A blog of my running thoughts while reading. *Warning: Spoilers*
This is a really fun twist on a Christmas story. The illustrations are busy and do a great job of portraying a weariness for all things Christmas. The little girl’s face is consistently great. I also love how the family gets so excited by what we consider normalcy. This is a really good, unique Christmas book!
This is a very sweet Berenstain Bears book. It’s got a good plot and, for a change, has as much to say to parents as to kids. The artwork is awesome. I loved the details - all the cool stuff in the attic was great! The plot flowed nicely and didn’t particularly feel preachy, even though there were definitely lessons there. I very much enjoyed this book. It was fun and well done!
This is actually a really good book about friendship and related issues for really young kids. It discusses a wide range of topics intelligently and simply with clear, simple illustrations. The examples include all types of children (even a number of handicapped ones) and speaks very respectfully of childhood friendship issues. Even the endpapers are helpful with kid suggestions for how to be and not be a friend! This is simply a wonderfully done book and I’m extremely impressed!
This is a cute story. It was nice that although it was easy to predict in very general terms how it would turn out, the book remained surprising in the specifics of how it got there. The art is pretty, but I wasn’t actually terribly fond of it because it didn’t always represent the events of the story very well. I enjoyed this book overall, but didn’t feel that it was especially amazing.
This was a really cute book. It’s a funny story and Brett’s lavish illustrations do a beautiful job of bringing it to life. Her details are marvelous and I love how she really brings in elements of Ukrainian folk art. The animals are beautiful and her attention to detail with each of them is very apparent. This is definitely a book that is fun to read on a snowy winter’s day and would make a great gift paired with some mittens!
This is a very unique “Cinderella” story. The tale is sweet and simple and I enjoyed it, although I do wish that the stepsisters had been punished somehow! I liked the illustrations a lot, though, especially those of the invisible being. The traditional aspects of this story were interesting. I wonder how accurate it all was? I enjoyed the story, though.
This is a really funny and cute story about a French mouse. The way that Anatole solves his problem is very clever and cute. I love the illustrations, they are just so adorable! This is a fun book and I think that it would make a great read-aloud choice (especially for someone who could do a French accent!). This was just a really fun book to read!
This is an interesting version of the “Rapunzel” story. It’s missing many of the typical aspects of the story (the long hair, etc.). The prince plays almost no role at all. The Barbie fairy tales seem to really like the ‘long-lost daughter’ motif. I guess it gets around to having to give Barbie parents who sell her for some lettuce! I’d be interested in seeing the movie.
This is another cute entry in the “How Do Dinosaurs…?” series. The highlight for me, personally, was the Gorgosaurus sticking beans up his nose. I also liked the dinosaur name written in letter magnets on the refrigerator. I’m still bothered by the lack of girl dinosaurs and prevalence of stereotypical housewives, but I’ve given up hope on that point. At least the writing and illustrations are cute!
This is a cute picture book! It made me laugh. I love the personification of the feet. They make a cute pair, even if it’s a little “odd couple”-ish. I like the art as well. It’s adorable and I’m impressed at how much expression the feet have. They are really distinct. The book is cute and fun, even if the story is rather familiar in many ways.