End of Week Review

Animals should definitely not wear clothing.

Barrett, Judi

This wife and husband collaboration was one of our favorites.  The concept and story are simple and clever and downright hilarious.  The chicken and the moose pages are my favorites, but the kids giggled at every picture. 5 bookworms each for story and pictures plus a bookshelf stamp of approval! 

Elliot Digs for Treasure

Beck, Andrea 

We always enjoy an Elliot book.  It's a wonder we don't have any in our home library yet.  They are a pleasure for me to read aloud, and they invoke some of that imaginative innocence of childhood.  Four bookworms for story and four bookworms for pictures.

Martha doesn't say sorry!; Martha doesn't share!

Berger, Samatha

Big Sister gave both of these stories 3 bookworms: good, but not extraordinary for her.  Little Brother loved them and gave an enthusiastic 5.  I'll be diplomatic and say 4 bookworms for story and pictures.  Above average, but I probably won't remember them unless I find them on the return cart again.  Martha, it's me, not you.  I did like all the white space around the characters and the direct storytelling.   

The Berenstain Bears and the Bully; 

The Berenstain Bears' Report Card Trouble

Berenstain, Stan & Jan

Berenstain Bears are classics.  They were my favorite as a kid, though on some late nights I find them a little wordy when I'm just trying to get kids to bed.  Lazy mom.  I did feel that Bully ended abruptly and awkwardly for the serious nature of the story.  Both Big Sis and Little Bro gave the books 5 bookworms on all counts.

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type; Dooby Dooby Moo;

Diary of a Worm; Diary of a Spider; Diary of a Fly

Cronin, Doreen

Like many others, we are fans of Doreen Cronin.  Click, Clack, Moo is a Caldecott Honor Book, but Big Sis rated it at 4 bookworms while awarding 5 to Dooby Dobby Moo.  I prefer Click, Clack, Moo.  I can relate to Farmer Brown.  Sometimes, there isn't much difference between demanding children and demanding farm animals.
Little Bro was not as engaged by the Diary books as Big Sis and Mom were, but I think he will appreciate them more in a year or two.  We give them 5 bookworms straight across.

Stink Soup

Esbaum, Jill

See this post.  

Alphabet Under Construction

Fleming, Denise

Both big kids loved this book and the pictures.  It was only okay for me, and I would have rated it an average 3 bookworms before I did some research into the illustration method: pulp painting.  Now I am very impressed.  5 bookworms for pictures, but still not in my favorite top ten alphabet books.

A Book

Gerstein, Mordicai

Big Sister says, "5 bookworms!" A Book is a book about a book.  Got it?  It's much more engaging than it sounds and has fun and interesting pictures - 5 bookworms.  However, I hate reading word bubbles aloud (totally interrupts the storyline) so the story drops to 4 bookworms.  Kind of petty, I know.

How Do I Love You?

Kimmelman, Leslie

There are already too many picture books about all the ways we can tell our kids we love them.  Cute, but not my first pick for reading material.  This one had good rhymes and syntax and more originality than most.  4 bookworms for story and 3 bookworms for pictures.  

Chief Rhino to the Rescue

Lloyd, Sam

Little Bro awarded 5 bookworms to Chief Rhino.  Big Sis and I only give it 3 bookworms.  It was a little too silly for me.  Maybe because Dad is a Firefighter Paramedic and I have high standards for firefighter stories.

Miss Lina's Ballerinas

MacCarone, Grace

See this post.

One Too Many

Marino, Gianna

This is a counting book will be most appreciated by very visually engaged or older kids.  Little Bro lost interest quickly.  Big Sis and I had lots of fun doing the extra seek-and-find activities at the end of the book.  5 bookworms for pictures.

Stomp, Dinosaur, Stomp!

Mayo, Margaret

Little Bro told me, "When I'm Spotlight Student, I want to take this book!"  Wonderful bold and colorful pictures, and sure to be a hit with dinosaur lovers.  It was fun to read aloud as well - quite lyrical. 5 bookworms on all counts.

Dog Wants to Play

McDonnell, Christine

A very good book for young children like Baby Brother, especially those who like dogs and animals. 4 bookworms.

Ziggy's Blue-Ribbon Day

Mills, Claudia

See this post.

One

Katherine Otoshi

I am crazy in love with the simplicity of this book.  This is our second time checking it out, and I will be buying it soon.  Because of the pictures and use of color, Little Bro could read sections of it along with me before he was officially learning to read.  It delivers it's message very well.  Check this one out for sure.  5 enthusiastic bookworms for story and pictures plus bookshelf stamp of approval.

Amelia Bedelia's First Day of School;

Amelia Bedelia's First Valentine;

Amelia Bedelia's First Apple Pie

Parish, Herman

I love classic Amelia Bedelia, so I was skeptical about this modern grade-school age Amelia Bedelia.  Herman Parish is the original author's nephew.  I still favor the classic, but he did a good job carrying on the Amelia Bedelia tradition for a new generation.  Big Sis awards 5 bookworms for story and pictures.  I concur, though I think First Day of School had the best told and truest Amelia Bedelia story.

Big Brave Brian

Robertson, M.P.

This book was awesome.  The illustrations were excellent.  I still love looking at the page that reads, "Things that go bump in the night don't give Brian the heebie-jeebies."  Very funny to me, however, Little Bro did get the heebie-jeebies.  He was frightened by many of the scary creatures that Brian is not afraid of.  Fun ending, but not for little ones with active imaginations before bedtime. 5 bookworms.

Bedtime for Mommy; The OK Book

Rosenthal, Amy Krouse

The pictures for these two books couldn't be more different, but they both win 5 bookworms.  I love Amy Krouse Rosenthal's storytelling.  Bedtime for Mommy is amusing and silly in a good way.  I highly recommend The OK Book for the child who feel insecure about their talents or performance.  It actually made me feel better about myself.  5 bookworms to Amy.

Emily's First 100 Days of School

Wells, Rosemary

Rosemary Wells, I have loved you since 1st grade.  I did grown a little impatient when we started our bedtime routine late, and I couldn't talk Little Bro out of reading and counting every. single. day. of the first 100 days of kindergarten.  Then I got swept up in the fun and enjoyed it.  It can't have been easy to think up those 100 things.  5 bookworms.

Whew!  29 books were fun to read, but laborious to keep track of, discuss, rate, and review.  Never so many at once again.


Happy reading!