story readers as mama realizes on the car ride home that the monkey hijinx did not end in the store.

This book is a fun addition to the collection and the highly interactive nature of the story makes it enjoyable for all.

Five Little Monkeys Go Shopping
By: Eileen Christelow

Book Review: The Monster in My Closet

The Monster in My Closet is a fun book that tells the tale of all the monsters that lurk in a little boy's home. Fortunately the little boy is not scared of the monsters one bit... in fact he considers them friends who are not scary at all.

The playful rhymes about the monsters under the bed, in the closet, in the washing machine and other places throughout the house gives little ones a new perspective on how to think about the monsters that come out to play at night.

The fun illustrations and text remove the fear of monsters for imaginative little ones and replace that fear with non-threatening characters and attributes. An enjoyable, easy and quick read.

The Monster in My Closet
By: Eric Klug

Book Review: Bad Dog, Marley

For those mama's and papa's who enjoyed Marley and Me, this is a great child friendly version of the magnificent Marley and all of his loveable antics. Kids and adults alike will share a laugh as the story of Marley and the trouble he creates unfolds. The hilarious illustrations highlight some of Marley's disasters and provide an entertaining visual to accompany the words.

This is a great book for children of all ages. The story can be repetative at times, and some may find the constant reprimands of "Bad Dog, Marley!" as a bit harsh, but most will enjoy the funny stories, especially those families with their own Marley's at home! If you've ever had your glasses chewed, important papers torn or couch ripped to shreds by your furry friend, this is a book for you!

Bad Dog, Marley!
By: John Grogan
Illustrated By: Richard Cowdry

Book Review: Hungry Monsters

Monsters are hungry. Very hungry. So hungry they eat an assortment of items such as socks, soap and books! This great pop-up book has a surprise waiting to be found in each monster's mouth. The story line makes the munching monsters more silly than scary and is a great way to show children that these lurking fictional creatures are not to be feared.

The illustrations are bright and colorful. The book is a rhyming book that also teaches colors along with the interactive pop-up component. Hungry Monsters is a fun read for the kiddos as well as mom and dad.

Hungry Monsters
By: Matt Mittner
Illustrated By: Jo Brown

Book Review: Princess Smartypants

Princess Smartypants isn't your typical Princess. Princess Smartypants is a princess with a bit of an attitude and heck of an independent streak! The Princess is not a fan of getting married despite parental pressure to do so. When the Princess decides to give ample opportunity to several potential suitors to change her mind, the Princess is only increasingly reassured that she is perfectly fine without a man in her life... afterall, she has already found the perfect companions in her hodge podge assortment of pets. The Princess decides to put all this finding a man nonsense to an end when she turns one potential suitor into a toad. Every backs off and allows the Princess to be happy in her own way - on her own!

The perfect anti-traditional fairy tale, Princess Smartypants is a heroine to budding feminists young and old!

Princess Smartypants
By: Babette Cole

Book Review: Stephanie's Ponytail

Poor little Stephanie just wants to exert her individuality through her ponytail. She wears it in the back, wears it in the front, wears it to the side, and basically wears it any way it will fall, yet her copy-cat classmates won't stop wearing it the same way. The nerve! And to make matters worse, the kids tell Stephanie that her choice in pony location is "ugly" and then show up the very next day with the exact same style of pony! What's a girl to do?!

This book cutely tells of the story of the tendency of children to confrom and of Stephanie's quest to be unique among the masses. The book is also encouraging as we see how Stephanie doesn't allow the criticism directed at her by others squash her creativity. A charming little book for girls and boys and any one else who has dealt with the frustration of a copy-cat!

Stephanie's Ponytail
By: Robert Munsch
Illustrated By: Michael Martchenko

Book Review: Mr. Merlin and the Turtle

This is the story of Mr. Merlin the Magician, Mrs. Merlin and their very boring pet turtle. The Merlins are bored of their little green amphibian friend, so Merlin decides to put his magical powers to use and transform the turtle into something a little more exciting. The story progresses as the turtle is transformed into bigger and bigger animals with bigger and bigger problems as each is revealed under flaps on the pages in the story.

The kiddos will have fun guessing which animal is next as they lift open the flap to reveal the surprise. The story also teaches a very important lesson: be careful what you wish for, as it's not always better than what you have now.


Mr. Merlin and The Turtle
By: Seymour Chwast

Book Review: The Wishing Ball

The Wishing Ball is a story of a kitten named Nellie who is full of wishes. When a mischievous crow decides to beat boredom by playing a trick on Nellie and giving her a fake wishing ball. Nellie puts all her hopes into this wishing ball and even though she soon discovers it's not the magic ball she thought it was, it turns out to be exactly what she needed. Much to her surprise -and the crow's as well! - Nellie's wishes come true one by one as she follows the ball into a faraway town.

This lively story with graceful illustrations is charming and endearing and teaches a very valuable lesson - we each have the power to create our own magic.

The Wishing Ball
By: Elisa Kleven