Animals do, too!

by Etta Kaner

illustrations by Marilyn Faucher

age range: 4 years old and up

Kids Can Press

Kids love to pretend they are animals, and roar, walk on four legs, or move they arms like flying. For this reason I find the idea of this book incredibly interesting. Animals sometimes "act like kids", since they also dance, play tag or leapfrog, have piggyback rides. For each of these examples there is an explanation for this behavior. Grey Tree Frogs, for example, blow bubbles to build a nest on trees above water where they lay their eggs, allowing the tadpole to fall into the water when they hatch.

The illustrations are colorful and bright, and help to compare kids and animals doing the same activity. I liked that the kids are shown in different spaces, like a park, beach or their home, and accompanied by their family and friends. Each animal is also portrayed in its environment and surrounded by their own. Beautiful picture book. 

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dreaming of Mocha

by An Swerts

illustrations by Eline Van Lindenhuizen

age range: 4 years old and up

Clavis Books

Florence wants a dog so bad... Any dog. It doesn't matter if it is fat, or thin. Quite or wild. Florence would love to have a dog to play and take care of. Mom and dad don't think it is a good idea, so Florence dreams of finding a homeless dog. And the way sometimes happens, her dreams come true. One afternoon a sloppy dog appears in her own garden! His name is Mocha, and it is love at first sight...
At first Florence tries to hide Mocha in her bedroom, but mom finds out in no time. After that she boycotts her parents' posters in search for Mocha's owner. She changes the phone number, and even draws eyeglasses and a mustache in Mocha's picture in order to disguise him. But despite all her efforts Leon appears one day at Florence's door looking for his dog, and he is nothing like her imagined he would be. He is not a despicable person who frightens Mocha away. He is actually a sweet old man happy to find his dog, and Mocha evidently loves him. What is Florence suppose to do now?

Loving story which crushes your heart, but finally leaves you with a big smile in your face. Florence is like any other kid, and her feelings are the main theme in this book. She goes from hopeful to happy, and from nervous to sad, and even confused and guilty.
The illustrations are gorgeous, with an ideal balance between white and color, and focused in all those feelings and in Florence and Mocha relationship. Dreaming of Mocha is a book made for read and reread. 

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Animal planet strange, unusual, gross and cool animals

by Charles Ghigna

age range: 7 years old and up

Animal Planet
Time Inc. Books

Have you ever seen a vampire squid? Did you know that the proboscis monkeys are born with blue faces? Would you like to take a close look at a water dragon's eye? This book contains a huge amount of interesting things to read and learn about a wide range of animals. It is diveded in four parts, Strange, Unusual, Gross and Cool, although many animals are all these things at the same time! And the pictures are wonderful and abundant.

I found this book surprisingly absorbing. It is all a curious kid would enjoy. The facts are punctual and concrete. The text accessible for the age range. To make the content more clear some animals are joined according to one feature, like "Venomous Creatures" or "Newly Discovered Cratures", while some other are portrayed individually for a deeper view, as in chapter such as "Thorny Dragon" or "Blue-footed booby". And again, the photography is amazing. A strange, unusual, gross and cool addition for the non fiction shelf!

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Whose poop is that?

by Darrin Lunde

illustrated by Kelsey Oseid

age: 4 to 7 years old

Charlesbridge

Although it might sound like an accusation, the title is actually a scientific inquiry. Using seven different animals as example, the author shows how many things we can learn from observing and studying (in the case of scientists) poop. In poop we can find bits of bones, feathers, fur, and twigs. Poop also has different appearance, shape, color depending on the animal and its diet. Sometimes something that looks like poop could be vomit, since this is another way animals waste undigested food. A list of facts at the end of the books adds some more interesting information like the importance of poop for the environment, and how it is used to build a nest, mark territory, or spread seeds. 

This topic is very interesting for kids. We all know kids love "gross stuff". The information is presented in a funny and concise way. The pictures illustrate well the differences between the different "samples" without being gross, and without distracting the attention from the nutritional and digestive facts being discussed. And the animals are cute. I really think this non fiction picture book will be a win.

By the way... I never thought I would write a review with the word "poop" so many times in it... 

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gertrude and Toby save the Gingerbread Man

#2 in the Gertrude and Toby Series

by Shari Tharp

illustrated by Jim Heath

age range: 5 to 7 years old

Atlas Publishing

Gertrude the goat, and Toby the turtle are best friend. In this second book in the series they try to help the Gingerbread Man, who is being kept in a cage by a giant who lives up in an also giant vine. They count with the help of a flying carpet, and also Hansel and Gretel. 

This book is very humorous with that kind of humor that includes as much ingenuity as absurdity. The presence of so many characters from fairy tales gives it an air of surreal too. Addressed to kids who are leveling up from the "early readers" step, the story would work great ether if it is read by or to the kid. Since I read an ARC copy, many of the illustrations were still in the sketch stage, but all of them, finished and unfinished, look really funny, with expressive characters and only the necessary details. 

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Maxwell the monkey barber

by Cale Atkinson

age range: 3 to 6 years old

Owlkids Books

Maxwell the monkey barber is ready to give you a trim or a chop, or even to help you solve your baldness problem. And he is always gentle and says "your hair's the best I've seen today".

Rhymed text and colorful pictures tell the funny story of a bunch of lovable characters and their curls, manes and mustaches. Great option for a read aloud time

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The bear who wasn't there

And the fabulous forest.

by Oren Lavie

illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch

age range: 5 to 10 years old

Black Sheep/ Akashic Books

What a fantastic read! It all starts with a medium size Itch that scratches itself against a tree, and the more it scratches the more it grows, and it is covered with fur until it looks like a bear. A bear who wasn't there, but now it is. The bear was all alone and wondered if he was the first or the last one, he wanted to know if he was he. And so starts Bear's journey to discover if he is he, Some other characters will join the adventure, like Convenience Cow and Lazy Lizard, and of course Penultimate Penguin and Taxi Turtle.

The story is deep and philosophical in a disguised way. Bear looks to answer questions like who we are, how we recognize ourselves, and how happy we are with who we truly are. The dialogues, as funny as absurd, reminded me of my beloved Alice in Wonderland. Erlbruch is a talented artist, and this is so far my favorite work by him. When I knew this ARC was coming my way, for some reason I thought it was an e-copy, hence my surprise when I received this beautiful high quality hard copy, full of amazing illustrations. 5 stars.

I received this book from the publisher via LibraryThing in exchange of an honest review.

Ocean animals from head to tail

by Stacey Roderick

illustrated by Kwanchai Moriya

age range: up to 7 years old

Kids Can Press

Each of the eight ocean animals portrayed in this book are presented first just showing an interesting part of its body, and the reader is asked to say which animal is it. Only then the whole animal is introduced, and information about it, specially the purpose of its body part, is given. That's how you get to know the hammerhead shark, colossal squid, blue whale, eel, sailfish, sea turtle, sea anemone and seahorse, from head to tail.
The text is very accessible, and the facts interesting. The reader learns how all those "weird" looking eyes, tails, tentacles, etc., are of great use for hiding, swimming, hunting, or scaring predators. The collage like illustrations are very appropriate for the age range.
Very interesting non fiction picture book which includes animals, science and art.
There is a previous book in the series, Dinosaurs from head to tail, that I plan to read soon, and I really hope to see more books in this series in the future.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Baby bear's not hibernating

by Lynn Plourde

illustrated by Teri Weidner

age range: up to 5 years old

Rowman and Littlefield Books

Baby Black Bear is planning to stay awake the who-o-o-o-o-le winter. To be prepared he asks his friends for smarts way to survive. How does owl stay awake all winter? What does moose eat when all the leaves are gone? How does hare keep himself warm? When the first snow comes Baby bear says goodbye to his parents and gets himself ready for the adventure. But the branch breaks when he tries to lie on it. And frozen twigs for dinner is not what he was expecting. He also is too big to fit in hare's burrow, nor he has the same thick fur for keeping him warm. Thankfully Papa bear is taking care of him from a safe distance.

Maybe taking a short nap before spring is not such a bad idea after all...

This is a cute bed time story. Any kid can relate with the fascinating idea of skipping sleep and staying awake the whole night, even it that means yawning endlessly. Baby bear is incredibly sweet. The beautiful illustrations make you want to touch the soft bear's fur, and to roll on the snow. At the end of the book there are a couple of pages with interesting facts about black bears to add some learning to the experience. We really enjoyed this book!

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lila and the crow

by Gabrielle Grimard

age range: 3 to 7 years old

Annick Press

Lila has recently moved to a new city and she is really looking forward to start school to meet new friends. But things don't go as she expected. The very first day the bully of her class teases her saying her hair and eyes are black as a crow. Lila starts using a hat, dark glasses, and even a high neck sweater to cover her body as much as possible. This don't stop the bullying, and Lila is terribly sad. One afternoon running home from school Lila trips and falls. A crow comes near her. She can then observe how beautiful its black feather are, so black they seems to have kind of a purple gloss. Lila also sees how soft and bright its eyes are. She follows the crow to where hundreds of crows are. The sight is magnificent. When they fly away thousands of black feathers "rain" from the trees. Lila stuffs her backpack with them. At home she uses them to make a crow costume for the Great Autumn Festival at school. When she enters her classroom in her beautiful, black dress, all the kids run to her, to admire her costume and touch the soft feathers. Lila feels happy to be a crow.

Gorgeous illustrations accompany this sweet story. Lila, like any other kid, is avid to fit, to be accepted by her peers. She had never thought there was something wrong with the color of her hair or eyes. What others say makes her feel ashamed of it, but hiding who she is doesn't make things better. She makes the journey of finding back her own beauty, and this makes her feel strong and confident again. Lila is beautiful, and she knows it.

Gabrielle Grimard has illustrated many other picture books, but as far as I know this is the first time she authors the text too. Very promising. I'm interested in take a look to her future works. And another great read from Annick Press.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I will always be happy to see you

by Ellen DeLange & Jenny Meilihove

age range: up to 4 or 5 years old

Clavis Books

It doesn't matter how much trouble the little doggy gets into, the girl is always happy to see him. Very cute story to let little kids know about their parents' unconditional love, while reading the dog's monkeyshines. Bright and beautiful pictures. An excellent bedtime story to go to sleep feeling loved.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The bear who couldn't sleep

by Caroline Nastro

illustrated by Vanya Nastanlieva

age range:

NorthSouth Books

It's winter and despite his mother and brothers sleep, Bear can't sleep. He watches the leaves fall, and the snow to cover everything, but he still can't sleep. He decides to look for someone to make him company, but all his neighbors are sleeping too. He walks, and walks until he arrives to the city that never sleeps, and that's is exactly what he needs! He visits museums and famous landscapes. He meets people and eats delicious food. He also gets sleepy... So he tries to sleep in a bus stop bench, in a corner at the museum and even in Central Park, but he can't. He comes back to snuggle with his mother and brothers to wait, eyes closed, for he spring to come.

Lovely illustrated bedtime story for those days when kids have lots of energy left and don't want to sleep. The book's pace slows down a little more each page, and at the end you fell like curl up among the bears to sleep. Another great addition to our bedtime collection.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Me and my cat

by Michael Dahl

age range: 2 to 5 years old

Capstone Young Readers

Having a pet is wonderful, and cats make awesome pets. However, it is important to know that cats and kids not always enjoy the same things. While lying in the sun together is fun for both of them, go into the pool isn't something a kitty usually enjoys.

The book explains in a very simple way the differences between the things kids and cats like to do, highlighting the importance to be considerate and respectful with your cat. With pretty illustrations, the book makes a great resource to build responsibility toward pets. It also counts with a companion book, Me and my dog, that I expect to read soon. 

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I won a what?

by Audrey Vernick

illustrated by Robert Neubecker

Alfred A. Knopf

Mom and dad won't let him have a fluffy, shaggy or feathery pet, but they promised the boy he could keep anything him wins at the goldfish booth. That's why the boy is so excited when he finally holed the ball. He won the goldfish! But actually, he didn't win the goldfish, he won Nuncio, the whale. Now the boy has the hard job of persuade his parents about the advantages of having a whale.

Funny story with lovely illustrations. Great for a reading aloud time, to make voices and exaggerate expressions. 

You might want to read another story about how to handle a whale: The whale in my swimming pool

Lucy & company

by Marianne Dubuc

age range: 2 to 5 years old

Kids Can Press

Lucy & Company is a very cute picture book for little kids. It consists of three very short stories about Lucy and her friends' adventures, such as going on a treasure hunt, surprising a friend with a birthday party, watching chicks hatch, and sharing a snack among friends. The stories are simple and uncomplicated in their plot, and give kind of comfort in their resolution, making them ideal for the age range. As in all Dubuc's works, the art is beautiful and the best part or the book.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another Marianne Dubuc's picture book we read: Mr. Postmouse's Rounds

Madeline Finn and the library dog

text and illustrations by Lisa Papp

age range: 3 years old and up

Peachtree Publishers

Madeline Finn doesn't like to read. And reading aloud is even worse. She just hates it. Many times she can't figure out the words in the page, or they just get stuck in her mouth when she tries to say them. Madeline would like to earn a star at school for being a star-reader, but she only gets keep-on-trying stickers, plus some giggles from her classmates when she makes a mistake.

One day when she visits the library she is offered to read a book to Bonnie, a big, white, flurry dog. Bonnie is a great listener. She doesn't giggle, she is patient when Madeline Finn's words come out all wrong, and she doesn't mind about slow reading. After many Saturdays reading to Bonnie, Madeline Finn is ready to try at school. It's difficult at the beginning, but she takes a deep breath and just pretends to be reading to Bonnie.

Beautiful, beautiful, book about being patient and keep on trying when we fail in doing something. Madeline's dislike for reading is nothing more than her anger for not being able to do it right. She is being too hard on herself, and that only make things more difficult. But Madeline learns from Bonnie to be patient and forgiving. The illustrations are marvelous. There is something so calm and vivid at the same time in them. Highly recommended.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Soar

by Tracy Edward Wymer

age range: 8 to 12 years old

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Eddie inherited his dad's passion for birds, and he also learned from him all there is to know about that feathered creatures. His dad was so lucky he once got to see the Golden Eagle, although the location and the time of the year were very unlikely for the eagle to appear. That's why nobody but Eddie ever believed him. Dad never gave up trying to see such magnificent bird again, and that's why now that he has "flew away", it's up to Eddie to see it again. Eddie is planning to win the blue ribbon in the Science Symposium doing a project about the Golden Eagle, and this despite the fact Mouton, the school bully, is his partner in the project, and Mr. Dover, his Science teacher, was Dad's birding rival.

There are many interesting things is the story I would like to mention: the hard time Lisa, Eddie's mom, is having to keep things going as normal as possible after become a widower; the changes happening in Eddie because of his age, how at some moments he is a defiant teenager with a crush on a girl new in town, while in others he is still a boy wearing a ninja costume; Gabriella's efforts for making this new place her home; Mouton's struggles, and the amazing things he is able to do but hides from everyone, showing himself only as a bully; how we get to know Dad through the rest of the character's voices; how even we as readers doubt about the Golden Eagle's existence, but Eddie never doubts. He is a sweet character feeling lonely after his dad passed away, and trying to keep him close waiting for the Golden Eagle to appear again.The text is engaging, funny, and a little emotional at some points. Besides a great story, I can envision this book awaking kids' interest in knowing more about birds, what is a great plus. I'm glad I crossed paths with this author.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The toad

by Elise Gravel

age range: 4 to 6 years old

Tundra Books

The toad is part of the Disgusting critters Series. It is a non-fiction picture book about all you want to know about toads: how are they related to frogs, where they live and what they eat, the different kind of toads that exist, what are those bumps in their skin, tadpoles, and more. It also brings to the reader attention the fact that toads are useful for we human since they eat pests, and the fact that pollution is putting their existence at risk. 

This is the first book in the series we have read, and we really enjoyed it. It is not easy to find non-fiction picture books addressed to this age range, which are not boring or too difficult. In this case the text is accessible, with clear and concise facts shown in a funny way. The illustrations are a great accompaniment without distracting the attention from the text.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Counting with barefoot critters

text and illustrations by Teagan White

age range: 3 to 6 years old

Tundra books

Some activities, like a quiet reading, is perfect for one barefoot critter. Cooking pancakes is great for a pair. But a race is better with five, and nine is the best number to play in the fort. And what about when crossing the dark spooky forest? Better if the whole dozen of them is there, so there is nothing to be scared of!

Counting with barefoot critters is a counting book in beautiful rhymed prose and full of cute illustrations. At the beginning for the book there is a amazing map to follow the critters adventures. It is a great option for a read aloud time. I'm interested in read a previous book in this series, Adventures with barefoot critters, which plays with the letters and seasons.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Babak the beetle

by Fred Paronuzzi

illustrated by Andrée Prigent

age range: 4 to 7 years old

NorthSouth Books

One morning Babak, the dung beetle, finds an abandoned egg and decides to look for its parents. He asks the ostrich, the cuckoo, and the frog, but nobody knows who the egg belongs to. He finally finds a snake who tells him the egg comes from a large field "over there". Without knowing it, Babak happily carries the egg towards the golf court. When he  finally arrives he can see that many other eggs like the one he carries are laying everywhere, and he is absolutely terrified to see how the eggs' parent hit them with sticks, making them to fly and fall in holes. What a beastly behavior! No way he is leaving his egg here! Babak carries his egg back where he can take good care of it.

If I had to describe this book with one word, I would say "cozy". All about it gives me the feeling of an old book: its simple illustrations in only four colors, the font which reminds me of mimeographs, the pilgrimage style of the text. It looks like a book to treasure.

The text is both warm and humorous. And how not to love Babak so kind and gentle? I have always loved dung beetles, and Babak is now among my favorites.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.