Blog Tour: Max at night

 

Reviews in Chalk is hosting today the Max at Night Blog Tour. I reviewed this book by Ed Vere for the first time nearly 5 months ago, and it is still a favorite bedtime story. It is so calming! I hope you give it a try and enjoy it too!

text and illustrations by Ed Vere

age range: 3 and up

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Max is just a sweet, little cat who wants to say good night to Moon before going to sleep. But Moon is nowhere to be seen. Max goes outside, climbs trees, buildings, and more. He asks the night, the hill and the rooftops where Moon is. Finally the wind blows the clouds away, and the night turns bright and beautiful with a big, wonderful moon. And Max is so sleepy...

This story is really cute, and Max is an adorable character. The slow pace, and the repetitiveness of the text makes it an ideal bedtime story. The illustrations are simple, but lovely, colorful enough without being bright, as I think a bedtime story needs to be.

Although the book is recommended for kids 3 years old and up, I would say younger readers will enjoy it too. My 19 months old son loved it.

Author's faves: Helen and Thomas Docherty

I am honored to hosting today The Storybook Knight Blog Tour. So I asked author Helen Docherty, and illustrator Thomas Docherty about their favorite picture books. Here you have the complete list with their comments. Enjoy!

Helen's favorites:

The Sneetches by 
Dr. Seuss

Of course, there are not one but four brilliantly clever and entertaining stories in this book. Wise, humane and very, very funny, each of these stories comes with a clear moral (e.g., if you have 23 sons, don’t call them all Dave).

Leon and Bob 
by Simon James

Perfectly paced, the story of Leon (who misses his Dad) and his imaginary friend Bob is incredibly poignant, but in an understated way. The illustrations capture every subtle emotion, and the ending is a joy every time you read it.

Out and About 
by Shirley Hughes

Not a conventional narrative, this collection of short poems takes us through the year’s cycle from a child’s perspective, capturing many small moments lived. The illustrations are full of carefully observed detail and the verse is lyrical, fresh and always true.

The Bear’s Winter House 
by John Yeoman and Quentin Blake

A favourite from my own childhood, this story of a bear trying to hibernate (but being constantly thwarted by his friends) is perfectly crafted and full of of humour, both in the text and in Quentin Blake’s vibrant illustrations.

The Paper Dolls 
by Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb

A sweet, playful story that becomes something much more profound, this book explores the theme of loss with a beautiful lightness of touch. Warning: this book will probably make you cry!

And Thomas' favorites:

How Tom Beat Captain Najork and His Hired Sportsmen 

by Russell Hoban and Quentin Blake

My dad used to read this to me and my brothers because he loved it so much himself, and now I’m doing the same with our daughters… Vintage shenanigans from two of the greats of children’s literature. 

The Tiger-Skin Rug 

by Gerald Rose

Sumptuous illustrations and a touching fairytale of a story transport you to an ancient eastern kingdom where a skinny, old, tiger wants nothing more than to find a quiet home and a family to belong to. 

The Pirate Cruncher 

by Jonny Duddle

A band of salty pirates, a treasure map and the promise of riches beyond their wildest dreams - what could possibly go wrong? A visual delight of a picture book with a hilarious and perilous twist!

The Gardening Pirates 

by Ruth Morgan and Chris Glynn

When Gwen the cabin girl discovers an unusual treasure in the form of vegetable seeds, it might just be what the crew of the Ych-A-Fi (Welsh for “Gross!”) need to get rid of the mean Captain Cranc… An original story with a resourceful heroine and LOTS of vegetables, what’s not to love! 

The Hundred Decker Bus 

by Mike Smith

An ordinary bus with ordinary passengers head off on an extraordinary journey, following their hearts and dreams as they build a community that just keeps on growing and growing. Quirky, fun and (literally) uplifting.

Thank you Helen and Thomas!

You can read more reviews by Helen here. And visit Thomas' website here.

I'll hug you more

by Laura Duksta

illustrations by Melissa Iwai

age range: 2 to 5 years old

Sourcebooks / Jabberwocky

There are so many opportunities during the day for a good hug! When the days starts, when we read a book, to say hello and to say goodbye, to say thank you and good night. And tomorrow we can find ever more opportunities for more hugs.

Flip sided book full of beautiful illustrations you feel like touching, and calming rhymed text. Ideal for a bedtime story, right before a huge hug. 

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

Dojo surprise

text and illustrations by Chris Tougas

age range: 2 to 5 years old

Owlkids Books

How do you prepare a surprise birthday party for a Master Ninja? He is SO aware, using his ears and eyes! The little ninja girls and boys tiptoe, hide, scurry, until everything is ready. Nothing is missing: cake, candles, music and the gift. 

This is not a quite story, on the contrary, it is very interactive. Kids have along the book many opportunities to scream "Aaah!" when the Master Ninja gets scared. Funny, noisy, and with lovable characters. Be prepared to read it lots of times. 

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

Author's faves: Susan Hughes

Take a look at Susan Hughes's favorite picture books! She is the author of the wonderful Maggie McGillicuddy's eye for trouble. I commented on the books I have read, and added the book blurb for the one I didn't. Enjoy!

Grant and Tillie go walking

by Monica Kulling, illustrations by Sydney Smith

"Grant Wood believed that to be a real artist, he had to live in Paris. But ones he got there, he realized that to be a great painter he needed to return to the people and places, and even animals, that the knew and loved the best. Inspired by the life or artist Grant Wood, this is the sensitively imagined story of the great American painter and a cow named Tillie".

-From the GoodReads blurb-

Anansi and the moss-covered rock

retold by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Janet Stevens

Anansi and the moss-covered rock is an old African folktale about a ... spider who uses a magic rock to trick other animals and get their food. But Little Bush Deer finds out what Anansi is doing and decided to teach him a lesson. The interesting thing about the tale is that although all the animals recover their food, Anansi doesn't really learns any lesson, and goes on playing tricks, as is his nature as a spider. 
Janet Stevens illustrations are very good, with the animals humanized at the point of walking in two legs, and many "modern" details in the illustrations. 
-Comment by Sandra-

Red is best

by Kathy Stinson, illustrated by Robin Baird Lewis

Kelly's favorite color is red, and there is a good explanation for that. Everybody knows you can jump higher with red stockings, make better snowballs with red mittens, keep away monsters in the red pajamas, and take bigger steps with the red boots. A cute story about a kid's logical reasons for loving a color.
-Comment by Sandra-

Pool

by JiHyeon Lee

Pool is a beautifully illustrated wordless story about two kids who meet each other in a terribly crowded pool. At the beginning they look reluctant to interact, but sooner than later they dare to share a journey full of imagination, strange creatures, and fun. The deeper they dive, the deeper their friendship becomes.
Beautiful story by a incredible talented author and illustrator. 

-Comment by Sandra-

This is Sadie

by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Julie Morstad

Sadie has been a mermaid who lived under the sea, and she also has been a boy raised by wolves. She has visited Wonderland, and sailed a big box through the wide sea. She has been a hero in a fairy tale, and talked to the birds in the top of a tall tree. Sadie is a happy and imaginative girl whose days are never long enough for all the adventures waiting for her. This is the kind of book that makes you want to be a kid again...
-Comment by Sandra-

Thank you, Susan!

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.