A basic easy-reader science book for emergent readers, this book describes the nests of several different animals, from eagles and flamingoes to termites and crocodiles.  With a two-page spread dedicated to a full-color photo of a different animal’s nest, the text is broken into two boxes for each: for early emergent readers the first box contains a single sentence in a large font that follows a predictable pattern (either “______ build nests,” or “_______ live in nests.”); for slightly more advanced readers the second box contains 2-3 additional sentences with more information.  These books certainly serve a purpose, but I have a hard time investing very many of my library dollars in books that are so light on information.  Perhaps they are best suited to classroom curriculum materials.

Australia really is such a unique land, full of animals and geographical/cultural features so different from anywhere else.  This book follows the same format as other books in this series to do a pretty thorough job of exploring this exotic land for its readers: from A for Aboriginal people, to K for koalas, kangaroos, and Kookaburras, to V for Vegemite, and all the rest, short rhyming text for each letter of the alphabet give readers a broad and brief overview of the land down under; for readers who want more information, each letter’s page also includes a sidebar with several paragraphs of more in-depth text to further explain that topic.  The cartoon-like illustrations serve to both capture reader interest as well as support the text to describe ideas that may be unfamiliar to many young readers.

This is a great book, perfect for primary science units.  It’s a photo journal chronicling every step along the way as a couple of blue jays find a spot to build a nest (right outside the author’s window), find things to build it with, lay their eggs, and feed the hungry newborns, right through to the first explorations beyond the nest, and setting out to see the world.  The text is very clear and kid-friendly, and full of the author’s own excitement and wonder as he watched the story unfold before him.  A few of the photos are less than clearly focused, but that just speaks to the serendipitous nature of how the book came about.  The reader feels lucky to have gotten to share in this experience of urban wildlife, of which few of us would get to see such a close-up view on our own.

A collection of silly poems with no real specific unifying theme.  Charming illustrations.  Lots of rhyme and alliteration and fun playing with the sounds of words.  Some of the poems have better rhythm than others, but the over-all effect is great tool to draw children into enjoying the delight of poetry and language.

It seems like most of the books I’ve reviewed by this publisher have been odd little stories, and here’s another one.  The illustrations are cute.  That’s the best thing I can say.  It’s a story told in sing-song rhyme about a chicken who spends a day with her chicks in a land of mirrors, which each reflect back different parts of her character.  There are loose references it Alice in Wonderland.

If you’ve got the other Mallory books in your library and you’ve got students who are fans, go ahead and get this one, too, but as a stand-alone book I wouldn’t bother.  It tells the story of ten-year-old Mallory planning a sleepover, trying to balance her best friend’s vision of the party to end all parties and her parents’ instructions to keep things small and quiet.  Not surprisingly, a whole series of things go wrong as the party spirals out of control, and the book ends with Mallory acknowledging where she made bad choices, apologizing to injured parties, and promising to be wiser in the future.  The girls’ problems were believable and predictable.  My biggest gripe with the book was the behavior of the parents: the book focuses on all Mallory should have done to avoid the problems, but to me the failings of the parents were much more obvious — as adults they should have been able to foresee the possible problems and been involved.  The book lays way too much of the blame for what happened at Mallory’s feet, instead of holding the idiotic parents responsible.

If you are looking for books to offer your Jewish patrons for celebrating holidays, this one depicting Violet and Simon as two young bunnies celebrating Passover with their family is a good choice.  Throughout the preparations and celebration, each character declares what s/he likes best about Passover.  Those patrons not already familiar with the traditions of the holiday may wish for a book that offers more explanation.

Like so many little girls, Periwinkle has a favorite tutu that she love to wear, no matter what she’s doing.  One day while painting in it, she gets a big splot of paint on it.  She tries a variety of techniques to remove the spot, and a variety of ways to repurpose the tutu, but nothing works.  In the end she gets her paints back out and turns the splot into a flower, accompanied by a bunch more flowers.  I know that the topic is sure to attract little girl readers, and I really like the message it offers about turning mistakes into opportunities.  I wish the illustrations had more vibrancy to them — there’s something a bit drab about the color palette used.

It’s one of those books to be read at milestone moments, from Kindergarten graduation to college graduation.  It’s a book that reminisces, looking back at the types of behaviors that lead us to learn and to grow, reminding all readers that there are many roads to success, and many kinds of learning.

A charming counting book, using rhyming text to describe the antics of a litter of pups. Counting up from one to ten, and down again from ten to one, the cute illustrations help support the verbs so that potentially unfamiliar vocabulary will be understood.

I wouldn’t have thought chickens would produce enough material for an entire book of poetry dedicated to them.  But I was surprised by the subtle humor to be read between the lines of these brief verses.  The rhythm and rhyme and humor are enhanced by charming, comical illustrations.

Energetic color photos with bright graphics will draw readers in to this popular topic, and the informations is thorough and easily readable.  It includes descriptions of several different careers within the Cheerleading world, including coaches, choreographers, judges, etc.  Though the tone is positive and encouraging, it doesn’t sugarcoat challenges: it tells how fierce the competition for professional cheerleading positions is, and explains that salaries are very low, that most professional cheerleaders have other jobs, too.  And it’s got a sturdy binding, too.  A worthwhile selection.

Willie’s class is playing a game to create silly sentences that demonstrate alliteration using the first letter of their names.  In between his classmates sharing their sentences we see Willie worrying about what words start with W.  In the end, of course, he does come up with something.  The book would have been better off if it had just stopped there and stood as an alliteration books that teachers could use to spark similar activities in their own classes.  The declaration in the back of the book says we’ve just read about being brave, but that’s a pretty weak assertion.  As with other books in this series there are several pages in the back of the book with extra learning activities that only connect to the story in the most tenuous fashion.

A great book to use as an introduction to a unit studying bears.  The information is sparse to say the least, but the beautiful illustrations will spark young students’ curiosity as they realize how many different types of bears there are.  A world map in back indicates where the different bears can be found.  Young researchers can use this as a leaping off place to learn what more they can about each.

For the most part it’s a book about a little girl listing all the different things she likes to do.  Tucked in rather off-handedly is the fact that the girl can’t here and she talks with her hands.  In the back is a declaration telling the reader they’ve just “found out how much fun doing what you like can be.”  Really? This reader didn’t think so.  I think it’s probably a bad sign in general if you have to tell the reader flat out what the point was, but it’s particularly bad if the text failed to make that point.  This declaration is followed up by some “learning activities” that don’t seem to have anything to do the declared purpose.

Cute pictures. Rather an odd little story.  Lambkins is a lamb whose body is covered with a cloud instead of wool, and this sets him apart from the other sheep, but he finds his own way of getting on with the snails and flowers, until he dies and then his mother sees him in the sky as a cloud. In the very back is a nice little mission statement from the publisher, declaring their purpose to publish uplifting books, but I’m not sure this one particularly hits the target, as it’s a little hard to tell just what the author was aiming for.

Bright, bold, cartoonish illustrations accompany rhyming text telling the story of Hanukkah, with a repeated refrain: “Sometimes it only takes a few, who know what’s right, and do it, too.”  A worthwhile book for multiple audiences — both as a selection for the Jewish child looking for a book to celebrate the holiday, as well as for outsiders who want to know what the holiday is all about.  The moral contained in the refrain is certainly a good reminder for all.

Clancy is having a hard time adjusting to his family’s move to a new house:  while Mom and Dad are declaring the benefits of the new house, Clancy is missing his favorite features of the old house.  When he starts to play in the empty moving boxes, he makes the acquaintance of a neighbor who comes to play with him, and all is well.  Though the topic is one I think many students can relate to, the coloring of the illustrations is a bit drab.

Strictly an early reader.  The full-page color photos will attract readers, but the text is limited: a single sentence on each page, repeated throughout the book with only the last word changing: “Some cool cars are…”  Perhaps more suitable to classroom use than to the library.

Colorful, cartoonish illustrations accompany rhyming text introducing young readers to what germs are, where they hide, and the importance of washing hands and covering coughs.  In the back are a few extra pages with extra learning activities using the germ theme (patterning, counting, etc.).  Though the extra pages in the back seem a bit removed from the primary purpose of the book, the book does a good job of introducing young children to necessary health concepts in an engaging way. And it’s got a good sturdy binding, too.

Martin has a difficult week with a substitute teacher who loves to give out homework and is very unbending when it comes to excuses.  Each day a new disaster befalls Martin’s homework, from dog to laundry to wind gusts, etc.  And each day Martin faces the consequences, all the while sure his real teacher would have been more understanding.  The cartoonish illustrations will appeal to kids, and they will all sympathize with Martin.  Part of me feels like I should give it a “Recommended” on grounds of kid appeal, but the teacher in me cringes at the way it’s never Martin’s fault that his homework isn’t done.  Really? I think the kid needs to learn some responsibility.

The folks who really need to read this book are those parents out there who are so determined that their children live life to the fullest and make every moment count that they over schedule their lives, leaving them little time to just be kids.  Ernestine’s parents are like that.  Ernestine has a packed schedule, with different activities every day.  As she dashes off to one class or another, she looks longingly at the little boy next door, playing independently in his yard.  One day when she revolts and schedules some play time in the park instead of showing up at her usual class, her parents make the rounds of all her classes trying to locate her.  Before they finally do locate her, they’ve gotten a taste of how exhausting Ernestine’s usual schedule is, and the family makes some changes, with some new ideas about what it means to live life to the fullest.  The illustrations are bright and silly, adding to the sense of absurdity to it all.

Tallulah reminds me of me as a little girl.  She’s so excited about wanting to take ballet lessons, because she wants the tutu that comes with being a real ballerina.  When faced with the reality of the time and practice and work involved in earning one’s tutu, she almost gives up in disappointment.  She quits for a while, but finds herself drawn back by the dancing itself.  Many young girls will relate to Tallulah’s hopes and wishes, and they may just learn something from her about delayed gratification.  The pictures are charming and sweet and full of personality.

Elmer the patchwork elephant must come to the rescue when all his jungle friends notice that the rainbow has lost its colors.  Elmer makes his way through the jungle, asking his animal neighbors for advice on finding the end of the rainbow.  When he finally locates it in the waterfall, Elmer enters the waterfall to share his colors, much to the concern of friends who worry that he’ll lose them in the sharing, but as Elmer informs them, “Some things you can give and give and not lose any.  Things like happiness or love or my colors.” The books is sweet and colorful, and reunites readers with beloved characters, while teaching a philosophical truth.  It’s a charmer.

Bright, cute, charming, sweet illustrations and simple text (sometimes only one word per page) celebrate a young girl and her kitty enjoying that universal childhood delight: playing dress up.  A fun book for very young children, but its limited audience keeps me from giving it a full recommendation for a school library.