Trumpets

TITLE: Trumpets
AUTHOR: Cynthia Amoroso and Robert B. Noyed
ILLUSTRATOR: various photographers
PUBLISHER: The Child's World
COPYRIGHT: 2010

We have read several books from this "Music Makers" series. Each one tells about one instrument. It has facts about the instrument, how it's played, and a brief history of the instrument. I like that the reading level is appropriate for beginning readers. Another thing I like about this series is the photographs that fill every other page.

My son and I have enjoyed reading the various books in this series.

That's Where God Is

TITLE: That's Where God Is
AUTHOR: Dan and Ali Morrow
ILLUSTRATOR: Cory Godbey
PUBLISHER: David C Cook
COPYRIGHT: 2010

I received this book a while back and have not shared it with you. It is a children's book called That's Where God Is by Dan & Ail Morrow with illustrations by Cory Godbey.

A young boy asks Grandpa a question that many of us may have wondered ourselves: "Where is God?" Grandpa encourages the boy to look for God in the coming week. As the boy goes about his daily life he finds God every day...with the animals He created, when we share, and when we forgive. At the end of the week the boy shares with Grandpa where he has found God.

This book is appropriate for preschool through early elementary aged children. Besides the spiritual message, this book also incorporates the days of the week. Also, each day has a different verse related to the place that the boy found God that day. The illustrations were not my favorite for a children's book. The layout and font were easy to read. Overall I enjoyed this book.
Thank you to David C Cook book review program for providing me a review copy of this book.

Lyle Walks the Dogs

TITLE: Lyle Walks the Dogs
AUTHOR: Bernard Waber
ILLUSTRATOR: Paulis Waber
PUBLISHER: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
COPYRIGHT: 2010

Lyle the crocodile has a dog walking job. He starts with one dog and each day adds one more dog that he is walking. This is a great book for young children as they are learning to count. Besides the dogs there was some other things to count and look for on each page.

One Hand, Two Hands

One hand, two hands,
Five fingers, ten.
God, thanks, for my hands.
Please, use them again.

TITLE: One Hand, Two Hands
AUTHOR: Max Lucado
ILLUSTRATOR: Gaby Hansen
PUBLISHER: Tommy Nelson
COPYRIGHT: 2010

I am happy to share with you a new children's book by Max Lucado called One Hand, Two Hands. It is written with rhyming text and shows children a variety of ways that we use our hands every day all day long. The illustrations by Gaby Hansen are really fun and add to the enjoyment of this book in my opinion.

If you have a special little one in your life, I recommend this book for them. You will enjoy it together. My son and I did.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising

The Can Man

TITLE: The Can Man

AUTHOR: Laura E. Williams

ILLUSTRATOR: Craig Orback

PUBLISHER: Lee & Low Books Inc.

COPYRIGHT: 2010

Tim starts saving his money so he can buy himself a skateboard. He collects cans around town as he has seen done by a man everyone calls the Can Man. He feels bad when he hears that the Can Man is saving his money for a new coat. In the end Tim gives his money to the Can Man. The Can Man has a special birthday surprise for Tim as well. This is a wonderful story to share with your class or child. It will cause children to think about others and not just themselves. My son and I enjoyed this book.

Brontorina

TITLE: Brontorina
AUTHOR: James Howe
ILLUSTRATOR: Randy Cecil
PUBLISHER: Candlewick Press
COPYRIGHT: 2010

This is a cute book about a dinosaur who wants to be a ballerina. He has some trouble at his dance classes. Is he just too big to be a ballerina?

My son and I enjoyed this book and it made us both laugh!

Country Road ABC

TITLE: Country Road ABC
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Arthur Geisert
PUBLISHER: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
COPYRIGHT: 2010

This beautifully illustrated ABC books shows readers life in the country on a farm. This book is very well done and would make a nice addition to a classroom discussion on farms.

My son and I enjoyed the book.

An ABC of What Art Can Be

TITLE: An A B C of What Art Can Be
AUTHOR: Meher McArthur
ILLUSTRATOR: Esther Pearl Watson
PUBLISHER: J. Paul Getty Museum
COPYRIGHT: 2010

This ABC book is unique in its design as it is shorter in height than most books, which is one of the things that caught my attention. It goes through the alphabet naming a different art related word for each letter. Some of these include frame, landscape, prints, and vanishing point. The illustrations are great because they illustrate the concept of the words being described.

My son and I enjoyed reading this book and learning some new words together.

That Cat Can't Stay

TITLE: That Cat Can't Stay
AUTHOR: Thad Krasnesky
ILLUSTRATOR: David Parkins
PUBLISHER: Flashlight Press
COPYRIGHT: 2010

Mom keeps finding cats and bringing them home. Dad has his list of reasons why "That cat can't stay" but ends up giving in when Mom gives a reason why they should help the cat out. How many cats will come to live with the family? The cartoon illustrations in this book fit well with the silliness of this book. It makes a fun read aloud.

My son and I thought this was a good book.

Fire Drill

TITLE: Fire Drill
AUTHOR: Paul DuBois Jacobs and Jennifer Swender
ILLUSTRATOR: Huy Voun Lee
PUBLISHER: Henry Holt and Company
COPYRIGHT: 2010

The children in a kindergarten class do a fire drill and learn how to act during a fire drill. Young children will enjoy this book with its easy to follow text and cute illustrations of children in a classroom. It would be appropriate for a school classroom or library.

My son and I thought this was a fun book to read.

The Jesus Storybook Bible

TITLE: The Jesus Storybook Bible
AUTHOR: Sally Lloyd-Jones
ILLUSTRATOR: Jago
PUBLISHER: Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT:2007

I am reading The Jesus Storybook Bible with my son. We have read many different children's Bibles. This one is different from all of them. First, the illustrations are not the typical children's book cartoon illustrations. Second, these are not just shortened versions of stories from the Bible on a child's level. These are well-thought out stories that I have found to be biblically accurate. But they also show how that event or story points to Jesus. The subtitle of the book is "Every story whispers his name." I love and appreciate this. This is a wonderful book that both children and adults will enjoy. As an adult it is nice to be reminded of God's faithfulness as we read with our children. It is appropriate for school-aged children. This book would be perfect for a bedtime reading book.

Thank you to Zondervan for providing a review copy of this storybook Bible.

A Book About Color

TITLE: A Book About Color
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Mark Gonyea
PUBLISHER: Henry Holt and Company
COPYRIGHT: 2010

This is a nice book with brightly colored illustrations to introduce a young child to color. Things discussed are primary and secondary colors as well as complementary colors.

This would be a good book for a school or classroom library.

Vacation Bible Snooze

TITLE: Vacation Bible Snooze
AUTHOR: Mike Thaler

ILLUSTRATOR: Jared Lee

PUBLISHER: Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT: 2010

This is another book from the Tales from the Back Pew series. Mom asks her son if he wants to go to Vacation Bible School. He doesn't think anyone would want to go to school during vacation to study the Bible. His Mom tells him about VBS and why he should go....to learn more about his Best Friend.

Personally, I did not like the cartoon illustration of God at the end of the book and didn't feel like the Mom gave very good description of VBS or reasons as to why the boy should go.

As I mentioned in my review for the other book I feel if you like the Black Lagoon Series you will like these books because they are so similar.

Thank you to Pam at Zondervan for sending me a review copy of this book.

In The Big Inning

TITLE: In the Big Inning Bible Riddles from the Back Pew
AUTHOR: Mike Thaler
ILLUSTRATOR: Jared Lee
PUBLISHER: Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT: 2010

Are you familiar with the "Black Lagoon" series? This book is in a series called Tales from the Back Pew by the same author.

One of the riddles:
How do you know God is a baseball fan? Because he starts
off the Bible “In the Big Inning …”

There are several riddles on each page along with silly cartoon illustrations. The jokes cover things from both the Old and New Testaments.


I think this would be a book enjoyed by elementary aged boys. The jokes will be funny for those who have some Bible background. Otherwise they probably won't make sense. Several of them did make me laugh though. If you are a fan of the Black Lagoon series I would recommend that you check out this series also.

Thank you to Zondervan for sending me a review copy of this book.

If I Could

TITLE: If I Could
AUTHOR: Susan Milord
ILLUSTRATOR: Christopher Denise
PUBLISHER: Candlewick Press
COPYRIGHT: 2008

A mother raccoon and her little raccoon walk along the beach and the mother expresses her love to her little one to show him what a treasure he is. The illustrations are adorable in this book, and it is appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers.

My son and I found this book to be enjoyable to read.

Taking Care of Mama

TITLE: Taking Care of Mama
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Mitra Modarressi
PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam's Sons
COPYRIGHT: 2010

Mama is sick in bed so the kids and Papa take care of her and the house. They end up making quite a mess and are all tired by the end of the day. This is a fun book with rhyming text that makes it a great read aloud. The illustrations of this little raccoon family are just so cute!

My son and I enjoyed this book and recommend it to you.

The Fathers are coming home

TITLE: The Fathers are coming home
AUTHOR: Margaret Wise Brown
ILLUSTRATOR: Stephen Savage
PUBLISHER: Margaret K McElderry Books
COPYRIGHT: 2010

At night time the fathers begin to head home. Animal fathers and a sailor father return home to their families. The text is minimal and the illustrations are simply done without a lot of detail yet they are well done.

My son and I enjoyed this book.

Let's Have a Daddy Day

TITLE: Let's Have a Daddy Day
AUTHOR: Karen Kingsbury
ILLUSTRATOR: Dan Andreasen
PUBLISHER: Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT: 2010

Let's go on a Daddy Day, a time for me and you.
Today while you're still little, there're so many things to do!

I'd like to share a book with you I have recently read. This children's book, Let's Have a Daddy Day, by Karen Kingsbury would make a great gift for Father's Day.

In this book the children get to have a special day with their Daddy doing all sorts of fun things together. The message of this book shows the value of quality time spent between a dad and his children. The illustrations add to the enjoyment of this book as well with the realistic expressions on the faces of the children.

My son and I enjoyed this book together.

Thank you to Pam Mettler at Zondervan for sending me a review copy of this book.

Ready, Steady, Grow!

TITLE: Ready, Steady, Grow!
AUTHOR: Sophie Piper
ILLUSTRATOR: Georgie Birkett
PUBLISHER: Lion Children's
COPYRIGHT: 2009

What does a child need to do to grow? This book gives the answer to that question and includes topics like healthy food choices, keeping active, safety, and hygiene. This book with it's fun cartoon-style illustrations is appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers.

My son and I enjoyed this book together.

Ultimate Sports

TITLE: Ultimate Sports
AUTHOR: Teresa Domnauer
ILLUSTRATOR:
PUBLISHER: School Specialty Publishing
COPYRIGHT: 2007

This book has a variety of extreme sports including luge, snowboarding, surfing, whitewater kayaking, and rock climbing. A description of one page length is given for each sport as well as "weird facts" and a photograph. This book is in the "Extreme Readers" series and would be good for a "confident reader."

My son enjoyed the photos and information presented in this book.

What Brothers Do Best/What Sisters Do Best

TITLE: What Brothers Do Best/What Sisters Do Best
AUTHOR: Laura Numeroff
ILLUSTRATOR: Lynn Munsinger
PUBLISHER: Chronicle Books
COPYRIGHT: 2009

This is two books in one! You can read one version to find out what sisters can do and then flip it over and read the same things that brothers can do. The illustrations of animal siblings doing things together are really cute.

My son and I thought this was a great book.

It's a Baby Skunk!

TITLE: Skunk!
AUTHOR: Kelly Doudna
ILLUSTRATOR: (various photographers)
PUBLISHER: ABDO Publishing Company
COPYRIGHT: 2008

We found this great little series of books at our local library. This one is called It's a Baby Skunk! Other books are about prairie dogs, hippopotamuses, and flying foxes to name a few. It provides great photographs of skunks and interesting facts.

We checked out several from this series, and I have found all of them to be enjoyable and educational. These would make a nice addition to a classroom library or school library.

Pip Squeak

TITLE: Pip Squeak
AUTHOR: Sarah Weeks
ILLUSTRATOR: Jane Manning
PUBLISHER: Laura Gerimger Books
COPYRIGHT: 2007

Pip Squeak the mouse works very hard to clean up his house only to have his friend Max come and make a mess of everything. This book is a beginning reader and a sequel to another cute book called Drip, Drop.

My son and I enjoyed this book and reading it together.

The Perfect Gift

TITLE: The Perfect Gift
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Mary Newell Depalma
PUBLISHER: Arthur A. Levine Books
COPYRIGHT: 2010

Little Lori is proud to have found a big red strawberry that she can take to her grandmother. It is not an easy task though and she loses her special gift. She has some friends though that try to help her get it back but they do end up in some danger. I enjoyed the bright illustrations in this book. It would be appropriate for the primary aged library.

My son and I thought this was a cute story.

Super Duck

TITLE: Super Duck
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Jez Alborough
PUBLISHER: Kane/Miller Book Publishers
COPYRIGHT: 2008

As Goat tries to go fly a kite with friends Sheep and Frog, Duck comes and tries to help out as "Super Duck." This silly rhyming book will bring laughter to you and your child as you read it aloud together. We have enjoyed other books by this author about Duck and this is another fun one.

My son and I enjoyed this book.

Baseball From A To Z

TITLE: Baseball From A To Z
AUTHOR: Michael P. Spradlin
ILLUSTRATOR: Macky Pamintuan
PUBLISHER: Harper
COPYRIGHT: 2010

Go through the alphabet with something baseball related for each letter. I thought the author did a good job of giving a word for each letter as well as a little information describing how the word relates to baseball. The illustrations really add to the interest and appeal of this book, which my husband noticed too when he read the book with our son.

My son and I thought this was a great book. It would be a nice book for any baseball lover!

Compost Stew

TITLE: Compost Stew An A-Z Recipe for the Earth
AUTHOR: Mary McKenna Siddals
ILLUSTRATOR: Ashley Wolff
PUBLISHER: Tricycle Press
COPYRIGHT: 2010

This book offers an A-Z list of items to use in your compost. It's poetic verse makes it fun to read aloud. The illustrations are amazing to me, and I appreciate the detail and colors on each page. This would be a wonderful addition to a classroom or school library as well as a unit on the environment.

My son and I found this to be a wonderful book to enjoy together.

1 2 3 I Can Build!

TITLE: 1 2 3 I Can Build!
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Irene Luxbacher
PUBLISHER: Kids Can Press Ltd.
COPYRIGHT: 2009

I was intrigued by the cover of this book and was not disappointed when I read it with my son. This book shows the features needed to create a building. Various building words are defined (foundation, interior, exterior, structure, function, tower, etc.) and then demonstrated using a craft your child can make. At the end all the techniques are used to create one large palace. I loved the photos and also that the materials used in the crafts were common household items.

My son and I enjoyed this book and found some fun ideas to try ourselves.

This Little Prayer of Mine

TITLE: This Little Prayer of Mine
AUTHOR: Anthony DeStefano
ILLUSTRATOR: Mark Elliott
PUBLISHER: WaterBrook Press
COPYRIGHT: 2010

I was happy to be able to review This Little Prayer of Mine by Anthony DeStefano and illustrated by Mark Elliott. This rhyming book is a wonderful reminder for children as well as their adults that God answers the prayers we pray. What I liked about this book was the various reasons it gave for us to pray and the feelings young children face..fear, sadness, loneliness, thankfulness, and more. My son and I really liked the illustrations of the children in various settings as well. This book would be great for your child's personal library or would make a nice gift for a little child in your life. We enjoyed this book and recommend it for you.

You can purchase this book here.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

The Flowering Cross

TITLE: The Flowering Cross
AUTHOR: Beth Ryan
ILLUSTRATOR: Renee Graef
PUBLISHER: Tommy Nelson
COPYRIGHT: 2009

I received The Flowering Cross by Beth Ryan from Thomas Nelson's BookSneeze reviewers program.

In this nicely illustrated children's book, young Katie is a friend to her elderly neighbor, Papa Jack, someone everyone else sees just as a mean man. When she goes to pick some of his flowers for the "flowering Cross," she invites him to Easter church service and he says yes.

This book shows how showing Christ's love can make a difference in the hearts of people today and the role children can play in showing His love.

One thing I liked was that at the bottom of many of the pages was "Faith Imprints." This gives parents a faith lesson in one or two sentences along with a Bible verse to share with the child as you read the book. It also has directions at the back to make your own flowering Cross. This book is for young children in the message it presents. This would make a nice gift for a little one's Easter basket.

My son and I enjoyed this book together.

New reviews coming!

It has been many months since I've posted a review of a children's book here on this site. I was thinking recently as I was reading with my son that I have several I'd like to share. I am going to be posting some reviews that I've shared previously on my personal blog as well as some reviews from books that we've borrowed from the library.

Thank you for stopping by.