A compliation of three dog stories for the preschool crowd.  Molly brings a young girl safely home from being lost in the woods.  Ginger gets lost while exploring on a family outing.  And Yuki, who after her owner dies, forms a close bond with a young boy whose famly is struggling to make ends meet.  The soft, beautiful illustrations compliment the gentle tone of the short narratives.  I also appreciated the ethnic and socio economic diversity in the stories.  Here are three bedtime stories, in one book, that the wee ones will ask for time and time again.

Pig loves to play Princess where she is granted any wish she has by her friend Twig who is playing a fairy mouse.  Pig gets wish after wish until finally Twig wants a turn.  Pig says no and Twig turns to leave.  When Pig sees that Twig is serious, she relents and trades places.  The whole story is focused on words using the short voweli.  Pig and Twig are adorable wool felt animals with a setting of found objects.   The 3D look is different and attractive.  Young students who are beginning readers are able to sound out the words and feel confident being able to read a story.  This book should be in every primary grade classroom.

Rat Attack is a new Brave Mouse Reader which focuses the learner on the short vowel ‘a‘.  Coxe manages to write an exciting story of Gram who is making jam and rats keep showing up trying to get the jam.  Gram is a mouse with grandmice, however they are all dolls (I think).  Finally, Gram thinks of a way to scare off the rats and they create a cat attack to restore peace.  Their home and kitchen are all handmade from found objects and the effect of 3D is very noticeable and pleasing.  Young children will enjoy the story as well as the setting.  How fun if they could make something similar with the story they’ve written from one of the story starters at the end of the book. Rat Attack is a fun, new series helping young readers with the vowels, one at a time.

Cat Fanciers here is a relatively new breed of cat for you- Singapura.  They are the “smallest pedigree cat breed. . This breed was first recognized by the Cat Fanciers’ Association in 1982.

This breed is highly affectionate, wanting for constant attention or interaction, and highly intelligent. Singapuras are sepia agouti in color, quiet voiced, large eared, and have almond-shaped eyes. They are climbers and active.

Facts about the season of Autumn in relationship to sun are presented in an uninteresting way.

The hand-drawn childlike illustrations suggest a pre-school audience , but the vocabulary is for upper primary to intermediate readers.

There are basically two different types of people:  those who love cats or those who love dogs.  In The Pet Wars Otto and his older sister Lexi are at war with one another.  Lexi wants a cat and Otto wants a dog.  Their mother decides that whomever earns $500 first will get to buy the pet of their choice.  Lexi is pretty bright, not only at school, but very clever as well.  She starts up a tutoring program with the help of her teachers who recommend to failing students that they hire Lexi to help them study and before long she is raking in the money.  Otto is totally off the wall and really cannot come up with a moneymaking plan.  All of his ideas cost him money and are actually very funny (from an adult perspective–I’m not sure if kids will get the humor).  Until he hits on a dog-walking business.  Now, this would be a terrific business for him if he were somewhat organized and responsible.  But Otto is the total opposite of Lexi and he is always scrambling to make it right.  This is a story that kids who love pets will love regardless if they are a cat lover or a dog lover.

I had a dog for over 16 years and she was as much a part of our family as my kids.  I lost her four years ago and I still mourn her.  In this story, which takes place in Seattle during WWII, Hobie is 12 years old and has a German Shepherd named Duke.  Hobie’s father is overseas fighting in the war and it seemed that although the war was halfway around the world, it still affected Americans deeply.  They sacrificed much to help their soldiers and families changed.  The same can’t be said for today’s wars as many of us don’t even think about the fighting going on in the Middle East.  During WWII an organization called Dogs for Defense was formed in which Americans donated their pet dogs to the cause.  The dogs were sent overseas to help the soldiers.  Currently dogs are trained and used for sniffing out explosives and drugs, but they aren’t acquired by donation of an American.  During WWII dogs actually served in combat by sniffing out bombs and using their loyalty to help soldiers.  In this story, Hobie struggles with the decision as to whether or not to send Duke to war.  It seemed as though everyone he encountered was doing something to help the war effort and it seemed almost traitorous not to do something.  He agreed to send Duke in the hopes it would help to get his father back safe.  Thankfully Duke returned safe and sound, a hero.  I don’t think I could have been as brave as Hobie.

Just opposite the dedication page, illustrator Chuck Groenink has us looking down upon an old typewriter, possibly from the 1920s or 1930s , with a typed letter explaining what a haiku is and how Santa loves them. Thus begins Santa’s own collection of haiku, “one for each day from December 1 to December 25, and catch a glimpse of life at the North Pole.”

December 7’s might be my personal favorite:

Navigating by

the stars, Comet and I drag

this year’s tree homeward.

Each of the 25 haiku is nestled in a muted sepia tinted illustration ( with some navy blue, red, and green) with a touch of Scandinavian influence and nostalgia.

Fabulous illustrations with deep, rich colorful pictures. Simple text on each page showing things around us that are green.  This would make a great addition to a preschool or kindergarten class.

Freelance sportswriter Doug Williams has compiled a five chapter book dealing with five National Women’s Basketball Association (NWBA) star players and five valuable basketball skills. Each chapter is matched up with one of these five WNBA players and the skill which has made her so valuable to her team: Chapter 1- Jump Shooting with Maya Moore, Ch. 2- Passing with Lindsey Whalen, Ch. 3- Rebounding with Tina Charles, Ch. 4 – Defense with Tamika Catchings, and Ch. 5 – Ball Handling with Sue Bird. The first part of each chapter tells of the key player’s performance  in specific past games, before going on to briefly describe the mechanics of her skill.

Each of the five chapters includes a  (1/3 of a page) Quick Tip: Around the World, Step Towards the Target, Keep Arms and Hands Up, Defense Starts with Stance, and Attack the Cone Zone.

Other NWBA players mentioned, in side bars, are: Teresa Weatherspoon, Sylvia Fowles, Lisa Leslie, Courtney Paris, Ticha Penicheiro, and Katie Douglas.

Biggest Blunders in Sports is a stew of mainly old stories and outdated, grainy photographs of goof-ups in sports, some going back as far 1912.  Who cares?  There are plenty of video clips of current teams/sports goof-ups that could have been used and of more interest to the reader.  Oftentimes the text did not match the photo, and the ‘fun facts’ were non-existent.  This is a boring, outdated book.  Why not do something new rather than rehash old stories?

Any one who loves sports, especially baseball, will thoroughly enjoy this book.  The table of contents will help to direct you where your interests lie, however, every double set of pages contains photos and info for the top ten in the category.  I especially enjoyed the photos of clean players, such as Derek Jeter.  My only drawback was that some of the photos were in the middle of the book and therefore cut in half by the gutter, but not many.  A great addition for all libraries.

Boy Meets Dog is a clever  play on words, making different words by just changing one letter at a time.  the illustrations show lots of action and emotions, are colorful and fun to look at, yet distracting from the text or intent of the book.  I far enjoyed looking at the pictures more than reading the word lists.  The CVC and CVCC words that were supposed to rhyme didn’t always; the vowel made a different sound, which I thought would be confusing to young children, say first graders learning to sound out words and read.  It will be a fun book to read and look at, but not a necessary purchase.

Author O’Connell is an elephant expert.  She is an assistant professor at Stanford, has won awards for other elephant books, and has spent the last 20 years of her career studying elephants.  The strength of this book is it’s photographs, which were taken by the author and her husband, Timothy Rodwell, while in Namibia, Africa.  The technology in today’s photographic equipment allows the finest of details to be seen in the beautiful photos in this book.  One shot shows 19 elephants ranging in all sizes.  The comparison is remarkable.  The shots of the newborns show their hairiness and vulnerability.  The accompanying text is simple and not distracting, and tells the reader what they are looking at.  This is a beautiful book and would be terrific addition to any school library.

Therapy dogs are becoming more and more well known, especially as wounded soldiers are returning from the Middle East.  This book is based on a true story which took place in London at a children’s hospital.  Children, as well as adults, love a good dog story and this one fits the bill.  This dog, which looked like a white cockapoo, is named Dr. White and he worked making children better.  No, he didn’t actually dispense medicine nor do any other medical things, but the power of unconditional love and affection and loyalty, which Dr. White possessed, worked to bring children back to health.  Children would respond to Dr. White in a way that they wouldn’t to even a parent.  He put a smile on their faces and changed their attitude from despair and hopelessness to wanting to get better and taking those steps to do so.  In this story, a health inspector forces the removal of Dr. White from the Children’s Hospital, claiming he was unsanitary.  But when his own child becomes very ill and the situation looks hopeless, he looks for Dr. White to work his magic. Therapy dogs are used in nursing homes with the elderly, VA hospitals, pediatric wards, and even in schools.  Just the warmth from their wiggly bodies and the occasional lick empowers the ill and elderly to reach out and grasp life again.

Lots of attention to detail makes this an exceptional book.  First of all, the font size is large and easy to read.  Second, the language is sparse.  Just enough to tell the story without any unneeded embellishments.  Third, the illustrations of events are finely detailed without any distractions.  Expressions on the faces of the animals are clear.  And, finally, the story itself is very clever, very minimal.  There are only three main characters:  the shoemaker, the cat, and the monster.  The poor shoemaker has no business, no money, so the cat tells him to make him some fine boots and he will be his messenger and drum up some business, which he did.  The cat comes across a castle in which lives a monster with the ability to change into whatever animal he wishes.  The cat sells the monster a pair of boots for every animal he becomes.  The monster doesn’t want to pay the cat so the cat thinks of a scheme.  He has the shoemaker make the tiniest of books and takes them to the monster, saying he probably isn’t powerful enough to change into a creature small enough to wear the boots.  The monster accepts the challenge and turns himself into a mouse, which the cat promptly eats.  No frills, just a great story.

Tedd Arnold’s illustrations are so distinctive that even the youngest preschooler can recognize his golf-ball eyes on characters.  His artwork  inA Pet for Fly Guyis no exception to the rule.  The colors are sharp and the pictures go so well with the dialogue.  Another great thing is the larger book format.  I have only seen Fly Guy in the 7″ x 9″ size and this book is 9″ x 11″.  Not a huge difference but big enough to make a difference for kids to enjoy the details even more.  This book should be on all elementary school library shelves.

This sci-fi/fantasy novel begins with a feline epidemic, a disease that cats can acquire and become fatal to humans. Because of the disease, the government has put a regulation on felines; one must have a cat from a government breeder and have a permit, both of which are incredibly expensive. The story begins with a teenage girl, Jade, who finds a cat in her backyard. This cat and a boy named Finn change her life and take her on an adventure to find out about the truth of the disease and the cats.

This fast-paced novel has strong main characters. The plot was well-written and deeply thought-out; it gives the readers questions and will later answer those questions. It leaves the readers entertained and will keep the reader wanting more. Cat lovers will especially enjoy this book. A fascinating read for teenagers and adults alike.

— Kellyn S.

Through the use of their very sharp spine and venom, plus camouflage and nerves that sense the electrical fields of prey, stingrays are excellent survivors in the wild.  Being ovoviviparous, their young hatch from eggs inside the mother, then are born live and self sufficient.  Having first developed around 200 million years ago, stingrays have close relatives in the sea world.  Stingrays live close to shore and thus are heavily  affected by human pollutants.  These topics and more fun facts are covered in this amazingly informative text, which is also full of equisite photos.  Front Matter includes a fact file list of Class, Order, Families, Genus, Species, World Distribution, Habitats, Distinctive Physical characteristics, Habits, and Diet…helpful to elementary researchers.  Back Matter includes, Glossary, Habitat Map, Find Out More, Index and About the Author.  If all of the books in this Nature’s Children series are this quality, I’m going to be purchasing others.

In a world of robots, who act like humans (the Jetsons, without the people), Tin is asked to babysit his little sister Nickel with the help of their dog Zinc. All is well until Nickel floats away holding onto the string of a balloon. Tin and Zinc follow in hot pursuit. Eventually, Tin and Zinc return Nickel home just before their mother arrives home. The plot is cliche, the artwork carries the story.

The artwork is very geometrical with straight lines, angles, and minimal curves. The artwork appears to be simple on first glance. But then , the use of multiple shades of one particular color per object draws the eye in for a more in-depth look.

I fell in love with the cute hand-knit stuffed toy dogs [Barry & Stella] in their little hand-made clothes as they hop and jump through the Adobe Photoshopped pages of this book.

The story line hops and skips through the pages, as well, just like the young children they portray. Barry and Stella don’t stay on any activity for too long.

Barry and Stella have just received a hand-made gift of a sweater and tutu from their grandmother. Their imaginations go wild as they play outside in their new clothes in the crisp fall air. After a child’s disagreement over climbing a tree, they begin to pretend they are elephants. The story ends, after Barry and Stella have eaten a snack and the tutu has now become a lion’s mane.

Author, illustrator – David Shannon can make any topic cute and adorable! The cover of this 2013 book (11.5″ X 9″) has a rumbled insect looking out at the reader from what might be a bunch of shredded carrots, if only the title were not Bugs in my Hair!  It is still cute.

It all begins when “One day, my mom made a terrible, awful discovery… Head Lice!” Shannon’s over dramatic illustrations lighten-up the topic of what is often a common childhood maledy – head lice.  Oh the itching, the blood sucking, “the humiliation”, and the not knowing exactly where the lice came from.  A few ‘treatments’ are comically illustrated [child with his entire head looking out from inside a mayonnaise jar] while mom researches for “battle-tested anti-lice weapons.” Finally, the lice are gone. BUT they come back. And “so we went through the whole thing again…”    Closing illustration of a child’s head inside a knight’s helmet is captioned, “I’m not taking any chances!”

The reader comes away with the idea that “Lice-a-palooza” are not the end of the world, but it is a relief when they are gone.

Steve Jenkins knows how to rivet readers to his books, gazing at the gorgeous, large -format cut-paper illustrations.  This particular volume explores eyes in the animal kingdom and how they use them to see the world.  Twenty animals are presented…from the well known garden snail,  to the lesser known brownsnout spookfish…from the small stalk-eyed fly, to the enormous hippopotamus.   Each two-page spread includes two animals accompanied by a brief explanation their eyes.  Young children will be drawn to this book, however, they will need scaffolding by an adult to understand the complex vocabulary and concepts, which seems to be more appropriate for an older audience.  Back matter, in Steve Jenkins’ fashion, includes much more information, such as  a chart explaining the evolution of the eye, as well as more facts about the animals in the book.  This is the place where you can find the relative size of the animal, which is hard to conceptualize from the illustrations.  Bibliography and glossary are there, as well.